 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
Well, I'm playing with my Denon DVD-5900 right now and the DVI port is enabled. I'm trying 480p vs 720p vs 1080i all of which sync up just fine on my TV. BTW, is 1080i considered to be 'better' than 720p?I have a few questions about the upscaling feature. I notice that with upscaling enabled via DVI the picture looks a little smoother, almost 'creamy'. Is this normal?
The DVI mode also has a Black-Level setting of "Normal" vs "Enhanced". I seem to prefer "Enhanced" as it darkens the blacks and doesn't make the picture as 'creamy smooth'. My comments about the picture are all relative to normal 480p viewing. Is what I'm seeing normal?
I like the picture but there's not a huge night and day difference between 480p and the upscaled 720p (or 1080i for that matter). Sort of like upsampling on a redbook CD... you can hear it but it's not huge. I'm using the Eric Clapton "One more car one more rider" DVD as I consider it to be a very high quality source for both video and audio.
And one final comment. Upscaled DVD is still a far cry from true High Definition digital TV broadcasting true High-Def content (live or recorded). If you've seen HDTV wide screen format PBS or a live High-Def NFL game you know exactly what I'm talking about. Thanks!
Follow Ups:
Hi Abe and everyone else,I copied a couple of pages off avsforum.com that discuss
an optimized (YMMV, natch!) setup for several parameters
of the DVD-5900. I'll look it up tonight when I get home
and post the links to the pages here. As you can see, there's
a plethora of adjustments! One of the links specifically
mentions setup with a Pioneer Pro-1110HD, but is still generally
applicable (we just got the Pro and are having a great time
with it).cheers, Dave and Kathy.
Hi Dave/Kathy - The DVD5900 sounds great right out of the box but I have to admit that I haven't yet spent the time to go through the manual to thoroughly understand the various audio settings. If you think DVD-A is great I bet you'll love concert videos in DTS surround. The audio purists will scoff at this but I really feel a well done DVD concert video can be amazing.
It will depend on your display. For most HD CRT based displays, the 1080i setting will usually be the best option. Most will convert 720p to 1080i to be displayed, anyway. If you have a digital HD display (plasma, DLP, LCD), the 720p option will usually be the best route to take. On some displays, the difference will be barely noticeable when upscaling, while others will display a considerably improved picture. And you're right, a welcomed upgrade it can be -- but it is definitely not equal to native High Definition.As to which is better, 720p or 1080i, there is a neverending debate that usually gets started when this question is asked. While both can look outstanding, 720p is considered, by the experts and for various reasons, better. But if the native rate of a display is 1080i, that's the resolution you need to feed it for the best picture quality -- a 720p signal will be converted, adding another step to the process.
Thanks Joe! You're always a wealth of information. I have been playing mostly with 720p this evening. I'll try 1080i comparisions tomorrow. I'm using the Sony 16:9 34" XBR CRT TV with the Denon 5900.
Hi Abe,I agree, Joe is always very informative and up-to-date...thank you.
I also have a Sony XBR, and I have been using my 5900 on 1080i via DVI. My HD sat. receiver is also using DVI, and I have that default to 1080i (Auto DVI setting). I haven't compared much with 720p.
As for the 5900, the beauty of it is its amazing adjustability. Pages 48 - 52 of the manual are very helpful for picture adjustments. Kris Deering of Secrets also owns a 5900 and posted some tips which I have been using. Try the following: Use Auto 2 in the Progressive Mode setup (page 32). Also, using Pic Adj on the remote, set IRE to 0 and then go back to the player to set DVI BK LEVEL to Normal. Finally, you may want to use a calibration disk such as Avia and/or Video Essentials to fine tune the player.
As for the PQ (picture quality), I like to use Finding Nemo or Monsters, Inc. to compare. There was a definite improvement in going from component cables to 1080i via DVI. (Please understand that my 5900 was one of the first produced and that DVI wasn't enabled when I received it.) The upscaled picture using DVI definitely has more depth, palpability (believe it or not) and three-dimensionality. The details are amazing as are the colors and separation of the details. However, you are correct in that the upscaled picture is not true high def such as programs on HDNet and Discovery HD...it is very good though and always amazes me what this player can do.
Finally, I would also suggest that you purchase a DVI switcher if you are also using DVI for your sat receiver. I have a Gefen, but there are ones made by Lindy and Pacific Cables to name a few.
Enjoy your 5900, and have fun playing with it!
Ken
Thanks Ken - I'll print out the info you provided so I don't lose it once this thread gets buried in a few weeks. I haven't yet taken the time to make fine adjustments to this player (or the TV for THIS player). I have the Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up disc which I believe is produced by Ovation Software. The 'kit' comes with the disc along with a deep tinted purple sheet of mylar that you look thru while adjusting color and contrast. I went thru the entire procedure with my DVD-2900 with the XBR TV set to 'movie mode'. I left the other TV modes pretty much uncalibrated but whenever I watched a DVD in this 'movie mode', the picture was excellent. I'll have to do the same for the DVD-5900 soon.I'll take another look at the info you sent and try 1080i. I also have Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc to play with. Thanks, ...Abe
Hi Abe,
I now understand why you are getting the PQ that you are from the 5900. I believe that it is your setting on the XBR TV. I've found that the saturation is set too high and, more importantly, that the "red push" is too overwhelming on the "Movie" setting. If you look carefully, you might notice that everything looks to be too "red." Facial complexions also seem to be unnatural...at least to my eyes.After playing around with my XBR and calibrating with Avia, I've found that the "Pro" setting seems to be the most neutral. The only settings that were slightly changed were the Brightness (depending on the lighting in your room) and Sharpness (down a few notches). You may want to try this factory setting and see how it looks to you. I would also recommend keeping this setting for at least a few days to a week, because it will take some time getting used to. At first, the picture may seem a little dark and soft, but you will also see more details, edge definition, and more natural colors.
Ken
Well, each of the factory 'presets' (Pro Movie Standard Vivid) are adjustable so I chose to take the Movie preset and adjust it using the calibration disc and funky tinted mylar that you look through. I'm under the impression that any of those factory 'presets' can be fully adjusted to ones taste. Is this not correct?
Most of the tech sites that I've seen (calibration, service stuff, etc) recommend the Movie mode on the Sony's. One of the advantages is that Scan Velocity Modulation is shut off when using this mode (at least for most of Sony's displays).
did my ISF technician calibrate my SONY 51' Hi Def RPTV in the "Pro" mode and recommend that I leave it there at all times?
I should point out that I have a lot of black and white laserdiscs and DVDs so he calibrated for 6500K in "Neutral" but also gave me a 5400K setting on "Warm" for the B&W material.
Scan Velocity Modulation - Don't know what it is or what it does but calibrating while in Movie mode has produced fairly good results so far. I still need a long sit down session in front of the 5900 witn owner's manual in hand to make black level and LFE subwoofer adjustments. Thanks Joe!
From Video Essentials:Scan Velocity Modulation (SVM) SVM is one of the many tricks manufacturers use to get more light out of a picture tube, at the cost of real picture detail. It changes the speed or velocity of the beam as it is scanned from the left to the right side of the picture. In the process, it distorts real picture detail, causing dark areas of the picture on light backgrounds to be reproduced much larger than normal and light areas on dark backgrounds to be reproduced much smaller than normal. When the beam spends more time "writing" light areas, the phosphors receive more energy and produce more light output. The fact that this will contribute to phosphor blooming, as well as detail distortion seems to be lost on a number of manufacturers calling it a "feature." <-- Next time you see a Best Buy ad with Mitsubishi displays, you might get a chuckle out of this. Though I suspect now that you know what it really is, like me, you may cringe instead.
The presence or absence of SVM can be easily detected by displaying the needle pulse test pattern. In it the width of the white line, on the black background, and black line, on the white background, are the same. In a set with SVM, the width of the black line will be much larger than the white line. The test pattern can be found in many places in Video Essentials. In particular we would point you at VE T17 C4.
If SVM is found on a set, look for an ability to shut it off. Several sets we've looked at provide this option in the mode of the set designed to accurately reproduce the signal source. In some other sets, it's easily defeated by a qualified service technician.
I turned mine off just prior to calibrating the set tonight. Sony calls it "Clear Edge VM". Thanks Joe.
Abe,You are correct...Sony does call it Clear Edge VM, and it is adjustable. Revisiting the Pro and Movie settings shows that the difference in the factory settings of Pro and Movie is the Color Temp. Pro is set to Neutral Color temp and Movie is set to Warm.
Ken
.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
