CRT Rear Projection and Direct View Service and Repair

[free2speak]

I have been meaning to buy DVE for a while. DVE is probably a better benefit for my current system than some expensive hardware upgrade. Thanks for the info.

[Richard]

I see in one forum after another owners proclaiming how superior their upscaling player is to the current 480p DVD players.

Oh, I have no doubt you have read this on other sites!!!

Where on this site? If so the display did not provide a native 480p scan rate. These days all displays are digital fixed pixel and the scan rate is the native pixel matrix of the display in which case a 480p player requires the display scale/upconvert it to what ever the display is. There are some CRT RPs that were 1080i only and in that case you would benefit from an upconverting player. That is another reason why we tell folks to avoid native pixel matrixes that are not native to common HDTV scan rates, 1280X720 and 1920X1080. We never go by the CEA expression of 720p or 1080p because manufacturers have played fast and loose with it.

Waveform 10 CEA/FCC HDTV Definitions
viewtopic.php?t=5518

Go to CES and tell me scaling manufacturers aren't hyping their products... who doesn't? Not only hyping but using the typical fear mongering drive by media tactics of "what if's" to create concern where far more often than not there is none.

External scaling still serves a useful function but is one of the most application intensive decisions in HT (as well as more expensive)- read special needs... I have not used my scaler in a very long time and everyday scaling has vastly improved over the early days of HDTV taking us right back to, special needs.

If you follow our rules and buy good source products you will get the correct response for the least amount of money provided you bought a properly operating display to begin with that can be ISF calibrated to video standards.

[Richard]

DVE will help you with your player evaluation. I still recommend maintenance or calibration for the display!

[free2speak]

My Mits does 480p and 1080i. I use "native" 1080i as much as possible.

I am sure you see a lot of hype at CES. I don't pay much attention to hype unless I am actively shopping. I can say that I have never seen a commercial for "upscaling" DVD players so I would say that is limited hype. DVD players are so common it is hard to say they are hyped. DVD is a commodity today. The real hype is coming from Blu-Ray which also does "upscaling" now that is hype.

If you look hard enough on your site I am sure you will find many instances in your forums where "upscaling" was hyped by either a next gen DVD fan, or someone trying to justify against a next gen purchase because "upscaled" DVD is good enough. I know it wasn't you Richard, but you know it is true.

[Richard]

It would seem you were baited by scaling hype...

My HD DVD player was the first warning when I got the dreaded "High Resolution Output Disabled" message when playing DVD's over component.

Yet there was nothing to dread. Converting 480i to 480p is all about proper de-interlacing, not scaling, and it doesn't get any simpler than that when you have a native 480p display. Scaling to an HD scan rate is easier than de-interlacing but it could actually make things worse if not done properly...

Panasonic DMP-BD10A Blu-ray and SD DVD player
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/reviews/200 ... player.php

The real hype is coming from Blu-Ray which also does "upscaling" now that is hype.

Blu-ray doesn't upscale or convert anything (it's an optical disc format for HD content) ... players do and with current displays highly recommended if not expected just on the basis of convenience so I'm not sure what hype you are referring to?

Sure, folks have come here and posted scaling hype just like you did and like the others somebody came along to provide help in sorting it out for the poster and future readers just like Akirby and I have done on this thread. That is what makes HD Library different.

Performance is always about application, application and... application.

you will find many instances in your forums where "upscaling" was hyped by either a next gen DVD fan,

It would be great if you would provide an example here...

or someone trying to justify against a next gen purchase because "upscaled" DVD is good enough.

That could be a valid stance depending on the application and we have sorted that out here as well.

[akirby]

The bottom line is you wont' see a noticeable improvement on 480p dvds by upscaling them to 1080i ON YOUR SYSTEM. As we've tried to explain, your TV is NATIVE 480P with the best blacks possible. It simply does not get much better than that.

But MOST people today don't have native 480P CRTs. They have 720p or 1080p micro displays (or something in between). For those displays something MUST do the upconverting so it becomes a question of which upconverter does the better job - the one in the TV, the DVD player or a n outboard video processor?

Save your money until you decide to upgrade the TV.

[pobrien4]

I have a 52 in. SONY. Rear Projection TV - Model - KP53V85 As far as the servicing of a rear projection, What is actually done. Are the bulbs replaced, components dusted & cleaned. Can this cleaning be done easily without hiring a service tech?

[Richard]

CRT is not a bulb technology - the light comes from a CRT, cathode ray tube, which is far more high tech.

A tune up would be: remove screen - clean mirror and optics - reassembly, confirm/align focus, screens, b/w tracking, convergence, customer controls

Pricing varies. For us your NTSC TV would run $175. The HDTV version, $225.

If you don't want to hire a professional please use your favorite search engine to find do it yourself sites.