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Observations and questions

Started by tomkemp • Jan 6, 2007 • 10 posts
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#1
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

At 10:21 AM 1/6/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

And a Happy New Year to you too, Thomas!

A few random (and relatively brief - for me <g>) comments on your long post.


--- I purchased a Stewart Studiotek 130 screen (110" diagonal, 16:9)
about eight years ago on the recommendation of Joe Kane. This was
even before I had purchased, or even decided upon, my first FP which
turned out to be a Sony VPL-VW10HT (their first native 16:9 LCD
model). At the time Joe told me, "You won't have the same projector
for the rest of your life (Boy he hit that one on the head!) but you
might have the same screen if its a good one." So far it's been
through the Sony LCD and my current Runco DLP (CL-710) and I'm
looking forward to using it with the Pearl or some other 1080p
FP. The 1.3 gain of the screen is a nice compromise for most normal
applications and you don't keep changing screens with projectors.


--- Any FP can be made to look good (or bad) depending on all the
ambient conditions - or even on the settings. At CEDIA when JVC was
conducting a "shoot-out" between their prototype 1080p "cheap" model
(soon to be released) and the Sony Ruby the "conveniently" shut off
the auto iris on the Ruby. This made the contrast on the JVC unit
appear to be better - but it wasn't until someone in the audience
asked about the iris setting that they admitted it wasn't turned on.


--- I can only speak for the image quality on the PS3 because I don't
own a "dedicated" Blu-ray player. The picture quality is very, very
nice - on a par with my two HD-DVD machines. I have a Toshiba XA-1
(latest firmware) and an HD-DVD add-on to my XBox 360. All three
players offer excellent visuals.


--- In a related issue, TrueHD audio (5.1 uncompressed) is
ear-opening! I never realized how much cleaner the sound would be
because I was fine with DD 5.1, etc. up until then. I'm currently
using a Denon 3806 to feed the HDMI output from both my Toshiba
HD-DVD player and the PS3 Blu-ray player and it does a great job
accepting the TrueHD content from the discs. I must say that I'm
more impressed with the sound quality from the Blu-ray device than
from the Toshiba, where the TrueHD tracks so far have been a much
lower volume than the normal 5.1 audio track. I'm not sure whether
this is the fault of HD-DVD or with my particular Toshiba (1st
generation) player. I'm using firmware version 2 (which upgraded the
player to pass TrueHD via HDMI) but I'm not sure whether Toshiba
fixed this in their 2nd generation players. I hope to learn more
later in January. In any event, it's an aural delight to listen to
TrueHD - especially the PS3 rendering of this. The XBox 360's HD-DVD
player doesn't offer HDMI at the moment so the audio is only
"excellent" from 5.1 and not "spectacular" (because of no
uncompressed audio). But the XBox360 blows away the Toshiba in terms
of load times, remote, ergonomics, etc. so it's basically a wash.

--- Speaking of Denon: Yes, the 3806 (which right now is a
tremendous buy at ~$800 street) will handle the audio codecs over
HDMI. Even 1.1 does the trick as long as the player does the
decoding. I just wish the 3806 had more than two HDMI inputs (I
prefer to avoid switches). I actually shelved my Lexicon MC-8 (no
HDMI input) and purchased the 3806 as a stopgap pre/pro (I use
external amps). My next pre/pro will have at least 4 HDMI assignable
inputs and 1.3 at a minimum but I'm not in any rush right now. All
my video processing is done after the 3806 with a DVDO iScan VP-50.


--- I'm still looking for two Nintendo Wiis for my 5 grandkids (two
families). I gave them a "bundle" for Xmas (games, extra
controllers, memory card) but no console since I'm beyond waiting on
lines and I refuse to pay above list for any product. At least they
came over for the holidays and got to play with Grandpa's Wii (bought
online at launch through a "forced" - but not over list -
bundle.) They never want to leave my HT with the game options on the
Universal Remote MX-3000 screen reading "XBox 360," "PS3" and "Wii." <g>


--- Finally, about that promise of brevity? I lied. ;) Best to you
and yours. Thanks for participating in the HDTV group.


-- RAF


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#2
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

OBSERVATIONS:
1) Literally all game systems have been compromised through the use
of mod chips and/or hacked DVD firmware. You can literally get ANY
title for any game system or PC from the news groups on most major
news servers any day of the week. The Wii and the PS3 aren't far
from being hacked if they haven't already been.

2) Any DVD or CD can easily be copied by readily available
software. Programs like ANYDVD assist in those efforts. There are
numerous others as well. There is code available supposedly that
will also allow the copying of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs, so the rumor
says. Why anyone, at this point especially, would want to copy a
movie or game on an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray when the blanks are much more
expensive than purchasing the game or movie is beyond me. Maybe it's
just the intellectual challenge of being able to do so. However, the
capability does exist.

3) IF a purchased CD or DVD game or movie is damaged by you, the
legal owner, "most" software companies will replace the damaged disc
for about $15 if you provide the original in the original
packaging. Sometimes a copy of the sales receipt is also
required. For a movie that you may have purchased for $15 originally
who cares but for some of the more expensive games and movies it
might be worthwhile exploring this option.

What you can do and should do is an individual decision. I am NOT
advocating that anyone do this. I am simply stating the facts. Most
reasonable people elect to stay away from anything that could
possibly put them at legal risk. I am in that camp myself. It
simply isn't worth the risk.

4) I demoed both the Sony Ruby and the Pearl although the demo for
the Pearl was in a poorly prepared setting in a local Myer-Emco
store. For my money, or lack thereof since the car purchase last
June, both are dim. Not unwatchable by any stretch of the
imagination but dim compared to some other technologies and other
projectors. Admittedly, I am comparing those different technologies
on different screen sizes and in different viewing conditions so it's
not a valid comparison by any means. Am I still considering
purchasing a Sony VW50? Yes, I am but my recent demo of a HT3000
1080p SIM2 projector in that same Myer-Emco store in a totally
darkened separate home theater room seriously impressed me with its
depth of color and its brightness compared to the VW50 and the
VW100. Yes, the SIM2 was, as I recall, about $15,000 so any
comparisons against the $5,000 or $10,000 Sony really aren't
valid. It wasn't by any means a comprehensive comparison.

I read the recent reviews of the Pearl and noticed like others did
that the recommendation was to use only the Stewart Firehawk SST
screen. I know people who have demoed the Pearl with and without the
SST and in a specifically controlled environment the SST blows away
the other screen. It could have been deliberately staged that way of
course just to steer buyers to the much more (I assume) expensive SST
screen. Another local A/V boutique owner (higher end with a
typically different and a more well-heeled clientele than Myer-Emco)
seriously trashed the SST screen in a recent conversation. The owner
of that store is so opinionated that he would make most of us look
like we aren't opinionated about anything. I have purchased several
things over the years from this store though and I probably will
again but probably not from the owner. He's way too emotional about
this SST screen.

QUESTIONS:
1) I was successful in my quest for both the Nintendo Wii and the 60
gig for Christmas for my two grandsons. I only very briefly viewed
the PS3 Blu-Ray player playing the movie Talladega Nights that was
included with the PS3 system. Is there any difference in the picture
or audio quality of the Blu-Ray player in the PS3 versus the
standalone $1,000 Sony Blu-Ray player? I'm sure that the standalone
player will have additional control capabilities but I would doubt
any noticeable difference in the audio or video output. Can anyone
confirm that? I am leaning toward the PS3 purchase for myself if
there isn't any noticeable difference.

2) Although my Denon 3803 will successfully handle switching my HD
DirecTV video and my XBox 360 HD to allow me to have both hooked up
to my aging (technologically at least) 65" Sony RPTV because the Sony
only has one set of HD component video input connections I am looking
toward replacing the 3803 with the more current model in that range,
possibly the 3806 or something in the 4000 series which will switch
HDMI 1.3 (I believe) input and output its video through component
video connections which is the only input my aging Sony will accept.

A final observation:
I have been a member of the HDTips group for almost six years and
have personally profited from participating in a forum with many
highly technical and knowledgeable people who have the rare gift of
being able to explain highly technical issues clearly and
understandably. All of us are "...philes" be it video or audio or
both. So, I pose this question to all of you... do you believe, as I
do, that as the technology continues to advance as it always does,
will there be an increasing smaller and smaller market for those
technologies beyond today's leading technologies of 1080p and HD
players? Yes, I understand that the cost of that new technology
comes down over time due to many factors such as competition, the
learning curve and the development of new technologies but I'm almost
convinced that today's technology is at a point that the vast
majority of the public doesn't see (pun intended) any need to go
beyond it. Yes, there will always be those of us, and I humbly
include myself in that group, that are always interested in buying
the latest and greatest but I'm convinced the size of that group
will, in general, shrink over time. I'm not talking about technology
that would bring an order of magnitude difference such as black and
white TV versus color versus HD or vinyl records versus CDs but just
the incremental improvements over what is current
available. Comments? I'm sure there will be a lot of them and that
why I posed these observations and questions here.

Many apologies for the length of this rambling e-mail but I've been
carrying these thoughts and opinions around for a while and couldn't
think of a better time than the new year to pose them to this group
for their opinions.

Thanks,
Tom

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.





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#3
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Great reply Thomas,

A few comments/answers to your comments/questions:

Comments on your comments:
1) Please let's limit this discussion to backing up media, and try not
to venture into where you can download any title for any system. i.e.,
no names or URL's please :)

2) I use AnyDVD, it's great. Also remember that it's still useful to be
able to backup HD DVD and Blu-ray to hard drive, whether or not you are
making another disc right away.

3) Never tried that, but makes sense. In my opinion, it should be about
$1 + the cost of shipping ... not $15.

Comments on your questions:
1) I would be curious to know this as well from anyone who has both. I
will post my findings of how it compares to the 360 add-on though shortly.

2) I am in the same situation. I have an older Mits 55" RPTV, with on
"HD" (component) input and one additional component input. I am using my
3803 to switch my satellite and Xbox feeds (my DVD player is hooked up
directly). I am looking to upgrade as well, but I don't believe Denon
has release a line yet that has HDMI 1.3 switching ... although I
predicted they would at CES this year:
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/20 ... ctions.php.
Wait a week on this one.

If they have announced it, I haven't heard ... so please forward any
info you might have about it ... as I ma VERY curious/interested.

Thanks,

Shane Sturgeon
Publisher, HDTV Magazine
Cell: (937) 532-8135
www.hdtvmagazine.com


Thomas B Kemp wrote:
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
>
> OBSERVATIONS:
> 1) Literally all game systems have been compromised through the use of
> mod chips and/or hacked DVD firmware. You can literally get ANY title
> for any game system or PC from the news groups on most major news
> servers any day of the week. The Wii and the PS3 aren't far from
> being hacked if they haven't already been.
>
> 2) Any DVD or CD can easily be copied by readily available software.
> Programs like ANYDVD assist in those efforts. There are numerous
> others as well. There is code available supposedly that will also
> allow the copying of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs, so the rumor says. Why
> anyone, at this point especially, would want to copy a movie or game
> on an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray when the blanks are much more expensive than
> purchasing the game or movie is beyond me. Maybe it's just the
> intellectual challenge of being able to do so. However, the
> capability does exist.
>
> 3) IF a purchased CD or DVD game or movie is damaged by you, the legal
> owner, "most" software companies will replace the damaged disc for
> about $15 if you provide the original in the original packaging.
> Sometimes a copy of the sales receipt is also required. For a movie
> that you may have purchased for $15 originally who cares but for some
> of the more expensive games and movies it might be worthwhile
> exploring this option.
>
> What you can do and should do is an individual decision. I am NOT
> advocating that anyone do this. I am simply stating the facts. Most
> reasonable people elect to stay away from anything that could possibly
> put them at legal risk. I am in that camp myself. It simply isn't
> worth the risk.
>
> 4) I demoed both the Sony Ruby and the Pearl although the demo for the
> Pearl was in a poorly prepared setting in a local Myer-Emco store.
> For my money, or lack thereof since the car purchase last June, both
> are dim. Not unwatchable by any stretch of the imagination but dim
> compared to some other technologies and other projectors. Admittedly,
> I am comparing those different technologies on different screen sizes
> and in different viewing conditions so it's not a valid comparison by
> any means. Am I still considering purchasing a Sony VW50? Yes, I am
> but my recent demo of a HT3000 1080p SIM2 projector in that same
> Myer-Emco store in a totally darkened separate home theater room
> seriously impressed me with its depth of color and its brightness
> compared to the VW50 and the VW100. Yes, the SIM2 was, as I recall,
> about $15,000 so any comparisons against the $5,000 or $10,000 Sony
> really aren't valid. It wasn't by any means a comprehensive comparison.
>
> I read the recent reviews of the Pearl and noticed like others did
> that the recommendation was to use only the Stewart Firehawk SST
> screen. I know people who have demoed the Pearl with and without the
> SST and in a specifically controlled environment the SST blows away
> the other screen. It could have been deliberately staged that way of
> course just to steer buyers to the much more (I assume) expensive SST
> screen. Another local A/V boutique owner (higher end with a typically
> different and a more well-heeled clientele than Myer-Emco) seriously
> trashed the SST screen in a recent conversation. The owner of that
> store is so opinionated that he would make most of us look like we
> aren't opinionated about anything. I have purchased several things
> over the years from this store though and I probably will again but
> probably not from the owner. He's way too emotional about this SST
> screen.
>
> QUESTIONS:
> 1) I was successful in my quest for both the Nintendo Wii and the 60
> gig for Christmas for my two grandsons. I only very briefly viewed
> the PS3 Blu-Ray player playing the movie Talladega Nights that was
> included with the PS3 system. Is there any difference in the picture
> or audio quality of the Blu-Ray player in the PS3 versus the
> standalone $1,000 Sony Blu-Ray player? I'm sure that the standalone
> player will have additional control capabilities but I would doubt any
> noticeable difference in the audio or video output. Can anyone
> confirm that? I am leaning toward the PS3 purchase for myself if
> there isn't any noticeable difference.
>
> 2) Although my Denon 3803 will successfully handle switching my HD
> DirecTV video and my XBox 360 HD to allow me to have both hooked up to
> my aging (technologically at least) 65" Sony RPTV because the Sony
> only has one set of HD component video input connections I am looking
> toward replacing the 3803 with the more current model in that range,
> possibly the 3806 or something in the 4000 series which will switch
> HDMI 1.3 (I believe) input and output its video through component
> video connections which is the only input my aging Sony will accept.
>
> A final observation:
> I have been a member of the HDTips group for almost six years and have
> personally profited from participating in a forum with many highly
> technical and knowledgeable people who have the rare gift of being
> able to explain highly technical issues clearly and understandably.
> All of us are "...philes" be it video or audio or both. So, I pose
> this question to all of you... do you believe, as I do, that as the
> technology continues to advance as it always does, will there be an
> increasing smaller and smaller market for those technologies beyond
> today's leading technologies of 1080p and HD players? Yes, I
> understand that the cost of that new technology comes down over time
> due to many factors such as competition, the learning curve and the
> development of new technologies but I'm almost convinced that today's
> technology is at a point that the vast majority of the public doesn't
> see (pun intended) any need to go beyond it. Yes, there will always
> be those of us, and I humbly include myself in that group, that are
> always interested in buying the latest and greatest but I'm convinced
> the size of that group will, in general, shrink over time. I'm not
> talking about technology that would bring an order of magnitude
> difference such as black and white TV versus color versus HD or vinyl
> records versus CDs but just the incremental improvements over what is
> current available. Comments? I'm sure there will be a lot of them
> and that why I posed these observations and questions here.
>
> Many apologies for the length of this rambling e-mail but I've been
> carrying these thoughts and opinions around for a while and couldn't
> think of a better time than the new year to pose them to this group
> for their opinions.
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
>
> Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
> moments that take our breath away.
>
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]
>
> To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that
> same day) send an email to:
> [email protected]
>

To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

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#4
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Robert,

I did not want to steer the pot about Sony projectors because it looks to me
that you have your mind set but I would like to mention that my opinion of
the two Sony <10K projectors is that they might be ideal for people that is
looking to imitate the low Foot Lamberts of the local theater, a film look.

I have seen many Ruby projectors, they all disappointed me, and I had demo
them with dark rooms, light rooms, new lamps, used lamps, HDTV, DVD, the
works.

The Pearl is only about 20% brighter than the Ruby (to what I recall on the
last review), and still low in my book, and it seems is oriented to the same
viewers. And that is fine. Believe me.

If that is what you are looking for then that is great, but in no way
neither projector compares to the light output you can get from a good 1080p
DLP 1 chip projector.

How does it sound the Optoma HD81 to you? With a whooping 1400 lumens for
the mids $6000.

You should witness that projector before you fork those dollars on a Sony
projector, because I see you are basing your decision on what is there under
$10K, you believe there is nothing out there on the <10K that could compete.

I agree that the new Marantz is still expensive, the new Sharp 20000 is
still on the $12K (they love that figure for years), and had a so-so review
(negative for my book but I hold my horses), but the under $10K projectors
are coming.

Try either Sony projector with a 130" screen and it would not hold a candle
to the Optoma. The HD81 is so bright (300W lamp) that it feels as watching
the lumens of RPTV on a front projector, with the plus that you do not need
the dynamic iris to produce that image and still have a great contrast.

The lumens are so high that you can always dim it down to your taste and
increase as the lamp ages, try that on the Sony, you start with their
maximum lower lumens since day one (in comparison) and there is no plan for
the aging of the lamp (just tolerate how it goes lower and lower over the
next 2000 hrs).

I agree with Nicetry (Alice) on this subject and Sony would take much more
than the Pearl to be competitive with DLPs like the Optoma.

Sorry I rained on your parade but I am talking from the experience of
actually owing the HD81 that just came out after I tested quite a few
projectors.

When I put that projector in CinemaScope mode 2.35:1 with Panamorph
anamorphic lenses, it makes the projector use until the last pixel of that
1080p chip (by scaling the black bars of the 2.35:1 movie), then shoot thru
the anamorphic lens to create the horizontal stretch of an actual movie
theater as it opens over 130" diagonal, with such a bright image that there
is no way any Sony product of today can meet that challenge.

This projector was demo at CES 2006 with a 135" screen and recently with
170" at CEDIA just to make the point of how powerful it is.

Now, I know that we always going to have people on the pro-corner of Sonys,
the pro-corner of Runco, the pro-corner of Faroudja, etc. but so far I can
honestly tell you that you should give the Optoma a demo if you are looking
for good quality at a low price.

I usually stay away from comparisons on this list but in this case I could
not avoid making my comments.


Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra


-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of Dr
Robert A Fowkes
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 10:00 AM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: Re: Observations and questions

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

At 10:21 AM 1/6/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

And a Happy New Year to you too, Thomas!

A few random (and relatively brief - for me <g>) comments on your long post.


--- I purchased a Stewart Studiotek 130 screen (110" diagonal, 16:9)
about eight years ago on the recommendation of Joe Kane. This was
even before I had purchased, or even decided upon, my first FP which
turned out to be a Sony VPL-VW10HT (their first native 16:9 LCD
model). At the time Joe told me, "You won't have the same projector
for the rest of your life (Boy he hit that one on the head!) but you
might have the same screen if its a good one." So far it's been
through the Sony LCD and my current Runco DLP (CL-710) and I'm
looking forward to using it with the Pearl or some other 1080p
FP. The 1.3 gain of the screen is a nice compromise for most normal
applications and you don't keep changing screens with projectors.


--- Any FP can be made to look good (or bad) depending on all the
ambient conditions - or even on the settings. At CEDIA when JVC was
conducting a "shoot-out" between their prototype 1080p "cheap" model
(soon to be released) and the Sony Ruby the "conveniently" shut off
the auto iris on the Ruby. This made the contrast on the JVC unit
appear to be better - but it wasn't until someone in the audience
asked about the iris setting that they admitted it wasn't turned on.


--- I can only speak for the image quality on the PS3 because I don't
own a "dedicated" Blu-ray player. The picture quality is very, very
nice - on a par with my two HD-DVD machines. I have a Toshiba XA-1
(latest firmware) and an HD-DVD add-on to my XBox 360. All three
players offer excellent visuals.


--- In a related issue, TrueHD audio (5.1 uncompressed) is
ear-opening! I never realized how much cleaner the sound would be
because I was fine with DD 5.1, etc. up until then. I'm currently
using a Denon 3806 to feed the HDMI output from both my Toshiba
HD-DVD player and the PS3 Blu-ray player and it does a great job
accepting the TrueHD content from the discs. I must say that I'm
more impressed with the sound quality from the Blu-ray device than
from the Toshiba, where the TrueHD tracks so far have been a much
lower volume than the normal 5.1 audio track. I'm not sure whether
this is the fault of HD-DVD or with my particular Toshiba (1st
generation) player. I'm using firmware version 2 (which upgraded the
player to pass TrueHD via HDMI) but I'm not sure whether Toshiba
fixed this in their 2nd generation players. I hope to learn more
later in January. In any event, it's an aural delight to listen to
TrueHD - especially the PS3 rendering of this. The XBox 360's HD-DVD
player doesn't offer HDMI at the moment so the audio is only
"excellent" from 5.1 and not "spectacular" (because of no
uncompressed audio). But the XBox360 blows away the Toshiba in terms
of load times, remote, ergonomics, etc. so it's basically a wash.

--- Speaking of Denon: Yes, the 3806 (which right now is a
tremendous buy at ~$800 street) will handle the audio codecs over
HDMI. Even 1.1 does the trick as long as the player does the
decoding. I just wish the 3806 had more than two HDMI inputs (I
prefer to avoid switches). I actually shelved my Lexicon MC-8 (no
HDMI input) and purchased the 3806 as a stopgap pre/pro (I use
external amps). My next pre/pro will have at least 4 HDMI assignable
inputs and 1.3 at a minimum but I'm not in any rush right now. All
my video processing is done after the 3806 with a DVDO iScan VP-50.


--- I'm still looking for two Nintendo Wiis for my 5 grandkids (two
families). I gave them a "bundle" for Xmas (games, extra
controllers, memory card) but no console since I'm beyond waiting on
lines and I refuse to pay above list for any product. At least they
came over for the holidays and got to play with Grandpa's Wii (bought
online at launch through a "forced" - but not over list -
bundle.) They never want to leave my HT with the game options on the
Universal Remote MX-3000 screen reading "XBox 360," "PS3" and "Wii." <g>


--- Finally, about that promise of brevity? I lied. ;) Best to you
and yours. Thanks for participating in the HDTV group.


-- RAF


To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

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day) send an email to:
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#5
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

At 04:36 PM 1/6/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>Robert,
>
>I did not want to stir the pot about Sony projectors because it looks to me
>that you have your mind set but I would like to mention that my opinion of
>the two Sony <10K projectors is that they might be ideal for people that is
>looking to imitate the low Foot Lamberts of the local theater, a film look....

Rodolfo,

No, I don't mind any pot stirring at all. In fact I welcome it. You
make some valid points about the Sony <$10K units and they are well
taken. My initial excitement about the Pearl mostly stemmed from the
fact that it was a three chip model (albeit not DLP) so any
possibility of "rainbow Effect" is out of the equation. I was very
surprised that a 1080p 3-chip anything could break the $5000 price
barrier. While it is true that I have complete control over ambient
light in my HT I also understand that a brighter unit provides a lot
more latitude for other adjustments. Additionally, since I've never
found any "rainbows" on my 1 chip Runco 720p DLP I'm fortunate enough
not to eschew 1 chip DLPs in a 1080p unit (where, if anything this
"effect" would probably be even less likely due to the smaller pixels
and other improvements over the years in color wheel
technology). Yes, I saw the Optima HD81 and it was an impressive
picture. Because it was "1 chip" I didn't think of it in the same
light (no pun intended) as a 3 chip model unit but now I see that I
may have reacted a bit too hastily. Obviously, when done "right" the
most important spec is the 1080p rather than the number of chips in
the light engine.

I will wait for the new JVC to be run through its paces (to see if it
improves on the brightness and other specs of the "Pearl") and give
another serious look at the Optima HD81 and similar designs. I also
wish to thank Richard (Fisher) for jolting me a bit and making me
rethink this entire thing with his points about bursts and other
specs. Yes, the Pearl is a fine cost effective unit and it runs
rings around anything that was in its price range (street ~$4300 or
less) even just a year ago. But since my goal is a 1080p unit I now
realize I should widen my search a bit.

On a related matter - do you think that the color specs of HDMI 1.3
will be rushing toward us much quicker than we thought at CEDIA and,
if so, should I be looking for a projector with HDMI 1.3? Or will
the models coming out in the next year or so with HDMI 1.3 inputs
really not be able to take advantages of the greater color depth and
bandwidth during their lifetime so that HDMI 1.3 on an FP at this
juncture might be more of a selling point rather than a truly usable
specification? (Obviously, I'm not sending sound to my projector).

Thanks and enjoy CES.




-- RAF


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#6
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

With respect to damaged video game discs.... you may want to take it over to one of those stores that deals with used games. They have a machine that will polish the disc, and may make it useable again. Will only cost you a few dollars. I've done this with Xbox games, and it worked great. That is if its just scratched, and not cracked.



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#7
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Rodolfo,

Thank you so much for your comments and I agree 100% with your
conclusion that is clearly based on imaging science! It is difficult to
keep quiet when the science is self evident while the mag jargon and
consumer testimonies is so elusive.

:)

Application, application, application... The Sony can look better by
going with a smaller screen, 100" max?, or increasing screen gain; the
nominal approach is reducing size though. That would not work for our
applications...

I just took a look at the Stewart Firehawk SST screen... Not sure what
is so special... It's a 1.1 gain screen and while they can make all the
claims they want optimal response is bound to be at a specific size...
suggest contacting Stewart on that for those interested.

I admantly recommend readers wait for the upcoming full review before
purchase but the BenQ W10000 is another 1080P DLP for a street price of
$6000. Supports anamorphic 2.35 as well...

As for the PS3 that is also going to be formally reviewed... Quick
comments are, unable to find anything wrong with Bluray but I also don't
have a test disc to objectively know. Not 1080P24 capable yet but
supposed to be in about 2 months per an HD Library member. Gaming kinda
sucks but is far more of a content problem than system problem. The 360
is one year ahead of the Sony and it shows on that level!

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6702

Speaking of which, yet another review in the works... xbox 360... HD DVD
looks awesome and appears to match my Toshiba HDA1 but you take a hit on
the audio since it does not have HDMI. Again, no test disc for an
objective conclusion...

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6881

If you are a PC gamer don't feel the least bit threatened and keep
yours... Both systems appear to be hard pressed to do what they
currently can in terms of game imaging performance; they show signs of
choking on the processing... the standard vertical sync, dropped frames,
frame rate changes and strobe artifacts... There is more but it is
definitely videophile talk as most are impressed with either system but
there have been a few comments.

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6587

Richard Fisher
HD Library is provided by Techservicesusa.com
Publisher http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/index.php

Rodolfo La Maestra wrote:
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> Robert,
>
> I did not want to steer the pot about Sony projectors because it looks to me
> that you have your mind set but I would like to mention that my opinion of
> the two Sony <10K projectors is that they might be ideal for people that is
> looking to imitate the low Foot Lamberts of the local theater, a film look.
>
> I have seen many Ruby projectors, they all disappointed me, and I had demo
> them with dark rooms, light rooms, new lamps, used lamps, HDTV, DVD, the
> works.
>
> The Pearl is only about 20% brighter than the Ruby (to what I recall on the
> last review), and still low in my book, and it seems is oriented to the same
> viewers. And that is fine. Believe me.
>
> If that is what you are looking for then that is great, but in no way
> neither projector compares to the light output you can get from a good 1080p
> DLP 1 chip projector.
>
> How does it sound the Optoma HD81 to you? With a whooping 1400 lumens for
> the mids $6000.
>
> You should witness that projector before you fork those dollars on a Sony
> projector, because I see you are basing your decision on what is there under
> $10K, you believe there is nothing out there on the <10K that could compete.
>
> I agree that the new Marantz is still expensive, the new Sharp 20000 is
> still on the $12K (they love that figure for years), and had a so-so review
> (negative for my book but I hold my horses), but the under $10K projectors
> are coming.
>
> Try either Sony projector with a 130" screen and it would not hold a candle
> to the Optoma. The HD81 is so bright (300W lamp) that it feels as watching
> the lumens of RPTV on a front projector, with the plus that you do not need
> the dynamic iris to produce that image and still have a great contrast.
>
> The lumens are so high that you can always dim it down to your taste and
> increase as the lamp ages, try that on the Sony, you start with their
> maximum lower lumens since day one (in comparison) and there is no plan for
> the aging of the lamp (just tolerate how it goes lower and lower over the
> next 2000 hrs).
>
> I agree with Nicetry (Alice) on this subject and Sony would take much more
> than the Pearl to be competitive with DLPs like the Optoma.
>
> Sorry I rained on your parade but I am talking from the experience of
> actually owing the HD81 that just came out after I tested quite a few
> projectors.
>
> When I put that projector in CinemaScope mode 2.35:1 with Panamorph
> anamorphic lenses, it makes the projector use until the last pixel of that
> 1080p chip (by scaling the black bars of the 2.35:1 movie), then shoot thru
> the anamorphic lens to create the horizontal stretch of an actual movie
> theater as it opens over 130" diagonal, with such a bright image that there
> is no way any Sony product of today can meet that challenge.
>
> This projector was demo at CES 2006 with a 135" screen and recently with
> 170" at CEDIA just to make the point of how powerful it is.
>
> Now, I know that we always going to have people on the pro-corner of Sonys,
> the pro-corner of Runco, the pro-corner of Faroudja, etc. but so far I can
> honestly tell you that you should give the Optoma a demo if you are looking
> for good quality at a low price.
>
> I usually stay away from comparisons on this list but in this case I could
> not avoid making my comments.
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Rodolfo La Maestra
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of Dr
> Robert A Fowkes
> Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 10:00 AM
> To: HDTV Magazine
> Subject: Re: Observations and questions
>
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> At 10:21 AM 1/6/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
>
>
> And a Happy New Year to you too, Thomas!
>
> A few random (and relatively brief - for me <g>) comments on your long post.
>
>
> --- I purchased a Stewart Studiotek 130 screen (110" diagonal, 16:9)
> about eight years ago on the recommendation of Joe Kane. This was
> even before I had purchased, or even decided upon, my first FP which
> turned out to be a Sony VPL-VW10HT (their first native 16:9 LCD
> model). At the time Joe told me, "You won't have the same projector
> for the rest of your life (Boy he hit that one on the head!) but you
> might have the same screen if its a good one." So far it's been
> through the Sony LCD and my current Runco DLP (CL-710) and I'm
> looking forward to using it with the Pearl or some other 1080p
> FP. The 1.3 gain of the screen is a nice compromise for most normal
> applications and you don't keep changing screens with projectors.
>
>
> --- Any FP can be made to look good (or bad) depending on all the
> ambient conditions - or even on the settings. At CEDIA when JVC was
> conducting a "shoot-out" between their prototype 1080p "cheap" model
> (soon to be released) and the Sony Ruby the "conveniently" shut off
> the auto iris on the Ruby. This made the contrast on the JVC unit
> appear to be better - but it wasn't until someone in the audience
> asked about the iris setting that they admitted it wasn't turned on.
>
>
> --- I can only speak for the image quality on the PS3 because I don't
> own a "dedicated" Blu-ray player. The picture quality is very, very
> nice - on a par with my two HD-DVD machines. I have a Toshiba XA-1
> (latest firmware) and an HD-DVD add-on to my XBox 360. All three
> players offer excellent visuals.
>
>
> --- In a related issue, TrueHD audio (5.1 uncompressed) is
> ear-opening! I never realized how much cleaner the sound would be
> because I was fine with DD 5.1, etc. up until then. I'm currently
> using a Denon 3806 to feed the HDMI output from both my Toshiba
> HD-DVD player and the PS3 Blu-ray player and it does a great job
> accepting the TrueHD content from the discs. I must say that I'm
> more impressed with the sound quality from the Blu-ray device than
> from the Toshiba, where the TrueHD tracks so far have been a much
> lower volume than the normal 5.1 audio track. I'm not sure whether
> this is the fault of HD-DVD or with my particular Toshiba (1st
> generation) player. I'm using firmware version 2 (which upgraded the
> player to pass TrueHD via HDMI) but I'm not sure whether Toshiba
> fixed this in their 2nd generation players. I hope to learn more
> later in January. In any event, it's an aural delight to listen to
> TrueHD - especially the PS3 rendering of this. The XBox 360's HD-DVD
> player doesn't offer HDMI at the moment so the audio is only
> "excellent" from 5.1 and not "spectacular" (because of no
> uncompressed audio). But the XBox360 blows away the Toshiba in terms
> of load times, remote, ergonomics, etc. so it's basically a wash.
>
> --- Speaking of Denon: Yes, the 3806 (which right now is a
> tremendous buy at ~$800 street) will handle the audio codecs over
> HDMI. Even 1.1 does the trick as long as the player does the
> decoding. I just wish the 3806 had more than two HDMI inputs (I
> prefer to avoid switches). I actually shelved my Lexicon MC-8 (no
> HDMI input) and purchased the 3806 as a stopgap pre/pro (I use
> external amps). My next pre/pro will have at least 4 HDMI assignable
> inputs and 1.3 at a minimum but I'm not in any rush right now. All
> my video processing is done after the 3806 with a DVDO iScan VP-50.
>
>
> --- I'm still looking for two Nintendo Wiis for my 5 grandkids (two
> families). I gave them a "bundle" for Xmas (games, extra
> controllers, memory card) but no console since I'm beyond waiting on
> lines and I refuse to pay above list for any product. At least they
> came over for the holidays and got to play with Grandpa's Wii (bought
> online at launch through a "forced" - but not over list -
> bundle.) They never want to leave my HT with the game options on the
> Universal Remote MX-3000 screen reading "XBox 360," "PS3" and "Wii." <g>
>
>
> --- Finally, about that promise of brevity? I lied. ;) Best to you
> and yours. Thanks for participating in the HDTV group.
>
>
> -- RAF
>
>
> To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]
>
> To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same
> day) send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]
>
> To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same day) send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
>


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[email protected]
#8
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Robert,

HDMI 1.3 is a feature that is already being implemented on many new pieces,
Samsung is announcing those today for example, their new blu-ray player
would have 1.3 (March, $800), and that is only one of the 1.3 pieces they
are announcing this morning.

The problem I see with the 1.3 feature is that EVERYTHING in the video chain
has to be 1.3 compliant in order to get the benefit, including the content,
and that is a part that will take a long while, movies.

8-bit HD uncompressed video is already a hog, imagine doubling up, imagine a
disc that with 15GB (or 30GB double layer) is already pushing it with 8-bit
being forced to hold the same movie at 12 or 16 (in addition to all the hog
lossless audio formats on it as well, DTS Master audio is as fast as the
video itself, upper 20 Mbps). So how would that be possible? HDMI says
more compression in the future. Another compression algorithm? We did not
even have the time to taste well VC1, MPEG-4, and MPEG-2 in pre-recorded
hi-def and now moving again?

Your scaler must be 1.3 as well, your HDMI wires, your switcher box/receiver
(if you use one), your Hi Def player, and anything else that is the path of
that signal.

In other words, it will not happen anytime soon, unless you have a plan to
replace all the equipment for the purpose of 1.3 with whatever unit comes
out first on its role (player, projector, scaler, etc).

I would not change an already made good choice of a good piece, whatever
piece, existing or about to buy, just because it does not handle 1.3, unless
you are a consumer that expects equipment to stay forever on that rack,
which is not your case. The only stuff that stays forever on your racks is
the 100,000 DVDs/LDs sitting on that right wall of your HT, unless the photo
on your web site is a visual trick my friend (hmmm, I could even put a
Ferrari in my HT that way).

It would be ideal that your soon to be bought projector has 1.3, and all the
technical features of 1.3 implemented, having 1.3 does not meant the
projector does all the features of 1.3, like deep-color. But I would not
steer the purchasing decision away from a good choice to another brand/model
just for that (and that model not being all you want in a projector), I
would rather buy the one that makes me happy, 1.3 or not.

Besides, by the time, everything else could offer 1.3 (content is the king,
and it will be long) it would be time to change the projector again, maybe
for a 4K resolution then, and this gives the answer to Thomas Kemp question,
it never ends Thomas.

I am not kidding, the 4K from Sony is under $100K and THAT is the king
today, if you do not mind using antifreeze to cool-down that monster, and
spending what another projector costs just for the lamp every time the lamps
goes. I was seriously considering that unit (look at the picture on the
2006 report highlights), but I decided not to because it did not have 1.3
(just kidding Robert).

Regarding rainbow effect, I cannot remember the spec now but I believe the
Optoma light engine is a 7x wheel, reason by which the "rainbow effect"
might not be seen by people that saw the effect at 5x.

I want to make something clear, I am not shooting down people that loves
Sony SXRD projectors, they are excellent pieces for the money (and even
without considering the money), they fill a purpose for many people, imitate
local theater film environment and the look of film/grain, as long as the
screen is small (100" might be pushing it).

Those projectors are perfect for that. I am not a fan of film grain, low
light, but I learned to live with it when the content is made with that
intention by the director (like the AR). I also love the crisp look of
HDNet. I do not want to see HDNet that way, or everything I watch that way,
film/grain appearance has a place, crisp HDTV has another place, low lumens
means no option, high lumens can still have a film setting of low light.

Their images are not striking at you like DLPs, they lack the punch of DLP,
and DLP with light outputs (like Optoma's 1400 Lumens, or any other for the
point) will certainly give you lots of room for maneuvering (from
anticipating a lamp aging plan, to having room for ISF bringing the light
output down, to a humongous screen if you want).

Regarding ISF, if the light output it is already dim before ISF it might be
a decision maker on its own, I would not choose not-doing ISF for that
reason, neither I would choose doing ISF but crank it up out of calibration
all the time because it ended up too dim.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra


Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of Dr
Robert A Fowkes
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 8:39 PM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: Re: Observations and questions

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

At 04:36 PM 1/6/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>Robert,
>
>I did not want to stir the pot about Sony projectors because it looks to me
>that you have your mind set but I would like to mention that my opinion of
>the two Sony <10K projectors is that they might be ideal for people that is
>looking to imitate the low Foot Lamberts of the local theater, a film
look....

Rodolfo,

No, I don't mind any pot stirring at all. In fact I welcome it. You
make some valid points about the Sony <$10K units and they are well
taken. My initial excitement about the Pearl mostly stemmed from the
fact that it was a three chip model (albeit not DLP) so any
possibility of "rainbow Effect" is out of the equation. I was very
surprised that a 1080p 3-chip anything could break the $5000 price
barrier. While it is true that I have complete control over ambient
light in my HT I also understand that a brighter unit provides a lot
more latitude for other adjustments. Additionally, since I've never
found any "rainbows" on my 1 chip Runco 720p DLP I'm fortunate enough
not to eschew 1 chip DLPs in a 1080p unit (where, if anything this
"effect" would probably be even less likely due to the smaller pixels
and other improvements over the years in color wheel
technology). Yes, I saw the Optima HD81 and it was an impressive
picture. Because it was "1 chip" I didn't think of it in the same
light (no pun intended) as a 3 chip model unit but now I see that I
may have reacted a bit too hastily. Obviously, when done "right" the
most important spec is the 1080p rather than the number of chips in
the light engine.

I will wait for the new JVC to be run through its paces (to see if it
improves on the brightness and other specs of the "Pearl") and give
another serious look at the Optima HD81 and similar designs. I also
wish to thank Richard (Fisher) for jolting me a bit and making me
rethink this entire thing with his points about bursts and other
specs. Yes, the Pearl is a fine cost effective unit and it runs
rings around anything that was in its price range (street ~$4300 or
less) even just a year ago. But since my goal is a 1080p unit I now
realize I should widen my search a bit.

On a related matter - do you think that the color specs of HDMI 1.3
will be rushing toward us much quicker than we thought at CEDIA and,
if so, should I be looking for a projector with HDMI 1.3? Or will
the models coming out in the next year or so with HDMI 1.3 inputs
really not be able to take advantages of the greater color depth and
bandwidth during their lifetime so that HDMI 1.3 on an FP at this
juncture might be more of a selling point rather than a truly usable
specification? (Obviously, I'm not sending sound to my projector).

Thanks and enjoy CES.




-- RAF


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day) send an email to:
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#9
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Correction,

I should have said "....and that is NOT the only one of the 1.3 pieces..."

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra


-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
Rodolfo La Maestra
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 9:29 AM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: Re: Observations and questions

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

Robert,

HDMI 1.3 is a feature that is already being implemented on many new pieces,
Samsung is announcing those today for example, their new blu-ray player
would have 1.3 (March, $800), and that is only one of the 1.3 pieces they
are announcing this morning.

The problem I see with the 1.3 feature is that EVERYTHING in the video chain
has to be 1.3 compliant in order to get the benefit, including the content,
and that is a part that will take a long while, movies.

8-bit HD uncompressed video is already a hog, imagine doubling up, imagine a
disc that with 15GB (or 30GB double layer) is already pushing it with 8-bit
being forced to hold the same movie at 12 or 16 (in addition to all the hog
lossless audio formats on it as well, DTS Master audio is as fast as the
video itself, upper 20 Mbps). So how would that be possible? HDMI says
more compression in the future. Another compression algorithm? We did not
even have the time to taste well VC1, MPEG-4, and MPEG-2 in pre-recorded
hi-def and now moving again?

Your scaler must be 1.3 as well, your HDMI wires, your switcher box/receiver
(if you use one), your Hi Def player, and anything else that is the path of
that signal.

In other words, it will not happen anytime soon, unless you have a plan to
replace all the equipment for the purpose of 1.3 with whatever unit comes
out first on its role (player, projector, scaler, etc).

I would not change an already made good choice of a good piece, whatever
piece, existing or about to buy, just because it does not handle 1.3, unless
you are a consumer that expects equipment to stay forever on that rack,
which is not your case. The only stuff that stays forever on your racks is
the 100,000 DVDs/LDs sitting on that right wall of your HT, unless the photo
on your web site is a visual trick my friend (hmmm, I could even put a
Ferrari in my HT that way).

It would be ideal that your soon to be bought projector has 1.3, and all the
technical features of 1.3 implemented, having 1.3 does not meant the
projector does all the features of 1.3, like deep-color. But I would not
steer the purchasing decision away from a good choice to another brand/model
just for that (and that model not being all you want in a projector), I
would rather buy the one that makes me happy, 1.3 or not.

Besides, by the time, everything else could offer 1.3 (content is the king,
and it will be long) it would be time to change the projector again, maybe
for a 4K resolution then, and this gives the answer to Thomas Kemp question,
it never ends Thomas.

I am not kidding, the 4K from Sony is under $100K and THAT is the king
today, if you do not mind using antifreeze to cool-down that monster, and
spending what another projector costs just for the lamp every time the lamps
goes. I was seriously considering that unit (look at the picture on the
2006 report highlights), but I decided not to because it did not have 1.3
(just kidding Robert).

Regarding rainbow effect, I cannot remember the spec now but I believe the
Optoma light engine is a 7x wheel, reason by which the "rainbow effect"
might not be seen by people that saw the effect at 5x.

I want to make something clear, I am not shooting down people that loves
Sony SXRD projectors, they are excellent pieces for the money (and even
without considering the money), they fill a purpose for many people, imitate
local theater film environment and the look of film/grain, as long as the
screen is small (100" might be pushing it).

Those projectors are perfect for that. I am not a fan of film grain, low
light, but I learned to live with it when the content is made with that
intention by the director (like the AR). I also love the crisp look of
HDNet. I do not want to see HDNet that way, or everything I watch that way,
film/grain appearance has a place, crisp HDTV has another place, low lumens
means no option, high lumens can still have a film setting of low light.

Their images are not striking at you like DLPs, they lack the punch of DLP,
and DLP with light outputs (like Optoma's 1400 Lumens, or any other for the
point) will certainly give you lots of room for maneuvering (from
anticipating a lamp aging plan, to having room for ISF bringing the light
output down, to a humongous screen if you want).

Regarding ISF, if the light output it is already dim before ISF it might be
a decision maker on its own, I would not choose not-doing ISF for that
reason, neither I would choose doing ISF but crank it up out of calibration
all the time because it ended up too dim.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra


Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of Dr
Robert A Fowkes
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 8:39 PM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: Re: Observations and questions

----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

At 04:36 PM 1/6/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>Robert,
>
>I did not want to stir the pot about Sony projectors because it looks to me
>that you have your mind set but I would like to mention that my opinion of
>the two Sony <10K projectors is that they might be ideal for people that is
>looking to imitate the low Foot Lamberts of the local theater, a film
look....

Rodolfo,

No, I don't mind any pot stirring at all. In fact I welcome it. You
make some valid points about the Sony <$10K units and they are well
taken. My initial excitement about the Pearl mostly stemmed from the
fact that it was a three chip model (albeit not DLP) so any
possibility of "rainbow Effect" is out of the equation. I was very
surprised that a 1080p 3-chip anything could break the $5000 price
barrier. While it is true that I have complete control over ambient
light in my HT I also understand that a brighter unit provides a lot
more latitude for other adjustments. Additionally, since I've never
found any "rainbows" on my 1 chip Runco 720p DLP I'm fortunate enough
not to eschew 1 chip DLPs in a 1080p unit (where, if anything this
"effect" would probably be even less likely due to the smaller pixels
and other improvements over the years in color wheel
technology). Yes, I saw the Optima HD81 and it was an impressive
picture. Because it was "1 chip" I didn't think of it in the same
light (no pun intended) as a 3 chip model unit but now I see that I
may have reacted a bit too hastily. Obviously, when done "right" the
most important spec is the 1080p rather than the number of chips in
the light engine.

I will wait for the new JVC to be run through its paces (to see if it
improves on the brightness and other specs of the "Pearl") and give
another serious look at the Optima HD81 and similar designs. I also
wish to thank Richard (Fisher) for jolting me a bit and making me
rethink this entire thing with his points about bursts and other
specs. Yes, the Pearl is a fine cost effective unit and it runs
rings around anything that was in its price range (street ~$4300 or
less) even just a year ago. But since my goal is a 1080p unit I now
realize I should widen my search a bit.

On a related matter - do you think that the color specs of HDMI 1.3
will be rushing toward us much quicker than we thought at CEDIA and,
if so, should I be looking for a projector with HDMI 1.3? Or will
the models coming out in the next year or so with HDMI 1.3 inputs
really not be able to take advantages of the greater color depth and
bandwidth during their lifetime so that HDMI 1.3 on an FP at this
juncture might be more of a selling point rather than a truly usable
specification? (Obviously, I'm not sending sound to my projector).

Thanks and enjoy CES.




-- RAF


To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same
day) send an email to:
[email protected]



To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same
day) send an email to:
[email protected]



To unsubscribe please click: [email protected]

To receive the digest mode (one email a day made from all posted that same day) send an email to:
[email protected]
#10
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----

At 09:29 AM 1/7/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>Robert,
>
>HDMI 1.3 is a feature that is already being implemented on many new pieces,
>Samsung is announcing those today for example, their new blu-ray player
>would have 1.3 (March, $800), and that is only one of the 1.3 pieces they
>are announcing this morning.
>
>The problem I see with the 1.3 feature is that EVERYTHING in the video chain
>has to be 1.3 compliant in order to get the benefit, including the content,
>and that is a part that will take a long while, movies.... (etc.)

Rodolfo,

As usual, a very informative and to the point answer to my
questions. No, I'm not in a position to change everything in my
audio and video chain to accommodate 1.3, but I suspect that the
audio portion might become more relevant quicker than the video so my
next audio pre/pro will definitely be HDMI 1.3 compliant. My Denon
3806 (with HDMI 1.1) is merely a stopgap measure (I will eventually
use it elsewhere in my house as a very capable 7.1 receiver) so that
I can receive the decoded LPCM streams from HD media over HDMI and
1.1 covers that nicely. I've discussed this a bit in another reply
to Tom Kemp.

Yes, this never ends and just when we settled in with 720p/1080i
1080p came over the horizon. And 4K probably moves out of the demo
theaters into the HT realm quicker than anticipated. If I happen to
catch a HDMI 1.3 capable FP when I finally pull the trigger then so
be it - but I won't hold up 1080p FP in my HT by using 1.3 as a
requirement for video at this point in time.

Thank you for the commentary.


-- RAF


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