What scenes do you use to check out shadow detail performance on a projector. We all have our reference scenes, it would be great to share. What are the scenes and what detail do you look for in the dark area of the image. This could be very helpful for those of us demoing a projector or just checking out how well we have our own pjs calibrated.

Thanks

The best I have is alas from a disc that is hard to find. It's from the HD-DVD of 'Perfume' when they are at the castle. The whole maze sequence is torture for digital projectors, but there is one scene where he hides behind a stone statue and sniffs the girl. Check for details of his beard.

Just as difficult is 'Unforgiven' or pretty much anywhere in 'Dark City'.

Slightly easier for most projectors is the Moria scenes from LOTR 'Fellowship' and that is what I usually use. Especially from the big hall onwards.

Thanks for the reply Steve. Unfortunately I only saw Perfume on a HD TV broadcast and don't have the disk.

I'm hoping for things like in the "whatever" movie, when the spaceship lands, look at the guy in the corner and see if you can pick out the third button down on his black jacket.:)

I have been using the flick The Descent... I mean once they get in the cave, every scene is taxing on shadow detial, contrast, black levels, ect.....

I can't actually remember if that one is on BD or HD-DVD for me though.

My favorite test for detail in dark scenes is the opening of 'Master&Commander', when one is walking through the under deck of the ship.

I described one I like in The Two Towers in my article about CR in the "More Test Scenes" section here:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_13_2/feature-article-contrast-ratio-5-2006-part-5.html
For readers who would like to do a test of shadow detail in a mixed scene, one that I like is in chapter 20 of the extended edition of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (and an earlier chapter with the regular version).--Darin

For me the best test of Shadow Detail that always amazed me with the SXRD RPTV and I would guess it would apply to FP LCos was Van Helsing in HD. I've seen it on many types of panels but the shadow detail was simply amazing on the castle walls and throughout the movie and detail levels that simply have not replicated on plasma or LCD's I've owned viewing the same content.:)

Thanks for the replies, but keep them comming. We also need specifics on what to look out for in the shadow detail.:)

There are lots of dark night scenes in "Shoot 'Em Up" and "Live Free or Die Hard". Look for details like corregated garbage cans in dark alleys, fire escape metalwork, steps and doors to basement entrances.

Watch Law and Order in HD. That show is a killer. The lighting is very low key, and looks horrid on almost 99% of digitals. The blazers on the actors when they interrogate people outside direct light, the collar disappears on most digitals, unless you turn up brightness and lose almost all your highlights. Compared to even a direct view CRT, the details are nearly gone, but on a CRT projector, they're very easy to see. The whole blazer looks black, as if there's no collar!I get the feeling you've been looking at digitals that are pretty miscalibrated. The Brightness control is the black level, so what does your stuff about losing highlights if you turn up the brightness refer to? With a proper display it shouldn't have much effect on white or things near white. That is the Contrast control. What you've described like crushing of whites is often a miscalibration, but could be the result of a dynamic iris system. If something to do with a particular dynamic iris implementation then it doesn't apply to all digitals. What digitals have you seen to get to these conclusions about white details not being there, black details not being there in bright scenes, and to get to your "almost 99% of digitals"?

--Darin