Hello all,

Today I entered the world of HD disc players as I got a Toshiba HD-E1 HDDVD-player.
Just got it connected to my pj: via HDMI to a HDMI/DVI adapter, on that a HDFury digital to analog converter, and then VGA breakout cable running 5 RG-59/U coax cables to the pj. The HDFury did the HDCP handshake (?) with no problems, but I have no HDDVD disc yet so I am not sure that HDCP is enabled when just using setup screen or watching a SD DVD...is HDCP always enabled as long as HDMI is used for output ?

Now, The Tosh outputs max 1080i/50Hz or 720p/50 Hz. Either setting flickers quite bad, 720p is maybe somewhat better but still not satisfactory. The 50 Hz refresh I guess is standard on a european player like mine.

I have my old Momitsu DVDplayer set at 720p 75 Hz, and that produces a nice, 100 % flickerfree image. The Momistu has a custom resolutions option, the Tosh however is limited to 50 Hz refresh rates.

So, I guess a scaler is needed to get a higher refresh. I can afford it but would rather have spent the money on a complementary BD player + maybe new screen.... :( What would you guys recommend for a scaler, and should the connection chain in that case go player->scaler->HDFury->pj ?

Grateful for any input,
Thomas

Thomas;
Try and check you blacklevel, if set to high you will feel/see the flickering at 50hz. But correctly set and in a fully light controled room 50hz can look very good.

Use the Avia dvd or somthing similar.

HenrikM,

Thanks for the tip, that just might be part of the problem. Will do more experimenting tomorrow, still have to set geometry and convergence which are just very roughly set at this point.

Thomas

As a VP50 or new Lumagen is beyond my means, this is the exact reason why I use a PC.


Interesting that you are using 50hz. Here in Oz (another PAL country) the HD-DVD's and BD are 60hz, and people are starting to complain about the Judder - which the vast majority have never seen before.

"Blue Ray is all jerky".

Mark,

Thats strange that HD-DVD's and BD's in Oz are 60 Hz, since Oz and Sweden both are PAL countries.

Isn't HTPC as a HD disc player a rather expensive solution ? At least the discdrives for HDDVD or BD I've seen are almost more expensive than a standalone player, with the exception of the x-box HDDVD add-on. Then again all PC-drives for HDDVD or BD seem to be burners also. In addition, a HDCP-capable videocard is needed, and of course a very fast CPU....it all adds up !I am not all that excited about PC's anyway, using a Mac as computer. But that's another story...

A $200 X-box360 HD-DVD drive and a $200 ATi 2400 or 2600 video card + a normal PC. A grunty PC is no longer needed.

BluRay is expensive, but not HD-DVD.


But of course being a beta tester for bugger software is oodles of fun..

But I just like PCs.

There will probably be BluRay-drives (read-only) available soon that are about the same price as the X-box HD-DVD drive. Beta testing bugger software for fun....that's the spirit !

I still have to do some more work with pj settings and watch some more movies, and then decide if I'll blow my savings for a Lumagen. Now it's definitely time for bed in this part of the world, goodnight !

Thomas

Get the lumagen! The 11 point Gamma adjustments make it worth the cost alone! And try to get an sdi one , sdi stadard dvds look awesome!

Athanasios

Just a short report: A scaler is indeed needed.

The videosignal from the Toshiba is weird, with what seems gigantic porches. A look into the green tube of my pj revealed a very large raster with a much smaller active image inside it. My rough guess is that only about 70 % of the raster is used horisontally.

A Lumagen HDP would be nice but in Sweden they cost about 2100 in US $....

Thomas

Thomas

J
The videosignal from the Toshiba is weird, with what seems gigantic porches.

It does have gigantic porches but it is not Toshiba's fault. It is the fault of the idiots who put together the HD 50Hz spec. It has huge porches so it looks just like 60 Hz. You can google things like HD PAL porches and get a number of discussions on the topic.

Dave

Get the lumagen! The 11 point Gamma adjustments make it worth the cost alone! And try to get an sdi one , sdi stadard dvds look awesome!

Athanasios

you tell em Athan :p

-Gary

It does have gigantic porches but it is not Toshiba's fault. It is the fault of the idiots who put together the HD 50Hz spec. It has huge porches so it looks just like 60 Hz. You can google things like HD PAL porches and get a number of discussions on the topic.

Dave

Aha, I suspected something like that. And it would probably be the same for a EU Blu-ray player. But why ? To be able to use electronic circuits w same specs ? (bandwith, freq. range etc). Well, still have to get a scaler...

Thomas

send me a pm on the scaler issue