Integra DHC-80.3 - Page 72

I found a local dealer that has an 80.3 connected to a DISH DVR in his showroom. I plan to go there soon, run a few tests, and confirm definitively that the 80.3 fixes the audible clicking relay issue.

Unfortunately his opening offer on the phone was MSRP + CA tax.

If there are any authorized 80.3 dealers reading this forum, or a customer who found a good dealer to buy theirs, please send me a reference and quote.

Thanks!
-Dan

Was this dealer in S. California? If it is then PM me the dealers name in case it is who I think it might be.

Kal's right. I think as long as all channels are within 10 dB or so, Audyssey should have little difficulty EQing them all properly to the target curve. Likely, there is no difference in the sound with the sub at relative zero dB channel trim, all else being equal. But, it cannot hurt to set its volume control such that it gives 75 dB via meter on test tones prior to calibration. If it is a few dB off, it is not worth obsessing about.

That's not actually quirky, if anything that is how it should be done.

Actually if one is asking for a straight decode it shouldn't add any sort of matrixing just what's on the disc.. If they do want matrix to 7.1 that's what Neo:X and PIIx is for.

If you have HD cable (so 1080i / 720p) definitely let the 80.3 upconvert to 1080p to your TV or projector. I have the JVC RS65 and did a comparison last night and frankly there is no comparison. Not even close....very easy to tell that the picture is quite better using the chipset in the processor vs. the projector.

I'd be one of the few that can use the same comparison with 1080p scaled to 4K with the 80.3, aside from Joerod, who was first to try it. By comparison the 4K upscaling is garbage compared to in this case the VW1000's built-in scaler. It is sound like the blu ray to 4K upscaling in the Sony S790 player is also better than the Integras QDEO chipset. The thing Im more aggrieved about right now though is the Integras inability to pass through a 4K source.

With my 1080i satellite, i wouldnt bother letting the 80.3 do the deinterlacing over the projector anyway. The Sonys reality creation adjustments work perfectly to fine tune the mainly live sport I view from 1080i satellite source.

Agree, Not the first time I've heard that the Sony bests the JVC in that area.

It's hard to compare directly with pure 1080p, but I def wouldn't entrust the 80.3 to scale 1080i TV source to 4K. I'm kind of surprised given JVC excellent performance rec, that a scaler such as equipped in a mid market AVC would really show up it's in built digital source scaling capabilities. I know though when the next gen of standalone scalers come along, like lumagen's, there will quite likely be some solid performance boosting possibilities for many HD sources.

I can't speak to 4k which uses a different video processor altogether in the 80.3, but I think when it comes to a decision of where do the processing of 1080i/720p cable signals to 1080p, I believe the Integra 80.3 is using the new IDT HQV Vida VHD1900 video processor while the newest line of JVCs are still using the older HQV ReonVX chipset. I think it's really as simple as that and there is a huge very noticeable difference. The Vida chip appears to be the real deal.

As a side note, the JVC then takes that upscaled signal and displays it using its "4k-light" technology and the final result from plain ol' hd cable tv is stunning very 3D'ish performance.

I keep hearing this over and over, to let the 80.3 upcovert 1080i /720p cable sat sources......I have tried using source at input/output assign with a combination of both (through) and (custom) at the picture settings. I found that even custom at 1080p with all other features at their defaults of 0 and off really made no discernable difference.

On my pioneer Kuro I can't tell the difference in PQ, if the 80.3 or the Pioneer Kuro deinterlaces my 1080i signals to 1080p.

I remember hearing " Film Mixer" make a post alluding to the same. I sure would love to know what settings and televisions you guys are using.

Paul

Agreed. While i do have the 80.3 upscale my directv to 1080p, there is no noticeable difference in video quality vs having my tv do the upscaling. For somebody to see a huge, noticeable difference either a piece of their equipment is malfunctioning or not setup correctly. Unless you start getting into high end stand alone video processors upscaling is upscaling.

Hi Paul, I'm just set to source and custom-1080p. Everything else is default/off/0. But I don't imagine you'd see much of a difference on a TV set. Get a 10 foot screen, stand up close and you will almost certainly see noticeable differences

Hello,
While the 80.3 does use HQV Vida, I am almost positive that the Marvell Qdeo Processor handles 4K and that Vida handles most everything but. At least that is what I have read about how the two VP Chips are implemented.
Cheers,
AD

Ha, ha, with a 10' screen I believe you that you are seeing a better picture, using the 80.3 VP vs your projector's VP - for Sat/cable sources. Again, your mileage will vary depending on the equipment used.

Paul

well if a home owner has a 7 speaker setup, the question would be why would he take a 5 speaker output over 7?

I'm assuming more often then not, that even if a DTS or Dolby signal is mixed as 5 only, they would still want the matrix of the 7.

Just like if it was mixed for 7 and you only had a 5 speaker setup, could you imagine just losing the 2 rears? yes i know that never happens, but just saying.

That's my take, but i guess i could be wrong on what others feel about it.

Some of us prefer hearing what was on the disc as the engineers heard it, as opposed to synthetic expansion or remixing of it in the prepro. If it has 7 discrete channels, then, fine, I listen with all 7 of my channels. But, personally, I find 7 channels something of a disappointment because few Blu-rays exploit this. And, frankly, I do not feel much is often really added with two additional back channels, even discrete ones on the disk.

Perhaps, I am a purist, but this goes especially for music from Mch SACD, which is no more than 5 channels. I definitely do not prefer 7 channel playback of those. I do not listen to stereo much these days, but if I do, I listen in 2 channel, as opposed to synthetic expansion. Others, of course, are free to make their own choices. The nice thing about Integra prepros is that they can satisfy a purist like me, but they have the flexibility to provide other expanded effects as the user chooses.

And, do not even get me started on THX, which I do not think sounds good at all, not even for movies. But, having said that, my surrounds are not really specially designed for the vague, fuzzy wuzzy surround sound it provides.

WOW! I have never come across a post with so many statements that I absolutely agree with 100%
I am with you on all this..... especially the THX comment, I too find that it adds nothing to the sound.

To each there own, I guess.

Paul

Well at least let the end user have the choice based on their preference. They already give us Neo:X and PIIx etc. to matrix if we want to.

THX seems to work best (for movies) if you have dipole surround speakers. In my experience anyway.

I am very pleased to report that initial indications are that there is a solution to the HDMI handshake issue I reported on a couple of pages back in this thread.

Just to refresh memories on the issue - with a Comcast/Motorola DCX3400 cable box/DVR outputting a HDMI video signal to the Integra 80.3 processor, I was getting a new HDMI handshake (and delay) every time the TV channel was changed from an HD channel to a non-HD channel, and vice versa. The handshake could be avoided by changing an HDMI output setting in the cable box (4:3 override to OFF), but the setting would revert to 480i (and the handshakes return) each time the cable box and TV were powered off and on. The setting just wouldn't stick. The behavior was the same whether the 80.3 was powered ON or on STANDBY.

There was no handshake issue if the cable box was connected directly to the TV, bypassing the 80.3 (but who wants to do that?).

Web research led me to several other forum posters who had HDMI handshake issues with these Motorola cable boxes and many different receivers. One posted a solution - he installed a Monoprice #8204 powered HDMI 1-2 splitter between the receiver and the TV.

I have purchased the same Monoprice splitter and initially installed it between the 80.3 and the TV. It did not solve the problem and in fact had great difficulty establishing any HDMI handshakes. It eventually did, but only with repeated attempts and delays.

I was ready to return the item, but decided to try installing it between the Motorola box and the 80.3. The HDMI handshakes worked fine and, miraculously, the subsequent handshakes when changing from HD to SD channels (and vice versa) were eliminated. Moreover, the Motorola box video settings now stick even after the TV and cable box are turned off and on numerous times.

The only minor issue seems to be that if watching an SD channel when the TV and cable box are turned off, upon turning them on the next time, the SD channel displays stretched to fill the screen rather than in 4:3 proportion as desired. But this corrects itself immediately if the channel is changed to any other channel and remains corrected with all subsequent channel changes. I view this remaining glitch as a very small inconvenience.

I am a happy camper now on this formerly frustrating issue.

EDIT: I must qualify the above by saying that I was so happy that there may be a solution that I neglected to test all of the above with the 80.3 powered ON. All of the above relates to having the 80.3 on STANDBY and watching TV without the processor powered on. I will confirm that the same is the case with the 80.3 ON and post again.

EDIT: The fix also seems to work while the 80.3 is powered ON. Yay!

Thanks ed1. I think you just helped a thousand owners!

Hello to all. I am currently in serious consider mode for the DHC-80.3.

Please PM me with any dealers here on the forum. Thanks tons.

A couple of additional points of information for anyone who may be dealing with the HDMI handshake issue described above.

In the course of experimenting prior to adding the HDMI splitter, I had added a TOSLINK optical audio cable from the Motorola cable box to the Integra 80.3 and changed the appropriate audio input setting on the 80.3 menu. So, at present the 80.3 is picking up cable TV video through the HDMI and audio from the TOSLINK cable. I haven't yet tried removing the TOSLINK audio to see whether that would affect the HDMI handshakes. Adding the TOSLINK audio cable alone (without the HDMI splitter) did NOT solve the handshake issue.

It is possible that the handshake issue could be remedied with a simpler, unpowered pigtail-type HDMI splitter or a powered or manual HDMI switch, instead of the powered splitter that I am using. In fact, I seem to recall some postings to that effect. But, my first attempt to fix the problem was with the specific brand and model splitter that was mentioned in another forum - and it worked.

Just to be clear on the solution, the HDMI splitter is installed between the cable box/DVR and the Integra 80.3 processor. The HDMI cable runs from the cable box to the INPUT of the HDMI splitter. Another HDMI cable runs from OUTPUT 1 of the splitter to the 80.3. OUTPUT 2 of the splitter remains empty.

The HDMI splitter that I am using indicates a maximum power usage of 3 watts.

I wonder to what degree adding a 1-2 HDMI splitter degrades the signal quality if the second splitter output remains unused. Does anyone know?

Good info, thanks! What exactly does the powered HDMI splitter do? Does it amplify the signal?

I don't know, but just found this:

http://www.life123.com/technology/ho...splitter.shtml

Hi ed1, I meant to post this a few pages back when I read your first post regarding the HDMI handshakes...... I believe this will resolve your issues.

See link below.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/switc...tive-plus.html

Paul

Thanks, Paul. That is an interesting piece of equipment.

My problem was not the initial handshake when the components and TV were turned on. It was instead the loss of the handshake connection and the need for a new one when changing TV channels from HD to SD, or vice versa. I'm not sure if that Gefen item would address that.

In any case, the powered splitter solution is working so far for my issue.

^^ I believe both your powered splitter and the Gefen work in the same way regarding the EDID settings.
Good to hear that your problem has been resolved.....thanks for sharing.

Paul

Recommendations maybe?