Integra DHC-80.3 - Page 73

Going back to my original comments re the QDEO chipset scaling to 4K. I was just reading the updated review of my VW1000 projector in Home Theater mag by Thomas J Norton. He specifically also makes mention of the 80.3's inferiority to the chipset built into the that particular projector. So for those hoping when the get a 4K display that upscaling via the Integra will be a given, it will be important to check the performance of the what ever the display or proj's is like first.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/s...-take-2-page-2

^^ I can't speak for all here, but I seriously doubt that owners of this unit bought it because of the 4K up conversion. I know I didn't......

4K is at its infancy, and I will go on record, that, 4K will be as "great" as 3D, and we all know how well that format is doing.
Sure, we may get 4K displays and hopefully some that will take 1080p sources and do a REALLY BEAUTIFUL JOB IN UP-SACLING (at least we hope that they do), but unless the studios get on board and quick, this 4k will fall to the wayside, or a simple extra "feature" as 3D is now.

Just my 2cents.

Paul

I have a brand new 80.3 still in the unopened box. I received it a week ago. For a number of reasons, I cannot install it at this time. I paid 10% under MSRP. If you want one or know of someone willing to take it off my hands, please PM me.

Has anyone noticed or heard about this SIGNATURE EDTION version of DHC 80.3 from The Upgrade Company?

Sounds quite promising from their web page but was wondering if the extra $ is justifiable.

I recommend you read this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1336902

Just wondering if the 80.3 will pass 4K if you totally bypass the video processor?

I think 4K may have a better chance then 3D. The problem with 3D is the need to wear, and charge expensive 3D glasses. It's more expense and more of a hassle that most people are willing to put up with for a slightly 3 dimensional effect. Sure its fun once in a while, but nobody wants to have to charge up 3D glasses and wear them every time they watch something. 4K on the other hand, just seems like a new, higher resolution that won't be any additional hassle then what we are dealing with now with 1080P

...but 3D with glasses is only an intermediate step on the way to a technique, which no longer needs glasses of any kind, like the Toshiba CEVO engine driven models. I am pretty sure that within a few years 3D displays will mature in parallel with 4K pixel resolution, because both work together to archive the goals.

That's interesting. In that case, when 3D progresses from it's intermediate step and no longer requires something like 3D glasses, I'm sure it'll become a lot more popular. The way it is right now, most people wouldn't bother, only people like us on these forums that are into this kind of stuff and don't mind going through extra hassle for the experience.

My take goes like this.

If we cast our minds back to the many early thoughts on 1080p HD technology and formats. Back then plasmas cost a bomb and there were still swathes of analog CRTs still out there. The fact of the matter is displays are nowadays only getting larger better performing, and cheaper. Therefore, picture definition itself is only getting more noticeable by default. Studios are very on board at the production level with 4K and beyond as we all know. Particularly the one who has a vertically integrated business model, being of course Sony. For obv reasons therefore they are leading the charge, with consumer 4K given they benefit from it all the way down the chain from Film production to hardware manufacturing and software distribution. It's not a huge deal for studios like them or others to provide the 4K digital source material, which then makes it more an issue for the plants that manufacture whatever consumer disc format ends up being, be it 4K Blu ray. It's also an issue and an opportunity possibly for any online Co who may decide to push forward with say 4K NOD or download model. That in itself is not a truly a huge task for a Netflix or poss even a VUDU type outfit with the ever increasing speed of the internet globally and ever improving technologies.

Anyone here use the Integra iPhone/iPad app to control their receiver? For some reason, mine doesn't pick up my receiver. I turned on network control within the receive device config, but it didnt seem to make a difference. Any tips?

Try oremote. Make sure the 80.3 responds to a ping from your iPad . Make sure you know the ip address. Oremote does most of this well and automatically.

I didn't there was an option to turn MCH SACD from 5.1 to 7.1. I haven't taken to the time to play with any of my hidef audio. I'm a purist when it also comes to music, but not when it comes to surround sound movies I would prefer my system default to 7.1.

I also ignore THX processing, IMO it's horrible.

4k will succeed, because the industry needs to progress. We can't be stuck on 1080p forever.

My colleague works with JVC on a lot of productions and they are heavily invested as others are also.

It's just a matter of time, like going from VHS to DVD, DVD to bluray and bluray to whatever 4k medium decides to rule the day.

Also go read through this thread as well!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1198719

As not only is there some horror stories of few customers that had some very negative dealings with them, it also shows some of their horrible looking handiwork of their so called modifications.

I agree 100% Its 3D I don't see becoming any more then a little extra thing on the side rather then a new format that everybody has/uses. 4K on the other hand is just a matter of time. Its the future

+1 well put.

Also, I can add that my contacts at Sony Pro Video Division are already talking about 8K as the next step from the 4K content acquisition technology!

How much clearer can a picture get! Lol. Technology keeps moving forward. Maybe someday there will be a projection device that actually projects holograms into the room with you. I'm talking like people walking around, trees sticking up out of your floor, cars etc. Surround sound accompanied by images that appear to be in the room with you lol. Not just hearing cars drive by you or hear bullets wize past your head, but seeing it to. Maybe something like that will happen someday. Sounds like an improvement over iMax lol.

Who knows were it will all get to. Holodeck here we come lol! When it comes to content creation, the film makers will go for stuff like 8K cameras just for the sake of it and if allowed the budget to blow on it. Then its a prob a very slow progression from there and prob indeed more of a focus on things like immersion technology as the draw card. That's my crystal ball gazing on it for now.

In all seriousness, 8k 3D and 128 channel surround sound is coming our way! Here is the article on Dolby's upcoming technology, Dolby Atmos:

hollywoodreporter.com/news/cinemacon-2012-dolby-new-sound-system-314999

I think the future for HiFi and Home Theatre is looking is very exciting!

Always something new and exciting to look forward to

Right. Meanwhile, our expensive gear which supports things like deep color and 192k audio gets essentially none of that from available Blu-rays today. AFAIK, no deep color Blu-ray was ever produced, after it was ballyhooed as a must have feature when it was introduced years ago. I also do not know of an A/V Blu-ray that offers anything above 48k/24 bit sound. So, it would seem that the hardware manufacturers are way ahead of and totally out of synch with what content providers are able and willing to do. It seems that exciting new capabilities of our displays and electronics often go down the drain due to lack of support from the studios and content providers.

I have the new Joe Satriani - Satchurated Blu-Ray in 7.1 Dolby TrueHD 24/96 and Harry Connick Jr. in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD 24/96 for examples. Both sound fantastic with my Sunfire Cinema Grand and Monitor Audio Gold GX300/GXC350 setup. Between that and 1080P I'm happy. Don't care about 3D, but I am interested in 4k when we get some 4k hd sources.

Exactly, I won't be interested really in 4k until there is material native in 4K. The fact that the DHC-80.3 is able to support 4K means nothing to me right now. Its just there so hey, why the hell not.

When u say support 4K, remember the caveat in that. It supports upscaling everything to 4K, not native 4K sources. That's unless there's some kind of firmware update to change that in the future.

In my case Im ready for 4K already, but yeah there's only 4K via PC and few basic clips to view. Hardly anything to get excited about. Bring on the real 4K material I say.

I have the Integra 80.3 processor and 70.1 amp. Both are normally left on standby 24/7.

When on standby, the 80.3 remains warm when touching the top panel. Not nearly as warm/hot as when power is on and the processor is actually working, but warmer than one would expect. But the 70.1 is cool to the touch when on standby.

Why is the 80.3 so warm while on standby?

I agree that those producing the content are too often slacking and lacking. On the other hand, I am unconvinced that 192K on the final product adds any audible benefit whatsoever. The quality of all that goes into making the recording (recording technique, mastering, etc) makes all the difference IMO/IME. I have redbook CDs (44.1K/16bit) that I am hard pressed to distinguish from SACD; many Stockfisch CD offereings like Sara K. "Waterfalls" and Chris Jones "Roadhouses and Automobiles", offer exc SQ. I select these examples because acoustic guitar/vocal recordings with a large dynamic range and well-executed musical artistry content are both enjoyable and offer a stringent test for any medium and system.

YMMV but to my old ears, there's not that big a difference between CD layer and SACD stereo layer on high-quality discs like Allison Krause "Forget About It" or "New Favorite" when I do a level-matched A/B. The 48K/24 DTS tracks of Allison Krause "Live" DVD sound pretty darn close in SQ to the same tracks on SACD, though recorded live on stage. It's all superb.

Do you have Network Control enabled? If so, that requires some circuits are left permanently active.

Leaving zones 2 and 3 on will cause your heat symptom

As to both audio and video, there is no question that higher resolutions offer dimishing returns as to PQ or to SQ. The bedroom monitor, often a 35 inch LCD, will likely not see much improvement with 4k, but a 120 inch front projector screen might well see some improvement, just not a SD vs. HD improvement. But, my point on video is that I paid for deep color in my equipment purchases. I doubt it is going to offer anything other than a modest improvement, but why is it nowhere to be found?

As to SQ, I am a classical music guy who is enraptured with hi Rez Mch. I have huge CD and vinyl collections I no longer listen to as a result. Hi Rez Mch trumps those easily in terms of approaching concert hall realism. Yes, there are many good CDs, but they do not, of course, offer discretely recorded Mch, which is a big difference maker.

I am generally quite pleased with the sound of Mch Blu-ray, even at 48k/24, and especially in DTS HDMA, which generally offers better sound than LPCM. Dolby THD is almost non-existent on Blu-ray, but can also be quite good. Again, no question as to diminishing returns from higher resolutions. But, having heard some audio- only Blu-rays and downloads at higher resolutions, I still think 96 or 192k offers somewhat noticeably better sound. They are just not available on A/V disks, with a few exceptions, in spite of the fact that my system has that capability.

While we are at it, there are only a few hundred 7.1 channel Blu-rays out of the thousands released. Again, the difference is not huge over 5.1, but the capability is there in many systems. The disk releases just do not have it for the most part.