Official 2012 Sony BDP-S790 Thread - Page 18

Originally Posted by keagy

I am hoping the new Harmony 800 QWERTY will work with the S790!

Originally Posted by gpmbc

So if the other player wasn't sending the same quality to the receiver, then is is not possible to hear a difference once this area of performance has been improved? I didn't change anything except swap out players and was looking for a changes in picture quality when the first thing that popped out was the change in sound. I then started playing other blu rays that I'm familiar with and heard the same across the board.

Originally Posted by khollister

So I experimented some more with the DLNA client in the 790 - still not impressed. While it does play SD & HD video as long as it is encoded as H.264/AVC, I was not able to get any of several M4V files I tried to play without visible hiccups in the framerate, both 60fps DVD rips and 24fps blu-ray ones. These same files streamed and played fine on the Oppo 93 and also play perfectly on the ATV3 when served up via iTunes.

I am using Twonky on a QNAP 659 Pro II NAS connected via GigE ethernet - the NAS and Sony are hardwired - no wifi is in play. The iTunes path uses a dedicated gigE subnet between the NAS and the iTunes server (Mac Pro) with dedicated ports. The DLNA and iTunes Home Sharing is delivered over the main subnet from different ports on both the NAS and the Mac Pro (both devices have dual gigE ports).

I suspect the issue may be that my M4V's are encoded with H.264 High Profile/L4.0 (which the ATV has no problem with), but might be the cause of playback issues with the Sony.

When I get a free moment, I will try re-encoding one of the rips in Handbrake with Baseline Profile and see if that fixes the playback jitters out of curiosity. I seem to recall seeing a comment from someone about streaming a full BD MKV, so that would seem to discount my theory since AVC BD's use the L4.1 profile with even higher data rates than my L4.0 encodes.

I certainly know that the problem is not the throughout of the network or the NAS as I was able to stream full 30-40 GB blu-ray rips in MKV containers (BD uses L4.1 with a max rate of 62 Mbs or so) to the Oppo with no issues. The NAS has a measured throughput of 100-130 MBs, so it's not even breathing hard with a 25 Mbs High Profile/L4.0 AVC stream.

Just passing this experience along in case someone is planning on using the 790 as a primary source for HD video via DLNA.

It is a fantastic BD & internet (NF/Amazon) streamer though - the best I have used.

Originally Posted by apw2607

Use a different dlna sever. Try serviio. I have used the s790 with lots of MKV h264 AVC files that have bit rates well over 25 Mb/s. No issues. My experience has being choosing the right dlna server is important. Since you're on a Mac as well, try elgatos eye connect dlna server.

Originally Posted by mdavej

No reason it wouldn't. All sony blu-ray players use the same codes, and there are plenty of them in the harmony database, even if the 790 itself isn't in there yet.

For the QWERTY part, if it works at all, I'm guessing the 800 may do some sort of triple-tap since sony has no discrete codes for individual letters.

Originally Posted by tmeader


Agreed. I've never had any issues on either the Oppo or now the 790 using PS3 Media Server http://www.ps3mediaserver.org/

They have a Mac version. As the name implies, it was developed originally for the PS3, but it's support of "Bravia" line devices is also exemplary. In fact, the 790 actually FF and RW files (being transcoded) just fine, whereas the Oppo would frequently die during a FF/RW operation on those same files.

Originally Posted by tmeader

Agreed. I've never had any issues on either the Oppo or now the 790 using PS3 Media Server http://www.ps3mediaserver.org/

They have a Mac version. As the name implies, it was developed originally for the PS3, but it's support of "Bravia" line devices is also exemplary. In fact, the 790 actually FF and RW files (being transcoded) just fine, whereas the Oppo would frequently die during a FF/RW operation on those same files.

Originally Posted by matrixj3

WOW! Just had to chime in..got the 790 no less than 2 hours ago. To put it quickly, the custom setting is the equivalent of adding a hi end equalizer to your sound system but instead for sound it's for your EYES! When you do A/B comparisons with the stock settings they look blurry and washed out compared to what you activate in the custom settings such as "clear black" & smoothness to name a few. If the sound is just as good as my current Sony I will honestly buy another 790 from BHP again! The best way to audition the sound is with dts-master concert dvd's which i will do this weekend.
Man, for $250 this is a steal! So far this is pure EYE CANDY! This is one of those "how did i ever get along without this thing" products...at least for me it is! Thanks everyone with your help!

Originally Posted by jroptop

How do you know what settings are best in the custom modes?Has anyone played with these settings for optimum PQ?I kept all my settings in auto mode and I will say this,streaming Netflix or Vudu,the PQ is out of this world! I honestly didnt think the PQ would be any different between blu ray players seeing how they were all connected via HDMI.Or is it all in my head that Im making my self think the PQ is superior to other players,such as Samsung BD-E6500,or Sony BDP S590.......Any input is appreciated by your experiences!

Originally Posted by gpmbc

So if the other player wasn't sending the same quality to the receiver, then is is not possible to hear a difference once this area of performance has been improved? I didn't change anything except swap out players and was looking for a changes in picture quality when the first thing that popped out was the change in sound. I then started playing other blu rays that I'm familiar with and heard the same across the board.

Originally Posted by jroptop

How do you know what settings are best in the custom modes?Has anyone played with these settings for optimum PQ?I kept all my settings in auto mode and I will say this,streaming Netflix or Vudu,the PQ is out of this world! I honestly didnt think the PQ would be any different between blu ray players seeing how they were all connected via HDMI.Or is it all in my head that Im making my self think the PQ is superior to other players,such as Samsung BD-E6500,or Sony BDP S590.......Any input is appreciated by your experiences!

Originally Posted by bakerwi

Sometimes when enough people rave about something we may unconsciously see improvement that may or may not exist, but if you think it is better then it is better.

I have a stable of players throughout my home and there are subtle differences amongst them, but none is materially better than the other, but some are more accurate than others.

The link (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/techn...roduction.html) provides a good read about not all blu-ray transports being equal.

Originally Posted by matrixj3

WOW! Just had to chime in..got the 790 no less than 2 hours ago. To put it quickly, the custom setting is the equivalent of adding a hi end equalizer to your sound system but instead for sound it's for your EYES! When you do A/B comparisons with the stock settings they look blurry and washed out compared to what you activate in the custom settings such as "clear black" & smoothness to name a few. If the sound is just as good as my current Sony I will honestly buy another 790 from BHP again! The best way to audition the sound is with dts-master concert dvd's which i will do this weekend.
Man, for $250 this is a steal! So far this is pure EYE CANDY! This is one of those "how did i ever get along without this thing" products...at least for me it is! Thanks everyone with your help!

Originally Posted by joerod

Congrats! I am still loving my 790 as well.

Originally Posted by joerod

Congrats! I am still loving my 790 as well.

Originally Posted by drhankz

I believe there are only three sources today.

1) Sonystyle
2) JR
3) ABT

I got mine from JR.

They all have free shipping all it takes is some Patience

Originally Posted by dpippel

Joe, what happened to the 790 review on your homepage? It's listed but there's no live link.

Originally Posted by chuckg1

joe,

I run a ps3 with an edge processor to an rs35, do you think I would benefit with a 790 ? Are you going to try a darblet soon ?

Originally Posted by joerod


You definitely would. The 790 smokes the PS3 (yes, I have one in my set up which I use for 3D gaming).

Originally Posted by Smackrabbit

Since the PS3 is bit-perfect if setup correctly (RGB limited or YCbCr with Superwhite off) any preference for the 790 is because it is altering the image away from reference standards. In that case it is preference but you could just adjust your display to personal taste for the same effect.

Originally Posted by joerod


Point taken. But for 3D it is head and shoulders above. My family and friends all agree.

Originally Posted by joerod

Point taken. But for 3D it is head and shoulders above. My family and friends all agree.

Originally Posted by apw2607

DVDs certainly look improved on the s790 compared to the ps3, with the default video options.

Originally Posted by Smackrabbit

Even with 3D, where the PS3 would still be bit-perfect, with Blu-ray content all the S790 can do differently is manipulate the image to something you might find more pleasing personally, but it is then inherently incorrect and not accurate. Looking at the controls the S790 offers, what they likely do:

Picture Quality Mode: Should be Standard, anything else is likely very incorrect.

Texture Remaster: Looks for repeated patterns and tries to "enhance" the details. Since you're already resolution limited, all it can do it either add edge enhancement and ringing, or add artifacts and remove fine detail.

Super Resolution: You can't "improve" resolution with 1080p content going to a 1080p source. You can add artifacts and ringing, which appear to improve sharpness, but there is no way to actually add detail. Using a wedge pattern on Spears and Munsil or another test disc could easily show off issues with this.

Smoothing: Likely some sort of block removal it is looking for in gradients.

Contrast Remaster: Attempting to alter the gamma on the fly by adjusting the Luma (Y component) output of the signal. This effectively kills your dynamic range in the image by making dark things brighter, and bright things darker. If you want to accomplish this, set the brightness and contrast on your display correctly, then bring up a black to white gradient, and adjust the gamma control to have things come out of black faster. You won't lose dynamic range this way either.

Clear Black: Same thing, just only for darker items (probably levels 16-40 or so I'd guess). It's probably taking a value of 16, remapping it to 25-30 or so, and mapping the other values up as well. This is costing you dynamic range and shadow detail, not adding it.

The thing is all of those features can be done in a projector or display, using the picture controls, without causing the side effects of doing it in the Blu-ray player. If you try to adjust the gamma in the Blu-ray player, the only way to do that is to cause yourself to lose dynamic range in the image, since you don't have extra bits to work with. If you keep your levels at reference in the player by turning off all these features, and then adjust the gamma in the projector or display instead (perhaps 1.9 instead of 2.2), you'll get the same effect, but keep the dynamic range of the source material instead of giving up that data for a brighter picture.

Sharpness and Detail controls in a projector can do the same thing as the enhancement controls in a Blu-ray player as well, but setting it beyond the point of just being sharp leads to artifacts and other issues. If Sony and other companies want to include all of these features to try to stand out and be noticed, that's fine, but reference level players like the Oppo don't include those features since all they do is degrade from the picture quality when enabled.



DVD scaling is a totally different thing than Blu-ray image quality.

Originally Posted by BrucePadgett

Joerod, my first-gen iPad will not link either. (Nor for the Panny 320 below it.)

FWIW I've noticed the new iPad can display links the original can't.

Would really love to read your review!