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New DVDO iScan HD+

post #1 of 1446
9/10/04 at 5:39pm
Thread Starter 
Anchor Bay Technologies Unveils the DVDO® iScan HD+ High-Resolution Video Scaling Engine at the 2004 CEDIA Show

Indianapolis, IN, September 10, 2004 - (Business Wire) - Anchor Bay Technologies, Inc. will exhibit the all-new DVDO® iScan HD+, the company's latest comprehensive audio/video processing hub at the CEDIA show beginning today, September 10 through September 12, in Booth 1560 in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

Building on the momentum from the award winning iScan HD, the iScan HD+ adds scaling of high definition sources (720p, 1080i) which come in on DVI, and HDCP support over DVI.

Home theater enthusiasts are presented with many challenges when displaying an image that was originally produced in one resolution and aspect ratio, stored and transmitted in another, and ultimately displayed in a third. The new iScan HD+ is a sophisticated video processor that produces an optimized image in a wide range of resolutions, aspect ratios, and refresh rates, independent of the input format. When using the iScan HD+, a projector or display device is not forced to crop, distort, or further process the image in order to display it. The iScan HD+ can generate an output that exactly matches the native resolution of virtually any LCD or DLP projector, as well as plasma displays and CRTs, producing the clearest, crispest picture possible.

The iScan HD+ incorporates Anchor Bay Technology's Precision Video Scaling technology, and incorporates other digital video and audio technologies such as Automatic Chroma Upsampling Error Correction (AutoCUE-C) and Precision AV Lipsync.

In addition to providing greatly enhanced picture quality, the iScan HD+ acts as a hub for all AV source devices. It accepts up to nine discrete video and 4 digital audio inputs, with 2 video and 2 audio outputs. This allows seamless connection of DVD players, satellite receivers, HDTV receivers, digital video recorders, video game consoles, VCRs, Laser Disc players, and PC video directly to the iScan HD+, which delivers high-definition quality video to virtually all display types, while also handling switching and synchronization of digital audio streams.

The iScan HD+ will be available for shipment to Authorized DVDO Resellers in October 2004.

About DVDO

DVDO, an Anchor Bay Technologies brand, is an acknowledged leader in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of chip and system-level solutions for next generation HDTVs and digital video electronic products. The DVDO iScan HD Video Processor is the recipient of the Electronic House 2004 Product of the Year Award.
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post #2 of 1446
9/10/04 at 5:59pm
So what does it mean that the HD+ adds scaling of high definition sources. Does it mean that it provides the sort of deinterlacing of 1080i sources that the HD did for 480i sources?
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post #3 of 1446
9/10/04 at 6:24pm
Josh or Dale,

So does the HD+ do motion adaptive deinterlacing of HD signals or just weave?

Also the million dollar, or actually the $750 upgrade from the HD, question for me is: Does the HD+ transcode the component HD signals? I assume it must cross convert HD component to HD DVI but will it convert HD component to VGA for us CRT users?

Lastly, if the HD+ can do HD deinterlacing of ANALOG HD signals does this mean that the HD+ is no longer using the ?Sil 504? deinterlacing chip? As I thought the old chip couldn't handle such a function.

Andy
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post #4 of 1446
9/10/04 at 6:40pm
Thread Starter 
Steve & AndyN - The iScan HD+ can take an incoming HD signal over DVI and scale to the chosen output resolution. With 480i signals, the iScan HD/HD+ uses motion and source adaptive video deinterlacing for NTSC (3:2 and 2:2 pulldown; video) and PAL/SECAM (2:2 pulldown; video) sources. With a 1080i signal, the iScan HD+ uses 'bob'. 'Bob' consists of treating each video field independently for de-interlacing purposes; for example in the odd field, even scan lines are synthesized or interpolated from the content of the adjacent odd scan lines.

AndyN - The iScan HD+ can scale an incoming DVI signal, with or without HDCP, that is 720p or 1080i to any output resolution. The analog component inputs function the same way as the iScan HD. If the component signal comes in with a resolution exceeding 480p(NTSC) or 576p(PAL), it will be passed thru and it will not be transcoded to RGBHV. We are still using the Sil504.
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post #5 of 1446
9/10/04 at 8:36pm
Thanks Josh.

One final question. When you say with or without HDCP to any output resolution, I assume the output is over DVI only? Or can the HD+ scale a digital HD signal FROM DVI, with or without HDCP, TO analog as well?

If this too is not the case, then would it be safe to assume that the HD+ just adds HDCP? Since I believe scaling an HD DVI signal was already a "possible" firmware update for the current iScan HD.

AndyN
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post #6 of 1446
9/10/04 at 9:19pm
Thread Starter 
AndyN - If the incoming DVI signal has HDCP, then the processed signal will only come of the DVI output with HDCP. If the incoming DVI signal does not have HDCP then it can be processed and sent out over DVI, Component, or RGBHV.
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post #7 of 1446
9/10/04 at 10:24pm
I came across a pic of your new HD2+ scaler at another forum, it mention that it does have a HDMI connector....is that true?
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post #8 of 1446
9/10/04 at 11:14pm
Thread Starter 
We are showing a future product at CEDIA which does have HDMI, pricing and availability are still to be decided.
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post #9 of 1446
9/11/04 at 12:51am
Quote:


Originally posted by Josh@dvdo
We are showing a future product at CEDIA which does have HDMI, pricing and availability are still to be decided.

care to divulge the release date of this new model?..as i'm sure all of us here are more interested with a model with HDMI connector..
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post #10 of 1446
9/11/04 at 5:32am
Hai,

Its on their website, same price as the old model at $1499, for 3 days special cedia deal they will
include a free sdi card. Interesting question is what changed from the non plus model, seems dvi became hdmi. and the hdcp license/chips are in ? bigger chip to handle more complex tasks ?

Greetings,

Daniel.
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post #11 of 1446
9/11/04 at 5:38am
Quote:


Originally posted by hotpots
care to divulge the release date of this new model?..as i'm sure all of us here are more interested with a model with HDMI connector..

As Josh already said, "pricing and availability are still to be decided".

- Dale Adams
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post #12 of 1446
9/11/04 at 5:41am
Quote:


Originally posted by danielo
Interesting question is what changed from the non plus model, seems dvi became hdmi. and the hdcp license/chips are in ? bigger chip to handle more complex tasks ?.

It's not HDMI. There is a photo on the Secrets site of a technology demonstration which is incorrectly labeled as the HD+. The HD+ is pretty much the same as the HD, with the addition of HDCP capability on the DVI input and output, and HD scaling of DVI sources.

- Dale Adams
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post #13 of 1446
9/11/04 at 6:12am
Quote:


Originally posted by Dale Adams
It's not HDMI. There is a photo on the Secrets site of a technology demonstration which is incorrectly labeled as the HD+. The HD+ is pretty much the same as the HD, with the addition of HDCP capability on the DVI input and output, and HD scaling of DVI sources.

- Dale Adams

Since its so confusing in the specs (lots of people look for hdmi name these days) maybe its a good idea to put (hdmi using a cable) in the specs ?. I myself was kind of guessing it was a mistake since you last week told us that there was no extra room on the back of the panel of the current design.

Quick question, this probably also means it uses the same sdi module right ?

Greetings,

Daniel.
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post #14 of 1446
9/11/04 at 6:19am
Quote:


Originally posted by danielo
Quick question, this probably also means it uses the same sdi model right ?

Right.

- Dale Adams
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post #15 of 1446
9/11/04 at 8:40am
Hi Dale! Any upgrade possibilities for current IScan HD owners to HD+ especially for people who have IScan HD with SDI already installed?
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post #16 of 1446
9/11/04 at 12:36pm
Quote:


Originally posted by vinodk
Hi Dale! Any upgrade possibilities for current IScan HD owners to HD+ especially for people who have IScan HD with SDI already installed?

There is an trade-in allowance of $750 if you trade in your HD on an HD+. We're still looking into the possibility of actually upgrading the HD to an HD+. It's mostly just one circuit board that's different, so this may be feasible. Since we haven't actually decided to do such and upgrade, I have no idea yet what this might cost or when it might be available.

- Dale Adams
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post #17 of 1446
9/11/04 at 1:58pm
Excellent idea Dale for the upgrade board to turn the HD into a HD+.

I think it would please alot of us who just purchased the HD and do not or will not repurchase the HD+ for the $750.00 trade in allowance on a $1499.00 item.
A board add on like the SDi mod would be hot!
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post #18 of 1446
9/11/04 at 2:59pm
I agree. My iSCAN HD is not that old! I would love to just upgrade my HD. Would be a much better value.... SJ
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post #19 of 1446
9/11/04 at 3:16pm
Quote:


With a 1080i signal, the iScan HD+ uses 'bob'. 'Bob' consists of treating each video field independently for de-interlacing purposes; for example in the odd field, even scan lines are synthesized or interpolated from the content of the adjacent odd scan lines.

Just to be clear, this basically means that they're tossing out half of the available resolution on static scenes. So unfortunately, this is not yet a true 1080i deinterlacing solution. Looks like a great product otherwise but it's not part of the "new generation" of true 1080i deinterlacers.
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post #20 of 1446
9/11/04 at 4:01pm
Quote:


Originally posted by Michael Grant
Just to be clear, this basically means that they're tossing out half of the available resolution on static scenes. So unfortunately, this is not yet a true 1080i deinterlacing solution. Looks like a great product otherwise but it's not part of the "new generation" of true 1080i deinterlacers.

Ummm. . . close, but not quite.

Interlaced video is normally vertically filtered to some extent to reduce line twitter (flicker, whatever you want to call it). This applies to both 480i and 1080i. Some test patterns do not follow this procedure, but the majority of video programming material does.

That doesn't mean that you're not losing vertical resolution by using a simple 'bob' technique to deinterlace. (And it is deinterlacing - interlaced video is converted to progressive. That's what deinterlacing is. Granted, it's not a great technique for doing it, but it is deinterlacing.) You are, but it's not half of the resolution but rather more like a 3rd to a quarter or so. Still, not good.

Actually, what I notice more with simple 'bob' deinterlacing is aliasing artifacts. When there is more vertical detail than the vertical sampling frequency of a single field can support, you get aliases. This occurs on both static and moving areas of the image. Motion adaptive deinterlacing solves the problem for the static areas, but you need some sort of nonlinear approach to hide the aliases when there's motion. Edge-adaptive approaches like DCDi can do this, and to me, that's their primary value.

Actually, I can think of one advantage to 'bob' deinterlacing - you never get combing.

- Dale Adams
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post #21 of 1446
9/11/04 at 4:08pm
Believe me Dale you will make lot of people happy & loyal to DVDO for a long long time to come if you decide to offer the board upgrade at a reasonable cost rather than trade in because quiet a good number of us have bought IScan HD just in the past 2-3 months & nobody likes the idea of losing good chunk of change on a trade-in in this short period of time. Hope you guys will seriously consider the board upgrade.
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post #22 of 1446
9/11/04 at 4:25pm
I second the board upgrade option (especially in Canada!)
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post #23 of 1446
9/11/04 at 6:13pm
Can HD+ do 3:2 pulldown for 1080i signal? Or will it do 'bob' deinterlacing for 1080i no matter whether it is film or video signal?

There are talks about the native resolution for the next generation DVD is 1080p. Does HD+ accept 1080p signal input?
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post #24 of 1446
9/11/04 at 8:14pm
Quote:


Originally posted by adyc
Can HD+ do 3:2 pulldown for 1080i signal?

No.

Quote:


Or will it do 'bob' deinterlacing for 1080i no matter whether it is film or video signal?

Yes.

Quote:


There are talks about the native resolution for the next generation DVD is 1080p. Does HD+ accept 1080p signal input?

No.

- Dale Adams
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post #25 of 1446
9/12/04 at 1:40am
Quote:


Originally posted by Dale Adams

quote:
There are talks about the native resolution for the next generation DVD is 1080p. Does HD+ accept 1080p signal input?

No.

- Dale Adams

Small sub question not accepting 1080p means it will not go into passtrough mode either like the HD did with 1080i signals ?

Daniel.
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post #26 of 1446
9/12/04 at 3:12am
Quote:


Originally posted by danielo
Small sub question not accepting 1080p means it will not go into passtrough mode either like the HD did with 1080i signals ?

No, that's not what it means. For signals which the HD+ cannot process, it will switch to passthrough mode like the HD does. Both the HD and the HD+ will switch to passthrough for a 1080p input.

The issue here is one of frame buffer memory bandwidth. The HD+ does not have the memory bandwidth to store a 1080p signal at 60 Hz. It could almost certainly deal with a 1080p 24sf signal (which would appear to the iScan as 1080i @ 48 Hz), but we haven't had a chance to test that.

- Dale Adams
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post #27 of 1446
9/12/04 at 8:04am
Quote:


Originally posted by steviec
Excellent idea Dale for the upgrade board to turn the HD into a HD+.

I think it would please alot of us who just purchased the HD and do not or will not repurchase the HD+ for the $750.00 trade in allowance on a $1499.00 item.
A board add on like the SDi mod would be hot!

I agree...........I can swap a PCB

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post #28 of 1446
9/12/04 at 8:19am
Dale,

Is the HD+ capable of nonlinear stretch?
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post #29 of 1446
9/12/04 at 9:29am
Dale, I'm sure the HD+ is finalized at this point, but have you given any thoughts to a future version that might have more DVI(or better yet HDMI) inputs available? Now that you have scaling of DVI signals,many of us IscanHD users have more than one source that has DVI out such as a DVD player and HD cable or satelite. This would eliminate the necessity of a DVI switcher box.

One more vote for the PCB swap.
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post #30 of 1446
9/12/04 at 9:48am
Clark, I'd say its a certainty that there is a new product with HDMI in the pipe line, see this thread here, but I doubt Dale will want to say too much until its ready for public release.

If I were in the market for a HD/+ now or in the next few months I think I'd wait to see what the time scale and specs are on this new product...

Ryan
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