Anthem D2/D2v/AVM50/AVM50v/ARC1 tweaking guide - Page 47

Maybe it's better that way: it's possible that Anthem might be making some changes to the D2 and that they are thoroughly testing the 5th D2 they are sending you. You might get the best D2 ever made.

R

Regarding equalization -- I believe I heard that from the horse's mouth. Either from Nick or dealer. It's one of the main reasons I bought a D2 instead of AVM50.

Now, about the Conservation of Bugs Law --

I got my second D2 today. My dealer was at a jobsite not to far from me, so we agreed that he'd drive it over to do a quick test of the replacement unit. I first showed him my original D2, with it's green dots and hum problems. He confirmed both of them.

Out went the first D2 (serial 131238) and in went the second (131505). The new unit has 1.06 firmware. No clips on hdmi ports. Unit appears new -- no scratches. Basic connections only - amp, oppo 970 over hdmi, projector.

The good: green dots problem gone

The bad: Hum still there. I need to run through all the tests I did before, but the dealer didn't find any obvious problems with my wiring. So this points to the D2 -- again.

New problem: High-pitch squeal. Audible pretty much anytime. I'm too bummed right now to debug.

Dealer says he'll contact Anthem next week. At least he saw it and heard it.

I think it may be more based on marketing & product differentiation. I don't blame anthem, it's simple tiering of products, like Ford & Lincoln, but the options kill ya

Application of multi-dimensional filters, even dynamically is not processor intensive. Now this feature is vaporware until released but maybe there is some new fangled dynamic application, ie multiple mics plugged into some undetermined port. Even much simpler static sampling (compared to cheap MCACC receivers) would be a nice addition, at least to contrast to sound meter and other settings tools.

FYI - Kris Deering has reviewed the D2 at Secrets:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...006-page1.html

Very strong review. I've had the D2 for a week now and have been very pleased with it. I'm trying to find another one for my second home.

"The D2 encompasses one of the best add-ons I've ever seen for any product, period. As a stand-alone video processor it is outstanding and better than the vast majority of video processors I've ever evaluated. The fact that it does true HD video processing makes it a standout in a very limited market. Couple this with the HDMI switching and the fact that it supports all the audio formats that will be soon become the new standard with HD DVD and Blu-Ray and you have an investment that will pay off for a long time to come. The Anthem Statement D2 will continue to be my reference Audio/Video processor and I could not recommend a product more. "

- Kris Deering -

[quote=Monty Williams]Very strong review. I've had the D2 for a week now and have been very pleased with it. I'm trying to find another one for my second home.

"The D2 encompasses one of the best add-ons I've ever seen for any product, period. As a stand-alone video processor it is outstanding and better than the vast majority of video processors I've ever evaluated. The fact that it does true HD video processing makes it a standout in a very limited market. Couple this with the HDMI switching and the fact that it supports all the audio formats that will be soon become the new standard with HD DVD and Blu-Ray and you have an investment that will pay off for a long time to come. The Anthem Statement D2 will continue to be my reference Audio/Video processor and I could not recommend a product more. "

- Kris Deering -[/QUO
That's a great review. I think that when all the little hitches are ironed out it will be an almost perfect little pre.

Yea Kris is a big Anthem fanboy.

There were hardly any negatives in the entire review, contrast that to this thread and you have to wonder if it is the same unit. Personally my experience has been much closer to Kris's. The only nagging problem I have with mine is the inability to get sound on the HD DVD extra featurettes and commentary tracks but others have not reported this. The only feature missing from my want list is a digital transport for SACD, too bad Anthem dropped the iLink interface.

It occurs to me that maybe a lot of the problems with the D2 we are seeing are later production units. I'm assuming Kris's and Levesque's units are early models as I know both have had them for a while and mine is S/N 130290. 290th unit built? Could explain some of what has been experienced here.

I remember having a somewhat similar problem with a D1 - no sound on some DVD menus. I e-mailed Anthem about it and they quickly fixed the problem with a software upgrade.

R

Raz - This is an HDMI and HD DVD only problem. I'm hoping it is a firmware problem either on the D2 or A1, but no one else seems to be reporting it.

OK a little more background. With the Toshiba A1 HDMI audio set to either Auto or PCM the following results:

The main feature plays fine as 5.1 96K PCM.

Any extra features or in movie commentary do not work, total silence.

The main menu does not appear to be mapped correctly; I get just the center channel and maybe a little in the surrounds. I am getting the menu click effects, but most of the underlying soundtrack is gone. I am not sure at this point if it is just a matter of the L&R mains being missing.

The only D2 setting that appears to have any impact on the issue is the HDMI 6 channel Map setting. By cycling through the various mappings I can get sound from the extra features but I'm not sure they are being mapped to the correct speakers. My default setting is Auto and has the problem described above.

If I switch the Toshiba A1 HDMI audio to Bitstream or Downsampled PCM things work as expected albeit as DTS or two channels of PCM at 48K respectively.

Latest firmware is loaded on the both the Anthem(1.06) and Toshiba(1.4).

obie
If the "extras" sound channels are being incorrectly mapped to the LFE channel you'd get the effect you describe because the sounds would be above the subwoofer's crossover frequency and would be cut off.

I don't know if you have any speaker configuration stuff set in the HD/DVD player but you might double check that if you do. Since you don't want the HD/DVD player to be doing any bass steering or such, the HD/DVD should think that all your main speakers are large, and that you have a subwoofer, and that everything is at the same distance. Leave it to the D2 to do any processing after it receives that unaltered signal.

Also, when checking Mode settings on the D2, keep in mind that the menu sound track and extras are probably only 2 channel, and thus the D2 will go to whatever Mode you have set for that input for 2 channel, along with any adjustments you may have made for that Mode. In particular, if while listening to 2 channel on that input you have accidentally turned down the front speaker volume using the temporary setting remote control button (above left of the Select button), that temporary setting will be memorized, but only for that specific 2 channel Mode (triggered by 2 channel coming in on that input). So when playing other 2 channel inputs using different Modes or when playing 6 channel from the HD/DVD you wouldn't be affected.

One quick way to discard any and all such temporary settings you might have accidentally set is to Save User Settings in the Setup menu, then restore Factory settings in that same menu, then restore Saved User Settings.

You can get additional information on what the D2 thinks it is receiving by repeatedly pressing the Select button on the remote.
--Bob

Thanks for the reply Bob.

I was under the understanding the speaker settings in the A1 applied to analog only. I will play around with those settings though good point.

I understand what you are saying about 2 channel and that is probably a big part of the problem, the D2 is not switching to two channel and remains stuck on 5.1 Digital 96K when the problem is active.

I've already done the factory reset trick no difference.

Tom - just let Anthem know about your problem, my D1 had several 'unique' problems that no one else was reporting and yet Anthem was able to fix most of them.

R

Already emailed em hopefully they can reproduce it and come up with a fix.

Of course its going to be a strong review. Look at all the Anthem banner adds on the Home Page.

Not one remark on the fact that if you mess up the HDMI connector your warranty is invalid.

Greetings,

tycoondog, in all fairness have you ever read a review that made mention of the warranty fine print? I know Kris and feel confident that what is stated in his review has in fact been his experience with the D2.

Let's not turn this into another attack on a reviewer which in this case has nothing to do with the topic/spirit of this thread.


Regards,

obie,
In the Setup menu's input setup page for the HD/DVD input, what do you have as the default settings for Mode if the input is 2 channel or 2 channel surround?

Have you tried playing with the D2's mode while the HD/DVD is supposedly playing these 2 channel menus and extras? You can change mode by pressing the Mode button on the D2 remote and then using the up and down buttons. Some modes for 2 channel will only be accessible if you turn THX off (press the THX button on the remote and use the up or down arrow to turn THX off). I guess some of the 2 channel modes might not work with 96Khz input.

Here's another thing to try: While the HD/DVD is playing this extras content (and thus should be in 2 channel), and the D2 is showing 5.1 channel input instead, try switching to a different D2 input, pause 5 seconds or so, and then switch back to the HD/DVD input. This will force a new HDMI handshake on that input. However, I'm not sure if that Toshiba player will allow you to continue through such actions or whether it will insist you start playing the disc over again. Perhaps doing this while playing a menu would be a safer test.

I suspect there's something simple here that we're overlooking. As another experiment you could start over with the D2 settings by temporarily restoring factory settings and then doing JUST the minimal changes necessary to activate the HD/DVD input for audio play (cinema speaker config without worrying about calibration, HD/DVD input socket selection, and HDMI video output setup so that the HDMI from the HD/DVD will handshake properly).

If there's a way to restore factory defaults in the Toshiba that would probably be wise as well.

Then see if THAT makes the switch between 5.1 and 2 channel work OK. If so, you know it's one of your user settings that is causing the problem.
--Bob

See now a statement like that scares the Hell out of me. They were only able to fix "most" of the problems in a $6K device! That's not very reassuring.

I'm waiting for my third and my dealer indicated it's going to be awhile because the D2 is undergoing some hardware revisions to solve the reliability issues that are being encountered.

What reliablility issues?

Lev's unit has been working flawlessly for 8 months.

Kris Deerings unit was the best piece of equipment he's ever owned?

Why on earth would Anthem make any hardware changes at all when 2 of the internets most prolific Anthem supporters have no issues whatsoever?

Jerry, you must just have gotten a bad unit, thats all. You and notanewbie and about 6 others in this thread.

I have tried DPIIX and Anthem Logic but currently have it to plain ole stereo so as to not muddy the issue.

Yes I have done the above. The problem boils down to this if I just start from scratch the disc comes up in six channel mode and the feature works fine. If I go into the Anthem menu and monkey around I can force it to two channel and the extras and menu then work. At that point if I try to play the main feature I only get the L&R mains but I can tell it is playing the 5.1 track because all the dialogue from the center is gone. The only way I have found to force it back to 6-channel is to stop and re-start the disc.

You will get an HDMI 1 error on the Toshiba if you do that.

Already did just that, no change.

Not sure how to restore default on the A1 but I have thought about rolling back to the 1.2 firmware since I have it on disc. I'm going to wait until I hear from Anthem as it really isn't that big of a deal and everything else is working. I'm also crossing my fingers that Toshiba releases the 2.0 firmware soon.

Thanks for the help Bob.

I guess no one is buying into this theory huh.

To be fair though Anthem does not seem to be enforcing this and replacing units, sometimes multiple times.

Agreed for the people we know about, but it also looks like they maybe redesigning the board as the 2 people with problems are having to wait a rather long time for a replacement unit.

That's why I am still sitting on the fence.

I understand not wanting to jump in now, the truth is this is a bleeding edge device without any other peers. I had a bit of buyers remorse while I was waiting on mine to show up, but once I actually recieved it I've been very pleased and have no regrets. I also take the redesign, if true as a good thing as it is Anthem actively trying to make it right.

For those keeping score, I've really got only two concerns about my D2. The one I've posted most frequently on is the inability of the D2 to maintain a robust HDMI/HDCP connection with my Comcast/Motorola HD/DVR. This Comcast box is known to be, umm, difficult, so my refusal to just give up and switch to Component cabling is pure stubborness.

I've developed a lot of theories about heat related issues, and/or combinations of D2 setup stuff leading to these problems, but in reality there's nothing solid yet that really explains this. Sometimes the Comcast/D2 combo works like a champ for days at a time. Other times it fails and can be a bear to get working again. On my most recent failure (as it turns out, *NOT* fixable by disabling Triggers, by the way) I just decided to leave the Comcast and the D2 sitting there with the ghastly green screen of failure displayed. After about 10-15 minutes the problem FIXED ITSELF with no further intervention from me. I've now got about 24 hours of flawless operation since that happened. And that includes several power cycles and etc., which might well have produced a new failure. Go figur....

----------------------------------------------------

However my second problem was really giving me second thoughts about the D2. My display is a couple years old and has a DVI/HDCP input. That means it takes 8 bit RGB as input. It's a Fujitsu plasma and does a good job of dithering low level grays to counter the effects of that limited input.

Unfortunately, when connected to the D2, I had severe noise problems in the low level grays. The D2 does 10 bit internal processing but has to dither down to 8 bit when sending out RGB -- see Kris's review for example. My theory is that the noise I was seeing was a result of a conflict between the D2's dithering and what was going on in my plasma -- kind of a beat frequency between those two algorithms.

Well today I did another calibration pass, specifically focused on eliminating the noise in the low level grays. I use the gray scale ramps, IRE windowed fields, and steps charts (both normal and "monotonicity") in Avia Pro to see this stuff. The noise, when present, is not at all subtle. It's easy to see the noise vary, or move between IRE levels, when making Brightness/Contrast level changes.

And I found a solution.

Actually I'd say I'm about 90% there right now. Certainly close enough for delightful viewing, and maybe as good as it gets with my display.

The trick was to use a control in my plasma that raises the overall luminance level indpendent of the Blacks/Whites settings. Raising this one step apparently changed the dithering going on inside the display enough that it was no longer beating against the dithering produced by the D2. What's left is a "normal" level of dithering noise for this display.

Whatever's really going on, I've now got low level grays which are comparable in quality to the best I could get previously by directly connecting my 59avi DVD player to the DVI input of the Fujitsu. And every other aspect of the imagery is improved by running 480i into the D2 (HDMI to HDMI) and then 1360x768p to the display (HDMI to DVI).

I may be able to tweak this up a bit better as time goes on, but I'm now solidly in the camp that says the HDMI video path through the D2 really produces spectacular results. However if you have an 8 bit RGB display, it may take some serious patience to find the magic combo of display and D2 settings that produces nirvana.

-------------------------------------------------------

And this leads to the real reason I'm sticking with HDMI from my Comcast box.

The settings I'm using on my 59avi are known to produce "standard" HDMI output values from the 59avi (see the 59avi Owner's Thread in the Standard Definition DVD forum here). The level settings combo of (1) the D2's input settings for the 59avi input, and (2) the settings on my display which together produced the best results are thus the "best" settings for processing "proper" HDMI values through the D2 to my display.

And that means that if I connect my Comcast box via HDMI, setting the SAME COMBO of D2 and display settings should give me the best chance of having proper levels for Comcast viewing as well -- modulo the odd variations that happen between various broadcast stations.

The one gotcha here is the color space difference between the DVD content (SDTV style color) and HDTV from the Comcast, but the D2 automagically handles that colorspace stuff already.

Contrast with if I had the Comcast connected via Component cabling. Now there's no reason whatsoever to believe that the "best" HDMI settings from the 59avi would also be the "best" Component settings for viewing the Comcast. Thus I'd have to get a light sensor, *AND* find some standardized test patterns broadcast on some Comcast channel, to calibrate the Comcast independently.

Or more likely I'd have to hire an ISF guy to come in with a signal generator and a light sensor, and etc.

The point is, the proper settings with this combo of hardware are finicky in the extreme. Screw up just a little and the nasty noise comes back. So being able to transfer settings "proved' with Avia Pro on my 59avi to the Comcast video path is a big win. And that can only be done if I use the Comcast's HDMI output.

The proof is in the viewing. Having achieved near nirvana with my current "best" settings for 59avi viewing through the D2, I then transferred those settings to the Comcast video path and voila I've now got eye candy there as well. At least until the Comcast decides it no longer likes my HDCP again.....

At the moment, life is good.
--Bob

And Kris Deering's first D2 was DOA.

I figure it this way, if you buy a D2 you have a 50/50 chance of getting a good one, then if you get a good one you have less than a 50/50 chance that your D2 and your peripherals wind up being compatible.

So, if you happen to be one of the lucky few..........

It sucks being an early adopter. 2 defective D1's in a row and then 4 defective RDC-7.1's in a row for me and my 5th RDC-7.1 in not perfect either, all early units. Next time I buy a processor I'll wait at least one year from its release date so that all bugs are fixed.

R

Um, what does that have to do with me? I've gotten paid the same amount for every review I've done since I started working for Secrets, even before Anthem ads were on the site. If I didn't like the D2, I would definitely say so. Advertising doesn't do me any good and my EIC never edits my reviews except for spelling and grammar.