Anthem D2/D2v/AVM50/AVM50v/ARC1 tweaking guide - Page 96

Thanks for the heads up on the YCbCr thing. Strange though because I had the 970 set to Auto on the Color Space menu

dc

The H-20 has no option to disable pillar box, the only options are: stretch, pillar & crop.
The only audio options are: Dolby Digital & OFF/PCM, I'm assuming Dolby Digital to be Bitstream but there is no change, maybe the HDMI interface is an older version & not capable, @ any rate I'll just use your latter suggestion & use the optical interface for audio.

The stretch mode effectively is a "pillar box off" button. However, this only works on 480i programming. You can not disable the pillar box if it is an SD show on an HD channel (as the show is actually broadcast at 720p/1080i w/ pillar box).

This prompts my question:

If you set your H20 or HR20 to output native format, can the AVM50 determine the program resolution and decide to add or not add pillar boxing based on the users preference? For example:

For 720p/1080i programming, I don't want the AVM50 to pillar box
FOr 480i programming I do want the AVM50 to add a pillar box

Can this be set up to do that automatically without any user intervention each time the channel is changed?

Thank you.

You want "Stretch" which actually does nothing to the 4:3 content so it appears stretched but actually the pixels are just being interpreted as "fatter", and you want "Dolby Digital" for the audio.

Understand that not all channels will be broadcasting 5.1 audio. You'll get regular stereo broadcasts on most channels (just as if you had selected PCM), and some Dolby channels will only be sending Dolby 2.0.
--Bob

KC,
The set top box can flag the content -- over HDMI -- as being 4:3 or 16:9. If you set the Anthem to Letter/Pillar Box, and if the set top box is flagging the content correctly over HDMI, then the Anthem will leave 16:9 content alone and wil automaticallyl pillar box 4:3 content just as you want.

This works, for example, with the Motorola HDMI boxes used by Comcast.

As you point out, 4:3 content embedded in a 16:9 frame, as with SDTV broadcasts coming in on an HDTV channel, will be pillar boxed by the source station. I believe if you set the Anthem's Crop Input to "4:3" it will extract the 4:3 content from the middle of that signal and then apply either the Anamorphic or Letter/Pillar Box setting as you have selected for Scale Output. I haven't actually tried this.

What I HAVE tried is the opposite: If you have a 16:9 movie coming in inside a 4:3 frame -- as with a wide screen movie broadcast on an SDTV channel -- setting the Anthem's Crop Input to 16:9 will extract the 16:9 content from the center of that 4:3 frame and only scale that portion of the image, and the result will be that the movie better fills the screen.
--Bob

You forgot to mention the best player now out, the second generation Toshiba HD A2, which is fully HDMI compliant and allows internet access via an ethernet adapter. I get mine Friday and will be hooking it up the Anthem AVM50 and MAC50, to go with my Optoma HD7100. I also just got the new HDMI Directv HD box accepting local HD satellite channels. Can't wait!!!

DC,
Pending further information from DRHankz, have you tried setting the Anthem to 1080p/48Hz output to your Pearl just to see if it works?
--Bob

You do have to use LIVE EDIT - Custom Output Setting to get the 1080p48.

Santa Claus just notified us ----

Pioneer is Shipping their Blu-Ray Player EARLY !

Could you please post the complete set of Live Video Settings Editor custom settings you used to do this?

And again, when you say this is working perfectly, does that include proper handling of film based content from 480i/60Hz and 1080i/60Hz sources?
--Bob

I don't KNOW BOB - I spent Hours and Hours
TESTING and Tweaking to come up with these
TRICK settings. I'm not sure I should
share them in an OPEN FORUM [GRIN]!

1) I clicked on Advanced Video Settings

2) I clicked on Custom Output Resolution.

3) I clicked on LOAD Standard

4) Scrolled down to SELECT 1080p48

5) Clicked on Advanced Video Settings

6) Checked the Box for Custom Output Resolution

7) Click on the UPLOAD button.

8) Now go into the Video out MENU in the D2 - Menu # 8 and SELECT CUSTOM.

ALL DONE - NOW you have my Settings .

drhankz,
Cool! I thought you might still be futzing with the blanking interval stuff.

So OK, if this stuff works in a Ruby, why shouldn't it also work in a Pearl?
--Bob

Every brand of ointment has their own FLIES [GRIN]!

It should work in the PEARL even BETTER.

I'm clueless why it doesn't.

Well OK, I guess we need to get one of our intrepid Pearl owners to just try it.

DC? SFIELD? Try using Live Video Settings Editor to set Anthem's pre-defined 1080p/48Hz HDMI output to the Pearl -- without any customization of that setting.

It might just work.
--Bob

If that doesn't work - they can ship their DEFECTIVE
Pearl to me or you for that fact [GRIN]!

OK, I'm giving it a shot, btw drhankz nice job of describing setting custom video procedure, even I got it done. Or at least I think I did. Have you noticed when you go to check the video INFO setting within the D2 it shows NA or Unknown Format?
Also when I check the Pearl for what signal it's receiving it says 1080/50p?
Stuttering is still there but maybe not as bad? It's late, I'm tired maybe it's eye strain, off to bed for me. I'll give it a good look see tomorrow.

dc

I did not check what the D2 says for Video.

The RUBY Info certainly shows 1080p/48 - NOT 50.

Bob......or anyone else:

I have noticed that fine detail on images such as houndstooth patterns or white picket fences and similar type details appear to have somewhat of an oily appearance when the camera moves quickly by them. When I say oily, the straight line detail gets squiggly or looses it's edge. I never noticed this before I had the AVM50. Seems to be more prominent in HD programming than DVD's. Do you have any ideas as to what might be causing this? I appologize if I don't know the proper terms to describe what I am seeing.

Thanks,

bluemark81,
Remind me what source you are using when you see this and at what resolution (input and output). Also remind me what type of display you have. This sounds like it might be compression related artifacts. Some sources, like DirecTV over-compress their broadcasts which means they don't transmit enough bits of information to fully represent fine detail. [Basically they are trying to cram too many channels into their available bandwidth.] The lack of bits is usually most noticeable in rapid movement. Usually this shows up as an appearance of "blockiness" in the image, but misrepresentation of edge detail is another symptom.

If that's what's going on there's not much you can do about it except switching to a different provider. Unfortunately better imaging elsewhere in your system makes such defects more noticeable.

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

It could also be that you have things set so that your source device is doing either de-interlacing or scaling instead of leaving it to the Anthem to do this. These could also be de-interlacing defects. Scaling requires de-interlacing so if the source is doing any scaling then it is also de-interlacing.

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

Another possibility is that you have Sharpness (vertical edge enhancement) turned up too high on your display. The "haloing" this causes around vertical edges can cause "moire" artifacts in rapid motion.
--Bob

Are there any D2/AVM50 users out there with Pioneer plasmas that can accept 1080p/24Hz and display it at 72Hz (via the "advanced" cinema setting)? Even if your display scales that to 768p/72Hz your input would be useful on this Anthem 24Hz issue. I.e., trying to determine whether or not the Anthem does the right thing converting 1080i/60Hz film-based input to 1080p/24Hz output.

Anyone with the new Pioneer FHD-1 plasma should also, I believe, be able to set it to accept 1080p/24Hz and display that as 1080p/72Hz.
--Bob

I just took delivery of my D2 and am in the process of trying to get everything set-up. I would like to apologize in advance for all my dumb questions. My first one, however, is how do I know if I am getting TrueHD from my HD-DVD player? I have it hooked up via HDMI but I am not sure what setting it should be at or what to be looking for on the display. Thanks and wish me luck. This is definitely more than I bargained for.

Bob:

I am using Bell Expressvu's 9200 receiver (Canadian version of Dishnets 622 I think). I have it's output set to 720p and my AVM set to 1080i. My display is a Toshiba 51HX83 rear projection CRT. I have the sharpness of my display turned to 50 which is the setting for movies as recommended by you in an earlier discussion. I have tried turning it lower and turning the detail enhance level on the AVM higher, but this did not provide good results. Currently, the AVM detail is set to 15 for my satellite input. I've played around with this a bit and this setting in combination with the 50 setting on my display seems to provide the best results. I've heard about providers cramming too much information, so perhaps that is what is causing it especially where I don't think I've noticed it while playing DVD's. It just seems odd that I never noticed it prior to getting the AVM. What is kind of reminds me of as well is a slow refresh rate on a fixed pixel display. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not.

I also used Digital Video Essentials and Monster Cables ISF calibration disk in an attempt to set things up properly.

Because some of the networks broadcast in 720p and others in 1080i, I chose to set my satellite recivers output at 720p. I suppose it is 6 for one and half dozen for the other in this case unless you think setting it at 1080i is my better option?

Thanks,

ps, I know the display is capable of stunning pictures, especially evident while watching DVD's so it should be able to produce at least equal quality pictures through HD. (Unless, like you say it is due to the provider)

On the D2 you should see Audio Input either 6 ch 48kHz or 6ch 96 kHz....

On the A1/A2, you should hit info and it will tell you what audio track is playing... You must select TureHD in either the disc menu or by pressing the Audio button on the HD DVD remote.

I set the A2 to output T-HD but is there a setting or something in the D2 to be made so it isn't doing any of it's own processing? I know on my old receiver I set it to external decoder but I don't know what to tell the D2. Thanks.

I finally got my second Anthem AVM50 for the basement. I have a Runco CL-710 fed over DVI. I have been able to feed the projector DVI signal from my Brighthouse networks cable box just fine.

I cannot get the Anthem to display over HDMI-DVI. The native resolution of the Runco is 1280x720. However it appears to receive 1360x765@6ohz.

I have selected 1280x720p@60 in the Anthem but no go. I tried custom resolutions as described by drhankz picking standard 720p. It appeared to work and I got a picture but with sparklies. Then it stopped working.

I tried sending 720p again as a custom resolution again even though its a standard res and it does not want to work.

Any ideas what could be going on ? I have HDMI/DVI working fine with my other uint going to a Hitachi RPTV. Never had any issues with it.

Why does it get a different resolution then one I am sending ?

Thanks

In the D2 setup menu for the input you are using for the A2, set 6-ch to NONE.
That way no further processing will take place within the D2.

dc

Bluemark81,
If your satellite receiver is not able to switch output resolutions automatically according to what's coming in on each channel, my recommendation would be that you set it to 1080i output. Most HDTV is 1080i and you want the receiver to do as little as possible to the signal before passing it to the Anthem, so selecting 1080i output means you get your "best" viewing on 1080i HDTV channels.

If your satellite receiver allows for an easy manual switch of resolutions while watching, then the ideal would be for you to change its output to 480i when watching SDTV channels, and to 720p when watching those few channels that broadcast HDTV in 720p -- generally for sports programming, and then back to 1080i for other HDTV.

If your receiver can't be set to send 480i to the Anthem for SDTV, then using 480p is better for SDTV than using either 720p or 1080i. That means the receiver will be doing the de-interlacing -- probably not all that well -- but it won't be doing any scaling.

The de-interlacers in these boxes are generally pretty bad, and the scalers downright awful.

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Dish does not bit-starve its HDTV to the degree that DirecTV does, but it still does to some degree. So you WILL see some artifacts when there is high motion since the video compression scheme used to encode these images isn't being given enough bits to handle all the changes. However I suspect that setting the receiver to 720p as you've done, and thus forcing it to scale 1080i HDTV channels down to 720p, may be causing even more problems for you.

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In addition I suspect your Sharpness and Detail Enhance settings are still too high.

My recommendation would be that you turn Detail Enhance in the Anthem all the way down to 0 -- its factory default setting. While you are at it, any detail enhance or sharpness setting in your DVD player should also be turned OFF.

Now first make sure your Brightness and Contrast are reasonably set. If they are not perfect that's not a problem, but if they are way off, setting Sharpness properly will be difficult. Contrast too high, for example, can cause "blooming" of whites which will screw up the appearance of the contrasty edges you need to look at when adjusting Sharpness on your TV.

Also make sure any "SVM" or "Velocity Modulation" feature on your TV is turned OFF. SVM will cause vertical black and white lines to not have the same width. Leave SVM off permanently. It is an abomination.

Then also turn Sharpness ALL the way down on your TV. Now go to your calibration DVD's sharpness setting test chart and rapidly run Sharpness up and down on your TV. What you are looking for is white halos on either side of isolated vertical black lines in the pattern. Sometimes it is easier to see the halos at the ends of horizontal black lines. Keep running Sharpness up and down on your TV until you begin to see and recognize these halos. Do not worry at this point about the lines appearing fuzzy when you run Sharpness all the way down. Just look for those halos until you are confident you know what I mean by them.

[Note: If your DVD calibration disc test chart has kind of a zebra stripe pattern of repeated vertical black and white lines in some portion, along with instructions to adjust Sharpness to even out that pattern all the way from the wider to the thinner lines, JUST IGNORE THAT FOR NOW! Find vertical black lines that are isolated away from other stuff so that you see just that line against the gray background. Concentrate on those isolated, vertical black lines exclusively.]

Once you have learned to recognize the halos, now turn Sharpness all the way down again and then SLOWLY raise it. What you want to do is sharpen up the fuzzy vertical lines in the test chart but without even the SLIGHTEST HINT of the halos re-appearing. Record the setting you think is right.

Now run Sharpness up and down rapidly again until you feel comfortable again that you know what the halos look like when they are present, and then set Sharpness ABOVE the point where halos are clearly present and SLOWLY lower Sharpness until the halos COMPLETELY disappear. Compare your result coming up from below with your result coming down from above. Iterate a bit until you are comfortable that you have found the one, best Sharpness setting in your TV where the vertical lines are as sharp as possible without even the slightest hint of halo showing.

That's the correct Sharpness setting. Typically that will be in the lower third of the range of Sharpness settings offered by your TV. For some TVs, the correct Sharpness setting may be almost all the way down.

Again, all this should be done with the Anthem's Detail Enhance turned all the way down to 0. Leave it at 0. You should not need to use this Anthem adjustment with a display device (like your TV) that has its own adjustment.

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The resulting image may appear too soft at first. Give yourself time to get used to it.

That said, I think the big win for you will be changing your satellite box to 1080i output for most of your HDTV watching.
--Bob

goenkar,
The fact that you got an image with sparklies at one point implies to me that you are having HDMI to DVI cable problems -- possibly too long a cable run for the quality of cable you are using.

Try sending 480p to the Runco as a test (presuming it can accept that as input). That puts less stress on the cable. Also try re-positioning the Anthem temporarily so that you can use a short HDMI-DVI cable to the Runco.

You'll need to double check your Runco documentation for what signals it can actually accept over DVI. It may also have a setting that needs to be set for "TV" or "Set top box" as opposed to "PC" or "computer" for that DVI input.

Also set the output color format for the Anthem to RGB in Setup / Video Output -- since that's what a DVI connection will want.

Finally try toggling the HDMI Sync setting in the Anthem's Setup / Video Output menu.
--Bob

I did that. Thanks. But I don't see any 48khz or 96khz in the display. Maybe I am not hitting the right button. It just says 5.1.

Bob,

Thanks. I will have to try with a shorter cable, unfortunately the projector end is not easily accessible.

The runco will not accept 480p over DVI. When I send a custom res of 720p it briefly shows that its receiving the correct res. then it switches out to the 1360x765 one.

Do you think the cable length could affect the resolution received ? I have not had problems with a crappy cable box.