Official Pioneer PRO-1540HD/1140HD/940HD Owner's thread/merged thread - Page 54

I've decided on the Pioneer elite 1140 hd as my first plasma and now looking for the best possible video source. i'm tempted to get a sdi modded oppo 981 / DVDO iScan HD+ SDI scaler combo. For about half of the sdi modded combo I can get a Toshiba XA2 HD dvd player. I like the idea of sdi and an deticated scaler but not sure if it is worth it on this pioneer 50" plasma.
Any suggestions.
Thanks.
Brian

I have the SA 3250.
There is no HDMI on the box but there is DVI.
Is it better to go from DVI to HDMI, or just use the component?

I am looking to get a DVD player that will best be suited for the Elite 1140. I am not sure if I want to choose between BR and HD DVD yet, but I have heard many good things about the Toshiba XA2. I have also heard many good comments on Oppos 981 if I decide not to choose BR or HD DVD. I dont think either one of them support the 1080p/24Hz signal the elite 1140 supports? Does anyone have any experience with either one of these players on the 1140? Does anyone have any recommendations for a DVD player that would support the 1080p/24Hz signal? Thank you.

I read somewhere Toshiba HD DVD players will be getting a firmware update that will support the 24 hz signal. When it does i may buy one. Hopefully most of the bugs will be fixed by then as well.

IMHO, I would either get a generic 981, or step up to HD/BR now. You have a great scaler built into the panel and/or the 981, and if you get an HD/BR player the panel will disply the output just fine.

Quite frankly, the 1140 does an excellent job alone.

Steve325

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to wait for the Toshiba XA2 to go on sale and pick one up. From my understanding it upconverts sd dvd better than an oppo and will be capable of 24 hz with firmware uprgade. Hopefully the 24 hz will apply to both sd and hd dvd. Will see.

Your welcome. The XA2 is a nice model. But, I wouldn't be all that concerned with upconverting... I'd send the DVD content to the panel in native format, and let the excellent circuitry in the Pio do all the conversions. The plus of the XA2 is that it is an HD player - not in it's upconversion. I think you'll find that the 981 has better de-interlacing circuitry than the XA2... but thats a topic for the HD DVD threads.

-steve

fred33 and (re)Pete - Congrats on your new 1140's and welcome to the Pio plasma owners club!

We love pics around here. Post them in the Pics of your Pioneer setup? thread when you get a chance!

If it were me, I'd try both to see what I like better. People here have used both and some prefer DVI>HDMI and some prefer component. If your box didn't come with both cables so you can test, you can order from forum sponsor monoprice.com which has great pricing for decent cables.

Here's a reminder to all Elite owners to check which version of the HMG you have. There was a firmware upgrade available back in Dec.

It was posted here: Firmware upgrade - Pioneer Elite Home Media Gallery.

It is an update for the HMG. When I questioned Pio about it, they told me it was to fix/add the ability of music to be played while watching a slideshow. You can check and see if your version is up to date with the latest version 1.0.126.

Go to
HMG
SETUP
HMG Version

If you find that you have it already, would you mind posting the manufacture date of your set? I am curious what date the new version was included. I would expect it was soon after it was posted by Pio back in December, possibly before.

EDIT: BTW, my 1540 was manufactured 11/06 and had the old version until I updated it.

Might be a stupid question, but does anyone know if the 1140's USB port can be used with a wireless usb stick? I would think not since they usually come with software to be installed, but I was hoping Pio had something built into their media gallery. Anyone know?

oh and i L-O-V-E my new 1140!! It's so perrty! more to come on that later, but first need to figure out all capabilities before reporting back!

No I don't think so. You could try it out for us and report back. You can however use a wireless bridge connected via ethernet if you need wireless, however the speeds may suffer.

I just got back from my local dealer and he said the same thing. He aslo said to get and xbox hd player when the price drops if i want hd that bad or get a PS3. Looks like I will be getting a stock oppo 981 and wait till the format war is over.

thank you.
Brian

Steve,

Your advice is correct generally but probably not in this specific case. The XA2 is one a just a couple of players that contain the Silicon Optice Reon-vx chip. This chip's advanced video processing is definitely a few steps up from that in any display (Fugi perhaps excepted but I wouldn't bet on it). Sure this is an excellent HD player but its real strength is shown on SD material. I think you will find that this and the new Samsung BD player are players that break the normal rule of having the display do all the procesing. As advanced processor chips, like the Reon's big brother the Realta or the Gennum chip, find their way into receivers, I suspect we will want to begin looking at our displays more as monitors where the glass component will become the important issue as will allowing 1:1 mapping.

Cheers,

Gary

Thanks for the details Gary. Perhaps I may have painted in too broad a stroke here about the XA2. Thinking that the HD/BR wars are still to be fought, and given the difference in PQ between the two players, I passed on the XA2 for the Oppo. Figuring that it will do a great job, and buy time (read:save money) until the format wars settle out, and ultimately produce a price drop. By then, as you say, the technology may exist in different places - and clearly at higher levels.

Again, my advice was based on a price/performance perspective.

How do you think the Reon circuitry compares to the Faroudja in the Oppo's? Better enough to justify the price difference? Or, are we talking purely better for better sake? And, even at that, how far behind do you think the panel processing is?

-steve

The Reon is leaps and bounds superior to the Faroudja chipset.

I recently purchased the Anthem AVM 50, which comes with the Gennum video processing capability built in. It can input and output pretty much any resolution you'd care to use. It has extensive tweakability (contrast, brightness, tint, hue, noise reduction, edge enhancement, gamma adjustment, motion adaptive processing, all per each input). Believe me, it is a tweaker's dream. Anyway, I have the 1140, and would like your opinions on...

1) Several people have commented that when the input resolution equals the panel's native resolution, results would be better because that would involve one less scaling operation. Does anyone know whether 1366 x 768 would be possible via a firmware upgrade to the 1140?

2) Like most of us, I'm using DNice's settings. Anthem recommends that for best results, you'd turn off all panel video processing. Has anybody tried this with their outboard scalars, and if so, what were your results?

3) Is anyone running with this combination (AVM 50 or Statement D2 and an 1140), and if so, what settings do you recommend?

Thanks in advance,

Ron

Mine was manufactured in Dec. 2006. My version is 1.0.1.126

Oh, and I was unaware of how 'warm' the screen gets on this Elite.

The unit does throw off a lot of heat. I don't know if it comes more from the front or the rear.

I had a black curtain that would hang behind my panel to hide the space (flat TV in a tv alcove). However, after feeling how hot the area was getting, I removed the curtain.

Splotto

Ok....mr newbie here when it comes to how to post a picture.

Yikes... I just did some online research on the Reon. Obviously, you're right. I think I will plan a trip to the store this week and see if i can get a little "hands on" time with the XA2.

I'm still wondering, beyond all that, if the increase in PQ justifies the price. Or, are we approaching diminishing returns with current display technologies? That is to say the PQ/$ factor.

Time for a jaunt over to the HD DVD threads

-steve

I've got a question on color stability in my first hundred hours: Since getting my 1140, I set it up with a compromise between default Standard and D-Nice suggestions, which then looked really, really good. I am now noticing some green tint, so has anyone else noticed something similar? Also, are there TV programs known for being shot with coloration, like 24 or other dramas?
Thanks. Pete

Fred - easiest way is to start a photobucket.com or imageshack.us account. Then upload your pictures there and copy the [IMG] link and paste it into your post. You can test it out in the Post Testing Area.
If you are posting a Pioneer setup, you can post pics in this thread too: Pics of your Pioneer setup?.

See post 1571 on the previous page... I wonder if there is trend here?

test.
48oi cox cable. AUTO chosen for side bars

I used D-Nice's settings. Does the Ohio shirts look a bit off to you?

Fred - please don't test here, test in the Post Testing Area that I gave you the link to. BTW, what the heck is that 480i picture of on your tv?

Yes, they have a tinge of loser in them.

Guys,

Are the Pio Elites regarded as having an excellent but softer picture than other plasmas, especially like the pro Pannys? I really like the colors and blacks on the Elite but they don't seem to jump out 3D like like the Pannys' do?


thx

bob