Anyone tried the new key digital HDMI switch/scaler

Interesting. Do you have a link?

Mark

Here's a link:

http://www.keydigital.com/IW_Product...emCode=HDMI4X1

and here's another thread on the same topic:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=741894

Reading the specs, it looks like it only excepts 1080i input?

Are there any scalers that take 1080P input and let you do vertical stretch?

I did more research and conversed with Key Digital via email and the KD-HDMI4x1 will do the vertical stretch according to my tests with the Leeza which the KD-HDMI4x1 has the same features as far as zoom and aspect control.

I will most likely order one in the next week or two as my Panamorph lense and 10' 2.35:1 screen should be arriving around the end of the month and will test it out and post my results.

What sort of $$$?

Mark

True, it doesn't seem to support 1080p input - but (just to clarify for others) it does:

Supports the following popular Input Formats:
o 720 x 480i @ 60 Hz
o 720 x 480p @ 60 Hz
o 1280 x 720p @ 60 Hz
o 1920 x 1080i @ 60 Hz

Supports the following popular Output Formats:
o 640 x 480p @ 60Hz
o 720 x 480i @ 60 Hz
o 720 x 480p @ 60 Hz
o 1920 x 540 p @ 60 Hz
o 1280 x 720p @ 60 Hz
o 1368 x 768p @ 60 Hz
o 1280 x 768p @ 60 Hz
o 1400 x 1050p @ 60 Hz
o 1920 x 1080i @ 60 Hz
o 1920 x 1080p @ 60 Hz

(The output frame rate will be the same as the input frame rate, and supports 60 Hz and 50 Hz input formats)

(see technical specifications document).


The HDMI 4x1 switcher is $1000 (only available direct from their website I think?).

Here's a bit more from the manual, also from their website, re scaling:

"V Zoom (Vertical Zoom): This V Zoom feature is particularly useful for some
Plasma owners, who may want to stretch the image to fill the screen and avoid the
nasty burn-in. If the input signal is a Letterbox, Vertical Zoom extends (distorts) the
image from top to bottom to fill the screen. For example, it is very common for a
widescreen DVD movie to be presented in Letterbox, because the original movie
may be captured in 2.35:1 Cinemascope or some other Aspect Ratio that creates a
small letterbox in a 16:9 window."

From the RS-232 Commands section:

"Aspect Ratio - 0: Full; 1: Letterbox; 2: Pillarbox; 3: H-Zoom; 4: V-Zoom; 5: H-V-Zoom"

Cheaper than most scalers here and seems to do what we need

Even though both HD DVD and BrD claim to be 1080P ready, don't they both actually output at 1080i?

Mark

The new XA2 player is said to do 1080P output but they are not sure of if it will do 24fps or 60.

I have read that the Sony Pearl I just purchased is supposed to do a great job with taking 1080i and of course it will then displaying it 1080P and seems to love 24fps as it then converts it to 96fps so I dont think I will miss 1080P... but then again maybe I am missing something????

Anyone know the rack height requirements of the KD-HDMI4X1 off the top of their heads?

How different is this one from the unit offered in the aavs powerbuy? I thought the old version was an upscaler etc.......but the new units produced by key digital are just hdmi switch boxes.

Ben

Hey Mark

Here you go.

Discount Price.
http://www.digitalconnection.com/pro.../kdhdmi4x1.asp

It is a single rack space, and it comes with the ears on it.

Allen

Thanks Allen!

Ok- just ordered the discontinued KD HDMI switcher/scaler. I'm officially taking the plunge into the realm of 2.35:1 projection. I plan to mount a wider pull down (prob manual for now) in front of my fixed 92"diag 16x9 screen. Just need the lens powerbuy to begin so I can complete the upgrade.

Just hope I'm home when the package arrives otherwise I'll have some explaining to do to the boss- which is nothing new of course :-)

hi uabcar,
what do you think of the scalar? I ordered it for its aspect ratio feature, but am hoping its additional video processing capabilities will clean up my picture. i have lots of jaggies when i watch HD on my SA8300HD DVD output directly to my 720p Sony HS60.

ok, i just took the plunge. looking forward to getting it set up!

MoG- i don't have mine yet. Looks like it won't be here until Friday (similar to when I ordered my Z5- i think it's actually being walked across the country). Not really a big issue as I'll be out of town for a few days this week anyway.

I'm looking for the rest of the setup now- lens and screen. I've got another post just above on the lens.

Currently I've got one of the MonoPrice HDMI switchers- which I will be replacing with the KD box. As a note, - I think I saw you ask the Q in another thread- I don't have HDMI switching in my AVR either. I'm only using the HDMI box to control video switching. I have the sound being switched through the AVR and have no timing issues.

hi uabcar,

so you have the digital audio out on your source components being fed directly into your AVR (& then to speakers), and the video going to the KD (& then to display device)?

if so, that's encouraging to hear you aren't having any lip sync issues. based on the other reply I received (where both audio and video were sent to the KD and then audio to the AVR), it sounds like both configurations don't have lip sync issues.

i'll probably give your configuration a whirl first...

I hooked up my Key Digital HDMI4x1 last night for the first time to use in conjunction with an Aussiemorphic lens.

The only thing I really did with the KD was use the vertical zoom. I didn't try much of anything else.

The vertical stretch capability worked just fine. I saw no loss of picture content when the picture was stretched using the zoom. So there was no "apparent" loss of content, but I wasn't paying real close attention to it.

The KD was easy enough to use either via the front panel or remote; however, the remote's Aspect button allows for quick changes to the aspect ratio without having to scroll thru menus. A nice convenience.

So the KD has fulfilled the role I needed to provide vertical zoom for my JVC RS-1, and allowing use of an anamorphic HE lens.

RonC

I wonder how much longer this scaler will be available since it has been discontinued

hehe wish I had unlimited funds for this new addiction

RonC,
That was my thought...an RS1 for $5K is much less attractive than a CIH RS1 for $6K (with lens and scaler), now, if it would all drop by half I could REALLY afford it!

i finally got around to hooking up the KD last night and it works great!

i made sure to follow the directions and connect the power *last*.

watched a BD movie thru my PS3 as well as some cable 1080i HDTV...all fed to my 720p projector. everything looked great.

I have the cable box set to "pass through" and the PS3 set to 720p output. for both devices I have the KD outputing 720p. (I believe it can store a separate output resolution for each input.)

will hook up my 3rd hd device soon...HD DVD player. since i only have 3 hd devices, and all are HDMI, the KD is a great solution for me.

finally, the stretch mode worked as advertised. no problems!

I sure like the price and capabilities of this processor. But I also have component outputs on some gear that I'd like to connect to it for the vertical stretch for CH. Is there any converter/adapter out there that will let me do this? Or should I stick with a DVDO HD+ or VPXX processor?

Andy

Blu-ray already outputs true 1080p/60 and 1080p/24. The Key scaler, while nice for CIH setups, is not what us Blu-ray guys really need (especially with a 1080p projector).

Dan

I have blu-ray and hd-dvd with an RS1 projector and I bet that no-one could tell the difference between a 1080i feed and a 1080p feed. The real world visual difference just isn't there. I can see absolutely no quality loss when feeding my blu-ray and hd-dvd players through the key digital unit versus feeding them direct into the projector. I am thoroughly convinced that the whole 1080p argument is more for marketing purposes than any real world performance gains. 1080p is obviously better on paper, but that is about it IMO.

I have been in constant contact with Keydigital on there next product line and this is what I have received thus far which is not much.

I asked:

"Would you be able to tell me if KeyDigital has plans on manufacturing a Hi-Def scaler that would be able to pass a 1080P 24Hz signal applying the vertical stretch (zoom) to the image for 2.35:1 constant height theater systems?

Thank you,"

I received:

"Hi Mark,
I spoke with one of our engineers about your question. We currently have a product in the late design stages that may be able to support this signal. However, we will need to physically test this in order to say that it will indeed work.

I'm forwarding your request to engineering and we will let you know the results of this test. Please be patient, this may take some time.

Thank you,
Jim Keller
Technical Support Engineer"

And when I asked for an update:

"Hi Mark,

Actually, why don't you give us a little more time. Honestly I don't expect to know anymore by the end of next week. Let's talk again mid-July. We hope to have this product finished by September.

Unfortunately, I can't release any specs or pricing yet. Thanks for your patience and interest in the matter.

Thank you,
Jim Keller
Technical Support Engineer"

**********************************

So as you can see... it looks like they are working on something new and there is hope it will support 1080P/24 input. I will follow up with Jim Keller mid-July and hopefully will have good news to pass on here as AVS.

It is not 1080i or 1080p that we are concerned with here.

It is the 24fps that all film movies are shot in and it is what we (when I say we I mean those with displays that can take a 24fps source and up it to 48 or 96 like the Pearl) would like to watch it in on are very large displays so that those of us that are sensitive to motion judder (not everyone is or even know what it is) can eliminate it.

Well done mate

Keep the pressure on them

We will get it.

Thanks
Ben