Gefen Set to Launch SD to HD Home Theater Scaler for $399 - Page 3

The Gefen has no inputs for composite video or S-video. I assume there is a good reason. Can someone explain?
Are there any scalers or upconverters that can process the output from VCRs and laserdisk players (I have a huge collection of what appear now to be worthless laserdisks) to make them look acceptable on my Panasonic AX-100U?
Also the output from my DirecTv receiver (S-video output) needs serious help.
Thanks.

I noticed that the Home Theater Scaler Plus has these. But is it possible that the HTS Plus can do anything useful with these?

Would I be too optimistic to hope for frame rate conversion?

These are mostly for connectivity. A processor can't create detail that doesn't exist in the original signal. It can only accomplish modest improvements with poor sources.

So please tell me what improvements I might expect in my image if the Gefen performs in a "best case scenario" fashion, when it is fed the S-video signal from my satellite receiver, for example. Will it be sharper? Have less noise? Have better colors? Better contrast? All of these, or none?
Thanks!

You know, no one has one of these yet. It has not been reviewed by anyone that I'm aware of. No one has the answer to your question unless it's Gefen. You'll just have to wait for answers like the rest of us.

I realize these are not available yet. My question was simply a hypothetical. Many of you have a much better technical grasp of what is *likely* to be incorporated into the design of a video processor than I do. At least your posts seem to suggest this. So my question was more about what *any* high quality VP should be capable of, realizing, of course, that the Gefen may not deliver.

what's with the lack of the inputs though? i would have paid more if there were enough to use it as upscaler AND a switchbox. would have simplified our lives a bit...

In case you haven't heard, list price for these scalers range from $349 for the Home Mate Scaler to $499 for the Home Theater Scaler Plus - just exactly what are you expecting at these prices? On the Plus, there are two component and two HDMI inputs, plus composite and s-video. If you need more inputs than this, there are many scalers that will fill the bill, at a much higher price, of course.

paying a couple of grand for one additional hdmi + one more component is a bit stretched, don't you think? but i won't mind at all paying a couple of hundred on top of the prices you mentioned if they had, say, 3 hdmi and 3 component inputs. won't you?

Umm - no, I don't want to pay a couple hundred more for two more inputs. I just don't need 'em - switching between my "conventional" sources will be done through my preamp/processor; only the critical ones, the ones I really care about, will go directly into the scaler. In fact, if it would save a couple hundred, I would accept one less component and one less HDMI.

well, that's another way to go - less inputs and switch on a receiver or a separate box. all i am saying 2 each is not enough if you use it as a switchbox as well as a scaler. and i do need 6 hd inputs :P

This could be just what I need. I have a LCD with 1360X768 and it "deinterlaces" by dropping a frame so as I understand it 1080i in my set is really 540p scaled to 768 this barely meets the definition of HD, 720p looks better than 1080i.

If this could do a good job of deinterlacing and then scale it to 1360X768 or even better scale 1080p to 1360x768 (I have a PS3) for less than $500 then sing me up

Now if it could also do some video enhancements that would just be a plus. I would love a lumagen or a crystalio II but they are just to much for me to spend.

This sounds like a good (not the best) solution to my problem.

If there is a better solution to my problem in this price range I have not found it.

tower101,

I think you mean it drops a field (more likely it bobs fields).

Clearly this product won't compete with the VP series from DVD0 or other similarly priced products. Moreover, I imagine it won't amount to much of an improvement over the video processing of the top notch displays (though I could be much mistaken there) but for the bulk of displays aimed at the masses (particularly if it can scale to the odd resolutions like 1024x768 or 1024x1024, as well as the more common 1366x768, 1280x720 and 1920x1080), this could be a great product at a real world price point. I know that when I get a display (sometime before George Bush leaves office, I hope) I'd be willing to consider this product (if it receives good reviews from reliable sources) but a 2000-4000$ processor is out of the question for me, and, I suspect, for most people (perhaps not in here, but in the general population). But I won't expect this device to work as well as the DVDO gear. That's simply unreasonable.

I quote this from a review on the DVD0 scaler on projectorcentral:

"The iScan HD also does a good job cleaning up images from VCRs. Sharpness is improved and noise is substantially reduced. VHS tape is in general not a good video source for large format projection. But the iScan HD renders tapes that might otherwise be marginal quite watchable by giving you a cleaner and more stable image."

"We found the results with standard television to be less compelling. With standard television via satellite we did see a slight improvement in sharpness and stability. However, like VHS tape, television blown up to very large screen proportions never looks particularly good compared to DVD, and the consumer should not anticipate that the iScan HD will deliver a dramatically improved television image. It is slightly better, but still nowhere as good as DVD."

Nothing here really surprises me, but as to the Gefen doing anything *at all* to help with a composite or S-Video signal from my satellite receiver, this pretty much dashes any hope I might have had for even marginal improvement.

I expect the Gefen to de-interlace and scale to a display's native resolution better than the built in solutions for most (read affordable to the masses) displays. I don't expect it to work miracles on subpar sources. I'll be happy if it makes the most of SD DVDs, hi-def discs and HD sat/cable broadcast (though, presumably, this will only occur with displays capable of 1:1 on HDMI).

I did notice that Gefen mentions aspect ratio control on the HTS Plus web page... so maybe this is targeted at folks who want to hook up 4:3 sources to their widescreen TVs, & would otherwise get a stretched picture through a plain ol' switcher.

Will this unit eliminate the need for an upconverting DVD player ?? I need a switcher/converter ( component to HDMI) & it seems this unit will so that + if I'm reading this thread correctly, I can save money on the DVD palyer !!! ???

In theory, yes. Depends on the quality of the implimentation though.

On the 2.35:1 forum, I asked if there was any hope to use my old 2X anamorphic adapter (used for film) as a substitute for one of the expensive Panamorph or Isco 1.77X adapters.
That would of course require image compression to about 1.20:1 or less for standard Cinemascope. Any chance the Gefen could do this? Or the DVD0? I am sorry I am new to this, so may be asking a dumb question.
I have experimented already by holding the adapter in front of my Pana AX-100U lense
and setting the projector to create a 1.33:1 full height image for a CS film, but of course the result is too wide.

Yes I do, it drops a field.

The PS3 only plays BD in 480p, 1080i or 1080p, if you set it for 720p it plays games in 720 but plays BD at 480p.

This would help?

This may be a dumb question, but is there anywhere that lays out the differences between the various video processing chips (Faroudja, Gennum, Silicon Opix, Lumagen, etc) in a way that's easy for noobs like myself to understand? Something more along the lines of a group comparison than a forum, maybe? (If only because they tend to be more succinct). Thanks in advance for any help you can give!!

I have a Samsung HL-s6187w Tv and the two inputs to it are a Toshiba hd-a2 HDDVD player and a HD DVR from my cable company. Since both of these units will only output a maximum resolution of 1080i, will I get a better picture using an external video processor such as the new Gefen unit to do the deinterlacing, rather than letting the TV inboard scaler do the job.

I understand that the Gefen unit is not out yet, and no one has reviewed it yet. So I guess the question I really have is the Samsung onboard scaler up to the task or will I see a "significant" imrpovement with an external scaler?

Thanks for any help

The question is, do you see any problems with letting the TV do the deinterlacing?

For HD DVD movies at 1080i, good processing will detect the 3-2 pulldown pattern which will mean that they play back with absolutely zero jaggies. How does your TV do in this area?

And look at these nice scalers from Cypress, 3D noise reduction and all......

http://www.cypress.com.tw/product.ph...20Scalers&SR=0

http://www.cypress.com.tw/product.ph...20Scalers&SR=0

How do the laserdiscs look when you connect directly to the projector? Try both the composite and S-video from the LD player and also both the composite and S-video from the Direct TV unit. For the latter it is possible only some of the channels will look better with S-video.

Were you able to find any prices on the website?

or anywhere outside of the UK for that matter

I requested a review sample unit from Gefen, who now say that the product will be shipping early March. Will keep you up to date on how this turns out.