The Official Pioneer 8G KURO Owner's Discussions Thread - Page 476

Originally Posted by jmmesch

I am trying to see how far Home Media Gallery can be "stretched".

1. I see a USB flash drive, a camera, and a card reader can be hooked up via USB. How about an external Hard Drive pre-formatted for Windows operations, like a WD MyBook?

2. Can anyone also recommend a DVD VOB-file format converter to Mpeg 2 or 4, preferably free from CNet or the like?

Originally Posted by Macfan424

I've looked for a local source, too. There are a few listed on the ISF Website, but none have an established reputation on AVS.

Audio Consultants has been a first class operation for decades, though, and would be worth checking out. However, they may only work on sets they sell. That has been their service practice in the past.

Still, if you don't care if the calibrator is local, htwaits advice is best.

Originally Posted by Cronin

In answer to you first question, HECK NO! If you notice, when you are using a thumb drive or reader, it will automatically upload the files to what I think may be onboard RAM. I tried uploading about 100MB of photos on a Pro-150 from a thumb drive in a local BB and it took FOREVER. Actually, it never completed it - it crashed it! Using an external drive to upload several 100GB of content is just asking to break the TV.

Originally Posted by alfbinet

Chad Billheimer lives in southern Ohio. He travels as far as Denver. He has done complete calibrations on my Mits DLP and most recently my Kuro 6010.

Originally Posted by jmmesch

Thanks Cronin, that is what I thought. HMG does a good job with photos and music, and some small videos over the network wire, though. In the meantime, I made a workaround. I connected a PC with DVD play to HDMI 5, and the audio in a separate line, changed Input 5's audio to analog, and so far so good, it gets the internet on the TV, DVD playing, NT/ATSC TV tuner, and other stuff, it is kinda cool.
Fast, too.

Originally Posted by Cronin

That's the best way to do it. I do the same only with the VGA input rather than the HDMI because my laptop does not have DVI out, only VGA. It basically works like a giant PC monitor in this way and the HMG does nothing. Using the TV like this elimitated my need to buy a 24" monitor for my digital photos. Now I just edit my pictures on my 17" monitor and view the slide shows connected to the TV. I calibrated PC mode to make the TV look like my PC monitor and it works great. I'll never need to upgrade my PC monitor again cause I have a 50" monitor now.

Originally Posted by optivity

Judging from my cable bill:



it seems like Time Warner is making money hand over fist to me.

I (?) the Cable MSOs tactics regarding their approach towards support for CableCARDs w/SDV because while their rates continue to go up unabated, cable subscribers will surely pay more for any additional service(s) that may be offered if using a two-way S-CARD/M-CARD connection.

Premium movie channels are primarily being added to SDV right now, but eventually most, if not all, Cable TV programming will be migrated to switched digital in order to maximize the bandwidth of our cable provider's mixed-mode, somewhat archaic, infrastructure.

If Time Warner has plans to enable SDV for the TiVo S3, they should also consider doing the same for their subscribers who happen to own a UDCP PDP.



(Pioneer, where is my firmware update to support a tuner adapter w/CableCARD?)

Originally Posted by jet757f

Well I guess I will be looking at the Verizon FiOS when it comes to my area.

Originally Posted by optivity;
.............. [size=1

(Pioneer, where is my firmware update to support a tuner adapter w/CableCARD?)[/size]

Originally Posted by Macfan424

Don't put too much hope in SDV providing 1080p. Broadcasters won't be affected by SDV. That technology is being employed by cable companies to help overcome their infrastructure limitations.

Cable/satellite companies merely pass along the resolution the originating stations give them. They can and often do degrade it along the way, but they don't improve it. They have no reason to convert 1080i or 720p source material to 1080p. It wouldn't accomplish anything.

In any case, its hardly worth worrying about. With a Pioneer or any other good TV, 1080i is nearly indistinguishable from 1080p/30, which is the ATSC limit. 1080p/60 has some theoretical advantages, but they are rarely evident with real world programming sources, as can be attested by a lot of people with 1080i HD-DVD players. (Of course, most HD-DVD/Blu-ray is recorded at 1080p/24, so we haven't seen much "true" 1080p/60 material.)

Originally Posted by drgkja

Tivo is most progressive in working with new devices (type M cablecard) as they are out of business without them. Not sure if Pio (or other manufacturers) are going through the pain to resolve compatibility issues. You may have noticed there are very few models out there now that offer cablecard slot.

So, jet757f, your assumption is Fios not going the SDV route, right??

Originally Posted by jmmesch

Nice reply, Cronin, I can visualize you there doing that thing. I really wanted to use Windows Home Media Center for DVD play, but it won't seem to play DVD files, just DVDs or AVI files. And it has a rough time seeing my pics because of its lack of software, HMG on the Pio does better across our network, actually.
As for photo files, those are on my PC, which has a 24" inch monitor (I often bring home work and need that landscape for two docs in Word or one in Acrobat and one in Word), anyway. It also holds much more than the HTPC, so I read its HD calibration photos using HMG, they are gorgeous. One issue, I have a 0-255 photo my 16X10 LCD display beautifully, but the Pio cuts off the 8 bar and half the 255 bar. Besides on my PC I have PS CS3 Ex, and various other Canon editing tools for my XTi and its asst'd lenses.
Still we use a wired network here, so the Pio can see, display and slideshow all photos on four PCs, and play their mpg and avi files. Too bad no VOB files, though, that's what I'll use the HTPC for, when I don't want to use a disk. I don't use the Pio for music, though, my AVR does that too, and it sounds better. Still it is fun to see the PC on that big screen, but it does cut off, as the aspect of the monitor is also 16X10, so the Pio cuts off on left and right, but more on the left (as it is 16X9 and sees the 16X10 monitor sees). Do you maintain screen aspect equilibrium in your setup?

Originally Posted by jet757f

Well I guess I will be looking at the Verizon FiOS when it comes to my area.

Originally Posted by drgkja

Tivo is most progressive in working with new devices (type M cablecard) as they are out of business without them. Not sure if Pio (or other manufacturers) are going through the pain to resolve compatibility issues. You may have noticed there are very few models out there now that offer cablecard slot.

Originally Posted by optivity

Will any of the 9G Kuro's be two-way DCR?

Originally Posted by D-Nice

They are suppose to be, but I will re-confirm.

Originally Posted by optivity

Interesting. If true will they support SDV?

Originally Posted by D-Nice

Yes.

Originally Posted by optivity

I am already a FiOS Internet/Phone customer and it is very likely I will make the switch to FiOS TV when it becomes available in my area.Supposedly the 8G Pioneer PDPs have the hardware capability (USB port w/CableCARD slot) to support "tuning resolving" technology for UDCP products to receive SDV programming.

This series of posts with D-Nice on 4/4/08 indicates there will be SDV w/M-Card for the 9G Kuro's.






I am certain the Cable MSOs, TiVo and FP TV manufacturers have been working with CableLabs for a number of years to develop OCAP 2.0. I also believe if Pioneer chooses to... they could provide a firmware update to use the tuner resolver and enable my $7750 PRO-150FD to receive SDV programming w/CableCARD.

The (?) is will they? My assumption is probably not because Pioneer prefers to sell me another, $6500 9G, TV instead.

A little Customer Service from Pioneer now will go a long way towards buying one of their 10G 0 IRE Kuro's, or perhaps when FiOS TV becomes available none of this will matter.

Originally Posted by Cronin

That's the best way to do it. I do the same only with the VGA input rather than the HDMI because my laptop does not have DVI out, only VGA. It basically works like a giant PC monitor in this way and the HMG does nothing. Using the TV like this elimitated my need to buy a 24" monitor for my digital photos. Now I just edit my pictures on my 17" monitor and view the slide shows connected to the TV. I calibrated PC mode to make the TV look like my PC monitor and it works great. I'll never need to upgrade my PC monitor again cause I have a 50" monitor now.

Originally Posted by D-Nice

Time to send another email as I've received zero updates to my "re-confirmation".

Originally Posted by Ximori

Last night, I made an attempt to try hooking my laptop to the TV and was shocked how good it really looked - just as you said, like a giant computer monitor. I couldn't even resolve the pixels from my viewing distance. I've always wanted a much larger pc monitor; in fact, had been considering Dell's 30" display. Well, I am very pleased with what I see on my TV.

Originally Posted by JWhip

I can without reservation recommend Greg Loewen to calibrate any display and in particular the Elite 60". He has done my plasmas and just performed a calibration on a neighbor's 60" Elite at my recommendation. While my neighbor was skeptical at first, he was astonished at the improvement in the PQ. He was able to take a great set and take it to another level, as was the case with my sets. Greg will be doing my 9G 60" after that arrives.

Originally Posted by HDPeeT

Home Theater Mag has a review up of the PRO-150FD. I haven't read it yet but I bet I know what the conclusion will be.

http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasma...ys/508piok150/

Originally Posted by Cronin

The conclusion said it is junk compared to the 9G PRO-151 that they have a pre-production model of in-house for evalution. They basically said PRO-150 owners are suckers for not having waited to buy the 9G instead.

Originally Posted by optivity

Thanks. Do you think there is any possibility that Pioneer will provide support for a Tuning Adapter w/UDCP PDPs which is requested for development by CableLabs®?

Originally Posted by JWhip

I can without reservation recommend Greg Loewen to calibrate any display and in particular the Elite 60".

Originally Posted by Cronin

Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the owner's flat panel list that is linked at the bottom of my (htwaits) post.

J/K...

I'm in a fun mood today, htwaits, smile

Originally Posted by htwaits

Thanks to both of you.

Originally Posted by HDPeeT

Home Theater Mag has a review up of the PRO-150FD. I haven't read it yet but I bet I know what the conclusion will be.

http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasma...ys/508piok150/