AVS › AVS Forum › Blu-ray & HD DVD › HD DVD Players › Do A2 players sold outside the US limit components to 480p??
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Do A2 players sold outside the US limit components to 480p??

post #1 of 13
11/11/07 at 7:48am
Thread Starter 
Do the A2 players sold outside of the US also limit the SD-DVDs to 480p over component? I want 1080i over component since the A2 crushs black when using the HDMI to DVI cable, I'm forced to use component to get the best picture on my TV (HDCP DVI) but I want to upconvert over component.

No I don't want to buy a new TV with HDMI.
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 13
11/11/07 at 7:52am
Due to DVD CSS, upconversion over an analog cable will be only up to 480p. This is true of all players that upconvert.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 13
11/11/07 at 7:56am
Thread Starter 
<-- sends bad vibes to the DVD CSS people.

So this A2 is a turd then...nice ( in terms of SD-DVD upconversion via HDMi to DVI).

Anyone want to trade my A2 for your A3? If you have an HDMI tv then the A2 will work fine for you. I need the A3 so the HDMI to DVI works properly.

Question, can the A2 black crush issue be fixed with firmware or is it a hardware issue? the A3 works.

Thanks.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 13
11/11/07 at 8:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TreyS View Post

I need the A3 so the HDMI to DVI works properly.

Question, can the A2 black crush issue be fixed with firmware or is it a hardware issue? the A3 works.

Thanks.

Some more information help people direct you towards a solution with your A2. First, I'm assuming that you've tried both the A2 and the A3 on the same TV. If that is the case, and you only see problems via HDMI, What TV do you have? What settings have you adjusted with your A2/A3/TV? What firmware are you using on the A2?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 13
11/11/07 at 8:09am
I'm not familiar with the term "black crushing", but I have my A2 connected via an HDMI-to-DVI cable. I read my TV's manual and the DVI port is HDCP as well. I upconvert my SD DVDs via HDMI/DVI with no problems. Check your TV's menu to see if there's a setting on the DVI input itself. I had to change a setting from one standard to a different one because the image was too stretched. It was fine once I changed it.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 13
11/11/07 at 8:15am
Try switching the PS3 and A3 connections on the receiver, too.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 13
11/11/07 at 9:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ_Syrinx View Post

I'm not familiar with the term "black crushing", but I have my A2 connected via an HDMI-to-DVI cable. I read my TV's manual and the DVI port is HDCP as well. I upconvert my SD DVDs via HDMI/DVI with no problems. Check your TV's menu to see if there's a setting on the DVI input itself. I had to change a setting from one standard to a different one because the image was too stretched. It was fine once I changed it.

I'm assuming you are just looking at your TV and have not run any physical tests to actually know the difference.

I too can run a SD-DVD with the HDMi to DVi cable. It looks better with the Component as there is more detail in dark scenes. The opening scene to Transformers HD-DVD is a perfect example of the Black Crush issue using the HDMI to DVI cable. It loses all the detail on the cube when it's in the shadows vs it looks fine over component.

I have a Sony GWIII 60 RPLCD. I have the A2 (FW 2.5) connected to the tv with an HDMI to DVI cable. While using the THX Optimizer tests, it clearly fails the BTB and WTW tests as indicated in a number of other threads.

One may argue, big deal, that is a calibration issue. Maybe so BUT I notice that the A2 also crushes black aka black crush. Google it of you don't know what this is.

There is nothing wrong with my TV (other than lacking HDMI) as other players and inputs work fine, it's just when using the HDMI to DVI cable on the A2 (so I can upconvert SD-DVDs) the problem arises.

If we could get 1080i over components or no Black Crush over HDMI to DVI then I wouldn't be here posting this.

Again, can this be fixed via a firmware upgrade or is this a hardware issue?

People are saying the A3 doesn't have the BTB/ WTW/ Black Crush issue so I want to know what Toshiba did to fix the problem.

Also, does the XA2 have the same issues with BTB/ WTW and Black crush?

Thanks
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 13
11/11/07 at 9:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by eapleitez View Post

Try switching the PS3 and A3 connections on the receiver, too.

I have neither....wrong thread maybe?
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 13
11/11/07 at 10:26am
Yeah, the DVD CSS prevents licensees from making players that pass standard DVD over component. It was to prevent an 'analog hole' for piracy back when DVDs were still considered secure and digitally uncopyable. Amusingly, many players will pass DVD over VGA though -- the main ones being the current game consoles. While VGA and component are both 'analog holes', the DVD CSS only specifically prohibited component. Loop holes are fun.

The A2 crushing blacks and not passing BTB over DVI has been a problem for ages. I would still be somewhat hopeful though. The 2.5 firmware was *supposed* to fix the problem, and it did add an RGB output option to the settings menu. Unfortunately, the setting doesn't appear to do anything at all. Hopefully this is a bug that will be fixed in 2.6 and finally solve this problem once and for all.

As far as the A3, the thread on here saying that it passes BTB and doesn't crush is still very young. Until I see a few more confirmations on the issue, I'm not sure the A3 is doing anything differently than the A2 right now.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 13
11/11/07 at 10:34am
The A2 and the XA2 both clip BTB and WTW even over HDMI>HDMI in my experience. This is verified via DVE HD. The Standard/Enhanced setting and Black setting don't seem to effect the HDMI output at all. THat said, I have not experienced black crush so that must be reserved for HDMI>DVI. BTB and WTW clipping are a different thing, and should not cause noticable crush or highlights blown during viewing.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 13
11/11/07 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys!

I did just read that the XA2 has an additional setting in the setup menu that you can adjust the contrast and brightness and that fixes the black/ white crush for it.

Wonder why they didn't add that to the A2? sigh.....
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 13
11/11/07 at 11:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TreyS View Post



Wonder why they didn't add that to the A2? sigh.....

So you have to buy a XA2,I wish my A20 had picture controls.
As for upconverting over component,you can always make a backup that strips CSS away.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 13
11/11/07 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I thought about that too. Would be nice if we didn't have to go through all that, considering no 1080i over component is to prevent copying yet we can do it anyway via the PC.

Seems silly, (hollywood) just turn it off and let the 99% of honest people enjoy their old HDTVs already.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: HD DVD Players

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Blu-ray & HD DVD › HD DVD Players › Do A2 players sold outside the US limit components to 480p??