[Steve Dodds]

Beginning of rant:


There are some recent threads with people extrapolating all sorts of things from screen shots. In one there is a discussion about shadow detail based on shots of a logo! Even the guy who took the shots (Art) tried to defuse the discussion without much success.


I would personally like to ban all screenshots from this forum, but I know some folk love them.


Fine. Enjoy the eye candy.


But please don't use them to make any serious point about the projectors involved, with the exceptions of convergence and uniformity. There are too many variables.


End of rant.

 

[armystud0911]

I understand your rant, but I just love to look all the pretty pictures, a screen with the actual image on it just looks so nice.

 

[Lawguy]

I agree completely.


That said, I enjoy looking at screen shots. I don't know why.

 

[Laserfan]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Dodds /forum/post/12881961


...please don't use them to make any serious point about the projectors involved, with the exceptions of convergence and uniformity. There are too many variables.

You are absolutely right about this, although (of course) there are times when a member has a problem and wants to show what he is encountering, to get feedback.


Apart from that I do think "all the pretty pictures" as armystud put it might be selling a lot of newbies on front projectors! And I suppose too that so long as the postings are actually links to an external host site, and not taking-up space on avsforum's server, they are harmless.


What drives ME nuts, Steve, are the posts where members quote others' screenshots, and others' incredibly long posts and then type only "Great post!" or something! We need a "rants" thread here somewhere!

P.S. Lawguy said "I enjoy looking at screen shots. I don't know why." -- Yup, me too!

 

[b.greenway]

I can make a mediocre image look fantastic in a screen shot, others can as well. Their meaningless.

 

[Gordon Shumway]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Dodds /forum/post/12881961


Beginning of rant:


There are some recent threads with people extrapolating all sorts of things from screen shots. In one there is a discussion about shadow detail based on shots of a logo! Even the guy who took the shots (Art) tried to defuse the discussion without much success.

I would personally like to ban all screenshots from this forum, but I know some folk love them.


Fine. Enjoy the eye candy.


But please don't use them to make any serious point about the projectors involved, with the exceptions of convergence and uniformity. There are too many variables.


End of rant.

AMEN!! IMO they are a giant waste of time...but again some people think it's the end all be all of good "information"....

 

[R Harkness]

I generally agree with the OP. In screen shots one is generally evaluating the camera used and the skill of the photographer, over the actual projected image. Typically shadow or "black" areas that would ge grayish in real life fall outside the exposure range of the camera - essentially becoming "pure black" in the screen shot. So you have all these different projectors of varying On/Off contrast all looking like they produce pure black on the screen shots (when virtually none of them actually do). That's not even getting into the color issues.


Now, all that said you'll perhaps notice a link below my name to a bunch of screen shots

taken from my plasma. I did those years ago when plasma was being poo-poohed by videophiles as producing poor picture quality. As a film/photography grad (and afterward working in the film business) I do have the ability to take a careful and as-accurate-as-possible screen shot. And in the case of those plasma screen shots they look remarkably close to the actual image of my plasma. Even after I've seen them on various monitors. And those screen shots were useful in negating some of the criticism that a plasma could not produce an impressive image.


And you can use screen shots to document image problems or some image attributes (convergence etc). Or if carefully taken, they can indicate relative differences in the image from two different displays (e.g. color saturation/black level/shadow detail etc...if the photographer is knowledgeable enough to shoot them correctly).


But, most screen shots have the problems outlined earlier.

 

[stonedr]

Screen shots that show misalignment, chromatic aberation, or try to explain a term or problem are helpful. Most screen shots are "eye candy." Listen to Art.

 

[Art Sonneborn]

I saw some screen shots on the forum of a projector that I'd estimate was putting out no more than four fL when I saw it but the screen shots done with long exposure looked fantastic. When viewed in person daylight scenes in movies looked like either dusk or night time. No doubt an experienced photographer with proper controls could achieve valid comparisons with parameters other than artifacts,panel alignment, geometry,uniformity etc which are easy to compare with many cameras and many photograhers but that isn't what we get here.


Art

 

[Art Sonneborn]

One more thing, I'm not saying that folks should or should not continue using screen shot,I really don't know but, I think we are often drawing too many conclusions from them since most have very very limited utility in that regard.


Art

 

[coldmachine]

Stop pimpin' that Serenity shot then.

 

[tstites]

Personally, I'm all for people posting and responding to screen shots here...people's responses are an integral component of my "moron detector".


Cheers,

 

[Art Sonneborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by coldmachine /forum/post/12883489


Stop pimpin' that Serenity shot then.

Guilty as charged.

Art

 

[Cameron]

I think that the screenshots are fine only if they include hot women.

 

[Art Sonneborn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tstites /forum/post/12884032


Personally, I'm all for people posting and responding to screen shots here...people's responses are an integral component of my "moron detector".


Cheers,

Sounds like you have hardened from experience Tom.

Art

 

[bass addict]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameron /forum/post/12884637


I think that the screenshots are fine only if they include hot women.

Yeah, you can post Into the Blue Alba pics all day long.

I agree and must admit I have been a part of the recent arguments. I just get tired of people stating they can see such a huge improvement in PJ "X" by looking at the screenshots. I concur a good photographer on a bad pj can make better looking screenshots than vice versa. Not to mention everyone's personal environment (calibration, screen gain, etc.) is going to have a huge influence on overall outcome.

 

[Jason Turk]

They are definitely more for fun. As you said though, they are really meaningless. All cameras, settings, etc... are different so you can't compare. Even amongst my reviews they vary to some degree so it is not with the "comparing intention" that I post them.

 

[suffolk112000]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Dodds /forum/post/12881961


Beginning of rant:


There are some recent threads with people extrapolating all sorts of things from screen shots. In one there is a discussion about shadow detail based on shots of a logo! Even the guy who took the shots (Art) tried to defuse the discussion without much success.


I would personally like to ban all screenshots from this forum, but I know some folk love them.


Fine. Enjoy the eye candy.


But please don't use them to make any serious point about the projectors involved, with the exceptions of convergence and uniformity. There are too many variables.


End of rant.

Personally, I think they are worthless to. There are way to many variables.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Dodds /forum/post/12881961


Beginning of rant:


There are some recent threads with people extrapolating all sorts of things from screen shots. In one there is a discussion about shadow detail based on shots of a logo! Even the guy who took the shots (Art) tried to defuse the discussion without much success.

Why take the shots then.

I know what shots you are talking about. The one comparing the 1080u and AE-2000 and the VW60.

Don't remember who posted them, but they were speaking of them as gospel. Then I pointed out the extra shadow detail in one of the screen shots and I am thinking I hampered someone's agenda. I didn't really think it was that big of an issue. I didn't see any kind of a firestorm from the discussion.



Craig

 

[Cameron]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Turk /forum/post/12885471


They are definitely more for fun. As you said though, they are really meaningless. All cameras, settings, etc... are different so you can't compare. Even amongst my reviews they vary to some degree so it is not with the "comparing intention" that I post them.

Yeah you need to feature more hot women. The more flesh the better as then we can make sure the color is right for the skin tone.


b. addict,


Agreed. Need more Alba.

 

[R Harkness]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameron /forum/post/12888467



Agreed. Need more Alba.

She just came into our studios one recent week-end for some ADR work. I tell ya, that's one time I wished I had to work the weekend.

Sometimes the dialogue editors have more fun...