[Big Picture]

Given the 4:3 limitation of the 10HT in computer mode (4:3 only), is there any benefit to using dscaler? Can dscaler somehow get to a 16:9 mode in the 10HT ?


If dscaler cannot work are there other viable HTPC scaler solutions to get to a 16:9 mode in the 10HT?


Thanks for any input.

 

[Yvonus]

If your projector is not widescreen, a piece of software won't change this at all


However, Dscaler might help you get a better looking image on your projector by bypassing the internal scaler of your projector.


Give it a try if you've got the necessary hardware.


What are the sources you're using other than dvd ?

 

[Big Picture]

Yvonus:


Projector is HDTV 1366X768 pixels native but locks all computer input to 4:3 mode. I'm looking for a work around, this is an old problem with this otherwise great projector. It is not possible to bypass the projector internal scaler. I'm curious about any potential new solutuions.


Source I would really like to scale is Direct TV satellite.


Thanks.

 

[ramick]

Use PowerStrip to run in widescreen; dscaler to deinterlace things like DirectTV. All content on DirectTV is 4:3 anyway.

 

[Les Auber]

I can't give you any absolutes but only a couple things to try. If dscaler will work with Powerstrip 3.0 you can use one of PS 3 custom resolutions (1184 x 666 LCD) to output a psuedo high definition signal that the 10ht will recognize as a GBR high definition input and give you a 16:9 display. The only other options I can think of are hardware ($$$). I understand that the HiPix card will scale and output a high definition component signal that the 10ht should accept. I also have been told that the Faroudja NRS has a 16:9 HD version that will work. I haven't tried any of this beyond PS 3 which works quite nicely with the 10ht giving a 16:9 desktop and full panel 16:9 DVD playback.


Good Luck,

 

[Big Picture]

Les:


I have heard of your method. Do you get enough improvement on Direct TV or Dish signals to warrrant the effort, how about DVD improvement?


Thanks.

 

[Big Picture]

ramick:


Are you using dscaler to scale Direct TV with component output to a front projector? Would you be kind enough to share your impressions please.


Thank you.

 

[lrowland]

Tom,

My 10HT uses the 16:9 signal my HTPC puts out and I do use dScaler to take advantage of it. The HTPC outputs 1184x666 as Les mentions (the 10HT thinks it is 720p and displays widescreen).


I use this HTPC to display both dScaler and DVDs. Now most TV is 4:3 but dScaler can take a letterboxed 4:3 broadcast and expand it to 16:9. For example, the SciFi channel broadcasts Babylon5 as widescreen on DirectTV but the letterbox it top and bottom. With dScaler, I then expand the image to full screen 16:9. It is not full resolution like DVDs or HDTV but it still looks better than a 16:9 image with borders all the way around.


Of course, DVDs looks fantastic using the HTPC in this mode.


- Larry

 

[Big Picture]

Hi Larry:


I am very interested in getting my first HTPC and dscaler to use with my Sony 10HT.


Can you tell me what your HTPC configuration is and what you would suggest for someone who is getting one today to use in this application?


BTW I'm a Baltimore transplant.


Thank you very much.

 

[lrowland]

Tom,

There are others a lot more knowledgeable than I on the HTPC but I will do my best. I have two HTPC's running - one is experimental and the other follows all the standard recommendations from this forum. I'll list the standard one only in the interest of clarity:


Standard ATX case from www.digitalconnection.com

1GHz Pentium III

Asus CUSL2 motherboard

Maxtor 100GB hard Drive

Radeon All-In-Wonder AGP video card

HiPix DTV-200

M-Audio Delta Dio 24/96 sound card

Pioneer 104s DVD-ROM (slot load)

Cybertainment Bt8XX video capture card


Software needed for dScaler, DVD, and 10HT operation:

dScaler 2.3 or greater

Powerstrip 3.0

ATI DVD Player (or WinDVD or PowerDVD, your choice)


I am using Windows 2000 which is perhaps the only thing about this HTPC that is not what everyone recommends. Windows 98/ME seems to be preferred because the driver are a little better support. This is changing and may not be so true anymore.


The real trick to making things work with the 10HT is to use a graphics card in the HTPC that will allow you to add the custom resolutions needed - Geforce and Radeon cards are the best for this use. When you launch Powerstrip, you click on "Display Configuration" and then "Advanced Timing". Then you add the "1184x666 (LCD 16:9)" resolution as a custom resolution. You will have to reboot after this and then you will find it in the list of available resoltuions under the Display Properties in Control Panel.


Once you have switched the HTPC to display using the 1184x666 resolution, you then have to change the 10HT to use the "GBR" on the Input setting (instead of "Computer").


Let me know if I can help in any other way. You may also want to checkout the meta-FAQ located here - http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/011087.html


- Larry

 

[Big Picture]

Thanks everyone for the very helpful info.

 

[Jay M]

I think I remember reading somewhere that you can use a RGB to Component converter box (here are some to choose from http://www.copperbox.com/lite/xcoders.php ) to trick the 10ht into thinking it's getting an HD signal. Then you can just set you PC's resolution to match the 10ht's native resolution.


Be sure to post this question in the LCD forum, and of course search both forums.


~Jay

 

[kalahaan]

Hi


I also have the Sony 10 HT and I use it with the HTPC to display Dvds


However I am getting interested about displaying VCR picture on the Sony ... is it possible to improve the image quality compared with the Sony internal scaler, by using the HTPC ?

Right now my VCR is linked to my AV amp for easy selection.

Could I send the Video out signal from the AV Amp to the HTPC and send the video through D Scaler ?


What is needed in term of Video acquisition board ? I just have a GeForce right now...


Thanks,

Cedric

 

[Yvonus]

Cedric ; as I can't comment on the specific 10HT/Dscaler combo, I can tell you that you need a grab card (see the DScaler FAQ in my signature) along with your vga card.


This is quite inexpensive so why don't you give it a try ? I can't guess what it can look like with your vcr though. What I can tell you is that I can, like many other, watch my analog sources (for me, dvb satellite feed) on the big screen in progressive scan rather than in interlaced mode and that makes a big difference. Good for me, the Svhs/pal output is handled quite cleanly by the Rave card so the picture quality is high.


Some others get a very low PQ. that's why I won't take a guess for you .. really depends on your setup.

 

[hdmunkee]

Les,

This is exactly what I am doing with my vw10ht, ps 3.0. I am getting awesome HD picture, watching dvds on my HTPC, and they look way better than my $700 set top dvd player ever did! Is there something "not truly" HD about this "psuedo" HD resolution? Please advise, because if I can get an even better picture, I will do it!


Ian

 

[Les Auber]

Hi Ian,

I called it psuedo HD to separate it from a true high definition picture like you would get with a HiPix HDTV card. The image is upconverted from lower resolution, but information that isn't truly there can't be recovered. This just fakes the 10HT into thinking it's getting a HD signal to work around the quirk of locking into 4:3 computer mode so that the full 16:9 display can be used. There is probably an improvement since the deinterlacer in the 10HT is being bypassed. I've heard that this is the big shortcoming in the 10HT internal scaler. It's not possible to completely bypass the internal scaler though, even with a 720p input it scales the signal to 1366 x 768p, the native LCD panel resolution.


You may get a further improvement with Dscaler or similar, but I don't know since I haven't tried it (no time). I know there is lots of info on it in the forum. With any TV input other than HDTV the signal is 480i. I'm not sure what a DVD is read at in a HTPC but at best it's 480p. Stand alone progressive DVD players read the disc at 480i and convert to 480p in the digital domain. Not sure why this is since I understand that a DVD is encoded at 480p. In any case the HTPC is interpolating data to add the missing pixels to get from 480p to 720p. Hence the psuedo label. In any case the results are worth it.

 

[Eiffel]

If you're watching 4:3 material on the 10HT, make sure you revert to 1024x768 (XGA) resolution on your projector: I just played Citizen Kane (4:3 AR), and got reminded on how much better the picture looks when you bypass the scaler.


The same apply when watching 4:3 material with my HTDV card (AccessDTV)


Enjoy this great PJ

 

[hdmunkee]

I only recently obtained the coveted sony vw10ht and I am having some trouble setting it up. I realize the the projector locks into 4:3 when using the pc input, and does the same in 16:9 with the dtv input. I am currently using the component input via an AA transcoder with the projector set to "DTV," giving it a 16:9 resolution. The problem I am experiencing is as follows:


1. When setting the dvd software to full screen, the picture is horozontally stretched, perhaps because the dvd software (power dvd xp) is letter boxing the picture and I am running a wide screen resolution in powerstrip.


I have attempted to compensate using various custom timings, but have been unable to gain satisfactory results. It seems like this would be a problem inherent to all projectors regardless of if they lock into 4:3 or not. Mine is not locking into 4:3 when I use the AA transcoder and powerstrip, but the picture is still distorted.


I'm wondering if those of you that are using the projector successfully are using the 5 part pc connectors and allowing the software to letterbox the picture, providing the wide screen image at an accurate aspect ratio.


If this is so, what resolution are you running it at?


I am wanting to use the dtv input with the AA transcoder, but not at the expense of picture integrity. I have limited throw distance, so the pc connectors give me diagonal screen size of 101 inches (4:3), as opposed to 136 inches of 16:9!!!!!


Please forgive my ignorance, this is my first attempt at using a projector! Up to this point I was displaying my HTPC on a tosh 55 in 4:3 HDTV.


I'm very deperate for some guidance, so I have also posted this question in the High End LCD projector forum.


Thanks,

Ian

 

[Eiffel]

hdmunkee,


I'm not quite sure I fully understand what happens with your system... but here are a few questions/suggestions:


1. Why are you using a transcoder? You can send RGBHV signals to display HD signals on the 10HT (select the RGB DTV input)

2. If you use the (preset) 1166 x 668 resolution in Powerstrip, you should be able to see your full windows desktop in widescreen (the picture will be softer than in pure computer mode, but this is the best the 10HT can do in 16:9) -- the other widescreen resolutions such as 720p also work, but you won't see your entire desktop on the projector.

3. With the above settings, your dvd software should be able to display 16:9 materials in full screen, and 4:3 materials in the center section (I am not a frequent user of Power DVD XP, but I don't recall this being a problem)


Good luck

 

[hdmunkee]

eiffel,

I am using the transcoder for two reasons:

1. I do not have the 5 plug pc adapter

2. I have limited throw distance and am trying to avoid having to go 4:3 w/ the pc input, and letter boxing it. The image would loose about 45 diagonal inches.


You said,

"2. If you use the (preset) 1166 x 668 resolution in Powerstrip, you should be able to see your full windows desktop in widescreen (the picture will be softer than in pure computer mode, but this is the best the 10HT can do in 16:9) -- the other widescreen resolutions such as 720p also work, but you won't see your entire desktop on the projector."


I should make a clarification: I am running 1184x666. I do not know how much of a difference this is from 1166x668, but I will try that one as well. When running at 1184x666 I encounter extreme virtual desktop to the right and left. I am thinking this is because I was using a standard monitor (not connected to the projector) while setting up this timing. I'm going to try to redo this timing with the projector active, see if that makes a difference.


what exactly did you mean by "the picture will be softer than in pure computer mode"?


as to 720p, I should try that one as well, because I am not too concerned with a little overscan, I'm sure it won't be as bad as with my 4:3 tosh hdtv!!


as to your statement about the dvd software displaying 16:9 in full screen, so far it is letterboxing it, and I see no option in powerdvd to change that. it may have to do with my resolution issues, however.


What dvd software are you using?


Thank you much,

Ian