[jmpeed]

Hi all,


I have been researching a new plasma for a few months now, and do largely to the help I have received on this form, I think I am ready to pull the trigger on the 503CMX. BUT, I still have a few reservations, and I was hoping some of you who own it could help put my mind at ease.


1st: What card are you using... and are they easy to install.


2nd: What HD tuners are you using and or receivers... I want to hook up D*, and my existing TVio (which is a D* receiver combo)... anybody have this configuration?


3rd: and this is silly but, from the on-line pics I can't quite tell what color it is, dark grey? silver? grey black?


4th: SHOULD I WAIT FOR THE PDP-504HDE!!!!!!!!!!! [email protected]#*


My thanks in advance for any help, and if any of this exists already in other threads please just let me know......


THANKS, J. PEED

 

[FujiRich]

1) I'm using the original Pio 5002 card, but awaiting the promised Key Digital card for better scaling, connection (DVI w/HDCP), and processing options. It's way overdue, but Ii hope it's still in the plans of Key to bring it out. The Aurora cards look interesting, but none so far give me everything that the Key card supposidly will - so I'll wait.


2) I have both an SAT-T60 (DirecTivo) and an HD-200. The tivo is hooked up with S-video going through the processing circuit on my PMDT DVD player, deinterlacing the 480i to 480p, then going component to the 503. The HD-200 is fed via VGA. I'm very satisfied with both.


3) The frame is dark gray, almost charcol


4) Not enough info yet to answer this one - but probably "yes". The media box (scaler) that will accompany will relieve any connectivity issues you might have. Some early reports indicate the 503's most universally know weakness - lack of good blacks - is not improved in the new model. That would be disappointing, if true. I'd wait for confirming info on that before deciding.


Best of luck...

 

[jmpeed]

Thanks!

 

[Jeff Atchison]

1. Aurora A303 card. Easy to install.


2. I am using a Hughes DirecTiVo and a Sony HD-200 for High Definition.


3. As previously stated, dark gray.


4. Wait? I couldn't. IMHO, none of the manufactures models will be HUGELY better, but we shall see. In the mean time I would have missed months of enjoyment. Love my 503.


Jeff

 

[jmpeed]

thanks again... Ya, seems like I've been waiting forever....

 

[baja]

I have a 503 and use the A303 card. It is easy to install but it is is not a plug and play card either. No brain surgery with the card but it will require a good amount of playing with and tweaking to get it right. Good news is Aurora has first rate customer support. As for D* I use the Sony HD200. I got both the Sony and the Sammy to compare and returned the Sammy and went with the Sony. The best PQ you will get is the HD200 via a good pair of component cables. This combo will even give better PQ than DVI. Just remember the slot on the Pioneer does not do native rate pass through so anything that goes through the slot has to go through another scaling. Like mentioned there are other"supposed" cards on the horizon but until they become reality I consider them ghosts.

 

[Chris Loker]

1) 5002 card - awaiting mulit-dvi Aurora or Key Digital Card. A 1 minute job to change.


2) Samsung TS-150 OTA HD receiver to Component in. Digital Cable hooked up via composite.


3) As stated previously it is a dark grey


4) The newer models are supposed to address the issues the 503cmx has with inputing native rate (and have a bigger card slot that is backwards compatible with previous cards) - although most of these issues appear to be addressed for the 503cmx with Key Digitals card solution.

 

[Bure9]

Confused now. Does the 503 need a scaler or does it have an internal scaler? Do you need a receiver AND a box to watch digital cable?

 

[Chris Loker]

The 503 has an internal scaler.


Digital cable always requires you to use the box provided by the cable company. Hook the box from the cable company up to the 503cmx. If it is an HD cable box it may have component output - which you would then send to the 503. If it is not an HD box it probably just has s-video and composite. Depending on how good the comb filter in the cable box is, you would connect either s-video or composite directly to the 503cmx. In my case my cable box has an awful comb filter and thus gives a better image via composite.


As an example let say you have a progressive scan DVD player, HD OTA reciever, and Digital Cable Box and the 503cmx with 5002 or A303 card. You would hook your DVD player up via component input 1 (you would need a vga to component cable for this), you would hook up your HD box via component to input 2 (note also one end of the component cable has to have BNC type connectors). You would then hook up your digital cable with s-video or composite.


Change to this example would be if you bought the 1000+ card instead of the A303 or 5002. With the 1000+ card you would not need the VGA to component cable because you could use the extra component input on the 1000+. Also with the 1000+ you could hook up another cable connection directly to the cards tuner (won't tune in your digital channels but will the lower numbered analog channels). You then have PIP with all of the inputs as well.

 

[Bure9]

Thanks Chris, what is the HD OTA receiver for, though?

 

[Chris Loker]

My cable company currently does not offer HD programming. I get all of my HD from an antenna - my HD OTA (Over-the-Air) receiver picks up the HD signals off the antenna and then feeds the HD via component to my 503cmx.