[Jim Boden]

Pete H-Faroudja:


There still seems to be a dearth of information about your new DVD scaler combo. Have you published any information on it which is easily obtainable? Your web site is pathetically out-of-date in this area.


I, for one, would love to get the low down on this much-anticipated unit. If anyone else on this forum has seen any specs or reviews, please start a new thread.


Thanks in advance.

 

[LJG]

Pete:


Will this new unit be limited to the scaling rates of the NRS or will higher scan rates be available for 8 and 9" CRT's.


LJG

 

[Jim Boden]

It's interesting I see comments in other threads about this unit but no one's talking specfics.


What about it guys (ericbee at al)?

 

[ericbee]

They started shipping a few units last week, I heard 4 were shipped. They are limited to 60hz and that was re-confirmed by Jeff Davis. The only rates available will be the same as those available on the Nr series. It can't work for me. My plasma requires 70-72 hz in order to look correct and the NR cannot offer that. I think Faroudaj is going to have a tough time selling this unit, it's just too limited in scope to sell to anyone I know, especially at that price point.

 

[oferlaor]

Sounds like both Pete & Spatz both need to be next week's guests of honors in the special guests forum.

 

[Jim Boden]

Ericbee:


Thanks for the info. I agree it's likely to be a “hard-sell†product, under the circumstances.


The case isn’t closed yet on the NRS and Pioneer problem, though. Maybe a solution will come out of their investigations. I’m being cautiously optimistic, but maybe that’s naivety on my part.

 

[markrubin]

I asked about the F DVD/Scaler Combo at local Harvey that sells the NRS- they said they would not carry the new unit because of bad experience with their original DVD unit


as I recall, F also had problems with the NRS and the earlier Pioneer 505HD's


Mark

 

[Jim Boden]

markrubin:


Interestingly, one of the suggestions Faroudja had was for me to send back my 1280 x 768 NRS so they can convert it to 720P. They also said this would fix the tearing problem on my 503CMX but wouldn't produce quite as good a picture. Oh, and it's going to cost ME $750US for the conversion, even though it's their problem. How's that for great PR?

 

[jlm]

actually for a long time, faroudja denied that they were going to produce a 1280x768; that the "16x9" or 1280x720, was the closest they would go (based on their testing with the pioneer 505 plasma). Hollenback came in for a guest interview and corrected that opinion, and F did release the 1280x768, but they are still having the problems! wonder what the cinema source is putting out; it has dvi which is something faroudja also said they would not release.

 

[Jim Boden]

jlm:


Ericbee has stated earlier in this thread that the DCS will be no different from the NRS. I've been looking for specs on it but can't find any.

 

[jlm]

the dcs definitely has dvi and the unit that was running the faroudja demo apparantly does not share the Y/C delay problem of the native rate.

 

[markrubin]

I have come full circle on this-


I was interested in this product but decided what F or the dealer suggests for a Pro 1000 may not work- and they may charge you to make it right


instead I bought a Krell DVD Standard, which I can run direct into the plasma (input 1 RGB) or through component switching of MC-12 to input 2, and the PQ is excellent: puts out beautiful 480P


Mark

 

[Jim Boden]

jlm:


I forgot to mention I was aware of the DVI output. I meant the NRS part of the DCS is no different (i.e. will still be 1280 x 768 at 60hz for a Pioneer).

 

[Jim Boden]

markrubin:


I have a pretty good McIntosh DVD player as well. It's interlaced, though, but looks real good via S-Video on the Pioneer, even without the NRS.

 

[oferlaor]

I'm wondering if Faroudja's bundling is even legal.


The DVD consortium does not allow a DVD player (which, in fact, is what the DCS is) to output digital signals.


In fact, I believe they will soon make a move to prohibit software DVD players from showing the movie if the PC is outputing video through DVI (mark my words, it's a matter of time!).


When Faroudja was a niche market player, I guess it might have been overlooked. But, when it is owned by a big consortium (Sage/Genesis) with deep pockets, they might be made an example of!


I guess they're buying a read-made transport and outputing the data through SDI, scaling it and outputing DVI. However, this could still be viewed as circumventing security (a big no-no under the DCMA)!

 

[sspears]

Quote:

In fact, I believe they will soon make a move to prohibit software DVD players from showing the movie if the PC is outputing video through DVI (mark my words, it's a matter of time!).

Isn't ATI doing this with the 8500 now? ie limiting output to 480p if a certain interface is used.


Actually, the DCS does not go SDI to scaler. It goes straight bt.656.


It is not a DVD player that scales, it is a scaler that as a DVD player built in. Faroudja is not a DVD licensee, so they don't have to follow the same rules. (at least last time I checked there were not a licensee.)

 

[oferlaor]

Hey Stacey,


Same difference. SDI is a serialized version of BT.656, meant to travel longer distances over Coax (wheras BT.656 is a short distance parallel bus).


I can understand what you're saying regarding the fact that it's basically two products in one package. However, the DVD consortium might not see it that way. To their eyes, it's a DVD player that outputs the data DIGITALLY with a > 480p resolution! That's a big no-no and it might be viewed by some (if I were them, I'd take this view) as an attempt to bypass the DVD's security scheme through semantics.


IMO, if someone were to challenge this, they'd have a strong case under the DCMA law.


As a matter of past precedence, this is most definitely the first DVD player that outputs >480p analog OR digital.