[Joey P]

Okay, here's the current setup... Onkyo receiver does all the switching, plugged into it is TiVo (S-video), GameCube (S-Video), Denon 910 (Component, Progressive ON), Pioneer 3100HD STB (Component to receiver for HD, S Video to TiVo for SD). All this is sent out via component to a Samsung plasma display. I'm fairly happy except for two things that are not a big deal, but would be nice if I could fix. The first one is that when I switch from an interlaced to a progressive source I have to 'tell' the TV or it get's confused and gives me screwy images and second SD looks ugly (but liveable). So here's what I'm looking to do. I was planning on adding in a ISCAN Pro to make SD look better. (But then I read the FAQ and I'm not sure if I need a doubler or a scaler or what) My question is, what does the ISCAN Pro do if it is fed progressive video? (

 

[oferlaor]

1. The iScan PRO is a doubler. That means it only accepts 480i (interlaced) and ALWAYS outputs progresive output.


2. As you have a transcoder in your receiver, and deinterlacing is sometimes done on your display and sometimes on your plasma, it's most likely that an external scaler/deinterlacer will improve the picture.


3. The iScan uses the Sil504 chip, which does quite well with film sources and nearly as well as DCDi on video sources. That means that most DVDs you'll watch will look just about the same (if not better) and most TV will improve.

 

[Joey P]

Okay, I think I've decided on the ISCAN Pro, setting the DVD player to interlaced and sending everything through that. Then I'll output that to the RGB in on the TV and I can use the component in for HD. But I have one more question, I heard/read that the IScan has some problems when you switch from one input to another (on the receiver) or change channels etc... Anyone have any expierence with that? Is it a big deal? Also any other comments about the IScan Pro vs other line doublers/scalers?

 

[Dale Adams]

The issue with the iScan Pro and changing channels is that it can take the SiI503 deinterlacer chip inside the iScan a while to positively lock onto the new channel. The same thing happens when switching inputs. This can result in anything from a blank screen for a couple of seconds to a getting a picture right away, depending on how your display reacts. Most video processors will incur some disruption when the video source is disrupted, but the iScan Pro takes longer to settle down than many of them.


This likely isn't a big problem unless you're an avid channel surfer. If you expect to rapidly cycle through multiple channels while quickly taking a glance at each one, then the iScan Pro is probably not the doubler for you. The newer SiI504 deinterlacer fixed this problem, and the iScan Ultra, which has this newer device, does not exhibit this problem. Unfortunately, it's also quite a bit more expensive than the Pro.


- Dale Adams

 

[Joey P]

Normally that WOULD be a problem for me (enough that I would be will to spend several hundred more dollars to fix) BUT with TiVo and a STB AND IR blasters changing the channel already takes so long (about 2 seconds per channel change before the picture comes back up). So that kinda killed channel surfing for me, I pretty much just stick to pre-recorded stuff. Now If I didn't need the STB (or if I could do it through serial control) it would be different. Perhaps when HDTiVo comes out I'll rethink it, but for now I think I'll give the IScan Pro a chance. By the looks of it, if I pick one up on EBay and don't like it I can sell it and probably get back what I paid for it. Or even use it for a rebate for the IScan ultra or HD.