Just when you think your projector is "decent", I rented a Infocus LP700 (I think that was the model). Swordfish DVD was "OK" but then I watched the Mummy Returns DVD. If anyone wants to really test thier projector run the ending scene with the creatures in the forrest attacking everybody, I could barely see anything. Before I buy any projector if it passes this scene it will pass any black intense scene!!!
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A couple things need to be clarified when one says that a projector "passes" a difficult dark scene test. That doesn't mean the same thing from one person to another and one should be clear about what one means. For instance.
LHK's pass may mean that dark scenes are rendered in such a way that every shadow detail is clearly visible and nothing is hidden.
RPQ pass may mean that black is infinitely black and without any hint of light regardless of how much shadow detail is hidden.
JRP's pass may mean that all shadow detail down to black are visible, but even blacker than black material is (artificially) also visible.
PRJ's pass can mean that the projector shows excellent saturation of color in shadows and dark details.
Me, I'd say that the projector passes my dark scene test if it renders black such that it is perceived as black and shadow details which should be seen are seen, shadow details which are not supposed to be seen are not seen, and good color saturation is maintained even in dark image areas. I also am very much more likely to judge things using material filmed with actual, live scenes rather than computer generated scenes which have no actual "real" appearance. Do you have an inherent feel for how well one can actually see Orcs in a huge cavern? I surely don't because it doesn't have a real life referent, but I DO have a sense for how the riverside looks in New York at night. That means a some material I chose to test low APL performance isn't very exciting to movie enthusiasts. For instance, I like the Autumn in New York because it has a lot of actual dark outdoor scenes (as well as bright ones) with which to compare the rendered image against real life experience. Judging using CGI is like saying that the projector produces realistic colors because Monsters Inc. looked great.
Anyway, back to the main topic.... Difference between what one means by "passes" can vary a lot so I'd invite everyone to be very explicit about what they mean and also consider using material with a real life analog.
LHK's pass may mean that dark scenes are rendered in such a way that every shadow detail is clearly visible and nothing is hidden.
RPQ pass may mean that black is infinitely black and without any hint of light regardless of how much shadow detail is hidden.
JRP's pass may mean that all shadow detail down to black are visible, but even blacker than black material is (artificially) also visible.
PRJ's pass can mean that the projector shows excellent saturation of color in shadows and dark details.
Me, I'd say that the projector passes my dark scene test if it renders black such that it is perceived as black and shadow details which should be seen are seen, shadow details which are not supposed to be seen are not seen, and good color saturation is maintained even in dark image areas. I also am very much more likely to judge things using material filmed with actual, live scenes rather than computer generated scenes which have no actual "real" appearance. Do you have an inherent feel for how well one can actually see Orcs in a huge cavern? I surely don't because it doesn't have a real life referent, but I DO have a sense for how the riverside looks in New York at night. That means a some material I chose to test low APL performance isn't very exciting to movie enthusiasts. For instance, I like the Autumn in New York because it has a lot of actual dark outdoor scenes (as well as bright ones) with which to compare the rendered image against real life experience. Judging using CGI is like saying that the projector produces realistic colors because Monsters Inc. looked great.
Anyway, back to the main topic.... Difference between what one means by "passes" can vary a lot so I'd invite everyone to be very explicit about what they mean and also consider using material with a real life analog.
Todd, last time I looked at Mummy II was on my 65H80 and black detail was very good.
I hv a couple of PJ's now and I'll run youre torture test. I'll post results but I'll bet with my current set up with a Seleco HT200 it's not acceptable. Will see.
What calibration DVD are you using?
I hv a couple of PJ's now and I'll run youre torture test. I'll post results but I'll bet with my current set up with a Seleco HT200 it's not acceptable. Will see.
What calibration DVD are you using?
One thing one must realize is that just because a scene might eb dark, it doesn't mean it is not supposed to.
It seems many people think that they should be able to see everything during a dark scene and that their display is at fault when in fact, the lack of shadow detail is how the movie is supposed to be.
Anyway, my opinion is this- I want black level and shadow detail to be how the movie is supposed to look. If that means a scene is almost pitch black then so be it.
Oh and a great dvd (at least I think) for black level and shadow detail is Dark City.
It seems many people think that they should be able to see everything during a dark scene and that their display is at fault when in fact, the lack of shadow detail is how the movie is supposed to be.
Anyway, my opinion is this- I want black level and shadow detail to be how the movie is supposed to look. If that means a scene is almost pitch black then so be it.
Oh and a great dvd (at least I think) for black level and shadow detail is Dark City.
I like to use the scene in Gladiator where Maximus first meets Commodus in the arena. It is a very bright sunlit scene, and Commodus' uniform has a lot of black cloth - especially the collar. I have watched this scene with two different DVD players at various settings, and sometimes you can see the detail in the folds and swaths of cloth, and sometimes you can't. I think this would be a good test, because in this case you SHOULD be able to see the shadow detail.
Try Devil in a Blue Dress starring Denzel Washington. If I were to test a projectors black capability, this is the DVD that I would use. My Sony W400q just crapped out in the dark scenes. They are very dark with very little highlights. If this test passes your projector, tell me what projector you are using.
James
James
CGI or not when I ran the infocus projector I had, there was literally so much gray I did not see any of the tiny creatures faces from that Mummy II scene. Lets face it Monsters Inc. would probably look pretty decent on any projector. Swordfish had a lot of nice hues in the outdoor scenes so it looked good on this SVGA projector too.
First ten minutes of "Mulholand Drive" by David Lynch are very hard to manage for a lot of vp. You will see very dark scene with some lighty face and if you go to the Winky's coffee, there's some windows behind characters that are hard to read because of the amount of daylight.
"This is the girl." oops sorry
This is the DVD I will use each time I'll have to evaluate a vp.
"This is the girl." oops sorry
This is the DVD I will use each time I'll have to evaluate a vp.
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