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[Raistlin]

Great point ..I was thinking they would not have pay so much for there own tech and just the licensing to BRC. They have the tech and infrastructure there. I really do not know how this part works though at all to be honest..

From our understanding though, they are taking a loss on these players ... so the price would definitely need to go up.

It does and they really random now. No memory playback something which a 50 dollar dvd player has. I still hoping for one more FW update. Bass still a problem. Shutdown error(more of a batch error jan 2007 models <~ stay away). Complicated setup.

I flipped my first Xa-2 I got the Jan model. Loud fan got me to switch within a week.

Besides operation bugs ... it also has some issues that serious A/V-philes notice. I don't recall them off the top of my head, but its things like CUE (chroma upsampling error) in the MPEG decoder, etc.

 

[Raistlin]

Question, why doesn't/can't the PS3 identify the title of a DVD or BD movie from the XMB the way it does games and demos? Seems like that should be a no-brainer; when I put in a BD I'd like to see a little animated icon or whatnot indicating the movie, not just a generic disc and "BD-ROM".

Firmware update?

The studios would actually need to put the title in a location that the PS3 knows to look.


That said, I believe some of Sony's movies do this.

 

[Raistlin]

DVDs, I don't know how would PS3 know what the name of the movie on the disc? It displays whatever the disc label is, same as your PC would do if you put that disc in.

They could add the same sort of internet look up media players use.



Interestingly, Sony mentioned doing this ... though it wasn't for the name/disc art ... it was to automatically adjust the noise reduction on a per-disc basis 0_o.

If they do implement that, it would be the first and only player to do this sort of thing, and would make it one of the top DVD players in terms of IQ.

 

[Raistlin]

981 yes.

I have lots of PAL stuff (mostly bootleg live concert videos) so it's what I need most.

Understood.


I needed a Universal (I have a decent SACD collection, and a few DVD-A's) ... so beyond that, my priorities were:

480i HDMI output - I have (once its finally frigging delivered) and Integra 9.8 pre-pro. It has SO HQV Reon built-in

Somewhat below that, were some audio features I liked. For one, DSD over HDMI (the Integra has DSD DAC's, as well as PCM DAC's). Secondly, better analog output, as I have a nice integrated tube-amp setup in my bedroom.

 

[Raistlin]

Bluy/HDD because it's 1080p, HDTV is only 720p.

For clarification, some shows are in 720p, some in 1080i (technically, more are in 1080i I believe).

Now IF your TV properly deinterlaces 1080i ... there really shouldn't be a difference between 1080i/p. Granted, plenty of TV's fail miserably at it ... and even the better ones still have the occasional artifact, etc.



That said ... BD/HD-DVD still looks A LOT better than HDTV. Why? bitrate. Broadcasts are bit-starved, and its usually pretty damn obvious.

 

[Gary Whitta]

To be honest, I don't consider myself able to discern any real difference between 720p/1080i/1080p and I have a 61" set.

But yeah the real reason why BRD is better than cable/broadcast HDTV is the compression. With BRD you're guaranteed a perfect bitstream, but with TV there's often artifacting and other imperfections as a result of the compressed stream. I remember watching Planet Earth on Discovery and it looked pretty darn good, but the BRD version blue (freudian slip uncorrected) it away.

 

[Raistlin]

To be honest, I don't consider myself able to discern any real difference between 720p/1080i/1080p and I have a 61" set.

What?

I have a 55", and its pretty obvious to me. 720p looks a little bit softer due to the upscaling. And BD/HD-DVD IQ crushes broadcasts, since there aren't tons of bit-rate related artifacts.


Are you by chance running edge-enhancement? That could make 720p look artificially detailed ... buts its fubaring the IQ on everything.

 

[polyh3dron]

For clarification, some shows are in 720p, some in 1080i (technically, more are in 1080i I believe).

ABC & Fox broadcast in 720p. All other networks are 1080i though.

 

[polyh3dron]

Are you by chance running edge-enhancement? That could make 720p look artificially detailed ... buts its fubaring the IQ on everything.

Yeah, on my 1080p Bravia displaying in full pixel mode I can't tell the difference between 720 and 1080 either when I'm watching DirecTV, mainly because of their heavy compression and downrezzing their horizontal resolution (1280x1080, not the native 1920x1080).

However, I can tell the difference right away when playing PS3 games that play in 1080 (Lair, Ridge Racer 7) and 720 (Uncharted, Warhawk, Ratchet)

 

[terrene]

More importantly, why do Blu Ray disks feel thick and slimy? Am I the only one?

It's a thicker lacquer that makes the discs more scratch-proof. Pretty smart since they are such higher density.

 

[nofi]

That said, I believe some of Sony's movies do this.

Yeah, Spider-man 3 does, it's pretty cool.

 

[mrklaw]

ABC & Fox broadcast in 720p. All other networks are 1080i though.

but do they actually shoot in 1080i/p? We get lost in the uk at 1080i, so the bluray may well be 1080p, but they downscale it for the broadcast because the network chooses to use 720p

 

[Opus Angelorum]

but do they actually shoot in 1080i/p? We get lost in the uk at 1080i, so the bluray may well be 1080p, but they downscale it for the broadcast because the network chooses to use 720p

I just read recently that most recent US shows (not all) are shot in 1080p/24.

 

[VanMardigan]

Trying to watch THE KINGDOM right now on my 360 add-on and after agreeing to accept a cookie I got stuck looking at a loading screen which never ended. Had to restart before the movie would finally play.

Cookies? Loading screens? All I want to do is watch a fucking movie. Fuck HD-DVD, Im glad it's dead.

You can disable cookies on the add-on to avoid this problem. Here's a post I wrote that shows you how to set it up so you don't have to deal with loading times.

The add-on is pretty darn good in terms of compatibility and lack of issues, imo. The only disc I wasn't able to play on it, from the dozens I've watched, is Chuck & Larry. thankfully, it was a combo disc so I just flipped it over and watched the dvd version.

 

[Oni Jazar]

Yeah, Spider-man 3 does, it's pretty cool.

Disney's Lost S3 does it as well so it's not just Sony. It should be standard by now though.

 

[xS1TH L0RDx]

hostel part 2 does it also.

*runs and checks*

oh. sony pictures.

it's a cool little feature that SHOULD happen with EVERY movie, but I wish sony would put out a different firmware upgrade *cough in-game xmb cough*, but that's off topic in off topic.

 

[BojTrek]

HELP!

Hey guys, I appreciate all the congrats on my 40" Sony BRAVIA XBR LCD and purchase of PS3...

But now I need help...

VIVID on the TV is TOO bright... and I would like to tweak it...

What forum should I go to for advice on the TV and settings?

Also... for the PS3... what settings should I put the DVD stuff to? I want DVD's to look their best, so what tweaks do I need to do to the PS3?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Raistlin]

but do they actually shoot in 1080i/p? We get lost in the uk at 1080i, so the bluray may well be 1080p, but they downscale it for the broadcast because the network chooses to use 720p

It matters the show.

 

[Stinkles]

HELP!

Hey guys, I appreciate all the congrats on my 40" Sony BRAVIA XBR LCD and purchase of PS3...

But now I need help...

VIVID on the TV is TOO bright... and I would like to tweak it...

What forum should I go to for advice on the TV and settings?

Also... for the PS3... what settings should I put the DVD stuff to? I want DVD's to look their best, so what tweaks do I need to do to the PS3?

Thanks in advance!

Vivid is supposed to be too bright. Just don't use it.

 

[max-pain]

Sorry if it's already posted, but this is fuckin' ace:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=friS4OOcdgQ

:lol :lol :lol

 

[cjdunn]

but do they actually shoot in 1080i/p? We get lost in the uk at 1080i, so the bluray may well be 1080p, but they downscale it for the broadcast because the network chooses to use 720p

I don't think there is such a thing as shooting in interlaced.

[Edit: No wait, I think there are 1080i camcorders. NVM]

 

[Matrix]

What forum should I go to for advice on the TV and settings?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=166

Official Sony XBR4/XBR5 calibration thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=893076

 

[BojTrek]

Thanks guys!

 

[Laurent]

HELP!

Hey guys, I appreciate all the congrats on my 40" Sony BRAVIA XBR LCD and purchase of PS3...

But now I need help...

VIVID on the TV is TOO bright... and I would like to tweak it...

What forum should I go to for advice on the TV and settings?

Also... for the PS3... what settings should I put the DVD stuff to? I want DVD's to look their best, so what tweaks do I need to do to the PS3?

Thanks in advance!

Try different settings and trust your eyes... I guess the upscaler in your television is the same as in your PS3, so it shouldn't make that much of a difference at which resolution you choose to view your DVDs...

 

[StoOgE]

HELP!

Hey guys, I appreciate all the congrats on my 40" Sony BRAVIA XBR LCD and purchase of PS3...

But now I need help...

VIVID on the TV is TOO bright... and I would like to tweak it...

What forum should I go to for advice on the TV and settings?

Also... for the PS3... what settings should I put the DVD stuff to? I want DVD's to look their best, so what tweaks do I need to do to the PS3?

Thanks in advance!

I would rent or buy Avia DVD set up guide and use that. Once Digital Video Essentials is out on BRD I would get that and use it. I have the HDDVD one, and its a godsend for calibrating a set.

AVS will have a settings thread for your TV, which is a good starting point, but remember, you have to calibrate for the room and the TV, not just the TV (the person posting settings probably also isnt posting "correct" settings, just what they think looks good.

 

[Naked Snake]

I would rent or buy Avia DVD set up guide and use that. Once Digital Video Essentials is out on BRD I would get that and use it. I have the HDDVD one, and its a godsend for calibrating a set.

AVS will have a settings thread for your TV, which is a good starting point, but remember, you have to calibrate for the room and the TV, not just the TV (the person posting settings probably also isnt posting "correct" settings, just what they think looks good.

There's a free HD calibration disc for download on AVS forums, it's encoded in VC-1 and boots up file in BD players, it helped me.

 

[Raistlin]

I just read recently that most recent US shows (not all) are shot in 1080p/24.

Just to clarify, most TV shows are recorded at 30fps (video) versus 24fps (film).

hostel part 2 does it also.

*runs and checks*

oh. sony pictures.

it's a cool little feature that SHOULD happen with EVERY movie, but I wish sony would put out a different firmware upgrade *cough in-game xmb cough*, but that's off topic in off topic.

Sony doesn't have the power to enforce that though. I'm sure they can request it to the BDA, but they really can't tell studios to do it

 

[Oni Jazar]

Amir officially announces that he's "leaving" Microsoft:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12821799#post12821799

 

[Raistlin]

But now I need help...

VIVID on the TV is TOO bright... and I would like to tweak it...

What forum should I go to for advice on the TV and settings?

Thanks in advance!

Oh god ... vivid :x


What is the model number?

 

[Forsete]

Amir officially announces that he's "leaving" Microsoft:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12821799#post12821799

Noo.. Who will be the new spindoctor?

 

[BojTrek]

What is the model number?

Sony 40" KDL-40XBR4

 

[Rabid Wolverine]

Sorry if it's already posted, but this is fuckin' ace:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=friS4OOcdgQ

:lol :lol :lol

:lol

Im in tears

 

[Raistlin]

Sony 40" KDL-40XBR4

Okay.

First off, the advice others have given is pretty much it. Avia and Video Essentials (especially once BD versions are available) are great cal discs ... and AVSforum is probably the best resource.


However, digging throught the avs 'official' thread can take a long time. As a quick jump-start, I would go with this http://help.cnet.com/9602-12576_39-0.html?messageID=2510365

I can't vouch specifically for the above cal (I don't have that TV), but I can say their '1080 darkroom' setup for my SXRD was quite good. Think of it as a starting point.


If it works out anywhere near as good as their SXRD setup, you can certainly get by until you have a chance for a serious cal (discs, reading through avs, etc.). Also, you can actually get by with those parameters for SD content as well. Just adjust the noise reduction as necessary (typically for TV watching) ... and MPEG noise reduction may be useful for poor transfer DVDs and some TV. Other than that, the only thing you'll likely need to adjust is turning up the lamp setting for daytime usage (remember, its a 'darkroom' cal).

The above should at least get you to a viewable state ... with a moderate level of accuracy, and less artifacts.

 

[TGateKeeper]

Sorry if it's already posted, but this is fuckin' ace:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=friS4OOcdgQ

:lol :lol :lol

:lol

 

[Beer Monkey]

iTunes movie rentals are official

- $2.99-$3.99 per flick
- 'over 1000 movies'
- 'up to $4.99' for high-def
- once you start watching, it's yours for 24 hours

They do, however, have some degree of participation from all the major studios. That's a big plus.

I'll stick to renting Blu by mail (blockbuster.com, Netflix). Better quality, and cheaper per movie if you watch 4 a month.

 

[Norml]

Sorry if it's already posted, but this is fuckin' ace:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=friS4OOcdgQ

:lol :lol :lol

:lol man that was awesome!

 

[Malleymal]

Deal for you!

for anyone that wants to get into HD

1399 gets you a 42 inch 1080P panasonic and a free blu ray player...

I dont know if thats a deal or not, just wanted to let you all know

 

[Forsete]

Yuma is nice

 

[Baker]

The studios would actually need to put the title in a location that the PS3 knows to look.


That said, I believe some of Sony's movies do this.

Order of the Phoenix and Dragon Wars do it too.

 

[Beer Monkey]

1399 gets you a 42 inch 1080P panasonic and a free blu ray player...

That's a good deal. The 1080p is meaningless at many common viewing distances on a 42" but at that price who cares.

 

[VanMardigan]

iTunes movie rentals are official

I'll stick to renting Blu by mail (blockbuster.com, Netflix). Better quality, and cheaper per movie if you watch 4 a month.

I'll stick to Netflix as well. And if I were renting digitally, the Xbox Live Marketplace is where I would go. I used it a few times and was pretty happy with the quality. Nothing like the discs, but still very respectable. They have a decent selection as well.

 

[StoOgE]

something wierd is going on with those Yuma pics. I dont know if its the pic itself or the movie, but there is blue artifacting where it shouldnt be. Most easily noticible in the henchmans white jacket. It happens in the other pics as well, just a very bright out of place blue color in little specs here and there.

That movie is making me really want to bust out the circuit city card on the Sammy BD-UP5000. Luckily for me, that player wont play Yuma till it gets a firmware update, so its saving my wallet.

 

[VideoMan]

Holy carp! It seems HD-DVD was all set to win the HD format war and it all fell apart at the last second.

http://gizmodo.com/344680/the-real-reason-warner-went-blu+ray

PIttsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Don Lindich reports a dirty bit about Warner's defection to Blu-ray that we had uncovered in our own reporting of the format war at CES, and which we had confirmed through a different source (except for the payouts), though were holding close to our chest while we worked some other angles. Warner actually wanted to go HD DVD. They gave Toshiba the chance to bring another studio into the HD DVD camp before they turned Blu. Fox was lined up, and told the HD DVD camp it was going to switch to HD DVD, which would've also turned Warner exclusively HD DVD. At the last possible minute, it nixed the deal.

No wonder the HD-DVD group looked like they were hit by a truck when Warner went BR.

 

[Malleymal]

^^^ wait is this new??? I think thats 76 pages back

 

[Zombie James]

Wow, *that close* to a disaster.

 

[jjasper]

That is such bullshit. Fox would have never been set to come over to HD DVD. If it had said Disney I might have believed it, but not Fox.

 

[Riddick]

Holy carp! It seems HD-DVD was all set to win the HD format war and it all fell apart at the last second.

http://gizmodo.com/344680/the-real-reason-warner-went-blu+ray


No wonder the HD-DVD group looked like they were hit by a truck when Warner went BR.

Why do I suspect one rumor-monger started this rumor (it was hdmediawars or something) and everyone copy pasted it? It's virtually the same in every site that has hosted it. I doubt it's true, real insiders have said nothing about it.

 

[Oni Jazar]

Holy carp! It seems HD-DVD was all set to win the HD format war and it all fell apart at the last second.

http://gizmodo.com/344680/the-real-reason-warner-went-blu+ray


No wonder the HD-DVD group looked like they were hit by a truck when Warner went BR.

I just cannot believe that Fox was willing to go HD DVD. With BD+ they are hard trenched into the BD camp.

 

[VanMardigan]

That is such bullshit. Fox would have never been set to come over to HD DVD. If it had said Disney I might have believed it, but not Fox.

Unfortunately for you, this same scenario is being repeated by other folks (including insiders) ever since the Warner Blu Ray news broke, so there is probably some truth to this. Now the blu insiders such as penton haven't said anything about it (makes sense, since the negotiations were on the other side), but it seems like we were THISCLOSE to having Fox/Warner/Universal/Paramount exclusive to HD DVD.

I doubt it's even true, real insiders have said nothing about it.

I'm guessing your idea of an insider is a Blu Ray insider. Unfortunately, they would've been in the dark on this. Didn't Dave Vaughn pretty much verify that this was on the table?

 

[jjasper]

Unfortunately for you, this same scenario is being repeated by other folks (including insiders) ever since the Warner Blu Ray news broke, so there is probably some truth to this. Now the blu insiders such as penton haven't said anything about it (makes sense, since the negotiations were on the other side), but it seems like we were THISCLOSE to having Fox/Warner/Universal/Paramount exclusive to HD DVD.

I don't really see how it is unfortunate for me, but it just seems so unFox to walk away from the BD+ they have championed for so long and the region coding they hold so dear.