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Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Jc #179929 10/21/07 06:54 PM
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JC,

I’ve been using a DVDO VP-50 for over a year now and am waiting for the Pro model to show up in the mail (I bought it through DVDO’s upgrade program).

I originally bought the VP-50 for use in a constant image height set up and at that time, there were no projectors on the market that would do the required vertical stretch of HDMI input signals. Currently, there are several projectors that will perform the V-stretch, so the need for the scaler is less. I also use and SDI modified DVD player, so that is also where the scaler comes into play.

If I were starting from scratch, knowing what I know now, I do not think a scaler would be on my shopping list. Here’s why…

- HD DVD and BR looks so good, there is no need at all for an external VP. There is very little a VP can do for these formats that will make much of a difference.
- The newest batch of receivers and pre/pros have great internal VP’s (Reon and ABT), so again, little need for a stand alone VP.
- The newest SD/DVD players with HDMI / 480i output is so good, there’s no need for SDI output, so again, little need for a stand alone VP with SDI input.
- The new receivers have numerous HDMI and other inputs, so again, little need for a stand alone VP to use a switcher.
- No stand alone VP has noise reduction that can compete with Algolith’s Mosquito for compressed video. If you want NR, just buy the Mosquito.

There are reasons to buy a VP, such as….

Independent video input profiles for each source.
Independent video input calibration (limited to the VP).
Lip Sync is generally improved and can be set differently for each source.
Cutting edge deinterlacing and scaling (which MAY be better than your display or receiver, but MAY NOT be)

Considering the pro’s / con’s, if I was not already financially committed, to the DVDO with their generous upgrade program, I would not have ordered the Pro. I would have either sold the VP, or possibly ordered the Lumagen Radiance XD, or would wait to see how the new Cary Cinema 11v pans out.

The Radiance is limited to HDMI 1.1, but you don’t really need 1.3 if your sources decodes the new HD audio codec’s and sends your audio processor M-channel PCM. It then becomes a debate to what does a better job at this; the receiver or the player. But if 1.3 is important to you, the Radiance was designed to be easily upgraded to 1.3. The Radiance also has a gamut of calibration adjustments including grey scale, the DVDO does not.

The Cary Cinema 11v is very interesting. It is HDMI 1.3, has similar calibration functions as the Radiance, but they are using a Faroudja chip which I find odd. Faroudja is outdated and have not come out with anything worth a darn in years. Only time will tell how well this new chip of theirs works. I am also very interested in how well this unit plays with its matched Pre / Pro, the cinema 11a. Apparently, the 11v does all the audio decoding and sends it as M-channel PCM to the 11a via Cary’s proprietary link (similar to the Denon I-link).

Another VP that is not out yet, but only being designed is the Lumagen Radiance Pro. It will have HDMI 1.3, an LCD screen and SDI inputs (the XD has no SDI). They do not expect this to be out before late 08.

So I reckon you ought to jot down your reasons why you want to use an external VP and go from there. It may just be a “want”, and not a “need”, and there's nothing wrong with that!

Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
michael_d #179932 10/21/07 07:30 PM
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JC,

Another thing worth mentioning, seeing how you’re looking at projectors.

I use a Panasonic 1000U. I am enjoying this projector very much, but it does have some short comings that I’ll consider for my next projector. I have recently been trying my hand at video calibration with an Eye-1 Pro meter and third party software. I feel I have this unit calibrated as close to D-65 and the 709 color rec as possible. After getting the unit calibrated properly, my Ansi CR sucks…. It’s a miserable 120 and the On/Off CR is only 1200/1. When I calibrated the unit, I ended up turning the Dynamic Iris off. This hurt CR, but improved the grey scale tracking significantly. With the DI on, my mid gamma was getting blown out.

So my leanings from calibrating this unit is to look for a projector that has excellent CR, without the use of a DI. Currently, the JVC is the only projector that does this. I am keeping a close eye on the RS2.

What I do not want to give up though, is complete primary and secondary color / gamma calibration. The Panasonic has this without going into the service menu. I’m not entirely sure if the JVC allows these adjustments or not. Another really cool feature the Panasonic has is its wave form monitor. This enables the user to calibrate brightness and contrast perfectly.

Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
michael_d #180102 10/23/07 12:05 AM
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Hi,

I am really impressed by your knowledge on scalers ! How does your VP-50 perform with regular cable or satellite channels (non HD)?

I thought that the Mosquito software inside the VP50 was from Algolight . . . it does not seem to be the case.

I will certainly consult you if I decide to go that route.


jc
Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Jc #180161 10/23/07 02:43 PM
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JC,

I do not have HD satellite where I'm at. I can get a whopping six channels, but only if I put up a second, 48" dish. One ugly dish on the side of my log home is funky looking enough....

So..., when I bought the VP-50 I was wishfully thinking that it would improve SD satellite. It did to some degree, but it's still hardly watchable, especially now that I have HD and BR DVD...

DVDO is shipping the PRO model out to me this week and I will let you know if it does any better than the VP-50. If it doesn’t, it’s going back and I’m selling the VP-50 as well.

Mosquito noise, as far as I know, is not really a trade name, but a type of noise. The PRO targets edge detail noise, where the “Mosquito and /or Flea” from Algolith targets edge - and random noise. It’s my understanding that both of these units will do a better job with Satellite and SD DVD noise reduction than the VP-50 Pro.

One thing the VP-50 does extremely well at, is upconvert SD/DVD. It also doubles the frame rate of native 1080P/24 HD to 1080P/48 for a much smoother, judder free HD image and it does an outstanding job at upconverting 1080i. So all is not lost, but to me, four grand can be spent more wisely elsewhere than an external VP nowadays.

If you are not in a hurry, I just read a thread at AVS where Jason Turk is going to set up a shoot out this January. I’d go to that if I could…..
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=924611

Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
michael_d #180178 10/23/07 05:11 PM
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Jc Offline OP
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Hi,

Thanks for the details on the VP50 and please, let me know how the Pro version preforms. I am not in a hurry for a scaler and I am not sure that I would like to spend money on one, based on your comments.

I will surely check for the shoutcout in January if it takes place.


jc
Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Jc #180192 10/23/07 05:55 PM
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Picture time . . .

Home theater . . .

Front wall


Yoo can see the Sonopan panels which will be applied to the back wall before building the third tier.

Back wall


The Sonopan has been installed and the last tier built


The left side wall with the entrance door


The opposite side wall (right)


Picture taken from the lower tier


The lower tier and the middle one were poured at the same time when the floor was poured.

In a few minutes more pictures of the family room . . .


jc
Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Jc #180193 10/23/07 06:01 PM
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Will the Sonopan be exposed?


House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated
Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Mojo #180194 10/23/07 06:07 PM
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Hi Mojo,

It will not be. It will be covered by two layers of sheetrock each layer on sound bars. I will have pictures available later.


jc
Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Jc #180199 10/23/07 06:30 PM
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More pictures . . . this time the Family Room

Front wall


Back wall . . . going to the existing kitchen/dining area. The patio door will be replaced with French doors.


Back wall with the side entrabce at the back right hand side


Left side wall . . . through the studs you can the see the mechanic room where I moved my hot water boiler (fuel) and added an electrical boiler to heat the existing house and the concrete floors of the added section. I needed more electrical power so a second electrical panel was also added which gives me plenty of circuits for the home theater. I will take a better picture of this and will post it later.


Right side wall


As you can see a lot of glass and high ceiling from 9 to 12 feet.

Things have finally started to move up and I am finalizing my pre-wiring. The sheetrock slould be installed at the end of the week.

I'll post more pictures soon!


jc
Re: Official Axiom Demo Rooms . . .
Jc #180200 10/23/07 06:34 PM
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It looks like it will be a wonderful place, JC. Good to hear that the Sonopan will not be exposed. Otherwise it could double as a second anechoic chamber for Ian \:\) . It may be too late now but it would have been a good idea to have staggered stud walls to decouple acoustic surfaces.


House of the Rising Sone
Out in the mid or far field
Dedicated mid-woofers are over-rated
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