View Full Version : Calibration Disc?
ShortNick
12-12-2003, 10:44 AM
Had my pj for a month or so now and am amazed at the differences in contrast, brightness, etc amongst DVDs. I've used the THX Optimizer on various titles but have had to change the settings for other films. Is there a calibration disc that anyone can recommend. I've read about Avia and Video Essentials and wondered if there are any others or which is best.
ozdvduser
12-12-2003, 10:58 AM
AVSForum members recommend Digital Vide Essentials (DVE) for pj's. It's available in both NTSC and PAL versions so you can calibrate different User settings and utilise the required one for whichever disk type you are watching.
www.videoessentials .com to order
you have the best ones there...... I think digital vieo essentials is king if you have a digital machine. Those are of course NTSC only.
For a PAL test disc, you could get pf test disc from a guy in germany, it looks pretty good.
ad
ReTrO
12-12-2003, 12:21 PM
PAL version of DVE has been delayed until April time at the last call. It's worth getting the NTSC version though for all the sound bits as well as some of the video (not all due to it's NTSC nature).
Got an email from play yesterday to say that my PAL Digital Video Essentials disc was posted yesterday. Haven't got it yet, probably tomorrow.
:)
damn..... i was told dve pal would be months....
ad
Aye. Amazon.co.uk has it down for December 15th release, next monday.
Lets see what happens...:rotfl:
Tempest
12-12-2003, 5:43 PM
Forgive me for asking a stupid question.....................
BUT.............
If you have a HTPC driving your projector then why do you need a calibration disk in the 1st place ?
Surely you have a computer at your displosal which can generate any colour display/image/pattern you can think of directly.
Can't you just use some software to calibrate the image ?
In a similar way that you use software to calibrate your monitor?
Or am I missing something BIG here ?
You could do that...... but then you are going to be assuming that your software dvd player (or capture and dvd player) are not going to alter the picture in any way...... something i dont tend to think likely.
For reference to dve PAL potential buyers...... it does NOT include all of the greyscale charts that avia would...... for the most of you, that matters not.
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clancol
12-12-2003, 10:15 PM
does DVE have much in the way of sound options
Gary Lightfoot
12-12-2003, 10:36 PM
Avia is software - but on a disk. :)
Gary.
ozdvduser
12-12-2003, 11:14 PM
Avia is software - but on a disk
Avia is not software
- for Audio it is a set of test tones that you play through your speakers to be able to calibrate them via an SPL meter and your amp settings
- for Video it is a set of images and test patterns that you show on your output device to enable you to calibrate it via Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Colour, Gamma etc.
Gary Lightfoot
12-12-2003, 11:18 PM
Ok, so if I copy it to my hard drive and use Power DVD to play it, what is it then? :)
Gary.
ozdvduser
12-12-2003, 11:21 PM
Just because you can copy something doesn't make it software.
What you are doing is playing a dvd - that's all.
a dvd is software...... follows from a dvd player being hardware.....
ozdvduser
12-12-2003, 11:37 PM
So if I burn a Word document to a dvd for backup, then according to your statement that is software - Not
Oxford dictionary definitions:
Software
programs and other operating information used by a computer
Hardware
the machines, wiring, and other physical components of a computer
Gary Lightfoot
12-12-2003, 11:57 PM
Blimey. Any humour shops where you come from?
Gary.
Gary Lightfoot
13-12-2003, 12:11 AM
DVD:
Digital versatile disk; a type of compact disc that holds far more information than the CD-ROMs that are used for storing music files. A DVD can hold a minimum of 4.7 GB, enough for a full-length movie. MPEG-2 is used to compress video data for storage on a DVD. DVD drives are backward-compatible and can play CD-ROMs.
Isn't the data software then? If not, what is it?
Gary.
ReTrO
13-12-2003, 12:24 AM
You lot are so funny.:grin:
Anyway to get back on track...
My copy of DVE PAL has just shipped from Amazon.:smashin: :clap: :)
ozdvduser
13-12-2003, 12:27 AM
We're renowned for our humour :smashin: :hiya:
Gary Lightfoot
13-12-2003, 12:37 AM
Who says? ;)
Gary
My copy of DVE PAL fell through my letterbox this morning. :smashin:
Gary Lightfoot
13-12-2003, 11:37 AM
You've had it two hours or so now, so what's it like? :)
Gary.
Took it into my old work The Sound Gallery (http://www.soundgallery.co.uk) and ran it on a Pioneer 504MXE from Arcam DV88+. It covers everything the NTSC version we have at work, but does it in the correct flavour for the majority of people in this country.
Definately worth buying.:smashin:
bluebaron
13-12-2003, 5:05 PM
Damn. I cancelled my order a few weeks ago with Amazon and went direct to the supplier in the US.
Hope they'll ship soon.
clancol
13-12-2003, 7:39 PM
again. does DVE have any sound options
Aye it does, 5.1 etc
I've not used any of them so can't comment sorry.
HappyLad
15-12-2003, 10:43 PM
My copy of DVE came through the letterbox this morning.
Just been having a quick peek using my PC.
Jeez. The navigation of the disc is awful:(
Probably going to be the weekend before I get any time to use the disc with my PJ.