Sagem Axium questions

[andyatkins]

Well there I was all ready to spend £3.5k on a Panasonic 42" HD panel & I went & dropped in Comet & was gob-smacked by the HD demo on the Sagem Axium they had in there.

Anyhow I've got my senses back & now I've been through some recent posts & have read the downloaded manual I've got some questions that may sway me back to the Panny:-

1. I've read in a post the Axium DVI interface isn't HDCP compliant, but have also read there may be an upgrade available at least in the US for a badged equivalent product. Is this the case & is if so is the upgrade going to be available in the UK?

2. THe manual refers to 'Resolutions Accepted' for the DVI & VGA ports & seems to only accept 4:3 ratio signals (640x480, 800x600, 1024x768 etc) plus 1280x720 (60Hz) with none of them @ 50Hz, although 75Hz is available for some of the 4:3 ratios. Is this a fundmantal problem for wanting to display PAL 50Hz signals (Sky+, Region 2 DVDs) via the DVI port- IE will it present the judder / 'tearing' problem?

3. Related to the above question as the manual states only 1280x720 @ 60Hz does this mean 1:1 pixel mapping for future 50Hz HD material is unattainable?

4. Similar question again, assuming Sky go for a 720p 50Hz HD signal (I understand this is what Astra are going to implement) does this mean the Sagem would be incompatable as it only seems to support 60Hz @ 1280x720? The blurb says the TV supports 720p? The manual also refers to being able to adjust the 'data display frequency' for VGA input at least to match your computers graphics card.

Any feedback would be helpful - especially from Hellicopter as you seem to be well up on this stuff.

Thanks

[Loada]

I've just had a very similar experience to Andy today in the Teesside Park (Middlesbrough) branch of Comet - they were running a Sagem Axium with the WM9 HDTV demos (F1 racing one?) and it looked very VERY impressive indeed and I've been smitten.

Now this TV seems to be a bit of a dark horse - it doesn't seemed to have grabbed a great deal of press and it isn't talked about much on this (and other) forums, despite its pretty impressive specifications and this worries me a little - I'd like to find out a bit more before I think of going to buy one.

I'm pretty much in the market for the same info as Andy - my worry is more of a future-proof issue, especially regarding the HDCP side of things. Although the Axiums main use (for me) will be Sky+ and DVD watching, I would also like to play my USA Dreamcast, USA Gamecube and modded Xbox through it and I will be definitely signing up for Sky's HDTV supply (if/when it arrives).

So, in a shameless bumping of Andy's original post, can anyone who knows about these things (or has some real experience of using this set in "the real world") add some words of encouragement before I potentially make a £2800 mistake??

Thanks in advance :thumbsup:

[Kramer]

Haven't seen this myself so can't comment but someone in the TV forum may be able to help.



Moved (I'll leave a redirect here though.) :)

[Mad Mikeyboy]

I will be taking delivery of one from comet on wednesday.
Dont know much about the technical questions your asking , but I will give you my "layman's" verdict when I get a chance to play around with my new toy.
That said though I am an expert on the "juddering" effect or "smearing" your talking about as I just parted company with a sony LCD RP set due to this. I was assured by the guy in the shop that it would not happen with this one but we'll soon see and if he's wrong he'll get this one back too!!

[Mad Mikeyboy]

Well.................... Took delivery of my new toy yesterday and oh boy, am I glad I got rid of the sony LCD RP and replaced it with the sagem DLP.There is no comparison in picture quality the sagem wins hand down. Perhaps the sony is a better looking set but I dont sit and watch the stand all night.

As yet I must say I have no complaints apart from a little "shadowing" on some sky channels. But thats to be expected with sky. Also when the menus are on screen it moves around a little but I can put up with that.
Hooked up my DVD player and bought an S-Video connector for it and the picture is out of this world. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Hellicopter]

Andy-I am very impressed with the Sagem having lived with it for 8 weeks.It is terrifc for Sky+ using RGB which it scales up and stunning for the HDTV broadcasts on Astra and Hotbird.

OK I am biased because I bought it but so far absolutely no regrets.The highlight so far though has been watching the Euro 2004 HD feeds before they were scrambled.

Let me try and answer at least some of your questions.( The best place for Axium info though is on the French Home Theatre forum which is now up to 109 pages!)

-The Axium is not HDCP compliant.Optoma in the USA (which the Axium is a mechanical clone of) has just made available a fix ,at a cost in the US.There is no way of knowing whether it will come to Europe.However I am not counting on it (nor are they on the forum) as the French did the software development and it is quite different from the Optoma.Remember though the HDCP only applies to the DVI input and most HDTV in the USA is watched via the component input.

-The Axium accepts both 16:9 and 4:3 through DVI and VGA inputs but only as the source is set up .You cannot change the aspect on the TV for these 2 inputs.You can however adjust the VGA input to match your computer.

-The TV accepts both 50 and 60 Hz.


So what don't I like.

-Cabinet is not the most attractive feature but wife loves the picture so not a problem.

-On delivery, geometry was not perfect and is only adjustable mechanically (PM me if you want to know how) Mine is now perfect.

-Only one DVI input will become increasingly frustrating.


So there you have it and I am the classic early adopter! Should point out though that both Thomson and Samsung will be releasing 50" DLPs in the Autumn.That was much too far away for me!

Please remember that the Pana 42" plasma is not high resolution.

[38H21543]

Generally, Comet displays TV's with very poor feed, but they now have the Sagem connected to a NEC Powermate PC showing WMVHD material (looks like it is the material from http://www.wmvhd.com/), and it looks absolutely incredible.

[acanning]

Hi Hellicopter

You seem to be the authority on these Sagem tvs!

I also own an Axium and am similarly thrilled with the performance. I do have a few questions though which you may be able to answer.

1.You talked about scaling-up the Sky picture – what does that mean exactly?

2.When Sky eventually does High-Def (which they said they are going to do) will the Axium be fully compatible? (I appreciate you may have to guess at this one)

3.Do you know where I can get some High-def demo stuff. I tried connecting my computer via the DVI input but wasn’t too impressed with the result as it didn’t fill the whole screen. Is it possible to get widescreen out of a PC? I also wasn’t sure what resolution to run the PC at or what software to use for the video output. I've had a quick look at wmvhd.com but remain a bit confused.

4.How did you check the geometry? I’m not unhappy with the picture but would be interested all the same. What should I look for in the image. You asked Andy to PM you but I’m not sure what that means! (sorry to be thick).

5.Finally, how do you connect your DVD player and what make is it. I’m thinking about upgrading mine but am not sure which connection method I should use. I currently use RGB on one of the scarts.

Any guidance you can give would be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

Ashley

p.s. You don't know where I could get the remote control codes for use with a Pronto do you?

[Hellicopter]

I'm not sure whether I can cope with being an authority on anything but I'll try and answer your questions anyway. I do not have a deep technical knowledge but other subscribers will no doubt correct any mistakes I make.

1. The natural resolution of the Axiom is 1280 x 720. This means that any picture fed to it with a lower resolution is scaled up to this level. For example, a pal picture has 625 horizontal lines (well, 576 actually, but I won't complicate it). This then is converted by the TV to 720. You can sometimes see the effect of this in very small steps showing up on a diagonal line. In a higher resolution picture, this would be smoother.

2. When Sky does transmit HD sometime in 2006, or maybe 2007, your TV should be OK. However, you may have noticed that the Sagem does not always handle well the transition from NTSC to PAL. This is because the refreshment rate of NTSC is 60 HZ whilst PAL is 50 HZ. Sky is likely to use 50 HZ (the same as Euro 1080). Likewise, I think it is unlikely that the new Sky HD box will have DVI out as well as component. For more info., have a look at the postings on the HD Forum under the heading of "Qualitv".

3. Perhaps the easiest way of getting high-def material currently is using a Qualitv satellite box for Euro 1080. I've not experimented with downloading material as I do not have a fast enough PC. There will shortly be on the market DVD players capable of showing WMVHD discs.

4. If you are happy with your picture, I would not look too hard for geometry problems as, once you've seen them, they will drive you mad! However, a perfect picture will have straight horizontal and vertical lines with perfect circles on the appropriate test card. (PM = personal email.)

5. In view of the development I've mentioned in (3), I would definitely hold off from buying a new DVD player. Because of the quality of the TV, you will notice very little improvement from one current DVD player to another. (My DVD player is a Samsung 935 with DVI output.)

Hope the above helps.

Alan

[acanning]

Hi Alan

Thanks very much for your rapid reply.

Sorry to be a pain but I don’t quite understand a couple of your answers.

1.Why would the changeover issue between PAL and NTSC be a problem for SKY HD. Will they broadcast in a different format?

2.I was thinking of getting the Samsung player because of it’s relatively cheap price and the DVI output. Does it remember that you can’t use HDCP or do you need to tell it each time you watch a disk? Do you find the DVI input to be considerably better than RGB or Component?

3.I’ll give the geometry thing a miss – thanks for the advice.

4.Do you know anything about the remote control codes for use on a Pronto.

Sorry to be a bore but your help is appreciated.

Regards

Ashley

[Hellicopter]

1.On my Sagem at least , 50hz inputs into Component and VGA cause a problem though DVI is fine.Have a look in the HD forum here in AV forums for more detail.It is not clear whether this is a sat box problem or a TV one.It is however mentioned on the French Sagem forum(this is is a good source of info)
If this situation continues and the Sky Box does not have a DVI output there may be problems.

2.With the Samsung 935 , there is no HDCP problem even though the Sagem lacks it.The difference in the picture through DVI is not great because of the quality of the scaler in the Sagem.Some people , more expert than I , reckon the Sagem is best fed an interlaced picture to allow the scaler in the TV to do the rest rather than the DVD player.

3.Good decision.

4.Not tried to use the Pronto.Worth checking on 'remote central' to see whether anybody else has.Input select maybe a pain as the only access is to cycle through rather than go direct and as far as I can see the inputs cannot be allocated a channel number (which can be done on Sony TVs for example.)

Hope this helps.

Alan

[acanning]

Alan

I'm going to leave you in peace now except for one last thing. Please could you tell me the url of the french Sagem forum. I've had a quick search via yahoo and can't find it.

Many Thanks, you really have been helpful.

Ashley

[Hellicopter]

Don't worry.Always happy to help.Let us all know of your own experiences in the coming weeks and months as the HD bandwagon rolls.French site is here.

http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29707571&start=1485

[acanning]

Thanks once again, all I have to do now is find that french phrase book!!

[jonwilde]

How much better is the Sagem compared to the LG DLP rear projector at the moment, has anyone compared them together ?

Jon

[Mad Mikeyboy]

one of my mates bought the LG, and I have the sagem. I dont know if im just biased, but to me the Sagem is way better.

About the only thing I can say in favour of the LG, is that it has the glass screen and the Sagem has the flimsy plastic one. on the other hand the plastic screen is non reflective so its a personal choice there.

The sagem also wins on connectivity,sound quality,overall looks..........

make up your own mind.

[TheBoingoBandit]

Well there I was all ready to spend £3.5k on a Panasonic 42" HD panel & I went & dropped in Comet & was gob-smacked by the HD demo on the Sagem Axium they had in there.




I saw the Axium in Comet today too.


I'm presuming that Sagem themselves came in and installed it. It made every other TV each being fed a crappy composite signal look complete pants.


I mocked the fact the store where I work brought in a 'old technology' rear projection, but like you I was gob-smacked when I saw high-def running through it. I haven't seen high-def being demoed for many years. And that was 'only' 1280 x 720 too.

One of the best rear-pro's I've ever seen.

[Lizzard]

Time comes and go and Thomson is releasing new DLP HD2 RPTVs in September with a design that the Sagem doesn't come close to, also the Thomson is only 18cm deep.

This will compete directly with plasma, only that they produce a better picture due to the TI HD2 chip.

I am for sure waiting for these.

http://mapage.noos.fr/hdr/Thomson.jpg

[Mike.Smith]

I have just bought a sagem axium. I hooked it up to a denon 500 sd and tried switching to progessive scan. when I did the screen was distorted on the axium although interlaced is fine - can anyone help?

[shortround]

are you hooking up by component? looking at the specs of the axium, it seems to suggest that only 1 of the 2 component inputs will accept progressive scan. are you sure you have it connected to the correct one?

[thecasementkid]

I have just spent an hour in John Lewis in amazement looking at the Axium....

Realising they will only show it off using the best input quality available, has anyone any experience with it using say a sky+ box or a standard dvd player. It the picture still jaw-dropping?

[Mad Mikeyboy]

As you will see from previous replies posted in this thread, Im a big fan of the Sagem having just bought one a few weeks ago.
As you would expext the pictures through sky are not great but neither are they poor.

DVD is superb!! My player is a bog standard Panasonic cinema system and although not perfect it is near as dammit. Although I expect a trained eye may find faults with it but my untrained eye thinks its the mutts nutts. :smashin:

[Hellicopter]

Good to know that the Sagem is now getting wider availability than just Comet.I would expect the price to drop.This has already occurred in France.
As regards Sky,fed through the Scart Rgb ,it is very good compared to a normal TV but not as good as DVD .Of course the tighter the picture the more broadcast picture defects show up.
Re future Dlp sets , the Thomson is available already in France and has been criticised for poor contrast and no VGA input.To anybody though I would say see it yourself before deciding.
I would expect the new Samsungs,due in September to be strong competition for the Sagem.
Finally I would commend to everybody the customer service from Sagem.On a number of queries from me they have been very responsive and helpful.

[Ed Selley]

Resurrecting this thread as I too have been treated to the Axium running on that demo. Are you owners out there still happy? More specifically, are any of you running a DVD picture through the DVI? I am hoping (emphasis on hope) to pair this unit with a Marantz DV8400 via DVI (finances pending).

The other question is the killer. Who other than Comet sells it? I have nothing major against them for cameras etc but don't want to fork out the best part of £3k with them unless I absolutely have to. Did one of you say John Lewis? (Or even better are Alders in on the sale as well?).

[TheBoingoBandit]

Resurrecting this thread as I too have been treated to the Axium running on that demo. Are you owners out there still happy? More specifically, are any of you running a DVD picture through the DVI? I am hoping (emphasis on hope) to pair this unit with a Marantz DV8400 via DVI (finances pending).

The other question is the killer. Who other than Comet sells it? I have nothing major against them for cameras etc but don't want to fork out the best part of £3k with them unless I absolutely have to. Did one of you say John Lewis? (Or even better are Alders in on the sale as well?).



John Lewis at Oxford Street has got them.

[Hellicopter]

Still very happy with the Sagem but you should be aware that new Samsungs DLPs are due next month.They are now shown on the UK website.
Am using Samsung 935 DVD player into DVI amongst other things.

[Ed Selley]

Thanks for the answers people :). Got to do some financial work and see where it goes from there.

[acanning]

Hi

You need to be aware that the Sagem does not have any support for HDCP so you will need to partner it with a DVD player where HDCP can be disabled. I am not aware of many models which do this although I know that the Samsung player Helicopter is using can be disabled. I very much doubt the Marantz player will allow the protection to be disabled.

Apart from that, I have a Sagem and think that it is absolutely fantastic and I'm using an old Sony DVD player with an RGB scart connection. One day I will upgrade to a player with a component output. Probably won't bother with a player capable of progressive scan as the Sagem seems to do that bit very well. There are several threads which discuss the various connection methods possible with the Sagem - try doing a search using the word Axium.

The picture quality with Sky can sometimes be very good although it often shows some pixilation but I believe that is a problem with Sky and not a symptom of the Sagem. When Sky Hi Def arrives the picture should be awesome.

Regards

[Ed Selley]

You need to be aware that the Sagem does not have any support for HDCP so you will need to partner it with a DVD player where HDCP can be disabled.

Thanks for the heads up. It would spoil my entire day if this is the case.

The picture quality with Sky can sometimes be very good although it often shows some pixilation but I believe that is a problem with Sky and not a symptom of the Sagem. When Sky Hi Def arrives the picture should be awesome.

This is the intention. In the meantime, I will probably use an RGB-YUV convertor on my box as this has had a positive effect on other screens I've seen it used.

[phunt]

Still very happy with the Sagem but you should be aware that new Samsungs DLPs are due next month.They are now shown on the UK website.
Am using Samsung 935 DVD player into DVI amongst other things.

Ive just been to the samsung site to look at the DLP's but when i put the model number (SP46L3HX) into google it brings up an LCD rear projection :confused: Here (http://audiovisual.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/sbs/100311823/10481824.html) is an example. Can anyone explain this? and does anyone have any idea of the price these DLP samsungs are going to be?

[pipcat]

Hi Phunt: I think the Samsung DLP you are looking for is the SP-50L7H. Look here for more info:
http://av.samsung.de/article.asp?artid=CA6F727B-755E-41CD-9E7B-9C3968300B24&show=specs

With a contrast ratio of 2500:1 and an integrated stand, looks interesting. Still waiting to see it in action though.

Re the Sagem: I had also been interested in this and went to my local big electronics shop to see one and must say I was disappointed. The feed was via an S-VHS cable (i.e. not using component), but even so I was surprised how jagged some curved lines were, and it also had strange faint horizontal lines. Was also not noticably brighter than other rear projections, even given the high specs.

Source was a DVD player playing a special promotional Samsung DVD (i.e. one designed to show off good qualities of a TV). Maybe a configuration problem, but compared to all the other RPros showing the same program there was nothing to get excited about. From looking at other reviews here I guess that I was not seeing it at its best, but even so was disappointed as it was on my short list (along with the Loewe, Samsung and Thomson ones).

Re the DVI input: I vaguely remember reading something that this was only designed as a PC input - not a full featured DVD etc. input. Not sure what impact this has. Anyone else care to comment on this?

Pipcat

[AV Junky]

Ive just been to the samsung site to look at the DLP's but when i put the model number (SP46L3HX) into google it brings up an LCD rear projection :confused: Here (http://audiovisual.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/sbs/100311823/10481824.html) is an example. Can anyone explain this? and does anyone have any idea of the price these DLP samsungs are going to be?

The new DLP TV models are there on the Samsung UK site. Keep looking. They have cocked-up on the pictures, as they have shown both the 50" models as being the same design (which defeats the whole point of having two different ones at this size!). The specs are also pretty basic at this point. Assuming they will sort it out nearer to release date.

Have seen press releases from Samsung where scecs have been given for the up-coming sets. The cheaper two models are based on the HD2+ chipset IIRC, with the more expensive (and different design) model using HD3. This is of course yet to be confirmed.

MRPs are given in the HCC news report click here (http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/shownews.php?id=6736)

[phunt]

The new DLP TV models are there on the Samsung UK site. Keep looking. They have cocked-up on the pictures, as they have shown both the 50" models as being the same design (which defeats the whole point of having two different ones at this size!).

Sorry i think youve misunderstood me,I already found the DLP sets on the UK site Here (http://www.samsungelectronics.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecuk/product/product_detail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0387840296.109 3372328@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadcmgddhddhcfekcefedffgdfmh.0&categoryPath=%2fSEUK+Products%2fHome+Entertainment %2fTV%2fDLP&prodID=SP50L3HXXEU) but the model number shown for the set (SP50L3HX) brings up the LCD rear pro in a google search....have they also cocked up on the model numbers aswell as the pics?

[AV Junky]

I was also confused by the model numbers. The format matches their current LCD models. The DLP models in the States have quite different model number formats.

Personally I'm waiting until nearer the time, when things become a bit more 'concrete'.

Try Googling using Samsung DLP TV etc to find the press release stuff.

[marrez]

I got my axium today - i was wondering if you guys who have them already could help me out :)

Im using my sony davs 800 through s-video - would i see much of a difference if i got a Samsung DVI player?

Im also having problems getting the picture setting correct, the brights are too bright, could someone suggest some settings for me to try out?

Any other hints/tips would be appreciated. Does the set take time to settle in at all? Its my first RP TV so im afraid im a total newbie when it comes to this.

[Hellicopter]

I am sure you will enjoy your new TV.The Samsung DVD player will only make a minor difference ( I use one) because the scaler in the Axium is so good.
More informed opinion on this forum even suggests that the best DVD feed is interlaced to allow the Axium to do all the work.

As regards the settings , you will in time get used to the brightness ( where white is white rather than grey) so give it time.

I will check my settings when I get home tomorrow but from memory the user settings (which I use ) are set very close to 50.I do remember that for DVI I have set the tint at slightly less than 50.

There appears to be no settling in period.

Let me know if you hit any problems

[marrez]

thanks for the reply - i wasnt that impressed with the dvd picture on my davs 800 - but i wondered if that was due to it being through s-video and not rgb scart - do you reckon it would make any difference? Ive got an HTPC coming this week to put onto the DVI, so i may just watch dvd's through that.

Back to the scaler - i thought only the pc and the progressive scan sockets had upward scaling (according to the book anyway).

Did you have any luck finding the codes to get your sky+ control controlling the tv? :)

I also have to say, im pleasantly surprised with the quality of the picture on Sky, i have to admit to being quite worried going from a sony nx100 32" that the quality would annoy me, and on normal tv viewing it would - but sky through rgb looks great, im about to watch my first footie game on , the true test :)

[Radioactive__Man]

stuff the footy show us pics of the XBOX hooked up :)

[marrez]

i will once i actually get HDTV working on it, at the moment ive only got a dashboard working in 720i :)

[Hellicopter]

Marrez-The RGB input may help.Presumably you will feed the DVD via the HTPC into DVI.

As regards the scaling,the Sagem upscales any input to its natural resolution no matter what the source.

Let us know how you get on.

Alan

[marrez]

well i went to buy a cable, the monster cable was £45 - then i noticed a £44.99 samsung dvd player with progressive scan, so i bought that instead of the cable, thinking, if the cable made no difference id be mad at wasting £45.

The DVD player looks a bit better, but its marginal. I guess ill see a real difference when my HTPC is setup running dvd. There are 2 modes on the dvd player composite - I and composite P - composite P (i take is progressive) gives a small black bar at the bottom, and it annoys me, so im running composite I, cant tell a difference between the 2 pictures though.

I gave up on xbox, i got HDTV working in my frontend, but it reverts to normal mode while in games, im thinking its the crappy cable i borrowed off a friend, ive got a pucker xbox HDTV pack coming from japan that should hopefully do the trick.

[Radioactive__Man]

damn you Marrez, give me my crappy cable back then you unthankful git :)

[marrez]

found out the problem, and unfortuately there is no fix - for progressive scan modes in xbox i need to be in ntsc mode, which lets me run menus fine, but when loading games, i revert to non progressive scan. To play games with PS enabled i need to be in PAL mode - but as microsoft havent released a pal update to their dashboard to enable HDTV modes (only jap/us) im screwed basically, will have to wait for a release of that or alternatively wait for xbox 2 :( :censored:

[AV Junky]

Only US-sourced games are HDTV compatible at the moment. There are many users around who have posted details on how to have the X-box modded for NTSC etc to get access to HD resolutions. PAL discs have never been supported. Bear in mind that Sky only announced the first (proper) HDTV service a couple of weeks ago, and that's in 2006. As far as the MS games developers are concerned, nobody in Europe even knows what HDTV is!

As far as the DVD player is concerned - to get a decent prog-scan picture (good enough for a 50" screen), you need at least a mid-level player (~£200 upwards) connected to the set with good quality component leads (you mentioned composite there - I hope that was a typo!). Anything less than this, and you're not going to see any benefit. The set already has a first-rate de-interlacer chip built-in. For the moment, I would stick to an RGB-scart connection to the set. Use a DECENT lead - £40 is not a lot of money for connecting up to a 50" set costing £2800.

When you're ready for an upgrade, go for either a mid-range prog-scan DVD, or one of the new models with either DVI or HDMI for an all-digital connection.

[marrez]

my xbox is modded for NTSC - and I am playing US games, but it does not play them in progressive scan mode, I think this is because the actual TV is only capable of doing so in PAL and not in NTSC, although it is strange, as I can get the customised dashboard to display in 720p no problem, but when a game is loaded, its back to non progressive scan.

Sorry, I meant to say component, not composite.

My TV also seems to have a blue tinge - particularly when watching football on the big screen, this really annoys me, ive played with cold/warm/neutral, contrast, brightness, basically everything that i have tried i cannot fix it. Is this a known thing with this set, or maybe i have a problem with mine?

[AV Junky]

I'll let Hellicopter answer the colour question, since he owns the set.

Specs for the Axium confirm that it accepts prog-scan for both NTSC (480p) and PAL (576p). It must be the set up on the X-Box that's causing the problem. Just to re-affirm, you are using games that are marked as HDTV-output compatible? The box will not take every NTSC format game and up-convert it to 480p/720p if the game was not written for those formats.

[marrez]

yeah ive tried quite a few games - the only problem i could think then is that its maybe the 3rd party component cable im using, ive got a official MS HD pack coming, so ill find out soon enough if that is the problem or not :)

[Hellicopter]

There is no 'blue ' issue on my Sagem so most likely it is specific to your set.
Have you compared it with display models in Comet or used a set up disc such as Avia or DVE?

Alan

[marrez]

i dont have a setup disc unfortunately, but today, im certainly a much much happier bunny :).

I havent watched any football yet, but i rearranged my living room, previously, i had the set in the middle of it, about 5 feet from my couch. Ive now moved it to the corner, and im about 10 feet from the couch and the picture quality is much better, ive also changed to a gold scart lead for sky, with a much shorter run.

My official xbox cable came today as well, and ive got progressive scan working on my ntsc games, so the other component cable i had must have been guff after all ;)
It looks amazing now, although i think this is partly due the extra distance ive put between myself and the tv, obviously i was just too close before. I played Star Wars attack of the clones earlier on the progressive scan dvd player and the picture quality was amazing on it, again, im putting that down to the distance, when i walk closer to the set, the closer i go, the picture starts to deteriorate. But i literally couldnt find fault playing the dvd, it was better than i even hoped it would be when i ordered the TV.

So basically, in the space of one day, ive gone from thoughts of returning the tv, to fixing all my problems, im a happy bunny :)

Where would i obtain one of the discs?

[Hellicopter]

Am pleased to hear you have solved the problem so may be you do not need the disc.

It's bound to show up a flaw you did not know you had !

Anyway both are available from Amazon.Digital Video Essentials is available in PAL or NTSC,Avia is only in NTSC.

[marrez]

Ill pick one up. Football still dosent look brilliant, wish sky would hurry up and get their HDTV service up so i could watch footie properly :)

[marrez]

hellicopter, when you are on AV7 - progressive scan component, do you get a shimmering? Ive noticed when its in the dvd menu that the display shimmers ever so slightly.

[Hellicopter]

Never noticed this.Have you tried component interlaced into AV6 to let the Sagem Deinterlacer (Faroudja) do the work?

[Hellicopter]

Thinking about it a bit more,on a static picture such as a menu or graphic, this may be the effect of the upscaling to the Sagem's natural resolution.
Should not happen with moving picures and certainly does not happen with high def pictures!

[marrez]

i only see it on static menu's on AV7 - with high def modes enabled, both on the xbox menu - and on my cheapo dvd player with P-Scan enabled. P Scan looks noticely better than I-Scan, i really wish it had an extra P Scan component port, it would make life a lot easier, its funny when you think your gonna have more inputs than you would ever need, you always need one more :)

I have a friend coming round next week with his new arcam £1000 dvd player with DVI input, so ill see what the difference could be before shelling out on a new dvd player. (im secretly hoping my player will be better though :) )

[acanning]

Remember that the Sagem doesn't have HDCP so it probably won't work with the Arcam player through DVI!!

[marrez]

what exactly is HDCP ?

What other DVD players enable switching this off?

[r47463]

what exactly is HDCP ?


This site seems to explain HDCP:

http://www.projectorpeople.com/tutorials/HDCP_DVI.asp

Without HDCP the devices that can be connected via the DVI interface could be quite limited.

[marrez]

ah great stuff - im going to buy hellicopters 935 sammy (once they come back in stock) ive gifted the ps one i bought last week to my old man. You can manually disable HDCP on that (i think i read helli say so)

[Hellicopter]

It is not a manual disable.It simply ignores the lack of HDCP and passes the picture through the DVI input.Confirmed by me and loads of French users.
Alan

[r47463]

Well the Sagem Axium appears to be only a myth up here in the North East! Tonight I visited two retails parks both with large Comet and Currys stores hoping to see an Axium and there was nothing. Currys had a much better selection of screens though. The rear projection sets that were there were enourmous and it was good to get an idea of just how big 50" is. The rear projection sets do appear to be inherently dimmer than CRT/Plasma/LCD. Is this still an issue with DLP RPTV? Hopefully the John Lewis in Newcastle has one on show.

[marrez]

you actually cant get an idea of how big 50" is till you get it in your house r47463 :) I was in comet today, buying a kameleon all in one for my axium/sky/dvd and it dosent look very big in the massive shop ;)

Btw: the code for the kameleon is 0830 - but you have to send it to one for all to program it for you, FOC which i did today, so ill soon have one control controlling axium/sky plus etc - not sure if that code works for sky+ control tho.

[showcase]

Hi can anyone help me

i have the sagem axium 50", well i connected my pc to it through a dvi-d cable and can only get 4:3 picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the confusing thing is, i had the sagem engineer in before i set up my pc cuz, the prob i had with the tv at that time, the picture was grainy around the writing and people on every sky digital channel, well sorted that out. he connected his pc to my sagem and he got full 16:9 pic............................
i rang sagem and he suggested to download powerstrip, i cannot find the software anywhere and i'm not going to pay for it. the powerstrip website is under constraction for the past month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the anoying thing is.... i have a radeon 9700 pro graphics, one of the best and i can use any resolution and hrtz, so what difference will power strip do???????????????????

sorry about the essay, but had to explain
can any1 help?

[AV Junky]

Just checked the specs for the Sagem. No native support for widescreen PC displays, suggesting that the scaler in the set doesn't handle them. Would therefore require some 'tweeking' to make a widescreen desktop etc map correctly to the screen.

[Hellicopter]

Re number of component inputs on the Sagem , Maplins sell a a switching unit with 3 out and 1 in for 3 phonos .This works very well for component and ,as it is mechanical not electrical ,it works in either direction with no loss of signal.I use it to switch between the Samsung DVD player and the HD box into AV7.

Re 16:9 into DVI there is guidance on the Sagem site but it is in French!

[Demon]

Wow.. I saw the Sagem in comet today.. pretty spectacular.. I don't like the price of plasma (for a 50" screen).. and although I love my 51" Tosh RPTV, its superb for DVD, just not so good for PC/Console stuff.. and of course, it ain't HD capable..

I was looking around at the Sagem specs, and noticed some more info on the new Tosh range..

Tosh DLP RPTV (http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/shownews.php?id=6903)

with HDMI, 1080P, etc, it sounds we are starting to be spoiled for choice...

[Jimmyjazz]

:lease:

Hi Folks

Deep breath, big story coming up. Here we go :

I’m considering buying the Sagem Axium 50 inch DLP TV.

Firstly, a big thank you to the forum members who have already helped me to understand the basics of DLP + related issues.

I’m swithering between a Sagem Axium and one of the new Samsungs.
All the reports I’ve heard about the Sagem are good – great even, so why the swithering ? HDMI and HDCP is the reason !

As a raw beginner I knew nothing about nothing until recently.
Thanks to forum members and some research I’ve now got a grasp of the basics.
One of the things I learned about, HDMI, has probably already been discussed on this forum. As a fast, high quality video feed its something we all might benefit from but not necessarily need. But, when it has HDCP ( Copy protection ) built in, its something that might prove essential – even if we don’t want it.

The Sagem doesn’t have either HDMI or HDCP. The new Samsungs have HDMI but might not have HDCP.

Why might HDMI / HDCP be essential ?

It looks like most, if not all, DVD players + Recorders + PCs etc will soon be manufactured with HDMI sockets. That wouldn’t pose a problem IF DVD players etc come equipped for the next 10 years with Scart sockets + Component Video sockets.
( 7 to 10 years being the hoped for life-span of you newly purchased Sagem or other equipment which lacks HDMI / HDCP )

However, if all hardware manufacturers stop including Scart + Component Video sockets in, say, the next 3 to 5 years then how do you connect a new DVD or PC etc to your Sagem ?

Of course, it could be that the manufacturers will provide DVI along with HDMI but if the DVI also has HDCP built into it then you won’t be able to use that new PC or DVD player with the Sagem.

Of course, this HDMI / HDCP prob doesn’t just affect Sagem owners. It affects anybody who owns a non HDMI or non compliant HDCP machine.

Call me paranoid but £2,500 for a Sagem is a serious pile of cash. And it wouldn’t be the first time that an ‘old’ technology was swiftly replaced with the latest thing only to leave a lot of people high and dry. ( Betamax anybody ? )

So, to my questions ( yes, finally )

1 Does anybody know if the new Samsung SP50L7HX has HDCP ?
2 Does anybody have any idea about general manufacturer policy in respect of HDMI and the older Connections ? i.e. Will they continue to provide Scart + Component Video + DVI ( with no HDCP ) for the life of our non HDMI / HDCP compliant equipment ?

I doubt there can be any clear answer to the latter question but I’d appreciate any thoughts or info that any of you folks might have.

Thanks.

Jimmy


My Equipment :
Philips r80 DVD recorder. Philips 728 DVD player.
Sony digi box. vtx d800u. Echostar 3600 AD Satellite receiver.

[locky79]

hello everyone, well i popped into my local store on port track lane in mboro and i was speaking to the general manager about rear projections.

i was talking about the LG but he said they dont supply them so i asked them about the samsung. he told me its been out for 10 days and then told me to get the new toshiba which he said is out maybe in 10 days so he gave me his card. he told me the toshiba is the beast so hopefully he is right, but he quoted me £2000 on the toshiba some lets see which is better.. samsung or the toshiba.....

arghh i really want a new TV!!! ive been using a 21" fish bowl called grundig not a pretty sight. :(

[Jimmyjazz]

Socket it too me, Update.

Just discovered that Samsung’s SP50L7HX has HDMI with HDCP.

I posted a similar message to my earlier one ( Sagem Questions - 29.09.04 ) in Cables and cabling / The Great HDMI- HDCP Dilemma. The consensus is that HDCP will eventually be built into every Hi Def source. Many of the more experienced members will already know all about that. But as one expert predicts, there might also be probs with non HDCP equipment being unable to talk to HDCP compliant equipment.
A quandary for those of us interested in the Sagem and other non HDCP compliant equipment.


Jimmy

[lardy]

Yeah, trying to find these Sagems in local (Coventry) stores is not fun - Comet's phone line is not useful for checking this out.....how do I check the store has one?? :mad:
Anyway my tale of woe is that we are due to extend the living room so I can get a new TV..., erm no so the wife can push the sofas around..., and I was hoping the 12yr old Sony 25" would survive for a few more weeks but the day the planning comes through the sound dies and all 3 AV inputs disappear (picture's still bl :eek: dy good though).
Now resorted to freeview via VCR and RF to TV plus sound via Hi-Fi. Can't get any watchable DVD signal though (as Macro probs). Hence I am really chomping at the bit to get a new DLP - might even resort to reeling in the old LG DVD player (with RF) from the old man.
Getting to the point - anyone know how much the Tosh 46" DLP is going to cost as it seems the ideal size for us...??
Now "Must resist, must resit..... " :devil:

[Jimmyjazz]

Hi Lardy

I phoned Toshiba a few days ago :
( 08704 424 424 : 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday )
They told me that the ‘46wm48’ ( Don’t know what the 48 means ) will be released in October and will retail at around £2,000. That price might be accurate but I take it with a pinch of salt until I see it.

They said it might have HDMI but probably not HDCP

It will have :
Dlp with HD
3 scarts – 2 with RGB
Component video
1,000:1 ratio

Hope your lounge extension goes to plan. As to ‘Ideal size’ In case it helps, here is a link for Screen sizes and Viewing Distances. Ignore the ‘Regular TV’ Table. Check out the one underneath ‘Widescreen’ ( = Plasma, DLP etc )
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7608_7-1016109-2.html?tag=tnav

Jimmy

[lardy]

Thanx Jimmy, I'll hold my breath for a bit before a decision is made - and read more around the forums.

[JohnMulcahy]

Jimmy, whilst it is theoretically possible for a set to offer HDMI without HDCP (i.e. the HDMI licensing agreement does not actually insist on HDCP) in practice all the HDMI interface ICs also have HDCP support and therefore the manufacturer must license both to be able to buy the devices. If a set has HDMI, it will have HDCP support. IMO it would be a mistake to buy a TV that does not have either DVI+HDCP, HDMI or both.

I have the SP50L7HX BTW, it is a very good set.

[Jimmyjazz]

Hi John

:smashin:

Thanks for the info re HDMI / HDCP.

Intrigued to learn that you have the SP50.

I can’t decide between the Samsung and the Sagem.
You might be able to help me. For instance, would you know of any reason why the Samsung is better than the Sagem ? ( apart from the obvious HDMI / HDCP )

Is there a review of the Samsung somewhere ? ( I’ve searched and I’ve searched )

Is the Samsung chip at least HD2+ or better ? ( I e mailed and phoned but they don’t know )

Thanks

Jimmy

[JohnMulcahy]

The Samsung is HD2+ with a 7-segment colour wheel whereas the Sagem is HD2 (I believe Sagem have an HD2+ version in the works). You can find info from owners of the US version of the set, the HLP 5085W, at AVS Forums. I haven't come across any reviews of the set, though it has won the EISA projection television award for 2004/2005, FWIW. If you haven't come across the following site, it has more info on DLPs in general: http://www.digiupdate.com/105_DLP_RPTV.html - it is getting a little out of date though as the gentleman who produced the site died in an accident earlier in the year. Note that, contrary to the preliminary info on that site, the SP50 has the FLI2310 de-interlacer rather than the FLI2300 and the UK models have a single HDMI input for HDMI/DVI duty, whereas the US versions have separate HDMI and DVI connectors. There are 3 SCARTs (2 of which support RGB), a PC VGA input (accepts VGA, SVGA or XGA), 1 YPbPr input (480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080i), 1 S-video and 1 composite video.

[Jimmyjazz]

Wow !
Whole load of good info there. Thanks John. :thumbsup:

Thanks also for the web link. Pity about the single socket for HDMI / DVI.

I’m still not sure whether to go for the Samsung or the Sagem.
If you are able, I’d appreciate it if you can answer any of these questions :

1 In your opinion does the Samsung have a better picture than the Sagem ?

2 Does the HD2+ make a big difference compared to the HD2 ?

3 Do you know how much a replacement lamp costs for the SP50 ? ( I know the Sagem lamp costs £381. )

4 As HDMI / DVI are sharing the same socket on the Samsung, is there a special adapter which allows you to connect two sources ( eg DVD player + PC ) without loss of quality or are you expected to swap cables every time you need to change sources ?

5 Can the Samsung receive HD TV ?

6 Not knowing anything about the colour wheel I’m presuming that a 7-segment colour wheel is top stuff. Do you know if the Sagem has one ?

Ta very much

Jimmy

[JohnMulcahy]

1 In your opinion does the Samsung have a better picture than the Sagem ?

2 Does the HD2+ make a big difference compared to the HD2 ?

3 Do you know how much a replacement lamp costs for the SP50 ? ( I know the Sagem lamp costs £381. )

4 As HDMI / DVI are sharing the same socket on the Samsung, is there a special adapter which allows you to connect two sources ( eg DVD player + PC ) without loss of quality or are you expected to swap cables every time you need to change sources ?

5 Can the Samsung receive HD TV ?

6 Not knowing anything about the colour wheel I’m presuming that a 7-segment colour wheel is top stuff. Do you know if the Sagem has one ?

1,2. I've never seen the Sagem and Samsung side-by-side, but HD2+ provides the potential for a better picture due to much higher contrast ratio than HD2 (2500:1 vs 1000:1).

3. No idea, ask Samsung. Lamp life should be around 8,000h.

4. To accommodate more than 1 digital source you will either have to swap cables or use an external multiplexer (e.g. Gefen, or external scaler with multiple DVI inputs).

5. It accepts HD resolutions on its HDMI, YPbPr and PC inputs. Any HDTV transmission would first need to be decoded by an appropriate sat receiver or STB, of course.

6. Current Sagem, like all HD2 sets, is a 6-segment wheel. The 7-segment wheel improves shadow detail and reproduction of black and near-black.

HTH.

[AV Junky]

As mentioned above, there are already HDMI switching boxes available. There is a regular advert which appears in most of the specialist mags. You would just need a DVI-HDMI converter before the HDMI switch if you are using a DVI source.

[Jimmyjazz]

Thanks for answering all those questions John. I’m a wee bitty wiser now.

Good to hear from AV Junky that there might be a solution to the single HDMI socket.
Do the HDMI switch boxes cause any loss of quality ?
Also, do they affect the HDCP in the TV’s HDMI socket ?

Jimmy

[JohnMulcahy]

There should be no loss of quality with an HDMI switcher. The switcher will need to support HDCP (a given if it has HDMI connections), then there should be no problems with HDCP-protected sources.

As a technical aside, in principle switching HDCP-protected material can be a little tricky as the HDCP spec requires that authentication be passed right through the chain between display device and original source, with DVI+HDCP this was usually not carried out (not least because until recently the DVI+HDCP interface devices did not support the repeater bit which is required for this), i.e. the switcher would pretend to the source that it was the display and pretend to the display that it was the source. Neither source not display are any the wiser and everything works just fine, but in principle this would mean that a display with a revoked license would not be detectable by the source, which is against the HDCP licensing requirement. Devices using HDMI interfaces should support the original intent of the HDCP license, however. None of this will matter to you though, just plug in the cables and all should work just fine.

[Hellicopter]

Saw the Samsung at a Currys today and was slightly disappointed.Top of picture had distinct dip, suggesting horizontal geometry problems from the lens.This can be a problem with any DLP but I have managed to get the Sagem pretty cock on.

Noticed that there is a single HDMI input which is labelled HDMI/DVI just to confuse so a DVI to HDMI adapter will be required.

On the HCC website,is a mention of the Optoma 65" due at end of this month.The choice is certainly increasing.

[Jimmyjazz]

Thanks John.

That’s what I call in-depth knowledge.
Does that mean you can leave 2 or 3 sources connected permanently ? Eg your DVD player and PC and Games console ?

Have you suffered or seen any of the horizontal geometry probs that Helicopter witnessed ?

Hi Helicopter.

Still haven’t decided between the Sammy and the Sagem. Thanks for the report on the SP50. I haven’t been able to see one yet. Disappointed to hear about the horizontal geometry problems. Can that be tweaked by the owner or is it non rectifiable ?

Also, do you think that fault will be on every Samsung SP50 or just on the one you saw ?

If you don’t mind a final question;
( the top of picture dip aside, ) did you think the Samsung’s picture was better than your Sagem ? ( allowing for the fact that you’ve fined tuned your box to heavenly perfection )

As John points out, the Samsung has the superior chip and a 7 as opposed to 6 segment colour wheel so, in theory at least, there should be a noticeable difference between that and the Sagem.

Jimmy

[Hellicopter]

Re the Geometry,it is adjustable mechanically on the Sagem.Don't know about the Samsung.You will have to search the American site for any clues on this.

I agree with John that the Samsung should be better with the newer chip.
Given that Currys were using a standard DVD it was impossible to judge.Think you will need to wait for the reviews for this .

Alan

[JohnMulcahy]

Thanks John.
Does that mean you can leave 2 or 3 sources connected permanently ? Eg your DVD player and PC and Games console ?

Have you suffered or seen any of the horizontal geometry probs that Helicopter witnessed ?

Yes, your various digital sources would be permanently connected to the external mux and the mux's output would go to the Samsung's HDMI connector. Of course if your PC or console have analog rather than DVI outputs you can just connect them directly to the set's PC or component inputs.

My set has no horizontal geometry problems and no bowing of the image. There is a slight vertical stretch on 576p images via HDMI, i.e. the aspect ratio is a couple of percent off - you need a test pattern to notice it though. It is worth noting that on all RP sets it is important to look at the image at the same height as the middle of the screen or thereabouts, if looking from above (for example) there will be distortions due to the way the lenses are configured.

[SteveB7]

Hi, have just joined this forum having taken delivery of an Axium today - yes, the Comet HD demo did for me as well, but I am well pleased with what I've got.

This is probably a really simple question for this forum, but does anyone know what the code is to get my Sky+ remote controlling the Axium's volume etc?

Post the answer if you know, or email me at ssboland@aol.com

Thanks!

Steve

[JonComer]

Hi all,

Have just joined this forum. I went to buy a plasma TV from Comet in Hamilton, but the salesman whisked me to the back of the shop to show me the Sagem. Yes, I was blown away. But before I bought it, I came back and did some internet searching on it, which is how I came across this forum. I couldn't see any really negative posts about it so I went back and ordered it.

It arrived last Tuesday, was set up by the nice man from Comet and then I was left to watch it. Fantastic picture until........it just decided to switch itself off on Wednesday evening!! It wouldn't come back on. I checked fuses and mains leads and they were ok, so I'm now waiting for a replacement from Comet. They wanted to send a repair engineer but I insisted on a replacement, after all, it was only 1 day old!

I'm not exactly filled with confidence about this TV now. Has anybody else had, or heard of, any major problems with this set?

Jon

[Jimmyjazz]

Hi Jon

Sorry to hear about your Sagem problem. Presumably its just a one-off and your replacement set will work perfectly.

I've still to decide on a Sagem or Samsung. I've done some research and haven't heard of any major probs with the Sagem. Quite the oposite, glowing reports abound.

However, there are others on the forum who own a Sagem and know a lot more than most of us about the technical Ins and Outs and potential for probs. Maybe one of those highly informed guys or girls can enlighten you.

Jimmy

[Jimmyjazz]

Geometry Adjustment on the Samsung 50 inch DLP SP50L7HX :


Does anybody know if its possible for the individual owner to adjust the geometry on the Samsung ?

[Hellicopter]

Re Sagem ,first time I have heard of this problem.Sounds like a power supply issue.

You did right to insist on an exchange.

Re Samsung,I suspect any adjustment will be mechanical as in the Sagem.
Observed problem at Currys was from a normal viewing position.

Alan

[daddyo]

Hi,

In reply to JonComer's post about major problems with Sagem, I've had my set for two months and after about 6 weeks the AV2 socket started to play up.

sometimes I had no picture on AV2 but sound was ok.
sometimes I had picture and sound but there was a black band down the left hand side of the screen and the color was off

the only way to sort it was to turn off and back on again and it would then be fine. - until next time - it did it 2-3 times per week.

Comet sent a repair guy out who didn't even turn the TV on - I don' think he'd seen the sagem before :confused:

I complained to comet :nono: about the poor attempt to repair the tv and eventually asked sagem to take a look, a guy came out within 24hrs, replaced the input module that contained all the sockets and it's been fine
since :clap:

Proabably a one-off as i've not seen a similar problem reported.

[blackwavesid]

I'll join the many who have been suitably impressed with Comets demonstration of the Axium. Still witing to check out the new Samsung SP range in comparison.

I would be playing DVDs on a well spec'd PC into the DVI input. Does anybody have any experience trying this method? I was wondering how much difference different DVD roms / video cards & DVD software make to the final quality.

I'm just fearful that I spend 2.5K on an Axium and my PC feed doesn't measue up to the demo in the store.

Any help / experience would be much appreciated.

Sid

[SteveB7]

My Axium now 3 days old, I think it is brilliant, but prone to oddness similar to that described in daddyo's post....

1. I also get the black band down LHS of screen, only on Sky+ through AV2 - it's like a strip of pic is missing altogether, & is definitely down to the Sagem as my 2nd TV (a little Sony CRT 17" widescreen of some vintage) shows pic in its entirety at same time the Axium is cutting off a slice. If I switch to DVD (from Sony DAV-S550 progressive scan YUV through AV6 , which is superb), the pic is complete.

Only way to get full pic is to go through the laborious off/on procedure - have had to do this on several occasions already, sometimes 2 or 3 times in succession before getting things back to normal.

2. Weirdest so far - my Axium switches itself on! And did so very loudly at 2am this morning, thanks!!! I have no idea why yet, not been able to replicate conditions & test.

3. Anyone know why back of Axium shows AV7 as the YUV input for progressive, but the manual refers to AV6? For what it's worth, I tried it through AV7 & got no pic, through AV6 the pic is fantastic.

4. Anyone got any idea how to programme a Sky+ remote to control the Axium volume etc? Also, another thread above referred to someone buying a One for All Kameleon to use with Axium/Sky+/other kit? - if you are reading this, is it good?

5. I feed audio from Sky+ through DAV-S550 via the optical out feed - was always fine with my old CRT, but I notice it slightly out of sync at times through the Axium. It's not consistent, though, sometimes it is perfect, at other times as much as half a second out. Anyone else experienced this, & any ideas why/how to fix?

Despite these initial problems, I am still knocked out by the Axium & can hardly wait for Sky HD (hopefully with a much bigger Sky+ hard drive to cope!)

Thanks for reading this, hoping for some enlightenment soon.

[Hellicopter]

Will respond in more detail later but the Sagem has very little overscan(like the Optoma it is based on)It is therefore prone to showing the picture edge if the broadcaster is ubderscanning.
There is a possible adjustment behind the clip on front panel where there are 3 allen screws.One of these adjusts the horizontal picture position.
Do this at your own risk of course.
Hope this helps.

[crusade]

1,2. I've never seen the Sagem and Samsung side-by-side, but HD2+ provides the potential for a better picture due to much higher contrast ratio than HD2 (2500:1 vs 1000:1).
...
HTH.

According to the Sagem webpage the Axium has a contrast ratio of 2000:1.


.Runar

[daddyo]

Steveb7,

1. sounds like you're having a similar "black band" problem.
I definitely think it's the axium and I’m certain it isn't a geometry problem because it's so intermittent.

Just to clarify a little further:-
The problem only occurs on AV2.
I got the fault occurring with two different freeview boxes (Nokia 221T and Sony VTX-D800U) and a sony (RDRHX1000) dvd recorder.
Once the fault was apparent you could unplug a device from AV2, plug in a different device and the band would still be there!
Yes, sometimes I had to turn off and on 2 or three times before it corrected itself and when it did, it did so without touching any other equipment - i.e. the device plugged into AV2.

2. My axium has turned itself on from standby when my sony VTXD800U freeview box turns on with its own built-in timer function! Not sure if any other devices can trigger the axium to power up - I’ll investigate.

3. My manual shows AV7 as progressive, AV6 as interlaced which matches the TV. The input also tallies with the output from the RDRHX1000 which when progressive - AV7 works, when interlaced AV6 works.

4. I am also looking for someone who has got a universal remote to work the axium before I splash out.

5. I get audio out of sync problems with optical/coaxial audio feeds from both freeview boxes to my separate amp and the TV picture but strangely not from the sony DVD recorder or from my samsung DVDHD935 via DVI out! The manual states sync is a problem with DLP because of the picture processing time, but why I don't get a problem with the dvd recorder or player I’m not sure. I now feed my amp from the TV RCA output for freeview and the sync is fine.


Just to add my own problem, I get interference in the form of random very faint horizontal lines moving up and down the picture when using AV7 (progressive scan) from the Sony RDRHX1000. This does not occur with Av6 (interlaced). can't work out why and it's bugging me.

I am also well pleased with the Axium despite the above, the picture via DVI especially is just fantastic.

[Hellicopter]

Re Steve's and Crusade's comments and queries:-

-The Engish translation in the manual is wrong re AV6 and AV7.In the original French in the same manual it is stated correctly.

-In the manual,it does point out that the processing time of a DLP can cause speech to be out of sync and suggests using the TV sound output.This is of course
not useful if you want to listen to Dolby 5.1.The same problem can occur on Plasmas and LCDs.Sky+ sometimes goes out of sync as well.
There is a relatively cheap sound delay device due out shortly and was recently mentioned on the HCC site.

-My Sky+ box can turn the Sagem on from standby.For this reason I tend to turn it off using the rocker switch overnight.I suspect the problem could be solved by snipping the appropriate pin in the scart plug.

-Re the LHS black line , I am sure this is to do with the position of the lens and the small amount of overscan.Mine had the same issue till I adjusted it as described earlier.You do need to use a DVD test disc such as Avia or DVE to adjust it accurately.On mine there is less overscan on NTSC than on PAL but it does change from one programme to another.

Hope this helps.

Alan

[wormy]

What sort of DVI cable have you been using to connect to the SAGEM. I have tried a DVI-D but get no picture.

[pirilon]

Hi,

Can anybody give some pointers to information about how to get the axium to display a 1280x720 image from a PC using dvi?

I have read about using powerstrip, but I can't find any post from people using it.

Also, there is a post about a french language document about this but I can't find it on sagem's web site.

When I look at the support page in sagem.com there is no phone number for technical support. Do they have one?

regards

[Hellicopter]

Look under Support FAQs on Sagem website for details for 16:9.It is in French unfortunately.

Alan

[pirilon]

In the french faq about 16:9 it says you _have_ to use an ATI card and it has to be at least a 9600 and it must use the new catalist drivers.
So I will have to throw my Geforce 5200 to the bin :confused:

Then you install and load powerstrip, use it to add a new custom 1280x720 resolution to your desktop and uninstall it.

The parameters that powerstrip uses for the timings of this custom resolution are "1280 X 720 HDTV Standard". To me that means that the axium is not at fault, but rather the problem is with the vga cards. I will not be returning my unit just yet (I still have one week to do it if I don't like it or get it to work in my setup).

Now, assuming that what they say on the faq is true, these are my questions, just in case someone knowledgeable is around.

- All the information we have about getting a 1 to 1 pixel mapping is around using de dvi interface. Would it be possible to get it to work with a vga cable?

- Do nvidia cards are really unable to produce the required output or is it just a driver problem? maybe the nvidia driver folks could help.

- Is there a Linux solution (xorg.conf modeline?) for this problem? (I use linux and mythtv and would hate to have to install windows just to get the 1280x720 resolution working. I don't mind having to buy an ATI card if it can do the right thing in linux)

regards,

Javier

[crusade]

I really do hope this is not correct.

Radeon cards add alot more noise to the picture than FX5700/FX5900 cards. I just purchased a 5900xt card for my Sagem which arrives monday.

I also have a 9600 card, but the FX5900 has superiour picture quality so I dont wanna swap back..:(

[daddyo]

Wormy, The DVI cable i'm using is the one that came with the Samsung DVDHD935. Not sure what type it is i'll let you know.

Hellicopter/SteveB7, i'm not sure if the black band problem steve is getting is the same as mine. My black band was about three inches wide down the left hand side of the screen. Can this be down to geometry? if so why does it correct itself when you turn on and off and why is it just on AV2?

[pirilon]

I have been playing with powerstrip and it indeed spits out a modeline for linux:

This are the timings from 128x720p (HDTV Standard) in powerstrip:
================================================== ========
PowerStrip timing parameters:
1280x720=1280,72,40,256,720,5,5,20,74160,7

Generic timing details for 1280x720:
HFP=72 HSW=40 HBP=256 kHz=45 VFP=5 VSW=5 VBP=20 Hz=60

Linux modeline parameters:
"1280x720" 74,160 1280 1352 1392 1648 720 725 730 750 -hsync -vsync
================================================== ========

I will try out later with my geforce 5200. If it doesn't work, I will get a ATI 9600 and try in linux, the in Windows.

If it works, I'll let you know.

[pirilon]

The linux modeline didn't work with my geforce 5200. I've bought a new radeon 9600 and I'll try it tonight after work.

[pirilon]

I dropped the new radeon 9600 on my pc and set up xorg to use the open source radeon driver and the modeline from my previous post.
It worked. I am watching the Lord of the rings DVD's in all their glory :clap:

For the record, what I am running is:
kernel 2.4.23 on Gentoo Linux.
xorg 6.7.0

If anyone wants my xorg.conf, let me know.

I am a happy man now :smoke:

[Chris5]

Hi Everyone, can someone tell me how mechanically noisy the axium is, can you hear the DLP wheel going round? what about any fans?

thanks.

[Hellicopter]

Colour wheel is silent.Some low level cooler fan noise.

Alan

[Chris5]

Alan, do you mean the kind of fan that after a years use will whistle and whine like the fan in my sky+ box?, if so, then I'll have to get a plasma after all :thumbsdow

[Hellicopter]

No way of knowing though it is very quiet at present.
Screen burn really scares me on the plasma I use.

Alan

[SteveB7]

Alan thanks for that, comments much appreciated.

I've seen daddyo's reply re the LHS black band, & would agree with his comments - it was a good 2-3 inches wide on my Axium too, & a sporadic fault, so probably not down to geometry probs. Have taken his advice & Scarted Sky+ into AV1, & that seems to have done the trick.

Auto start-up still happening, & like you it seems to be Sky+ triggering it. Manual switch-off every night, I think, I'm not brave enough to try snipping off any of the Scart pins.

I'd like to know the URL of the site where you saw info on a sound-delay gadget, if you could reply with that I'd be v grateful.

Thanks again Alan.


Cheers


Steve

[SteveB7]

Alan, no need for that lip-sync fixing device URL, I found it.. for anyone else interested, the HCC news story is at

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/shownews.php?id=6875

and the URL for the Kent-based company that make the gadget (£155 +VAT & delivery) is

http://www.felston.com/


Cheers

Steve

[Chris5]

Alan,

Thanks for your feedback, I note that you have a plasma as well as the sagem, are they in different rooms, or do have both because you feel each technology has limitations so you watch one for tv, and the other for DVDs for example?

Chris.

[Hellicopter]

They are in different rooms but I watch the Plasma less and on screen logos such as Sky News are a real pain so be careful.

Re the black band on the Sagem,I agree that it is not geometry based though the tight scanning will make it worse.

My suspicion is that it is something to do with the RGB clocking.Quite often a RGB picture is moved to the right or left versus a composite.On some TVs this is adjustable as it is in the VGA menu on the Sagem.

[Chris5]

Thanks Alan, that is kindof incouraging, as I was thinking about getting the new Toshiba DLP whenever it finally come out, else I guess it would have to be the pioneer 505XDE plasma, the advantage of the Tosh of course, is that is halve the price of the pioneer.

[crusade]

..and no danger for burn, and better picture quality..;)

I myself atleast havent seen a plasma that can match a good dlp.

[Chris5]

only time will tell, i've not been able to c any dlp tv, let alone one (Toshiba) that is not out yet.

I can't help thinking about the rainbow effect that everybody keeps harping on about, and how about the HDMI working with the pioneer 868, another unknown.

[Hellicopter]

The rainbow effect is very personal.I am lucky that I do not see it.

I certainly agree that a good DLP TV literally outshines a Plasma of the same resolution.

I have not seen the Thomson yet but it sounds great value at the QED price.There is going to be much activity in the DLP sector over the next 2 years ahead of Sky going HD.

The biggest problem is finding a decent place to view examples prior to purchase.

[marrez]

guys - i got my kameleon 4 all in one programmer, it didnt work with the axium, i phoned all in one and i had to send it off to them, the code you need is 0310, your controller may need to be programmed like mine was though, by the manufacturer.

Does anyone know who has the samsung 935 in stock? Ive been searching for weeks now with no luck.

My Axium is being replaced by comet this week, I noticed i had 2 little black dots on my screen, and they have agreed to replace it with a new one, slighly off topic, but does anyone think i could get away with stealing the lamp out of my existing one before they take it away?

[Chris5]

It depends how good you are with awkward situations

[Alain75]

The new Axium 45 just officialy announced !!

http://www.sagem.com/presse/axium.htm#axium


http://www.sagem.com/presse/axium/sagemaxium_info-d45.pdf


I think it will be my new TV ! :)

(especially if the new Tosh 46 DVI input is definitely messed up)

[alextaylor]

Looks nice :-) Any indication on when it's due out?

[Alain75]

Looks nice :-) Any indication on when it's due out?

Should be in store very soon, already in the catalogs of some shops in France, don't know for the UK though.
By the way are the TV models exactly the same in UK and France ? besides the power plug ?

[alextaylor]

Should be in store very soon, already in the catalogs of some shops in France, don't know for the UK though.
By the way are the TV models exactly the same in UK and France ? besides the power plug ?

No. France uses a different TV system to the UK. Of course, these sets may be universal models in order to keep costs down...

I wouldn't fancy the costs of having one shipped over, either!

[halfchan]

I recently saw the Optoma Themescene RD50 on a UK website which appears to be almost exactly the same as an Axium but may be newer/higher spec.
Also there is a 65" model. Anyone know anything about these ?
I am moving house soon and have my heart set on an Axium but I might wait if a newer model is coming soon.

[blackwavesid]

Oh, confusion and turmoil! The new Sagem 45 looks great. I had set my sites on the new Samsung SP46L3HX but I can't find one anywhere and Samsung are a bit slow to let me know if it has even been released yet!

Would be VERY interested to know when the new Sagem is available over here, the question then being... can I wait??

Sid

[AV Junky]

The Sammy isn't relased yet. Has been said on here before that it would be October before they're relased, and we're only two weeks in so far. Have patience!

Personally I'm tempted to wait for a professional review of all the new models before splashing any cash. Don't want to end up with the one that doesn't give the best overall package.

By the way, if you go onto the Miller Bros website (parent company of QED), they have a list of which stores have the Thomson DLP set on display in-store.

[halfchan]

Saw the Axium advertised in WHC magazine from Comet for £1999.99 !

[locky79]

oh man... im really not sure what DLP / LCD RP tv to get now....

i just saw the sagem and i have to say it looks the most sleek whether it includes a stand is another matter but i was going to get either the toshiba or the samsung but now since sagem are releasing another version out then i might have to think about the sagem more as i heard so many good things about their 50" version :)

bleh wish i could just sleep for a good few weeks until these beasts get released.

GRrrr *bear growl*

[blackwavesid]

Saw the Axium advertised in WHC magazine from Comet for £1999.99 !

So was that the 50" or the new 45"?
The Comet website still has the 50" at £2499

Sid

[halfchan]

So was that the 50" or the new 45"?
The Comet website still has the 50" at £2499

Sid

It was for the 50" and it was the price you say on the website but as these magazines are printed well in advance I can only conclude a price cut is imminent.
I have since found out that the Axium is a clone of the Optoma Themescene RD50 and I am now going to wait until I can afford the 65" version of this BadBoy currently circa £4000.00 but will probably come down in the next few months.

[TonyA]

Hi,

I've also seen the Axium in all it's glory in a local Comet store, and also saw the £1999 price tag in the Comet ad. in "What Home Cinema" magazine.

However, seeing the differences between the Optoma Themescene RD50 and the Axium, I think I know what model I would go for now... even with the additional price tag!

The RD50's black 'piano finish' styling, HD2+ DMD chip, and HDMI and DVI (HDCP) connectors (11 inputs over 9!) definately give it the edge over the Sagem Axium.

[JohnMulcahy]

The RD50 looks like a great set, but note that both the DVI and HDMI inputs share the same DVI connector, with an adaptor for connecting HDMI sources (according to the RD50 brochure).

[alextaylor]

I've just seen the Sagem in my local Comet, displaying a SD signal. Even allowing for the fact that it was probably coming in on the composite jack and definitely had a lot of noise in it, it looked terrible! The scaler and deinterlacer just made a mess of the picture :-(

[thecasementkid]

I saw both the new Samsung and Axium together last week in John Lewis Oxford St showing the England/Wales football. IT WAS AWFUL. Everything I thought previously when they were running the promotional HD dvd has gone out of the window. Someone convince me there was something amiss with the input....Please. I really thought this was the ideal replacement for my ageing Sony, now I really feel down.

[wormy]

Football games are not the ideal pictures to see as they are heavly compresed. All you will see is digital 'noise' generated by the heavy video compression. Sat sport channels are compressed to their limit to squeeze channels into valuable bandwidth. You need to see some live action to really see how good the AXIUM really is.

[marrez]

yeah im not overly impressed watching football on my axium, the most impressive thing is play the new tony hawks game at 720p - it looks incredible, i cant wait for sky's high definition service to sort it out. Ive had my axium 6 weeks now, and had a slight fault on the screen, i went into Comet today to sort out my replacement and they offered me a) cash back b) a new axium or c) my pick of anything else in the shop to the value.

I went for another axium, even with the fall in price of plasmas in the time that i bought the tv.

[thecasementkid]

The match was live. I assume the feed to both tv's was not through a scart. What is the experience like watching a correctly connected Axium using sky+ say? I was really surprised John Lewis was showing this, as it wasn't a good advert for either set. The Pioneer 434 plasma was also there showing the game and it was a good chance for a direct comparison. The pic was not as good as some of the "normal" CRT sets, but miles better than either DLP.

[Hellicopter]

Because of the tightness of high res screens that are upscaling lower res pictures , poor quality of feeds will show up more, be it on DLP , Plasma or LCD.

Alan

[alextaylor]

I'll admit to being biased, since what I really want is a grade 1 studio monitor, but the picture I saw yesterday was very poor indeed. It looked as if the scaling was being done by simply repeating lines rather than interpolation, and it certainly wasn't producing smooth motion from interlaced material. By contrast, the LG DLP set next to it was making a reasonable stab at the job. It still wasn't particularly good when compared to a CRT, but it still looked miles better than the Sagem.

Next step is to arrange a demo to my specifications, I think :-)

[AV Junky]

Next step is to arrange a demo to my specifications, I think :-)
Good idea, M8. Don't forget that it's very unlikely that you'll use a set of this size and quality with an analogue RF feed (which is what the shop probably used, and a poorly distributed one at that). Personally I wouldn't feed it with less than RGB scart, except perhaps the occasional session with the S-VHS VCR.

[marrez]

It seems different sky channels have different qualities - the movie channels looks great on the axium, the sports channels not so good, i was disapointed with the quality of football having gone from a 32" widescreen sony CRT, but im kinda used to it know, I knew that i would have to sacrifice on quality for a short time till sky sort out their HD stuff.

With a quality DVD player going through the axium, it looks amazing.

[SteveB7]

My Axium now two weeks old, has been fine since the advice from Hellicopter & Daddyo re black bands, phantom start up, &other teething troubles.

Till today..

Been switching it off at night using the side rocker switch, switched it on this morning, pressed the remote, & after 30sec or so of flashing orange light on front panel, it went back into standby red light mode.

The flashing orange was accompanied by a noise from vicinity of the lamp, sounded like something trying to wind itself up to switching on but not quite managing it.

Have tried the manual's suggestion for dealing with this very problem, ie 'switch off, wait, & try again' - no joy.

Have tried taking out & re-inserting the lamp - no joy.

Comet store I bought it from (Maybury, Edinburgh) were professional & helpful when I called, but can't get an engineer and/or a replacement Axium to me till tomorrow.

So, till then, anyone got any tips for me to try myself?


Cheers


SteveB

[alextaylor]

Good idea, M8. Don't forget that it's very unlikely that you'll use a set of this size and quality with an analogue RF feed (which is what the shop probably used, and a poorly distributed one at that). Personally I wouldn't feed it with less than RGB scart, except perhaps the occasional session with the S-VHS VCR.

Sure, neither would I :-) If I were to buy one, I'd be feeding it with RGB from the digibox and DVD player, and S-Video from the VTR. I don't use the RF tuner in my existing set, and in fact I don't actually need a "TV" - I need a monitor.

My point, though, was not that the *image* quality was poor - it was, but only due to the poor quality signal being provided - but that the scaling and deinterlacing quality was terrible. No amount of improvement to the input signal could change that. I am hoping that this was simply a case of Comet having set the thing up incorrectly rather than a fundamental problem with the set's design.

As a video engineer, I have a very sensitive eye, and a very low tolerance for consumer-grade image-processing systems :-) Artifacting that the average viewer wouldn't even notice can drive me out of the room. I can't watch 3:2 pulldown material because the repeated fields make the experience rather painful!

[mfairclough]

Just saw this at Miller Bros and was not impressed. Not as nice design as the Axium, looks bulkier, less inputs, picture quality was nowhere near as good (I tried a couple of my own DVD's), and finally when viewing the screen slightly from the side or above/below the picture becomes much dimmer. This last problem is found on most rear screen TV's but is nowhere near as bad on the Axium. If the axium is reduced to £1999 then I would much rather pay this than £1600 for the Thomson.

Also had a quick look at the Samsung SP50L7HX in Currys. Beautifully designed and no problem with the viewing angles. Can't comment on the picture though as had poor feed and no DVD for me to try out. At £3500 it's out of my price range. Would like to see the SP50L3HX as this should be nearer the Axiums price. Am a bit confused with the specs for this i.e. picture of SP50L3HX on Samsungs website is the same as the SP50L7HX yet at Electrcal Discount UK they have a different picture and describle the TV as LCD rear projection (not DLP). Can anyone clarify the SP50L3HX specs.

[Jimmyjazz]

To DLP or not DLP ?

That is the question which currently vexes. I’m still looking for a 50 inch big screen.

:lease:

Following on from the informed comments on this thread re picture quality :
Is there a DLP TV owner who can help give a definitive answer to the following question ?
Is a CRT TV picture quality noticeably superior to DLP ?

I saw the Sagem in Comet last week. It was fed with the HD pic from a PC.
I’d never seen HD before and presumed ( from what I’d heard ) that HD was a giant leap forward in pic quality. Although the Sagem HD picture was top class it was not as brilliant as I hoped High Definition would be.

That made me wonder. Was the Sagem HD pic not quite the revolution in viewing experience I expected simply because DLP in general is not very good picture wise ?
If the same HD film were shown on CRT would it be the stunning experience I had heard HD is supposed to be ?

In short, is CRT superior to DLP ?
Eg how does an ordinary TV or DVD picture fed via RGB or component or DVI on the Sagem rate, compared to one on a top quality CRT ?

Thanks

Jimmy

[marrez]

well i got my replaced Axium today, and I was amazed to find out - its slightly different to my old one! Im just tuning in at the moment, but there is a new farouda decoding badge on the front, and a new sagem decal design on the front.

Does anyone know if its just cosmetic differences between the two? (was kinda hoping for HDMI support :) )

[Radioactive__Man]

how do you know they are new, surely they are just different from your old one. Maybe the one they took away was newer :)

or is their a revision number next to them ?

[marrez]

well maybe its older :)

But it looks trendier - it has a sagem badge in the middle with lines going off either side, and a new farouda decorder badge on it, thats all i can tell is different, the the front panel that you remove the bulb from.

oh, and tony hawks dosent screw up after 10 minutes play in 720p anymore :)

[marrez]

well looks like this axium is going back too, its turned itself on 3 times now in the last 2 hours :)

[indie24]

well looks like comet have changed their price on the website now its £1999
any news when the 45" model is coming. i got £2070 vouchers from old tv insurance to get a new tv from comet only. i want it to be future proof as possible with hdmi/dvi with hdcp. my choices are limited to bloody comet! i want a dlp and they only got the sagem 50". i think i may wait for the 45" but i need to know when they going to stock them

[marrez]

Thanks for letting me know that, Ive arranged with comet for a refund on my axium, ill go back to a 25" tv for a week, then ill use my vouchers to buy a new axium and pocket the £500 :)

[indie24]

the new 45" sagem isnt even on the uk website. anyone have any news on it

[TonyA]

Have found some information out about the Sagem HD45 model.

There is a press release at:

http://www.sagem.com/presse/axium/sagemaxium_info-d45.pdf

However, it is in French! The http://www.sagem.com/presse/axium page states that an English version is "coming soon".

I managed to get the jist of it with my very "pidgeon" French, but if anyone could translate...
:lease:

I've sent Sagem Customer Services an email to see if they have any information on release plans, and will post on here when I recieve a reply.

[Alain75]

I managed to get the jist of it with my very "pidgeon" French, but if anyone could translate...
:lease:



As it is a commercial presentation, it basically says that it is great !!! :rolleyes:

Other than that, it says that it improves on the previous HD50, not only on the image aspect due to the HD2+ chip with 700 luminosity and 3000:1 contrast, but also on the sound aspect with a big improvment due especially to the bass speaker located in the foot, making it a true 2.1 system.

It says that connections are "intelligently done" ;) with all the connections that were in the front on the 50 now on the right side, and that the DVI is perfectly PC compatible and has the DHCP thing.

It also says (or in a little DVDcritiques.com review) that the side speakers are removable.

Concerning the depth of the set, it says it is 34cm, but the dvdcritiques says 49 ... to be checked ...

[indie24]

Babel Fish Translation Help

In English:
A DESIGN SURPRISING With SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D45,

SAGEM redefined the rules of the design in the field of the Home Cinema, with a innovating and daring esthetics. The framework of l'écran is enamelled of type "piano noir" for still more d'élégance. It is prolonged by detachable enclosures, from now on placed each side. Refined, the foot of l'appareil in the shape of vagueness is of color metallized gray. It leaves l'écran in suspension while lodging a box of low for a more intense sound. Deep 34 cm only, SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D45 is "table top" and can be sold with its piece of furniture coordinated in option.

An IMAGE AND a SOUND TO CUT the BREATH

Even more impressive, l'image of SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D45 posts an incredible luminosity of 700 cd/m2, with the d'ajuster possibility the lamp of 120W with 100W for a profit d'énergie and of lifespan. L'écran 16/9 of 45 inches also profits d'un contrast from 3000: 1, thanks to DMD HD2+ associated with a work on the optical heart, for blacks even major and bright colors. With l'instar of SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D50, SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D45 is equipped d'un anti-reflecting treatment and d'une very high resolution d'un million of pixels per color. It also profits from DCDiTM de Faroudja and the digital processing d amelioration d'image SAGEM for a smooth and fluid image. With 5 modes of adjustments and 8 formats different (4/3, 14/9, 16/9, cinema, widened, subtitles, scope, native) l'image is personnalisable with wish. Moreover, l'appareil makes it possible to visualize 2 sources thanks to the Picture functions simultaneously in Picture (PIP), Picture and Picture (PAP) and Picture and Text (STALEMATE). Side its, the spectators plunge in the heart of l'action thanks to Virtual Dolby Surround with a true system 2.1, including/understanding 2 enclosures and a box of low integrated in the foot of l'appareil. SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D45 also includes/understands a graphic equalizer and a control of intelligent volume, which smoothes the peaks of sound in particular at the time of the passage d'un program to another.

An INTELLIGENT CONNECTOR INDUSTRY

With an ultra connector industry complete and still simplified by the automatic control of the sources, SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D45 proposes perfectly a whole pallet d'usages for s'intégrer in the environments multi-media, leisures and professionals: ? jusqu'à 8 peripherals connected into simultaneous? 8 video entries, 2 entries PC (VGA and DVI with control integrated d'accès HDCP)? automatic control of the inputs/outputs? double tuner to visualize 2 TV sources simultaneously.

ONE EXCEPTIONAL LIFESPAN

Thanks to its technology DLPTM, the lifespan of SAGEM AXIUMTM HD-D50 is exceptional, without phenomenon of ageing nor of deterioration of l'écran: no the problem of convergence or marking d'écran, phenomenon of "traînée" on the images moving fast, nor of deterioration of the colors.

The DLPTM, a TECHNOLOGY D'AVANT-GARDE

the main part system is a matrix d'un million microphone-mirrors, which can swivel in an independent way. Each mirror corresponds to a point (pixel) of l'image. The matrix d'environ 2 cm2, is illuminated by a light which is reflected by the mirrors and is presented at l'écran. This technology is precise and stable in time, because entirely numerical. Moreover, the matrix of microphone-mirrors (only reflective, therefore far from sensitive to heat) has one exceptional lifespan higher than 100 000 hours. Each mirror can swivel jusqu'à 5 000 times a second and has the width d'un fifth of l epaissor d'un hair. Only technology which does not mark while making it possible to d'offrir an incomparable d'image quality, technology DLPTM lends itself perfectly to the screens of big size by ensuring a price-performance ratio definitely higher than that of Plasmas High definition.


Well thats translated using babel fish !

at least peoplecan read it now :)

[mfairclough]

Does anyone know when the Sagem 45 will be available in the UK? If it next year I think I'll go for the Optimo RD50 instead, especiall after seeing this on another forum...

Just had some great news from Optoma - the Themescene RD50 is due in the first week in November and it will be..........£1995!
__________________
Peter @ www.HiFiBitZ.co.uk

[marrez]

I was in store today and got my credit (£450, forgot i bargained for £50 off at the time) - the axium is in store for £1999 - i have to say, at that price, its an absolute steal, that said, if i hadnt got the difference i paid back, id be livid they dropped 1/5 of the price only a few weeks after buying :)

[russjet]

any suggestions for optimum settings for user image
we took delivery of our axium last week and despite constant fiddling my husband is never totally satisfied with the colour/contrast/and brightness and the set options are not quite to his liking either

also our axium has an independant streak and likes to turn itself on but seems to do it when sky are showing adverts, if sky is on a channel such as playhouse disney the problem does not happen

[marrez]

i have my settings at default, apart from colour at 52, and brightness at 60

[russjet]

being an amateur can you remind me of the default settings too as they are not where they were thanks to numerous fiddlings

[marrez]

i assure you im an amateur too, all the settings are right in the middle, or 50, you can press restore default, or something like that though and it resets them all.

[locky79]

i just checked out the price of the sagem at comet online store and its £1999 arrghh!!

whether that includes the stand im not entirely sure, but waiting for this samsung 46" tv is driving me crazy!!! GRrr when is this tv suppose to be due? because that sagem is tempting also that Optoma is same price at that hifibitz but you have ot pay an extra £100+ for the stand GRrrrr :mad:

what to DO!!!!!?!??! also any word on the toshiba one? :god:

[mfairclough]

£1999 does not include the stand for the Sagem, so it's £4 more than the Optoma. Out of the 2 you'd have to go for the Optoma because the Sagem is just a rebadged Optoma with a lower spec.

[locky79]

interesting... but ive always thought that hifi bitz was always more expensive so im hoping that maybe i will be able to find it slightly more cheaper... bah i just know :P

any word on the samsung and the toshiba 46" versions?

[TonyA]

Over the last week, I've emailed Sagem, Toshiba, and Samsung about their DLP TV/Monitor's - So far not one of them has replied!

If I get any replies, I'll cut & paste onto this forum.

At this rate though - with all the interest with DLP products, I can see a new forum group being created before too long. :zonked:

[andmaz]

Have a Toshiba 43" 4:3 rear view at the moment - had it over 5 years no problems. Just wondering how much the replacement lamps are for the Axium.

I know I'll get over 2 years viewing out of the Axium but this is crucial to my decision to buy or not. It looks good, screen size big enough and the price is good - also due to screen burning issues would prefer to avoid a plasma for now.

[blackwavesid]

Finally, after much waiting, got a reply back from Samsung today regarding the availability of the SP46L3HX DLP RP TV. Despite the fact that this 46" model is on the same UK website showing the SP50L7HX which is in the shops the reply wasn't of any help at all.....

Dear Sid,
Thank you for contacting Samsung Electronics.
With regards your enquiry about the SP46L3HX.

There are currently no details of the release date of that model in the UK. When Samsung decide to release it the details will be posted on www.samsungelectronics.co.uk

I hope this information proves useful, if you have any further issues or queries please don\'t hesitate to contact our customer service line on 0870 242 0303.

Hope this piece of unhelpfull information helps...

Sid

[marrez]

replacement lamps are about £350.

[Jimmyjazz]

replacement lamps are about £350.


I asked Comet. They quoted me £381 for a Sagem lamp.
So, if it only lasts 2 years, that's a whopping £190 per year for a lamp.

Some other models last much longer ( Samsung claim 30,000 hours. Toshiba claim even more )


Jimmy

[locky79]

i think i might be tempted to get the Optoma if it doesnt come out at the end of the month...

but i have a strange feeling that they are gonna release it in dec for the xmas season.... i still cant believe some companies will think releasing it in dec will guarantee them more sales.. bleh..

so whats the expected life span on the bulbs for Optoma.. i hope its not the same as the sagem one :(

[Jimmyjazz]

so whats the expected life span on the bulbs for Optoma.. i hope its not the same as the sagem one :(

The blurb from Optoma claims a 10,000 hour lamp life for the RD50.

jimmy

[soni]

Does anybody know when the Sagem 45" will be launched? I really like the look of the 45" over the 50", and also like the idea of it having the +2 chip - can't believe that they've altered the design look - normally the design of different sizes remain the same - don't they?

Also, does anybody know how much its likely to cost? I've read somewhere that the 45" is gonig to be a lot more than the 50"?

So, what model would you guys go for? Axium 50, 45" - or one of the Optomas?

[blackwavesid]

So, what model would you guys go for? Axium 50, 45" - or one of the Optomas?

The Optoma RD50 is looking good right now, that is along it's out in the first half of November. I was leaning towards the Samsung SP46L3HX but as per my previous post, the fact that there isn't even a release date and Samsung can't give any indication when it will be is seriously off putting!

Sid

[welsh113]

can sagem owner give me a good review on what your sky tv watching is like on this tv as i have the thomson dlp model and think that one some content it is unreal but on other shows it struggles eg. saturday nite take away, football ect but cartoons and dvds are unreal its like it struggles on certain shows hard to explain.......can you confirm if the sagem does this also as i am under the impression from americain for