Digital Video Essentials - calibration DVD

[Geordie Jester]

Not sure if this is the correct thread, but recently Ive been trying to get a hold of this plasma calibration DVD. It seems to be out of stock or "currently unavailable (PLAY.com) everywhere. Is there a new edition coming out or something ?

If anyone can point me to somewhere online (UK) that has it then please let me know.


regards

Paul

[loonatic]

Forum member Piero was selling these as a PowerBuy...not sure if he still has any though...check it out here :

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129998

Cheers, Lee

[sparkz]

I bought NTSC and PAL versions together from DVD International (http://www.dvdinternational.com/). Total cost worked out at around £15 each plus a couple of freebie DVDs.

At the time Piero didn't have the PAL versions else I probably would have gone via him as he's slightly cheaper.

[jamesanderson]

what does the dvd do

[tamthetim]

Piero just got them back in stock...............I ordered a PAL version at the weekend.....just waiting for it to be delivered.

James...............it helps calibrate your plasma picture settings.

Cheers, Tam

[hao]

Got mine from dvdinternational.com paid in dollars and got a further free DVD.

[Geordie Jester]

thanks for the replies guys. I will check out the leads.

though to be honest, I wish Blockbuster had it to hire ! :-)

[seany57]

I rented mine from moviechoices direct .. came through very quickly .. you will have to sign up, but i believe they have a free trial, so may be worth a go.

[Xstyle]

Why do u need NTSC and PAL Version??

So if you swap between dvd's from time to time, you will need to use the DVD Essentials to calibrate the picture EACH time??

Are the settings so different?? :confused:

[blindlemon]

Also available from Screen Select (PAL version I assume) :)

http://www.screenselect.co.uk/visitor/product_detail.html?product_id=14284

[CarlitoBrigante]

Why do u need NTSC and PAL Version??

So if you swap between dvd's from time to time, you will need to use the DVD Essentials to calibrate the picture EACH time??

Are the settings so different?? :confused:

:confused: I was just about to ask the same question!

This is what I'm worried about, as I've just ordered AVIA and DVE Pal. On my screen (PW7), the basic settings are saved for each mode (cinema, normal, etc) in each input. However it says in the manual that advanced settings are saved only for each input.

Does this means that for my component connection I can only have 1 calibration saved?

:confused:

[Battlestar]

Why do u need NTSC and PAL Version??

So if you swap between dvd's from time to time, you will need to use the DVD Essentials to calibrate the picture EACH time??

Are the settings so different?? :confused:


NTSC and pal are different for setting up things like geomatry and over scan. Most new televisons and plasmas will have different settings for all av inputs and signal types. If you have a geometric problem with a pal signal like sky digital then a pal pattern on the pal DVE will help you. If you have problems with region 1 NTSC dvd geomatry, then you will need to set that up with an NTSC source IE the NTSC DVE.
MY VIera plasma has diferent memorys for all inputs and screen modes :eek: it had all diferent settings. Not only did pal and NTSC have to be sorted but also 16:9 wide mode. 4:3 aspect, Zoom 1 ect.

[CarlitoBrigante]

MY VIera plasma has diferent memorys for all inputs and screen modes :eek: it had all diferent settings. Not only did pal and NTSC have to be sorted but also 16:9 wide mode. 4:3 aspect, Zoom 1 ect.

I would think the Viera and the PW7 have a similar set up. Does yours save the advanced settings for each different Screen mode on each input?

[hao]

Has anyone tried DVE on a CRT TV, I ran it on my 28" Sanyo which has a very good picture and it made it worse. Had to go back and adjust it by eyeball, but no harm done.

[Xstyle]

I would think the Viera and the PW7 have a similar set up. Does yours save the advanced settings for each different Screen mode on each input?
I will have the Pioneer 435 XDE .... I hope the settings from the DVE can be saved. So what I'd have to do then, is go to something like Set-Up on the Plasma and toggle for the best option?

[mpadgett]

how does this disk work?

[CarlitoBrigante]

how does this disk work?

**** knows

...but it should be interesting to find out :rotfl:

[Leerca]

I used the PAL DVE to calibrate my Sony XS1 plasma and it did really improve the picture a lot! DVE is very informative and easy to use, there are few (4-5) basic calibrations with commentary and a whole bunch of advanced test patterns . It also includes many audio test signals and few demo videos. Great help for me :smashin:

[Battlestar]

**** knows

...but it should be interesting to find out :rotfl:


Put the disk in the dvd player , and follow the instructions ;)

[CarlitoBrigante]

Put the disk in the dvd player , and follow the instructions ;)

:rotfl:

What I meant was, what exactly does it require you to do?

I mean, do you have to access the service menus?, or do you just do basic and advanced settings?

Mine arrived this morning from Piero, along with NTSC AVIA, so I'll be trying them out and hopefully get some results.

I'm just concerned that I can't save 2 different settings on one input :god:

[quadophile]

I bought the DVE and used it for my Pixel Plus TV, surprisingly there was no need to calibrate as everything was as it is supposed to be. :)

[thedoc]

DVE is excellent, I have setup CRTs, plasma and DLP display devices using it. The main problem I tend to find is if you have been watching the device setup for a while and then change the settings you can feel the picture is (subjectively) worse, even though (objectively) the test patterns prove it to be better.


Therefore :

1) Always make a note of all your original settings before you change them !
2) After adjusting give yourself 1-2 weeks to get used to the changes, then note the changes you made and alter the display back and run some familiar material through it. This is often an eye openner !

[David_of_Surrey]

I have DVE, and it has one of the very worst menu navigation systems I've ever come across... but this must be me because the Jan 2005 issue (page 75) of What Hi-Fi has given it 5 stars and says "This easy to use disc is designed to maximise you kits performance ....." I'm wondering have they actually tried to find anything on it?

Also in the montage of images..restaurant scene, there is a section where you can see the diners talk but no sound come from them, but sounds from around the room are there, does anyone else get this?

Dave

[sacd]

I found DVE a nightmare to work with as well.
What are the rest of the test patterns for?
I can never work out how you are supposed to set the contrast for a plasma as the disk seems to be CRT centric.
I cannot, repeat cannot get the green to be 'spot on'with my pW6 plasma which I suppose is the plasmas fault.

[Henry]

I personall found that it significantly improved the picture quality of my 504HDE. I'd been a bit disappointed with the change from Scart to HDMI but once I'd set the input up correctly it made a massive difference. Well worth the effort.

I didn't find it particularly difficult to work and I'm no expert.

[Mr.D]

I too hate DVE. I far prefer using the original Video Essentials and Avia.
Avia is useful for setting contrast as it effectively has a white point pluge. Whereas VE is useful for brightness as it has a below black pluge ( Avia doesn't have picture info below black and above white due to mastering limitations)

DVE is a real pain to navigate and the video sequence are too tacky to watch . The broken cadence sequence on VE is much better . It also misses out on the contrast pattern from Avia.

The snell and wilcox zoneplate has two squares which can give a decent indication that contrast and brightness are broadly correct but the values they use are a little coarse.

[Tondene]

Hi, try blah dvd.com they have the disc in stock :)

[russellenglish]

Does this disc have any thing to set up the geometry on a CRT & if not, does anyone know of one that has?

[Gary Lightfoot]

Why do u need NTSC and PAL Version??

So if you swap between dvd's from time to time, you will need to use the DVD Essentials to calibrate the picture EACH time??

Are the settings so different?? :confused:

PAL and NTSC black levels are different.

This is how I understand it: :)

A DVD will store black as digital 16 (DVDs store video information digitaly), and it will tell the player if it is an NTSC or PAL disk. The player will then send out a representative voltage to the display (analogue) which will display black. In the case of NTSC, the voltage will be 0.53mv (IIRC) and is referred to as 7.5ire analogue value. For PAL, the player will send out 0mv for black, and this is 0ire analogue value. The NTSC 7.5ire setup in the player is referred to as 'setup'. If you see a player refered to as having 'setup', then it uses 7.5ire as it's black level, and only seems to exist in USA models.

So, you have to calibrate your display for both PAL and NTSC if you want to see shadow detail and black levels displayed correctly on your tv/projector etc.

Many displays have memories for each type of input, so it should recognise PAL and NTSC as different inputs and display accordingly. If it doesn't, then you could have the problem of your black level being compromised - send it 7.5ire/0.53mv when it is calibrated for PAL 0ire, and instead of black, it will display a dark grey and never black. Conversly, if it is set for NTSC and you send it anything below 7.5ire such as PAL shadows, it will display black and not dark greys etc, so you will lose shadow detail or 'crush blacks' as is a term often used.

Some DVD players have a setting for NTSC which it may call 0ire or below black or similar. What this does is to set NTSC black level to 0ire the same as PAL, so one calibration for either black level shoul be the same. This is useful when you have just one output to your display and the display does not have any memories.

If you use an HTPC output via DVI or VGA, then there is no PAL or NTSC standard being used, so whichever setting you use should be fine on the display. Some issues arise when the range of 16 to 234 is not used, and the range of 0 to 256 is. That can cause some displays to be set incorrectly for the source material which is 16 to 234.

One of the most important calibrations you can do for a display is the black and white set-up. Get that wrong and your black level (brightness) may be elevated and highlight mpg artefacts etc and reduce your overall contrast, or if set the other way, crush blacks, and if the contrast is set wrong (white level), then you could lose sky/cloud detail or again, reduce your contrast ratio.

I use Avia's needle pulse tests for setting white and black levels, and I think DVE uses three bars to do the same. IIRC, you have to lose one of the three bars because it is below normal black, and the other two represent black, and a small percent above black. In Avia, the two moving bars represent 1ire and 2ire above black. You should just about be able to see the darker 1ire bar for the setting to be correct. The white levels are just opposite to this.

HTH

Gary.

[Mr.D]

As Gary points out the black level setup differences between PAL and NTSC only exist if you are using analogue video signals. Its an analogue voltage difference. Additionally they only apply to composite and svideo signals. Component and RGB setup for 0IRE regardless of PAL/NTSC issues. PAL sets up for 0IRE regardless . NTSC in Japan also sets up for 0IRE.

[Gary Lightfoot]

discovered something on my H77 the other day - I was trying my Skyworth DVD player out to see what the image was like from it (via component), so calibrated the black and white levels using Avia. I then played an NTSC disk. When I put in a PAL disk (U571), it didn't look quite right with the shadow detail. I tried my Peter Finzel PAL disk, and found the black and white levels all wrong. I recalibrated and the PAL disk looked as it should. Now NTSC was wrong when I put Avia back in.

Unlike the nEC HT1000, the H77 only has one memory for the input, so cannot save different PAL and NTSC settings. Fortunately I'm using DVi so don't seem to have this problem, but for component input, you will indeed have to recalibrate as you change from watching a PAL disk to an NTSC disk or vice versa. I can only suggest you make a note of the settings so that you can easily change them. brightness and contrast levels can effect how the colours look at eaxh end of the scale, so you might notice a slight change in colours too.

Gary.

[Mr.D]

Was the Pal disc crushed looking after you had calibrated with the NTSC disc?
ie you had to up the brightness to get PAL looking correct?

Only thing I can think of is that the skyworth is applying a 7.5 IRE setup regardless. Is there a setting? Maybe even try outputting as PAL60 if there is a setting , the setup might be linked to this.

[Gary Lightfoot]

IIRC, the blacks were crushing as shadow detail was noticably missing (chapter 15, dark blue sweater looked all black). The player must have set-up for all NTSC outputs, and there's no 0ire option for it, as the adjustments were quite limited.

PAL 60 from my old Samsung actualy looked better than its native NTSC output, and of course there were no problems with different black level settings (via s-video).

Gary.

[Mr.D]

Yep definitely looks like the skyworth is apply the 7.5IRE setup to anything thats 525/60 regardless of output type on its analogue outputs. There is no PAL60 option ? That might force it to not apply the 7.5 IRE even though strictly speaking the PAL60 setting would make no difference to component.

[Gary Lightfoot]

No PAL60 unfortunatley. I only used the Skyworth for it's VGA output which was noticably better then than the interlaced component, and the progressive component output which seemed to have slight chroma delay. The component outputs look pretty ropey on the Optoma H77 compared to the NEC. HD2+ machines seem to bring out more detail and image noise than previous chips from TI.

Gary,