Panny AE900 Owners with SKYHD......

[xavster]

Are you using 720p or 1080i from your SKYHD box?
I've been on 1080i up until now, but I'm not sure - 720p seems to give a more detailed picture, but also a slightly processed "edge enhanced" look. It could be this that gives the impression of more detail.
Any thoughts?

[Tony Hoyle]

The deinterlacer on the AE900 is known to be good (one of the main reasons I picked it), so if you let the AE900 do the deinterlace/scale you'll get a better picture - especially on moving images.

An edge enhanced look sounds pretty bad TBH.. sounds like the sharpness is too high (see DVE for an explanation of why this is bad - basically it adds detail that isn't there, so you don't get a true representation of the picture).

[xavster]

Discovered the edge enhanced thing was because I still had overscan set to on in 720p - you have to do all the settings for each mode it seems.
Got rid of that and it looks MUCH better.
AM thinking that 1080i looks softer than outputting 720p from the skyHD box.

I'll live with it for a couple of days and then get back to you!

[xavster]

still think that skyhd box set to 720p gives a crisper/sharper image.....

Anybody else?

[Gae]

still think that skyhd box set to 720p gives a crisper/sharper image.....

Anybody else?

I'll let you know when I get my SKY HD install on Saturday......fingers crossed!

Gae

[Salamander]

I'll let you know when I get my SKY HD install on Saturday......fingers crossed!

Gae,

Same here new HD install due this Saturday..my fingers crossed also! - only for use on AE900 - Interesting to see your feedback guys.

[xavster]

any more feedback anyone?

[Tony Hoyle]

I tried 720p last night just to check and it *does* come out significantly sharper... I'm guessing because there's a 1:1 mapping (with overscan off of course).

When watching a film the deinterlacer isn't really doing anything (just merging frames to go from 50i->25p, since that's how films are made) so it's worth setting to 720p for them.

However it's a pain going back to auto for the SD stuff (the SkyHD deinterlacer to 720p is *really* bad with SD upscaling.. virtually unwatchable at times).

So I guess the answer is it depends on what you're watching...

It sounds like the AE900 rescale softens the picture somewhat... which is great for SD (removes blockyness) but not so hot for HD.

[VirusKiller]

Originally Posted by Tony Hoyle

However it's a pain going back to auto for the SD stuff (the SkyHD deinterlacer to 720p is *really* bad with SD upscaling.. virtually unwatchable at times).

Unfortunately, 1080i with SD is no better:

1. Sky HD create 576i signal
2. Sky HD deinterlace 576i to 576p
3. Sky HD scale 576p to 1080p
4. Sky HD interlace 1080p to 1080i
5. AE900 deinterlace 1080i to 1080p
6. AE900 scale 1080p to 720p

(to paraphrase a Stoomonster post in another thread).

[Tony Hoyle]

Auto mode is only steps 1 and 2, and the upscale by the AE900 is quite good.

Of course SD is never going to look great at that size anyway..