I know some of you have been getting impatient, so here are my initial
impressions. It's not an in-depth technical review - I'll leave that to
those who are better qualified than me - just my experiences so far.
I do have more stuff to try out - some Avia Test patterns, Plasma hook-up
etc. and I'll add further comments when I've played some more.
I purchased the unit on a 14 day home trial from
http://www.pluggedin.tv , so really had nothing to lose.
I have some quite varied kit and connections to try out, but the setup so
far has been this: -
Inputs: -
Tag Mclaren DVD32FLR + PSM192
Sky+ digital satellite (has SVideo and SDI connections)
XBox (modded + HiDef)
HTPC (Radeon 9800 Pro + Sweetspot + XCard)
Output: -
Runco CL-710 DLP projector via 10m runs of both DVI (Cobalt Cables) and
component cable (Nordost Optix) onto a Stewart Studiotek 130 Luxus Model A.
Initial setup of the Crystalio was a breeze - I was expecting something a
lot trickier. Basically, I unpacked it, plugged it in, connected my Sky+ box
(via SVideo) and switched it on. The "boot-up" takes around 60 seconds. I
then selected my screen aspect (16:9), and output resolution (1280 x 720)
and that was it. I'd not opened the manual yet - I like equipment that works
out of the box.
Next I connected the Sky+ via SDI - this required a small adjustment to the
picture position and zoom settings, but again this was achieved without
doing any reading - the interface is simple and intuitive.
The most noticeable difference for me so far is watching sports programs -
the action is smoother and appears more detailed, and the pitch markings are
now smooth lines instead of jagged.
The picture from my Tag DVD32 is stunning - it's connected via it's analogue
interlaced connections to enable the Crystalio to do the deinterlacing.
Looks like I'm going to have to start re-watching all my favourite DVDs.
I know looks aren't everything, but I have to make the point 2U case and
display is simply the best looking piece of equipment in my rack - it looks
fantastic. The remote control is a backlit, fully programmable touch-screen
model: - it even has an adjustable light sensor so you can adjust how dark
it is before the backlight comes on
The 'cons' for me so far is no on-screen display (although looking at that
fantastic blue LCD display makes up for it) and the 2 HD inputs have DVI and
VGA type connections - I've had to order some new cables as mine are all
RCA/BNC terminated.
In summary, it's a fantastic piece of kit that has an intuitive and
simple interface (even my girlfriend has used it!), as well as a whole host
of advanced features. I like that the fact it has Ethernet and USB
connections, and there is also a large slot on the back for "future
expansion".
I've got a whole lot more playing to do, and connection combinations and
comparisons, but there's no question of me sending it back, it's definitely staying.