DVDO iScan HD Scaler

[goatlips]

HI all, I am new to the scaling thing, so what do you chaps think of this.. DVDO iScan HD Scaler?? I plan to use it with my 434 and 868 and my sky box.
Thanks.

 

[binbag]

I like mine but would advise you to look at the HD+ instead of the HD as it does HDCP scaling.

 

[mjcairney]

And the HD+ is available at a good price here

Cheers,

Martin.

 

[StooMonster]

I like mine but would advise you to look at the HD+ instead of the HD as it does HDCP scaling.

Not that there's any HDCP SD content to scale in UK, especially not on Sky boxes. Save yourself the expense and buy regular HD model.

StooMonster

 

[nicke20]

ive got to agree with the hd+ arguement, if your in the market for a scaler, then your going to be in the market for sky hi def and that will have hdcp at some point secondly the hd model will hsve very little secondhand value. the link given to vince's fleabay gets a thumbs up from me
good price

 

[NonPayingMember]

Any signal coming out of the 868 is HDCP encoded SD material!!!!

However I would go for a Lumagen and get TWO HDCP compliant DVI sockets - one for Sky HD the other for your DVD player! The 868 will output an interlaced HDMI signal which the Lumagen will understand and apply it's own deinterlacing and scaling for a far superior image. The DVDO will only pass-thru the image as scaled and deinterlaced by the 868's internal processor (nowhere near as good as properley scaled), or will require an interlaced component connection (which means a D-A and A-D conversion - again not as good).

 

[Bernard Barnett]

Liam you've forgotten "What's our vector Victor?"

 

[NonPayingMember]

My sig is too long!!! Over Oveur...

 

[Joe Fernand]

goatlips

Keep in mind the 'scaling' you can achieve with a PDP-434 is limited by the Inputs on your Media Box not accepting a scaled to Native Resolution signal; the best you can achieve is 720P.

That in mind I'd say you'll see more benefit if you look at a Lumagen VisionDVI and include on-site Configuration/Calibration in your budget.

The Lumagen firmware has many more 'features' than the feature set of the iScanHD or HD+ to allow you or your installer to achieve a better set up with your PlasmaTV.

Best regards

Joe

 

[philgreeen]

I'm in the market currently for a scaler to purchase alongside a PHD8... Has anyone actually done any true comparsion of the Iscan and Lumagen scalers ?

I know you have to take media reviews with a bit of salt but the report here http://www.dvdo.com/new/iScanHDp_HCC_May_2005.pdf is quite compelling....

Any thoughts ?

 

[NonPayingMember]

If you have a search around this forum, when that review was out I (and others) slagged it off big time for being a complete pile of !! In brief, the Lumagen was running 2 month old BETA firmware at the time, the Cinemateq reviewed was the basic PO not the Plus II or Plus II SDI as advertised, and I would not be surprised if the reviewer was in fact not able to set the machines up optimally given these quite flagrant mistakes.

I have compared a Lumagen DVI, Lumagen HDP and iScan HD directly with each other. I prefered the DVI just over the HD, with the Lumagen toolset (y/c delay, genlock, gamma adjustment etc) making it far more inviting than the DVDO product. The Lumagen HDP was significantly better than the HD. Cleaner, more detailed, smoother. Both units are also far more configurable than the DVDO.

I look forward to seeing the VP30 though. Apparently some improvements to the processing (although using the same SIL504 chip I can't see how you can get *that* much more from it than Lumagen already have, and Lumagen get to use their own enhancements and scaling, DVDO use ABT and the parterning SilImage co-processor) and the massive 4 HDMI input configuration. I imagine they will have taken from Lumagens lead and added improvement gamma, grayscale and colour adjustment, although I don't see any clues in the spec on their website.

 

[philgreeen]

Thanks. Is the VP 30 actually available in the UK yet ?

Anyone planning to review it in the near future ?

 

[philgreeen]

Thanks. Is the VP 30 actually available in the UK yet ?

Anyone planning to review it in the near future ?

 

[NonPayingMember]

Not as far as I know. We'll obviously give it a look to see if it's something we should be recommending to clients, but I'm just not that confident it will better the Lumagen. I know it won't on feature set and configurability so it will really have to produce an absolute belter of an image to win me over, which will be tricky since it's based on similar hardware.

 

[goatlips]

Liam & Joe, Thanks for the advice, How much would it cost for a Lumagen with 2 DVI and a set up??

Also would a VP30 be better for the HDMI connections?? As I only have 1 and will need an other for HDSKY.

Will I really see a better pic as the TV will still be doing the scaling??

Thanks.

 

[goatlips]

Also I live in Croydon Surrey, anyone know where I can view a scaler??

 

[Joe Fernand]

Hello Philgreen

I have the DVDO iScanHD sitting next to a Lumagen VisionDVI and VisionHDP and with the latest firmware revisions from Lumagen its really no contest.

Both the VisionDVI and VisionHDP are ahead of the iScanHD - the VP30 looks interesting though not sure how much better the processing engine will be over the current DVDO models.

No firm release date as yet for the VP30 - I was told Nov 05 last time I asked.

Best regards

Joe

 

[Joe Fernand]

Hello goatlips

You'll notice folk talking about Video Processing not just Scaling - the DVDO and Lumagen boxes you are considering do an awful lot more than simply multiply or divide pixels.

Whilst its not ideal to be 'stuck' with an HDMI 'Video' Input on a TV that has a Native PC resolution pixel array the pre processing you can achieve within the VisionDVI is a more than worthwhile addition to you set-up.

Having lived with the PDP-434HDE and PDP-505XDE for longish periods I'd find it nigh on impossible now to go back to using one of the TV's without pre processing my video sources.

A lot of what can be achieved via the Processor really needs the skill of a decent calibration engineer and his/her calibration tools.

The SRP on a Lumagen VisionDVI is £798.00 and the going rate for an On-site Configuration/ISF Calibration is £275.00.

Its possible to 'see' the VisionDVI in your own system if your really keen - most Lumagen dealers can offer some form of Home Loan or Home Demo.

Best regards

Joe

 

[goatlips]

Joe thanks, Lumagen VisionDVI is this the scaler that would best suit for my 434?? I really don't know much about them and after spending £4500 on tv and £700 for the 868 I would like to know which way forward I can move with out buying another tv.Iwill be keeping them till they were out!! Is there a Lumagen dealer in South London??

 

[Piers]

The DVI is very good but the HDP has far more processing power which will be important as high def becomes mainstream. You must have bought your 434 some time ago unless the price was a typo!

A newer plasma will give significant picture quality improvements, much as Lumagen dealers will hate me for saying this (and I am one of them, so flame-proof clothes on tomorrow!), equally the new plasma or indeed the existing plasma will look hugely better when fed by a Lumagen, properly configured and calibrated.

 

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

goatlips:

I am sure I can put you in touch with a dealer who can demo a Lumagen if required.

Gordon

 

[NonPayingMember]

I would think the two dvi inputs on the processor enough, adding a switcher if required in the future for HD-DVD should it be good enough to replace the DVD for SD DVD playback. It would be well worth going for the VisionHDP option just to get decent 1080i deinterlacing from Sky HD to be output at 720p for your screen (let alone the better picture overall it will produce from other sources). The VisionDVI gives one helluva punch for a £800 product... but if you have the means, the HDP will give better results (even if rescaled at last stage by plasma) and will come into it's own with HD material. Loads of threads on why, but basically more horsepower, more software to make use of said horsepower, better DACs to recieve analogue input better. But as said, don't discount the VisionDVI because of this. It's still much better than all other products around the same price point.

I'm doing a H79 & Lumagen demo trip around surrey one afternoon/evening next week, waiting on a bit of stock to come in for one of the clients before I book but should have a slot free at the beginning or end of whichever day it is (prob Tues or Thurs). Gotta go up to Hampton Court from Tunbridge Wells, back through Esher, maybe get time for that pint with MAW in Cobham, then Epsom, then back to Tunbridge Wells!!!!!

 

[goatlips]

Thanks guys, how much will the HDP cost??

 

[davsdu]

What is the best method of connection between a denon dvd-a11 and a HD+?
Im running vga from the HD+ and to my phd8 plasma, so I guess DVI is out of the question (HDCP).
Currently I'm running component from the a11 to the HD+, but then the a11 is doing the interlacing, correct?

 

[NonPayingMember]

What is the best method of connection between a denon dvd-a11 and a HD+?
Im running vga from the HD+ and to my phd8 plasma, so I guess DVI is out of the question (HDCP).
Currently I'm running component from the a11 to the HD+, but then the a11 is doing the interlacing, correct?

With progressive scan turned off, the HD+ will be doing all the processing for you. Interlaced component would be the best connection type.