Mad Mr H
Prominent Member
The first thing you notice about the Gefen is that the outer packing box is about half as tall as the usual scaler box - Slimline you think.........
Then when you open it you think - WOW - half as wide as well..........
So now you are holding a £700.00 small light box that claims to change HD SDI inputs (2 of them) into DVI output, And as an added bonus there is a scaler as well........
So for £700.00 you know you have bought a budget scaler OR IS IT???, the HD SDI input on a normal scaler has to be how much £? - Tell me when the others catch up and ACTUALLY have a product not just vapourware .
So this was my only real choice, or to be more exact there were a number of similar boxes this just happened to be the one I could get with ease........
Anyway - you get a nice little remote control with it, Battery IS included, which I like, you can use it straight away......BETTER STILL it actually comes with 2 sets of spare as well..........2 customer satisfaction points
Like a child with any new toy I find the manual and put it in a safe place - the weekly refuse collectors take mine
And I start to connect the unit up, BNC inputs and BNC pass through good idea.
Unit comes with external power supply, its blue and so is the Mains to IEC lead - funky!
Now plug in mains lead, plug into PSU and go to plug into the Gefen - OH! NO!!!! whats this one of those stupid little 9-12v circular connectors that usually fall out the back of everyunit the minute you move it - CLEVER GEFEN GUYS & GALS, the power connector has a secure screw on version - Another Customer Satisfaction point .
I connect my HD SDI modified HD DVD player, Did I mention FIRST ONE in EUROPE , to the Gefen and DVI cable out to my Barco CRT Projector (thats a ten year old CRT capable of ABOVE 1080P native resolution )
Switch it all on and hey presto, press the Gefen "Menu" button and up pops a menu............
Menu is in colour, easy to understand in sections, menu has transparent background, more options for output resolution than I have seen in the past, user friendly.
This is the FIRST version of the firmware - and it works - Another Customer Satisfaction point .
Of course, whats the picture like ???
Well im impressed, the day after I got this unit I sold my Crystalio, NOW I should make this clear, this new GEFEN unit suits MY needs perfectly.
Anyone with say Sky SDI and a second SDI modified unit then this is perfect (Sky HD might be on my list next) match with a DVI input projector, Plasma or other display.
I have also used this with my NEC 50" plasma, worked perfect.
The menu gives loads of control the same as you get with all other scalers.........
SO - Picture quality, thats what it is all about right ???
Well thats my cue for "Nick".............its easy for the owner of a new toy to say how great it is and be blinkered by possible flaws that are easy to ignore to save pride getting hurt - SO I will let another very well respected and open minded guy answer the quality question................
Then when you open it you think - WOW - half as wide as well..........
So now you are holding a £700.00 small light box that claims to change HD SDI inputs (2 of them) into DVI output, And as an added bonus there is a scaler as well........
So for £700.00 you know you have bought a budget scaler OR IS IT???, the HD SDI input on a normal scaler has to be how much £? - Tell me when the others catch up and ACTUALLY have a product not just vapourware .
So this was my only real choice, or to be more exact there were a number of similar boxes this just happened to be the one I could get with ease........
Anyway - you get a nice little remote control with it, Battery IS included, which I like, you can use it straight away......BETTER STILL it actually comes with 2 sets of spare as well..........2 customer satisfaction points
Like a child with any new toy I find the manual and put it in a safe place - the weekly refuse collectors take mine
And I start to connect the unit up, BNC inputs and BNC pass through good idea.
Unit comes with external power supply, its blue and so is the Mains to IEC lead - funky!
Now plug in mains lead, plug into PSU and go to plug into the Gefen - OH! NO!!!! whats this one of those stupid little 9-12v circular connectors that usually fall out the back of everyunit the minute you move it - CLEVER GEFEN GUYS & GALS, the power connector has a secure screw on version - Another Customer Satisfaction point .
I connect my HD SDI modified HD DVD player, Did I mention FIRST ONE in EUROPE , to the Gefen and DVI cable out to my Barco CRT Projector (thats a ten year old CRT capable of ABOVE 1080P native resolution )
Switch it all on and hey presto, press the Gefen "Menu" button and up pops a menu............
Menu is in colour, easy to understand in sections, menu has transparent background, more options for output resolution than I have seen in the past, user friendly.
This is the FIRST version of the firmware - and it works - Another Customer Satisfaction point .
Of course, whats the picture like ???
Well im impressed, the day after I got this unit I sold my Crystalio, NOW I should make this clear, this new GEFEN unit suits MY needs perfectly.
Anyone with say Sky SDI and a second SDI modified unit then this is perfect (Sky HD might be on my list next) match with a DVI input projector, Plasma or other display.
I have also used this with my NEC 50" plasma, worked perfect.
The menu gives loads of control the same as you get with all other scalers.........
SO - Picture quality, thats what it is all about right ???
Well thats my cue for "Nick".............its easy for the owner of a new toy to say how great it is and be blinkered by possible flaws that are easy to ignore to save pride getting hurt - SO I will let another very well respected and open minded guy answer the quality question................