WM9 and 504HDE

[Eagerbeaver]

I'm so far delighted with my Pioneer PDP 504HDE. I was wondering what would be the best way to see WM9 HD material.

Obviously through a HCPC but the 504HDE is not the friendliest with HCPC because of the resolution/refresh rates it will accept as standard.

 

[AndyH]

Hmm, I'm thinking of going Pioneer Plasma soon, and was hoping to hook up the HCPC I've just built..

.. what do you mean about the refresh / resolution that it takes?

Cheers,
A.

 

[Eagerbeaver]

OK, this is not a statement of fact and I hope someone will point out I'm talking utter b******* but it is my current understanding.

The 434/504 HDE manual shows a "computer compatibility chart" showing what combinations of resolution (number of pixels) and refresh rate (frequency) are compatible with this screen.

For smooth playback of film sourced material the frequency/refresh rate of the display has to be divisible by 24 (the number of frames/second in films, otherwise motion can appear jerky.

Microsoft say that the minimum spec for playback is a resolution of 1024x768. The Pioneer will show this but only at a frequency of 60,70 or 75Hz. I would have thought this would give a lot of judder in scenes involving movement.

You can use Powerstrip to output a 72Hz signal but will the Pioneer display it.

Hence my original question. I’m sure there are other out there with the same screen wanting to make the most of the HD ability of Pioneer. Maybe we need to wait for a WMV HD capable DVD player.

 

[rscott4563]

Just one thing to keep in mind, if your going to be viewing PAL material then its multiples of 25fps that your after, i.e. 50Hz, 75Hz, 100Hz etc...

Ryan

 

[MAW]

WM9 HD stuff is not pal video, but 720p or 1080p AVI files, well microsoft's version of them. So it will be 24fps. Your results may not be very special, as you say the plasma is not very PC friendly. I'm well known for rants on this subject, so I'll say no more now. Try it at 75Hz and see how it is. You are pretty stuck there. For the 720 stuff, it might be worth trying hdmi, if you can set your pc to 1280/720 or something like it

 

[Eagerbeaver]

It would be interesting to hear if anyone has had any success with the 4HDE models and a HCPC. I’ve tried 2 PCs, both running Powerstrip. One would only show a signal at 60Hz, the other would just go with the default rates but I’ve not put much effort into it so far.

How do you connect a PC to HDMI out of interest?

It’s still worth connecting a PC to the Pioneer as it has so many other uses. I do find it hard to believe that it is so crippled in the way it appears to be though.

I’ve heard WMVHD DVD is around the corner so I don’t mind waiting for that. In the meantime I think I’ll just get the cheaper Pioneer HDMI player which is still very impressive.

 

[MAW]

DVI-HDMI cables are available, but as you say, there is only limited functionality available when you have got one.

 

[Loafer316]

Will the 04 MXE screen address the problems with HCPC's?? i was hoping to buy that as i want to hook up a HCPC to it.

 

[MAW]

04MXE will be issue free with PC. It's intended for such things.

 

[Loafer316]

Thanxs m8 ..... now the wait until they come out! Joe said they were expected April...but the press release suggests the 43" MXE might be out later.

 

[MAW]

April is for 50", June for 43". There are no major upgrades from the 433, none needed IMHO, except maybe better black, so why not pick up a cheap MXE now? Last few silvers are flying out now, but a bundle of charcoals left, and I know a man who can paint it if you are fussy.

 

[Eagerbeaver]

Yes the current MXE is a bit of a bargain if you can still find one as they are a perfectly good screen.

The current HDE is hard to beat if you want the convenience of a plug and play setup but the upcoming MXE looks like it's going to give more flexibility, particularly if used with a HCPC.

Only downside is that HCPC can be a bit cumbersome for everyday use. (I should know I use one!) I'm sure many would disagree but personally I would like the ease of use of the HDE with a standalone DVD player with thee PQ of WMVHD.

I can see these players beingavailabloe soon but will they be HDMI, I think not.

 

[MAW]

I can't see the ease of use of the HDE model, I find it's remote operation clunky in the extreme, and the restrictiveness of it's digital input is nothing but hassle. MXE for me every time. Digital links to dvd players are currently over-rated, a good analogue YUV connection is still better, if we are talking 2900 against 868 or some similar comparison

 

[Eagerbeaver]

I guess I agree with all those points. I've got used to the remote and the HDMI connected player demo I've seen looked good to me.

By ease of use I meant that within half an hour of getting the display out of the box I had a picture I was happy with. There is less of a temptation to play with it as the barriers of what can be achieved are better defind

2 years after I've installed my HCPC/projector I still spend more time "playing" with it than actually watching films.

 

[AndyH]

Hi,

Dumb question time... I was thinking of going 504HDE with HDMI via an 868 player.

But I do now have a HCPC, and was hoping I could connect that up as well and get a pukka picture (along with Sky+, Playstation etc using the usual S-Vid / RGB type connections).

Do the MXE versions of these screens not feature HDMI/DVI inputs..?

Cheers,
A.

 

[MAW]

The MXE features DVI bit not HDMI. It will work with the HTPC, not with the 868. You have to decide which is more important to you, and if you mention teletext, I'll scream. The 868 HDMI is largely style over substance currently. HDMI has huge potential, as mentioned above, you can outperform it with a good analogue player at the moment. So if you like your PC, get an MXE, and a Denon or similar. If you are set on HDMI get the HDE, silly analogue tuner, and connect your PC via analogue input on the front panel of the media box, with restricted refresh rate, and put up with the consequences. Certainly the HDE is a more 'plug and play' solution, but a little time with the MXE will be time well spent.