Maybe you've wondered why some of your DVDs don't look as good as others? Or why Blu-ray Hollywood movies appear to have more detail than concerts or documentaries? HQV Benchmark has a testing regimen to help you figure all of that out!

HQV Benchmark is produced by Silicon Optix, a leading developer of video processing technology. If you are new to the terms video processing and scaling, then a great foundational start is our own Video Dictionary on HD Library, Scaler. The HQV Benchmark series of discs have received a lot of press and a lot of players have failed to pass many of its tests.

Let's take a look at what each of these tests are, what their purpose is and what it actually means to your overall experience. Testing, Scoring, Education The test material concentrates mostly on deinterlacing and scaling. Silicon Optix provides a downloadable PDF file of the test regimen which includes how to score each test along with detailed explanations.

While the guide provides comparison images, the resolution is not high enough for many of the tests to assist you in fully appreciating what to look for. HQV Benchmark DVD Testing and Scoring Guide HQV Benchmark Blu-ray and HD DVD Testing and Scoring Guide Many of the DVD test results and all of the Blu-ray and HD DVD test results rely on perception requiring proper calibration of the display for valid results and is noted by in the title.

Neither disc provides a full suite of calibration test patterns. Digital Video Essentials is recommended and available in Blu-ray and DVD. There is also an HD DVD and DVD combo available while supplies last. If your system has been ISF calibrated, you are ready for testing. If the auto aspect does not provide a manual feature then you are stuck with 4:3, which will not be correct for some of the 16:9 tests.

The introduction and test material does not provide reference imaging quality for showing off the DVD format at its best. I recommend testing in both 16:9 and 4:3 aspects. Above the middle is a resolution response test for both luminance and chroma. Going left to right they are numbered as 4, 3, 2 and 1 with 1 representing 720 pixels horizontally.

The catch is that this is a 4:4:4 encoded pattern which means the chroma has the same response as luminance. The chroma response in block 1 serves no purpose since it cannot be properly reproduced so disregard those results. This pattern is part and parcel of confirming proper calibration prior to testing. This material will never have the response one would expect or can get viewing properly captured and mastered DVD video.

Page 10 of the guide compares two images that hardly look different for a test score high of 10 and 0, and in this case resembles reasonable expectations for this test. MPEG NR targets compression noise, is processed differently and should not be used for this test. A series of 12 still images are provided and most target the blue color channel. Two of those images never showed any noise and one was marginal.

These images are great examples of a noisy analog cable service or a satellite cable set top box delivered via channel 3 or 4 to your TV. This test is all about the NTSC broadcast television system, analog cable, analog RF tuners and the RF noise that can easily come from them. While having little to do with players, they are useful for DVD recorders and broadcast NTSC.

For high fidelity with DVD, NR on your DVD player should be turned off. For recorders this feature may make some or all of your noisy channels more palatable but in most cases the setting will also apply to DVDs, in which case it should be turned off. Look through or ignore the noise and recognize the detail that is present.

Now turn on NR on the player and see how much noise is removed along with any loss in detail. You can also reverse the test, turn the NR off on the player and turn it on for your TV if available. Some NR circuits offer different range levels in which case test all of them and determine which setting provides the best balance of detail versus noise suppression.

While an NR circuit can successfully navigate the prior noise test of still images, the addition of motion will show any artifacts created by the process and may help identify what kind of NR the video processor is using. Follow the same procedure for testing as previously described, following the guide for evaluation. The roller coaster is also a convenient test for LCD pixel speed provided you turn off NR on the player and display.

This is the most brutal part of the testing regimen that few players or displays will pass. This is also delivered in the form of end credits at the end of a TV show. This applies far more to broadcast TV and your display rather than players.

HQV Benchmark DVD on Your Player Just because a player fails some or all of these tests does not mean it will generate the same errors when playing a Hollywood movie on your player, nor would passing some of these tests qualify as high fidelity performance.

None of the tests even relate to how the vast majority of movies are captured, processed and mastered for DVD along with how your player is designed to reproduce them. Missing from this disc is the same test material processed and mastered just like Hollywood does. Without such a reference point the person doing the evaluation may have unrealistic expectations of how well the test material should perform. While it can be argued on the surface that some of these tests should apply to a player, as a reviewer I find myself in a catch 22.

Test material from Avia, Video Essentials, Sound and Vision, Digital Video Essentials and nearly all popular movies look decent to fantastic although that same player fails all or some of the HQV Benchmark material. How can that be? And as reviewer, how do I report a passing or failing grade? The key is understanding why an inexpensive DVD player can get decent results with no-name video processing.

This is achieved during mastering by including progressive flags in the data directly from the mastering studio telling the video processor in the player how to take the interlaced fields and put them together for a proper 480p presentation.

This is an extremely intelligent way to deliver a high fidelity performance envelope on the cheap!

With a native 480p 16:9 display, typically CRT only, and a properly designed 480p player, you are in videophile nirvana due to this free ride but this is an HDTV world and most displays these days require the 480p free ride gets scaled to one of the HD scan rates, 720p, 1080i or 1080p.

Proper deinterlacing is the crux and scaling is far easier so this free ride can provide decent to high quality performance beyond 480p depending on the design goals! The HQV Benchmark DVD technical twist is that the material is encoded as raw 480i, no progressive flags for dumb scaling, leaving the player entirely on its own to figure out how to deinterlace the content.

The bottom line is that the vast majority of players are going to fail many of the tests that relate to DVD content. While the movie is bound to have these progressive flags, that may not be the case for special features.

This has improved over the years, but for a movie buff and or DVD collector much of a library is going to contain such content. On top of that, many a collection will have 4:3 letterboxed releases along with the oddball cadences that come with low volume or low budget productions, cult classics, anime and TV shows on DVD.

Some folks desire a player or external scaler that can get the most out of such content. HQV Benchmark is exactly what the doctor ordered for reviewers and videophiles alike who are looking for a simple straight forward battery of tests to quickly determine performance with such content.

Source: http://feeds.hdtvmagazine.com/click.phdo

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Since 2006, OPPO has been providing a DVD performance envelope covering the main feature, the movie, at roughly the $200 mark directly competing with other players and external scalers costing $1000 plus. They have been earning my recommendation since then along with a full model line review last year. When it was announced that OPPO was releasing a flag ship DVD player at nearly double the price, I requested a review sample to find out how OPPO has raised the bar on an already very successful product line.

As with past models, you will need an HDMI input on your display to receive the full video benefits of the product. While OPPO decided to include analog component video outputs with this model, it is limited to 480p with most discs and while those discs that aren't flagged can be output up to 1080i, the Anchor Bay video processing is not used at all in that application. As with the DV-981HD, the flag ship player supports SACD and DVD Audio.

On the surface the DV-983H doesn't appear to offer anything different from last year's DV-981HD, yet those differences are there, buried in the details. Along with links to the very well documented OPPO website are the following differences between the DV-981HD and the new DV-983H.

Features

• VRS by Anchor Bay video processing technology
• Anamorphic Aspect Ratio for anamorphic 2.35 lens applications (not tested)
• Directly supports 6.1 Multi-channel audio Dolby Digital or DTS
• 7.1 multi-channel audio via analog or HDMI
• Optimized High Fidelity Audio Circuit Design for the analog outputs
• Kodak Picture CD compatible - high resolution picture slide show
• USB 2.0 back panel connector supporting video, picture and music playback
• RS232 port for custom Home Theater installations
• IEC 14 gauge AC Power cord
• Heavy gauge black brushed aluminum front panel

Not-So-Common Features for the DV-983H

• Includes Anchor Bay Technologies video test disc
• PAL/NTSC disc and TV compatible with automatic or manual system conversion
• Analog Component Video up to 480p with CSS encrypted discs or up to 1080i without CSS
• 8 channel analog audio outputs with 24 bit 192kHz D/A convertors
• Audio Only mode turns off the video circuits for high-resolution multi-channel digital audio output through HDMI or analog audio for CD, DVD-Audio and SACD
• Dimmer Control allows the front panel display to be turned off for improved analog audio fidelity
• Y/C Delay, on/off/auto CUE correction along with in depth De-interlacing Mode, Video Mode and Color Space besides basic picture controls
• Alternate Remote Control Code - allows other manufacturers DVD player controls to operate the OPPO

Optional Accessories

• External IR remote Sensor, IR-ES1

Opening the Box

Like past products the DV-983H was well packed with the player in a nice bag, a nice black OPPO box containing all the accessories along with a full sized manual and Anchor Bay Technologies test disc. The remote looks identical to past versions but for this model it is in black. While appearing identical, some of the buttons have different functions. Either way, do not expect much here. While certainly not hailing from the land of cheese, the remote is not back-lit and the button layout veers more towards a tabled layout with button shape similarity adding to the confusion. While it has glow-in-the-dark keys that won't help much once the glow has extinguished itself in your darkened room. I don't place too much emphasis on remotes though, as most folks use a system (universal) remote for everyday use.

Out of Box Performance

Hooking up the player to a BenQ W10000, I found it preset for 16:9, adjusted the output for 1080p and ran the DVE test material. After watching the video performance tests and test patterns I was left scratching my head trying to figure out exactly what the improvement was. Based on all players tested thus far, the Achilles heal had always been material that was not properly captured or encoded, and more importantly 4:3 letterboxed presentations. With my fingers crossed I loaded The Poseidon Adventure (1972 4:3 letterboxed) in the tray pushed play, hit the zoom button and was greeted with a palatable presentation of this OAR, original aspect ratio 2.35 movie in 16:9 mode. On to objective testing.

Problems

Towards the very end of my time with the OPPO, the HDMI kept resetting itself going through a handshaking routine. Oddly enough this cleared up after returning to the machine a few days later.

Service

This is one of those rare moments where I can report from direct experience. OPPO is great. I lost my DV-971HD during the warranty period. I called them up explaining I was a service center and they sent me a part! While it did not resolve the problem they deserve kudos for providing that potential convenience. I ended up having to ship it back but lo and behold they offer a prepaid service so I could simply order one and send the old one back for credit. If I was needy I could have also had them overnight one, naturally at my expense. Now that is service!

Putting It in Perspective

While the DV-983 may not be as refined and detailed as the Toshiba HD-A35, that is not its strong suit. The key to this player is how it handles all the other stuff on your disc besides the movie; special features, TV shows, anime and letterboxed titles. In essence OPPO is delivering all the capabilities of an external scaler for only $170 more than their DV-981HD and about $600-400 less than an external scaler. While not quite as refined as a $1000 plus external scaler, it provides a quality solution for DVD collectors who want that kind of capability for all the material they own and don't seek the ultimate in performance along with the ultimate performance price. Based on the viewing environments and habits of most folks, the refining difference won't be seen anyway and the DV-983H can easily be perceived as $399 worth of videophile gold! With this capability the DV-983H fills a niche that very few players (if any) can touch regardless of price.

For general everyday audio performance, using an HDMI equipped receiver accepting linear PCM or analog multichannel inputs you have access to thousands of HD audio titles. If you are an audiophile though you can do far better and this is not the right product for such a demanding application.

With Blu-ray players hitting the market that can also play your DVDs, do you really need yet another box, remote and available connection to deal with? If you want the external scaling "I can handle it all" DV-983H solution then the only answer is yes.

If the movie is your only concern, then a Blu-ray player is worthy of your attention. In my opinion, OPPO needs to get involved with the Blu-ray format or they will be left with great SD DVD players that fulfill only half a need. OPPO has been working on the BDP-83 using the same Anchor Bay video processing provided here for DVD along with Blu-ray plus DVD Audio and SACD support listed as "Coming Soon" on their site.

Conclusion

OPPO has given other far better-known manufacturers a great deal of competition with their past players and the DV-983H ups the ante significantly, but it is a niche player. If all you care about is the main feature, the DV-981HD performs just as well. If you are picking nits you can find a single hair improvement and save yourself $170 or even spend that difference for a Blu-ray player instead. If you want it all with every bit of content on your shiny DVD discs then the DV-983H is the bargain player of the year that will provide videophile nirvana for every single minute of that content. Along with that you get multi-channel digital support or 8 decent analog outputs for SACD and DVD Audio. This product comes highly recommended for the DVD collector and their vast library along with the variety of mastering that naturally comes with that!

Source: http://feeds.hdtvmagazine.com/click.phdo

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If you haven’t yet sprung for a high-definition TV set, the week before the Super Bowl is a good time to make the upgrade. Sports look great in HD, and football in particular is easier to follow on a big, sharp screen.

Before you head to the store, make sure to read up on HDTVs. Sports look great in HD, and football in particular is easier to follow on a big, sharp screen. Of course, bigger TVs make for a more compelling viewing experience, but even a smaller HD set is a good step up from a standard-definition set. Here are some ideas to keep in mind if you decide to go high-def. What size screen should I get?

A common rule of thumb is this: Take the distance you"ll be sitting from the TV set, in feet. Multiply it by four to get the number of inches of screen diagonal you should get. If you sit 10 feet from the TV, that works out to a 40-inch set. That"s the minimum size - you will certainly appreciate an even larger one. If you"re choosing between a smaller TV with premium features or a larger TV for the same price, go for the larger one. LCD or Plasma?

Liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs, have become the default choice for HDTV buyers, with nearly 90 percent of the market. But don"t rule out plasma sets. These can be cheaper for the same size of screen, and yield excellent image quality, with deeper black images than most LCD screens. But plasma ones are thicker, and heavier, and use more power than LCD screens.

The most noticeable difference is that plasma screens have glossy glass surfaces, which can produce annoying reflections from windows and light sources, so placing them requires some care. Rear-projection sets are still around, accounting for a few percent of the market. Consider these if you want the largest possible screen and don"t mind that they"re not flat, wall-mountable slabs like LCDs and plasma.

Image quality can be good, but they"re less bright than flat panels and even dimmer when not viewed straight on. 720p or 1080p? This refers to the resolution of the screen, with 1080p being the sharpest. But chances are you won"t notice the difference unless you sit fairly close or the screen is very big. A 720p set is fine for DVDs, which aren"t high-definition.

If you plan to get a Blu-ray player or to hook up an Xbox 360 or other video-game console to the set, 1080p makes more sense. For LCD screens 40 inches or larger and all rear-projection sets, 1080p is now standard. So how does the set hook up? HDMI cables provide the best connection between a TV set and a signal source like a set-top box, DVD player, or game console. They"re also simple to connect, with one HDMI cable replacing as many as five video and audio cables.

Three inputs have become standard, but some cheaper sets scrimp. HDMI cables can even be used to connect some late-model computers to the set. HDMI cable can be very expensive, but don"t need to be. Smart shoppers should hunt online, where HDMI cords can be just a few dollars each. You"ll also find a standard antenna input at the back of the set, in case you get your TV signal through an antenna rather than from cable or satellite.

If you do, you have another motivation to get a digital set right now. Most analog broadcasts are set to disappear on Feb. High-definition signal! Some people get an HD set and then think they"re watching HD, when in fact they"re watching blurry old standard-definition programming.

The cable or satellite company can walk you through getting an HD signal, but if you"re in a hurry to watch the Super Bowl or don"t have pay TV, connect an antenna and tell the set to scan the airwaves. The local NBC station should be broadcasting the game in high definition. The comments feature is a forum to discuss the ideas in our stories.

Source: http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2009/01/28/buyer%e2~

Keywords:
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