How did you tweak your X1???

Joe Zemaitis · 03-21-2004, 04:09 PM

I'm interested in getting everything out of my X1. I'd like to know what settings did you have to change to get the picture its very best for everyone reading this. I'm pretty much running out of the box settings, and I think it still looks a little blurry especially with DVD's... Its weird. Cable, it looks fine, of if I plug my laptop into it, then run a dvd, then it looks fine.

Basically looking for any info on making it look its very best.... Any setting changed out of the box! Thanks

Joe

ChrisWiggles · 03-21-2004, 05:01 PM

You should calibrate with a proper test disc, and you should try to bypass internal scaling by using the native panel resolution on your computer. This will provide the best source for it, and bypass the internal scaling which is not as good.

Joe Zemaitis · 03-21-2004, 06:12 PM

OK... I'm new to this... Can you put that in terms I could better understand? Where do I get a calibration disc? Also, I never hook up my computer other then when i was troubleshooting.

Joe

ChrisWiggles · 03-21-2004, 07:11 PM

Avia or DVE. See the beginner's primer and FAQ (in the basics forum, theres a link at the top) for some more info.

Computers are some of the best sources for HT use, and can be especially helpful for digital projectors too. This is because a digital projector has a native, fixed panel resolution. Every resolution that it accepts, it scales to that resolution, because that is how many pixel elements it has. By feeding it *exactly* the native panel resolution, you bypass this low-quality processing. High-quality video scaling/processing, however, is very expensive, and processor intensive. Scalers built-in to most digital projectors are of low quality. Stand-alone consumer and professional grade video processing equipment alone would cost many magnitudes more than your x1 costs. However, a computer does the same thing, and if you already have a computer, then it's free, except for time and some software

. Anyway, if you're interested in this aspect, learn about HTPCs, that's where it's at.

Until then, start by properly calibrating with Avia or DVE, and view in a proper, darkened environment.

Joseph Bolus · 03-21-2004, 07:17 PM

There's absolutely *NO WAY* that DVD's should look worse than cable on your X1!!

Please make sure that:

* You have the X1 running in either its "Film" or "Video" preset mode. Running in "Presentation" mode will "crush" the whites which will result in the loss of some detail.

* Make sure that your DVD player is set up for a 16:9 Widescreen monitor. (You can adjust this via the SETUP MENU on your DVD player. Once the DVD player is set to 16:9 there is never a need to adjust this setting again. If the DVD that's playing is not anamorphic, the player will automatically revert back to 4:3 mode.)

* When playing anamorphic DVD's on the X1 always switch the aspect ratio of the X1 to 16:9. (You can actually leave the X1 configured for a 16:9 screen area and then utilize the "Native" aspect ratio for 4:3 material, if you desire.)

The display of anamorphic DVD from almost any standard DVD player on the X1 should be "razor sharp" after adhering to these simple rules.

EDIT: If your DVD player is not progressive scan, than at least run it into the s-video input of the projector. The X1's excellent Faroudja DCDi circuit will take it from there.

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Joe Zemaitis · 03-21-2004, 10:26 PM

I ended up changing the sharpness to the sharpest setting. Thats what I had the component set to. The S video was only sent to standard. Is it just me, or does the picture look much brighter when my laptop is plugged into the svga port? I have an old school DVD player from like 99... Its a Phillips DVD 825... I don't know if the available adaptors would work for my projector.

Thanks
Joe

NickSo · 03-21-2004, 11:06 PM

Wow the sharpest? Is that for DVD, cable, or both?

With AVIA, i found the sharpest to be WAY too sharp, halos everywhere... I have it set on softer, or standard...

Cable or satellite will be blurry and soft ususally, but helps by watching it in NATIVE rather than 4:3.

How do you have the DVD hooked up? Are you sure its focused as best possible? I have my X1 hooked up to a 6 yr old Toshiba SD2109 via Svideo, and with good DVDs it looks great (i was amazed at how great it looked watching LOTR:TTT).

What movies did you find were blurry? Could be the DVD...

arman-m · 03-22-2004, 12:57 AM

it could be dvd the dvd.....
concert,documentary and tv series dvds usually look blurry or grainy....
I was really suprised when i first put my elton john gratest hits music dvd. it's almost unwatchable, colors were terrible.... also FRIENDS dvds look little blurry .....
but movies look great on x1 so far.

Joe Zemaitis · 03-22-2004, 07:20 AM

I have mine set to native. I sure hope its the right setting since its already mounted on the ceiling! Anyways, I was noticing it on Mona Lisa Smiles just two nights ago. I kept rubbing my eyes because they were getting tired. Hm... The only other setting I have changed is the keystone to about 60%, the ceiling setting so the picture is upside down, overscan is turned on, and the brightness is at 60.

Joe

Joe Zemaitis · 03-22-2004, 07:46 AM

"EDIT: If your DVD player is not progressive scan,"

Is my Panasonic DVD-825 progressive scan? I know it doens't have composite outputs.

Joe