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***Official Digital Video Essentials Discussion Thread*** (1 Viewer)

RAF

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Don't know if this is the best place to put this, but it is software.

Joe Kane's new Digital Video Essentials is available here at $24.99 + a free bonus disc from a small selection, but some interesting items from DVD International.

If you are thinking of upgrading to this new version, this is a painless way to do it. The offer ends on 9/7/03 according to the site.
 

Mark Zimmer

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Pretty painless, though shipping via Ground was a whopping $7. Anyway, a ton cheaper than I paid for the original five years ago. Thanks for the tip, RAF!
 

Dave Pobuda

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Just am wondering if anyone has had a chance to calibrate with the new version yet ? I received mine yesterday but there has been too much going on to really sit down and have a go at it.
I'm hoping for some quiet time tonight and will give it a spin and see what I come up with.

:D
 

John G

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just ordered mine yesterday. Can't wait to get it running on my new mitsu WS65711 :)

I do have a question in general about DVE/AVIA. On my mitsu, i can adjust the video settings (contrast, etc) for each input source seperately. So correct me if i'm wrong, but i'll only get the 'DVE calibrated' picture while viewing DVD?
 

RAF

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Yes, there are other places you can go to get just the disc itself cheaper than DVD International (I use dvdpricesearch.com all the time). If you have no interest in the "bonus" disc then, of course, that's not the way to go. (I think the offer expires today, anyway.) When I did my search I found a DVD International Title I wanted so the total cost of under $30 (including first class shipping) was attractive to me. A search of the web for the combined price of both DVE and the bonus disc including shipping on even the cheapest sites was more than what I paid for the "offer."

BTW, be sure when you search for the "best" price that you make certain the item you want is in stock. I heard of one person who ordered DVE from a "cheap" vendor only to find out it is now backordered with no set delivery schedule.

Speaking of which, some of these outfits use "media mail" for the "free" shipping option - and media mail can, depending on the alignment of the planets ;), take up to a month or more to arrive at your door.

In other words, Caveat Emptor.
 

Dustin Wind

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I was about to post the same thing John.

I took the calibrated numbers( brightness, contrast ETC) that i set the DvD to with my video essentials and applied them to my x-box and HDTV box inputs....it just didn't look right.
Very Dark and blah.

I'm not sure what to do either. I'm going to assume its ONLY for calibrating the DvD input.


I also ordered the new video essentials today.
 

ChrisMatson

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John and Dustin,

You should be close with using the same settings across all of the inputs, but this will vary depending on the TV and type of video connection. If you are connecting a PS2 or XBOX, you could calibrate that way. I have noticed that my PS2 seems dark after calibrating with AVIA, so I adjust slightly to suit my preferences (usually with the in-game brightness control, if possible).

As for HDTV inputs, you may not be able to get the exact same picture, but could you switch the DVD player to that input and calibrate it? You may have to tweak after switching back, but it should be a close approximation.


Remember to select the same "movie/normal" and "warm/cool" modes for all of your TV inputs.
 

John G

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hmmm..thanks chris. I guess the best thing to do will be to wait till i actually get the disc then go from there
 

Lyle_JP

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Also, if your DVD player has it's black level set at 0 IRE (standard for NTSC Japan), and the rest of your components at 7.5 IRE (standard for North American NTSC) or vice versa, you will have disparities in acceptable brightness levels between the two.

-Lyle J.P.
 

GregK

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Regarding the Playstation 2, I checked mine at work on a waveform monitor and the DVD playback black level goes to down to 0 IRE, *not* to 7.5 IRE, per North American NTSC composite / S-Video Specs. So PS2 DVD blacks will look too dark when compared to other 'proper' NTSC sources.

Note that newer PS2 units may or may not have corrected this quirk.
 

Brian Dobbs

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I picked up this disc (w/ the bonus DVD sampler) at the CEDIA expo for 20 bucks.

:)

Can't wait to CAL-I-BRATE!
 

Dan Rudolph

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I've got a newer PS2 (came with latest DVD driver on it) and it still looks way darker than everything else I have.
 

Thomas Smailus

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When you fellows with both versions of DVE get a chance, can you compare the functionality and features and let us know what is different about the new one versus the old version - ie what may have been removed, what has been changed, and what is brand new - but video and audio.
 

Neil Joseph

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One of the things I missed from the old VE was the actual video footage that could be used to test the video after calibration, something that AVIA did not have. I expect that this one will have it. I also cannot wait to recalibrate with this as well as set up the 6.1.
 

Gordon McMurphy

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How exactly does this work? Do you simply use the standard buttons on the handset/tv panel or do you need to use the service menu? I can access the service menu on my Panasonic TV, but there are no controls in the service menu for sharpness and I have the sharpness on the main menu (color, brightness, contrast) set at zero, but lines are still jagged in places and reds bleed a little. Will DVE help with these problems?

I currently have a Panasonic RV-20, but I about to upgrade to this: http://www.hifibitz.co.uk/warehouse/...tid=PIODV656SV

Wise choice?

Cheers, guys. :)


Gordy
 

JohnSterling

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I'm really liking this new version. The 6.1 surround stuff is nice. I haven't gone through the entire disc yet...just spot checked...but everything I've looked at so far is pretty cool stuff. I'm going to sit down today and just watch the whole disc. Got mine locally yesterday for $20.00.
 

Neil Joseph

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Digital Video Essentials is more up to date than AVIA, which is more up to date than the original Video Essentials.
 

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