Numbskull Needs Help With PJ Switching And LD Scaling (?) (1 Viewer)

[Dave Simpson]

Hoo boy, do I need some help with this one...I'm planning on an fully-dedicated front-projection room in my basement, which is already in a bloody shambles of de-construction in anticiapation of the PJ (likely Panny 200 or Boxlight Matinee HD-1. Opinions on theses units welcome). Here's the rub: my sources will include DVD, X-Box, and laserdisc. I need a magic box that will serve as a video switcher (so that I need run only one lengthy cable up from the component stack across the ceiling to the PJ, instead of several), and that will also do justice ("scale"?) to my many LDs, with which I refuse to part (...from my cold, dead hands...). I've seen an IscanPro in action, and that fits the bill perfectly, but it's beyond my wallet brand-new, and tough to find used. Question: will this do the trick? The price is right (for me), and it's got an NTSC tuner on-board, to boot. Or am I just confused about the "magic box" I need for this purpose?
Thanks for any help you may offer, and cheers!

DS.

 

[Chris PC]

Hey Dave

I guess your Receiver does not have component video switching? Just curious...

That looks interesting. To watch LD you're going to need a good line doubler no matter what you do. As a last resort, a V1 or V2 iScan will switch your interlaced DVD and LD via S-video. The advantage of the Pro vs the V1 or V2 is the component video and the squeeze function, but its not that big a deal. The difference in video quality using S-video with an iScan V1 or V2 is not much compared to Component via the iScan Pro. As to the other concern, I have used my AE100 in Normal mode (letting it squeeze the frame from stretched 16:9 to normal 4:3) and quite frankly the projector squeezes the picture almost as good as the iScan Pro does.

I'd keep looking for a used iScan V1 or Pro before searching for something else. Who knows how good or bad that units deinterlacer is. The unit you list looks neat especially because of the tuner. Perhaps if you find out more about it, it may be a cool option. Find out what de-interlacer chip it has. Remember that the iScans have 99.9% error free reverse 3:2 pulldown de-interlacing and I can vouch for not once seeing a single de-interlacing screw up while watching over 60 hours of DVD's with the AE100 and iScan Pro.

Anyways....perhaps someone else with more knowledge about the switcher can comment. Good luck man

 

[Dave Simpson]

Chris,

I guess your Receiver does not have component video switching? Just curious...

Umm, no. My four year old Yamaha has very little S-Video switching, let alone any component switching. But other than that short-coming, I'm still pretty pleased with it (as a pre-pro), since I don't have a huge desire for PLII, Neo6 and the rest. A new receiver (or pre-pro) will hopefully come sometime next year, but I'm not in a big hurry.
Thanks for the advice on the switcher. Even browsing Viewsonic's page on the item (located here), I can find no info on the de-interlacing chip, and Google's been no help, either. At least, for the moment however, time is on my side...
Cheers!

DS.

 

[Dave Simpson]

Chris,

I just got off the phone with the Viewsonic tech-support guy. He tells me the de-interlacing chip is made by Trident. Who, I say? Faroudja?? Nope, Trident. Guess I'll have to keep looking for an IscanPro...Cheers!

DS.