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Post by Andrew Robinson on May 23, 2013 9:49:20 GMT -5
Michael Chen is one of the originators of the THX calibration program and one of the industry's most insightful and best calibrators. Period. End of story. He also happens to be a really nice guy too. Ray Jr. of SoCalHT is my personal calibration specialist and another close personal friend. Both know their stuff -way more than me and are considered go-to and trusted sources on the topic.
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Post by jmilton on May 23, 2013 10:41:53 GMT -5
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bootman
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Post by bootman on May 23, 2013 11:08:43 GMT -5
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Post by siggie on May 23, 2013 12:14:41 GMT -5
I thought everyone might find this discussion of the Darbee Darblet HDMI video enhancer interesting. I'm not vouching for it (I don't even have a Blue Ray player yet) but they guy who tried it out was a hard core home theater enthusiast and prolific poster on the forum where the discussion was, so I have no reason to doubt his credibility or objectivity. Siggie boards.fool.com/darbee-darblet-installed-30476944.aspx |
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Post by Andrew Robinson on May 23, 2013 12:39:58 GMT -5
I thought everyone might find this discussion of the Darbee Darblet HDMI video enhancer interesting. A note on the Darbee. Seeing as how a lot of you are audiophiles I think you can appreciate what I'm about to say. The Darbee has its place and among its fans it's largely viewed as a Godsend. That being said, if you value or strive for adhering to the "artist's original intent" that Darbee is not a device you should employ in your video setup as it most assuredly is altering the signal and changing it per the designers' at Darbee's aesthetic and not the one originally put forth by the content's creator. It is an adaptive contrast/sharpness device nothing more, nothing less. Just wanted to put that out there. Not saying don't buy it, or hate on it, just want folks to understand what it is before they get the wrong impression. |
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bootman
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Post by bootman on May 23, 2013 12:43:55 GMT -5
I thought everyone might find this discussion of the Darbee Darblet HDMI video enhancer interesting. I'm not vouching for it (I don't even have a Blue Ray player yet) but they guy who tried it out was a hard core home theater enthusiast and prolific poster on the forum where the discussion was, so I have no reason to doubt his credibility or objectivity. Siggie boards.fool.com/darbee-darblet-installed-30476944.aspxMixed results with a "sharpener" device like that. With less than optimal source materials it may actually make things worse.  |
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Post by The Mad Norseman on May 23, 2013 13:34:14 GMT -5
I thought everyone might find this discussion of the Darbee Darblet HDMI video enhancer interesting. A note on the Darbee. Seeing as how a lot of you are audiophiles I think you can appreciate what I'm about to say. The Darbee has its place and among its fans it's largely viewed as a Godsend. That being said, if you value or strive for adhering to the "artist's original intent" that Darbee is not a device you should employ in your video setup as it most assuredly is altering the signal and changing it per the designers' at Darbee's aesthetic and not the one originally put forth by the content's creator. It is an adaptive contrast/sharpness device nothing more, nothing less. Just wanted to put that out there. Not saying don't buy it, or hate on it, just want folks to understand what it is before they get the wrong impression. I think I'd disagree, I don't think its analogous to changing "artist's original intent", and Kris Deering of Home Theater Magazine has a ton of experience with HT equipment and reviews, and I trust his judgment: www.hometheater.com/content/darbee-visual-presence-darblet-video-enhancerEvery experienced reviewer (that I'm aware of) has approached this thing all prepared to dislike it, and pan it - but all instead have come away raving about it - that says something VERY important by itself I think... I haven't tried the Darbee-Darblet yet myself, but I'd sure like to see for myself what all the commotion is about! |
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KeithL
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Post by KeithL on May 23, 2013 14:55:58 GMT -5
Andrew is entirely correct - but I'd like to add one slight clarification to what he said..... A device like the Darbee is analogous to the process of "sharpening" in an photo editing program like PhotoShop. It makes assumptions about the original intent (what the picture "should" look like), and then it makes "corrections" to make the picture look more like what it believes the picture should look like. [The sharpening in PhotoShop will cheerfully make any picture look sharper; whether it is supposed to be sharp or not. It is up to the operator to decide whether to apply sharpening or not and, if so, how much.] Whether it is "messing with the original artistic intent" is something neither we nor any "corrective gadget" can ever know for sure... If you see a video that looks sort of washed out and blurry, is it just a bad transfer, or did the director specifically decide that it should look that way "for artistic effect"? Neither you nor the Darblet can know for sure. I have only ever seen one Darbee gadget once, with one monitor (I believe it was a projector), and to me (in that particular showing) it made the sharpness look sort of exaggerated (like a TV with the sharpness up too high). From my familiarity with similar technology for still pictures, I would guess that a similar amount of processing might look quite nice in different circumstances..... depending on the source material and the monitor device. However, the point that Andrew made remains; there is no way to know if the changes it makes "return the video to the creator's intended appearance" or simply change it in a way that you find pleasing (but is nowhere near the creator's intent) - and it may do one one day and the other the next. A note on the Darbee. Seeing as how a lot of you are audiophiles I think you can appreciate what I'm about to say. The Darbee has its place and among its fans it's largely viewed as a Godsend. That being said, if you value or strive for adhering to the "artist's original intent" that Darbee is not a device you should employ in your video setup as it most assuredly is altering the signal and changing it per the designers' at Darbee's aesthetic and not the one originally put forth by the content's creator. It is an adaptive contrast/sharpness device nothing more, nothing less. Just wanted to put that out there. Not saying don't buy it, or hate on it, just want folks to understand what it is before they get the wrong impression. I think I'd disagree, I don't think its analogous to changing "artist's original intent", and Kris Deering of Home Theater Magazine has a ton of experience with HT equipment and reviews, and I trust his judgment: www.hometheater.com/content/darbee-visual-presence-darblet-video-enhancerEvery experienced reviewer (that I'm aware of) has approached this thing all prepared to dislike it, and pan it - but all instead have come away raving about it - that says something VERY important by itself I think... I haven't tried the Darbee-Darblet yet myself, but I'd sure like to see for myself what all the commotion is about! |
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Post by Andrew Robinson on May 23, 2013 15:11:46 GMT -5
I'm not saying don't use the Darbee or that Chris H. is wrong or worse (he's a great guy and a friend actually). But if I the filmmaker wanted a scene or my entire film to look sharper, it's something I could add myself -even selectively -in post. The fact that a third party, Darbee, with no input from the studio or filmmaker is making the decision for you based on what they -Darbee's designers -believe to look best is what I'm on about. I'm not saying they can't or shouldn't do what they're doing, but it is definitely altering the signal and not in a way that was originally intended.
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LCSeminole
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Post by LCSeminole on May 24, 2013 18:22:04 GMT -5
My new Panasonic TC-P60ST60 plasma will be delivered in the morning! To say the least I'm quite excited! To top it all off, in 15 days I have Chad Billheimer an ISF & THX Certified Calibrator coming to work his magic.
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Post by The Mad Norseman on May 24, 2013 19:12:07 GMT -5
My new Panasonic TC-P60ST60 plasma will be delivered in the morning! To say the least I'm quite excited! To top it all off, in 15 days I have Chad Billheimer an ISF & THX Certified Calibrator coming to work his magic. That's great! But you understand that this 'new baby delivery' announcement' now obligates you to give all of us audio/video starved hobbyists a full users review, right? (That goes for your forthcoming HDTV calibration too!). The Panny ST series 3D plasmas are the 'sweet spot' as to superb value/cost in my book. You won't be disappointed! |
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LCSeminole
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Post by LCSeminole on May 24, 2013 19:23:09 GMT -5
My new Panasonic TC-P60ST60 plasma will be delivered in the morning! To say the least I'm quite excited! To top it all off, in 15 days I have Chad Billheimer an ISF & THX Certified Calibrator coming to work his magic. That's great! But you understand that this 'new baby delivery' announcement' now obligates you to give all of us audio/video starved hobbyists a full users review, right? (That goes for your forthcoming HDTV calibration too!). The Panny ST series 3D plasmas are the 'sweet spot' as to superb value/cost in my book. You won't be disappointed! For the next two weeks until Chad arrives I'll be running his color slides on a USB stick, to age the phosphors evenly for about 250-300 hours. While not running the slides I'll be watching full screen content, so I'll let you know what I think pre-calibration and post calibration. His suggestions are quoted below, "The ST60 needs some break in time, some are saying 300 hours for maximum stability, though that's not proven. 100 hours is the standard time. To get those hours quickly and safely, I'd recommend unzipping these color slides (attached) on a USB stick and plug it into the TV. You can watch the TV normally (I suggest switching over to the Home Theater picture preset), and then instead of turning it off, just start these slides running. They are safe to run 24/7. They provide even coverage for the break in period. You can have the hours up there in no time if you do that. The slides are not an absolute necessity at all; they just help if you want to speed up the break in process safely." |
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Post by villock on May 24, 2013 19:28:43 GMT -5
My new Panasonic TC-P60ST60 plasma will be delivered in the morning! To say the least I'm quite excited! To top it all off, in 15 days I have Chad Billheimer an ISF & THX Certified Calibrator coming to work his magic. Man am I jealous  My Sony SXRD rear projection needs a new bulb and don't think I will spring for another. It is so friggin dim. Watching the B's is not enjoyable or anything else for that matter. Please let us know your impressions when as soon as you can. Me thinks we will just let the bulb die this time and let the wife know we got 6 good years out of it but it's time to get a new Panny plasma |
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LCSeminole
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Post by LCSeminole on May 24, 2013 20:27:47 GMT -5
My new Panasonic TC-P60ST60 plasma will be delivered in the morning! To say the least I'm quite excited! To top it all off, in 15 days I have Chad Billheimer an ISF & THX Certified Calibrator coming to work his magic. Man am I jealous My Sony SXRD rear projection needs a new bulb and don't think I will spring for another. It is so friggin dim. Watching the B's is not enjoyable or anything else for that matter. Please let us know your impressions when as soon as you can. Me thinks we will just let the bulb die this time and let the wife know we got 6 good years out of it but it's time to get a new Panny plasma Sounds to me like a new Panasonic plasma is in the cards! Just sell your wife on how thin these new flat panels are and how much room you'll be saving by getting rid of that rear projection space hog!  |
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Post by supermac on May 24, 2013 21:17:57 GMT -5
Anyone around up by me around D.C. and Baltimore that could recommend a THX Certified Technician?
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LCSeminole
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Post by LCSeminole on May 25, 2013 9:00:14 GMT -5
New Panasonic plasma flat panel just delivered!!! Wooohooo! ;D Now all I'm waiting for is my friend to come over so we can lift it on to the stand.
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LCSeminole
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Post by LCSeminole on May 25, 2013 9:04:21 GMT -5
Anyone around up by me around D.C. and Baltimore that could recommend a THX Certified Technician? Try looking on the ISF Forum website and using the "Find A Calibrator" tab at the top. They list by state. If none of the choices a acceptable, then AVS Forum has quite a few calibrators that post regularly in the "Display Devices" section and many of them travel just like the gentlemen I have coming to calibrate my plasma in a couple of weeks. They tend to wait until they have several customers in an area until they are willing to travel to make the trip worth there while profit-wise. www.isfforum.com/ |
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Post by casey01 on May 25, 2013 13:11:32 GMT -5
I thought everyone might find this discussion of the Darbee Darblet HDMI video enhancer interesting. A note on the Darbee. Seeing as how a lot of you are audiophiles I think you can appreciate what I'm about to say. The Darbee has its place and among its fans it's largely viewed as a Godsend. That being said, if you value or strive for adhering to the "artist's original intent" that Darbee is not a device you should employ in your video setup as it most assuredly is altering the signal and changing it per the designers' at Darbee's aesthetic and not the one originally put forth by the content's creator. It is an adaptive contrast/sharpness device nothing more, nothing less. Just wanted to put that out there. Not saying don't buy it, or hate on it, just want folks to understand what it is before they get the wrong impression. It is interesting to note and for those that were not aware, "Lumagen" the highly respected video processing company has thought enough of the advantages of the Darblet, to incorporate the technology in its new line of Video Processors, one of which(2021)has already hit the market. I recently purchased a Radiance "Mini' which is a great unit along with the Darbee processor. What is important to note is that the better the source material the better the effect with a minimal of artifacts added, far less than a significant boost in the contrast and sharpness levels. In my opinion and after having spent considerable time with the unit, it seems to be more than just adaptive contrast and sharpness. One can also adjust the level of the effect on the unit. Of course, if the source is mediocre and has already been said, it will amplify the defects in the source material. Set up properly with quality source material and the proper setting, the advantages and the detail brought forward by this unit far outweigh any disadvantages and for the record, I do calibrations. |
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Post by The Mad Norseman on May 25, 2013 14:26:13 GMT -5
A note on the Darbee. Seeing as how a lot of you are audiophiles I think you can appreciate what I'm about to say. The Darbee has its place and among its fans it's largely viewed as a Godsend. That being said, if you value or strive for adhering to the "artist's original intent" that Darbee is not a device you should employ in your video setup as it most assuredly is altering the signal and changing it per the designers' at Darbee's aesthetic and not the one originally put forth by the content's creator. It is an adaptive contrast/sharpness device nothing more, nothing less. Just wanted to put that out there. Not saying don't buy it, or hate on it, just want folks to understand what it is before they get the wrong impression. It is interesting to note and for those that were not aware, "Lumagen" the highly respected video processing company has thought enough of the advantages of the Darblet, to incorporate the technology in its new line of Video Processors, one of which(2021)has already hit the market. I recently purchased a Radiance "Mini' which is a great unit along with the Darbee processor. What is important to note is that the better the source material the better the effect with a minimal of artifacts added, far less than a significant boost in the contrast and sharpness levels. In my opinion and after having spent considerable time with the unit, it seems to be more than just adaptive contrast and sharpness. One can also adjust the level of the effect on the unit. Of course, if the source is mediocre and has already been said, it will amplify the defects in the source material. Set up properly with quality source material and the proper setting, the advantages and the detail brought forward by this unit far outweigh any disadvantages and for the record, I do calibrations. ^+1 That's exactly what I've heard from everyone else who's used it, bought it, reviewed it, or otherwise tried it out in their systems. I highlighted an important aspect of what casey01 said too - its effect is adjustable...from none (pass-through) to 100%, but everyone reports that anything much past 60% begins to have a negative effect. But universally - everyone reports that up to 40% to 50% the effect is stunning! What's that old adage? - "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it"? Gotta borrow one to try it out...  |
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Post by briank on May 25, 2013 18:38:20 GMT -5
New Panasonic plasma flat panel just delivered!!! Wooohooo! ;D Now all I'm waiting for is my friend to come over so we can lift it on to the stand. Congrats! and welcome to the club!!! |
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My Sony SXRD rear projection needs a new bulb and don't think I will spring for another. It is so friggin dim. Watching the B's is not enjoyable or anything else for that matter. Please let us know your impressions when as soon as you can. Me thinks we will just let the bulb die this time and let the wife know we got 6 good years out of it but it's time to get a new Panny plasma 
