dvdo reviews

8/4/2019 Dvdo Reviews

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Products In Review

HDTV Home Theatre Equipment DVD/D-VHS Review

DTS-HD

Studios SplitSupport For

Hd Formats

Studios SplitSupport For

HD Formats

Toshiba 52HM84DLP RearProjectionMonitor

Over 40

DVD

REVIEWS

DTS-HD

DVDO iScan HD+ VideoProcessor

An Overview

Anatomy Of ADigital ProjectorAnatomy Of ADigital Projector


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DVDO iScan HD+

High-DefinitionVideo Processor

Analog/Digital Video Scaler &A/V Switcher

G r e g R o g e r s

Introduction

The iScan HD+ ($1,499) is an upgraded version of Anchor Bay

Technologies flagship DVDO video processor. The original iScan

HD scaled 480i and 480p analog and digital video to any format

from 480p to 1080p. The iScan HD+ adds upconversion, cross-con-

version, and downconversion for high-definition 720p and 1080i DVI

signals. HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) process-

ing has also been added to provide compatibility with all DVI and

HDMI source components and displays.

DVDO refers to the iScan HD+ as a video scaling processor and

A/V switcher because it also includes four digital audio inputs, and

provides adjustable audio delay to compensate for video process-

ing delays anywhere in the video system.

I reviewed the iScan HD in Widescreen ReviewIssue 87, August

2004. For this review, I tested all of the previous functions and the

new iScan HD+ functions, plus the optional ($399) SDI (serial digital

interface) video input card that wasnt available for the earlier

review.

Appearance

The iScan HD+ features the same low profile case as its prede-

cessor. The 1.75-inch high, all-metal cabinet and front panel are fin-

ished in black with light-gray nomenclature. All illumination from the

front panel indicators and display window can be turned off for use

in a dark theatre, and the processor operates silently without a fan.

Inputs And Outputs

The rear panel includes nine video and four digital audio inputs.

There are two composite video (RCA jacks), two S-video (4-pin

mini-DIN), and two component video inputs (RCA jacks), in addition

The iScan HD+ renders DVD Movies witha naturalness that approaches the mostdesirable qualities of cinema.

Equipment Review

Inputs:Nine video inputsTwo Composite inputs accept standard NTSC, PAL, and SECAMsignals

Two S-Video inputs accept standard NTSC, PAL, and SECAMsignals

Two Component Video inputs (YPbPr or RGB/S) process 480i,480p, 576i, 576p signals; pass-through 720p and 1080i HighDefinition signals

One VGA Analog Pass-through inputVGA HD-15 connectorOne DVI inputDVI-I connectorprocesses 480p, 576p, 720p,

1080i with or without HDCPOne SDI inputOptionalFour digital audio inputscan be assigned individually to any ofthe video inputs:

Two Digital Optical inputsTwo Digital Coaxial inputAccepts S/PDIF Dolby Digital, DTS, LPCM @ 44 ksps to 96 ksps,16 bits to 24 bits

Outputs:One Digital Video OutputDVI-I connectorOne Analog Video OutputVGA HD-15 connectorRGB or YPbPr color spaceSeparate H&V sync, composite sync, or sync-on-video (bi-level ortri-level sync)

Two digital audio outputsOne Digital Optical outputOne Digital Coaxial output

Controls:Infrared remote control with direct access codes or manual

controls on front panelFunctions accessible via either On Screen Display (OSD) orfront-panel LED display

Fully programmable controls for each separate video input withnon-volatile memories:

Automatic input source detection & input priority selectionInput aspect ratio select: 4:3 fullframe, 4:3 letterbox, 16:9 fullframeor custom input aspect ratio

Output aspect ratio select: 4:3, 16:9 or custom output aspect ratioFlexible horizontal and vertical Zooming & Panning controlsPicture controls with memory for each input: Brightness, Contrast,Saturation, Hue, Y/C Delay, Sharpness

Output Controls: Analog/Digital, Format/Resolution, Aspect Ratio,Sync Type,

Colorspace (RGB or YPbPr), Frame Lock, Display ProfileRS-232 automation/control interface with upgradeable software forfuture-proof design

27 built-in test patterns for ease of set up

Power:Universal AC mains input: 100 - 240 VAC @ 50 - 60 HzConsumption: < 30WSleep mode: Automatic 30 second timeout indicated by powerindicator color change

Physical:Dimensions (WHD In Inches): 17 x 10.4 x 2.2 (43.3cm x 26.3cm x5.5cm) with desktop feet

Standard 19-inch 1U 1.75-inch rackmount optionWeight (In Pounds): Unit (without power supply): 6.4 (2.9 kg)Price: iScan HD+: $1,499, SDI Option: $399

Manufactured In The USA By:DVDO Home Theater Productsby Anchor Bay Technologies, Inc.300 Orchard City Drive, Suite 131Campbell, California 95008Tel: 866 423 DVDOwww.dvdo.com

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also dedicated buttons on the front panel

and the remote control to directly select

these submenus or their functions.

Individual items within the submenus can

be selected using the cursor navigation but-

tons on the remote control, or by cycling

through the menu items using the front

panel buttons. To simplify the initial set up,

the front panel includes a column of individ-

ual LED indicators for each of the Output

Setup items.The remote control includes dedicated

buttons for each of the nine video inputs.

There are also dedicated buttons for each

input aspect ratio, and the Zoom, Pan, Info,

and Test Pattern functions. The remote con-

trol buttons are not backlit, but they have

distinctive shapes, glow in the dark, and are

grouped by function.

Input Select

The Input Select submenu provides a list

of all nine video inputs (including SDI) and

Auto. The Auto mode automatically selectsthe active video input with the highest priori-

ty based on the Auto Input Priority, which is

set in the Input Adjust submenu. I preferred

to select the input directly with the dedicat-

ed remote control buttons.

Input Aspect Ratio

The Input Aspect Ratio submenu

includes Input AR, Zoom, Pan, and Borders.

The Input AR settings4:3 (full frame), (4:3)

Letterbox, 16:9, or Presetresize input sig-

nals so they are properly displayed for the

selected output aspect ratio. The Preset

mode defaults to 16:9, but a custom aspectratio can be stored for each input. Custom

aspect ratios are created by modifying one

of the standard aspect ratios using the

Zoom and Pan controls.

There are separate horizontal and verti-

cal Zoom controls that magnify the image

by up to 200 percent. Separate horizontal

and vertical Pan functions move the dis-

played portion of the zoomed image around

on the screen. The Borders function sepa-

rately controls the width of horizontal and

vertical masking that can be applied to the

image.

to a dedicated analog pass-through input

(15-pin D-sub connector) and an HDCP-

compatible DVI input for digital video sig-

nals. An optional SDI input accepts 480i (or

576i) digital YCbCr video from any stan-

dard-definition source with a professional

SMPTE 259M SDI output.There are two video outputsa 15-pin

D-sub connector for analog YPbPr or RGB

signals, and a DVI-I connector that provides

only digital RGB signals. Only one output

can be active at a time.

The iScan HD+ will process and scale

480p, 576p, 720p, and 1080i digital RGB

signals from the DVI input. All other DVI for-

mats are passed through to the DVI output

without processing. DVI input signals with

HDCP are not available from the analog out-

put in accordance with HDCP licensing

requirements.

The two analog component video inputs

are unique. They have four RCA jacks toaccept YPbPr or RGB/S signals. RGB/S sig-

nals, which are most commonly used in

Europe, have a separate composite sync

signal on a fourth cable. The iScan HD+ will

upconvert analog 480i/p and 576i/p signals,

while analog high-definition signals (720p/

1080i) are passed through to the analog

video output without processing. This per-

mits analog signals from a set-top box or

digital VCR that produces multiple SD and

HD formats to be connected to a single input.

The analog pass-through input handles

any type of YPbPr or RGB video signals,

but it provides no YPbPr/RGB transcoding(color space conversion) or analog-to-digi-

tal conversion.

There are four digital audio input jacks

two optical (TOSLink) and two coaxial

(RCA). The digital audio inputs can be indi-

vidually assigned to any of the video inputs.

There is one optical (TOSLink) and one

coaxial (RCA) digital audio output, which

are both active simultaneously.

The rear panel includes an RS-232 port

for control or firmware upgrades, and a 6-

volt DC input jack for the external power

supply module.

Operation

The iScan HD+ can be operated from its

front panel or from the infrared remote con-

trol. Functions can be selected and param-

eters adjusted using the on-screen menu or

the large four-character front panel display.

The latter is especially useful to select a

compatible display format during the initial

setup.

The on-screen menu expands to show

six submenusInput Select, (Input) Aspect

Ratio, Input Adjust, Picture Control,

Configuration, and Output Setup. There are

Input Adjust

The Input Adjust submenu includes

Border Level, Overscan, Line Offset, DVI

Input, VCR Mode, Film Mode, Auto (Input)

Priority, Audio Input, and AV LipSync.

The Border level sets the brightness of

the borders, which is useful to reduce differ-

ential phosphor aging (burn-in) on CRT or

plasma displays. Overscan enlarges the

image by up to 20 percent in both the verti-cal and horizontal dimensions to eliminate

ragged edges on incoming video frames

when borders are not desired. The Line

Offset function adjusts the vertical image

position when using the optional SDI input.

The DVI Input function provides an

option to pass through all DVI signals to the

DVI output without processing, but signals

without HDCP are still processed for the

analog output. The VCR Mode controls out-

put timing to improve VCR picture stability.

Film Mode (Auto/Bias/Off) permits film

source detection to be biased toward film or

turned off. Auto Priority assigns a priorityorder for the automatic video input selection

mode. The Audio input control assigns the

audio inputs to the video inputs.

The iScan HD+ automatically adds the

correct amount of digital audio delay to

match the delay of its internal video pro-

cessing, which varies depending on

whether the incoming signal is interlaced,

progressive, or simply passed-through. The

AV LipSync control permits additional delay

(up to 77 ms or more) in millisecond incre-

ments to be added to the digital audio to

compensate for video delay in displays or

other video processing components.

Picture Control

The Picture Control parameters include

Brightness, Contrast, (Color) Saturation,

Hue, Sharpness, Y/C Delay, and CUE-

Correction (On, Off, Auto). Sharpness is an

On or Off function for component video signals,

but has an adjustable range of -5 to +7 for

composite and S-video signals. The nega-

tive settings lower the frequency response,

which is sometimes useful to reduce exces-

sive edge enhancement on broadcast video

and some DVDs, albeit at the expense of

equipment Review

C O N N E C T O R S

www.WidescreenReview.com Issue 93 February 2005Page 2/6 3


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picture sharpness. A Sharpness control is

not available for SDI or DVI input signals.

CUE-Correction enables a chroma filter that is

provided to eliminate the Chroma Upsampling

Error (CUE) and the Interlaced Chroma

Problem (ICP) that occurs in some MPEG

video sources (DVD players, digital satellite

receivers, etc.). The Picture Control parame-

ters are stored separately for each input.

Output Setup

The Output Setup submenu includes

Analog/Digital, Output Format, Output

Aspect Ratio (16:9 or 4:3), (analog) Sync

Type, (analog) Color Space (YPbPr or

RGB), and Frame Rate Conversion. The

Analog/Digital function enables either the

analog output, or the DVI digital output with

DVI-Video levels (16-235) or DVI-PC levels

(0-255). The DVI output is digital RGB only.

The Output Format function provides 29

preset output formats that include the stan-

dard 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p video

formats, plus special formats to match plas-

ma displays, D-ILA projectors, and other

products. A custom output format can alsobe created without using external software.

The Sync Type selects bi-level, tri-level,

composite, or any combination of separate

positive or negative polarity HV sync sig-

nals. Frame Rate Conversion is one of the

best iScan HD+ features, and it will be

explained later.

Configuration Control

The Configuration Control submenu

includes Test Patterns (select), Auto

Standby, HDCP Mode (Auto, On, Off),

Power LED, User Mode, Serial Port Rate

(1.2-57.6K), Factory Default, Software

Update, and Information functions. If Auto

Standby is enabled, the iScan HD+ will go

into the Standby mode when the current

input is inactive for more than 30 seconds.

The Power LED function (On/Off/Auto) con-trols the behavior of the front panel Power

LED. Factory Default resets all of the iScan

HD+ settings to the known factory defaults.

The Software Update function is used to

load new firmware into the iScan HD. The

Information item provides input and output

status and the system version number.

The User Mode (Normal/Advanced) pro-

vides the ability to customize the output

video timing for a particular display. In the

Normal mode the horizontal and vertical

image position can be shifted in 1-pixel

steps. The Advanced mode provides addi-

tional adjustments for the frame size, the

image size and position, and the frontporch, back porch, and sync width, in 1-

pixel increments horizontally and 1-line

increments vertically. This permits the user

to create any custom output format up to

1080p.

Test Patterns

The iScan HD+ has 27 built-in test pat-

terns, which include Brightness and Contrast,

Geometry, Color Bars, Gray Windows/Ramps,

Checkerboards, Crosshatch, Focus, Pixel

Lines, and a Frame Rate pattern. The latter

two patterns are useful to ensure the iScanHD+ is set up to take best advantage of the

displays native resolution and frame rate

capabilities. Other patterns can be used to

calibrate the display to the standard output

levels of the iScan HD+. Unique half-trans-

parent Black/White and Color Bar patterns

allow the Picture Adjustment controls of the

iScan HD+ to be calibrated by directly com-

paring its standard output levels to input

signals received from a calibration DVD or a

separate test pattern generator.

Technical Notes

The iScan HD+ has a Philips SAA7119Video Decoder with 10-bit analog-to-digital

converters running at 54 MHz for 4x over-

sampling of incoming 480i signals and 2x

oversampling of 480p signals. A 4-line 2-D

adaptive comb filter for Y/C separation of

composite video signals is included. A

Silicon Image SiI504 digital video processor

performs inverse-telecine deinterlacing for

480i film sources, and motion-adaptive

deinterlacing for 480i original interlaced

video sources. The analog output utilizes an

Analog Devices ADV7311 with 12-bit digital-

to-analog converters.

Adjustments

The Brightness control was correctly cal-

ibrated for analog input signals with 7.5 IRE

black-level setup, SDI digital signals, and

DVI input signals with DVI-Video levels (16-

235). Below black levels on those signalswere correctly processed for the analog

and DVI outputs. There is no specific mode

for analog signals without 7.5 IRE setup, but

the Brightness control can be increased to

produce the correct black level (the

Contrast control should also be re-adjust-

ed). Below black input signals are clipped

slightly below black on analog signals with-

out 7.5 IRE setup. If DVI input signals with

DVI-PC levels (0-255) are used, the

Brightness and Contrast controls can be

recalibrated to produce the correct output

signal levels.

The YPbPr color decoding for analog

480i/p signals was almost perfect. I made aslight saturation correction that would only

be noticed on color bar test patterns. The

SDI YCbCr color decoding was perfect on

test patterns. There is no hue adjustment for

YPbPr/YCbCr signals, but none should be

necessary with a good quality source com-

ponent. The color saturation control is

active for all processed input signals, which

is quite useful with some oversaturated

DVDs. The hue control is available for S-

video and composite video sources.

The CUE Filter produces a slight vertical

blur along the horizontal edges between

colors in split color bar patterns. That verti-cal filtering removes the dark streaking from

DVD players or other sources that suffer

from the infamous chroma upsampling error.

The Auto mode correctly turned the filtering

off for the AccuPel generator and a DVD

player that doesnt have the CUE problem.

But since automatic filters might be fooled,

it may be best to keep it off if your DVD

player does not have the CUE problem.

However, if you know that a particular DVD

produces the Interlaced Chroma Problem

(ICP), you may want to set it to Auto for that

DVD.

The chroma response for S-video sig-

nals extended to about 1.6 MHz on theAVIA Pro Polyphasic Chroma Sweeps. (The

iScan HD measured about 2.5 MHz, which I

rechecked again for this review.) The SDI

chroma response was flat to the maximum

3.375 MHz limit of 480i digital video, and

rolled off only slightly at 3.375 MHz for the

YPbPr analog inputs.

There was no visible delay between the

luma and chroma components of YPbPr,

YCbCr, or Y/C (S-video) signals. The Y/C

delay adjustment, which is intended to cor-

rect for delays in signals entering the

processor, is too coarse to be of much

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value. It altered the signal timing in one-

pixel steps from -4 to +3 pixels.

The 6.75 MHz single-pixel burst from the

AccuPel generator and the 6.75 MHz verti-

cal line pattern from AVIA: Guide To Home

Theatershowed only slightly reduced con-

trast and no aliasing bands, indicating aminimal frequency response roll-off for 480i

and 480p analog input signals. There was

no visible loss of contrast for upconverted

SDI and DVI input signals. The YPbPr pass-

through mode exhibited a modest loss of

contrast in the 37 MHz single-pixel burst of

the 720p and 1080i AccuPel Multiburst pat-

terns. There was only a barely-noticeable

loss of contrast in the 37 MHz burst through

the dedicated analog pass-through input.

The iScan HD+ doesnt store separate

picture parameters for the analog and DVI

outputs, so the Picture Adjust controls may

need to be changed if the output is

switched between DVI and analog signals.You can avoid this by carefully calibrating

the DVI and analog signal inputs on your

display(s) to match the iScan HD+ outputs.

480i Deinterlacing

The Silicon Image SiI504 and a compan-

ion processor perform 480i inverse-telecine

(film-mode) deinterlacing for movies and

motion-adaptive deinterlacing for original

interlaced-video sources. Inverse-telecine

processing provides progressive video free

of deinterlacing artifacts, when it can lock

onto the 3-2 field pulldown cadence thatresults from transferring 24 frame-per-sec-

ond film to 60 field-per-second interlaced

video. Each film frame is reconstructed as a

480p progressive-video frame, and then the

480p frame rate must be converted to 60

frames-per-second to be compatible with

most progressive video displays. The last

step is accomplished by repeating a frame

three times and the following frame twice (a

3-2 frame sequence) to produce five video

frames for every two film frames.

The SiI504 is one of the best integrated

circuit solutions for standard-definition

inverse-telecine deinterlacing. It handled

the film to video transitions on the VideoEssentialsMontage Of Images perfectly.

The iScan HD+ didnt always lock onto the

3-2 field cadence immediately when start-

ing from a chapter break, but it played

through those same chapter breaks without

a glitch. I only noticed a few film-mode

deinterlacing artifacts during months of

DVD movie viewing with the iScan HD

(which uses the same deinterlacing compo-

nents), and none during my relatively short-

er viewing time with the iScan HD+.

Deinterlacing original interlaced video

sources, such as broadcast sports, is much

more difficult because there is no 3-2 field

cadence to optimally deinterlace those

sources. Motion-adaptive deinterlacing

algorithms vary from product to product,

and there is usually a tradeoff between pic-

ture sharpness and various types of deinter-

lacing artifacts, such as jaggies and linetwitter. The Video EssentialsMontage pro-

vides a collection of reference segments

that stress video-source deinterlacing. The

iScan HD+ appears to take a middle of the

road approach between picture sharpness

and artifacts. The zoom into the leafy tree

was clear with a just a bit of flicker, and

there were minimal jaggies on the bobbing

frozen branch. The waving American flag

produced jaggies and a bit of color-bleed

between the red and white stripes, and

there was significant line twitter on the zoom

out of the city. Basketball broadcasts, per-

haps the most difficult test for video-source

deinterlacing, exhibited good sharpness butsignificant jaggies and some line twitter, as

the camera panned across lines and logos

on the court.

1080i Conversion

The iScan HD+ doesnt have inverse-

telecine or motion-adaptive deinterlacing for

1080i sources. Instead, each individual

1080i field is directly scaled to the desired

progressive frame format (480p, 720p,

1080p, etc.). That produces somewhat soft-

er images than the more sophisticated dein-

terlacing techniques, but it avoids some ofthe artifacts associated with motion-adap-

tive deinterlacing. While inverse-telecine

deinterlacing for 1080i film sources is

always preferable, only a very few projec-

tors have that capability. Most fixed-pixel

projectors and flat-panel monitors utilize

similar field-based interpolation to convert

1080i video fields to progressive frames at

their native resolution. The video quality of

this technique depends on the sophistica-

tion of the scaling algorithms, so in many

cases the iScan HD+ will improve their pic-

ture quality with 1080i sources.

Scaling

The 480i/480p to 720p scaling perform-

ance is exceptional. There is almost no visi-

ble edge outlining around vertical lines in

the Sharpness pattern from the AccuPel

HDG-3000 Calibration Generator using the

video edge mode, which is equivalent to the

analog signal edge transition rate from a

standalone DVD player. There is only faint

outlining, about 3 to 4 (720p) pixels wide,

around vertical lines using the AccuPel fast-

edge (PC-like) transitions. Outlining above

and below horizontal lines is about 2 to 3

pixels, but slightly brighter. There is no sig-

nificant difference in scaling performance

between the fast analog edges and DVI sig-

nals from the AccuPel generator. I also test-

ed 960p (1440 x 960) and 1080p scaling,

which produced similar performance.

When the YPbPr sharpness control isturned on, there is only the slightest

increase in outlining brightness around ver-

tical lines in the fast edge mode, and

almost no increase in the video-edge mode,

even though edges become visibly sharper.

The YPbPr Sharpness control peaks up the

frequency response around 3.5 MHz for

480i input signals (7 MHz for 480p input

signals), which can be seen by increased

brightness in Multiburst test patterns. Even

without the sharpness control turned on,

there is good response, without aliasing, in

the 6.75 (13.5) MHz pixel burst.

The analog signal outputs of DVD play-

ers and other video components ofteninclude edge overshoot and ringing that

produce the same type of edge outlining

artifacts as scaling. There is wide variability

in the quality of analog signal outputs. The

best products produce barely noticeable

edge outlining, while others produce severe

artifacts. The best way to avoid this addi-

tional source of image degradation is to use

source components with digital video out-

puts. DVI or HDMI digital video outputs are

now standard on high-definition set-top

boxes and are becoming common on DVD

players.

The optional SDI digital video input onthe iScan HD+ also provides the ability to

use a source component equipped with a

professional standard-definition SDI output.

The SDI input only accepts 480i or 576i

interlaced video, but that provides a means

to use the iScan HD+ deinterlacing in addi-

tion to its high quality scaling. Its not possi-

ble to use the iScan HD+ deinterlacing with

DVI or HDMI signals, because its DVI input

does not accept 480i video. The scaling

performance using 480i SDI signals was

essentially the same as using 480i analog

signals.

The 1080i to 720p cross-conversion for

DVI signals was exceptional on the statichorizontal and vertical lines of the AccuPel

Sharpness and Overscan patterns. There

was about one pixel of outlining around ver-

tical lines, and only a faint 1 to 2 pixels of

outlining above and below horizontal lines.

The single-pixel and two-pixel wide lines in

the 1080i Multiburst pattern were widened,

but there were no sharp aliasing lines,

banding, or moir in the pixel bursts. When

720p DVI signals are input and output they

pass through the iScan HD+ without scaling

(i.e. pixel perfect), but the Picture Controls

(Brightness, Contrast, Saturation) are

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enabled whenever the DVI pass-through

mode is disabled. This can be useful when

used with an older display that lacks those

controls for DVI signals.

72 Hz Output

The 3-2 field pulldown cadence in film-

source video produces stutter when a

smoothly moving object alternately appears

in one position for three fields and then in

its next position for only two fields. This is

called judder in video terminology. Even

when 480i film-sources are converted to

progressive video, judder is still a problem

when a 3-2 frame sequence is used to pro-

duce 60 frame-per-second video. One way

to eliminate judder is to repeat each pro-

gressive frame exactly twice, or exactly

three times. Since each progressive video

frame corresponds to one 24 Hz film frame,

repeating each frame twice produces 48 Hzprogressive video, while repeating each

frame three times produces 72 Hz progres-

sive video. It is usually preferable to use a

72 Hz frame rate because 48 Hz produces

wide-area flicker on CRT projectors and any

dropped frames that occur from video edits

are more noticeable at 48 Hz.

The iScan HD+ will produce a 72 Hz (or

48 Hz) frame rate without judder from 480i

film sources. It first performs inverse-

telecine deinterlacing to reconstruct the 24

Hz film frame and then locks the output

frame rate to an exact multiple of that rate.

That is necessary to ensure that 72 Hzvideo will always be produced by a 3-3

frame sequence and wont slip into a 4-2

frame sequence, which would make the

judder worse instead of better. Many

devices that produce 72 Hz video dont

have this crucial ability to lock frame rates.

Note: the actual video frame rates are usu-

ally 59.94, 23.976, and 71.93 Hz, rather

than 60, 24, and 72 Hz.

To benefit from the 72 Hz frame rate, you

must have a display that will actually pro-

duce images at that incoming frame rate.

Almost any CRT front projector or a CRT-

based multi-scan direct-view monitor will

display images at the incoming frame rate.But I dont know of any current fixed-pixel

displays (DLP, LCD, or plasma) with that

ability. Instead they convert the incoming

frame rate to their own native frame rate,

which is often 60 Hz. The iScan HD+

includes a smoothly-moving test pattern to

determine if a display will actually produce

the 72 Hz frame rate. It is equally revealing

to simply watch the rolling credits at the end

of a movie. If there is any jerkiness to the

vertical movement of the credits, the display

is probably not operating at the incoming

72 Hz frame rate.

I have been a proponent of using a 72

Hz frame rate to view movies in home the-

atres for many years. Most of us are so

accustomed to judder while watching film

transferred to video that we are conditioned

to ignore it. But I feel more relaxed and

sense that a sub-conscious level of tensionhas been eliminated while watching movies

at 72 Hz.

The iScan HD+ can only produce 48 Hz

and 72 Hz judder-free video from 480i film

sources, which requires that analog video

or SDI input signals be used. It doesnt

have the necessary circuitry to lock those

output frame rates to 480p, 720p, or 1080i

sources (even though its menu implies that

all formats are frame locked). Also note that

you should only use 48 Hz and 72 Hz

frame rates with film-source video. Original

60 field-per-second interlaced video

already produces motion without judder

because each field captures an image at adifferent instant in time. When those inter-

laced fields are converted to progressive

frames by motion-adaptive deinterlacing,

each frame represents the same instant of

time as one field. If that 60 Hz video is con-

verted to 72 Hz or 48 Hz, every fifth frame

must be repeated or eliminated, which cre-

ates judder.

There are additional frame rate conver-

sion features, including 50 Hz and 75 Hz

output frame rates locked to 50 Hz, 576i

interlaced film-sources. Unlocked output

frame rates can also be adjusted in 0.01 Hz

increments, but that is not useful for elimi-nating judder.

Viewing Impressions

I used a Runco IDP-980 Ultra CRT pro-

jector to view the iScan HD+ RGB analog

output, and a Yamaha DPX-1100 720p

HD2+ DLP projector to display its DVI out-

put. The DPX-1100 produces a spatially

pixel perfect image when driven by 720p

digital video signals. Each source pixel is

mapped to a single projector pixel without

scaling or edge enhancementtherefore

the DPX-1100 reveals the precise perform-

ance of the iScan HD+ deinterlacing and720p scaling.

I have been using the iScan HD video

processor with my CRT projector since I

reviewed it in Issue 87. For this review, I

made direct comparisons between that

iScan HD and the new iScan HD+ using

480i and 480p analog YPbPr signals, and

480p DVI signals, which are compatible

with both processors. I didnt discern any

differences in the exceptional performance

of these video processors. I paid particular

attention to the DVD examples that I had

used in my previous review, and those

observations are repeated below. I also

tested the iScan HD+ with 1080i HDMI sig-

nals from a JVC HM-DH5U D-VHS D-

Theater HDTV Recorder.

To take best advantage of its excellent

scaling, the iScan HD+ should be mated to

the analog output of a DVD player that pro-duces minimal edge outlining, or a digital

video input should be used. Since the iScan

HD+ is now HDCP compatible, it can be

used with any DVD player that has a DVI or

HDMI output. The optional SDI interface can

be used with any standard-definition digital

video source that has a professional SMPTE

259M SDI output.

I used both 60 Hz and 72 Hz frame rates

to view DVD movies with the CRT projector.

I much preferred the 72 Hz frame rate

because of the smoother, judder-free

motion. The difference is clearly evident,

whether watching an object move within a

fixed frame or watching relative motion as acamera pans across a landscape. The slow

movement of spacecraft in the Star Wars

Trilogyillustrates the first case, and the long

camera pan across the village roofs in the

opening scene of Star Trek: Insurrection

demonstrates the latter situation. You may

be amazed how jerky film motion appears

at 60 Hz after you see the same motion at

72 Hz.

The iScan HD+ renders DVD movies

with a naturalness that approaches the

most desirable qualities of cinema, rather

than turning a film experience into video.

Beyond its ability to maintain the originalcadence of film movement, it also delivers

pristine image clarity without introducing

distracting scaling artifacts or harsh edges.

DVD transfers that have the most complex

detail and fine structure, such as The Fifth

Elementor Mission To Mars, retain excep-

tional resolution after scaling and dont

appear digitally embellished. If you prefer a

slightly crisper image, the component video

Sharpness control will enhance detail on

good film transfers without adding objec-

tionable edge outlining. However, it may

exacerbate outlining on poor transfers that

have excessive edge enhancement.

The extraordinary restoration of the StarWars Trilogylooks magnificent through the

iScan HD+, and nothing less than a CRT

projector will fully reveal all of the dark

detail on these exceptional transfers. Both

the digital video and YPbPr analog inputs

preserve the image depth and noiseless

near-black features within the Jawa

Sandcrawler that imprisons R2-D2 and C-

3PO on Tatooine. The excellent signal lin-

earity at the bottom of the gray scale also

clearly delineates the subtle dark features

of Darth Vader, even within the high contrast

interiors of the Death Star.

equipment Review



7/8

The opening scene of The Usual Suspects

also demonstrates the low noise and excel-

lent near-black linearity of the iScan HD+.

Shadow detail delineation is superb on both

the CRT projector and the high contrast

HD2+ DLP projector, without resorting to

unnatural gamma curves or artificially ele-vated black levels. This scene has good

image depth in near darkness and excep-

tional contrast that is accentuated by the

intensely bright flames. The excellent near-

black linearity and low noise of the iScan

HD+ is particularly evident on the 1 to 10

IRE, 10-step gray scale pattern from the

AccuPel generator.

Another quality that is important for cre-

ating the cinema experience is color accu-

racy. The iScan HD+ can perform virtually

perfect color decoding. Skin tones can be

natural, even in films with deeply saturated

color. Notting Hillis a fine example with a

brilliant, vivid color palette and an assort-ment of realistic flesh tones. Of course,

some DVD transfers are simply oversaturat-

ed, so its extremely valuable that this

processor includes a color saturation con-

trol for all sources.

I tested the new 1080i to 720p cross-

conversion feature of the iScan HD+ with D-

Theater movies and 1080i video broadcasts

from a DVI-equipped set-top box. I used the

DVI Input function to perform 1080i to 720p

conversion in the iScan HD+, or to bypass

the processor and pass the 1080i DVI sig-

nal to the DPX-1100. In the latter case, the

projector does its own 1080i to 720p con-

version. Both products interpolate individual

1080i fields into 720p frames, but the iScan

HD+ produced slightly sharper horizontal

and diagonal edges. The exceptional detail

of the house interiors in The Hauntingwas

just slightly better defined by the iScan HD+conversion. There was also a minor improve-

ment in the sharpness of lettering and

closely-spaced horizontal lines in X-Men, and

a little less line twitter as the camera moves

vertically across the slats of a park bench.

The iScan HD+ produced slightly more

banding on the Digital Video Essentials1080i

chroma ramp test patterns than the DPX-1100

cross-conversion, but I couldnt find an

example of this effect in a D-Theater movie.

There was even more detail in 1080i col-

lege football broadcasts on CBS. The pic-

ture definition was superb, even with cross-

conversion to 720p, and there were excep-

tionally few jaggies and very little line twitteras the cameras panned across the lines

and logos on the field. Although the iScan

HD+ provides only a marginal improvement

over the built-in conversion of the DPX-

1100, it should provide significantly better

picture quality than the scaling built into

some other fixed-pixel projectors and many

flat panel displays.

iScan HD+ Upgrades

Anchor Bay Technologies offers several

generous upgrade paths to the iScan HD+.

equipment Review

An iScan HD to iScan HD+ board level

upgrade is $399 from a DVDO Authorized

Service Depot, or a $750 trade-in credit is

available to iScan HD owners. There are

also trade-in credits available to owners of

several other DVDO video processors.

Summary

The DVDO iScan HD+ Video Processor

is an important upgrade of the iScan HD.

The addition of HDCP and high-definition

DVI scaling and processing makes it com-

patible with any DVI or HDMI output from a

DVD player, set-top box, or digital video

source. It upconverts standard-definition

video, scales digital high-definition video,

and provides unique pass-through capabili-

ties for high-definition analog video sources

It has seven analog video inputs, a DVI dig-

ital video input, and an optional SDI digital

video input. It provides analog and DVI digi-tal video outputs, with pre-configured and

user definable formats that will match the

native resolution of virtually any fixed-pixel

display. Its ability to provide judder-free 72

Hz video for DVD movies is an immensely

attractive feature for use with CRT front pro-

jectors. Finally, its four digital audio inputs

with user adjustable audio delay is an

extremely valuable solution to the lip-sync

problem that plagues many home theatres.

The DVDO iScan HD+ provides exceptional

performance and value.


Reprinted By

This review has been reprinted in its entirety from Issue 93, February 2005 of Widescreen Review, The Essential HomeTheatre Resource.

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8/8

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