Chasing The Best Pq Is Challenging

[Tassie Devil]

Obtaining the best PQ from recordings can be a challenge, especially from DVD. Look at the myriad of hurdles to overcome:

1. The quality of the broadcast being recorded. It varies quite a lot although not as bad as many proclaim on Austar/Foxtel, given a good satellite tuner;

2. The type and cable quality of the link between the video source and the recorder (and yes the accepted pecking order RGB, component, s-video, composite usually applies but NOT always);

3. The quality of circuitry and software in the PVR or DVD-R. Again there are differences although it is safe to generalise that all DTV recordings will be superior to analog on a VCR;

4. The type and cable quality of the link between the player and receiver/processor and to the display. Digital links via DVI or HDMI are theoretically the best, but may not always be so in practice;

5. The synergy between units - responsible for unexpected results in 2 & 4 above. Some components just do not match well and it is difficult to understand why;

6. The quality and type of the display - these vary enormously, even if touted as HD, something which many are not despite advertising claims;

7. Has the player been optimally set up via the menu? This is frequently overlooked and can be challenging with poorly written manuals not explaining the affect of some of the options;

8. Tweaking a display can result in dramatic PQ improvements. There is less possible with digital displays than with CRT where convergence, focussing etc is a frequent challenge. Nevertheless, fine tuning is possible with most displays using the menu.

Theoretically you should be able to plug and play, but in practice setting up a system for optimal results can be technically challenging, even to professional installers. This forum is an excellent source of self help but the nature of many of the questions posed reflect the complexity of setting up a system. Although I've been at it fiddling around with systems in this house for years, I still get caught out at times and there remain mysterious options in some menus.

John