Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics (HD DVD/Blu-ray)

[Pirate]

HD guru Joe Kane is readying the successor to his popular 'Digital Video Essentials' calibration tool with the release of 'DVE: HD Basics' on Blu-ray and HD DVD this fall.

'HD Basics' follows 'Digital Video Essentials,' which after a lengthy series of street date delays finally hit HD DVD this past April to much acclaim. 'HD Basics' will not only mark the first calibration disc from Kane tailored specifically for the high-def market, but also his first to be released on Blu-ray.

Designed to benefit HDTV novices as well as experienced early adopters alike, 'HD Basics' provides comprehensive and easy-to-use calibration tests and setup instructions for getting the most out of your high-definition home theater set-up.

"My goal with 'HD Basics' is to help make display device setup easier plus describe what I think consumers should expect from high definition,' said Kane. "This new disc allows users to choose the depth at which they want to learn about high-definition -- or simply begin with calibrating their set. While this is not a watered-down version of 'Digital Video Essentials,' I do feel that entry-level support is just as important as providing details for the more experienced users."

For Kane's full comments and further details on the features of 'HD Basics,' you can read the press release in full here.

DVD International has set a October 30 street date for 'HD Basics,' with a suggested list price of $29.98. The company says registered owners of the previously-released HD DVD edition of DVE will be offered a special upgrade price on 'HD Basics.'

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...ay,_HD_DVD/867

[plissken99]

Been meaning to ask. Now that I have a digital display, is it necissary to get DVE if I already have Video Essensials?

[dugpa]

Originally Posted by plissken99

Been meaning to ask. Now that I have a digital display, is it necissary to get DVE if I already have Video Essensials?

I'd wait for this new disc. Part of the problem with DVE HD is that a lot of it only applies to CRT displays, and who has those these days? Hopefully this new one will be more geared to those with fixed pixel displays.

[Pirate]

Disc review:

UltimateAVmag.com: Joe Kane Productions Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics Setup Disc

The reviewer is pretty down on the BD version.

The HD DVD version is clearly superior, not only for its My Favorites function, but also for its speedier menu response, predictable display of text, 5.1 and 6.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtracks, and reliable performance with the 720p demo material. For those who already have an HD DVD player or can still get one, I recommend this version of HD Basics over Blu-ray.

On the other hand, the Blu-ray version can be very effective for evaluating current and future players as well as displays, so don't count it out. Also, player firmware updates can often reduce problems with the Blu-ray version—though they can also be a step backward. For example, Kane has identified one player that handled 720p correctly before a firmware update, but not after.

[Iguana Man]

It's too bad Joe didn't wait. I hope he has more to say after a few months but I somehow doubt it. If I buy a BR player in the next 2-6 months, I wont use this disc for calibration. Why? Because I think he should have waited!

[ganthc]

Or it's a chance for DVE to double dip. Release this edition and then sell another for PROFILE 2.0 players that offers everything.

[Iguana Man]

Originally Posted by ganthc

Or it's a chance for DVE to double dip. Release this edition and then sell another for PROFILE 2.0 players that offers everything.

I'm going to assume it takes forever to get a disc like this out. He should have waited a few months IMO for the outcome but hey, if it's Double Dip, so be it....more moolah for him.

[Pirate]

So, I guess get the HD DVD version before they discontinue it.

[powerknowledge]

I just ran the Blu-ray edition today, and found that with the Panasonic BD-30 / Onkyo 805 combo, there's a LOT of difficulty in the 805 locking on to the TrueHD audio track. It's also wildly inconsistent: sometimes a delay of a few seconds, sometimes 15 seconds, sometimes even more...but never the same way in the same spots, so far as I can tell.

That said, the test pattern suite is actually quite helpful compared to the SDDVD DVE, especially for 1080p displays. While I found that most of my settings were still spot-on (I have a 60" Sony SXRD), I also found that my SD-determined settings for brightness (black level) and sharpness were a couple ticks too low, that I had to adjust the green gain and bias a bit to make the SMPTE uniform, and that my display required a +1 horizontal shift for to center the image properly. Nothing major, but very helpful. I also discovered that (as happens with SXRDs) there is a 1-pixel shift in horizontal convergence on the right-hand side of my screen; sucks, but not visible from a viewing distance of more than, say, 6-12 inches...and really shows how well this disc can help you take advantage of (and notice problems with) your display.

So save for that freakin' audio bug (and, IMO, the nitpicky criticisms linked to above; none of that bothered me in the least, honestly), this edition of DVE is a winner.