DVE, AVIA or what?

[SR Immortal]

Ok I bought some cheap calibration video from Best buy when I bought my Tosh MH5284. I think I want to get the DVE or AVIA, but some sources say that DVE is for the adanced user. If I dont have a step by step instruction on exactly what Im looking/listening for when a certain test pattern/noise comes up, then I wont know what the heck to do with it. Which do you think I should get?

Also, I think Im going to get the Panasonic S77 DVD player. Now should I not mess with the DVDs contrast, brightness, etc and only deal with the TVs to get the best pic, or should I first calibrate the TV the best I can, then calibrate the DVD player afterwards, not messing with anything on the TV? This way when Im not using the DVD player, I dont change what I am seeing.

Right now I am using my xbox as my DVD player (I know I know), but the calibration disk I got from BB wont even play on the xbox for some reason. Will AVIA or DVE play on an xbox. See I primarily use my HT setup for gaming. So I would like to calibrate the TV using my xbox, and then after I have done that, calibrate the DVD player. This way the picture will look best for both sources. What do I do???

[DigiPete]

SR Immortal,

When you calibrate using AVIA or DVE, you are correcting the total system response (your player - through some cable - to the your TV).

You don't know if you are correcting for a deficiency in the player or the TV or both!

So that calibration is good for your xbox player to your TV through that particular input to your TV.

Change the player, or the input to the TV, and that calibration may no longer be accurate.

I have changed from my DVD player's component outputs, to using the HDMI outputs (same TV) and the calibration changed dramatically.
Or changed from 480p to 1080i on my DVD player's HDMI setting, and had to change the calibration again.

So if you get a DVD player, you will have to recalibrate using AVIA or DVE for that player and TV combo.

DigiPete

[Mongose101]

I have never used the DVE one.. But AVIA is easy to follow along with and does give a short tutorial before each test pattern is shown, so you know what you are going to be adjusting before hand...

Mongoose

Edit: I have always just adjusted the colors/contrast from the TV side of things..

sorry, I am unsure on the XBOX question as I don't use the Xbox for DVD's.

[SR Immortal]

yeah thats what I was thinking, but my question still remains; will AVIA or DVE play on my xbox?

[pdubyu]

Both DVE and Avia will play on the Xbox if you have the DVD playback kit.

As you already know, it isn't the best DVD player out there. For starters, it isn't progressive (480i only) and it doesn't pass BTB.

[SR Immortal]

well shouldnt it be progressive? It uses component cables...to pass progressive content from games. So are you saying that it will only play DVDs in 480i.

That means that any progressive scan DVD player will look twice as good as my xbox with playing DVDs. Even that cheapo $50 one I have hooked up to my 27"?

[pdubyu]

SR Immortal,

The stock Xbox will only play DVDs at 480i, even though the HD pack will allow you to play most games at 480p or higher. Sad but true.

[vhato]

OK,
I have an original $300 XBOX w/the old incompatible Thompson drive.

Best Buy - Failed
Avia 1999 - Worked Great
DVE NTSC - Failed

So jump on Avia. Even though it is old, you won't miss anything.

Best Buy helped me calibrate my TV in 20 minutes.
Avia was 35 minutes
DVE 2 hours


In the end, everything was *EXACTLY* the same. DVE was longer because I had to listen to all the crap and I had toruble understanding how to bounce around the menus.

A modded XBOX Bios can run DVD at 480p, but unless you hack it, 480i is all you got. The Xbox DVD @ 480i looks MUCH better than my el'cheapo $40 CyberHome Progressive Scan DVD Player on my bedroom's old 27" RCA TV. Hope that helps you feel better.

[greeno]

Avia's the most expensive.
Sound and Vision Home theater tune-up is the cheapest. VE and DVE is in between closer to the low price.

Avia's grayscales are incorrect. VE, DVE and HTTU are correct. I have the last three and use them all. VE has the famous montage of images that are sort of a player torture test. This is no contained on the new DVE. DVE has full screen grayscale patterns while VE's are windowed.

If you constraint is to just buy what will play, the buy what plays.
Best,
jeff

[dirkformica]

From what I've read here and elsewhere, even though DVE seems to be the better technical choice, the frustration factor is keeping me from really even looking at it. So I'm thinking of seeing if I can track down a cop of Avia, but while doing some searches, I came across Home Theater Tune-Up (http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.533232/qx/details.htm%20target=) which was mentioned above. It says it's by the makers of Avia, and is a more recent DVD. How does HTTU stand up against the two big boys? (Avia and DVE.) Some of the online reviews seem to indicate it's a more basic form of Avia, and that you would get more out of Avia, does anyone here have experience with this aspect?

[Q of BanditZ]

I've had more than one person tell me to use Avia for CRT based displays and DVE for anything outside of that.

[steviec]

All of the above.Avia,Digital video essentials, and the HQV disc!
Using all 3 you can really zero things in.

[Carled]

[QUOTE=steviec]All of the above.Avia,Digital video essentials, and the HQV disc!
Using all 3 you can really zero things in.[/QUOTE]
I have all three as well, but if you want to get just one, then I'd say Avia. It just comes down to being easier to use.