Do you use the video features in your C1/C2 ?

[Peter Nielsen]

Do you use the video features in your C1/C2 ?

[Peter Nielsen]

Chris, how can I edit the poll? (Please remove the word "not" in the first option. It should of course not be there!).

Thanks,
Peter

[dts_boy]

i coulnd't live without it and don't have the space for another box! gotten around the probelm of no hdmi with a video processor, does agreat job as well!

[Chris D]

(Poll fixed, Peter. Not sure if it's something the original poster can do, or just a moderator function)

I do use and appreciate the video features in my C1. A few issues:

- I have always liked receivers and processors that switch audio and video simultaneously with the press of one button. I'm somewhat of a "flipper", and sometimes while watching a TV show, will flip to a DVD source during a commercial, or take a break from a movie to check on how my download is going on my PS3, etc. I wouldn't buy a receiver/pro that lacks this feature, and am disappointed when it's degraded.

- Would I like to have separate units for audio processing and video switching/processing? In an ideal world, you bet! That would be awesome--separates of separates! Each one could be optimized to eliminate interference with the other, and just have one big control cable going inbetween, like RS-232. I don't know how feasible this is, though. It may exist, but I'm not aware of any products like this on the market today.

- If you DID have a separate video switching box, it would be easier to upgrade either of the two boxes with new features, connectors, etc, without affecting the other. For example, if Parasound had designed the C1/C2/7100 like this originally, it would have been much more feasible to add HDMI video to the video box itself without going to ANOTHER external box.

- However, with the A/V trend towards ONE connector carrying high-bandwith audio and video (like HDMI) this would complicate the issue by using separate boxes, eliminating the beneficial purpose of the single connector.

- One of the ways I currently use video switching with the C1 is the preview feature on the C1 LCD screen. Would not be as cool if this were eliminated.

[RandyL999]

Chris...

Sent you a PM on the video switching issues...

Thanks

Randy

[Chetk]

I'd like to vote, but I'm not sure what you define as "video features".

If you're talking about video inputs and outputs, I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't switch the video.

If you're talking about the LCD screen on the front of the C1, I can't stand that thing. It's annoying and I can't read my settings from very far away. In that sense, I should have bought the C2 instead of the C1, but I heard the C1 had a larger power supply and addition input/output (can't remember and too lazy to search.)

:|

[Chetk]

OK. Now I see where this poll originates (I just read the other thread).

Peter, don't you dare touch my video switching capabilities. :

I have noticed that you buy VERY high end equipment in your theater (which leads me to the assumption that you have more expendable income than I do.) Although I believe a separate video switcher would be ideal for your purposes, I (and I believe a LOT of people) don't want to have to purchase yet another switcher. Something tells me that each switcher wouldn't be half the price of the full A/V switcher.

Personally, I don't think it's going to matter for very much longer. With HDMI 1.3 becoming more prevalent, both audio and video will be passing through one cable. In my mind, having the receiver switch both wouldn't just be a bonus, it would be a requirement.

[Kingdaddy]

No, my video switching section crapped out on me within a year then the Zone 2 went flakey, still works but I have to reboot or jack with the volume to get it to work several times a month. I'm not so sure about Parasound’s robustness especially since I noticed that more volume I add to the programmable channels the less overall volume level I have, I think they need a boost in preamp out signal, they stretched it too thin IMO. Of course most wont notice this because they don’t use all the channels, I do however and it seems like Parasound never bothered to check this either, typical for a manufacturer from my experience, they never fully test their products when max loading or all interconnects are driving something.

[Chris D]

Huh... that's a first. Haven't heard that one before. (no pun intended) I use all 7 main channels, two sub channels, the tactile transducer out, and stereo zone 2 outs. (plus video connections, of course) In my next theater, I was considering adding either a ceiling speaker or two mid-surrounds, too.

[sprout]

I never use the "V" of an AV processor

My C2 does the processing of the audio.
I have always used an external scaler for all video.

Personally as far as I am concerned, they can drop all the "V" part of top processors, keep it all pure and let a similarly priced de-interlacer/scaler do the other job properly.

Sprout

[sprout]

I have always liked receivers and processors that switch audio and video simultaneously with the press of one button. I'm somewhat of a "flipper", and sometimes while watching a TV show, will flip to a DVD source during a commercial, or take a break from a movie to check on how my download is going on my PS3, etc. I wouldn't buy a receiver/pro that lacks this feature, and am disappointed when it's degraded.

Would I like to have separate units for audio processing and video switching/processing? In an ideal world, you bet! That would be awesome--separates of separates! Each one could be optimized to eliminate interference with the other, and just have one big control cable going inbetween, like RS-232. I don't know how feasible this is, though. It may exist, but I'm not aware of any products like this on the market today.

Is that not what macros are for and the use of switch/scaler gives you a product that has been on the market for years :T

[Chris D]

Outboard scaler? Sure.

Completely separate units with different purposes made by different companies which you could control by building macros into one control and wait for them to run every time you execute a command? Yeah.

But slightly different from what we were talking about--two products made by a company specifically designed to work hand-in-hand with each other and complement each others' features. Linked with direct control between the two, like RS-232. Like I said, for all I know, there could be something like that, but I'm not aware of them.

[sprout]

Outboard scaler? Sure.

Completely separate units with different purposes made by different companies which you could control by building macros into one control and wait for them to run every time you execute a command? Yeah. .

Do not feel so threatened, its a discussion

But slightly different from what we were talking about--two products made by a company specifically designed to work hand-in-hand with each other and complement each others' features. Linked with direct control between the two, like RS-232. Like I said, for all I know, there could be something like that, but I'm not aware of them.

I believe you mean "You are talking about" , not we're talking about

The question was how much do you use the video side of the C1/C2, not RS232 linked products.

Properly written macros are seamless enough, I would certainly rather wait half a second for quality.

Now the reason I chose Parasound as a processor is I believe they do the job very well. The video switching it provides is no stronger than convenience, I do not think Parasound would claim much more.

As I took the trouble to find within my budget the best processor for sound , I adopt the same process for video Switching/De-interlacing/scaling.

Parasound, thank you for your processor and amps :T
Lumagen thank you for your HDP PRO

Sprout

[slayer]

I no longer use mine as I have a problem with the output of component video on my C2. I like the feature though and feel that for most users, it's a must. But, with only 2 component in's on the C2, it's just not enough. I'm saving up for one of the DVDO units.

[Chris D]

... aaaaand we're back on topic. Randy, what's the problem you're having with the component video? Mine does ghosting sometimes of images, so I just E-mailed Parasound about it this past weekend. We'll see what they say about it.

[sprout]

... aaaaand we're back on topic

Thats rich :a> shot yourself in the foot

[jprafter]

I would love to use mine, but all my video is now HDMI. I sure miss having OSD. I hate having to look at the C2 just to see that I have the right mode selected or switching to S-Video to use the setup menu.

I would much prefer being able to switch audio and video in my processor if it could handle HDMI, but without that, the rest of the video inputs go unused.

Chris, why would you want two products linked for control purposes when the future (even present) is audio and video over one cable? You'd have to go through some effort to break that single input into separate audio and video for these two linked devices. The newer audio formats will only be available over HDMI or decoded in the unit and sent via many analog cables. I’ve already been through that mess with SACD. Maybe I'm missing your point.

[Chris D]

JP, you're exactly right. That's why it's a bit difficult for us to dream about separate audio and video boxes, if the future is one cable (HDMI or otherwise) carrying both audio and video signals. Might defeat the purpose.

[sprout]

If the future "ever" relies on AV over one cable I do not think it will be HDMI

HDMI to a lot of people has the mantle of "Hugely Defective Multimedia Interface" and it does not take much to be able to understand why.

sprout