RDV-1060 Dark Video?

[Ron67]

Ok... I got my RDV-1060 about 3 weeks ago. It replaced a pretty middle of the road Sony. It looks better, feels more substantial by far, blows the Sony away in sound quality and navigates menus faster. The only complaint I have is the picture seems too dark.

Now before everyone crys foul, let me say that when it comes to video I'm very much a newbie! Audio is no problem but in Video I'm lost.

The picture on my 5 year old Sony XBR RPTV (Non Hi-Def) seems darker and looses detail in the shadows. So naturally I ran out and bought the Avia DVD. I think I have the settings right and the video quality when viewing cable TV is definitely improved but DVD still seems dim.

As far as I can tell, the Rotel unit doesn't have any Black Level adjustment.

Any suggestions or comments?

[Andrew Pratt]

If you've never had a calibrated TV with avia before you're likely going to find the over all image quite dark compared to the brightly contrasted normal "touch" mode TV's come from the factory with.

What video cable are you using?

[Ron67]

Right now I'm just using the S Video cable that came with the unit. Any suggestions there on an upgrade? I have been thinking about going back to the shop I bought it at and getting a nice Component Video Cable.

[jaakan]

The Avia DVD and ISF are on the dark side for most people.

Was it darker than your sony? ( without changing any settings )
Are you running 480i or 480p?

[Ron67]

It's definitely darker than it was with the Sony. But I didn't calibrate until after I switched units. I guess a good test would be to plug the Sony back in and see what happens?

As far as 480p vs 480i I'm not sure which. How would I tell? My XBR has a feature that was new at the time that eliminated the scan lines if that matters...

[Andrew Pratt]

You're in interlaced at the moment since its impossible to transmit a progressive image over an s-video cable. On that note upgrading to a componet cable will give you be very best image possible from your player. I'd highly recomend looking at http://www.catcables.com for you cable needs. They're a sponsor of the forum and make outstanding products at a reasonable cost. There's aways been a debate on the merit of expensive cables in audio but even the nay sayers there will admit that a quality video cable can make a significant improvement in what you see on your display.

[Ron67]

Ok - Yesterday I finally got around to picking up a nice Component Video cable. Went with the Monster THX and ran it directly to the component inputs on the TV. Pic quality is somewhat improved but still dark. So I swapped the 1060 with my basic Sony and all the detail in the shadow came back. Pic was noticibly brighter... I'm going back to the dealer this morning and get their $0.02. I'll see what they say and post back.

[Danbry39]

Ron,

When I first did all the "proper" things to callibrate the video portion of my HT when I started putting it together about 20 months ago, it was too dark to my eyes also. But, I soon adjusted and began to prefer the picture sans the brightness. Avia is probably making some assumptions when they put together their disc, some of these centering on how much light from other sources exists in certain rooms.

The more I get into this, the more I recognize that one shoe doesn't fit all in both HT audio and HT video. While some love a bit of brightness in their speakers, for instance, others swear by the warmth of their speakers. Neither side is right or wrong, it's just a matter of preference.

Same holds true with video, some prefer a sharper picture, others prefer a smoother picture; some prefer a brighter image, others a toned down brightness while watching.

It may be that you prefer the brightness and detail of the Sony, whereas others might like the darker shadings and smoothness of the Rotel picture. Have you tried to adjust your Sony TV to see if you can get it right to your eyes? It might be worth a try. I'd be willing to bet that the audio section of the Rotel is vastly superior to that of the Sony though.




Keith

[Ron67]

I think you're right. Everyone has different taste when it comes to both sound and video. After fooling around some more, I "cheated" and upped the brightness and contrast just a couple of clicks past the ideal AVIA settings and am much happier. Yes - overall it's still taking a little getting used to. Esp since before tweeking it everything was way off...

I also went back to the dealer. He says they will have one on the floor later this week so I can see how it looks there and compare just to be sure.

As far as ound goes - yeah - it smokes the Sony. Not even close which is nice :T