[byteme]

Is it just me or does this disc fall flat on it's face when it comes to navigation?  I thought Avia was bad but man this disc takes the cake.  I had to chapter skip using about 40 button pushes to get to the audio and video test signals section.  Specifically I was looking for the audio test signal portion of the program.  Does anyone who has used this have a shortcut to get there or an easier way to navigate it than what I did?

I'm sure the information contained in the first 6 or so chapters is very informative, however, based on prior knowledge, forums and personal experiences and limitations I'm not going to sit through 6 freaking chapters of lead up to get to the goods.  The reason I wanted the disc is because Avia is so god awful to navigate and to have rear surround audio signal pink noise.  When I'm at a friend's or "customers" house to calibrate thier setup I don't want to have to look like a putz digging through layer upon layer.  I have no problem looking like a putz on my own!!

Thanks.

[Horsehead]

Hope this helps- Use the booklet on the inside front cover of the DVD case.  Find the test pattern or portion of the disc you want to view and note which TITLE it is.  Using the "TITLE" button on your DVD player, enter the number you want to view and either hit enter or play.  This is the only logical way I can get to a pattern I want without pulling my hair out.

[byteme]

Hope this helps- Use the booklet on the inside front cover of the DVD case.  Find the test pattern or portion of the disc you want to view and note which TITLE it is.  Using the "TITLE" button on your DVD player, enter the number you want to view and either hit enter or play.  This is the only logical way I can get to a pattern I want without pulling my hair out.

Shit, I hope this means I don't have to haul out the DVD remote in order to quickly work this disc!  I'll have to look at my DVD player (Panny RP-82) when I get home to see if it's got the title feature on the remote/faceplate.

I used the booklet when trying to get to the test stuff to begin with - God forbid you ever lose that thing!!

[bubba966]

The navigation on DVE is horrid huh? I thought the navigation on Video Essentials was horrid. Too bad they didn't learn their lesson from past editions. I always used the Title button to get where I wanted to go on the VE disc. Guess they kept the same bad navigation...

I haven't bothered with DVE yet as I've got the Avia disc, Video Essentials, and the THX Surround EX demo/setup disc.

If all you want is pink noise test tones for system calibration the THX EX disc is very, very easy to use. Not to mention it's got pink noise tones for 6.1, which Avia & VE don't have.

But the problem is this. The THX Surround EX demo disc was only given to THX certified HT installers. So you've basically got to get one off eBay.

I'll dig up a pic of the disc so you know what it looks like if you find the need to get one.

[bubba966]

Ok, found a pic I had of the THX EX disc. It's a bit fuzzy, but it at least gives you an idea what the thing looks like.



It should also be noted that this disc just came in a plain white paper sleeve. They didn't come in a case as in the pic.

[byteme]

Ok, found a pic I had of the THX EX disc. It's a bit fuzzy, but it at least gives you an idea what the thing looks like.

It should also be noted that this disc just came in a plain white paper sleeve. They didn't come in a case as in the pic.

 Cool, Thanks bubba.  Now, the only trouble is THX uses a matrixed 6th channel if you have 7.1 so there won't be a discrete pink noise for each of the rear surrounds correct?

[bubba966]

Now, the only trouble is THX uses a matrixed 6th channel if you have 7.1 so there won't be a discrete pink noise for each of the rear surrounds correct?

Yes, that is correct. If you're running a 7.1 setup, you won't get a discrete test tone for your rear centers. You'll just get the same tone sent to both speakers at the same time. You'd have the same problem with a DTS ES disc, if someone put out such a thing. ES is still only 6.1. There really is no true "7.1" sound format. Which is why a test tone disc for such a thing doesn't seem to exist (at least as far as I know).

But if you're running 7.1, you should have test tones available from your processor or receiver. I'm not aware of any DVDP or Preamp that does 7.1. And I'm assuming that's why you're looking for a pink noise test tone disc, to use on setups that don't have built in test tones. So the 7.1 test tone problem shouldn't really be a problem, right?

And there are a few other cool things on the disc. There's a channel check in the setup section. And there's a couple of cool demo clips on there as well.

[byteme]

Bubba,

the DVE disc has more damn test tones than you can shake a 6 9's Silver cable at!  It has tones for each of the 7.1 speaker options and then a "between" tone for each.  So like a tone from/for between left main and center, center and right main, etc.  They never explain why, but it's there - go figure.

I believe (but don't quote me) that DTS ES is actually a discrete 7.1 channels and DD-EX is a discrete 6.1 channels.  If you have 7 speakers DD-EX just matrixes the 6th into two.

Also, as a last note DO NOT EVER depend on the receiver for proper calibration of your system!!!  I cannot emphizise this enough.  Unless you do it with a test disc from the DVD player you could be WAY off.  I found this out the hard way myself after always figuring things were perfectly calibrated but never being that happy with the sound.  Then I got Avia and for giggles did the audio calibration from there.  Almost all of the settings are different than when done from the receiver / pre/pro.  As further proof I was at a clients house last week, Sony receiver, did the calibration through the receiver (which sucked anyway because this Sony only gave you 4 tones, Left, Center, Right, Surround and also treated both surrounds as one for distance and delay purposes).  Popped in Lord of the Rings, the Balrog scene.  It was all score, very little voices or front soundstage action.  I then calibrated using Avia, and had to turn up the center channel 10db!!!  Mains had to go down about 2db and surrounds up 4db!!  Couldn't have been much further off, but afterwords - sounded great!

Settings may be a little off for PLII but big deal - I'd rather have the real thing right.