beta firmware "20110217 2" Better Video quality?

[Torkild]

Is it just me or has anybody els noticed better video quality from the lasted beta firmware for HD300?
I'm running 1080i and my SD channels look better I think.


Edit: runing HDMI 1080i@50hz

[Narflex]

It's entirely possible since we updated the system driver for the HD300 in the latest beta firmware.

[limiter]

So does this mean it does better up-scaling of lower resolution content? Or is there some other video improvement that would result in SD/lower res content looking better over 1080i.

[rtrski]

Originally Posted by Torkild

Is it just me or has anybody els noticed better video quality from the lasted beta firmware for HD300?
I'm running 1080i and my SD channels look better I think.

You know, I was thinking that too the other day, but was afraid to bring it up. Been having all sorts of HD300 problems with skippy playback, no pics, or no aud, and was rebooting the server and it back and forth until I finally went nuclear option and unplugged everything (including network hub) and reactivated each and every step at a time. Somewhere in there I also updated the firmware.

I'd noticed in the past that the picture (I'm using the component breakout) seemed considerably 'darker' than from the HD200. Nighttime scenes in some movies (e.g. "Monsters" - the one with the photog and the chick trying to get out of an alien-infested Mexico - not "Monsters, Inc.") were almost entirely black as if low level grays and colors were being crushed. But Sunday catching up on some TV everything seemed much brighter and clearer. I'll have to re-test the pertinent scenes from the movie now that I see this thread.

If it's true and the "level" so to speak of output from component has been raised, then Narflex et al have my sincere thanks!

(p.s. running 720p here to a DLP TV, and the other thing I'd thought might be going on was my bulb was starting to lose it....not even on one of the LED-illuminated types. I am an antique! )

[valnar]

One thing is it fixed all my audio stuttering. I like the new beta.

[phelme]

With my HD300 on the beta I'm still getting audio sync dropouts on some 5.1 material and yesterday the GUI was incredibly sluggish. I had to unplug it for 30 seconds or so to get rid of the latter, simply toggling power had no effect.

[Torkild]

Originally Posted by phelme

With my HD300 on the beta I'm still getting audio sync dropouts on some 5.1 material and yesterday the GUI was incredibly sluggish. I had to unplug it for 30 seconds or so to get rid of the latter, simply toggling power had no effect.

But how are your video Q?

[phelme]

Originally Posted by Torkild

But how are your video Q?

Video quality seems a bit better!

[valnar]

Originally Posted by limiter

So does this mean it does better up-scaling of lower resolution content? Or is there some other video improvement that would result in SD/lower res content looking better over 1080i.

This is what I'd like to know too and I will try to test this weekend. I have everything send natively to my HDTV because it scales better, but I hate the slowness it takes for my TV to sync. When I force the HD300 at 1080p, it goes faster but the video is noticeably choppier and less smooth.

So has that part been fixed?

[phelme]

Hmm, well watched a couple recordings last night. One was the most recent "Top Chef" (HD transport stream from DirecTV) and at two points there was this weird almost digital waterfall effect occurring in the video. I should have saved that show because that artifact was new to me and could be related to the HD300 beta. I'm also running the beta of SageTV 7.1 so could also be responsible.

[rtrski]

Yeah, I've got a weird UI sluggishness / playback stuttering or no sound as if my network pipeline is trickling effect that seems to build up or occur every day or three. I have to power cycle the HD300 *and* restart the server while the power on the HD300 is completely removed (unplugged) to recover. It's the same behavior I've had for a long time now that I've at times blamed on the network, on a Java heap overflow, etc.

But when I can get it working, the video does look better on the HD300 with the latest firmware, i did confirm that.

(FYI, when this happens if I go upstairs to the server and try to watch the same show that just gave me still frames downstairs, it's fine. And the network is clearly fine; can do speedtests on my wireless and it's golden, and the HD300 is on a dedicated 5 GHz channel that nothing else can log into. But the HD300 acts like it's on 802.11a...or dialup for that matter. Getting kinda frustrated, the WAF is thru the floor. Seriously considering going back to the HD200 which I still have...)

Haven't done the 7.1.2. upgrade yet, but probably will . WTH.

(p.s. Server is Win Vista x64. Have a Task scheduler operation that restarts server every 48 hrs at 0400, but have proven that alone doesn't "fix" stutter - has to be server restart and hard power reset to HD300 both, not either/or. Have about 10 days of recorded TV, and imported directories are all DVD format rips (DVD fab or DVDshrink) totaling about 250 TV epidoses from series DVDs and 160 movies. Maybe 3k songs in the audio import folders. Running Serenity UI, BMT and Phoenix are about my only mods. Really don't think I'm stressing this install at all....on the good side my TV recording is thru a dual HDHR, which is plugged into a dedicated PCIx network card on the server, while the mobo network interface goes to the switch and from there to wireless downstairs to the HD300. e.g. recording TV is no longer influenced by network bandwidth, its' straight to the computer. So with all the above problems...my *recordings* of OTA digital HD are perfect. It's just a beyatch to get them to play back on the HD300, seemingly whenever the wife tries to....)