Help -- Braveheart Unwatchable on Sony S300

[Ernest Rister]

I don't mean the movie won't play, I mean any dark scene is horribly compromised by a swarm of white pixels that looks for all the world like laser rot. Even scenes of dark green are polluted by swarms and swarms of this noise. I've seen this from time to time on other titles, like a dark shot in Sweeney Todd, and an entire scene in Taken. But I couldn't get past the funeral scene on Braveheart without turning it off.

Is it the player? I suspect it is.

My equipment:

Player: Sony BDP-S300 with firmware released last June
TV: Westinghouse VK 40F580D
HDMI naturally

[Ernest Rister]

I went to C-Net and found their recommended settings for the TV. This has alleviated the problem somewhat, but I'm now sitting about 20-22 feet away from the screen and I can still tell the thing is ringing like a church bell.

*sigh*

Faulty disc? Or has the S300 Tank finally met its match?

EDIT

Couldn't possibly be the HDMI cable...could it?

[Ernest Rister]

Whoops - double post

[BozQ]

Troubleshoot dude.

1. Have you tried other BDs?
2. Have you tried another player?
3. Have you tried another HDTV?
4. Have you tried another cable?
5. Have you tried another cable on another HDTV?
6. Have you updated to the latest firmware?

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by BozQ

Troubleshoot dude.

1. Have you tried other BDs?
2. Have you tried another player?
3. Have you tried another HDTV?
4. Have you tried another cable?
5. Have you tried another cable on another HDTV?
6. Have you updated to the latest firmware?

1. Yup.
2. Don't have another player
3. Don't have another HDTV
4. Don't have another cable
5. See above
6. Yup

[Ernest Rister]

Anyone else with a BDP S300 and Braveheart?

[SquidPuppet]

Ernest. Post your problem in the SONY BDP-S300 thread. You will get more notice there.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...light=bdp-s300

[huntifosi]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Anyone else with a BDP S300 and Braveheart?

Yes. Watched last night and was spectacular. Best I've ever experienced that movie by far.

[kefrank]

OP: you may simply be seeing film grain, which is generally more prominent in darkly-lit scenes. Adjusting your TV's settings can make it look better (more natural), but if it really is film grain, you can never truly get rid of it since it is inherent to the source. Turning your sharpness setting all the way down and getting your contrast and brightness at reasonable levels may help at least make it look more film-like if it really is film grain.

[Ernest Rister]

It's not grain, it's some kind of noise. It looks like laser rot for those of you who remember the laserdisc days.

[Ernest Rister]

Just swapped out the HDMI cable - it aint the cable. It's either the disc, or the TV, or some elements of the last firmware upgrade didn't take. I've only had this problem in two other instances - in the "City on Fire" sequence of Sweeney Todd, for a single shot, and then, the prositute/translator scene in Taken.

My bet is the disc. I'll try replacing it at a different Best Buy. Don't want to get another from the same batch.

[syncguy]

It looks like a problem with your configuration rather than the disk. However, it could be one-off faulty disk as well.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by syncguy

It looks like a problem with your configuration rather than the disk. However, it could be one-off faulty disk as well.

I think it's the player or the disc. See, the "Fresh Water" disc of Planet Earth does the same thing at the opening -- hideous video noise -- flickering white pixels -- and I've connected the player to three TVs and it is there every time. The same phenomenon appears in the "City on Fire" sequence of Sweeney Todd, and in an extended scene in Taken. Imagine that through the first 10-15 minutes of Braveheart in every dark scene or every "deep green" scene -- you just have to turn the thing off because it is so unwatchable.

Going to watch the Longhorns opener on Saturday at my friend's place - He's got a nice setup, I'll pop the disc in there. If the flaws aren't there, first thing I do after Church on Sunday is go buy a new Blu-Ray player.