The Upconversion that my XBR3 does is so good...wonder if I need BDP-S350. - Blu-ray Forum

Imgreenlantern · 11-26-2008, 04:12 PM

So, I have owned a Sony KDL-46 XBR3 TV since September 2006 & have always enjoyed the picture and sound quality of the TV.

I finally broke down and got a Sony BDP-s350 BluRay player, and have watched Casino Royale and Spider-Man 2 on it recently.

Here's the thing though I have both of these movies on standard DVD and BluRay, and after comparing them on the player as well as on my Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, I don't really notice any difference at all in picture or sound quality at all.

With the upconversion in the TV doing such a great job bringing the picture to 1080p, I wonder if I should just stick with what I got.

I don't have a HD sound system b/c I live in an apartment, and don't plan on getting one within the next three years anyway (I'm in law school).

Can anyone sell me on not taking this back?

Mr. HiDef · 11-26-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imgreenlantern

So, I have owned a Sony KDL-46 XBR3 TV since September 2006 & have always enjoyed the picture and sound quality of the TV.

I finally broke down and got a Sony BDP-s350 BluRay player, and have watched Casino Royale and Spider-Man 2 on it recently.

Here's the thing though I have both of these movies on standard DVD and BluRay, and after comparing them on the player as well as on my Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, I don't really notice any difference at all in picture or sound quality at all.

With the upconversion in the TV doing such a great job bringing the picture to 1080p, I wonder if I should just stick with what I got.

I don't have a HD sound system b/c I live in an apartment, and don't plan on getting one within the next three years anyway (I'm in law school).

Can anyone sell me on not taking this back?

Well no one is going to be able to sell you on something you feel that there is no deff with so just take it back if u dont feel u need it

aramis109 · 11-26-2008, 04:18 PM

There is absolutely no way that there is no difference between an upconverted picture and a true HD image. Either the settings on your setup are off and aren't properly showcasing blu-ray, or your eyes aren't able to discern the difference. Simply put, no upscaler can add in information that isn't there to begin with.

That said, I agree with the previous poster. If you can't see the difference and it looks just as good to you... why keep it?

Sonny · 11-26-2008, 04:24 PM

@ OP. You're saying that your HD DVD XBOX add on has a better picture than the Sony 350? And you're regular upconvert DVD player also has a better picture....or what? Take it back if you don't notice a difference with Blu-ray. Why wast your hard earned money, unless you're a "Trust Fund Baby"...?

Count Zero · 11-26-2008, 04:34 PM

I think we need more info on your setup before we can offer advice. What kind of cables are you using to connect each player? What are you using for sound? Have you ever callibrated your tv?

dobyblue · 11-26-2008, 04:46 PM

You don't have your equipment set-up properly.

Imgreenlantern · 11-26-2008, 09:19 PM

Going to get calibrations now. Give me 5 min.

Imgreenlantern · 11-26-2008, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Count Zero

I think we need more info on your setup before we can offer advice. What kind of cables are you using to connect each player? What are you using for sound? Have you ever callibrated your tv?

Um, when you say calibrated the TV, I haven't done much other than tweaking the settings to my desire (higher contrast, more bass, etc).

I have the sound set at Dolby Digital through the s350, b/c DDigital is the only advanced sound option that the Sony XBR3 and the s350 have in common.

I set the resolution to 1080p and essentially left the rest the same. Says my tv is outputing 1080/60p, and sound is 48kps.

crackinhedz · 11-26-2008, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imgreenlantern

Um, when you say calibrated the TV, I haven't done much other than tweaking the settings to my desire (higher contrast, more bass, etc).

well, that's one big

right there. You should always calibrate for each individual source. Sharing the same settings gets you mixed results. Bluray offers more [better] color than dvd, which you have to adjust for.

But at the end of the day, if you really notice no difference...then by all means take it back. Or sell it at a great price to one of the members here. Im sure someone would take it off your hands.

Grand Bob · 11-26-2008, 09:35 PM

In my experience, the source material is the largest determining factor. A movie that has been mastered properly will always look superior on blu-ray (if not something is wrong with your player/tv/settings). I have standard def dvd's of older movies with not-so-good picture quality that look close to the their blu-ray counterparts (example: Commando). On the other hand, a good upconverting player can get standard dvd's really close to HD (example: Star Wars A New Hope when played with upconverting player with Silicon Optix HQV chip). These players are useful for movies that are not yet available on blu-ray.

J6P · 11-26-2008, 10:17 PM

Another very important question not yet asked: How far back do you sit from your television during normal viewing?

BACsader · 11-26-2008, 10:21 PM

Better question. When is the last time you saw the eye doctor?

Imgreenlantern · 11-26-2008, 10:32 PM

Since I am not a master of HD electronics nor do I admit to being one, I have to say I appreciate most of the comments regarding helping me.

We sit about 11 feet from the TV. Also, I didn't realize you could customize each input. I will definitely do some tweaking. I noticed also that the darks seem to dark, so I lightened them up which was nice.

Can anyone recommend a website that has a "tuned" settings list for the XBR3 for a Blu Ray player? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

crackinhedz · 11-26-2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imgreenlantern

Can anyone recommend a website that has a "tuned" settings list for the XBR3 for a Blu Ray player? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Sticky: Calibrate Your HDTV

SONY: Share Your Custom Display Settings

good places to start.

11-26-2008, 04:12 PM	#1
Imgreenlantern Junior Member Member since:Nov 2008	The Upconversion that my XBR3 does is so good...wonder if I need BDP-S350. So, I have owned a Sony KDL-46 XBR3 TV since September 2006 & have always enjoyed the picture and sound quality of the TV. I finally broke down and got a Sony BDP-s350 BluRay player, and have watched Casino Royale and Spider-Man 2 on it recently. Here's the thing though I have both of these movies on standard DVD and BluRay, and after comparing them on the player as well as on my Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, I don't really notice any difference at all in picture or sound quality at all. With the upconversion in the TV doing such a great job bringing the picture to 1080p, I wonder if I should just stick with what I got. I don't have a HD sound system b/c I live in an apartment, and don't plan on getting one within the next three years anyway (I'm in law school). Can anyone sell me on not taking this back? Last edited by Imgreenlantern; 11-26-2008 at 04:13 PM. Reason: left a word out of title

11-26-2008, 04:24 PM	#4
Sonny Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Aug 2007 Home Theater Gallery:8 Blu-ray reviews:6 Trading Score:1	@ OP. You're saying that your HD DVD XBOX add on has a better picture than the Sony 350? And you're regular upconvert DVD player also has a better picture....or what? Take it back if you don't notice a difference with Blu-ray. Why wast your hard earned money, unless you're a "Trust Fund Baby"...? Last edited by Sonny; 11-26-2008 at 04:30 PM.

11-26-2008, 04:34 PM	#5
Count Zero Active Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Boston, MA Blu-ray collection:30	I think we need more info on your setup before we can offer advice. What kind of cables are you using to connect each player? What are you using for sound? Have you ever callibrated your tv? Last edited by Count Zero; 11-26-2008 at 04:34 PM. Reason: clarification

11-26-2008, 09:19 PM	#7
Imgreenlantern Junior Member Member since:Nov 2008	Going to get calibrations now. Give me 5 min. Last edited by Imgreenlantern; 11-26-2008 at 09:22 PM.

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11-26-2008, 04:18 PM	#3
aramis109 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Milwaukee, WI Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:360 Trading Score:18	There is absolutely no way that there is no difference between an upconverted picture and a true HD image. Either the settings on your setup are off and aren't properly showcasing blu-ray, or your eyes aren't able to discern the difference. Simply put, no upscaler can add in information that isn't there to begin with. That said, I agree with the previous poster. If you can't see the difference and it looks just as good to you... why keep it?

11-26-2008, 04:46 PM	#6
dobyblue Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Jul 2006 Location:Ontario, Canada Home Theater Gallery:71 4K collection:55 Blu-ray collection:655 Blu-ray reviews: 15	You don't have your equipment set-up properly.

11-26-2008, 09:35 PM	#10
Grand Bob Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Seattle Area Home Theater Gallery:9 Blu-ray reviews:1	In my experience, the source material is the largest determining factor. A movie that has been mastered properly will always look superior on blu-ray (if not something is wrong with your player/tv/settings). I have standard def dvd's of older movies with not-so-good picture quality that look close to the their blu-ray counterparts (example: Commando). On the other hand, a good upconverting player can get standard dvd's really close to HD (example: Star Wars A New Hope when played with upconverting player with Silicon Optix HQV chip). These players are useful for movies that are not yet available on blu-ray.

11-26-2008, 10:17 PM	#11
J6P Expert Member Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Aug 2007 Home Theater Gallery:117 Blu-ray collection:270	Another very important question not yet asked: How far back do you sit from your television during normal viewing?

11-26-2008, 10:21 PM	#12
BACsader Expert Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Cooper City FL Home Theater Gallery:29 Blu-ray collection:72 Blu-ray reviews:9 Trading Score:1	Better question. When is the last time you saw the eye doctor?

11-26-2008, 10:32 PM	#13
Imgreenlantern Junior Member Member since:Nov 2008	Since I am not a master of HD electronics nor do I admit to being one, I have to say I appreciate most of the comments regarding helping me. We sit about 11 feet from the TV. Also, I didn't realize you could customize each input. I will definitely do some tweaking. I noticed also that the darks seem to dark, so I lightened them up which was nice. Can anyone recommend a website that has a "tuned" settings list for the XBR3 for a Blu Ray player? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

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