Digital Video Essentials = good buy?

[Tarheel_]

I have a standard 4:3 50" Hitachi, a Rat Shack SPL meter and the Sound and Vision calibration disc. Does the DVE DVD offer any features that justify a purchase?

Plus, i just bought a sub...are there any features that will help integrate it into my system?

I read their website but it focused on HDTV so i'm not sure. thanks...

[Keith from Canada]

If you plan on doing any 'hi-end' calibrations that require service menu access, then you would want to consider DVE. If you are like 99% of the population, you would only need your calibration disc to allow you to improve your basic user-menu controls (e.g. colour, brightness, black level etc) as well as your audio set-up (speaker levels). If that is the case, you will have more than you'll ever need with the Sound and Vision disc. DVE is specifically made for calibration experts who venture into areas of your TV menu system that most people would cringe at.

[Tarheel_]

I had a feeling it was geared toward another direction. Service menus? no thanks...

[recoveryone]

Hey keith, is a new VE disk out yet, last I heard it was to come out Feb 03, but something went wrong (distubution rights??)

[Woochifer]

The tests offered in the DVE disc are more extensive and advanced than those in the S&V disc. The tests especially offer you a lot more options, if you're looking for something beyond the most basic tests. The disc is also considerably less user friendly. The main difference with the DVE disc compared to the S&V disc is that it uses three color filters to do the video calibrations, rather than the one blue filter. And the audio tests contain different sweep tones, and a wider range of frequencies than the S&V disc. I think for most people the S&V disc should be fine, but if your set gives you more adjustments than the usual brightness, contrast, hue, and color levels, then the DVE disc might be worthwhile. And with a list price of $25, this is really inexpensive for what you get.

The regular DVE disc is a 480p DVD. The unique aspect of DVE is that it's also offered in true HD 720p and 1080i resolution in the D-VHS format. As far as I know, this is the only calibration tool available to consumers that gives you true HD resolution.

FYI, the new DVE disc has been out for a couple of months. As for its long delay, yeah it was way delayed. Originally, it was supposed to come out almost two years ago, and they even discontinued the original VE disc in anticipation of the new version coming out. But, they ran into technical problems with the revised version, and basically scrapped the whole project and started over.