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innof
Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 193
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:33 pm Post subject: Darbee |
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Hi. I'd really appreciate some opinions here on this DarbeeVision unit - Is it worth the wiles (and cost)? Or, is it more of a "gimmick" type processor; I just finished reading an article online outlining that a HDMI derived signal necessarily requires no external processing if one is intending to accentuate it's quality. I'd just like to try understanding how it works and what exactly its doing. Thanx
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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innof
Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 193
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:23 am Post subject: |
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Thanx Athanasios, I do appreciate your insight; I'll check out that other thread too
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AVphile
Joined: 02 Dec 2008
Posts: 334
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:50 am Post subject: |
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Lumagen already has contrast expansion feature, which helps if you can't or don't feel like tweaking the perfect gamma for every program. Other than that I am not a fan of "tone controls".
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AVStefan
Old setup: HDFury3 -> BG-808s -> HD-145
New setup: JVC D-ILA -> Stewart StudioTek 130 G4
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dokworm
Joined: 26 Oct 2010
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:55 am Post subject: |
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Just because Lumagen is licensing it doesn't automatically equate to it working, it could just be that it adds another feature that they think will sell.
The before and after pictures in their white paper just look overprocessed, I'd like to see how the unit performs on live video at normal settings.
It should be easy enough for them to capture the output from the darbee and make a side by side video.
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innof
Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 193
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:03 am Post subject: |
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I'm not a very big fan of tone controls either. And, I also think that the live video comparison would prove to be very revealing.
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kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| AVphile wrote: | | Lumagen already has contrast expansion feature, which helps if you can't or don't feel like tweaking the perfect gamma for every program. Other than that I am not a fan of "tone controls". |
Neither am I, but from everyone I talk to who's opinions I respect (other purists), this one is different.
| dokworm wrote: | | Just because Lumagen is licensing it doesn't automatically equate to it working, it could just be that it adds another feature that they think will sell. |
If this was any other company, I'd say yes. Lumagen has a track record of not including "gimmicky" features.
| Quote: | | The before and after pictures in their white paper just look overprocessed, I'd like to see how the unit performs on live video at normal settings. |
Yes they do. They're with the setting at MAX (120 on a range of 0-120). Most people say it looks best at around 30-45 on the "HD" setting which is the "pure" setting.
| Quote: | | It should be easy enough for them to capture the output from the darbee and make a side by side video. |
The unit has a "TEST" feature that does exactly that: It splits the screen down the middle with before & after.
For a video it would have to be done at 1920x1080 and then viewed on a 1920x1080 display for someone to really see what is possible. They'd have to make about10 videos at different levels of enhancement too.
Read Kris Deering's review. It's here:
http://www.hometheater.com/content/darbee-visual-presence-darblet-video-enhancer
Here's a quote from his review:
| Code: | | As a longtime videophile, I truly find myself in uncharted territory with the Darblet. Video enhancement tools are readily available everywhere and I’m usually at the forefront of the war against them. The Darblet has certainly changed that for me. Having used this in my system for several weeks now I can definitely say that it will remain there for the foreseeable future. This is a tool I’ve already recommended to every one of my videophile friends as a must own and I pass that same recommendation on to you. The Darblet may be the ugliest thing sitting on your rack, but it will make the most beautiful images you’ve ever seen on your screen. It’s highly recommended. |
He's one of the no-nonsense reviewers I respect the most who also doesn't like to "muck" with the image. He always tells it like it is. (I've been following his AVS posts a lot recently since he just got a JVC RS56 like mine to replace his RS35).
It's a good read as he basically tears the thing a new one at the start saying that it's ugly box with a cheaply made remote, that at the default settings does way too much processing. But then it all changes....
I ignored the Darblet it for months and months just based on the fact that it must obviously be gimmicky and non-purist, but then many people I respect that I'd never expect to use any sort of "image enhancement" said they use the thing all the time. I hope to have mine soon.
I have links to more reviews on our order page here:
http://www.curtpalme.com/Darbee.shtm
Kal
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digitalayon
Joined: 02 Mar 2009
Posts: 921
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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I have played with it. I think it is an awesome product!!!
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AVphile
Joined: 02 Dec 2008
Posts: 334
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
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Spanky Ham
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 5643
Location: Comedy Central
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:11 am Post subject: |
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As Kal has mentioned, Kris Deering isn't a big fan of most of these type of products. He is like Craig in this regard. If he thinks it is a worthwhile addition then it is worth a look at least. Kris is also one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met on the subject of HT. I won't hold the fact that he was in the Navy against him though. Oh wait, tse was in the Navy. Maybe there is something to this branch of the service. 
Kal,
I didn't know that Kris went with the 56. He was in love with his 35, because it had almost perfect convergence and alignment. He also mentioned a year and a half ago at Cedia that he wasn't that interested in 4k. Matter of fact, he said pixel visibility was one of his least concerns. I wonder what changed his mind.
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kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:17 am Post subject: |
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| Spanky Ham wrote: | | I didn't know that Kris went with the 56. He was in love with his 35, because it had almost perfect convergence and alignment. He also mentioned a year and a half ago at Cedia that he wasn't that interested in 4k. Matter of fact, he said pixel visibility was one of his least concerns. I wonder what changed his mind. |
I'm not sure he's converted or thinks the R56 is better ... he got an RS56 and it had some issues so he sent it back and just recently (a couple of days ago) got the replacement. If you follow through the official RS56/X75 thread at AVS he gives the pro's and con's of each.
The RS35 was a phenominal projector. For those that don't know it's a few years old but it's a top of the line JVC when they would let you pay almost $10K or more and they'd cherry pick all the parts and optics for you to get as a perfect projector as possible.
What I'm surprised at is why he didn't go with the RS66. That would be more in line with the RS35 sell features of the time.
So I'm not sure which he's going to keep.
Kal
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My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
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