Paul and I met last night and we more or less finalized the plan for the shoot-out. For reasons that are apparent below, we will test 8 different set-ups. At the moment, we will test the following:
1. Oppo 983
2. Oppo 981
3. PS3
4. Pio 600
5. Toshiba HD-A35
6. Toshiba HD-XA2
7. Panasonic BD30
8. Pio 600 passing through Denon 2808
We will have 4 different tests. Each one will be "blind." You won't know which player is being tested.
First test: Rate each player, using HQV Benchmark disc.
Second test: Using the ratings from the 1st test, we rank the players from 1 to 8. We then do match-ups, using the same SD material for each match-up.
First match-up: No. 1 vs. no. 8, No. 2 vs 7, No. 3 vs 6, No. 4 vs 5
Second match-up: First & Last winners, Middle 2 winners
Third match-up: The 2 winners from 2nd match-up
Third test: Compare 2 or 4 of the best SD players vs BD player, using same movie. There will be a rating system so you can tell, more or less, how near the SD players are to BD
Fourth test: Guessing game. Just guess if the player is BD or SD
We have put together some pretty good movies, but we likely need help in getting additional SD copies of the following:
1. Miami Vice
2. Zodiac
3. Bourne Ultimatum
4. Double Jeopardy
5. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
6. The Devil Wears Prada
7. MI:III
8. Spiderman 3
Any more ideas?
We have around 8 or 9 people confirmed to attend. We need a few more volunteers to participate.
By the way, those who will participate will be able to see Popcorn Hour in action. 720p and 1080p material. Plug & Play. We tested it and so far, the quality is pretty incredible.
