Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Next Scaler?

Does anyone have any recent gossip from Meridian about their next scaler implementation?

I am getting the itch to buy one of the new 1080-deinterlacing scalers (Vantage or Crystalio), but would obviously prefer to see what M might do for the 800.

Plus ... and I know this has been debated previously ... it is really not clear to me how a single digital HDMI feed that has BOTH audio and video can be handled by two separate boxes?

Simon

What ever M and Faroudja do will always be over priced. You better off with Crystalio or others...

Well the crystalio vps-2300 has also 'only' a faroudja chip, and is around $2500.
All i do with it is scale DVD. That can be had for less with a VE12 card for a 800

There is more to it than simply using a Faroudja chip. You would expect that as Meridian are so close to Faroudja that they will be getting the most out of the chip.

FWIW here are my thoughts....

1. I would love to have a scaling solution included in either of the 800 or 861 as this would provide an integrated solution from the same manufacturer.

2. As much as I would like to have the above I HAVE had it (with TAG McLaren Audio) and will NOT be going to back to it, even if it were offered. The principal reasons is functionality in that it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that the flexibility/functionality and, dare I say, picture quality would not be as good as that provided in a stand alone unit.

And, in the event that you doubt me, I have compared/tested the image/picture produced by the scaler included in my 800 vs image/produced by Lumagen HDPro and the later IS MUCH BETTER in many reagrds (i.e. picture quality, setup options, etc.).

3. And finally, as much as I hate to say this, as I am a HUGE supported of M kit owning a 558, 800V4 and 861V4.2, I am simply of the view that Faroudja lags Lumagen and others.

Nomex suit now on -- waiting for replies.

Joel

There is obviously more to things than a single chip.

At the Meridian demo recently in Bristol by Bob Stuart himself, he was demonstrating both the Meridian and Faroudja brands. Bob was happy to use a Meridian processor (G98?) for deinterlacing but used the Faroudja processor for scaling. I recall that he said that the Meridian and Faroudja processor were on a par for deinterlacing but the Faroudja processor was better than the Meridian box as more DSP processors were being used for the scaling in the Faroudja processor. This would also imply that the Meridian players have DSP processing doing on in addition to the processing already performed by the Faroudja scaler itself. This would also mean that software updates can have a significant effect on the quality of the output.

Ian:

Following up on my earlier posting your comments supports my finding that the Lumagen did a better job than the Meridian...not a huge suprise.

The other interesting point to note will be which chipset Faroudja/M decide to use...the two chips been talked about most are those by Silicon Optix (i.e. Realta) and by Gennum...anyone have any idea as to the direction that M is leaning?

Joel

No Nomex required - after all, this is a civil forum ... I think?

I am just trying to work out how to best proceed with my 800v4 and 861v4.2:

1. Obviously an HDMI input for 861 will be mandatory - presumably HDMI 1.3; I am guessing sometime in 2007.
2. For the audio to then work properly, a source component (either a Meridian Bluray player or another brand of Bluray player) will also need to support HDMI 1.3. This capability will not be available until either late-2006 or 2007 (the 'about-to-be-released' players are only HDMI 1.1?).
3. What I am not so clear on is whether an external scaler also needs to support HDMI 1.3; or if 1.1 is sufficient. I suppose this depends on whether Meridian offer an HDMI 1.3 input AND output for 861, or just an input. If the former, then presumably one could run HDMI 1.3 from the player to 861, extract the audio, then run HDMI out of 861 to an HDMI 1.1 scaler to handle video. If the later, then I am not sure how it would work uness you had a scaler that has 2 HDMI 1.3 outputs.

Simon

Simon:

My thoughts..recalling that I too have both a 800V4 and a 861V4.2 are as follows:

1. 800 as well as other source components to a scaler.

2. 861 input -- be it, HDMI, spif, etc. - from the scaler as the scaler should/will be able to split the audio and video signal.

Same applies should teh scaler be built into either the 800 or 861...

Your thoughts?

Joel

Joel:

If you do it that way - and it is a logical approach - then the scaler will have to handle HDMI 1.3. Which means the current crop of Vantage, Crystalio, etc. (that only support HDMI 1.1) are no good.

I think I am about to talk myself out of buying a new scaler - at least until later this year. I wonder if the next crop of new scalers (VP40, Radiance, etc.) will have HDMI 1.3?

Simon

Simon:

Fully agree with you re: current crop of scalers that support HDMI 1.1 have a limited lifecycle.

FWIW, it is for this reason that I am waiting for a Lumagen RadianceXD with the hope -- and I have no knowledge of this -- that it will support HDMI 1.3

Cheers,

Joel

There is no silicon available for 1.3 within the timeframe Lumagen has announced the release of Radience - maybe there will be future "members" of the Radiance series that will contain it, but that would take minimum a year from now....

It is even likely that Lumagen will go a sepparate direction, and choose UDI - a new chipset from Silicon Image that is backwards compatible with HDMI via a passive adapter (like DVI -> HDMI).

Advantages with UDI is no license fee + better conectors (with lock) and support for high bit data depth.

I discussed this with Jim at Lumagen during the Hometheater Cruise last year, and I believe that he is taking a closer look at this, guess we will see where it ends in a couple of months ;-)

cheers

/Par