bad color when movie has bad lighting

[LTQDustx]

I'm pretty new to all this stuff so please excuse me if this question has been asked before.

I have a samsung DLP TV with a Denon DVD-1910 DVD player. I have HDMI/DVI cable hooked up between them. When I watch movies with great lighting, the color and clarity is great, I can't complain much. The problem is when I watch movies with bad lighting where there are lots of dark areas, the color I have on screen is not a gradual black from whatwever the color is supposed to be fading into black but rather dots of other colors in there. For example, if the door is green, shown at night, the color should be green gradually fading into black, but I would get dots of pink or other colors in there.

I have heard of noise problems, is this an example and limitation of my DVD player (hence, I need a better one?) or is this something I have to live with because the DVD is not an HD DVD?

I tried asking this question at the local highend equipment store but they are only interested in selling me an HD DVD player..

Thanks

 

[Jedi2016]

Sounds like the source, the DVD itself, that's causing that. Compressing video, especially when there's not a big range of lighting, can cause banding and various other artifacts like you're describing.

I'm pretty sure it's not the hardware, though.

 

[LTQDustx]

Sounds like the source, the DVD itself, that's causing that. Compressing video, especially when there's not a big range of lighting, can cause banding and various other artifacts like you're describing.

I'm pretty sure it's not the hardware, though.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure that the DVD is not compressed because it's a standard original OEM DVD. This happens on more than one DVDs, but usually on on DVDs with locations that have bad lighting.. The ones inside (indoor) the color is as good as I can expect...

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hmm, I'm pretty sure that the DVD is not compressed because it's a standard original OEM DVD. This happens on more than one DVDs, but usually on on DVDs with locations that have bad lighting.. The ones inside (indoor) the color is as good as I can expect...

Has this TV been properly calibrated? That can cause all sorts of issues.

 

[mfabien]

LTQDustx,

Suggest you read the following posts:

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/2/208389.html

and one post to read is by "Anonymus". Scroll down to January 20th.

 

[LTQDustx]

LTQDustx,

Suggest you read the following posts:

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/2/208389.html

and one post to read is by "Anonymus". Scroll down to January 20th.

mfabien,
Ah. After reading the post I see that the problem is specific to the Samsung TV that I have. Yes, I have the same model and wished I've read the post before I purchased the TV. I guess this is going to be something I'll have to live with for a while before purchasing the next one. I thought I was pretty careful in buying the TV too, but like "anonymous", I didn't do a good enough job.
Thanks for pointing this out, at least I now know what is the cause of my problems...

 

[LTQDustx]

Actually I think I have isolated the cause of my bad color. It's my Denon DVD-1910!!!

I took the movie "Matrix - Reloaded", the scene where Neo went to see the Oracle for the 2nd time, as he walked into the court yard, the ground bricks in the court yard would have blotches of red mixed in with the brick color. I saw this happens on my Denon with HDMI at both 480p and 720p, then I switched to component and still saw the same problem. To diagnose further, I went and put the same movie on my RCA DVD player with a Sony projection screen via component and did not see the problem. I took my Denon and hooked it up to my Sony TV using the same component cable and connection and voila!!, the same blotchiness (is that a word?) appears.

So it seems that the local high-end video store guy was right after all, I do need a better DVD player!!!!

Thanks all for your help. Now I just gotta save up money for another DVD player..

 

[bitpoh]

How old is your Denon? Does it have the most recent firmware on it? Check out the following thread (long) about problems on DVD-1910 and firmware updates -- it may or may not be related to your specific problem:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-456714.html

 

[LTQDustx]

How old is your Denon? Does it have the most recent firmware on it? Check out the following thread (long) about problems on DVD-1910 and firmware updates -- it may or may not be related to your specific problem:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-456714.html

bitpoh
Thanks for the info. I have a pretty old DVD-1910 (one of the first ones they made), it was a replacement from Denon for my failed DVD-1710. I called in today and they said they would send me a firmware upgrade DVD. Hopefully that will fix my problem as I really don't want to spend the money on a new DVD player when the new DVD standard has not been decided.

I'll let you guys know if the new firmware fixes my problem. I'm keeping my fingers crossed..

 

[mtrycrafts]

LTQDustx,

Suggest you read the following posts:

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/2/208389.html

and one post to read is by "Anonymus". Scroll down to January 20th.

Interestingly, I am experiencing something similar on a CRT TV broadcast, two, in fact. Curious.

 

[Jedi2016]

I took the movie "Matrix - Reloaded", the scene where Neo went to see the Oracle for the 2nd time, as he walked into the court yard, the ground bricks in the court yard would have blotches of red mixed in with the brick color.

Ah, okay.. you're talking actual color artifacts... I thought you were talking about banding in low-contrast areas of the screen, which is a side-effect of compression. Two different things.

 

[LTQDustx]

Ah, okay.. you're talking actual color artifacts... I thought you were talking about banding in low-contrast areas of the screen, which is a side-effect of compression. Two different things.

Sorry, I'm not really familiar with all the terms, just trying to describe best how I see it.
So are you seeing this too on your equipment or am I alone in this? For those that are interested in looking at the scene, I believe it's chapter 13 on the the Matrix - Reloaded DVD.

I actually see the problem more frequently in the dark areas of the scenes and movies with bad lighting, it's just that I was watching the Matrix - Reloaded and see it also.

 

[Jedi2016]

No, I haven't seen that sort of thing on my setup. Then again, I'm using an ancient CRT television and one of those Sony DVD players.. I think it's the "Cheapazz" model.

 

[LTQDustx]

No, I haven't seen that sort of thing on my setup. Then again, I'm using an ancient CRT television and one of those Sony DVD players.. I think it's the "Cheapazz" model.

May be the old saying is true after all, "newer doesn't necessarily mean better..."

 

[LTQDustx]

Well, I got good news and I got bad news guys!!.

The good news is I received the firmware upgrade disc today, it brought my firmware level to 1.12 and seemed to resolved (or may be corrected) some of my problems with bad colors.

The bad news is that the Matrix -Reloaded, chapter 13, where Neo was at the door and looked into the courtyard, where the Oracle sat, still has bad "artifacts" on the bricks on the ground. It's not as noticeable as before but definitely not as smooth as on my RCA DVD player and my Sony Projection TV using component video cable.

I guess my next step is to try this DVD on the DVD-2910 and see if it still occurs. Tweeter just lowered their prices on Denon DVD-2910 (but they also told me it's being discontinued...)

Thanks all for your help.