Digital Video Essentials
Please note that the rental does not include the filters needed for calibration.
Optimize Your Home Entertainment System
In the 1950s, the "TV Guy" brought your new set home and tuned it for you. Then came the 1970s where we drifted into "plug and play" with the viewer doing all of the tuning. By the 1990s, component video was making its way in to the home, and we released Video Essentials to help you get it right. Now... it's time for the next generation, as home entertainment setup has evolved into Digital Video Essentials. The DVE calibration disc looks at system setup from the point of view of creating a canvas for works of electronic art. We've created NTSC, PAL and HDTV versions of DVE that provide a unified set of instructions and test patterns that work with all three formats. From acoustic and visual environment of a high quality system, to audio and video setup, Digital Video Essentials is the "TV Guy" of the 21st Century.
Member Reviews
Good tutorials on SD side - vaporeon800
The previous reviewers missed something vital: you've got to slip over to the NTSC SD side of the combo disc in order to view the simple tutorials. The HD DVD side is indeed nothing but demo material and test patterns without help, but the regular DVD side is the old DVE disc with helpful, soothing narration that walks you through the whole process of audio and video setup.
There are also manuals for both sides of the disc available in PDF format on the DVE website for free! http://www.videoessentials.com/dvehd/index.htmlVery good rental IF you have the filters - Struttgart
This DVD is exactly what I was looking for as the owner of a new LCD HDTV. It is choke full of good information and easy to follow instructions in adjusting not only your video sources but also your audio sources. However, my disappointment comes from not being supplied the blue, red and green filters to do some of the video calibration in regards to color. If you have these filters or can get them then this release is perfect to tweak your HDTV.Practically useless for most people. - Mayhemm
This review is for the HD DVD version of DVE.
I own the original Video Essentials disc that was released way back in 1997 to coincide with the emergence of DVD. That version contained calibration and optimization tools similar to the ones on this HD version, albeit a bit antiquated by the standards of today's home theater as they were designed for SD, not HD. But what really made the 1997 version great was that it was very user-friendly. It used visual and aural tutorials to guide you through calibrating your home theater and it put them in terms even a relative novice could understand.
The HD DVD version does none of that. It is simply a bunch of test pattern on a disc. There is no audio help during these patterns and the brief text explanation of each test is only available from the menu. That means you must constantly switch back to the menu or you won't know what the heck you're supposed to do (unless you have a really good memory).
The presentation material section is just as forgettable. All it is is a bunch of random footage of buildings, people, nature, and food. In other words, the same type of generic crap you see rolling over and over again in the TV section of Best Buy. Once again, there are no explanations as to the significance of this footage. For example, there is a restaurant scene where a man and a woman are talking that runs with just background noise. It took me a while to realize that you weren't supposed to hear the dialog. Afterward, the scene plays again at a 4:3 aspect ratio. Wow, that's really great. 16:9 is better than 4:3. I get it. Is that all I'm supposed to take home from this?
If you're knowledgeable in calibrating home theaters, this disc might be some use to you. If that's the case, however, there's a good chance you're a professional already and have you own disc to use. Everyone else, skip this one and wait for the soon to be released DVE: HD Basics. Perhaps it will be better.
Member Reviews
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Good tutorials on SD side - vaporeon800
The previous reviewers missed something vital: you've got to slip over to the NTSC SD side of the combo disc in order to view the simple tutorials. The HD DVD side is indeed nothing but demo material and test patterns without help, but the regular DVD side ...Very good rental IF you have the filters - Struttgart
This DVD is exactly what I was looking for as the owner of a new LCD HDTV. It is choke full of good information and easy to follow instructions in adjusting not only your video sources but also your audio sources. However, my disappointment comes from not ...Practically useless for most people. - Mayhemm
This review is for the HD DVD version of DVE.
I own the original Video Essentials disc that was released way back in 1997 to coincide with the emergence of DVD. That version contained calibration and optimization tools similar to the ones on this HD ...