I don't know whether I am asking a silly question. Is there any way where upscaling of Astro's video quality can be done with AV Receiver. If can, how to do so and which AV Receiver in the Marantz and Onkyo range can do so.

There are quite a number of people here already doing it using their AVR using the S-Video connection. Don't know about Onkyo but the Marantz 6003 upscales and that model is being replaced very soon with the 6004 which unfortunately does not seem to have S-Video input so which means you would have to use the normal analog connection for your upscaling.

allow for another silly question..

i see some ppl do connect the Astro (either S-Video or Component) out to AVR for upscaling..and some ppl simply connect the Astro out to TV...which gives a better result? how's the PQ on Astro upscaled?

S-video will be better then RCA.

as for up scale, technically it dont really works since it's only increase the resolution to higher via calculation similar anti alias..

one word.... useless for upscaling..

Mine only using normal RCA cable from astro to AV receiver and hdmi to tv. the picture is better than before.

upscaling can be done via yr av amp or via your hdtv itself ... either way, it is upscaling a std defination content to fullHD or HDready tv; the pq sucks. astro is better watched on yr cathode ray tubes

I am still wondering why the new Asstro decoder has no S-video ...

Cut costs, coz decoder now like disposal item. Saw ads "pasang astro $50, free decoder" all over.

As the saying goes...garbage in...upscale? more garbage out!

huh RM50? y'day saw thia dude with a table near a hypermarket
Astro promosi RM30 siap pasang

which decoder dont have S-Video? Mine new one got S-Video, my Decoder from year 2000 also got S-Video

Hurm..seem Astro decoder really cheap now,is there any trick from them ?

The NEW Thomson one lerr....

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Added on August 24, 2009, 9:54 pmThe trick is you have to see the bigger picture... give decoder free is nothing.. Like the Devil, they give you short term pleasure like free decoder but you will sign your soul to them for eternity ... Or if you want to tangkap tikus also, you sacrifice some cheese lah ... Or if u chinese - 'siew choy mm chut, tai choy mm yup' ...... ..........

This post has been edited by Lone*Wolf: Aug 24 2009, 09:54 PM

just plug to TV..

surprisingly my 42inch S10 views astro better than the sucky panny 32inch LCD (in the maid room)

of coz both still can't beat my panny 29in 100Hz CRT albeit smaller image..

Using avr's upscaler will definitely improve the PQ
but not to much extent

'Garbage in garbage out'
No matter how advance is the 'bin'
the content is still garbage

Latest Astro decoder has no more S-video output but come in Component video..

Another silly question. I have a Marantz SR4600 AV Receiver. I can use the latter to upscale the Astro video quality? Or the set is too low end to do so?

The only way to improve astro picture quality is to connect it with a good quality build (S-Video or Component) cable like Monster.

If you have not bought HDTV yet, and you watch a lot of Astro, then get a plasma tv.

Still not satisfied with the quality, then the last resort is to sit further way from the TV.

Let's hope that Astro will provide better picture quality in the future.

modern avr can convert video from analog to digital, then upscale to 1080p

if the original source of the video is bad, no matter how you upscale it also wont become HD DVD or blu ray quality, after all, upscale isn't really that good, and the TV itself will upscale to fit the screen right?

if want better picture maybe can try to watch astro in 4:3 mode on 16:9 LCD TV.

I think there may be some processing engine (like Pixel Plus on Philips TVs) that can do wonders with the low-rez Astro signal.

extract the additional video data from thin air?

have you seen Astro on a Philips Pixel Plus TV?

ever hear of the word "interpolation"?




This post has been edited by SiriuslyCold: Aug 25 2009, 02:36 AM

you mean the motion plus from samsung and motion flow from sony?

Thanx, how to do that?

Interpolates = scalling. Astro signal is 320x240 if not mistaken. U plug into FullHD LCD / plasma TV, the TV will have to "interpolate" or "scale" the image to 1920x1080 as LCD / plasma is fixed resolution display tech unlike CRT. Imagine how many times U are "zooming" in on the image.

Most of AVR is using Faroudja or HQV Reon for upscalling to 1080p

possibly. don't know how good their engines are compared to PP though. I don't use a Philips now, but I miss it.


buy a modern receiver?




well, isn't that what this topic is about?

but then there's a reason why some standalone scalers cost thousands of $ and some are in TVs that cost a fraction f the standalone scaler




This post has been edited by SiriuslyCold: Aug 25 2009, 10:34 AM

[quote=SiriuslyCold,Aug 25 2009, 10:28 AM]
possibly. don't know how good their engines are compared to PP though. I don't use a Philips now, but I miss it.
Thanx, how to do that?

[/quote]

buy a modern receiver?
well, isn't that what this topic is about?

but then there's a reason why some standalone scalers cost thousands of $ and some are in TVs that cost a fraction f the standalone scaler

[/quote]

how do u turn on the pixel plus on a phillips tv??? I have one but I have not seen the setting anywhere on my tv menu....is it on by default??

from what I can remember of my old Philips TV you'd have to switch it off f you didn't want it (i.e its on by default)

that is, if your TV has PP in the first place

Don't waste your time and money on upscaling your astro signals - gigo rules! And no 'super duper' expensive 'monster' cable will give you any better picture (unless your original cable really sucks that badly to begin with).

Just wait and be prepared to pay for hd astro.

Deinterlacing/upscaling of SD material can be at several places. One in the AVR or the other the display.

All displays have their own deinterlacing/upscaling algorithms/chips. In some cases the upscaling/deinterlacing done by the AVR is better than the built in ones from the display.

One example, Panny Plasmas do not do deinterlacing too well. They upscale ok but do not do deinterlacing as well. As such, feeding a 576i (Astro) to a Panny plasma (X, S) would not yield a better picture compared to a 576p signal from a AVR.

However, the compression on Astro is unbelievable. No amount of algorithms/chips can repair that.

Some displays have very good scalar/deinterlacing chips in them as such, you would not see a big difference between upscaling/deinterlacing thru a AVR.

All signals are upscaled by your display, unless u select not too. As long as the display fills the whole screen, some form of upscaling is done. All HDTVs are progressive by nature, as such, all interlaced signals are deinterlaced as well.

I think the built-in upscaler and deinterlacer in Kuro plasmas is really good. My friends swear they were watching HD Asian food channel from 12 feet away... Bernama and Astro Awani also look pretty damn nice. Honestly, I can't complain much of PQ of Astro on Kuro. I think it boils down to the quality of upscaler/line doubler your TV has..... Cheaper TVs have cap ayam scaler only... like Akira maybe?

the question now is worth it or not upscaling..erm, i think its oni works on certain model of tv and avr...

The answer to this question has to come from you. You probably need to see which one looks better to you (upscaling/deinterlacing by AVR or the display)

yeah...thats rite...

I assume it does as its stated in the feature list for my particular model.....i can turn on the demo for it....but no idea if its on by default or wat

have component oso, shud have s-video

bro.... damn hi class la you... maid's room also using LCD ar

This post has been edited by moomoos: Aug 25 2009, 07:16 PM

there is a difference going upwards of 30% more lines 625 to 833 and blowing up to 150% i.e from those astio 4:3 Sd rez to 1920x1080 rez panels.... so please.. know the limitation.. after 10-20% improvement on SD date due to scaler technology whether it is pixel plus, or a modern 2009 TV's built in scaler, there is nothing else significantly more to extract..

you think pixel plus technology can really help extract even 30% data more than than a S10 panny's built in internal scaler for incoming SD video?

yes we are comparing scaler to scaler , every HD flat panel display has a built in scaler in order for all the video image to cover the entire panel..

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Added on August 25, 2009, 7:24 pmwhat hi class? basic LCD TV is cheapo mah... our forumer , B650 owner sold his free 32 inci for 1000 bux only..

last time 1k also can't buy a branded 29inch TV..

This post has been edited by ar188: Aug 25 2009, 07:24 PM

well, i dont think it really give better picture quality, it only add more frames in between and make the motion smoother, that's all.

don't think. this is something you can verify by having a look.