ok guys...my SONY DB29M61 just arrived last night. Did some testing and here's the review(1st part):

SONY DB29M61 review

XBOX
====
After setting up the TV to progressive scan mode and the XBOX video menu to select the mode to 720p, i've tried booting up to EVOX and try to load my games on the HDD. The first thing i notice is that the text is now a bit blur!! Maybe the EVOX menu is interlaced i guess, so i select Soul Calibur 2 to run and to my suprise, the game won't run and just return to the EVOX menu!! So i try some other games and all of them just hang!!

I thought...s****t!!! This thing doesn't even works with my XBOX! Then i tried to boot up Ninja Gaiden using the game disc and voila...it works!

So lesson learnt. EVOX+progressive mode/HDTV=no good. Looks like i've to boot from the disc if i need to run in progressive scan mode!

720p
===
(1) Soul Calibur 2 - this sucks. For some strange reason, the pictures are blur and the screen has been reduced to a smaller box inside the TV with black borders on left,right,top and bottom. There's nothing can be changed to rectify this. I guess it's not really support 720p properly....maybe some kinda downscale/upscale thingy??


480p
===
Tested SC, Ninja Gaiden, BurnOut 3 - so far so good, everything is sharp and stable. Is it really better than interlaced? Well, it's definitely an improvement. But don't expect the 1024 x 768 kinda sharp if you're used to a PC monitor. I think we'll need at least 1080i to really see that kind of sharpness.

DRC-1250
=======
WTF is this??!! you asked. Basically, this is SONY propriatery tech to improve picture quality by line doubling vertically and horizontally using some algorithm. It enhance normal video signal like ASTRO and everything else. If progressive mode is on, this is off and vice versa.

So why am i including this here? I've tested it on the games as well and to my suprise, it's almost as good as 480p!! I'm hard pressed to find significant difference between this and 480p mode except maybe it's a bit softer while 480p is a bit sharp, Anyway, will be doing more test for this as i was very tired last night already.

Other quirks
========
Now i can enable the XBOX to widescreen mode. Once you set this and also the TV to 16:9, the games will appear in widescreen format. It's kinda nice despite the fact i get top n bottom black borders. The characters are approriately proportioned to widescreen mode and in fact, if i force the TV to 4:3, the characters becomes elongated (using DOA3). Nice feature!

DVD video (using SONY DVD player)
========================
My new SONY DVD player has a progressive mode button(PROGRESSIVE AUTO). Press this button and set the TV to progressive mode and the picture is in 480p!
however, the screen for some strangre reason become 4:3 with the pictures elongated and i need to set the TV back to 16:9 to get the correct widescreen format.

Anyway, watching DVD with progressive scan is great!!!


PS2
===
Sorry no reviews yet. My PS2 component cable together with a Component video box is still on the way from Play-Asia. I'll put up a review once these items arrived(hopefully!).


Next up
=====
More testing with my XBOX with differrent games and fiddling with XBMC!!!!

Stay tuned!!!

I dunno, maybe it's the TV problem? AFAIK, there doesn't seem to be any other setting.
There's one option called "Game Mode". Dunno what the heck is that but according to manual it doesn't works with HDTV mode.

I dun think this TV is 720p native...too cheap for that me thinks. too bad i dun have any other 720p or 1080i games on hand to test now.

More updates:
XBMC can load, but i can't start the games from the HDD via XBMC either...

Anyone has experience with this??

Eureka!!! I think i found the source of my 720p woes. I've suspected the problem this morning since i posted about the blurring in 720p mode of SC2. The texture and details actually is fantastic (except for the black borders all around which couldn't be help) and the cause of the blurring after some observation is caused by 3 layers of "ghosting". I thought it was my TV, but since everything else is fine, i suspect it should be my Hi-Def pack...becoz it's a 3rd party pack from Gamester...not ori Microsoft pack.

So i checkout the net and found some users with similar problems with Gamester pack and seems like there is no such problem with MS ori pack.


http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread....t=139019&page=5

Looks like i hafta go shopping for an ori MS Hi-def pack!!!

480p a bit blurry...noticeable on text, but graphics is not so noticeable. There was comment by a user who changed to MS ori pack and the problem is resolved.

This post has been edited by Matrix: Jan 11 2006, 09:34 AM

Actually with 1K, i would suggest to buy a cheap china brand...basically SDTV not much difference. My Panasonic 21" SDTV is frankly not any better than the cheap cheap China brand seen in Carrefour. SDTV technology very common liao.

Woo! Hoooo!!!!

I've finally get my hands on an original MS Hi-Def AV pack from Sg Wang!!! Hee-hee, and at a bargain too...at only RM55!!! Ha-ha!!! I was thinking to import it from online store which will cost me about RM200 including shipping!

Sg Wang is console gaming heaven!

Now finally, my HDTV gaming is razor sharp and there is absolutely no problem with my TV.

I can finally see Soul Calibur 2 in all it's 720p glory! Even the 480p looks better than when using the crappy Gamester pack.

The ghosting is really caused by the Gamester pack...which cost > than my MS HI-DEF Pack when i bought it!! Sigh...

Now, if only my PS2 component cable arrived..sigh...should have done some shoppig at Sg Wang instead of buying from online store...

Anyway, one thing about 720p though....all the games are in widescreen format!! That means i get black borders on top n bottom. Is this only happens to the SONY HDTV?? What about other 4:3 HDTV??

Actually u can find one...at Best Denki, display unit...but i think got HDTV one...last unit...only RM1K+....why not give it a shot?

Can fight plasma?? I dun think so. The slimfit image quality is average only. Furthermore, at 4K+, better go for SONY Bravia LCD at RM7K.

Anyway, can't complain much...the SONY HDTV price drop again now at RM1799...playing this at widescreen gets a smaller screen, but u can't argue for the price. Also, most XBOX games is still 480p, so i get full 4:3 most of the time.

Maybe next year this time, LCD cost under 3K?? Keep ur fingers crossed really hard.

btw, there's new tech from Toshiba called SED...according to reviews it's so good it's like jumping from SDTV to HDTV again!!! Of course price is prohibitive to average joe like me.

How do u set the XBMC to 720p?? Can't find the option there? Which version of XBMC u r using?

cylon: If there's no problem with ur cable, no need to change. The XBOX is a bit different, the huge AV pack got some other circuits inside i guess before converting to component output. I've only order cheap PS2 componet cables.

The problem with the XBOX is not the cable, but the converter...actually not much difference between expensive and cheap cables coz signal loss is insignificant unless it exceeds a very long distance.

Yep. 480p is actually EDTV onli.

btw, i've solved another problem earlier with running games from HDD. I must set the Games Region to "default". Previously was forced to NTSC/U, which seems to work onli in interlaced mode. It can also work in "Auto Region" mode, but u won't get HDTV mode for PAL games. So just set it to "Default".

No need to envy-ler. Pixel Plus 2 is still king when it comes to image quality.

Only a few XBOX games support 720p anyway. But it should be good enuff for next-gen gaming consoles.

But the widescreen thingy is still quite annoying. Does that means all the XBOX360 and PS3 games will be 16:9 on a 4:3 HDTV??



PS: Btw, i saw XBOX360 (inside a box) at Sg Wang at one shop.

Yar-loh...cannot be too greedy with a limited budget...LOL.

But the font size about small ...like trying to see 1024x768 resolution on a 15" monitor.

I think if those got a bigger budget, go for 34" 4:3 hdtv...at least you'll get a bigger screen when in 16:9 format. But last i check the 34" SONY TV spec is gasp..79kg....i have a hard enough time moving off the old 29" TV from my TV cabinet...wah 79kg...almost my weight liao...and probably heavier than some of u here!

Urs is 34" or 29"? My SONY 29" is only 49kg according to spec. But i dun think i'll want to move it around unless when i shift house!

Wow...u can move 72kg! I wouldn't wanna risk breaking my back!! (or dropping 70KG+ of TV onto my foot!! )

Wah...u very nasty...ask gf to carry 72kg of TV for you!!! LOL.

Why carry urself wor? Didn't the delivery guy do it meh? Just pay him RM10 ler to carry up your apartment....

Your wish is granted:

XBMC Main Menu in 720p

ps: After setting to 720p, my hi-res digital photos looks fantastic...like watching on PC! Video don't show much improvement though, coz the source is low-res to begin with.





Incredible Hulk in 720p

ps: This will be size of the actual gameplay screen.



Soul Calibur 2 in 720p
ps: SC2 is a bit different - got black borders everywhere, it's 4:3 in 16:9!!!






Soul Calibur 2 in 720p (Close up shots)

Close up shots of the girls at naughty angles for your pleasure in hi-res...










MAMEX emulator - Xmen vs SF in 480p

old school 2D fighter given the 480p boost.





Pls take note the image has been resized due to storage limitation at photobucket, so the image quality is sacrificed a bit there. Also, the pics doesn't do justice to the actual game graphics, especially Soul Calibur 2.

Enjoy!

This post has been edited by Matrix: Jan 14 2006, 01:40 AM

I bought more expensive at RM2199 (package with a SONY DVD player). Now very cheap. Only RM1799!!!(no DVD player). I say it's worth it ler. Some non HDTV also that price already!

Update:

My Farmer Powerbox n PS2 component cable has just arrived from Play-Asia:


So far, the powerbox is pretty good, with no significant loss of signal quality when my XBOX goes through it.

Now, PS2 HDTV:

(1) Tekken 5, Rayman 3 and Gods of War (480p)
So far so good, everything looks clean and sharp and nice.

(2) Devil May Cry 3 - (normal 480i)
Unfortunately this game doesn't support progressive. What's even worst is for some reasons, maybe it's due to the SONY DRC sharpening the images, it actually looks WORST than on my old SDTV. Jaggies are so abundant it hurts my eyes. In fact it looks almost like a PS1 game!!!

(3) GT4
For some reason, i can't find the HDTV option in the menu. Can anyone tell me how to set this game to 480p/1080i?? How i wish PS2 games is more like XBOX...auto detection of the TV mode once after it has been set in the system. sigh...


Will try to do more testing of PS2 games later.



This post has been edited by Matrix: Jan 14 2006, 09:59 PM

I see. But my "ahem" game says NTSC/U on cover...sigh..how to tell ar? Maybe need to get a new disc....

Xboxx: Yes, i think i can try DRC-100. Will update the results later. btw, the 2.3K Philips 34" i believe is the model with NO PIXEL PLUS, just HDTV 480p/1080i. This TV ain't so hot, the SONY one is better. Unless if u find a 34" PIXEL PLUS TV @ RM2.3K, that'll be a steal!!

but i believe 34" Pixel Plus 2 TV is about RM4K+.

Tested DRC-100 with DMC3. Looks a bit better now. Jaggies still abundant, but not as bad as before.

btw, the text looks okay to me. You see "ghosting" with text? If u see ghosting. most likely is ur component cable/adapter problem.

btw, do u have ahem GT4 NTSC? Tested with 1080i? Got screenshot or not?

ha..ha...hope u didn't kena the poison from me!!! LOL.

Neway, welcome to the HDTV Gamers club!! Now, you're among the gaming elites and can boast to people still running on SDTV...LOL.

Lord Ashe: Wah...Pixel Plus 2 can upscale to 1080i!? I might have go for Pixel Plus 2 if i had known earlier!!

More XBOX HDTV samples:

(1) Dragons Lair 3D - 1080i vs 720p

1080i pic 1



720p pic 1
Note: this pic seems a bit blur on the character. possibly my handshake or the screen move when i take the shot.


1080i pic 2



720 pic 2




(2) MX vs ATV

1080i



720p




Xxboxx: u might be right about the upconverting to 1080i from 720p. However, i do see difference between 720p and 1080i in dragons lair. And i think the 720p is very clean with no shimerries(when moving, static pic can't see), while the 1080i still can see a bit. Can't see any difference in MX vs ATV though.

This post has been edited by Matrix: Jan 15 2006, 10:37 PM