DVE HD Basics: Blu-ray Test Disc for Optimally Configuring HDTV Equipment

The English-language Blu-ray Disc provides an in-depth introduction to HDTV and detailed information about the new picture and sound standards. Alongside the fundamentals of HDTV production technology, the disc covers every aspect of installing a home theater. Clear examples provide advice on acoustics and lighting design and check the correct picture and sound settings step by step. Numerous HDTV test patterns and audio signals help optimize home-theater components quickly and precisely.

Highlights of HD Basics include original spoken commentary by Hollywood cinematographer Allen Daviau, known for films including “E.T.,” “Van Helsing” and “The Color Purple,” on the production of the restaurant scene, as well as Joe Kane’s informative explanations of the HDTV demonstration scenes. They support the HD Basics motto: “Get The Most Out Of Your HDTV…Get Back To BASICS.”

Brief Overview of HD Basics Content:

• Introduction to HD technology and film-industry background

• Detailed home-theater audio and video setup

• HDTV picture adjustment (Quick Setup)

• Audio test signals in Dolby Digital TrueHD

• Professional test patterns for advanced users

• Demonstration material in 1080p and 720p

• Three-color red/green/blue filter included

• Numerous explanations in English

In addition to more than 70 test patterns, the disc includes high-resolution demonstration sequences in the HDTV formats 1080p/24 and 1080p/60, as well as 720p/24 and 720p/60. These include NASA Space Shuttle footage scanned at 4K, nature footage and computer animation. The audio section of HD Basics includes Dolby Digital TrueHD soundtracks.

Exact reference signals allow precise basic settings for an entire HDTV home theater to be established in just a few steps. Professional users also receive tools for checking important additional picture parameters such as sharpness, overscan, pixel phase, color resolution and the BT.601 and BT.709 color matrices. All test sequences are easy to select and are explained with on-screen text.

Beyond picture and audio optimization, HD Basics also reveals the state of the Blu-ray technology in the player being used. Profile 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0 players differ in BD-J menu-loading speed, 720p playback compatibility and menu-font quality. Some Blu-ray players can run the modern Java operations already used by HD Basics only after a firmware update. New firmware, which most players obtain from the internet through a network connection, is therefore generally recommended before use.

Digital Video Essentials HD Basics is available immediately from the European distributor at http://www.videoessentials.de or from specialist retailers at an introductory price of €22.95.