SILICON OPTIX’S HIGH DEFINITION HQV BENCHMARK DISCS HONORED WITH THREE AWARDS

[NicollPr]

Silicon Optix, the leader in advanced video processors, announced that its High-Definition versions of its popular HQV Benchmark Disc have been honored with three awards—Products of the Year from Electronic House Magazine, EXCITE! from Custom Retailer Magazine and Editor’s Pick from Wired Magazine.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by these highly respected magazines. The HQV Benchmark serves as a trusted source for journalists worldwide. These awards signify the Benchmark’s validity as a beneficial tool for consumers and the retail community,” said Jim Mannos, CEO and President of Silicon Optix.

Available in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats for an MSRP of $20, the HD HQV Benchmark can be ordered from www.hqv.com. The discs let anyone objectively evaluate the picture quality of high-definition products, including displays, HD DVD and Blu-ray players, A/V receivers, and projectors.

The HD HQV Benchmark begins with an introduction, an overview of the tests, and an explanation of how to use the included scorecard to assess any product like a pro.

The HD HQV Benchmark includes tests for noise, video resolution loss, “jaggies,” and film resolution loss—all recorded in 1080i video. The resolution test is used to determine if a player or display properly deinterlaces 1080i sources, the most common format for video-based content seen on broadcast and cable networks’ HD programming.

[JerryDelColliano]

These discs are used all the time by our video reviewers. They say they are more easy to use than Video Essentials (which they also use) and have some good tests.

If you fancy yourself a DIY video calibration guy (and with many HDTVs today - you need that) this is an important disc to own.

[The Kipnis Studios]

It is a very good test disc, but it is specific to testing processor, scaler, and de-interlacing capability, usually used with flat panels, and also front and rear projectors.

It does not contain any color, grayscale, or overscan patterns and is not suitable as a calibration disc, on its own. But it makes a good companion to Digital Video Essentials or AVIA.

My biggest complaint is that most of it is an explanation of how de-interlacing works, and there are only five test patterns.

Seems a little light for $25 a disc.