[WINDOWS] Worse quality on XBMC than PS3? (SShots inside) - new build

(2012-05-28 04:27)pandabur Wrote:  @MassIV - I tried making it original size and it was very clear and very sharp, but very small. I'm using SD TV files for testing. Does that mean anything? How do i change other options for scaling settings?

There's your answer then, XBMC is not doing the same post processing that the PS3 is doing so it's showing you the video as it actually is whereas the PS3 is artificially sharpening the image, the proper way to test is use 1080p content on both, if they are about the same with that then there's probably not a lot you can do.

This still speaks volumes about the relative dearth of postprocessing options in XBMC. Anything moving on that front for future releases?

From what I know, the PS3 is very good at up-converting SD content. That is why you are noticing a big difference. As others have suggested, try some 1080 content and test again.

Also, have you calibrated your system? I suggest calibrating your TV using a calibration disc and a calibration bluray disc. Then once your tv is set you should calibrate XBMC using the same test patterns but this time adjust using the Nvidia color/brightines etc controls.

I used Disney's WOW disc for calibration. There are many other options as well.

In general, If you have the cash and will to buy I strongly recommend a display calibrator (for example i1Display2, Spyder etc).
I have one for photo processing reasons, so I used it on my HTPC. I can only say one thing, wow!

(2012-05-28 23:30)phunqe Wrote:  In general, If you have the cash and will to buy I strongly recommend a display calibrator (for example i1Display2, Spyder etc).
I have one for photo processing reasons, so I used it on my HTPC. I can only say one thing, wow!

Which ones have you used? Any comments on ease of use?

I'd like to give it a go myself, but am certainly not an expert in video colours etc!

(2012-05-29 00:19)jack0w Wrote:  

(2012-05-28 23:30)phunqe Wrote:  In general, If you have the cash and will to buy I strongly recommend a display calibrator (for example i1Display2, Spyder etc).
I have one for photo processing reasons, so I used it on my HTPC. I can only say one thing, wow!

Which ones have you used? Any comments on ease of use?

I'd like to give it a go myself, but am certainly not an expert in video colours etc!

I have X-Rite i1Display2, but that is discontinued. I believe the replacement is called i1Display Pro.

You just install their software and it calibrates the monitor/screen on it's own, in easy mode. There are more advanced modes as well.
You can switch betwen before & after modes after calibration and even with easy mode there is a clear and noticeable difference.

What about your TVs settings...perhaps its using some type of digital noise reduction software or something on your htpc's hdmi input and not on your ps3's input?

I think I speak for everyone here when I say that xbmc is a very capable and can render 1080p very, very well

I switched from using PS3MediaServer to a dedicated XBMC box hooked up to my 55" Vizio a couple years ago. I don't think there is anything that I could do to make XBMC (or any other Windows program) look as good as the PS3, especially with SD material. The PS3 does a fantastic job at up-sampling. I've never found anything on the PC as close.

As far as HD material, the PS3 still looks slightly better, but for me it wasn't worth the headache involved trying to get PS3 Media Server to work correctly with all my content. Since 90% of what I watch is 720p or higher, the small image quality trade off was worth it. The biggest issue for me was the jitter in 24 fps material, but the refresh switching in XBMC helped drastically.

What is the native resolution of the material you are playing?

Edit: Rereading the entire thread, I do see the problem is with SD material. One thing I forgot to mention is that I had a 47" Vizio prior to the 55" (the smaller one was moved to the bedroom when I upgraded). The SD material on XBMC definitely looks better on the 55" than it did on the 47", so in my case the TV itself had something to do with it. But either way, the PS3 looked a lot better.

XBMC is the next best thing since sliced bread. I totally understand where op is coming from. I was having same trouble when using XBMC Eden V11 on Windows 7. It was blurry as hell. So what I did, installed XBMC use XBMC Live CD and stopped using XBMC within Windows (as it was blurry as hell), now its sharp the way it should be in first place.

(2012-06-29 16:16)horseless Wrote:  XBMC is the next best thing since sliced bread. I totally understand where op is coming from. I was having same trouble when using XBMC Eden V11 on Windows 7. It was blurry as hell. So what I did, installed XBMC use XBMC Live CD and stopped using XBMC within Windows (as it was blurry as hell), now its sharp the way it should be in first place.

If all your hardware was the same, then I suspect it has nothing to do with the OS... it has to do with the video drivers and/or the settings.

I use Windows and it is VERY clear and detailed on my 65" 1080p TV. I have used both AMD and NVidia and also different players (on windows), and they are all about the same. Some do more/less processing... I have seen some players (PS3, etc) that seem to do more post processing. To some people ,this may look "better", but in reality it is changing the base image in one or more ways (sharpening, saturation, etc)... I strive for hte most accurate reproduction of the original material. XBMC does a good job, overall.