My modified ReClock script to automatically change refresh rate without PowerStrip

[protovision]

With HD DVD/Blu feature movies, which speed should I be trying to achieve on my LCD, 23.976 or 24.0 hz ?

I have it at 24hz now, but I get a small skipped frame every 3- 5 secs if I look close.

If 23.976, does SetDisplayFrequency allow for decimals?

[Jong]

"Nearly all" are actually 23.976. I hear that 24fps is allowed for but I haven't seen any using it. Slysoft with their much wider collection of discs may know some.

[James]

Originally Posted by protovision

With HD DVD/Blu feature movies, which speed should I be trying to achieve on my LCD, 23.976 or 24.0 hz ?

I have it at 24hz now, but I get a small skipped frame every 3- 5 secs if I look close.

You shouldn't if you use ReClock correctly, as it will play the stream synced to you refresh rate.

Originally Posted by protovision

If 23.976, does SetDisplayFrequency allow for decimals?

No. This is the GDI refresh rate (an integer). The actual refresh rate will be the rate assigned to the integer value.

[Jong]

Originally Posted by James

You shouldn't if you use ReClock correctly, as it will play the stream synced to you refresh rate.

Not quite true. For the last 2 years I have been sending s/pdifed AC3/DTS to my AV amp, but still using Reclock to sync clocks and auto-switch refresh rates.

If using AC3/DTS output (other than encoded after Reclock e.g. by DTS Connect/Dolby Digital Live) you will get dropped/repeated audio packets if the refresh rates are not spot on (although the video should still be smooth, if your TV can handle it).

[James]

Originally Posted by Jong

Not quite true. For the last 2 years I have been sending s/pdifed AC3/DTS to my AV amp, but still using Reclock to sync clocks and auto-switch refresh rates.

If using AC3/DTS output (other than encoded after Reclock e.g. by DTS Connect/Dolby Digital Live) you will get dropped/repeated audio packets if the refresh rates are not spot on (although the video should still be smooth, if your TV can handle it).

You're right, but you really, really shouldn't use ReClock with SPDIF. It sucks. It doesn't work well. Never did. Until I'll add an AC3 encoder to ReClock, SPDIF should be avoided, or a soundcard with real time DTS or AC3 encoding should be used.

[Jong]

I think this might be a case of YMMV.

Honestly, it seemed to work perfectly here for the last couple of years, with very finely tuned 50Hz and 48.952 timings, although now with multi-channel LPCM I am converting to PCM.

[James]

Originally Posted by Jong

I think this might be a case of YMMV.

Certainly. I'll prefer a (good) analogue multi channel connection over SPDIF with ReClock anytime.

Originally Posted by Jong

Honestly, it seemed to work perfectly here for the last couple of years, with very finely tuned 50Hz and 48.952 timings, although now with multi-channel LPCM I am converting to PCM.

Wise move. I had high hopes for the new ATI 4xxx cards with 8 channel LPCM output over HDMI, but ATI managed to screw things up ... again. In 7.1 channel configuration they have swapped the side & back surround assignment. And with 24fps the driver behaves .... weird. Can't describe it much better. And PowerStrip timings are a "no go", because audio over HDMI doesn't work with "non out-of-the-box" timings, e.g. 48Hz.

[Jong]

Originally Posted by James

And PowerStrip timings are a "no go", because audio over HDMI doesn't work with "non out-of-the-box" timings, e.g. 48Hz.

Very interesting!! I did not know that. Why does this stuff have to be so hard!! It is always one step forward and 9/10th of a step back (sometimes more!). Is this a linitation of just the ATI cards or all HDMI audio?

[James]

Originally Posted by Jong

Very interesting!! I did not know that. Why does this stuff have to be so hard!! It is always one step forward and 9/10th of a step back (sometimes more!). Is this a linitation of just the ATI cards or all HDMI audio?

I don't know. But it does make (at least a little bit) of sense, as video & audio are transported via the same digital stream. If you use PowerStrip to alter the video timings (but the "audio part" doesn't know?) you'll get silence. You *can* alter the timings a little bit with ReClock, e.g. setting the ATI card to 24fps and then using PowerStrip to tweak it to 23.98. But setting the card to 60fps and then applying the PowerStrip 23.98 timing will cause silence.

It is also possible, the amplifier - which has to separate video & audio from the data stream - cannot do this with "non standard" timings which are very different from the standard HDTV timings (24p,25p,50p/i, 60p/i).

But the most annoying bug is the switch of the side/back surround channels. In the end, I'll have to use .... analogue sound connections to watch the Dark City director's cut BD with 7.1 audio... because with HDMI you can't simply "switch" the wrong channels through re-wiring the audio cables.

[Jong]

Makes me glad I stuck with 5.1 sound!

Anyway, your new product has persuaded me to go with PCM and DDL (which I already had) for now and hope that the ATI 5xxx series will give me glorious HD audio. If not, I guess I will have to go back to the stone age and get a good analogue sound card.