Little expensive boxes that output different video signals, what are those called?

[Soundfx4]

I sort of need to buy a new TV and one year ago I did a lot of reading about CRT, LCD, and DLP technology, and finally decided that unless I knew those technologies like the back of my hand, the only other way I'm going to be able to make the correct choice for a TV is if I am able to actually try them out the way I need to. That is to say, I'd like to be able to display different types of images and different signals to TVs that are on display in stores like best buy and circuit city. I'd like to see how every different resolution looks like on them, see how well dithering looks on different LCDs, etc. The only feasible way I could do this is by purchasing one of those little boxes that professional TV people ( ) use when repairing TVs, or doing a professional install of a home theater system. But there are a few problems.

1: I'm not sure what those things are called

2: I'm afraid they are going to be very expensive, like 300-5,000 dollars.

3: As I'm sure there are going to be several different types with a HUDGE price range similar to something like I said above, I'm not sure what the differences in all of them would be.


If anyone can give me any information about these things, that would be very helpful.

Thanks! :p

[ScYcS]

Are you talking about a simple KVM switch? They're like $30.....

[Soundfx4]

Are you talking about a simple KVM switch? They're like $30.....

No, I'm talking about the boxes that output test signals. They have Component outputs, DVI outputs, HDMI outputs VGA outputs, composite, s-video, and coax outputs. I'm sure that different models would also have other outputs, like professional video formats that only TV stations use, but I'm not sure. I heard about them a little while ago, and I may or may not have known what they were called at the time :p

Grr...I'm sorry for the poor description. I thought I described it fairly well. :(

[zan780]

I think you are talking about a video processor. They take multiple inputs with different resolutions and then output a fixed resolution of your choice. Check out www.dvdo.com, they are one of the more affordable brands. I have an Iscan HD+ and it can output pretty much any resolution you want and it can also display test patterns.

However, I think that would be a huge waist of money. Why don't you just go to avsforum.com and read the display forums.

If you are in the market for a new TV and you want flat I suggest a Panasonic or Pioneer Plasma TV. Or, if you can deal with the extra size, I would check out the Sony SXRD rear projection displays.

[Soundfx4]

I think you are talking about a video processor. They take multiple inputs with different resolutions and then output a fixed resolution of your choice. Check out www.dvdo.com, they are one of the more affordable brands. I have an Iscan HD+ and it can output pretty much any resolution you want and it can also display test patterns.

However, I think that would be a huge waist of money. Why don't you just go to avsforum.com and read the display forums.

If you are in the market for a new TV and you want flat I suggest a Panasonic or Pioneer Plasma TV. Or, if you can deal with the extra size, I would check out the Sony SXRD rear projection displays.


Well I want to make sure I make a PERFECT choice, and while I understand the theory of CRT, LCD, and DLP technologies I realized that just knowing how they work isn't enough. If I were to be able to make the perfect choice without actually trying out each display for myself, I would not only have to understand those technologies fully, but also the technologies that accompany them, and make the small differences that you can see when you compare two displays side by side. I don't understand plasma, but I really don't care because for some reason they have stupid resolutions like 1024 x 1024 but are a 16:9 aspect ratio which means the pixels are stretched. Also, they apparently have a very short life span, or so I've heard.


I have thought about a flat TV, and while I would REALLY like a flat TV, I don't like the fact that they are fixed resolution displays. Even though dithering technologies have been improved, you still can't display a low resolution image on a high resolution fixed resolution display with the same clarity as a high resolution CRT.


As for it being a waist of money, you may be right. And while I don't want to say money is not an object, because I'd be flat out lying :p, I will say that this device would come in handy more then just once, so it wouldn't be a complete waist of money.


Thanks for the link, and the name of the type of device I was looking for :D

[Soundfx4]

Those may not be exactly what I am thinking about after all. They do the same thing, but I thought they had smaller ones for the sole purpose of testing displays and other stuff etc. Is that what this thing is for?

[AcidBurn]

You could just get a dvd player that has all the connections and does progressive, 720 and 1080 upconversion, and an evaluation dvd.

[Soundfx4]

You could just get a dvd player that has all the connections and does progressive, 720 and 1080 upconversion, and an evaluation dvd.


Well, I was kind of hoping for something battery operated to make it easier to work with. I would be hooking it up to every display in the store, and having to constantly unplug it, and plug it in would be a little in-convenient. That would just be one more thing I would have to plug and unplug. It would definitely be cheaper though.

[AcidBurn]

Bring a long extension cord :p

[Soundfx4]

Bring a long extension cord :p

lol, well I guess whatever works :D