Non-interlaced MPEG2-DVD encoding and luminance levels

[Roman Melekh]

Nobody knows what Mainconcept

[Dorel Iordache]

Thanks for the reply Frippy.
I also did a very basic test with a generated psd file half black (0) and half white(255) that I encoded with both the progressive and interlaced high quality CBR presets.

Now, I

[Roman Melekh]

/* Do you know what application can be used to analyze the native MPEG2 stream ? */
To do tests i use Womble MPEG Editor. WME can save frames from MPEG2 files, then i use Adobe Photoshop to test levels/aspect etc. Or i have RealMagic X-Card and with it help i can capture frames to BMP and again use PhotoShop

/* I still haven

[Dorel Iordache]

Yes, the 601 standard unambiguously defines the nominal luminance range in 8 bit encoding as 16-235 to allow for signal processing footroom and headroom. My understanding is this was done because both the luminance and croma (nominal 16-240) signals can occasionally excurse outside the nominal range due to analog video processing and noise. I found that the progressive mode specified by the 601 standard to be no exception to this rule!
Now, the DVD player has to translate the digital encoding into proper voltage when outputting via analog connections and in NTSC land we have to deal with the stone-age quagmire of 7.5 IRE setup!

I also read that many DVD players actually always output 0 IRE via component and 7.5 IRE (NTSC) with composite and Y/C. Some give the choice. My LCD is hooked up via component; I have to re-check the settings. Further more, the brightness of the display has to be calibrated to the proper input level. If I switch from 7.5 IRE composite input to 0IRE component input, I would have to adjust the brightness to make up for the different luminance floor level.
To complicate things, DVD and TV sets manufactures chose to implement in different ways the luminance mapping from digital to analog!

Frippy, thanks for the input! And by the way, the forum link you gave me is all in Russian !

[Roman Melekh]

/* To complicate things, DVD and TV sets manufactures chose to implement in different ways the luminance mapping from digital to analog! */

You can download (search google) for test signals tables, play it from DVD to TV, LCD, Plasma and you can correct TV settings to right values

/* Frippy, thanks for the input! And by the way, the forum link you gave me is all in Russian ! */

Russian and Eglish, of course!