Beta version v6.3.50 for Z9X/Z10 Pro/Z1000 Pro/UHD3000 release

Actually, without wanting to sound too much like a train spotter here, the reason we have 23.976 as a frame rate for movies is rather interesting.

It all stems back to the good old days of NTSC in the US which was 525 line 29.97fps. The reason that was such an odd number (and not 30 which would have made sense due to the US electrical system being 60Hz) is because when the US switched to colour transmission from the old B&W 30fps standard they had to lower framerate to allow the colour signal to "fit" the analogue waveform.

23.976 is actually 24000/1001 and this is used for a similar reason (rather than the obvious 24fps which is what most movies are shot at) but in this case it's so that the movie can have 3:2 pulldown applied and still be broadcast at 29.97fps to TVs and the colour signal can still "fit".

Cinema deliverables (these days invariably DCP) are at 24fps and unless you have a screw loose and want your movie to look like Go-Pro footage, movies are generally shot at 24fps to get the film look everyone loves (except idiot DOPs and execs who think 60fps is cool!).

Most cameras these days being digital are extremely versatile in the frame rate department so you can actually choose 23.976 if you want to but that would only be used if you're not doing a DCP job - generally as I say, it's 24fps - a nice integer value that makes the whole process easier.

And so to BluRay and mind bogglingly, now UHD BluRay - for some reason, someone somewhere decided that the standard should remain at 23.976 (or 24000/1001) for absolutely no reason that any right thinking person can imagine! It would make absolute sense to use 24fps as shot, but greater minds than, well, anyone from the runners upwards, were at work and we seem to be stuck with it.

Some UHD BluRays are delivered in 24fps and maybe one day the rest will wake up..

Anyway as I say, interesting stuff...

Well I think so

 

Nerd

 

Brilliant, thank you

 

You're making me feel old now (ironic eh?) - now I need to don a strange looking woolly jumper and me slippers and get a glass of malt to fit in eh?

 

Hell yes!!

 

you're welcome

 

Hi Mark!
With your settings, the black crumbles anyway. But it's not a problem. I got my old settings back, 12 bit, auto, etc. I like the picture better with 12 bit. With 10 bits, the image seems poorer, AFR sometimes does not work, and as I said sometimes black crumbles.
But again, zidoo works with my settings.

 

I forgot to say that AFR 23. doesn't suit me. I watch different content and I'm comfortable with AUTO.
With settings 422 12bit for 4K and 444 8bit for SDR, when watching 4K, the TV outputs 10 bits, and I don't like that. Therefore, 12 bits are super!

 

Don't forget these are "priority" settings and if your TV doesn't support a particular setting it will do as the EDID tells it to do.

The 4K settings above are only placeholders for your TV because it doesn't support 4K so it cannot use those settings.

Ignoring SD, the only settings your TV knows about are 2K23~30 and 2K50~60.

The bit depth has no bearing on greyscale, only HDMI Level which as I say, needs to be 16-235.

2K content is invariably 8-bit and your panel is also 8-bit. To receive input levels higher than 8-bit your TV has to dither back down to 8-bits.

If you output 8-bit content from the Zidoo in either 10-bit or 12-bit the image coming out is exactly the same so the difference you see is that the TV is dithering because it thinks it's a real 10 or 12-bit signal (which it isn't).

If you prefer that look then obviously leave on that setting - I always say it's always about what looks best for you.

 

Thank you very much Mark!

 

Be aware UHD3000 was added to this list. Now just waiting for Neo X.
I think it got the sound further improved when DAC output set to Internal Player (not in changelog).

 

I am also running 12bit 4k on my Samsung Qled 75'' and to my eyes has a better picture than 10bit just seems a sharper picture and comes alive at you a bit more.

 

Dear GARY CAMPBELL

Just Placebo... Movies are 4:2:0 10bit you cannot achieve more...

Sincerely

 

Yes the source is limited but modern TV's can display them and upscaling technology is amazing these days. Everybody needs to find out on their setup which box does the best job on these (Player, AMP or TV). The best choice is what you like best. Advised settings here are good values to start with.

 

Hi, thank you for the update but the zidoo still send incorrectly the bt2020 flag with TV-LED DV as reported 2 months ago here
This makes the color slightly inaccurate, mostly noticeable with red and yellow.

 

This Firmwaer not the newest!

 

Reset_9999 quoted the changelog since 6.3.45, so I think he is on 6.3.50

 

Pushed online for NEO X.

 

Thanks. Got the update!

 

Hello, I have also treated myself to the player. Before that I had the Dune 4k pro. (Dune consumer for about 4 player generations).

I think the outstanding features of the Zidoo are the FrameSwitching, CustomEDID, and the scaling capability of the player.
These are real added values for me.

However, I do miss one small feature, namely that you could look through the cast's CV via MyCollection during the film, e.g. to see where you know the actor from.
Is there anything else planned in this direction?

What I also noticed is that compared to Dune, the BluRay playback (Rec709) via LLDV appears somewhat paler. That is, colours and contrast. With BT2020 content, everything is great.
My playback device is a JVC X5000 with CustomGammaCurve from Mark.