Does anyone know what the absolute peak configuration settings would be for a Z9X -> Vertex 2 -> Epson LSD12000 chain? I've seen MarkSwift's recommended color settings for the Z9X and I assume those would be appropriate, but I'm not sure of the ideal VS10 and EDID settings for the Z9X, and EDID and HDR/DV flag settings for the Vertex 2. I have a wide variety of HDR/DV content in MKV container, including hybrid HDR10 with DV injected, as well as DV exclusive, with a broad mix of Profile 5, 6, 7 FEL/MEL, 8. I can't seem to find a definitive guide anywhere, just fragments here and there that I don't know how to synthesize. Ideally I'd like to have it configured in a manner that there's never a need to fiddle with settings, and no adjusting of the HDR slider on the LS12000 from title to title. Just click play and it works.
Sorry, but this probably isn't a really definitive answer for you.... But, you already have a Vertex 2, an extremely powerful and handy device, so you are well on your way to being able to customize things to your liking or display requirements.... but, you will need to put in the time to learn about all of its capabilities..... no easy task for newbies, that is for sure. And by just re-reading your own 1st paragraph, you should be able to come to the realization as to why there is not a definitive guide anywhere.... "you have a wide variety of HDR/DV and hybrid content in numerous profiles". IMO, big picture HDR implementation overall has been an absolute disaster of epic proportions..... with a mish mash of competing formats and profiles and capabilities that get tied to HDMI switching/cable requirements and proprietary standards and display properties. An amazingly confusing mess even for those of us who think of ourselves as A/V knowledgeable! Your last sentence says it all... I think we all would love "to have it configured in a manner that there's never a need to fiddle with settings, Just click play and it works."!! But, sadly this supposed HDR goodness requires that we have to make choices on how we process and display it all. In your case, you could just set your Zidoo for Auto on HDR and let it spit out your content untouched(for the most part) and let your Vertex 2 do it's thing for each incoming video format and output it as you want it to your display. Otherwise you need to identify what exactly what your particular model projector does well. Is it really good at HDR content? Or is it like my Epson 6040, where it really excels at SDR content and is not so great when displaying HDR content. Thus I use a custom SDR EDID that forces my Z9x to use the VS10 engine to tone map and output everything in SDR only. In my application, I think all content (from native SDR, to HDR to DV titles) looks great using the VS10 option. And I don't have to mess with anything... Granted, the only HDR/DV profiles I use are profile 7 from my own ripped media. I don't mess with hybrid or downloaded HDR media using other profiles.... so I can't speak to how well those are handled.
Thanks for the detailed response. I'm not sure but I believe the LS12000 is supposed to perform pretty well with HDR content but tends to require fiddling with the HDR slider with different titles and sometimes with different scenes. So I was hoping between the Z9X and the Vertex 2 I could smooth this out and use the VS10 engine's tonemapping and LLDV mode to get more consistent HDR output that doesn't require fiddling with the slider, perhaps with a custom gamma curve for the LS12000. I'm just not sure how to do all this and what the best combination of settings would be. I think the VS10 to SDR option would be worth trying out for starters just to get something relatively simple in place that will allow me to play any content without worrying about whether it's native SDR or HDR. The Vertex 2 wouldn't really contribute to this kind of setup, right? Do you have a link to the EDID you use on the Z9X for your setup? And then for the Z9X config, it's the MarkSwift color settings and then VS10 SDR for all content right? Even native SDR content? Or only for HDR stuff and passthrough SDR? Thanks again! EDIT: Looks like MarkSwift made PDFs that explain both approaches along with a link to the SDR EDID, guess I overlooked those before, linked here http://forum.zidoo.tv/index.php?thr...er-useful-stuff-for-rtd-1619dr-players.82695/ If anyone has any knowledge of programming a custom gamma curve for a LS12000 to get the best performance when using the LLDV trick, I would appreciate your advice!
First post in a while due to family circumstances but I must make mention to this. I too have a Vertex 2 and have to say, once it was set up my our esteemed @Markswift2003 , I have rarely fiddled with it and certainly wouldn't do without his advice. My Z1000 Pro gives superb output to my LG TV and, touch wood, it'll last for a few more years yet