Video Testing and Calibration: The High-Def Versions
A number of my past print and online writeups have used various test patterns and real-life content sequences to test gear's ability to robustly de-interlace, rescale, frame rate-convert and otherwise process video images, and to calibrate displays for peak image quality and long operating life (here's part 2 of that latter article). The standard-definition test tools I used just a few years ago are increasingly archaic, however, in the blossoming era of high-def over-the-air, cable, satellite, Internet and optical disc content.
HD DVD fans can check out two recently-released titles, one from a semiconductor supplier and the other from a well-known video analyst and consultant:
- Joe Kane Productions' Digital Video Essentials High Definition Edition (a combo disc containing both HD DVD and Video DVD content)
- Silicon Optix's HD HQV (AnandTech reviewed an early version)
For Blu-ray, I'm not aware of any currently-shipping test content. Joel Silver from the Imaging Science Foundation indicated to me back in January that a Blu-ray version of Jenna Drey's HDTV Calibration Wizard was planned, but I think it's still under development. As is, according to the Silicon Optix website, a Blu-ray version of HD HQV.
Let me know, folks, if you hear of any other good Blu-ray or HD DVD testing material (aside from movies themselves, that is), as well as your hands-on impressions of the titles I list above.
Followup: the Blu-ray version of HD HQV was waiting for me this evening when I returned from a few days of vacation. Apparently Silicon Optix monitors this blog….or maybe it was just coincidence? 
