CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Keuka758 · Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Posts: 2

Hello,
I'm happy to have owned my Sony g90 for about 10 years now, and have not "monkeyed" much with it , except to keep it calibrated. Several years back we did add a moome single HDMI "in" card. This is used in conjunction with Classe Audio/B &W audio components and a Faroudja DVP 1010 scaler.

Dilemma:
Have recently auditioned jvc dla x3 and x7. Very impressed in many ways. One reviewer talked about using a Lumagen processor with the jvc, and that got me thinking,
1) would the lumagen be a meaningful upgrade over the Faroudja(and can a "homeowner" make it work)?
2) is the NEW moome card allowing higher resolution than the one I have?
3) what is the best combo (scaler/card, etc) to make the g90 its' best? Apart from stacking two of them.
4) would you rather have the g90 with the lumagen OR the jvc x7/x70 with the lumagen?

Many thanks!

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:23 pm Post subject:

Welcome! I don't quite understand where the Faroudja fits into the signal chain. It can't process HDMI, so why are you using it or the Classe equipment in the video signal chain at all?

HDMI sources --> Lumagen--> Moome card would be the way to go.

**ecrabb** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:29 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forum!

If you've had your G90 for 10 years, how's the tube condition looking?

In a general sense, you can definitely use the Lumagen to get significantly improved color calibration out of a G90. Gamma and greyscale would both be much better than without.

As for whether a casual user could do it himself... Yes, but only if he invested in a color meter and a significant amount of time learning about color calibration and learning about both the Lumagen and G90's controls. Considering the time investment, most people would be better-served to pay a pro to maximize the return on something as expensive as a Lumagen.

Cheers,
SC

Nashou66 · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:31 pm Post subject:

Lumagen would be a huge upgrade just for the full CMS and Gamma and Greyscale adjustments at 21 points. Do it and use the money left over from the JVC you don't have to buy for new tubes and watch it for another 10 years.

Athanasios

**kal** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:37 pm Post subject:

+1 to what Curt said.

Keep it digital the whole way like this:

Sources -> HDMI cables -> Lumagen -> HDMI cable -> Moome card in the G90

If you want to do video switching some other way for convenience sake you could throw in a preamp or receiver like this:

Sources -> HDMI cables -> preamp -> HDMI cable -> Lumagen -> HDMI cable -> Moome card in the G90

Many people do this and this is why the Radiance Mini exists. See: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

The Lumagen, while also a scaler like your Faroudja, is considerably more than that. Those that buy it today are probably not buying it for the scaling but for everything else it does including parametric greyscale and gamma adjustment, image adjustment for anamorphic lenses (no use to CRT owners) / aspect ratio control, primary/secondary colour adjustment, automated calibration using ChromaPure software, 3D processing, noise reduction/detail enhancement, and so on.

Owners of high end CRT projectors like your G90 will also look to the Radiance "+" models to 1080p at 72Hz instead of 60Hz. This is exactly 3 times the refresh rate of film so you reduce all judder for the smoothest motion.

You should be running your G90 at 1080p (1920x1080). Don't worry about higher resolutions. There's no point. All of Moome's HDMI cards can do this including old and new. The newer ones give you better image quality as they use better (newer) components.

The G90 vs JVC LCOS projector is a hard one. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Which is choose depends more on your personal needs, how much you value certain qualities over another. If your G90 is working well (tube condition is still reasonable), is installed and up on the ceiling, and you're happy with it, I'd say stick with it.

Kal

Nashou66 · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:41 pm Post subject:

Kal he can use the lumagen for switching and use the second output from the lumagen for audio to the classe. One input on the classe for video to make it easier. this way video is un touched to the lumagen.

Athanasios

**kal** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:52 pm Post subject:

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject:

BTW, Keuka, post your location. If you need assistance, one of us here is probably close to you.

Keuka758 · Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Posts: 2

Wow! Thank you all for such prompt and thoughtful responses! Someone came to the house shortly after I posted this- and when I came back, holy cow! For clarification:
1) to curt's question: cable box goes component to the DVP 1010, then component to the g90. I watch a lot of sports here( Syracuse junkie). Other sources go HDMI to the moome card
2) to ecrabb: tubes are very very low mileage, as I travel extensively and this is a secondary viewing room. Also, thanks for your explanation of the user friendliness of the Lumagen, I only asked because I live in the middle of nowhere in central NY so lumagen techs are about as rare as skyscrapers! By the way, I'm not into the Lumagen because I'm a color or grayscale wacko-- I'm more about resolution appearance and no motion garbage. Am I barking up the wrong tree by wanting the Lumagen (for either the g90 or the jvc x7)?
3) kal, so, should I get the new moome card since the image quality is better and it's not a lot of Money?

Thank you all, you've helped SO much!

JS

**kal** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

Nashou66 · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:25 pm Post subject:

Where is central NY? I live in the buffalo area. If i can get away, after you get the lumagen, I could come over with my Probes and Calman Professional and do a quick greyscale color calibration. Trust me after its done you will be a color grey scale junkie. The added depth a good calibration brings to CRT is amazing. It makes more of an impact than any other upgrade.

Athanasios

**kal** · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:37 pm Post subject:

jbmeyer13 · Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 355

Kal- Will the Chroma Pure equipment work with a Lumagen HDQ or only the newer Radiance?

**kal** · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:05 pm Post subject:

The Lumagen HDQ does not have the controls available to do what's needed so it will not work for autocalibrate.
You need the Radiance. See: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal