Private tutor?

[Jukka Aho]

Based on that explanation, I imagine that with the player J Honkanen and I are both using, one of those toggled numbers on the numbered grid tells it whether to output PAL or NTSC, then.

That could well be the case... if the option is not in the setup menu.

I do notice that this does a much better output conversion than my multi-system VCR. But with the DVD player, the top and bottom scan-lines of PAL sources end halfway across the screen. Other than that, there's nothing so far off that I would notice it.

Strange... the half lines should not be visible - at least not on a normally adjusted TV set. They're supposed to remain inside the so-called overscan area.

Is the aspect ratio of the converted image OK (i.e. people don't appear too tall or too fat and circles are round and not ellipsoids)?

The piano theme to Metsolat is noticeably distorted, but I'm guessing (with a bit of surprise) that it's in the source.

Try playing the DVD on your computer... preferably with headphones on. That should clear up whether it is the conversion or just a feature of the original soundtrack.

[AldenG]

Now that you mention it, I can't remember how the player is showing Metsolat, which was probably shot in 4:3.

But the player is menu-configured to show the full width of movies with no signifcant elliptical distortion, so what would normally be in the overscan area ends up in the blacked-out margins above and below. That would be why I see the half-lines in at least that case.

I'll have to wait until I get home and look more closely at some round object to see if there is absolutely no elliptical distortion coming from the difference in PAL and NTSC height. But there isn't the obvious kind that I dislike as much as you do when people haven't selected the right output ratio for the source.

[AldenG]

I was able to fix the sound quality on my Daewoo using the setup menu. I configured the Audio for line-out instead of RF, stereo instead of mono, and something like LT/RT instead of LO/RO, whatever that was. And I left compression at 0. I'm not sure which of these fixed it. I haven't been able to fix it on the Samsung. The Daewoo doesn't even have an RF output but it has the line/RF setting in its menus, so it must interpret the source on two different EQ curves.

I think it's just recorded very hot. It's early piano synth, if I remember right. My own experiences recording from Kurzweil keyboards is that there must be something like "sound density" that is distinct from volume and can overload a channel even when subjective volume does not seem excessive. I've dealt with that problem when recording piano by equalizing out more bass and treble. One of my favorite paradoxes is that a recording of a piano doesn't actually have to sound like a piano to sound correct. It only needs to sound like a recording of a piano. And that little aural "porthole" through which we squeeze the sound when we record and play back is an enormous evener between mismatched things like a Kurzweil and a Bechstein, for instance. Not a complete evener but an enormous one nonetheless.

[Jukka Aho]

I was able to fix the sound quality on my Daewoo using the setup menu. I configured the Audio for line-out instead of RF, stereo instead of mono, and something like LT/RT instead of LO/RO, whatever that was.

LT/RT is a Dolby "Pro Logic" compatible surround stereo downmix. LO/RO is a "normal" 5.1ch -> 2ch downmix, optimized for stereophonic listening (with no embedded / specially encoded "surround" channels in the signal.) See Dolby Metadata Guide, p. 13-14 for more information.

These settings govern how 5.1 channel surround soundtracks are handled in case you don't have a multi-channel home theater setup or if you're using an older, "Pro Logic" type surround decoder which gets its surround channel information piggybacked on ordinary 2-channel analog stereo signals. But I'm pretty sure Metsolat was originally produced in ordinary 2-channel stereo and so those DVDs aren't too likely to include a 5.1 soundtrack at all...

And I left compression at 0. I'm not sure which of these fixed it. I haven't been able to fix it on the Samsung. The Daewoo doesn't even have an RF output but it has the line/RF setting in its menus, so it must interpret the source on two different EQ curves.

The above-mentioned PDF from Dolby Labs includes some information about the "RF mode" on p. 10.

I think it's just recorded very hot. It's early piano synth, if I remember right. My own experiences recording from Kurzweil keyboards is that there must be something like "sound density" that is distinct from volume and can overload a channel even when subjective volume does not seem excessive.

That's one way to put it. Peak amplitude level on the VU meters doesn't tell you much about the (perceived) loudness of the recording... in order to determine that, you need to do some clever RMS (root mean square) analysis on the signal. (Here's a simplified introduction to the topic.) Anyway, you could easily record/produce signals which do not sound "loud" at all at normal listening volume but whose peak levels still overshoot the VU meters and sound distorted...

Pop/rock producers and radio stations like to compress all the dynamics out of their signal, so as to make things sound LOUD... and then there are modern producers (see this rant about Nelly Furtado's Say It Right which was produced by Timbaland) who deliberately use harsh digital overload distortion as an effect - it's rather irritating, really, especially on that particular song.

[J.Honkanen]

I actally haven't bought a new dvd player yet. I found one on amazon that's supposed to be pre-programed for multi-region. I think that might be the best way for me to go so I don't accidently mess up the dvd player trying to program it myself. What do you think? Good idea?

Also, I was wondering if anyone knew of a website where I can look up the lyrics to Finnish songs. I have a ton of Finnish music on my ipod, but I can not understand some of it. I'm hoping that if I have the lyrics I will be able to catch the words better. It would also make it easier for me to try to translate the songs if I know all the words.

Have my second Finnish lesson with Minna Palmu on skype today. The first one went well. I'll post again later to let you guys know how the second one went if anyone's interested. Maybe someone else needs a private tutor?

[Jukka Aho]

I actally haven't bought a new dvd player yet. I found one on amazon that's supposed to be pre-programed for multi-region. I think that might be the best way for me to go so I don't accidently mess up the dvd player trying to program it myself. What do you think? Good idea?

There are websites (click, click) that collect region hack instructions for various DVD players. If you get lucky, you might find locally available models in their databases...

“Programming” the player usually means just punching in a secret button sequence on the remote... (I think it's all smoke and mirrors and manufacturers leak these instructions deliberately...)

Also, I was wondering if anyone knew of a website where I can look up the lyrics to Finnish songs. I have a ton of Finnish music on my ipod, but I can not understand some of it. I'm hoping that if I have the lyrics I will be able to catch the words better. It would also make it easier for me to try to translate the songs if I know all the words. :)

That’s an easy one: just type the name of the song in Google - enclosed in double quotes so that it will be a phrase search - and tack the word “lyrics” or “sanat” to the end of the query; outside the quotes. (Why the English word “lyrics” if it is a Finnish song? Because there are many lyrics sites out there whose user interface language is English and yet they have lyrics for Finnish songs in their database.)

You can also often find the original lyrics (and even English amateur translations of them!) on YouTube or Lirama.

[AldenG]

Buying pre-configured could give you some peace of mind. In any case, you should be paying well under $100 before shipping.

A local buddy of mine got enthusiastic about the idea and went to Walmart and got the same Samsung model. He figured that with Walmart's liberal return policy he could always return it if he ran into problems. He had previously ordered a pre-configured unit from Amazon that had not worked with his TV. I don't know what make and model that was.

And he did have problems with the Samsung, a little bit. So I went over to help. First we used the reset option (holding down some button on the box for 5 seconds) and then I tried the reprogramming. The first time we didn't get to the grid page. But the third time, we did. We figured out that the problem was likely due to being too emphatic about pressing the buttons on the remote (something you're likely to do if uncertain, or after a previous attempt attempt has been unsuccessful -- you know, press HARDER and more slowly this time...). One or more of the buttons had probably been auto-repeating (from holding it down too long) and messing up the sequence. When I took care to punch each one firmly but very briefly, we got in just fine. Now he's watching his European DVDs enthusiastically.

I empathize with your anxiety. But this doesn't require any skill or any special knowledge other than the sequence of keys. If you had a video-savvy friend, he or she would be in no better position to do this than you are. It's entirely a matter of following the instructions and pressing the specified buttons on the remote in the specified order to reach the grid page. Then you just turn #9 "on" and all the others "off". None of us has any idea what all the numbers stand for. The only people who know that are the workers at Samsung.

[J.Honkanen]

I empathize with your anxiety. But this doesn't require any skill or any special knowledge other than the sequence of keys. If you had a video-savvy friend, he or she would be in no better position to do this than you are. .

I have read elsewhere that some folks have made their dvd player "stuck" by not doing it right the first time. Meaning, it will not play any dvd's from any regions. I do not want this to happen if I try to do the code on my own (and press the wrong buttons), as then the player will have been a complete waste of money and I will have to buy a new one anyway.

Edit: I forgot to say that my second lesson with Minna went well. I would definately recomend her. I posted the link to the website I found her on earlier in this thread if anyone's interested in taking lessons from her. Can't remember what it is off the top of my head though.