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TVblink Benchmark DVD

New version 1.7 is here, it includes refinements based on your feedback.
Now it comes in two flavors, NTSC an PAL.

The DVD is designed so you can access any Test/Clip very fast. I have included a “play all” button because it is very common that the guy at the store never finds the DVD remote, this way you can do the tests with just the play button on the player.

The quick reference PDF booklet now comes in a standard jewel case size, so you can print it out and check to see what to look for on each test.

You can score your HDTV using the simple scoring system on the booklet. Go to the scores page to rate an HDTV or to see how the different TVblink scores.

For instructions on how to burn the DVD-ISO go to de downloads page.

Important note: When you test at the store be sure to do it with a regular DVD player connected via the composite video out or the S-Video out. This way you are really testing the capabilities of the HDTV. If you use a DVD with progressive output (via component cables) you will not see the true performance of the HDTV. The same goes for the newer HDMI up converting DVD players.

The Benchmark DVD is divided in five sections:

A,B,C,D Tests - To test for panel flaws and general quality of the HDTVs
E Tests - Real video from different common SD sources. I selected each video so that it would expose different capabilities of the high definition televisions sets.

A- Panel Integrity Tests:

Grayscale range - What to look for: At the low grayscale values look for banding and clouding on the panel.

Moving low contrast image - What to look for: This helps to identify irregular patterns on the panel, look for areas that have constant darkened patterns that do not move.

Dead Pixels - What to look for: As the screen changes color look for small dead pixels (dots of different color on the screen).

Response Time - What to look for: The white squares stay a few seconds on the screen and then disappear. As the squares disappear, the screen should be completely black, if you se a residual gray tone where the squares were before, the panel has a slow response time.

B- Color Tests:

Color smoothness - What to look for: look for continuity on the ranges specially on the part where the color becomes black.

Hue Smoothness - What to look for: look for continuity on the color ranges

Color Bleed test - What to look for: look for color bleed on the text or over the backgrounds, specially on red tones.

Contrast test - What to look for: you should see good enough contrast to display the detail on the dark walls of the canyon. Most panels with bad contrast ranges crush blacks and loose details on the shadows.

C- Field Rendering Tests:

Field Rendering V - What to look for: This test is rendered at 60 fields per second. A panel with good de interlacing resolves this with something that looks like motion blur. You should not see jumping thin lines or irregularities in motion.

Field Rendering H - What to look for: This test is rendered at 60 fields per second. A panel with good de interlacing resolves this with something that looks like motion blur. You should not see jumping thin lines or irregularities in motion.

Field Response - What to look for: This test is rendered at 60 fields per second. The cubes should move with fluid motion, look for strange lines or jumps on the fast moving cubes.

Pixelation - What to look for: Look for no pixelation or blurring on the moving circles

D- Scaler/Resolution Tests:

Color Antialiasing- What to look for: Everything should look smooth, Look for aliasing (stepping) on the circles and lines.

BW Antialiasing - What to look for: Everything should look smooth, Look for aliasing (stepping) on the angled lines

Resolution - What to look for: Everything should look smooth and sharp, look for moiré effects where the lines become thin.

Resolution lines - What to look for: Everything should look smooth and sharp, look for moiré effects where the lines become thin, and aliasing (stepping) on the lines.

E- Video Tests:

Movie 1 - This movie segment was chosen for the wonderful range of colors and tone subtleties.
What to look for: you should be able to see the mud and threads on the wheels of the cars. The shadows should have subtle variations.
Movie 2 - This movie segment was chosen because it has very dark scenes.
What to look for: you should see the details on the cave and monster.
Cartoon - This was chosen because of the nice flat colors and dark thick outlines.
What to look for: the outlines of the characters should be smooth with no aliasing (stepping).
Commercial - A colorful commercial with moving objects.
What to look for: smooth movement all the time.
Novela - Novelas are recorded with digital NTSC video, this is a good example because it has a lot of skin tones.
What to look for: smooth movement and good color on the skin tones
Game - A nice video game to test contrast and response time.
What to look for: detail on dark surfaces and no ghosting.
Series - Nice series recorded on film with a good amount of grain.
What to look for: excessive noise on the video.
Internet - A trailer downloaded from the internet at 480p.
What to look for: good range of color on the squirrel coat, and fine detail on the hairs.
Xvid - A piece of movie encoded with Xvid (very popular on the internet).
What to look for: Look for excessive blocked pixelation.