Anchor Bay Technologies (ABT), Inc. is the newly formed company composed of the former DVDO team that shook the industry with the introduction of its original iScan™ deinterlacing processor. Oddly enough in July of 2000, DVDO was acquired by Silicon Image, a major supplier of video interface semiconductors used in the industry and a founder of the newest HDMI specification. Within a few years, DVDO's parent company Anchor Bay Technologies took over the iScan product line and it was back in the hands of the founders. As I recall, the original mission of DVDO was to push the high performance ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) they developed (the DV101) for deinterlacing 480i video. Rather than finding a manufacturer willing to use their new chip, they developed their own product that was called the iScan™. The product received rave reviews from the press and soon became the "must have" deinterlacer for the budget conscious consumer.

The core deinterlacing algorithms have been key to the success of all iScan products with outstanding performance from a variety of interlaced sources (film, video or CG). While we noted the significant feature enhancements of the iScan™ Ultra, it was still limited to 480p video. The latest iScan™ HD is much more than a fancy deinterlacer, it's a full blown scaler as well. The new iScan™ HD can now output high-definition 720p and 1080i video in analog or DVI digital form. In addition, a large number of other high resolutions modes are also supported to match the native resolution of many new fixed-pixel displays currently on the market. Matching the display's resolution 1:1 results in fewer visible artifacts. Four audio inputs and two audio outputs are also provided on the new iScan™ HD for switching and time-aligning the audio with the video, eliminating the common lip-sync problem.

The new iScan™ HD comes in a full size rack mountable chassis with front panel buttons that are large and user friendly. Optional rackmount brackets are available from DVDO. The 1/2 inch alphanumeric four character display is easy to read from a distance and provides useful feedback to the user during menu adjustments. We would have preferred a detailed alphanumeric display on the front panel to provide users with more information when making adjustments. However, the current four character design seems to work just fine.

Five of the submenu buttons (Input Select, Input Aspect Ratio, Input Adjust, Picture Control and Configuration) located on the left side of the front panel each have an LED to indicate which group is active during adjustments. The Input Select LED is unique by turning red when no valid signal is detected on the selected video input and green when a valid signal is detected. The sixth submenu control Output Setup has a dedicated set of LEDs for each of the items within the submenu.

Back Panel
The rear panel of the iScan HD fits a surprising number of inputs and outputs. Nine video inputs are available (two composite, two S-Video, two component video, one RGB (VGA), one DVI and one optional SDI connector. A new feature to the iScan HD is the inclusion of two optical and two coaxial audio inputs along with a optical and coaxial digital output. The iScan HD can assign any of the digital inputs to a video source. In addition, the user can adjust the time delay of the audio input to eliminate any "lip sync" errors that may occur due to video processing delays. There's an external switching power supply module that provides 6 Volts at 5 Amps and plugs into the back of the unit. There's also an RS232 interface for controlling the iScan HD with an external controller or for updating the unit's firmware. We used the serial interface along with the software provided by Anchor Bay Technologies to program the latest firmware into the unit. This review is based on the latest firmware update (iScan HD 3.4-1.10) that is available from DVDO's support website. This was required for the optional SDI board we installed as part of the review. The firmware update process was simple and worked flawlessly. This in itself is a great feature and gives the iScan HD an edge over products that cannot be upgraded.

The two analog component video inputs can accommodate either component or RGB signals. Each set of inputs has a corresponding sync input (RCA) for composite sync when used with the certain RGB interfaces. Some systems use this separate signal rather than embedding it on the green input. The iScan HD is designed to work with either system.

The DVI input only processes unencrypted 480p/576p DVI signals. All other DVI formats including encrypted video are passed through to the DVI output connector completely unprocessed. The 15-pin Sub-D (VGA) input pass-thru connector accommodates any RGB or component video signal. This input does not process the signal in any way, but instead sends it directly out of to the 15-pin Sub-D (VGA) output connector in its native form.

Menu Controls
The Input Select menu selects any one of the nine inputs, which includes two composite, two S-Video, two component video, one RGB (VGA), one SDI (optional) and one DVI. The front panel display will indicate the active input when a selection is made.

The input Aspect Ratio defines the aspect ratio for the current selected input (4:3, Letterbox 16:9 or Preset). This setting is unique to each video input and is saved into memory. The Preset setting is the custom aspect ratio that can be defined by the user when using the Pan and Zoom functions and is unique for each input.

The Input Adjust allows the user to adjust Zoom, Pan, Borders, Border Levels, Overscan, Line Offset, VCR Mode, Film Mode Audio Input and AV Lipsync, Control. The Zoom mode has separate horizontal and vertical adjustments. The Pan mode also has separate horizontal and vertical adjustments and can only be adjusted when the corresponding (horizontal or vertical) Zoom axis is greater than 100%. The Border function controls the size of the side bars while the Border Level sets the gray level of the side bars. The Overscan feature enlarges the overall image to eliminate underscan artifacts in some video content. The Line Offset can only be used with the SDI input. The VCR Mode, which is designed to improve picture stability, is only adjustable with composite and s-video inputs. The Film Mode can be set to Film Bias, Auto and Off. Audio Input defines which audio input (Audio 1-4) is selected for the active input. The AV Lipsync allows the user to set the variable delay time desired for the input. This adjustable delay compensates for delays that are introduced by the video processing electronics.

The Input Adjust parameters came is handy when we switched between our Sony and Kenwood DVD player. Since we had the Sony DVD player set up for interlaced video and the Kenwood for progressive, the timing differences cause a slight shift in the image on our screen. Using these controls we were able to realign the image to be properly displayed on our screen. This is an important feature of the iScan HD.

The Picture Control is used to adjust Brightness, Contrast, Saturation (Color), Hue (Tint), Sharpness, Y/C Delay and CUE Correction. While most of the controls are standard, the Y/C Delay and CUE Correction controls offer advanced features for users. The Y/C Delay allows users to compensate for delays between the Luminance (Y) and Chrominance (C) signals. The CUE Correction has the capability to remove chroma upsampling errors (CUE) found in many sources with the chroma bug in their MPEG2 decoders. The CUE Correction can be set to On, Off or Auto.

The Configuration control menu controls the Test Patterns, Auto Priority, DVI Input, Auto Standby, Power LED, User Mode, Factory Default, Software Update, and Information. The 27 built-in Test Patterns are very useful for those who don't have a separate video pattern generator. Best of all, it also works with the DVI output for a pure digital interface. The Auto Priority defines the priority of the nine video inputs. The Auto Priority can be set to Auto or Passthru. Auto Standby can be set to On or Off. The Power LED can be set to On Off or Auto. The Auto mode turns the LEDs on, but then blanks them out after a period of time. The User Mode (Normal/Advanced) allows the user to adjust the video timing. The Normal mode provides 1-pixel steps for both horizontal and vertical image position. The Advanced mode provides adjustments for Horizontal/Vertical Size, Front Porch, Sync, Back Porch and Total pixels. These custom settings offer amazing flexibility for future displays up to 1080p. The Factory Default button loads the iScan with the factory default values. The Software Update is for updating the firmware in the iScan™ HD and we did this during the course of our review. The Information button displays the current status of the iScan HD including the video source, signal type, audio source, input aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate, line rate, output aspect ratio and firmware revision.

The Output Setup has indicators on the front panel for each submenu item, which include Analog/Digital, Format, Aspect Ratio, Sync Type, Color Space, Framerate,and Display Profile. The Analog/Digital selects the type of display connected to the iScan™ HD (Analog RGB/YUV, DVI Video or DVI for PC). The Format selects from 25 different formats ranging from 480p to 1080p including support from a large variety of fixed pixel displays. There's even a User mode that allows the user to build a custom format for future use. The output Aspect Ratio can be either discrete H and V for RGB/HV systems or can be set for bi-level syncs The Sync Type defines the type of syncs (Bi-level, Tri-level, Composite or Separate H/V) used for the analog video output. The Color Space setting can be set for RGB or YPbPr and is also used strictly for the analog output. The Framerate can be set to 48 Hz, 60 Hz or 72 Hz. Both the 48 Hz and 72 Hz eliminates the 3-2 pulldown artifacts known as judder. However, many displays are not compatible with these frame rates. Judder occurs when film based material (24 Hz) is displayed at non-multiples of 24 Hz. The Display Profile is currently not used.

The operation of the menu structure is well designed. We particularly liked the quick access to the submenu items without having to back up before moving forward. The on-screen display worked well and was easy to read.

Remote
One of the major improvements made to the iScan™ series of processors is the new remote control included with the iScan™ HD. The glow-in-the-dark buttons are somewhat unique based on functions and are visible in poorly lit areas. However, their specific functions are difficult to see in the dark, so remembering their locations will become necessary. This remote has all the needed buttons for operating the unit including dedicated buttons for all nine video inputs. Individual Zoom and Pan buttons are grouped with the four dedicated aspect ratio buttons (4:3, Letterbox, 6:9 and Preset). The Menu button allows the user to navigate through any of the submenus using the left, right, up, down arrows and exit buttons. In addition, there are also quick access buttons for the submenu categories, which include Output Setup, Configuration, Picture Control, Input Adjust). The Test Pattern button displays any one of the 27 test pattern defined in the Configuration submenu. We found these test images very useful when setting up various displays.

Since the test patterns are unique to each output format, this becomes a powerful test tool. Patterns include Frame & Geometry, Brightness & Contrast, 1-Pixel Checkerboard, 1-Pixel Vertical Lines, 1-Pixel Horizontal Lines, Frame Rate, 75% Color Bars, 10-100 IRE Gray Windows, Gray Ramp, Coarse Cross-Hatch, Fine Cross-Hatch, Focus, Half-Transparent Black/White, and Half-Transparent Color Bars. The extensive selection of patterns are very useful when evaluating the performance of different displays with various native resolutions.

Design
The exterior of the iScan HD looks similar to its predecessor. However, one will quickly notice an increase in the number of connectors available on the rear panel. The inside of the new iScan™ HD is also significantly more complex than the Ultra. There are two main boards inside the iScan™ HD; the Input Board and the Video Processing Board. The Input Board handles all of the analog input video signals using the latest Philips SAA7119H video decoder chip. The new SAA7119H provides the video switching for composite, s-video and component video signals (both interlaced and progressive). Composite sources now benefit from the high performance super-adaptive 2/4-line comb filter for 2D Y/C separation and 10-bit video DACs with four-times oversampling (54MHz). Scaling is performed by Anchor Bay Technology's proprietary scaler design implemented in the Xilinx FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). These custom chips are similar to hardcoded ASICs, but offer the advantage of reprogrammability for future logic tweaking if necessary.

The analog video outputs use Maxim MAX4382 video amplifiers that offer a 210MHz (-3dB) bandwidth and an impressive 485V/µs slew rate. Low differential gain/phase help ensure excellent video performance. The iScan™ HD uses Analog Devices' latest 7th generation video encoder chip called the ADV7311, which has 12-bit DACs capable of running at over 200MHz. As a result, the analog video outputs perform very well. Digital audio interfaces use the Cirrus Logic's digital interface chips (CS8406 and CS8416) and are capable of supporting data up to 24-bit at sample rates as high as 96kHz.

The downside to processing video from an analog source is that the video must be converted to the digital domain before any deinterlacing processing can be performed. As with any analog-to-digital conversion process, noise and quantization errors can be introduced into the data resulting in some degradation in the overall video quality. One of the new features found in the iScan™ HD is the ability to interface to SDI serial video. The iScan™ HD designers decided to include an SDI interface that bypasses the need for converting the analog video, thereby improving the integrity of the video signal. The Serial Digital Interface (SDI) standard is primarily used by professional broadcast studios and video production centers (SMPTE 259M standard interface), but has also found its way into the videophile community. The advantage of SDI is that the decompressed digital video data is transmitted directly from a digital source, such as a compatible DVD player or other device, directly into the iScan HD when upgraded with this SDI module. The advantage is the iScan™ HD can process the video completely in the digital domain all the way to the DVI output connector.

Installation of the option PrecisionSDI™ Video Input Module is simple for anyone who has worked on electronics such as computer hardware. The kit includes the main SDI board along with an RG59 cable terminated with BNC connectors at both ends. A feedthrough connector is also provided to install in the rear of the chassis. A standard 40-pin IDC connector is used to interface the SDI board to the main video board in the iScan™ HD unit. A pair of plastic stand-offs hold the other side of the SDI module making it difficult to accidentally misalign the board during installation.

The PrecisionSDI™ module uses a Gennum GS7005 serial digital receiver that is SMPTE 259M-C compliant and capable of running at 270Mb/s. The integrated NRZI decoder and SMPTE descrambler provides a throughput of 27MHz data (8-bit parallel CCIR-601/656 or SMPTE 125M compliant) to the existing video interface. Onboard linear voltage regulators ensure clean power to the video electronics. Once the PrecisionSDI™ Video Input Module is installed, a firmware update may be required depending on the current version of the iScan HD unit. Both the firmware on CD and a serial cable are provided in the kit. We recommend checking the DVDO website for the latest firmware updates rather than using the disc provided. Our disc was actually a version earlier than what was available directly from the DVDO website.

Setup
We used several sources during the course of our review. High definition video sources came from our Marantz MV8300 and JVC HM-DH30000U D-VHS VCRs. Both digital VCRs were connected to a Samsung SIR-T165 terrestrial set-top box via FireWire interfaces. The DVI output of the Samsung was used to send video to the iScan HD and ultimately to an InFocus ScreenPlay 7205 projector. This configuration was used only to verify the pass-through capability of the iScan HD and it worked flawlessly. This is an important part of the iScan configuration since the unit will be placed between the high definition source and the display device. The iScan was configured for 720p to match the native resolution of the InFocus projector. We used the DVI output as well as the analog output configured for component video.

Digital content that has HDCP encryption does not get processed by the iScan™ HD, but instead gets detected and passed through to the DVI output. We verified this using our JVC HM-DH30000U D-Theater VCR connected to a Samsung SIR-T165 set-top box via firewire. The DVI output of the Samsung provided the protected DVI signals to the iScan unit. Data was then sent to our HDCP compliant projector using the Silicon Image .

Our cables came from a variety of different sources for the review. InFocus provided the special DVI cable that is needed for their projector. DirectConnect provided the analog RGB cable we used for the analog component interface to the ScreenPlay 7205 DLP projector. A variety of nice quality video cables were also provided by DVDO. Apparently DVDO/Accell are working together to bring affordable high-performance cables to their consumers.

Our standard definition review system consisted of a Sony DVP-NS900V DVD player connected to the composite, s-video and component video connections of the iScan. We chose to run this player in the interlaced (480i) mode for our tests. We also connected our Kenwood DV-5900M DVD player running in the progressive (480p) mode. Other components included an inexpensive Panasonic VCR using the composite input, and a Pioneer CLD-D704 laserdisc player using the s-video input.

Performance
We started by watching some of our favorite DVD material from our Sony DVP-NS900V running in the interlace component mode. The iScan HD reconstructs the original film frames (24 per second) from the source and displays them at a 60 Hz rate by repeating the original frames in a 3-frame 2-frame sequence. This results in video frames being sent out 2.5 times the original 24 Hz frame rate or 60 Hz. While this is ideal for our 60 Hz progressive displays it also is the reason we see judder in film-based material. An important feature of the iScan HD is its ability to output video at exactly three time the film frame rate (72 Hz). However, a compatible display is required for this option to work.

The color decoder in the iScan™ HD resulted in excellent color accuracy. This could be seen with both composite and s-video source material from our DVD player. Laserdisc produced a higher noise floor, but also looked pretty good on the iScan using the s-video input. Video from our low-cost VCR looked the worst and with the help of the built-in time base correction for jitter reduction, the video looked acceptable. No one should be convinced that the iScan™ HD or any other video processor will make poor source material look good on a 100" screen, even with a $9K projector. However, if you feed the iScan a quality picture using the component or digital inputs, you'll be quite happy with the results.

Interlaced component video from our Sony DVD player utilized the capabilities of the Sil504 deinterlacing processor within the iScan™ HD. The iScan™ HD looked excellent on a variety of DVD material we viewed. The flesh-tones found in Shakespeare in Love were smooth and accurate looking. The deinterlaced and scaled image produced by the iScan HD was impressive and looked very natural on our display. We didn't see objectionable artifacts from good source material and the scaling from 480p to 720p resulted in a smooth film-like picture.

The folks at MSB Technology to provide us a Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai DVD Player fitted with an SDI output for this review. They are well known in the audio industry for their cutting-edge products. Video played pefectly using this DVD player with the SDI output connected to the iScan PrecisionSDI™ module. The quality of the video was exceptional and we never experience any dropouts when using the SDI interface.

To maximize performance of the iScan™ HD it is recommended that the digital interfaces (DVI or SDI) or the analog component interface be used. Progressive video will bypass the Sil504 processor, but will still take advantage of the excellent scaler Anchor Bay Technologies has developed for this unit.

Recent News
Customer feedback is an important part of any company's success and Anchor Bay Technologies appears to be listening to those who own this unit. The company has recently announced on the AV Science Forum that they will be updating the firmware to include improved aspect ratio control, including the ability to specify an arbitrary output aspect ratio (e.g., 2.35:1), as well as newly supported predefined input aspect ratios (1.55:1, 1.66:1, 1.85:1, etc.) and arbitrary input aspect ratios. They will also enable the Display Profile in the Output Setup to give users the ability to define, save, and later recall collections of output format settings. There will also be updates that give users separate settings for 50 and 60 Hz sources on a per-input basis. This will include distinct display profiles for 50 and 60 Hz sources. These and other updates open up enormous possibilities for iScan™ HD. It's really nice to have a company support its customers with ongoing improvements on a product that enhances the capabilities of their home theater.

Conclusion
The iScan™ HD from Anchor Bay Technologies is a powerful video processor that offers consumers excellent performance and features usually found exclusively on more expensive product. The latest enhancements made to the iScan™ HD puts it at the top of the list for videophiles. Several significant feature of the iScan HD sets it apart from other deinterlacers and scalers currently on the market. We found the pass-thru capability a great value-added feature for today's home theater set up. The judder-free 72 Hz frame rate for film-based material is perfect for those with compatible displays. The extensive number of inputs including the DVI and optional SDI digital interface makes this product highly desirable. In addition, the native resolution support for virtually all fixed-pixel displays along with user-defined resolution settings makes the iScan HD invaluable. The 10-bit analog-to-digital converters and the high performance 12-bit video DACs are among the latest enhancements made to the iScan HD processor. The Precision AV LipSync™ is also a great feature that is certainly needed in many of today's home theater systems.

Considering the capabilities of the new iScan™ HD, we actually found it to be quite affordable in our configuration by offering us a way to improve the quality of our home theater video while also providing flexible video switching. The iScan™ HD is a fifth generation product from the same folks at DVDO™ that introduced the original iScan deinterlacer many years ago. Using the same highly acclaimed core deinterlacing technology with the addition of ABT's high-performance scaling engine, the iScan™ HD comes highly recommended.

- Kevin Nakano

Projector: InFocus ScreenPlay 7205 High-Definition HD2+ DLP™ Projector
Screen: Stewart Filmscreen 100" Luxus Deluxe FireHawk Screenwall
Preamplifier/Processor: Parasound AVC-2500U THX-Ultra DTS/DD Processor
Amplification: Parasound HCA-2205AT THX-Ultra Five Channel Amplifier
Bass Management: Miller & Kreisel BMC Mini 5.1 Bass Management Controller
Front Speakers: Miller & Kreisel S-150THX (L+R) and S-150AC (Center) Speakers
Rear Speakers: Miller & Kreisel SS-250 TripoleŽ Surround Speakers
Subwoofer: Two Miller & Kreisel MX-350THX MkII THX-Ultra Push-pull Subwoofers
Room Treatments: Echo Buster panels and Bass Buster towers
Set-top Box: Samsung SIR-T165 Terrestrial Receiver
D-VHS VCR #1: Marantz MV8300 D-VHS High-Definition D-Theater VCR
D-VHS VCR #2: JVC HM-DH30000U D-VHS High-Definition D-Theater VCR
DVD/CD/SACD Player: Sony DVP-NS900V DVD/CD/SACD Player
DVD Audio/Video Player: Kenwood Sovereign DV-5900M 400-Disc DVD Changer
Audio Switcher (5.1): Zektor MAS3 5.1 Audio Switcher
Laserdisc Player: Pioneer CLD-D704 CD/VCD/LD Player
A/V Cables: DirectConnect HQRGB Cables, Accell Component Cables
Video Generator: Sencore VP403 SDTV/HDTV Video Pattern Generator
Video Signal Analyzer: Sencore VSA794 NTSC Video Signal Analyzer
Color Analyzer: Sencore CP5000 Multi-Display Color Analyzer

Anchor Bay Technologies
DVDO iScan™ HD Video Scaler and Hub

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