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Circuit Design's Nordig II analogue audio/ video performance test: Force 1144-1199S versus 9 Competitors. by Michael Gamst, 13-12-2002 rev.03
The purpose for this test was to examine the hardware performance of the new Force series, against selected Competitors. The Test started in October 2002.
At sheet 2 we made some user friendly graphs, for quick reference. Figure A1-A3 is all audio parameters and V1 is the most interesting video parameter.
Sheet 3 shows all the measured values, for those who are interested in all the technical details. (V1 and A1-3 is marked with bold there.)
All receivers are tested under the same conditions, with the same test equipment (See sheet 3 for details.) and the newest receiver software available during November 2002.
As optical reference we used a specific Finlux TZ-72F8 100 Hz television. This model has a well known "Feature" to disclosure instability in the picture. (This test is marked:100 Hz.)
Force 1144-1199S came out with the best result. We don't want to give "Grades" for the other brands, as they easily can be graded by examine the results step by step at sheet 3.
Comment to colour burst level: Most televisions adjusts the overall colur level, from this value. Therefore it has to be very accurate. If it's to low, it can produce noise in the colours.
Comment to "Harmonic distortion" : Examine the difference between the measured value with 20kHz low pass filter and the value measured up to 250 kHz. This difference should be within 50%, else the hardware filtering is unsufficient.
Force 1144-99S
Passes the Nordig test with best overall results.
The best signal to noise ratio in the video section
and clean almost noise free transitions in colour
RGB intercomponents. Remark the slight difference
in the audio section between unweighted and
weighted signal to noise ratio. (Figure A1-A2) (Only
6dB difference.) This ensures the test’s best
dynamic range 85.9dB. (Figure A3) The receiver is
stable on 100Hz
Triax DVB 75 SI
Nokia 9802
Failed the test for one reason only: Dynamic range Passes the Nordig test, but there is problems with
sound problems. The signal to noise ratio is simply analogue audio low frequently noise. We also
to low. Examine the ratio unweighted (Figure A1) found noise in RGB colour intercomponents. It's
slight unstable on 100Hz.
and weighted (Figure A2) measurement. The
difference is large 21.9dB. (Typically value is max.
7-8 dB.) Therefore it fails on Dynamic range
(Figure A3). There has to be at least 80dB. (Result
70.3dB) Sad because the overall receiver is OK.
The receiver is stable on 100Hz.
Nokia 9902
Passes the Nordig test, but as the 9802 model
there is noise in RGB colour intercomponents. The
receiver is unstable on 100Hz. (More than the
9802 model.)
Digiality VC-CI 104
Failed the Nordig test. Video: Amplitude
Characteristics is out of range (3.39 dB) Colour
burst is out of range (2.7dB) Audio: Dynamic range
(Figure A3), Signal to noise (Figure A1-A2). The
channel separation is exactly zero.
(It's actually played MONO only.) This "Mono"
problem is corrected in the latest software release.
The receiver is very unstable on 100Hz.
Shark Galeo 1200 XSAT CD.TV410
Failed the Nordig test. Here we also found noise in
RGB colour intercomponents. Examine the audio
signal to noise ratio (Figure A1-A2) and dynamic
range (Figure A3). The receiver is stable on 100Hz.
Topfield 4000 PVR CoCI
Failed the Nordig test. This is interesting. Examine
the video Amplitude Characteristics. The level is
peaked at high frequencies. This can produce
overshoot/ distortion i the pitures shapest details.
Video colour burst level is out of range. High
distortion and low dynamic range in the audio
circuit. (Figure A3)
The receiver is unstable on 100Hz.
Samsung DSR 9500 VIA CI
Failed the Nordig Test.
Caused by the video colour burst level.
Again
we have noise in RGB colour intercomponents.
This one has also trouble with Dynamic range in
the audio. (Figure A3)
The receiver is slight unstable on 100Hz
televisions.
Echostar DRV-5000CHD
Failed the Nordig test. Like the Topfield 4000,
examine the video Amplitude Characteristics. The
level is peaked at high frequencies and produces
overshoot/ distortion i the pitures sharpest details.
Video colour burst is out of range.
The audio distortion and frequency response curve
fails.
The receiver is very unstable on 100Hz.
Humax VACI 5350
Passes the Nordig Test just barely.
Examine the signal to noise in the video section.
(Figure V1)
Examine the Dynamic range in the audio section.
(Figure A3)
The receiver is unstable on 100Hz.
After deadline: Digiality VC-CI 104, New software was available ultimo November. This solved the Audio "Mono" problem. The problem with signal to noise and dynamic range still persist. (Hardware error.) Therefore it still fails the Nordig test.
This test is published in PDF format at http://www.circuitdesign.dk/force.html
Nordig II version 1.0 minimum requirements test: Force Electronics against competitors, made by Michael Gamst/ Circuit Design. Document revised 2002.12.01
Nordig II Video Performance of RGB and PAL Signals
Measurement Item
Value
S/N, weighted acc ITU/R Rec. 567-2 (dB) (Figure V1)
Bar amplitude tolerance (dB rel to 700mV)
Sync pulse amplitude tolerance (dB rel to 300mV)
Burst amplitude tolerance (dB rel to 300mV)
2T pulse response (%)
Amplitude Characteristics (DC to 4.8 MHz in dB)
R, G, B, PAL Non-linearity (%)
Chroma/Luma intermodulation (%)
Intercomponent level inequality (RGB) (dB) Green/magenta
Intercomponent timing (RGB) (ns) Green/magenta
*Noise in the green/magenta step (RGB timing test inaccurate)
*RGB Amplitude white level mV (Average)
>54
+/-1
+/-1
+/-1
<5
+/-3
<6
<5
+/-0.5
<40
Y/N
700
Force 1144-99S Triax DVB 75 SI Nokia 9802 Nokia 9902
67,5
0.05
0,14
0,05
1,1
1,89
0,9
0,49
0,02
7
No
707
63,8
0,6
0,6
0,8
0,7
1,09
2,9
1,82
0,2
15
No
735
61,8
0,04
0,06
1,9
0,7
2,22
2,5
1,12
0,25
9
Yes
697
61,9
0,02
0,03
0,83
0,7
2,52
2,6
1,04
0,03
7
Yes
681
Digiality VC-CI 104
Shark Galeo 1200
XSAT CD.TV410
64,6
0,25
0,1
2,7
1,4
3,39
1,3
0,78
0,1
3
No
711
65,4
0,08
0,14
0,08
1,2
2,53
1,9
2,08
0,06
18
Yes
700
Digiality VC-CI 104
Shark Galeo 1200
XSAT CD.TV410
Topfield 4000 Humax VACI
PVR CoCI
5350
64,2
0,33
0,38
2,03
0,9
2,48(+)
1,9
1,3
0,07
45
No
680
55,2
0,09
0,08
0,42
0,6
0,72
2,3
1,56
0,3
32
Yes
687
Samsung
DSR 9500
VIA CI
60,1
0,23
0,09
1,34
0,7
1,1
1,5
0,78
0,35
4
Yes
718
Echostar
DRV5000CHD
62.8
0,17
0,15
1,3
0,5
1,65 (+)
2,6
0,62
0,08
34
Yes
685
Echostar
DRV5000CHD
248
Nordig II Audio Performance of the Decoded Digital Signal
Reference for the performance of all audio measurement is full
scale -12dB and the measurement shall be made at a sampling
rate of 48 kHz.
Measurement item
Output level (mV at 1 kHz) Load 10KOhm
Flatness of amplitude response: (dB)
40 Hz to 80 Hz
80 Hz to 13,5 kHz
13,5 kHz to 20 kHz
Dynamic range (dB) (Figure A3)
*Harmonic distortion ratio at 1kHz (%) Lowpass 250KHz
Harmonic distortion ratio at 1kHz(%) Lowpass 20KHz
Cross-talk between channels (dB, at 20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Hum suppression (dB)
*S/N Unweighted Lowpass 250KHz (dB)
*S/N Unweighted Lowpass 20KHz (dB) (Figure A1)
S/N weighted ITU/R Rec. 468 (dB) (Figure A2)
Phase difference between channels (°),
40 Hz to 13,5 kHz
13,5 kHz to 15 kHz
Amplitude difference between channels (dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz)
Volume control (affected steps with 3 dB/step)
*Signal attenuation at mute (dB) Lowpass 250KHz
Signal attenuation at mute (dB) Lowpass 20Khz
*Output contains very low frequently noise. (0,1-10Hz, from PSU)
Min
Typical
Max. Force 1144-99S Triax DVB 75 SI Nokia 9802 Nokia 9902
500
-2
-1
-2
80
2
1
2
0.1
60
60
66
10
15
+1
-1
6
70
Y/N
Optical Video test: Finlux TZ72F8 100Hz horizontal/ vertical
stability test.
1/2/3/4
*1=very stable, 2=slight unstable, 3= unstable, 4=very unstable
1,2,3,4
Does the reciever meet the Nordig II Specification, based on
the above measurements ?
Y/N
Yes/ No
Y/N
496
510
489
464
914,4
308
634
456
Samsung
DSR 9500
VIA CI
605
0,3
0
1,3
85,9
0,078
0,045
70,5
77,7
69,8
73,9
79,9
1
0,5
0,1
70,3
0,2
0,09
67,6
78,6
43,5
58,3
80,2
1
0,5
0,5
84,2
0,082
0,05
67,8
68,7
59
72,2
79,8
1
0,2
1
83,7
0,09
0,05
68
76,4
56,4
71,7
79,4
1
0,1
3
59,6
0,45
0,09
0 (Mono)
79,2
14
47,6
57,3
2
1
0,5
56,7
0,85
0,42
66,8
69,8
20,2
44,7
61,8
4
2
0,5
63,4
0,68
0,28
68,5
77
44,4
51,4
70
1
0,5
0,5
79,6
0,046
0,03
66
70,3
53,6
67,6
79,2
1
0,5
0,5
75
0,08
0,045
56
77,6
43,2
63
76,6
2,5
1,5
1
81,8
0,2
0,17
52
72,3
67,1
69,8
75,8
2,3
0,5
0,1
26
75,8
77
No
3,9
0,01
0,3
19
66,6
76,1
No
1,26
0,5
0,15
19
65,8
76,9
Yes
3,64
0,4
0,1
19
64,1
76,4
No
0 (Mono)
0 (Mono)
0,15
19
77,6
82,3
Yes
2,5
1,5
0,2
19
65,2
74,2
No
2,05
0,38
0,13
16
71,9
79,1
No
1,22
0,31
0,4
19
67,2
77,6
No
3,9
0,23
0,3
15
43,2
63
No
2,64
0,6
0,18
60
67,6
73,3
No
Digiality VC-CI 104
Shark Galeo 1200
XSAT CD.TV410
4
1
Samsung
DSR 9500
VIA CI
2
Echostar
DRV5000CHD
4
Digiality VC-CI 104
Shark Galeo 1200
XSAT CD.TV410
No
No
Samsung
DSR 9500
VIA CI
No
Echostar
DRV5000CHD
No
Force 1144-99S Triax DVB 75 SI Nokia 9802 Nokia 9902
1
1
2
3
Force 1144-99S Triax DVB 75 SI Nokia 9802 Nokia 9902
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
The measurements are performed on STV2 and TV2 Zulu test patterns. We take no responsibility for incorrect results & errors in this document.
Used equipment for the test: TEK-VM700T/11/30/40, for extra verification: Agilent Infiniium 54800 series & Ferrograph audio analyzer.
The measurements marked with (*) is not required by Nordig.
Topfield 4000 Humax VACI
PVR CoCI
5350
Topfield 4000 Humax VACI
PVR CoCI
5350
3
3
Topfield 4000 Humax VACI
PVR CoCI
5350
No
Yes