Gefen HD Mate Scaler and switch
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Mar 13th 2007 12:30AM
posted Mar 13th 2007 12:30AM
The world of scalers changes as fast as HD itself, as technology improves, the prices come down and new needs are met. Gefen's new HD Mate Scaler is just what many have asked for, but doesn't quite cover all the bases. The most obvious thing missing is HDMI, but Gefen has other products for that, the HD Mate is for component and DVI users. It features 2 component inputs, 1 DVI input and 1 DVI output, all switchable via an on-screen display and IR remote. The DVI out is HDCP compliant and 1080p, analog as well as toslink inputs are accepted and transcoded accordingly, as well as audio delay settings for those who can't stand when the lips don't match up. The great thing about any stand alone scalers is that they aren't held back by the same CSS limitations as built in scalers and can allowing you to watch your DVDs at 1080p and anything else you got to throw at it. This might be the perfect scaler for those Xbox 360 and PS3 owners with a 1080p TV.
[Via MacMinute]
Part of the issue/problem using HDMI is that your if your original source had DD 5.1 audio, this item would "force" it to only send 2 channel PCM. Then again, most displays have HDMI and not DVI so it also means most folks need a DVI to HDMI connector. All the possible benefits of an all digital transmission is now lost.
All of that aside, the real question is how to really compare scaling and de-interlacing between this device and any and all fixed pixel displays (LCD or plasma).
I have a xbox 360 and have it hooked to my DLP TV with the VGA cable. My Samsung DLP does 1080p over the VGA, so I assume I'm getting 1080p "natively" from the xbox 360, right? If so, that's a much cheaper way to get 1080p into you HDTV.
Please enlighten me if I'm missing something here...
Berwick,
I contacted Samsung after doing extensive A/B comparisons with the component and VGA configurations (I have a 2007 61" DLP slim). The 360 will now support 1080p via component for GAMES only. The HD-DVD player will only transmit 1080i via the component and 1080p via the VGA. The VGA cable was far inferior to the component hookup. Samsung said this was because their VGA processes at 720p or below, despite it recogniing a 1080p source (as a puch of the info button will reveal). Needless to say I am disappointed at Samsung for skimping on the VGA input but more so at Microsoft for not making a HDMI cable. How hard can it be?
hdmi scaler here
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4174
Actually that one is for their Home Theater Scaler. This Engadget HD article is referring to the Mate Scaler.
The difference is that the Home Theater Scaler does have an HDMI output unlike the Mate version. Guess you just have to ask yourself... Is HDMI that much better than DVI ($100 more)?
Although, I'd first ask myself... For that kind of money does either version of Gefen's scalers really make a substantial improvement over the Xbox 360 scaler over component or VGA @ 1080p? Highly doubt it's worth the money, but I'd love to see this thing get reviewed!
1080p TVs all have scalers that can scale 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i to 1080p. Mine can even do PC resolutions of 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1600x1200, 1280x720, 1280x768, 1680x1050, 1920x1080 and 1920x1200
true but the need for this item would be beneficial if it scales better than your set.
I first read about this @audioholics and I prefer hdmi, also until this unit is reviewed to see whether the scaler is capable I will sit and watch. They do offer another unit using the Gennum chip unfortunately its SDI.
I have an up-converting dvd player and an XBox360, which already look amazing on my 32" HDTV LCD. The one reason I'd seriously consider getting this is 'cause I have a Series2 TiVo and analogue cable (the Series3 TiVo isn't supported in Canada 'cause we don't have your great FCC mandate that companies offer CableCards, or else I'd have a Series3 in a second).
The question I'm asking is -- is this going to cause a noticeable improvement in how that Series2 TiVo looks over component cables on my HDTV? And would routing the sound through it, with the video, cure that sync problem I sometimes get with my TiVo 'cause my receiver is old? I guess that's two questions.
Would love to hear if you have experience with scalers. Thanks.
derrick, go to their site. They have an hdmi version of this box.