Care and Feeding of the Videslowdoptus

By Fred Manteghian • Posted: Feb 15, 2009

I'm a jaded reviewer who thinks there are only two kinds of people in the world. The first group have the latest flat panel / front projector rigs with HDMI everything, 1080p, ba-blah-ba-blah-ba-blah, and the rest of the world watch TV on the same set Ricky Ricardo used to watch in "I Love Lucy." So imagine my surprise when I got an irate letter from a reader who had read my review of the Rotel RSP-1069 pre/pro in Home Theater magazine where I said, incorrectly, that the Rotel would internally convert HDMI sources to component, all the way up to 1080i. I mean, who would need to do that anyway? Well, he did for one, since his perfectly-good-otherwise widescreen RPTV lacked HDMI (or DVI) inputs. I apologized in print, but that's not the point. I, Fred Manteghian, had discovered a new species!

Copyright concerns prevent high def players or pre/pros from converting high definition digital signals into anything higher than 480p in analog. But a company only reachable via the internet, HDFURY, has a solution, a widget if you will, that accepts a 1080p or 720p HDMI signal and give you a wide range of analog resolutions up to a full 1080p in glorious analog RGB or component video output. Their solution will even work with CRT projectors which use RGB and a horizontal and vertical synch signal (five BNC connections usually).

As for audio, things aren't quite as cheery in this department. The Fury2 has an output connector that provides both a two-channel analog output (if you're also an Audislowdoptus) and an optical output as well, but it only provides the same two-channel output as the analog outputs. So kick in the Dolby Pro Logic IIx processing, that's the best you can hope for.

I haven't tried the Fury2, but a friend has, and he said it works as advertised. The price is high, but still not high enough to justify a new TV if you're perfectly happy with your old one but want to start watching some Blu-ray. Personally, I'd use the money as a down-payment on a new set, but then again, I'm in that first group.

Comments

Submitted by Phil on February 16, 2009 - 9:03am.

I can see the initial desire to have the ability to convert from HDMI to component but in reality is it needed? There's no ICT implementation yet so what would prohibit someone from just using the already included component video output on their device? I've yet to see a device (outside of some computer graphics cards) that don't offer both HDMI and component video outputs. This just seems like a play on people's desire to use the included HDMI port even if it's not needed because of a somewhat misguided impression that if you don't use HDMI you aren't getting the best HD (or HD at all). Just my .02

Submitted by Fred M. on February 16, 2009 - 11:01am.

Phil, Sources like a DVD player that upconvert, only do so on their HDMI output, not their component output which is limited to 480p on copy-protected discs (i.e., anything from Hollywood). My Sony PS3 BD player doesn't have component outputs, so there has to be an HDMI to component done somewhere if you need to feed a component only set. Expensive CRT projector are an another example where the HDFURY could be justified (perhaps much more so than on an an RPTV that is now probably worth less than the HDFURY itself!). But you're right, there are a lot of unenlighted "testimonials" on HDFURY's website that make you wonder if they thought out their options clearly. Still, if you need it, here it is!

Submitted by Phil on February 16, 2009 - 3:24pm.

Yeah I was more refering to Blu-Ray, cable or sat tv, and videogames, sources that can output in HD over component. If upconverting is a big deal I can see the appeal for this product with older tvs. It's a bit pricey though for what would seem to me to be a somewhat temporary solution (asuming the person doesn't keep their older HD set for years and years). Thanks again.

Submitted by Ken Taurus on July 29, 2010 - 5:43pm.

I own a pre HDMI , 52 inch pioneer Plasma, that cost me 12k just 7 years ago and i'm extremelly glad with the 1080i support from HDMI that i'm getting from HDfury used on it, the quality is amazing so i can imagine those who build up a whole home cinema room at home with even more expensive displays or proj will be very interrested in it.