SDI Modification of DVD Players

Unfortunately we no longer offer an SDI modification service. However many of our DVD players and Video Processors offer 480i/576i HDMI connectivity. Please contact us for more infortmation.

Why is SDI Better?

An SDI, or Serial Digital Interface connection transports digital video data in exactly the format in which it exists on the DVD itself. This is known as 4:2:2 YCbCr Component Video. When you spin the DVD in your player the player must first read off the 1s and 0s from the disc, relying on the quality of your players tray and pick-up mechanism to get an error free signal. This 8-bit untouched stream of 1s & 0s is then fed into an MPEG decoder which takes the information and decodes it into understandable 4:2:2 Component Video suitable for transmission. Here the signal would then be passed to another chipset within the player which begins the process of analysing the signal, perhaps improving it or converting it into progressive scan, before being converted into an analogue signal and pushed out of the scart socket for example.

Our SDI modifications (carried out by experienced professionals not by my wobbly hand!) involve tapping a circuit board directly onto the MPEG decoder in your DVD player. This is the point where the signal is an understandable MPEG stream (4:2:2 Component still), but before the DVD player is allowed to try to "improve" the picture it's own way, and before the signal undergoes a lossy conversion into analogue to output via scart or s-video for example.

Even with modern DVI/HDMI players the internal circuitry can still be detrimental to image quality and an "all-digital" DVI connection will not offer the best. It will be much closer, but often the interlaced HDMI output is still filtered or rebalanced even if ultimately output as an interlaced signals. For perfectionists only SDI offers the best.

The raw SDI signal (still 4:2:2 component by the way!) leaves the DVD player via an added SDI socket (a single 75ohm BNC connector) and goes into your dedicated video processor. The processor can then carry out improvements to the image, deinterlacing (turning into progressive scan) and scaling (altering the resolution of the picture) using the highest possible quality, unblemished feed before finally outputting a high resolution digital or perhaps analogue (better for some displays) signal to your flat screen or projection system.

The SDI connection itself also offers it's own method of error correction (Hamming Code) and being based on coaxial digital video cable interference issues are absolutely minimal. However there is still room to go wrong. The SDI signal is a very high frequency signal and ideally requires 3Ghz rated cores, 75ohm BNC connectors and lead-free solder. We use both Van Damme Green Series SDI digital and Belden 1865A Digital Video Coax. The final advantage of Video Coax being it's low cost! The ultimate 1m lead will only set you back £20-£25, this lead will not be bettered by anything more expensive. However, we will happilly charge you more if you wish!!