$1299 Seiki UHDTV 50" SE50UY04 - Bought it today

[Björn Benckert]

Good idea Bjorn. There are signage mini PC's, very smaller, even smaller than Mac mini (Aopen, Asus or one of those) but the new 4k android media players might do.

Do not understand? do you mean that I should buy a mini pc instead of getting a TB to HDMI converter for the mac air?

 

[Björn Benckert]

So to be more specific could I get one of these: http://store.apple.com/se/product/HA825ZM/A/belkin-mini-displayport-till-hdmi-kabel-(2-m)?fnode=51

and run the screen in 4k from my macbook air (no retina display)...

Or is that not possible?

 

[Björn Benckert]

Got problems with this...

Using a macbook retina and got the screen hooked to the HDMI. 30Hz 3840x2120... when I playback a quicktime proress LT with 30fps 3840x2120 the image studders every 10 seconds or so, some odd tearing of the image. The display on the laptop itslef shows the mirrored screen just fine / no tearing. Have you guys got around this issue?

I'm thinking that the screen might be doing 29.97 fps or such.

any ideas would be appreciated. I bought it knowing it could not do 25fps... but if it does not play clean frames at 30 fps... than it's really a shit screen.

 

[Björn Benckert]

So spent a full day testing seiki screen and macbook retina all looks good except for one thing.... and that is that this screen can not display 30fps to save it's life. It drops frames and does odd things every 5 seconds or so. If anyone here actually got this screen to display a clean signal from anything then I would very much like to know how that was done. Becuase to me it seem like it can not keep sync. The mac book screen shows the images all fine but not this one.

Edit...


It seams like the Anderson handles 25p much better than 30p I still got some random teared frames every 20 seconds or so but not as bad as when playing in 30p / 30hz... So that makes me wonder if the Andersen set is a "pal version" of the seiki. I have to do more testing and find out where the tearing comes from, as it seeems far to irregular for being only a hz / fps issue. But I do not have much options for playback... Wish I had a redray here...

So question anyone that has a redray and care to do some tests ?

 

[Lauri Kettunen]

It seams like the Anderson handles 25p much better than 30p ...

Hi Björn, thanks for the update. If you get it to work, I'll also order immediately the Anderson panel. However, what you've found so far is bit confusing.

Do I understand correctly the Seiki panel works fine with Redray at 30Hz? Now the question is, does the Anderson panel work with Redray at 25Hz.

 

[Björn Benckert]

Hi Björn, thanks for the update. If you get it to work, I'll also order immediately the Anderson panel. However, what you've found so far is bit confusing.

Do I understand correctly the Seiki panel works fine with Redray at 30Hz? Now the question is, does the Anderson panel work with Redray at 25Hz.

thats a good question...

I tested some more, having the Andersen as a second screen to the moacbook and then playing a 25fps vimeo file (1080P) full screen, Anderson set to 25Hz in the Macbook screen setting... This plays fine no thearing no nothing... Palying back the same 1080p file in Quicktime player.... causes tearing.. Do not understand.

But we will do further testing with Thunderbolt to HDMI cable tomorrow. But it would be great if somebody could test the Andersen screen with 25p form redray. But I guess there is no redray in europe, or?

 

[Mike Finegan]

Ok thanks for the inputs.
I can't read the specs on the cable listed at apple.se
But if this (And similar) are equivalent - there is no mention of HDMI rev and only 1080 is listed as supported:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/HA824ZM/A/belkin-mini-displayport-to-hdmi-adapter?fnode=51
This one claims support for 1.4 but of course is back ordered:
http://www.accellcables.com/B086BmDPHDMI.html

I have ordered on from miniinthebox (another recommendation) but there is no mention of hdmi rev.
There are a few others that claim hdmi 1.4b support but they are all out of stock (amazon, etc.).
But looks like I will get lucky with staples:
http://www.staples.com/Accell-Ultra...MI-14-Passive-Adapter-Black/product_IM1RY6014

As far as problems with older macbookpro and resolutions for hdmi - I will search macrumors...
Thx

Science is difficult with no facts - but then that is modern business strategy

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Do not understand? do you mean that I should buy a mini pc instead of getting a TB to HDMI converter for the mac air?

Different, I was talking about signage minipc's and android 4k media players equipment sources for your plans to sell displays to clients for shop windows of course.

I will porbably sell a few of these to clients that will use them as in store displays..

 

[Björn Benckert]

Different, I was talking about signage minipc's and android 4k media players equipment sources for your plans to sell displays to clients for shop windows of course.

Aha, now I understand.. Have you tested this screen with such players? As it is I have a struggle making the andersen take any kind of 4k signal without random tearing frames every 10 seconds or so when feeding it from a macbook retina HDMI port. No luck with 25p, 30p or 29,97p...

As it is I have no other player at the moment so I can not cross check it so I do not know if it's the mac that does not play an even 25p or 30p sync or if it's the screen thats tripping out. When playing a vimeo 25p stream onto the screen in the 4k 25hz setting it plays fine but not in the quicktime or VLC player.

do not know what to do to solve it so any advice is much appreciated

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Have a read here, they said that some sort of hdmi booster helped with the signal. If that is the issue, then it should work better on many things with it. Get this right and maybe these players will work better.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Does anybody know of a HDMI to display link converter, to get a HDMI signal into a display link port (for the recording function of display link).

 

[Frazier Nivens]

Have a read here, they said that some sort of hdmi booster helped with the signal. If that is the issue, then it should work better on many things with it. Get this right and maybe these players will work better.

This is a beautiful thing... http://www.provantage.com/gefen-gtv-hdbt-cat5~7GEFN0AW.htm

Seems to boost my signal and makes everything play nice.

Hooks up HDMI in on your Seiki, make sure to only use HDMI Input 1 on the Seiki 50 inch panel and then Cat 5 cable to the Gefen Extender box and connect to the player Gefen connected Extender box, was worth every penny. Made my system work like a charm. The other inputs on the Seiki don't work properly.

Try it if it doesn't work for you, return it.

Frazier Nivens, Ocean Imaging Studios

 

[Björn Benckert]

This is a beautiful thing... http://www.provantage.com/gefen-gtv-hdbt-cat5~7GEFN0AW.htm

Seems to boost my signal and makes everything play nice.

Hooks up HDMI in on your Seiki, make sure to only use HDMI Input 1 on the Seiki 50 inch panel and then Cat 5 cable to the Gefen Extender box and connect to the player Gefen connected Extender box, was worth every penny. Made my system work like a charm. The other inputs on the Seiki don't work properly.

Try it if it doesn't work for you, return it.

Frazier Nivens, Ocean Imaging Studios

Are you saying that this boaster take out the studded/tearing images?
If so for what frame rates?

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Something's up with the signal levels, but will only repair some issues, the guys here that have trued it can tell more (also search the thread).

 

[Wayne Morellini]

As I thought, that is too expensive, anybody got a cheaper solution for Bjorn?

 

[Björn Benckert]

Thanks Wayne, Yes I find it odd that we actually have a 90 page thread about a TV that does not really work... is it that bad? I'm fine buying that giffen booster if it fixes the issues with frame tearing / studder but I rather hand it back to the store if it's only a hack solution that let some of the problems remain. I been trying to follow this thread many times over but it goes so much back and forth so I'm not sure what to make out of it all. My conclusions for the moment are the following:

1. No one can really playback any kind of material without stuttering at any framerate.
2. Some claim that the can do so at 30fps. But then again they are not sure if their screen studder...
3. I think that everything works on my set except for random studder that I can't see any logic for, it happens ones every 10 seconds or so when playing back video.
4. Some says the HDMI 1.3 booster solves the issues... or some of the issues... for some users but thats not really confirmed..

I know, there is not much thats firm in that list. but I think that sums up this thread, and yes I would love to stand corrected on any or all of these points.

And yes I only had this screen for a day but I think it gives me a bad headache.


Could it be so simple so that the HDMI cable that comes with the seiki is shit...? will try another one tomorrow. Also I will try to go trough the mac TB / min display port trough a mini display to HDMI converter but I do not know if that converter supports HDMI 1.3 or if the mac book even output 4k trough the mini display / tb port.... Ahhh now my head hurts even more.

 

[Sergio Perez]

Thanks Wayne, Yes I find it odd that we actually have a 90 page thread about a TV that does not really work... is it that bad? I'm fine buying that giffen booster if it fixes the issues with frame tearing / studder but I rather hand it back to the store if it's only a hack solution that let some of the problems remain. I been trying to follow this thread many times over but it goes so much back and forth so I'm not sure what to make out of it all. My conclusions for the moment are the following:

1. No one can really playback any kind of material without stuttering at any framerate.
2. Some claim that the can do so at 30fps. But then again they are not sure if their screen studder...
3. I think that everything works on my set except for random studder that I can't see any logic for, it happens ones every 10 seconds or so when playing back video.
4. Some says the HDMI 1.3 booster solves the issues... or some of the issues... for some users but thats not really confirmed..

I know, there is not much thats firm in that list. but I think that sums up this thread, and yes I would love to stand corrected on any or all of these points.

And yes I only had this screen for a day but I think it gives me a bad headache.


Could it be so simple so that the HDMI cable that comes with the seiki is shit...? will try another one tomorrow. Also I will try to go trough the mac TB / min display port trough a mini display to HDMI converter but I do not know if that converter supports HDMI 1.3 or if the mac book even output 4k trough the mini display / tb port.... Ahhh now my head hurts even more.

Bjorn, do keep us posted. I am planning on jumping in on this and connecting my Macbookpro Retina on it. Are you getting freeze frames from 25P material, like a poor 25p to 24p conversion?

I really hope this setup works. The price of this thing is really attractive. Am not looking for the ultimate display here, just something I can showcase the benefits and differences of 4K. I can "sort of" do it with the Retina display, but in a 50" Screen its a lot more convincing...

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

This is the newer version of the one Frazier posted and it's a bit cheaper: http://www.provantage.com/gefen-gtb-hdbt-pol-blk~7GEFN0CQ.htm It also has the advantage of running longer distances since it uses CAT-6 cabling and it sends power over line (POL), the receiver end doesn't need a power supply. Can also transmit IR or pulse data.

It's actually gone up in price about $50 over the past couple weeks for some reason. I guess people are finding them to be useful as they also aid in pushing signals to other displays and, IMO, are the best way to hook up a projector.

I don't know of any cheaper solutions that work 100%.. Simple boosters don't seem to do it and it's not that they wouldn't do it, it's that there isn't a simple booster available that isn't complete crap. Most don't even boost the signal, they do nothing or just crank up the amplitude and that solves little.

The HDMI cable that comes with the SEIKI is shit. I tested it and some other cables when I first got the SEIKI and was having troubles. If it were 6" longer, it wouldn't pass HDMI 1.3~1.4a spec.

A stutter every 10 seconds or so is probably your playback device.

When operating at UHD resolution, the monitor only refreshes the image at 30fps. You get pull-up judder for 24fps material or other less than 30fps rates it will accept. I don't have any proper PAL hardware in my area or way to test if the set will sync and operate at 25fps or if people in PAL land also have 30fps issues to deal with.

The HDBASE-T extender from Monoprice also works OK, but not as good as the Gefen one and there's only a few $ difference.

 

[Sergio Perez]

This is the newer version of the one Frazier posted and it's a bit cheaper: http://www.provantage.com/gefen-gtb-hdbt-pol-blk~7GEFN0CQ.htm It also has the advantage of running longer distances since it uses CAT-6 cabling and it sends power over line (POL), the receiver end doesn't need a power supply. Can also transmit IR or pulse data.

It's actually gone up in price about $50 over the past couple weeks for some reason. I guess people are finding them to be useful as they also aid in pushing signals to other displays and, IMO, are the best way to hook up a projector.

I don't know of any cheaper solutions that work 100%.. Simple boosters don't seem to do it and it's not that they wouldn't do it, it's that there isn't a simple booster available that isn't complete crap. Most don't even boost the signal, they do nothing or just crank up the amplitude and that solves little.

The HDMI cable that comes with the SEIKI is shit. I tested it and some other cables when I first got the SEIKI and was having troubles. If it were 6" longer, it wouldn't pass HDMI 1.3~1.4a spec.

A stutter every 10 seconds or so is probably your playback device.

When operating at UHD resolution, the monitor only refreshes the image at 30fps. You get pull-up judder for 24fps material or other less than 30fps rates it will accept. I don't have any proper PAL hardware in my area or way to test if the set will sync and operate at 25fps or if people in PAL land also have 30fps issues to deal with.

The HDBASE-T extender from Monoprice also works OK, but not as good as the Gefen one and there's only a few $ difference.

Thanks for the info Jeff. Do you think if I send you a 1 minute 4K prores lite 25p file you can test it ?

Cheers

Sergio

 

[Frazier Nivens]

Are you saying that this boaster take out the studded/tearing images?
If so for what frame rates?

Shot at 23.98. And I got high end HDMI cables from Monoprice. What Jeff said...he told me about the entender.