Sony STR-DA4600ES A/V Receiver Video Test Bench

Video Test Bench

The Sony AVR does not perform any upconversion from its HDMI inputs to its HDMI outputs. Therefore, the only applicable Digital tests here are Video Clipping and Resolution, each performed with a 1080p input and 1080p output.

There is a Video Direct setting in the HDMI setup menu that, according to the manual, “lets you output the video input signals from the HDMI in jack directly to the HDMI out jack.” It has two positions. In Off, HDMI inputs pass through a video processor. In On, HDMI inputs are output directly, bypassing any video processing. While it was unclear at press deadline exactly what said video processor does for the HD HDMI source material from Blu-ray that we use for our testing (since it does not upconvert), it does do one thing for certain. In its On position, the Chroma Resolution passes cleanly, while in Off (the default and, according to Sony, recommended setting), the Digital Chroma Resolution degrades to Borderline. The highest-frequency resolution burst still shows resolution lines, but they are barely visible from a normal viewing position. The results of the Digital Luma Resolution and Video Clipping tests were identical in either position of the Video Direct control.

The Analog Chroma Resolution was also Borderline. The Analog Clipping test passed above white (but it extends only to 245, not to the desired maximum of level 255) but did not go below black (it extended down to a black level of 18 but no lower).—TJN

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