# DarbeeVision Replaces the Darblet with Its New DVP-5000S



## Todd Anderson

Four years ago DarbeeVision’s founder, Paul Darbee, brought the company’s first video processing product to market. Dubbed the “Darblet,” this small palm-sized unit was designed to deliver Darbee Visual Presence (DVP) enhancements to any HDMI input video. The Darblet received lots of buzz and gathered a legion of avid users quick to praise its positive integration in their reference systems. Within a year companies such as Oppo and Lumagen were featuring DVP on several high-profile models.

DarbeeVision’s DVP video effect was unlike any kind of processor previously available. Rather than attacking greyscale and color accuracy, the DVP was designed to use a proprietary algorithm to alter the luminance of pixels involved in dark-to-light transitions within an image. These alterations were meant to enhance the depth and detail of an image. Home Theater Shack’s *own review* of the Darblet found the unit’s processing effect on Blu-ray films to be notably good; some issues with grainy film content (not to mention HDMI handshake problems) were notable negatives.

Fast-forward several years and the Darblet has officially been replaced. DarbeeVision recently announced the small-sized arrival of the Darblet’s successor: the DVP-5000S.

Aimed squarely at consumer video enthusiasts and video gamers, the DVP-5000S features the same upgraded video processing algorithm (V 2.0 Processing) featured on the company’s large flagship DVP-5100CIE rack-mountable model. The 5000S, however, is Darblet-sized. It ships with a 360-degree IR sensor and a full-size remote. Its sleek black case has dimmable LED indicator lights.

The DVP-5000S is a curious product, simply because it’s launching at a time when 4K UHD video with enhancements such as Wide Color Gamut and High Dynamic Range is on the cusp boiling over into mainstream demand. The 5000S is only HDMI 1.4 compliant, which means it will work fine within standard Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray systems and gear currently designed to up-convert Blu-ray signals to 4K displays. It isn’t capable of true 4K video pass-through. That being said, standard Blu-ray content should have reasonably strong legs for at least one more year (if not longer), which means the DVP-5000S has time for impact.

DarbeeVision has kindly made a DVP-5000S available to Home Theater Shack for review, which should post sometime in the next month.

_Image Credit: DarbeeVision_


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## NBPk402

Will you by chance be able to compare it to the old Darblet too?


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## Todd Anderson

ellisr63 said:


> Will you by chance be able to compare it to the old Darblet too?


Unfortunately, no... unless I can dig one up. ;-)

If Darbee hasn't shipped, I'll see if they can include one.


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## JimShaw

I own the Darblet for years now and enjoy it.

BUT I won't even consider the new 5000 with 1.4 HDMI ports. If the ports change to 2.0 OR Oppo doesn't include the Darbee in their up and coming 4K model, then I will purchase.


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