Upconverting DVD Player Options/Impressions [Text View] - Page 5

kiwi2000

11-05-05, 10:36 AM

dusterscott wrote;

It finally worked for me with my HD841. It took a few tries so you might have to try the procedure a few times like I did. 'HDCP Free' appeared on my screen after I pressed '7'.

___________________________________________________________

Dusterscott when I input the sequence the red "you have pushed the wrong button" comes up at every push on the screen. Did this happen to you?

Does the disc have to be on or not? I have tried many, many times. I must be missing something simple.

To review just turn on the unit, then input the sequence even though the player is showing the red "you are not allowed to press this now" button on every stroke. Then the player will say HDCP?
Does the player have to be on a specific menu or input for the procedure?

I will keep trying, thanks all for the prompt replies.

moxie1617

11-06-05, 11:37 AM

Does the disc have to be on or not? I have tried many, many times. I must be missing something simple.

The disc tray has to be empty for the hack to work.

freqq28

11-06-05, 01:48 PM

My Hitachi 43FDX15b RPTV apparently upscales sources (including DVD) automatically. I think Toshiba RPTVs do too.

Have the scalers in these new DVD players surpassed what's in my circa 2002 TV?

kingfrog

11-06-05, 11:39 PM

GSB

11-07-05, 08:58 PM

Can anyone post experiences with the Sony DVP NS 3100ES DVD player on a high end monitor/TV?

I'm considering this player vs. the OPPO, but haven't been able to see one in action yet because my local Es dealer doesn't have one in stock. I read throughthe last six pages of the thread, but there really wasn't anything there about the 3100ES. Good choices! There have been a few good reports about the 3100ES, and the Oppo is already well-known for its excellent picture, so I'd love to see a fair comparison of these two.

It would also be very helpful to see the 3100ES tested with the HQV test disk. We already have that info for the Oppo.

The Oppo has the price advantage - costing half the price of the Sony, but the Sony may have the advantage in the macroblocking arena.

Gary

kiwi2000

11-07-05, 11:58 PM

moxie1617 says

The disc tray has to be empty for the hack to work.
_________________________________________________________

Thanks, it works.

My first impressions of the HD 850 in this format 720p, the whites are whiter and the blacks are blacker. It looks different for sure, but I believe the graduations of black are absent with this player in this configuration.

I do not know if this player is deficit in regards to black level, it might have been discussed earlier if so I will concur. All in all my "old" player is the equal or better in my humble opinion on this item alone.

It is possible that the picture is a bit smoother but the loss of graduation of shading does not make up for it.

chadthedrummer7

11-08-05, 04:33 PM

Itsdon

11-08-05, 05:00 PM

now that i have read all 34 pages of this... let's ask again...
what are the best upconverting DVD player that are new
for this year. I see the first post was back in July of 2004
and was lookin for an update on the same old question:

which upconverting DVD player do you think is the best?

Sony NS70H. Every player has quirks but this one puts out one of the best pictures I've ever seen and that's utimately what matters.

hywdx80

11-09-05, 12:44 AM

Which one will be better?

NS70H or the OppoDigital player?

Itsdon

11-09-05, 01:24 AM

Which one will be better?

NS70H or the OppoDigital player?

I've owned them both, along with the Samsung HD941 and the Zenith 318. The Sony is a terric player with a downright killer picture that none of the others could match - not even the mighty Oppo. That's saying a lot coming from me because I've been a big Faroudja fan ever since I bought my first PJ, the Infocus X1.

GSB

11-09-05, 04:35 AM

I've owned them both, along with the Samsung HD941 and the Zenith 318. The Sony is a terric player with a downright killer picture that none of the others could match - not even the mighty Oppo. That's interesting. Why do you say the Sony has a "killer picture that... not even the mighty Oppo could match"? The Sony fails so many of the deinterlacing tests when compared to the Oppo.

Did you try the Oppo with the latest firmware upgrades? The new features and fixes make it even mightier than before. Even though my DLP TV is highly susceptible to the dreaded Faroudja macroblock-enhancement bug, I was able to eliminate it with a bit of tweaking of the display and the Oppo's new features. The Oppo still has a few defects to fix, but they are being worked on by a very dedicated team of engineers. The Oppo will continue to improve.

Gary

dusterscott

11-09-05, 06:57 AM

I am very satisfied with the Oppo's PQ. Last night I made some recommended changes in my display's service menu (2-year old Sony RP LCD). The changes I made were recommmended by a forum member that calibrates displays for a living. The settings I changed improved picture sharpness and clarity, reduced the red push that is common in these displays (due to factory settings), and improved the accuracy of the gray scale. You can do the research on here and make these changes yourself for your particular display or you can pay a professional calibrator to do it for you. Anyways, what I would like to point out is the importance of a good calibration. The results were amazing for me and the Oppo looks even better on my display than before I made the changes.

etw926

11-09-05, 10:57 AM

Yes the remote angle hack works on the DVD-HD850. The > just means next step, so to simplify:

Power on
Angle
4
3
2
7
Angle

That is the sequence of keystrokes to make the Samsung DVD-HD841, HD850, HD941 and HD950 upscale over component connections.

Chris

Does this hack have to be applied each time you turn on player or will the setting be remembered each time?

dusterscott

11-09-05, 11:48 AM

The setting is saved.

kiwi2000

11-09-05, 02:06 PM

My first impressions of the HD 850 in this format 720p, the whites are whiter and the blacks are blacker. It looks different for sure, but I believe the graduations of black are absent with this player in this configuration.

I do not know if this player is deficit in regards to black level, it might have been discussed earlier if so I will concur. All in all my "old" player is the equal or better in my humble opinion on this item alone.

It is possible that the picture is a bit smoother but the loss of graduation of shading does not make up for it.

____________________________________________________________ _____

Upon further calibration of the HD850 I have to take the previous observations back. This setup is the only one where all the segments of the gray scale are visible on the VE DVD disc. I never thought I would be able to achieve this! It looks like a keeper.

Thanks again to all who took the time to respond and allow me to achieve the upconverted image.

GSB

11-09-05, 02:25 PM

Anyways, what I would like to point out is the importance of a good calibration. The results were amazing for me and the Oppo looks even better on my display than before I made the changes.Yes, I think too many people are comparing players without doing the necessary calibration on each one. That is not a fair comparison at all! A good calibration can make an average player look great, and a good player look amazing!

To the newbies on this forum: Beware of player recommendations from people who do not properly calibrate when comparing players. Their results will not be accurate.

Gary

mikea28

11-09-05, 06:18 PM

Al Fletcher

11-09-05, 11:38 PM

1) I recently purchased the Panasonic DVD-S77. It is a very impressive player. It has a beautiful picture when output at 720p thru HDMI to DVI cable hookup on my Samsung DLP.
Main complaint that I have with this player is that the manual has small print and is poorly written. It takes a lot of time to set it up correctly because the setups are hidden in obscure menus. However, once set up, it rivals the OPPO in PQ and does not appear to have lip sync problems from disc to disc. Using the player's settings, I did have to set a time delay to get good synchronization--but only once--this setup worked for all DVDs.
I am a little scared of the short term warranty on the Panasonic. And when I checked on an extended warranty-- it cost 3/4 the cost of a brand new player.
2) If you want good customer support, I highly recommend the OPPO. They were great to me. Very timely responses.
3) If you want terrible customer support, buy a Bravo D2. I recently bought a new one that was defective and could not get a replacement or get it repaired by the manufacturer. After a month of waiting, I returned it to the folks who sold it to me for a refund. I had to eat shipping costs to me and back to the seller. I will not buy another item from Vinc again.

dusterscott

11-10-05, 06:19 AM

Is this over component or HDMI?

He's talking about upconverting over component. The Samsungs don't pass BTB over DVI or HDMI.

xradman

11-10-05, 10:18 AM

LG LDA531

1. Upconverts everything through HDMI - upconverts all non copy protected contents through Component
2. Farouja DCDi processing
3. Plays most DivX/XviD files
4. Can easily be made RegionFree
5. Easily comparable picture quality to my HTPC w/ FFDSHOW processing; best I have seen from a standalone player
6. Very very quiet.

BEST PLAYER FOR THE MONEY IN MY OPINION NOW

Chris Gerhard

11-10-05, 11:23 AM

Neuromancer

11-11-05, 07:15 PM

Chris,

It uses the MediaTek MT1389FE chipset.

HIDEF_J

11-11-05, 09:21 PM

1) I recently purchased the Panasonic DVD-S77. It is a very impressive player. It has a beautiful picture when output at 720p thru HDMI to DVI cable hookup on my Samsung DLP.
.

Yeah, PQ may very well be even though I returned it...
PQ means nothing without Audio quality, something the S77 lacks fumdamentally!

Sure I know it is sub 300.00 US dollars but for 200.00 more dollars you can get an A stock Factory sealed Denon 2910 unit NIB for 500.00 RIGHT NOW @ GOOD GUYS!!! ( I did!)

The PQ after doing the necessary adjustments looks close to my 1600 and the Audio is quite phenominal for the price......

The sound you get from the 2910 kills the Panny......
I know EVERYone talk about the PQ when comparing DVD players but the audio is really equally important agreed?

mdmaclean

11-11-05, 11:21 PM

I know EVERYone talk about the PQ when comparing DVD players but the audio is really equally important agreed?

I connect my DVD player to my receiver with an optical cable. Do you find sound differences that way between the players? I would have expected that connecting that way puts the responsibility for good audio pretty much exclusively on the receiver, not the DVD player, but I've never done A/B tests...

DukeN

11-12-05, 03:28 PM

Chris, that might be because that DVD player model seems to be available only in Canada (futureshop.ca is one vendor). I'm yet to see a US site that carries it.

Ah would love to have an in-depth review of all of the current DVD players today.

Edit: Forgot to add -I'm trying to decide between this player and the Pioneer 588A - apparently both are nice for video and sound quality.

I haven't heard of this player before. Do you know what chips are used for MPEG decoding, de-interlacing and upscaling?

Chris

Itsdon

11-12-05, 09:09 PM

That's interesting. Why do you say the Sony has a "killer picture that... not even the mighty Oppo could match"? The Sony fails so many of the deinterlacing tests when compared to the Oppo.

Did you try the Oppo with the latest firmware upgrades? The new features and fixes make it even mightier than before. Even though my DLP TV is highly susceptible to the dreaded Faroudja macroblock-enhancement bug, I was able to eliminate it with a bit of tweaking of the display and the Oppo's new features. The Oppo still has a few defects to fix, but they are being worked on by a very dedicated team of engineers. The Oppo will continue to improve.

Gary

My PJ is not susceptible to Faroudja MB and because of that I've never been afraid to try Faroudja based players. As a matter of fact I was a huge Faroudja fan because my original PJ (Infocus X1) used Faroudja for it's internal deinterlacing and did a stellar job of it. Granted the Oppo I had was a fairly original one (July 2005) and didn't have the benefit of the most recent firmware releases so my judgement of it is based on older firmware. Never the less, I'm anal about calibration and anytime any element of my system is changed (audio, video, cable etc.) I whip out the DVE and do it all over. The Oppo's picture DVI>DVI was never just 'right'. Calls to Oppo's tech support (which is incredible by the way) still couldn't address the PQ issues and so back it went. The player always seemed to be just one firmware release shy of 'not' being a beta machine.

The Sony on the other hand hardly needed any tweaking at all. The PQ out of the box was sharper and more accurate than the one I got out of the Oppo after hours of fidgeting. Sure the Sony has a wart called 'picture shift' but if you can live with that you will be rewarded with a stellar picture. Many folks are blinded by details without seeing the big picture. If it doesn't pass this test or that it must be a terrible player. What matters to me, above anything else, is simply the quality of the picture that ends up on the screen when I hit play. Everything else is background noise. It can fail every test known to man but when push comes to shove the Sony's magic is better than the Oppo's magic, at least for me.

The picture produced by the Sony (calibrated) is simply beautiful and those folks who complain it can't be because it failed this test or that probably have never used one and are basing their judgements on something written down, not first hand experience. I've owned both, calibrated both and lived with both. The Sony earned it's place in my system by passing the only test that really matters, the one that comes every time I hit "Play". :)

Costi

11-14-05, 03:50 PM

I currently own a Sony NS70H and I'm quite impressed with the picture quality. My TV is 32" Sony HS420 (CRT). I first tried the Oppo (stellar reviews) and returned it. Oppo sports a very good image quality, but (at least in my case) it just couldn't win a side by side comparison with the Sony.

What's funny about this is that I really didn't expect it to happen. I had problems with Oppo's 480p over HDMI (image was shaky) so I figured to try out a different player and see if the problem goes away. CircuitCity had this Sony on sale for close to 100$, so I picked it up hoping I won't lose too much PQ if I switch.

It's interesting that Oppo did a lot better in synthetic DVD tests, so I really can't tell what exactly is Sony doing to get that improved (perceived?) picture quality. But it sure works everytime I play a movie. Don't take my word for it - give it a try and see for yourself. :)

Side-note: I get the best PQ in 480p over component. Figure that for an HDMI upconverting player... It seems that the upscaler inside the 32HS420 is pretty good.

dnesbitt

11-15-05, 08:12 AM

Can I expect the picture quality from the N90V to be essentially the same as what is touted for the N70H? I just ordered this DVD player using my AMEX reward points (about 33,000) last night, to go with my HP HD DLP.

Grayson73

11-15-05, 12:54 PM

CircuitCity had this Sony on sale for close to 100$, so I picked it up hoping I won't lose too much PQ if I switch.

Costi,

What is the sale at Circuit City? Is it in store? Is the price around $100 after rebate?

Grayson73

11-15-05, 12:55 PM

Chris Gerhard

11-15-05, 01:01 PM

Chris, that might be because that DVD player model seems to be available only in Canada (futureshop.ca is one vendor). I'm yet to see a US site that carries it.

Ah would love to have an in-depth review of all of the current DVD players today.

Edit: Forgot to add -I'm trying to decide between this player and the Pioneer 588A - apparently both are nice for video and sound quality.

The 588A is considered a great value and very good performer at 480p. If you like upscaling of course, the picture quality won't be as good with displays that benefit from upscaling players.

Chris

Costi

11-15-05, 09:08 PM

Grayson73, the current Circuit City price is $XXX.XX after a $XX rebate (you must buy online, shipping is free or you can pick up in store).

Edit note: seems like I was going against the rules here. Thanks Itsdon.

Itsdon

11-15-05, 09:39 PM

Grayson73, the current Circuit City price is $114.99 after a $20 rebate (you must buy online, shipping is free or you can pick up in store).

Costi, first off welcome to the forums! I'm sure you'll be addicted like the rest of us in no time ;) Here's a thread you should read though....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=500886

silentknight095

11-17-05, 08:46 PM

Does any know if the angle hack works for the Samsung HD-845. It is the one from best buy is it the same as the 841 or 850. I have tried the hack over and over and cant get. Does the 850 come with a hdmi cable i might take this one back to best buy and get the 850 from circuit city. Thanks in advance for any help.

ProTuber

11-19-05, 09:54 PM

.... Does the 850 come with a hdmi cable i might take this one back to best buy and get the 850 from circuit city. Thanks in advance for any help.

Yes, the 850 comes with a 6ft HDMI cable in the box.

Busyman

11-20-05, 06:51 PM

I've heard many folks touting one player over another and I want to know definitively what's the best one for

1080i output

Is it the Sony, Oppo, whatever?

I'm want to purchase one tonight. I want as close to HD as possible. I have seen 480p a million times over and want better.

I see the Oppo is $200 and the Sony is $130 at CC online. I plan on getting my cables at monoprice if needed. They seem to be the cheapest.

I have a Mitsubishi 65" projection TV with DVI if that helps. Thanks.

Chris Gerhard

11-20-05, 09:26 PM

For a display with no macroblocking enhancement problems, the Oppo is better in my opinion. If you display is prone to the problem, then the DVP-NS70H is very nice. I am assuming your display accepts DVI or HDMI. Neither will be close to HDTV but both could provide a subtle improvement over your 480p players.

Chris

Bud-man

11-22-05, 02:44 PM

Dont forget the LG 511, looks real nice on my panasonic plasma, has a smooth colorful picture, plus it plays everything, not like a sony......esp PAL.

Riot Nrrrd™

11-24-05, 12:30 AM

Not to jump into the fray sideways but I'm finding that my 3-year-old Denon DVD-2800 Mk. II player is having problems with layer breaks on Verbatim 2x-burned Dual-Layer DL discs of movies I've burned to them. While it plays store-bought DVD-9's just fine this is pretty much a deal-breaker for me - probably time to get a new player.

I've been really spoiled by the DVD-2800's PQ - to me it's pretty spectacular. I'm also enamored of the ability to play PAL discs simply by putting the player into NTSC mode, as the Denon converts internally. I'm also using it currently over Component into a Sony KV-34XBR910 CRT TV set, because the (single) DVI input on the Sony is being fed from my Sony SAT-HD300 DirecTV STB.

Is there no panacea here? It seems like you can either get a pricey player that's got great PQ and sound (like the Denon line) but doesn't play some of the newer formats like DivX's or MPEG-2 Transport Stream files or it doesn't upconvert to 1080i (or only does it over one output and not the other, etc.) - I'm not really sure which way to turn. I'm starting to wonder whether I should go look for an open box deal on a Denon 2910 or 3910 (thus keeping the superior 480i/480p PQ and PAL playability and sound), and additionally go with something like the JVC/IO Data SRDVD100 for the .ts files/upconversion/network streaming/DivX/etc. capability. (I guess I need to look into this Oppo upscaling player you're all talking about.)

Is that a sounder strategy, splitting the horizons?

GSB

11-25-05, 02:05 PM

Give the OPPO a try. Its definitely worth a look... it challenges the big boys at a fraction of the price.

candyrocket786

11-25-05, 11:23 PM

I might take the Up-Convert DVD plunge this weekend, but I'm trying to research the best player for my needs.

Currently have:

Panny CRT RPTV (PT47X54; HDMI)
DVD Collection consisting of NTSC (Regions 1, 2, 3) and PAL (Regions 2 & 4).

Any advice?

buckman1

11-27-05, 01:15 AM

Man my eyes hurt! Having read the last 20 or so pages, I am totally lost as to what to do now.

Here is my deal. I have a Panny AE700 LCD projector, sports 720p native (or did I read that wrong)?. I am looking for a cheap but decent 100" or bigger screen, preferrably electronic, but I could live with manual since we dont watch movies all the time and have to share our living room with the home theatre setup (any recomendations for screens since ya'll seem to know your dvd/projectors too?).

I have been reading in this forum and others that the denon 1910, 2910 and so forth are good dvd players because of the Faroudja dcdi chip, but also some players with an sis chipset are good too.

So here is what I am trying to achieve, and mind you its with a limited budget.

I would like a DVD player that has excellent audio (optical cable to my HK-AVR510 receiver), HDMI output (to my Panny HDMI input), and hopefully can finally make use of my PJ beyond what my current xbox dvd player or the cheap one I bought for $20 does via component video. I would love nothing more than to watch a movie like I've never seen it before, sit back and just be like "OMG! I can't believe I've been missing this for the last year that I've had this PJ". From what I am reading, it really sounds like with one of these better dvd players, a decent screen and the PJ I have, I should really be blown away compared to what I see now (which is played on my 9foot wide white wall by the way).

So, what's a guy to do? I'm going to get one of those tv wall mounts that cost 1/3 the price of a projector wall mount, and put my projector on it, and attach the dvd player right below it so I dont have to spend more than about my arm on a small HDMI cable (what gives.. man, $100 for 3 feet?).

I know this is a DVD thread, so if you want to ignore my request for a total package solution, please do. I am just looking to enhance my movie going experience with a good dvd player, decent (preferrably cheap) first time 100" or so screen.

Thank you.

Mark_Venture

11-27-05, 03:09 PM

Man my eyes hurt! Having read the last 20 or so pages, I am totally lost as to what to do now.Join the club.. I'm confused too.

My trusty old Pioneer DV-440 (non-progressive) player looks really really good with my Sony KDF42-WE655 via Component input. My Pioneer DVR-531H-S doesn't look as good (using component or S-video) as either progress scan or interlaced for DVD playback on the same TV.

I was thinking of taking the DV-440 into the bed room and was thinking of getting something "newer/better" to go with the Sony TV, maybe an up-converting unit.

Now, after reading this thread, I'm thinking maybe I'll stick with what I have, and just buy something CHEAP for the bedroom??

Itsdon

11-27-05, 07:15 PM

I wouldn't let the myriad of opinions confuse you out of upgrading. Just be sure to buy at a place with a decent return policy and you should be set. I went through a few players before I settled on what I consider the best of breed player, the Sony NS70H. All players have some issues and this one isn't any different but what really matters is the picture that ends up on the screen and in this respect the Sony shines.

buckman1

11-27-05, 09:27 PM

Itsdon,

The Sony does sound nice, and I have found it online for around $100, so that is incredibly nice price considering I was about to shell out $500+ for the Denon 2910. You and a few others have mentioned that the end result is the picture, and for the most part I agree. But I also agree good sound quality is important as well. Like another member posted here, I thought as long as I use optical to my receiver, the receiver would do the magic of making the audio sound good. Is it not so? Does a pure digital connection from the dvd player to the receiver do this? There isn't any conversion going on to the audio when using the optical is there?

So the big question for me is, can I use HDMI from the sony DVD player to my projector? Or am I stuck using component videos? I also would assume by using HDMI or DVI (I only have HDMI input on the back, so trying to avoid any converters if possible), the like the audio, the video signal would be much better as there is no digital to analog conversion going on. If this is the case, what affect does the 3:2 and de-interlacing stuff have on the DVD unit? Is this as important or less of an issue when going straight digital?

How will the Sony compare to the Denon 2910 and the likes? I thought the Faroudja chipset on the Denon was supposedly the best and thus the price of the Denon (and other models using it). Does the Sony also use the same chip? Or does it do something different?

Thanks again.

supra712

11-28-05, 01:43 AM

Heres what an Oppo paired with an Optoma H31 at 1080i upscaled looks like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v431/lilsupra712/IMG_0118.jpg

Supermans

11-28-05, 02:38 AM

Chris Gerhard

11-28-05, 05:28 AM

I just bought a Sony DVP-NS70H and am a little weary about the shifting image I keep reading about. I am getting a Samsung DLP HLR-5087W 50" and am wondering if I made the right choice.

Also, what is inside (chips, etc) the Sony that differentiates it with the Faroudja based chip???? Sony's own chip??

Sony proprietary chips are used. I couldn't create the shift problem with my NS70H. Even if you see no shift problem with your Samsung display, you will likely continue to wonder if you made the right choice. My suggestion, watch DVD's and if you don't see issues caused by the player that interfere with your viewing, you have made a good choice.

Chris

RobJJ

11-28-05, 01:40 PM

Anyone see the CyberHome upconverting DVD Player at WalMArt for less then $80?
I was looking for a $40 player for my daughter's room when I stumbeled across this player and bought it. Hooked it up the the 42" Maxent Hd and it really works well. All the conversions look fine as well as all the outputs. For $80 the composit and HDMI cables alone are nearly worth the cost of the entire unit.

Did not think you could get any upconverting player for less then $150. If it lasts a year I'll be happy LOL.

CyberHome DVD 655 (http://www.cyberhome.com/products.asp?Product=655)

I too found this one by accident, bought it, and am not quite as happy as you are. First off, when using the HDMI connector to my TV, I had to use a HDMI to DVI cable as my TV only has a DVI connector...however, I got NO picture going that route...not sure yet which component is at fault. I was able to get picture using the component cables. However, I only tried one older DVD, and noticed NO difference using the different resolutions. Should I see a difference for ALL older DVDs, or only some will offer an improvement. I didn't have time to try much and didn't get far into the manual, but so far, I'm less than impressed, but maybe that is due to my not really knowing much about "upconversion" at this time. Maybe with more research, I will understand where the problem is.

Smartarse88

11-28-05, 01:49 PM

Sfox7076

11-28-05, 01:56 PM

I have a Toshiba CRT 34" HDTV widescreen TV. I forget the number of it, but it is a bit on the older side. It has DVI connection. What do you all think is an appropriate player to buy? I have an old Pioneer 563A right now. It is clearly the weakest link in my system. I have a pretty decent Sony elite DVD changer that I use for SACD's, and don't care so much about DVD-A, but would go universal if the player I want has both. I usually listen to CDs in my Arcam CD player... What is the best option for an upconverting player? Will I see a difference in the picture even in a CRT HDTV?

Shawn

FIVE ONE SIX

11-30-05, 03:39 AM

ok, there are alot of pages here...

i just have one question, that i couldn't find the answer to. does anyone know if you can upconvert with the Sony DVP-NS70H dvd player while using component video? i've heard that you can only upconvert while using HDMI, but i'm new to this and haven't be able to find out for if that's for all upconverting dvd players, or only some of them. any help would be greatly appreciated...

it's sitting in the box, and i just want to know which cables i need to get. i would rather use component video, since i use HDMI with my HD cable box, but if i need to reverse that to be able to upconvert i will. i only want to do that if i have to though...

RobJJ

11-30-05, 07:27 AM

RobJJ,
Does the unit actually upconvert over component as that is not strictly legal as it is not copy protected.
If this unit complies with all the rules then it will also need HDCP, does your DVI input have that?
Regards
Scott
Well, not sure how to answer. I know that when I hooked it up using the component cables, and when I switched the resolution modes, I didn't notice any difference in the picture (very disappointing as that was the reason I bought the box to begin with). Your question makes me wonder if I can only expect to get the intended picture enhancement IF I use the HDMI feed. But then, that is the rub...when I tried using the HDMI from the DVD to the DVI connector on my Optoma tv, I got nothing. So, at this point, I'm not sure where the problem lies. Is my DVD not functioning correctly, or is my TV defective? Or is it user error. I've not had time to really research this, but will be able to look into in later this week. I've sent a question to Optoma about the RD50 model to see if they can answer as to why I'm not able to get a picture using the DVI.

beluczywo

11-30-05, 08:04 AM

I have an RCA HDTV that is capable of 480p, 768p, and 1080i. I have digital cable with a Motorola dual tuner DVR that definitely puts out 1080i and it POPS! The contrast between normal broadcast TV and the Digital 1080i signal is amazing. After a lot of reading and considering my budget, I just purchased a Samsung HD841 and spent an hour and a half yesterday hooking it up. I specifically bought this unit since my TV was first generation HD and only has component inputs -- no DVI. I input the proper codes over the remote, correctly saw the DVD player indicate "HDCP Free!", I set the player to "SCAN-P/DVI", and using "DVI Select" on the remote, I can toggle among the modes.

Here's my problem: I don't pretend to be a videophile, but the best way I can describe what I see is as follows: I can discern no difference to my eye from 10 feet away between 480p and 768p. 1080i is about half the color saturation and brightness of the other 2, but resolution doesn't seem to be different. I tried using a copy of Moulin Rouge since it was filmed in THX (better suggestions for test sources?) I also have a copy of "Digital Video Essentials" and tried various test patterns.

Shouldn't I be able to see the results of the upconversion? Shouldn't it be noticeable going from 480 to 1080i? The picture is certainly better than broadcast TV, but normal DVD players have that going for them. I don't think it is as good as a true HD signal from the DVR. I was hoping for a noticeable improvement. The unit is a refurb (the only HD841's I could find), so it is theoretically possible that upconvert might not work, but being in the electronics industry myself that would be an astounding failure mode -- everything works BUT upconvert? Not likely since the code is built into the same chips driving everything else in the player.

Help please on how to test if I got what I paid for or am I expecting the impossible? Thanks a bunch!

hfelsh

11-30-05, 08:40 AM

...Shouldn't I be able to see the results of the upconversion? Shouldn't it be noticeable going from 480 to 1080i? The picture is certainly better than broadcast TV, but normal DVD players have that going for them. I don't think it is as good as a true HD signal from the DVR. I was hoping for a noticeable improvement.

...or am I expecting the impossible? Thanks a bunch!Depends on what you're watching. But basically, you're expecting the imposible. An upconverting playe will not look as good as "true" HDTV. If you can switch modes using the remote, and you're connected via component, it's upconverting. Just don't expect it to look like "true" HDTV, because it won't. :cool:

moxie1617

11-30-05, 10:20 AM

I can discern no difference to my eye from 10 feet away between 480p and 768p.
You will find that although 768p is indicated when using component, it is in fact 480p. 768P is only supported over DVI.

I am sure you are getting what you paid for and it is upscaling. You TV should have some options that are unique when receiving a 1080i signal. For example, on my panny I can't change the aspect ratio when a 1080i signal is received. With 480i I have four options 4:3, zoom, full, and just. With 480P I have three, 4:3, zoom, and full. With 1080i, it only display in full mode and I cannot change it. I also have a color matrix option, SD or HD. With a 480i signal, SD color matrix is selected and I can't change it. With 480p, I can select SD or HD color matrix. With 1080i, HD is selected and I cannot change it. Look at your TV manual and see if you have similar options.

As hfelsh and many others have stated, upconverting DVD isn't HD. I found the 841 better than my old Toshiba SD-2109 480i player, slightly better than my panny DVD recorder which is 480p, but not even close to HD TV.

beluczywo

11-30-05, 01:04 PM

Thanks. After reading your post about your panasonic and HD/SD color matrix, I realized I misidentified my display -- the RCA was my OLD one, I, too have a panasonic -- PT53WX or something (would have to pull the manual at home to make sure). Do you, too, see a significant color saturation difference between 1080i and 480p/768p (probably really 480p)? Given that, I find the 480p to be a more pleasant viewing experience.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something -- you used the term "upscaling" which to me would mean taking a 480 image and duplicating pixels -- going in even multiples would be easy -- 640 x 480 can easily go to 1280 x 960 you'd just get 4 pixels the same (2 in the X dimension, 2 in the Y dimension). An analog display (a projection TV firing electron guns) would have to scan L to R and T to B slower with a 480 signal than a 1080 signal and the beam would need to be wider OR it would have to scan at a fixed rate with a narrow beam and only update the content every 2nd line and 2nd pixel -- effective it would be pixel doubling internally and I wouldn't expect a difference between letting the set do this vs having the DVD player do it before the signal is sent.

I thought that an "upconverting" DVD player, however, would interpolate -- essentially "guess" (mathematically) at the best choice in between the lower pixel count stored on the DVD. This would ADD content and should give smoother transitions between objects, etc. Maybe I need to do some more reading of the fine manuals on Tom's Hardware or other sites -- can anyone suggest some luxury reading to boost my competance on this? Thanks again.

bioman35

11-30-05, 02:19 PM

I have a Samsung HRL4667W (720p Native Resolution). This set has a Faroudja scaler, which is better than what most DVD players have.
1) My question is, do I really need a upconverting DVD player?
2) Should I just let my TV do the upconverting?
3) Will the picture be better with a upconverting player?\

If upconverting is the way to go, then I am thinking of the Samsung HD950, Panny S97S or Oppo DV971H. Any suggestions?

Thanks

moxie1617

11-30-05, 02:23 PM

Thanks. After reading your post about your panasonic and HD/SD color matrix, I realized I misidentified my display -- the RCA was my OLD one, I, too have a panasonic -- PT53WX or something (would have to pull the manual at home to make sure). Do you, too, see a significant color saturation difference between 1080i and 480p/768p (probably really 480p)? Given that, I find the 480p to be a more pleasant viewing experience.

I calibrated both 480P and 1080i over component using DVE. After the calibration, I preferred the picture quality at 1080i.

Regarding my use of the term upscaling, I might be misuing the word. I only meant a player that would output at a resolution greater than 480i/p. There is a sticky at the top of the forum which describes the process of upscaling/upconversion of DVD's.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=477740

Bioman, you may want to check out the above thread also. I had a old player that wasn't progressive scan or upscaling that worked fine on my 27" non-HD TV. I felt I needed something to take advantage of my new HDTV. My decision was do I spend $60 for a progressive scan player or $100 for the HD841. I went with the 841.

DanC-P

11-30-05, 04:07 PM

Heres what an Oppo paired with an Optoma H31 at 1080i upscaled looks like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v431/lilsupra712/IMG_0118.jpg
That looks like Darth Vader to me... ;)

Gilley

11-30-05, 05:02 PM

bioman35

11-30-05, 05:17 PM

The main reason to buy and use an upscaling DVD player is to keep the video signal in pure digital mode from the DVD to your screen and to bypass the analog circuitry and A/D or D/A conversions. This is most beneficial in an all digital fixed pixel display, such as DLP. Other displays have to undergo D/A conversions of the digital signal (DVI or HDMI) to analog prior to being displayed on the screen.

I can tell a lot of difference between the DVI and component inputs on my Sammy HLN DLP. When ISF calibrating it, the component input showed a lot more noise and less accurate color than the DVI. The DVI input looks great with the Oppo.

But if you don't have a digital input, then a DVD player that upconverts over component may or may not be better. It depends on your set, but if he set is older, odds are that a newer DVD player will have a better upconverting chip inside. But that's not a guarantee.
Well my Samsung DLP HLR4667W has a Fourjura(sp?) chip, which is similar to the oppo. So, would having a upconverting dvd player be beneficial to me? Many people have said that I would not be able to tell the difference between a good 480p, connected by components, and having my TV do the upconverting than having a dvd player do the upconverting over HDMI.

And if I do get a upconverting dvd player connected by HDMI, I should get one with a scaler that is just as good, if not better, than the Fourjura chip. Which, I have read, isn't many in my price range (under $300) which leave only the oppo?

buckman1

11-30-05, 05:29 PM

The Denon 1910 has HDMI (or is it DVI) output with upscaling and uses the Fourajada (sp?) chip, the same chip in the 2910 that is $500 more. You can find the 1910 for about $150 or so on ebay, although this may be BStock.. not so sure if thats really bad or not.

Anyone else got ideas about the Denon 1910 and 2910? Are they as good as the Sony and Oppo?

GSB

11-30-05, 10:09 PM

Well my Samsung DLP HLR4667W has a Fourjura(sp?) chip, which is similar to the oppo. So, would having a upconverting dvd player be beneficial to me? Many people have said that I would not be able to tell the difference between a good 480p, connected by components, and having my TV do the upconverting than having a dvd player do the upconverting over HDMI.

And if I do get a upconverting dvd player connected by HDMI, I should get one with a scaler that is just as good, if not better, than the Fourjura chip. Which, I have read, isn't many in my price range (under $300) which leave only the oppo?Read Gilley's post above yours. The player and the TV both use the Faroudja chip, so the deinterlacing and upscaling performance will be identical.

BUT... if you use the component connections, the player has to convert the digital signal (on the DVD) to analog, and then the TV has to convert the analog signal back to digital. These conversions, and the length of analog cable, introduce noise, banding and other undesirable artifacts. DVI/HDMI avoids the analog conversions, giving you pure digital performance, all the way to your DLP mirrors.

The OPPO player is an amazing match for Samsung DLP's at an incredible price. I found that the macroblock-enhance bug (the main drawback to Faroudja players) can be successfully suppressed on many DLP displays, including Samsungs. I detailed the method in the OPPO DCDi thread.

Gary

PFC5

11-30-05, 10:29 PM

Well, not sure how to answer. I know that when I hooked it up using the component cables, and when I switched the resolution modes, I didn't notice any difference in the picture (very disappointing as that was the reason I bought the box to begin with). Your question makes me wonder if I can only expect to get the intended picture enhancement IF I use the HDMI feed. But then, that is the rub...when I tried using the HDMI from the DVD to the DVI connector on my Optoma tv, I got nothing. So, at this point, I'm not sure where the problem lies. Is my DVD not functioning correctly, or is my TV defective? Or is it user error. I've not had time to really research this, but will be able to look into in later this week. I've sent a question to Optoma about the RD50 model to see if they can answer as to why I'm not able to get a picture using the DVI.

The Optoma RD50 DOES NOT have HDCP compliance. You have to pay $400.00 extra to get the board that IS compliant. The alternative is to use a DVD that does not require a HDCP display. One such player is the NeuNeo HVD2085, which has the best PQ in an upconvert player I have seen yet.

NOTE:

I have NOT tried the following highly rated players yet:
Oppo 971
Panasonic S97
Panasonic S77

The Oppo does not require HDCP either, but both Pannys DO require a HDCP compliant display for upscaling.

bioman35

12-01-05, 07:11 AM

justuskenney

12-01-05, 08:40 AM

Will someone pleas guide to to a specfic thread for newbies like me. I'm looking for info that explains upconverting, the best DVD player for my Sony 50A10, and cables I should use. I hear a lot about the OPPO. That's the one I'm leaning towards. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

JK

Gilley

12-01-05, 10:37 AM

Thanks GSB. You've convinced me to go HDMI for my DVD player and switch my STB back to component. Now, which do you think would be a better match for my DLP, the Oppo or Sammy HD950 or Panny S97S? Of the three, which provide a better PQ? Audio? Overall?

Go HDMI or DVI whenever possible. The idea is to keep the signal all digital without any conversions to analog and back to digital.

Unfortunately, all the Sammy upconverting players don't pass blacker than black over DVI. I like my Oppo 971.

GSB

12-01-05, 02:56 PM

Thanks GSB. You've convinced me to go HDMI for my DVD player and switch my STB back to component. Now, which do you think would be a better match for my DLP, the Oppo or Sammy HD950 or Panny S97S? Of the three, which provide a better PQ? Audio? Overall? I would definitely rule out the Samsung HD950 for too many fatal little flaws. Both the OPPO and the Panasonic are excellent choices, but many favor the OPPO for: Best price, unbelievable customer service, constant firmware upgrades to improve the player, and top-notch performance in all the professional deinterlacing, scaling and responsiveness tests (like the SECRETS review). The picture and audio quality compares very favorably with much more expensive players, although some who have high-end listening rooms, still swear by the analog audio quality of their more expensive players. It comes with a DVI cable and a DVI-to-HDMI converter cable.

Gary

Supermans

12-01-05, 05:35 PM

What about Sony's NS70H. Has anyone looked at the quality output compared to the Oppo's OPDV971H.

Itsdon

12-01-05, 07:07 PM

What about Sony's NS70H. Has anyone looked at the quality output compared to the Oppo's OPDV971H.

I have. I've owned the Samsung 941, Zenith 318 and the Oppo. Of the 4, I kept the Sony for 1 reason - picture quality. They all have issues, it's just a matter of which issue you can live with. When it came right down to it though I based my decision on one factor, the picture that ended up on the screen. All the specifications, details and hardware talk to me becomes nothing more than background noise compared to the end result. All that really matters to me is when I hit 'play' I get the best possible picture on my screen and sound from my speakers. The Sony delivers those in spades.

snatch

12-01-05, 07:47 PM

Itsdon

12-01-05, 09:08 PM

Do you guys really see THAT much of a difference between progressive scan and these upconverting players? Even within a player itself I am hard pressed to see any difference between the different resolution settings. Last week I hooked up the Sony 70H to three different sets and changed the resolution between 480p and 720p and 1080i, and I honestly could not tell the difference. The difference between 480i and 480p was there for sure, but that's about it. What all do you see in these upconverting players?

I guess it really depends on your display source. I have a 1024X576 projector and the difference between 480P and 720P on my Sony 70H is 'very' noticeable. Background items come into focus and everything is simply sharper. To me this means that the Upscaler in my Sony 70H is better than what my PJ is using.

GSB

12-01-05, 09:27 PM

All the specifications, details and hardware talk to me becomes nothing more than background noise compared to the end result. All that really matters to me is when I hit 'play' I get the best possible picture on my screen and sound from my speakers. That's ultimately the right way to make the decision.

However, it is important to be thoroughly informed of the "specifications, details and hardware talk", because, if you know what you're looking for (or when the initial "wow factor" wears off), a player that fails the typical performance tests, can reveal significant artifacts that can later become annoying.

The Faroudja chip is still the performance king at this price level (when properly implemented by the player manufacturer) but it does come with the risk of macroblock-enhance on some display types. Thankfully, I was able to eliminate that problem on my DLP, and the result with the OPPO is spectacular.

One other thing for newcomers to keep in mind: When evaluating a player on your display, it is essential that you properly calibrate your display for each player you try. Otherwise the results will be skewed, and you will not be making a fair comparison.

Gary

bioman35

12-01-05, 09:30 PM

I would definitely rule out the Samsung HD950 for too many fatal little flaws. Both the OPPO and the Panasonic are excellent choices, but many favor the OPPO for: Best price, unbelievable customer service, constant firmware upgrades to improve the player, and top-notch performance in all the professional deinterlacing, scaling and responsiveness tests (like the SECRETS review). The picture and audio quality compares very favorably with much more expensive players, although some who have high-end listening rooms, still swear by the analog audio quality of their more expensive players. It comes with a DVI cable and a DVI-to-HDMI converter cable.

Gary
Gary - Where can I get the best price on the Oppo?
Will they be coming out with an HDMI or newer version anytime soon? I don't want to buy and and a new one comes out a month later.
Does the Oppo come with Audio Delay?
So the Panny isn't worth it for $50+ more?

HiHoStevo

12-01-05, 09:48 PM

Gary - Where can I get the best price on the Oppo?

www.oppodigital.com

Will they be coming out with an HDMI or newer version anytime soon?

I have no idea, but perhaps an email to Oppo would get an answer... they are extremely customer friendly

I don't want to buy and and a new one comes out a month later.

no one does...., but finding definitive answers is tough... if they announce a new model then everyone will immediatly stop buying the current model... so I guess they have to get their stock to a predetermined level before they make that announcement............

Does the Oppo come with Audio Delay?

Yes

For the price they are asking and the Customer Service they provide I felt it was the best choice.... :D

Itsdon

12-01-05, 10:26 PM

That's ultimately the right way to make the decision.

However, it is important to be thoroughly informed of the "specifications, details and hardware talk", because, if you know what you're looking for (or when the initial "wow factor" wears off), a player that fails the typical performance tests, can reveal significant artifacts that can later become annoying.

The Faroudja chip is still the performance king at this price level (when properly implemented by the player manufacturer) but it does come with the risk of macroblock-enhance on some display types. Thankfully, I was able to eliminate that problem on my DLP, and the result with the OPPO is spectacular.

One other thing for newcomers to keep in mind: When evaluating a player on your display, it is essential that you properly calibrate your display for each player you try. Otherwise the results will be skewed, and you will not be making a fair comparison.

Gary

I completely agree, information is king and that's why I hang out here. How else could one hear about the Oppo? ;) I'm pretty anal about my system and any little thing that gets changed, from a speaker to a player to a cable, the DVE disc gets run and everything is calibrated. I had the Oppo and it was indeed a great unit, it just didn't put out the same caliber of picture (calibrated) that I can achieve with the Sony. Of course it's a YMMV situation which is why I tried 3 other Faroudja based units before stumbling on the Sony. I'm in the minority with this Sony Vs. Oppo Vs. Denon thing I know, but for me it doesn't matter.

GSB

12-02-05, 04:04 AM

Gary - Where can I get the best price on the Oppo?
Will they be coming out with an HDMI or newer version anytime soon? I don't want to buy and and a new one comes out a month later.
Does the Oppo come with Audio Delay?
So the Panny isn't worth it for $50+ more?HiHoStevo gave the right answers.

The Panasonic S77 is also an excellent player (see the SECRETS (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=0&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0) review, for example). But OPPO Digital's customer service and firmware support is FAR superior. With regular firmware updates, the OPPO player gets better and better all the time. It still has a few bugs to fix, but they are all being systematically addressed. For example, 2:2 cadence is now supported for NTSC disks, and will shortly be supported for PAL.

Gary

GSB

12-02-05, 04:05 AM

I'm in the minority with this Sony Vs. Oppo Vs. Denon thing I know, but for me it doesn't matter.Good for you. What display do you have?

lentiman

12-02-05, 11:28 AM

Okay so I've read most of this thread and it's mind boggling. I'm about to get a Pioneer PDP4360HD and hook it up to a Denon AVR-3806 receiver (has HDMI switching and conversion). Now I'm just down to the DVD player and that seems the most difficult choice. Everything I've read says: YMMV. With my chosen display in mind here are some questions for the charitable among you:

1) I'm considering the Denon-2910 vs OPPO OPDV971H vs Sony DVPNS70H. I'm leaning toward the Denon, any reason I should stay away?

2) In your opinion, do you think it's better to get a cheap (compared to the Denon) player like the Sony or OPPO and then spend the money on a HD/BlueRay-DVD setup when they come out?

3) Any other thoughts I should take into consideration?

Thanks,

Major Noob

Itsdon

12-02-05, 11:59 AM

Good for you. What display do you have?

I'm using a Sharp DT-300 projector (1024X576) and I feed it via HDMI (Sony) to DVI (Sharp). This combo just seems to 'click'. To those folks wondering which player to purchase, it's a tough question to answer. You can totally fill your brain here (like I did) and make some informed purchasing decisions based on that info but ultimately its the real world experience you'll need to get what works best for you. I make sure I buy at places that have a good return policy and go from there. I went through 4 players until I ended up with one I really like. Sometimes you get lucky right off the bat, other times you have to start all over.

Nelman

12-03-05, 05:18 AM

Desert Heat

12-03-05, 01:00 PM

I just started using the Sony NS70H today with my sharp z200. Itsdon is right, this player is a perfect mate for DT-300/z200. My highly regarded panny s77 has moved to the living room. Its a great player but the sony makes it look a bit soft.

This is the first upconverter I have seen where you can actually see an HD-like improvement in the pic at 720p. At last a razor sharp picture from DVD.

You guys are really making it hard on me! I was all set to pull the trigger on the Oppo and now I hear this. My display is RP vs. your FP, I don't know how much of a difference that makes concerning the upconverters mentioned, i.e. Oppo, Panny, etc. I reall want that razor sharp HD like PQ that you mention you are achieving with the Sony. Can you tell me a little more about the Sony, for instance what all will it play? dvd-r, dvd+r, vcd, SACD, DVD-A? DOes it have bass mgmt? THANKS!

bioman35

12-03-05, 08:54 PM

Is it better to order the oppo from oppodigital.com directly or from amazon?

dusterscott

12-03-05, 09:01 PM

From Oppo it would come with the latest firmware version and your choice of dvi-dvi cable or dvi-hdmi cable. Most likely it will come with the improved 3rd generation remote control as well.

Supermans

12-04-05, 06:05 AM

I just got my Samsung HLR5087W and the first thing I did was hook up the Sony NS70H.

Out of the box, this DVD player coupled with the HLR5087W looks fantastic with Dnie On. I put on the Original Star Wars A New Hope and it looked better than any HD signal I've ever seen. I watched the whole movie and felt like a kid all over again watching it for the first time. I also played Superman The movie, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and a few others to see quality differences. Everything I played looked way crisper and sharper than anything I've seen before on any TV. I'm keeping the Sony for sure and reccomend it to anyone. I haven't played any movies that fill up the whole widescreen yet, however i'll report if I see any shifting of the image issues others have had with this DVD player. I for one am mostly going to watch widescreen movies that will leave black bar's anyways so a shift isn't going to be noticeable anyways. The image is for sure the best I've ever seen so far, and I'm very very picky. Faroudja chip or not, there are no visible jaggies whatsoever that I can see, and everything looks better than HD. Again, I will compare the Sony with my PC (a Dell 9100 2Gb ram, nvidia 6800 256, X-Fi soundcard, Nvidia Purevideo decoder) and that should give it a good challenge. Peace and Merry Christmas :)

buckman1

12-04-05, 02:03 PM

Alright, I finally gave in and ordered an oppo direct. $229 shipped, not too bad and given that it was rated 2005's best dvd player (valued?), and most of you who write about it here highly rate it, and it's $400+ cheaper than the Denon 2910 which I have read a few times that there are macroblocking issues of some sort, I am hoping that this dvd player coupled with my AE700 projector and (soon) a screen will really knock my socks off compared to what I see today out of my cheap component video (xbox or another dvd player I use). I'll post back once I have it all running, but in the meantime... on the oppo site it says it comes with both dvi/dvi and dvi/hdmi cables. A few posts ago the reply indicated you choose? I didn't choose, there was no choice on the site? Hopefully I got hdmi coming as my AE700 has HDMI input. What do ya'll think?

HiHoStevo

12-04-05, 06:44 PM

Buck

Send Oppo and email telling them which cable you want... you will be amazed how quickly they respond to you!

GSB

12-04-05, 06:54 PM

on the oppo site it says it comes with both dvi/dvi and dvi/hdmi cables. A few posts ago the reply indicated you choose? I didn't choose, there was no choice on the site? Hopefully I got hdmi coming as my AE700 has HDMI input. What do ya'll think?I understand that OPPO is now sending both cables for free with the player (that's why their website says it does). It now also comes with a much-improved remote (rev 3).

Be sure to read the last few weeks of posts on the 2 main OPPO threads. Other AE700 owners post there too.

Gary

bioman35

12-04-05, 11:05 PM

I emailed Oppo and they said they would be coming out with a new player early next year, probably February. I think I am just going to wait.

shelly

12-05-05, 11:40 AM

I emailed Oppo and they said they would be coming out with a new player early next year, probably February. I think I am just going to wait.

Did they mention what new features or improvements would be on their next model?

Shelly

Gilley

12-05-05, 12:07 PM

Oppo's website does mention a dvd recorder coming in 2006. Could that be the new player?

lentiman

12-05-05, 04:21 PM

I seriously doubt it. The specs listed don't include DVDi decoding, upconversion, or anything else. Completely different product.

bioman35

12-05-05, 07:53 PM

Yes, the told me a new DVD player not a recorder. They also told me they are planning to release around February. I initially asked if they will have a player coming out with HDMI capability and they responded with the earlier. So, the only improvement(not really an improvement) that I know of will be HDMI.

shelly

12-05-05, 08:00 PM

other than hdmi also carrying the audio stream, I've read that dvi does 8 bits color decoding and hdmi does 10 bits. Is this the difference, the number of millions of colors possible?

If so, is here a real world difference that is visable without a side by side viewing, or even with a side by side viewing?

I just ordered the Oppo this morning.

Shelly

bioman35

12-05-05, 08:10 PM

Honestly, there is no difference to the human eye. The video quality will be identical. Oppo did say they are coming out with both a new dvd recorder and dvd player around the same time. They won't comment on any specifics, but only say that it will have HDMI. The only reason I am waiting it because I don't really need a new dvd player right now. My xbox works just fine.

Ryoga99

12-05-05, 10:34 PM

mdmaclean

12-05-05, 10:56 PM

Does anyone know anything about the Philips Up-Converting HDMI DivX player: model DVP5900/37

AVS admins won't let me post a URL yet since I'm a newb :(
Just go to the Philips website and do a quick search and you'll find it.

It looks feature-packed and should be cheap. Just wondering about the PQ and build quality.

Thanks!

A link to the Philips 5900 (http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/catalog.jsp?fhquery=fh_secondid%3Ddvp5900_98_hk_consumer%26f h_view_size%3D12%26fh_location%3D%2F%2Fconsumer%2Fen_HK%2Fca tegories%3Ccatalog_hk_consumer%2Fcategories%3Chome_audio_vid eo_gr_hk_consumer%2Fcategories%3Cdvd_players_recorders_ca_hk _consumer%26&productId=DVP5900_98_HK_CONSUMER&activeCategory=HOME_AUDIO_VIDEO_GR_HK_CONSUMER&fredhopperpage=detail.jsp&language=en&country=HK&catalogType=CONSUMER&proxybuster=O0HNMPXMR52K3J0RMRESHP3HKFSEKI5P) is here. I have a 5500 which plays everything, but am thinking about upgrading to a Z4, and this sounds like it might be a nice match. It would be nice to know how good a de-interlacer it had before buying. Any ideas on what chipset is in it?

Flyboy2000

12-06-05, 02:02 AM

OK I've been doing some reading , but just thought I'd ask you folks what you thought.

I have an older Yamaha RXV595a receiver ( No HDMI) input/switching.
I' m looking at getting the Samsung 5067 DLP tv ( maybe the 50 inch XRD Sony)
I'm interested in getting a good DVD player and am seriously considering the Sony ??50 upconverting player.
I'd like to hook up the HDMI directly to the Samsungs only HDMI input, and run the audio through my reciver.
How should I do it.? Will I have any sync issues?
I'm also wondering if I really want to spend the roughly $1,100 difference and get the Sony XRD50" LCoS. HiDef TV.

Thanks in advance..

FB2K

kevin79

12-06-05, 02:25 PM

Hi guys. I'm starting to look at upconverting DVD players. I have a Toshiba 52HM84 DLP and am currently using the 1 HDMI connection to connect to my Moto 6412 DVR. What DVD player would everyone recommend for under $250? I'm not sure if I want HDMI or component yet either. I watch a lot of HDTV so I want that to look good but at the same time I want my DVD's to look good. Should I put the DVR on component and DVD on HDMI or the other way around?

Any help would be great.

Gilley

12-06-05, 03:00 PM

I have an Oppo 971H connected to my Sammy DLP via DVI and it is great. I have the HD cable box connected through component with a great picture too. The DVI is a better input. You could also get an HDMI switch and share the digital connection.

GSB

12-06-05, 04:14 PM

buckman1

12-07-05, 12:36 AM

Well, ordered my Oppo two days ago, it shipped yesterday and got here today. Turns out, the Oppo company is 10 miles from my house. Wish I could have gone and picked it up and saved the $21 they charged me. Man, that is expensive. $2 a mile! Good thing it doesn't cost that much to call people!

Well, opened the box, and dang it if they didn't ship the promised dvi to hdmi cable. I indicated on their input I have HDMI input and they indicate that you get both by ordering on their site. Sad to see something this simple missed. Why advertise to attract buyers, put an input box asking what you got, then completely miss it? So I can't test it out yet. I'll report back once I got it all set up and hopefully my email to oppo gets them to overnight the dvi-hdmi cable to me.

I'd opt to buy a nice one, but I think they at least owe me the cable and free shipping for not including it when they said they would.

More later...

buckman1

12-07-05, 03:31 AM

Well, turns out I did have the cable after all. My 2 year old ran off with it somehow the sneaky kid!! Anyway, to describe what I've done... I was too cheap to spend $120 or so for a good LCD mount for my projector, and where I want to put my screen the ceiling is vaulted, 25 feet high and angular. Plus, I don't own the home, so didn't want to try to run a 20 foot pole and mount kit. Near by is a wall between an 8 foot window and 6 foot sliding back door. Sad thing is, right now I am using the opposite 9 foot long wall to project on to. No screen yet, but very soon if I can find a good deal on a 106" 16:9 screen that is around $200 or so, I'll jump on it. At any rate, I paid $80 for a 13" - 17" PrimteTime wallmount over at Fry's, including an underneath VCR/DVD holder. I figured if I can avoid a long DVI/HDMI cable, that should cut down on costs, so by putting the dvd player right below it, the only thing I need to run is the optical cable to my reciever that will be about 20 feet away, and the AC plugs down the wall. Any ideas on how to make this pretty? Right now, having two big AC plugs coming down the wall looks kind of ugly. Maybe I can paint them white? :D

So, I hooked up the wall mount and vcr holder to a stud, strapped the AE700 projector on top and put the oppo in the vcr/dvd holder. Connected everything up and also left my xbox component video outputs connected to see a difference. I fired up Fantastic Four on the xbox, which apparently I forgot to set to 720p, but it looked alright. I fired it up on the oppo and default mode is 520p, and wow! It was sharp! I have to admit I did notice a sharper/smoother image on the screen. Text is still somewhat difficult to read though, but I am not setting this up to read text on any regular basis. I finally figured out that the DVI button on the remote needs to be used when the DVD isn't playing. So I tried 720p, and 108i. Like many others, I have to admit, I can't really see any difference. There is definitely a difference between the xbox 480i and the default 520p on the oppo, and in 720p it looks good too. The native resolution is 720p, so I don't see much use in trying to use 1080i. Frankly, I'll wait for a 1080p projector in a few years and a new bluray/hddvd player by then with some new format of cable or proabably a better wireless setup at that point.

Anyway, first question I have now that I finally can see all this... how do ya'll fine tune your display? I read that some people will tune and tweak their display for optimum balance. How is this done? Is it the adjustment of colors, contrast, etc? Or are there some hidden features I am missing out on that will help tune it better? I know there is that DVD you can get that supposedly helps tune your display... is it any good? If so, where can I get it from?

Ideally I want the best possible output I can get from both audio and video without breaking the bank. I think I am getting closer to that satisfying setup without having to fork out $100K or more for a complete home theatre room.

My setup:

Panny AE700 LCD projector
Oppo dvd player (DVI out to Panny HDMI in via conversion cable and spdif out to receiver)
HarmonKardon AVR510 receiver, with optical in from oppo
Infinity 150watt 12" powered sub.
Polk Audio 5 speakers (150watts each rms).

No screen, only a painted white wall that has textures and crap on it, probably one reason why parts of the picture dont look so good.. the bump texture probably absorbs or reflects the light in such a way to disfigure the picture. So next thing (and probably last thing) I'll get is a pull down or automatic screen. I am thinking pulldown so I can spend a little more on a bit bigger and better screen. Any recomendations?

Gruson

12-07-05, 01:51 PM

GSB

12-07-05, 02:39 PM

See the latest SECRETS DVD Benchmark (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=0&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0). The OPPO is currently top of the pile in the scores (after it's last round of firmware updates). This is a highly respected test, but keep in mind that the scores are only for specific torture tests. To understand the scores, read the "Guide to Progressive Scan Shootouts". The tests may not rate other aspects that could be important to you. Check the OPPO threads for help on anything else you need to know.

According to Kris Deering, the author of many of the SECRETS tests:
"The 5910 still remains the pinnacle of DVD video performance in my opinion, regardless of what the 'scores' may say".

Gary

Grayson73

12-07-05, 03:08 PM

When are they going to test the Sony DVP-NS70H or DVP-NS90P?

GSB

12-07-05, 04:14 PM

When are they going to test the Sony DVP-NS70H or DVP-NS90P?See this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6672899&&#post6672899).

Gary

buckman1

12-07-05, 06:31 PM

Gruson,

Is Da-Lite better than Draper and Elite and such? The screens cost over $400 there for pulldown. Kind of out of my range.

Also, there are all kinds of options. Glass Beade, white matte, high gain, high performance. What do I want that will be best for my AE700 projector? I have a lot of ambient light in the room. It would be nice if I could do something to make it possible to watch movies in the day time. We have curtains that darken it up a little bit, but it's still too bright in the room to use it. Sadly, the projector we bought at work for $700 shows up just fine in day light. I'd have thought one of the better rated projectors like the AE700 would be better, but it seems they are made only for dark rooms? Or am I doing something wrong?

Last, sort of off topic, but maybe ya'll have ideas. I hear a constant hum/noise in my speakers. I was reading up on the monstoer HK1000 Stage 2 line conditioner/outlet deal... is something like that a good idea for my receiver to be plugged into? It's like $100 or so on ebay. Or is there a better contraption that doesn't cost so much but does a better job? I want good clean audio and video, and the line conditioners say they turn all the crazy AC waves from different devices and such into smooth flat waves of AC power. Any recommendations in the $100 or less ballpark?

Thanks.

Bytehoven

12-07-05, 08:29 PM

Your screen questions might find a quicker answer if you post in the SCREENS forum.

I recently bought a Da-Lite High Power from our host AVS. They had the best price and I didn't even have to ask.

Entry level power conditioners and even more expensive top shelf units like the Panamax 5510, provide no advantage as far as PQ. Line surge and lightening protection? Read the fine print to make sure what coverage you are actually getting.

I owned a Panamax 5500 for about one week and then sold it.

restart88

12-08-05, 05:36 AM

Call Da-Lite now and get a 119" pull down screen!! Their prices are great and the quality impovement over a wall will amaze you!

Oppo is a great player. Read the faq on it to fine tune it (make sure you upgrade the firmware).

I'm really a fish out of water here. I went to the BB website to see the OPPO and couldn't find any so I guess they're out of stock. But from the benchtest link:

"As you can see from the Benchmark scores, the 971H is an outstanding budget DVD player. But I must advise you that the scores only pertain to the DVI output. This player’s component outputs do not support progressive playback, only 480i, so we were not able to plot a video frequency response curve. I was quite surprised, because I’ve never seen this before. The DVI video board in the player houses the Genesis FLI-2310 video processing chip, so the component video connections cannot take advantage of it."

This is a big deal for me because I haven't moved up to an HD monitor yet. The customer reviews on the CC site about one Sony were a rave fest but the site went down for "restocking" before I could catch the model. But I'm thinking the Sony might be a better transition unit just on my limited understanding.

-------------------------------------------------

The site's back up now. It is the DVPNS70H.

theroys88

12-08-05, 08:07 AM

Oppo is not sold at BB or CC. It is sold on Amazon, Oppo digital and a few more sites. Going for 199. I think you can get free shipping through amazon.

restart88

12-08-05, 08:39 AM

Oppo is not sold at BB or CC. It is sold on Amazon, Oppo digital and a few more sites. Going for 199. I think you can get free shipping through amazon.

Thanks!

My bad. I thought someone had posted that it was at BB. Just read too many posts today, I guess.

Still, for the price difference right now I'm thinking the Sony is probably better for me. At least it would get me started and I can have a better idea of what I'd be looking for later on.

buckman1

12-08-05, 01:08 PM

Restart,

Get the Sony. You can find them for around $100. The Oppo is closer to $200. Oppo's new player due out next year will have all the good stuff through component video, but the current model doesnt. For the price, it sounds like the Sony is the way to go. I bought the Oppo because of the Dcdi and their firmware updates based on reviews from here. Oppo should fund this site. They probably got a lot of business from those reading it. :)

HiHoStevo

12-08-05, 01:49 PM

KurtC

12-08-05, 05:00 PM

Here's a question:

For those of you with a Panny 50 or 500U (doesn't matter what panel size) that are using an HR10-250 or other STB with the HDMI Port, are you relying on the upsaler in the panel to upconvert DVD or did you buy an upconverting dvd player because you feel that the upscaler in the player is superior?

Kurt

theroys88

12-08-05, 06:02 PM

Thanks!

My bad. I thought someone had posted that it was at BB. Just read too many posts today, I guess.

Still, for the price difference right now I'm thinking the Sony is probably better for me. At least it would get me started and I can have a better idea of what I'd be looking for later on.

The good thing about the Sony is that you can try it out and return it to BB or CC and
not have to pay for return shipping. If you buy the Sony let me know how you like it.
I am considering the Oppo and the Sony. Lip sync issues are still a problem for the Oppo and definately the reason I have not pulled the trigger on the Oppo.

Bytehoven

12-08-05, 06:10 PM

I have not had any OPPO - Sony HS-51 lip sync issues since switching to the optical S/PDIF connection.

restart88

12-08-05, 06:49 PM

restart........

If you do not have an HD monitor... then you do not have a display with either HDMI input or DVI input.... in which case you definitely DO NOT want to buy the Oppo. The Oppo is absolutely fantastic.......!! BUT ONLY if you are using the digital input. The analog output (read composite, s-video, component) is horrible.

When I picked out a computer system for mom it came with a Dell 1704FPV so that got me thinking about the possibilities.

I was all ready to nab a Dell system with a similar monitor but missed out on the deal I was considering. But sooner or later I'm sure the right deal will come my way.

jjsf

12-10-05, 09:10 AM

Chris Gerhard

12-10-05, 09:30 AM

I am thinking of getting an upscaling DVD player, because I am not too happy with the PQ from my old Sampo 480p player on my Zenith 50in. Last week I tried the Onkyo DVSP502S (480p as well) because of the price, the build quality, the ability to play SACD and region freeable etc. However I couldn't tell a difference in PQ comparing to the Sampo. Now I am wondering if I should return the Onkyo for the DVPNS70H or Samsung 850. What do you guys think? Will an upscaling DVD player really improve the PQ? Doesn't the TV upscale the 480 image anyway? Thanks.

Also as for the SONY DVPNS70H, it only upscales via HDMI right? Can one make it region free and multi system (i.e plays PAL)? Thanks

Assuming your Zenith is a 720p set, I believe you would see a very subtle improvement with the Sony DVP-NS70H or Samsung DVD-HD850. If it is a 720p set, it will scale to 720p when used with your Onkyo. There are a lot of people here using the upscaling players, you might try to search this forum using your model number and see if you can find some opinions. If your Zenith 50" is a CRT RPTV at 1080i, I think the chances are less likely you would find improvement with an upscaling player but still you would want to see some opinions. It is always helpful to mention your display model number and type when requesting opinions.

I have the Samsung DVD-HD950 and Sony DVP-NS70H. Unless I am mistaken, the HD850 is the same as my HD950 minus the SACD and DVD-A ability. My HD950 can upscale over component but only to 720p acceptably with a simple hack and I understand can be made region free with a hack but I haven't bothered with the region free. As far as I know, the NS70H can not be hacked to do either and can only upscale over HDMI for now and forever.

Chris

BT1

12-10-05, 09:37 AM

I have the year old+ HVD 208. Only use it occasionally, good recommendation here, though main playback is thru HTPC.

Suprised to see that they dropped the 1080P output that was on the older units?

http://www.neodigits.com/body/product/X3620/feature.asp#

Steve

jjsf

12-10-05, 09:44 AM

Assuming your Zenith is a 720p set,
Chris

Thanks Chris. Sorry I wasn't clear. My TV is a Zenith Z50PX2D plasma, so as far as I understand, it scales everything to 768p. If I understand you correctly, it sounds like if there is any improvement, it's going to be marginal by going with an upscaling player? I guess I will just stay with the Onkyo, or even save 90 bucks and live with the Sampo for now until the blueray or HDDVD becomes available and reasonably affordable?

Gilley

12-10-05, 10:53 AM

Thanks Chris. Sorry I wasn't clear. My TV is a Zenith Z50PX2D plasma, so as far as I understand, it scales everything to 768p. If I understand you correctly, it sounds like if there is any improvement, it's going to be marginal by going with an upscaling player? I guess I will just stay with the Onkyo, or even save 90 bucks and live with the Sampo for now until the blueray or HDDVD becomes available and reasonably affordable?

Some Sammy upscaling DVD players upscale via DVI to 768p. I know my HD841 does, but I'm not sure of the other players in the Sammy upconverting line. Of course, the Sammys do have the issue of not passing blacker than black over DVI, so the player is nowhere near nirvana. Otherwise, I'm not sure if there are other upconverting DVD players that upscale via DVI or HDMI to 768p. I use the Sammy HS841 via DVI to my Vizio plasma at 768p. It does a nice job for the money.

I'm not sure if it would still give a better picture to go with a good upconverting player via DVI or HDMI to keep the signal completely digital to your display even if the display rescales it to 768p and converts it to analog, versus going the analog route via component out of the player because the plasma display is analog anyway. I guess it would depend on whether your display or your player has a better scaler.

I know there is a distinct advantage to keep the signal completely digital drom player to display on digital sets, like a DLP. I can tell a big difference between the analog component input and the digital DVI input.

jjsf

12-10-05, 11:27 AM

A few people on the Zenith TV thread said they see a good improvement with the Samsung 850. I think I will give it a try.

tjpark1111

12-11-05, 01:08 AM

dusterscott

12-11-05, 07:51 AM

what's the best dvd player with the best picture quality, and best value? The S97 seems to have excellent capabilities, but $300 for a dvd player seems a bit hard to justify. I've already decided on the Sony 30/34XS955 for my TV.

Does your tv have a DVI or HDMI input? If so, then I would recommend the Oppo for $200.

jimp444

12-11-05, 08:31 AM

Scott or others - any opinions on the Sony DVP-NS70H. It seems to me a tie between that model and the Oppo for $200 or less.

Chris Gerhard

12-11-05, 10:35 AM

Scott or others - any opinions on the Sony DVP-NS70H. It seems to me a tie between that model and the Oppo for $200 or less.

I have the NS70H and if your display won't have the macroblocking enhancement issue, then I think the Oppo DV971H is a better player. The NS70H has a vertical shift issue but I haven't been able to notice it and there is a long thread here on that problem. I like my NS70H and think it is a good inexpensive player with HDMI.

Chris

Itsdon

12-11-05, 11:43 AM

Scott or others - any opinions on the Sony DVP-NS70H. It seems to me a tie between that model and the Oppo for $200 or less.

I've had both the Sony and the Oppo (and the Zenith 318 & Samsung 941) and I kept the Sony. The sharpness & colors at 720P is simply the best of the bunch. Of course the Oppo I had was an early model and that company regularly puts out firmware updates (as opposed to Sony who needs to) so I'm sure the issues I had have been ironed out now. At either rate, I doubt that any fixes they make could make the player produce a picture so much clearer, sharper and vibrant than the Sony that I'd HAVE to switch. The Sony and my Sharp DT-300 are a great match.

Bytehoven

12-11-05, 12:06 PM

what's the best dvd player with the best picture quality, and best value? The S97 seems to have excellent capabilities, but $300 for a dvd player seems a bit hard to justify. I've already decided on the Sony 30/34XS955 for my TV.

Welcome to AVS.

Read the following link to learn about the various players we recommend for your consideration.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=609190

Enjoy.

tjpark1111

12-11-05, 01:29 PM

yes, i was looking at the Oppo, but the biggest problem for me looks like audio sync. I am just a bit above the average joe, but not like I can understand anything or care for that is said the Oppo FAQ. I could probably just get a $40 dvd player and be satisfied, but don't want to put my good tv to waste. And yes, it has HDMI. Is the audio sync issue really big or is it gone now? I don't understand why it would be so popular if there's no audio sync. You people really must be scientists if you just turn off the sound and just go "WOW" at the picture all day long. XviD playback is pretty cool as I really needed that, but I wonder if it plays mutiple files burned onto a DVD-R. thank you!

buckman1

12-11-05, 02:20 PM

tjpark1111,

That's a good question. I am wondering how I can play divx movies on it as well. It says divx/xvid on dvd? Does that mean I can use divx to put multiple 700MB movies onto one DVD and watch them... does each one allow fastfoward slowmo, chapters, etc? Or is it only for one movie on a dvd? OR, can it play divx movies on a CD-R?

Bytehoven

12-11-05, 03:06 PM

yes, i was looking at the Oppo, but the biggest problem for me looks like audio sync. I am just a bit above the average joe, but not like I can understand anything or care for that is said the Oppo FAQ. I could probably just get a $40 dvd player and be satisfied, but don't want to put my good tv to waste. And yes, it has HDMI. Is the audio sync issue really big or is it gone now?

Not gone. Last night I had bunch of family kids watching Sky High and SW: Revenege of the Sith. Sky High went down without a hitch, but SW lost sync about half way thru. A simple stop and start synced the audio, which remained in sync for the rest of the film.

I'll have to keep a closer eye on sync, as I thought my switching to the optical output solved the issue.

Stopping and starting is so easy to do, it's almost a non issue, issue. However, I would love to see the problem addressed if possible.

tjpark1111

12-11-05, 06:10 PM

i've heard about that stop and start trick, but does that work for every DVD? I mean, what if you had to stop and play every 5 minutes of the movie??? are there any other reasonable dvd players without this issue?

Bytehoven

12-11-05, 06:55 PM

I only had to stop/start SW: Sith (1) time.

I usually don't have to re-sync at all, so whatever is happening, it's random.

We might try creating a list of DVDs whichexhibit sync drift on the OPPO. So far, I only have two...

Madagascar
SW: Revenege of the Sith

shelly

12-11-05, 06:58 PM

Not gone. Last night I had bunch of family kids watching Sky High and SW: Revenege of the Sith. Sky High went down without a hitch, but SW lost sync about half way thru. A simple stop and start synced the audio, which remained in sync for the rest of the film.

I'll have to keep a closer eye on sync, as I thought my switching to the optical output solved the issue.

Stopping and starting is so easy to do, it's almost a non issue, issue. However, I would love to see the problem addressed if possible.

Is it press Stop and press Play, or press Pause and press Play, as I read earlier in the thread?

Still waiting for my hdmi cable to finally use my Oppo.

Shelly

MPLSMORGAN

12-11-05, 07:29 PM

I’m intrigued about the Oppo as a solution for a system I’m still designing but I have a couple of questions and if anyone has any input I’d certainly appreciate it.

1) I’m sure this might seem superficial but do the codes for Oppo’s remotes work with other universal remotes? I’m thinking of getting an advanced remote control (perhaps a Logitech?) to control the mixed system that’s coming together – if I do, what are the chances that the Oppo codes would be available?

2) I’m leaning toward the Yamaha RX-V2600 as an AV receiver. Would this be a waste with also getting the Oppo? The Yamaha upconverts to 1080i – would it make more sense to get either the Oppo OR the Yamaha but not spend the money on both since they both upconvert?

Thanks for any advice you might have

Bytehoven

12-11-05, 07:40 PM

Is it press Stop and press Play, or press Pause and press Play, as I read earlier in the thread?

Still waiting for my hdmi cable to finally use my Oppo.

Shelly

I did not try pause/play. I will try that next time I experience a sync error.

Going back to the top of a chapter also works, but that is usually too big of a timeline jump to be useful.

GSB

12-12-05, 04:44 PM

I did not try pause/play. I will try that next time I experience a sync error. Pause usually works, stop always works.

For the benefit of others: Sync problems on the OPPO are very rare and very random, unless you have a display that suffers with video lag - like some of the Samsung DLP sets.

Of course there are numerous DVD's that have been recorded with bad sync, like "Moulan Rouge" and "Phantom of the Opera". There is no cure for such sync errors, except with custom audio delays on a Felston unit, or on a receiver with that capability.

GSB

12-12-05, 04:48 PM

I’m leaning toward the Yamaha RX-V2600 as an AV receiver. Would this be a waste with also getting the Oppo? The Yamaha upconverts to 1080i – would it make more sense to get either the Oppo OR the Yamaha but not spend the money on both since they both upconvert? That would be a waste for sure. The OPPO would do a much better job of the upconversion.

jezmund

12-13-05, 03:05 PM

First post to the forum so forgive me if this isn't the correct place to submit this.

My problem is this: I bought a Samsung HD-950 DVD player so that I could upscale over component video to my Mitsubishi HC3000 pj. I applied the hack as described and I see "HDCP Free" as described. When I fire up the DVD player and I am looking at the Samsung splashscreen, my Mitsu pj shows that it is receiving "720p 60". That seems great to me - looks like the hack worked. As soon as I start the actual DVD (Finding Nemo in this case), the Mitsu starts showing that it is receiving XGA60 and the picture is totally whacked (colors distorted, picture distorted, etc). I have sequenced thru all of the resolutions and only the 480p and 768p work correctly. For each of these settings, the Mitsu shows that it is receiving 480p. I believe that I have seen posts showing that the 768p setting will show as 480p so I was not too worried about that. However, I bought the DVD player to upscale to 720p over component and I am unsuccessful in getting it to work.

Could this have something to do with the Mitsu pj? I went thru the menus on it and played with the settings but nothing seems to change.

Any help would be much appreciated. I went with the Samsung HD950 pretty much based on the great posts on this forum so I'm hoping that I just have something a bit off.

Zith

12-14-05, 05:53 PM

I currently have a Samsung HD-850 I bought about 6-8 months ago, and I like it for the most part, but what drives me completely insane is the fast forward/rewind functions. It is impossible to control.

I have been looking at the Sony DVP-NS70H (or S90H, I knwo the difference is just SACD), as well as the Oppo, and I am curious what any of you think about the fast forward/rewind functions on them?

Has anyone used the Samsung that can compare it with the Oppo or Sony in terms of fast forward/rewind?

I know it may not sound like a big deal to some, but it drives me crazy enough to spend more money on a different player.

Gilley

12-14-05, 06:13 PM

I had the Samsung 841 and agree that the FF and RW functions were difficult to operate.

I currently have the Oppo and it is much easier to control. Plus, the Oppo passes blacker than black over DVI whereas the Samsungs do not. Also, the Oppo rated highest in the DVD player shootout.

Kris Staff

12-15-05, 07:45 AM

I agree the FF function on my Samsung hd850 is one of the strangest Ive seen.

GSB

12-15-05, 02:14 PM

I have been looking at the Sony DVP-NS70H (or S90H, I knwo the difference is just SACD), as well as the Oppo, and I am curious what any of you think about the fast forward/rewind functions on them? The OPPO's FF and RW works really well. Press the button once for 2x, twice for 4x, and so on for 8x, 16x and 32x in either direction. And if you press the FF or RW button when the movie is paused, it will invoke forward or reverse frame-stepping.

Zith

12-15-05, 05:54 PM

The Samsung 850 FF I am talking about - you press it once for 2x, twice 4x, three times gets you 64x. It takes a while to kick in, then all of a sudden it goes too far.

When you hit "play" to stop the fast forward process, it jumps you WAY ahead of where you think you are, no matter if you are on 2x, 4x, etc.

It is the most annoying scan function I have ever seen on anything - from vcrs to tivos, etc. If the Oppo and the Sony are more "normal" then it may be worth it to switch over.

I see the Oppo costs about 200 dollars, while the Sony is about 119.. Is the difference that great that I should get the Oppo? Considering I'm just trying to get rid of the obnixous FF/RW functions, $119 sounds more in my range :)

Thanks for the info, btw

GSB

12-16-05, 02:08 PM

I see the Oppo costs about 200 dollars, while the Sony is about 119.. Is the difference that great that I should get the Oppo? Considering I'm just trying to get rid of the obnixous FF/RW functions, $119 sounds more in my range :) The Sony bombs most of the deinterlacing torture tests, but still produces an excellent picture with good DVD material. The OPPO passes all those tests and produces an excellent picture too... plus, the customer service and firmware upgrades from OPPO Digital are second to none! See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6675681&&#post6675681) too. Your decision.

Gary

buckman1

12-17-05, 02:28 AM

Zith,

You know what you describe is EXACTLY what happens to me on my Dish Network DVR. I have two of them, and BOTH do this all the time. It drives me nuts. I forward a little bit, and it seems to return me back to where I started from. If I scan way ahead, then it doesn't jump back as far. If I use the 30 second skip buttons, then it works, but thats annoying in itself. Great for commercials but sucks if you want to jump 2 hours ahead to a long recorded program.

DanTana

12-20-05, 09:04 AM

Just received the Oppo yesterday, in a word "outstanding" is all that needs to be said. Granted, this is my first upscaling DVD player, so my judgement is very limited. There is no comparison whatsoever to my old Toshiba SD-4700 I've been using for years now. I am using a rear projection HDTV with DVI input, I am using 1080i resolution, for sound, just the two-channel RCA outputs, into a tube amp and my Altec Valencia speakers. Glad I bought one.

jimp444

12-20-05, 12:36 PM

Just received the Oppo yesterday, in a word "outstanding" is all that needs to be said. I received my Oppo yesterday too. I also just picked up a Sony and plan to test them against one another this weekend - time permitting. It will be a very subjective test (I am kinda new to all of this, so it wont be a true technical test), but if I come up with anything worthwhile I will post to this thread.

Itsdon

12-20-05, 12:39 PM

I received my Oppo yesterday too. I also just picked up a Sony and plan to test them against one another this weekend - time permitting. It will be a very subjective test (I am kinda new to all of this, so it wont be a true technical test), but if I come up with anything worthwhile I will post to this thread.

I'd be very interested in the Oppo/Sony comparison, thanks!

GSB

12-20-05, 02:43 PM

I received my Oppo yesterday too. I also just picked up a Sony and plan to test them against one another this weekend - time permitting. It will be a very subjective test (I am kinda new to all of this, so it wont be a true technical test), but if I come up with anything worthwhile I will post to this thread.Remember, at the very least, to set your display's brightness, contrast and saturation correctly for each player before making any comparisons.

mrsmith

12-20-05, 05:14 PM

What would be fantastic is if some who knows some of the players above can post the current Pros & Cons.
Additionally if someone can post pictures of the above players.

My Current Setup:

TV: Sony 60'' XBR TV
Receiver: Yamaha Receiver
DVD Player: Panasonic CV51 & Pioneer 563A
Satellite: D*
Only in-home personal experience I've had now
about 2 years is the Momitsu V880: the upcon
to 1080i via component is superb. The virtual
hi-def image from a good quality DVD is
largely indistinguishable from 'native' hi-def.
(If you'll notice, most all professional reviews
I've seen always 'compare' a 480 image with
'native' hi-def, where the difference is quickly
apparent; they don't compare the disk
upcon'd to 1080i with a 'native' hi-def
version such as D-VHS, because the difference
is often so small. The hardware manufacturers
and movie studios are pushing hard for
HD-DVD or Blu-Ray to get you to re-buy, all
over again, the same titles you already have.
Really superfluous with the good upcon
players, for what it's worth.)

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

HiHoStevo

12-21-05, 01:33 PM

Well let's talk about GREAT Customer Service.........

I ordered a 2nd 971H for a little vacation place in Utah.... I was only going to be there a short time, so I opted for the "expedited" shipping so it would show up before I had to leave.

Well the day I had to leave the DVD player showed up and all were happy!

However, when I got back to Vegas there were a couple of messages on my recorder from Kevin at OppoDigital. He had noticed that I had bought the expedited shipping from Calif. to Utah.... of course I had failed to read what "expedited" actually entailed. If you read at the web site expedited shipping uses the USPS's Priority Mail :confused: . Which as we might guess is totally hammered this time of year. :eek: So Kevin was sure that their standard shipping (via FedEx) would get there faster than the expedited shipping from the USPS... so he redirected the shipping to FedEx and put a credit on my card for the overage! :D

What a Great Company with Super Employee's! :)

It is such a pleasure to do business with these guys... this is what Customer Service used to be, but all to often today is not!

Whoopee.........

GSB

12-21-05, 04:45 PM

It is such a pleasure to do business with these guys... this is what Customer Service used to be, but all to often today is not! Absolutely true. Never in my life have I experienced such fantastic service, dedication and responsiveness. Three cheers for OPPO Digital. They set the standard by which all others should be judged. Unfortunately, the others would all FAIL!

The DV971H is an excellent product, from an excellent company. They really deserve to do well.

Gary

RobJJ

12-21-05, 06:25 PM

I've had both the Sony and the Oppo (and the Zenith 318 & Samsung 941) and I kept the Sony. The sharpness & colors at 720P is simply the best of the bunch. Of course the Oppo I had was an early model and that company regularly puts out firmware updates (as opposed to Sony who needs to) so I'm sure the issues I had have been ironed out now. At either rate, I doubt that any fixes they make could make the player produce a picture so much clearer, sharper and vibrant than the Sony that I'd HAVE to switch. The Sony and my Sharp DT-300 are a great match.

Just curious how you would go about updating the firmware on either? From my way of thinking, they are able to "play" a disc, but how do they execute a program to change the firmware?

dusterscott

12-21-05, 06:39 PM

Just curious how you would go about updating the firmware on either? From my way of thinking, they are able to "play" a disc, but how do they execute a program to change the firmware?

Oppo puts their firmware updates on their website. You burn them onto a cd, put the cd in the dvd player's tray and press 'play'. Follow the onscreen instructions or the instructions on their website. The Oppo has an absolutely stunning picture - almost as good as HD depending on the dvd.

Anubys

12-21-05, 09:05 PM

Bud-man

12-22-05, 02:18 PM

I also "bit the bullet" and ordered last night a oppo, i ordered monday but cancelled, chickened out, as the component out has me rethinking if when my DVR get's some decent firmware and i might go back to using HDMI with it again.
Well i could buy a switcher but there very expensive!!

Gilley

12-22-05, 02:56 PM

I just bit the bullet and bought the Oppo...too bad I didn't make-up my mind earlier so I could get it before Christmas!

It will replace a Bravo D1...not a bad unit, but it locked-up on me a few times and there are some store-bought DVDs it just refuses to play...

I hope the upscaling is as good as advertised!

There is a thread on swapping out the stock loader on the Bravo D1 with a newed DVD ROM drive which apparently cures the loading issues if the Bravo. I had been looking for a used Bravo to do the swap on until I founf the Oppo.

Anubys

12-22-05, 05:01 PM

There is a thread on swapping out the stock loader on the Bravo D1 with a newed DVD ROM drive which apparently cures the loading issues if the Bravo. I had been looking for a used Bravo to do the swap on until I founf the Oppo.

I'm hoping that the Oppo upscales better than the Bravo D1...I just used the occasional freezing as an excuse to get the latest toy :)

Bud-Man: I already have a switcher that I was using to switch between my D1 and my HD-Tivo so that didn't factor into my decision since I won't be using component anyway...the Oppo's weakness in that regard was not a concern for me...

I should be able to give you guys a comparison in PQ between the D1 and the Oppo since I will be using the same cables and connections...

ugabuga

12-27-05, 04:40 PM

I just received my Oppo a few days ago. It did not come with the new remote, but I emailed them and they are sending me the new one for free. I have a question guys. How are you calibrating audio for DVD-A and pro-logic 2 using the Oppo? I calibrated DD with the usual combination of Avia and DVE, but have no idea how to for other audio formats.

ScottFern

12-31-05, 03:16 PM

I just ordered my oppo last night and it is shipping with a DVI to HDMI cable so I can use it with a Vizio P50HD 50" plasma that comes with 2 HDMI. Now I am planning on running speakers through the built in receiver. Is this a good idea, how good is the receiver?

Also, running this into the HDMI port on the Vizio will I run into any issues you guys know about?

HiHoStevo

12-31-05, 03:22 PM

Hi I have tried searching this thread for the Sony DVP-CX995V and I only came up with a single hit back last April when a person was asking for information...

I realize there is an owners thread for this unit, but thought I might glean some information from folks other than owners also.

What I would really like is a Media Server where I can have all my DVD's and CD's ripped to the hard drive and then distribute them where ever desired... However as I am not "Daddy-Warbucks" I am looking for other alternatives.

I was over looking at a neighbor's theater last night and he had the older version of this Sony DVP-CX995V. It seemed to work quite well for him.

This newer version has HDMI out and is an upconverting player. My only upconversion experience has been with my Oppo 971H which I am thrilled with! :)

However, if I could get Oppo quality from a 400 DVD Changer with HDMI out and upconversion that would be totally NEAT! :D

Thanks for your information and comments..................

HapHazard

01-02-06, 05:13 PM

"However, if I could get Oppo quality from a 400 DVD Changer with HDMI out and upconversion that would be totally NEAT! "

It has occurred to me that 'loaders' in players are very-similar components, output-dvd at 480i to circuitry, and utilize ide-cabling (which can stretch-out to 3'-or-so without degradation and come in multi-connector config's).
Why couldn't the 'output' from a Sony-loader (like my 875) go-into a 880DX (for example) for output/handling by it's signal-proc? IOW, why not use a Momitsu as a cheap 'scaler' for jukebox-output?
One 'may' have to have an actual dvd-'playing' in both in order to do this, but 'switching' the actual outputs from loaders to 'fool' the player into treating-it as-its-own 'should' work...no?

lentiman

01-04-06, 11:20 AM

Can anyone suggest any good DVD titles/scenes to test a DVD player for macroblocking?

B

GSB

01-04-06, 05:06 PM

Can anyone suggest any good DVD titles/scenes to test a DVD player for macroblocking? Firstly, note that macroblocking is a compression artifact recorded on the disk, so it can be visible with any good player/display combo, especially if they are both fully digital. It looks like patches of moving/pulsating blocks, and is most often seen on background walls and floors, in mist, and in fade-in/fade-out scenes. Macroblocking is normally fairly subtle, but for some reason, the Faroudja chip exaggerates it, making it particularly distracting. Hence it became known as the "macroblock-enhance" bug.

This bug appears to be very display-dependent, and seems worse if the display uses only 8-bit processing. But by far the biggest problem with an 8-bit display, is when some of those bits are wasted due to poor calibration. By carefully calibrating your display with macroblocking in mind, you can greatly suppress it, or even eliminate much of it. The trick is to calibrate the display's grayscale so as to use the full range of available contrast... not wasting ANY of the precious digital steps between black and white. A 10-bit display is not nearly as sensitive to wasted bits, so it can help smooth things out.

A DVI connection carries only 8-bit RGB. On the other hand, HDMI can carry both 8-bit RGB, and 8/10/12-bit YCrCb. Due to the increased bit-depth, HDMI would seem to have an advantage. However, even though the Faroudja chip processes video internally with 10-bit precision, its output stage is normalized to 8-bit RGB, or 8-bit YCbCr. All Faroudja players have that limitation.

Here are a few good test disks:
"Monsters, Inc."
Chapter 1, Opening scene when the bedroom goes dark; walls, doors, and doorposts.
Chapter 12, the first few seconds; floor on the left, walls and pillars.
"A Bug's Life"
Chapter 22, particularly in the darkened blue sky.
"Princess Diaries 2"
Many places; particularly on background walls and floors.
"Hotel Rwanda"
Many places; background walls and floors, and in the mist (Ch12?).
The scene in chapter 21, time 1:40:28 and onward, is one of the worst. Macroblock-enhance causes hideous pink and green blocks to move and pulsate all over the beige-colored wall on the right side of the picture. See the photo below. The photo was taken before I calibrated my Samsung DLP. After proper calibration, the macroblock-enhance is completely gone... the pink and green stuff is now all beige with relatively smooth, graduated lighting on the wall.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=49528

Also see this post: Macroblocking in "Superman Returns" (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9194780&&#post9194780).

Gary

Bytehoven

01-04-06, 06:21 PM

IMHO, the Faroudja process enhances MB because of the very subtle contrast edge enhancement used.

I can not explain why earlier versions of the FLI2200 chipset did not show the artifact, except maybe it's a matter of the Faroudja process chain has change by going to a single chip solution.

It interesting how some displays hide the artifact without any apparent smoothing of the image. Displays with 10bit or higher internal processing seem to be MB free.

Hendrik vR

01-06-06, 03:13 AM

GSB

01-06-06, 04:08 AM

It interesting how some displays hide the artifact without any apparent smoothing of the image. Displays with 10bit or higher internal processing seem to be MB free. Bytehoven, this sounds logical, but is it just the core processing, or do you think it includes the bit-depth of the microdisplay panel too? For example, the DLP chip is 8-bit, but if the processing was 10-bit all the way from the Faroudja player through to the DLP chip, would the image be free of macroblocking?

qdaddyo

01-06-06, 11:12 AM

Here are a few good test disks:
"Monters, Inc."
Chapter 1, Opening scene when the bedroom goes dark... walls, doors, and doorposts.

Gary

So yesterday, I hook up my new Panasonic S97 player to my new 56" Panny DLP. Of course, what disk was last used in my older DVD player? "Monsters, Inc.". I play the first chapter, and get very worried b/c I see MB EVERYWHERE! Guess I'll try a new disk tonight.

GSB

01-06-06, 02:06 PM

So yesterday, I hook up my new Panasonic S97 player to my new 56" Panny DLP. Of course, what disk was last used in my older DVD player? "Monsters, Inc.". I play the first chapter, and get very worried b/c I see MB EVERYWHERE! Guess I'll try a new disk tonight.Calibrate, calibrate, calibrate! If its that bad, you'll see it everywhere... in MANY DVD's.

qdaddyo

01-06-06, 04:01 PM

Calibrate, calibrate, calibrate! If its that bad, you'll see it everywhere... in MANY DVD's.

I have an AVIA disc from 4 - 5 years ago. I'll have to use that.

JUSTIN MELHADO

01-07-06, 12:23 PM

Hey every one I know this is a forum for upconverting dvd players, but I just wanted to mention that the new hd dvd player from toshiba is available for pre-orders at crutchfeild. I noticed it mentioned the new audio formats but only listed 720p and 1080i for picture. Any body out there know if it will do 1080p on new sony ruby projector? Just wondering because I was hoping the new dvds were going to be 1080p, or could some one educate me on how these new formats are going to convert? Thanks in advance for any info.

JlgLaw

01-07-06, 05:51 PM

Justin,
You can visit blu-ray.com for info on that technology. Good FAQ section that answers most questions. Haven't looked for the HD-DVD site, but I'm sure a web search would turn up a lot on that as well. I see you mentioned the Ruby, I've got mine as well and I'm now awaiting a screen (my first front PJ). I opted to go with the new Marantz DV 9600, 1080p. Got the chance to work it with my Ruby at a local HT store. AMAZING picture. Have the Oppo as well, but the Marantz just looks better to me (of course I might be trying to justify the $1,800 difference in price. :) )

Jim

Bytehoven

01-07-06, 07:38 PM

Bytehoven, this sounds logical, but is it just the core processing, or do you think it includes the bit-depth of the microdisplay panel too? For example, the DLP chip is 8-bit, but if the processing was 10-bit all the way from the Faroudja player through to the DLP chip, would the image be free of macroblocking?

I wish I had a deeper techincal understanding of what Macro Blocking actually is.

I have some educated guesses, but thy are just that, guesses.

My 1st experience with the benefits of higher bit depth processing on a display, started with the NEC HT1000. When making some comparisons with other DLPs, the HT1000 always had a smoother/cleaner look, which helped it remain competitive even as 720p display became available. In my discussions with NEC tech folks, they relayed the benefits of the HT1000's internal video processing, but I never dug deep into what was actually happening. Frankly, much of the real science is way over my head, even though I could appreciate the process when communicated in simpler terms.

There have been very deep technical discussions by some AVS members, on the whole theory as well as real world affect of high bit depth processing.

If I recall correctly, it comes down to errors. Errors which find their way to the display output. IMHO, there is more than one type of video processing error being labeled as macro Blocking and as a result, the root cause is probably a little different in each case of the artifact showing through.

In the case of the Faroudja FLI23xx "everything on one piece of toast" chipset, I think there is a very common error getting out the door, which was properly handled on the pervious Faroudja multi chip designs. Unfortuantely, it seems to be an error inherent in the signal processing chain or we would have seen a software update squash the artifact long ago.

I and many others have mentioned the display dependence of the MB artifact showing through. IMHO, there are other video processing errors which do or do not show through on various displays. I have always felt, folks should choose a display which hides MB because it is also helping hide other errors as well. In this regard, I see the FLI23xx as a mild blessing, in that it can help folks choose a better display with more forgiving performance.

Unfortunately, most folks already own a display by the time they stumble on the OPPO or another player with MB. It's a little late and a hard point to communicate, that they needed to buy a better display. But that is in fact what they should seriously consider when they are ready for their next display purchase. Certainly they also have the option of choosing a different MB free player, but I feel they are missing the point that their display is not doing all it can do, which may contribute to poor performance in other areas.

Faroudja FLI23xx MB is just the tip of a larger video processing error ice berg. I definitely want to understand more about what's actually going on, because in that understanding will come an increase in the wisdom needed when choosing a display.

mflagg

01-08-06, 12:21 AM

Hi, Would be glad if anybody could comment on this:
I have a Sony VPL-VW10HT that accepts 480i/480p/720p/1080i component signals. I need a new DVD player and narrowed it down to a Pioneer 585A(US model 588A) and a Samsung DVD-HD950. The Pioneer is cheaper in South Africa. I have PAL and NTSC discs. Will the hacked HD950 720p component image be better than the Pioneer's image with the 10HT doing internal scaling? Ie. does the Samsung have better de-interlacing/scaling than the projector?
Any comments please.

Howdy,
I have a Sony VPL-VW10HT hooked component thru a HK AVR7300 (component switching) DirecTV HR10-250 (component) and a Momitsu V880DX (component) all pumping 1080i. The 720p is ok, but I feel the 1080i output from the projector looks better here. Dalite 1.5 hi-power screen. The Momitsu works great for me. The main reason for getting it was the upscaling over component capability.

Hendrik vR

01-08-06, 03:10 AM

Thanks Mike,
I think I'm gonna give the Samsung a try. It is the only DVD-A/SACD player available here that will do 720p/1080i over component.

kess91

01-08-06, 04:08 AM

I'm new to all this so sorry if they are stupid questions, but for the upscaling, how do i know what to put it on as far as 720, 1080 on the dvd player, or does it automatically do it, because i have a button that i can change thewm with? Also do i need the upscaling if the plasma tv allready does it? And lastly which dvd player at $200.00 or less should i get that is HDMI to HDMI?
Thanks in advance.

GSB

01-08-06, 04:37 AM

My 1st experience with the benefits of higher bit depth processing on a display, started with the NEC HT1000. When making some comparisons with other DLPs, the HT1000 always had a smoother/cleaner look, which helped it remain competitive even as 720p display became available. In my discussions with NEC tech folks, they relayed the benefits of the HT1000's internal video processing, but I never dug deep into what was actually happening. Thanks Byte, that's interesting. I like DLP, but I believe all DLP DMD chips are 8-bit. However, if 10-bit processing throughout can make a difference, I'd be delighted. I'll look into this when I am able to.

Gary

Yung

01-08-06, 03:19 PM

Pioneer has announced a new player due out this June, DV-696AV-K, that has HDMI upconversion and also does DVD-A/SACD for an MSRP of $149. Not sure how good its going to be compared to the others on the market, but its another option.

mflagg

01-09-06, 01:01 PM

Howdy,

Theory One;
Upscaling DVD player - takes the original source and screws with it to a make believe higher resolution.

Any upscaling DVD player has its + and -
The main idea is getting the best picture you can. Whether you use your TV (plasma, lcd, dlp, projector, tube) to do some scaling, or the DVD player. It is all subjective.

Some combinations work better at 720p while other work better at 1080i. Play with it, to see what looks good for you.

The type of DVD player may depend on the type of connection you have, or have free. Not all have HDMI, not all have DVI, most have component.

Bottom line
While it is not a true hi-def picture, it does the best with technology we have. :)
note: IMO it's better than a standard progressive scan dvd player.

Grayson73

01-09-06, 02:18 PM

mjwills

01-11-06, 12:08 PM

I know that you have a choice to use the TV (SXRD) or the DVD player (Sony NS90v) but in this case doesn't my TV have the upconverter and I could use any DVD player? Although now I am connected with HDMI on this DVD player. Could I just use a non converting DVD throgh component and let the TV do the work?

mshap

01-12-06, 11:13 AM

moxie1617

01-12-06, 11:48 AM

I tried asking these questions on a seperate thread, but I didn't get a response. Information is so scattered on this forum I am having a hard time getting my head around all of this. Can somebody help me out?

I have the Samsung HLR5067 DLP TV. Unfortunately, this TV only has 1 HDMI input. I have my Direct TV HD Tivo going into the HDMI input. I really don't want to spend another $120 for a HDMI switcher.

I am seriously thinking about buying an upconverting DVD player. I am looking at the Samsung 845 and the Sony S70 at my local Best Buy. I am looking for some advice.

I like the fact that I can play MP3 discs on the Sony. I don't think the Samsung will play MP3's.

1) Does it make sense to have a Samsung DVD player since I have a Samsung TV?
2) Should I move the Direct TV box to one of the component inputs on the TV?
3) If I keep the Direct TV where it is, is there a hack for either the Sony or the Samsung to upconvert over component?
4) If I move the Direct TV to component, will I lose picture quality?
5) Will I lose picture quality on the DVD if I use the component inputs?
6) What does "Blacker than black" mean?
7) What is "macroblocking"? Is this bad?

I appreciate your help.

Mark
No reason to buy a Samsung because you have a Samsung TV.

I think you should move your DirecTV to component because if you don't you will limit your choices of upconverting DVD players, most don't upconvert over component.
Unfortunately, I don't believe the HDCP free hack works for the HD845. It works great with my 841 and AFAIK the other Samsung models,except for the 845.
I have a RP CRT set so my component input seems as good as my HDMI after calibration of my sources. Because my 841 doesn't pass BTB over the DVI output I use it with my component inputs.
For BTB and macroblocking, search, there are many discussions and explanations here already.

GSB

01-12-06, 05:36 PM

7) What is "macroblocking"? Is this bad? See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6846236&&#post6846236).

ProBuilder1

01-15-06, 02:36 PM

Thanks GSB! :)

Anubys

01-15-06, 03:50 PM

I'm quite happy with the Oppo. The picture looks great. I played War of the Worlds on my Bravo D1 and then hooked up the Oppo and played it. 4 people in the room all agreed that the Oppo picture is better.

It's very light and sleek, the menus are decent. Extreme Phono was very good with their customer service and got it to me in record time (even during Christmas!).

Changing resolutions is done via the remote (not a menu). I programed my Harmony H676 and everything works perfectly...

standard141

01-15-06, 09:18 PM

whats the best upconverting dvd player that plays pal/ntsc and divx?? ive looked at the oppo however it doesnt have an hdmi output it needs to have an hdmi output, thanks for helping!

shelly

01-15-06, 10:55 PM

freonchill

01-19-06, 12:19 AM

im a noobie here
just got a Sony KDFE42A10 42" LCD Rear Projection Television - 720p native res

looking for a antenna (posted in that forum) and came over here to see what options i had for a sub $200 up-converting dvd player that has dvi/hdmi output (ive got hdmi input in the hdtv, as well as component, but in reading some of the posts, that doesnt seem to be the best option)

ive got about 300 dvd's now, and watching them in a "window" w/ black on all sides isnt that much fun...

so for those who have better knowledge about this - please reply w/ some suggestions

and if i did something wrong in this (e.g. someone already has a posting or FAQ for this - my bad, dont yell, please just post me a url to that topic)

thanks for the help

GSB

01-19-06, 04:28 AM

came over here to see what options i had for a sub $200 up-converting dvd player that has dvi/hdmi output (ive got hdmi input in the hdtv... Best bet for the money: OPPO DV971H.

Itsdon

01-19-06, 12:27 PM

whats the best upconverting dvd player that plays pal/ntsc and divx?? ive looked at the oppo however it doesnt have an hdmi output it needs to have an hdmi output, thanks for helping!

I've had the Oppo, Zenith 318, Samsung 941 and the Sony 70H. My opinion on the best of the bunch? The Sony. They all have quirks, you just need to find the ones that bother you the least and roll with it. For me, the Sony is a keeper. There's a couple a threads running around here with folks singing it's praises while condemning it's "shift" issue. I project a 92" picture and losing an inch doesn't bother me all that much.

coneyparleg

01-24-06, 04:35 PM

Any recomendations on a player that can upconvert to 1080i over component cables, under 300?

zippo2

01-25-06, 11:04 AM

I would highly reccomend the LG LDA 531. Just bought it for $179cndn. I'm using it with an Infocus SP4805. Compared to the Samsung HD941 which has all the same features (HDMI/DVD Audio/ Faroudja) it is Waaaaay better.

PROS: (With the upgraded firmware, HDCP hack, and Macrovision Hack).

Upcoverts to 720p and 1080i over HDMI and Component.
Faroudja DCDi
Gorgeous colors and contrast.
Absolutely no compatibility issues with any movies so far
Plays Divx and most other formats.

CONS:
Upconverting button is on the unit itself and the resolution cannot be changed while movie is playing. Movie will pause when changing resoultions.
Using THX optimiser on star wars DVD's, the contrast test shows one large white rectangle vice 8 smaller white squares. Using othe contrast test shows no problems and the contrast in the movies is great.

Hope this helps.

Rod W

01-25-06, 01:43 PM

What's the difference between the Sony 70H and the Sony 90V?

Also, neither of those will do 480i over HDMI, right? Is that a big enough issue to not get the Sony? Right now I'm watching 480p (on an older Sony using component) going into my Pio 5060 plasma, and it looks pretty darn good. Just thought maybe HDMI and/or the upconverter in the DVD Player might even produce a better picture. But I know some people are looking for a 480i over HDMI player...not sure why.

Thanks,

Rod

I've had the Oppo, Zenith 318, Samsung 941 and the Sony 70H. My opinion on the best of the bunch? The Sony. They all have quirks, you just need to find the ones that bother you the least and roll with it. For me, the Sony is a keeper. There's a couple a threads running around here with folks singing it's praises while condemning it's "shift" issue. I project a 92" picture and losing an inch doesn't bother me all that much.

JeffD2.

01-25-06, 08:40 PM

........
Secondly, by properly calibrating your display with macroblocking in mind, you can greatly suppress it, or even eliminate much of it............
What if you apply some of hacks that are frequently posted in this forum? I disabled MB on my LG511 and played some of the worst MB discs in my collection. Granted a lot has to due with the display being used and I'm certainly not ISF certified, but after disabling the MB it was pretty much a non-issue. Also, I have calibrated my Sony DV CRT with DVE in pro mode, and blasphemous as it may be, I PREFER the factory standard mode with just a slight bump in brightness.

GSB

01-25-06, 09:53 PM

I disabled MB on my LG511 and played some of the worst MB discs in my collection. Granted a lot has to due with the display being used and I'm certainly not ISF certified, but after disabling the MB it was pretty much a non-issue. You disabled macroblocking? What do you mean?

You can certainly reduce MB with various hacks, but you can't disable it unless you disable the DCDi processing... but then you've crippled the deinterlacing magic, and you may as well have bought a $30 player.

Gary

pajer

01-26-06, 04:06 AM

dusterscott

01-26-06, 05:37 AM

I am looking at adding a upconversion dvd player to my zenith tv. right now i am using my dish network hd vip211 hdmi output to the hdmi on the zenith. I am looking at the following dvd players, would like to get one that upconverts through both the component cables and hdmi to the zenith.
sony dvpns70h
lg lda-511
oppo dv971h
zenith dvb318
samsung dvd-hd850

would like one that plays the most formats has great quality through hdmi or/and component, i know the zenith and the oppo have dvi out instead of hdmi, should that be much of a concern for me, i know they make dvi to hdmi cables, but is it nice to have audio ans d video all on one cable. do they make a switch that would alow me to input the two hdmi's into the tv. anyone out there want to rank these players or have any real life eperience with any of the players. Thanks for your help Pajer zenith z50px2d

I can answer a few of your questions. The Oppo is at it's best through the DVI connection and I wouldn't be concerned about the lack of HDMI. It comes with a DVI-HDMI conversion cable. There are various sources for HDMI switchers. I use a Gefen and bought it through Lenexpo.com There's a cheaper one available through monoprice.com but I have no personal experience with it and haven't read any feedback about it. I run all my sound to my home theatre receiver but you could always run a pair of audio cables direct from the Oppo to your display if you want to listen with the display's speakers.

You could probably get a good buy on a used or new Sammy 850 but the picture isn't up to the same standard as the Oppo. It won't pass blacker than black or whiter than white over the digital connection so you'd be missing out on a lot of picture detail. The picture over component is ok and I believe there is a hack code you can apply that allows you to upconvert to higher resolutions than 480p. The hack works on my old Sammy 841 which I use as a backup player.

Anubys

01-26-06, 07:45 AM

Dusterscott's advice is excellent...I also bought a DVI switch from Lenexpo and they are fantastic...I didn't buy the gefen because the input was in the front of the unit , not in the back (and the color of the Gefen is awful)...I got the DTrovision DVI Link DS-21R, which is just as good, has the inputs in the back, and is black.

I also highly recommend the Oppo...the picture quality is excellent (but you can only upconvert through DVI, so you must spend another $200 on a DVI switcher)...and I also run my audio through my stereo receiver...

I use a Harmony remote 676 to switch between my HD-Tivo, DVI Switch, Oppo, PS2, VCR, and receiver...all going to the TV...

dusterscott

01-26-06, 09:44 AM

zippo2

01-26-06, 04:24 PM

Pajer,

I have compared the Samsung Hd850, Hd941, and am currentlu using the Lg LDA 531. The Samsung players truly cannot compare with their picture quality. I returned them both. I am very happy with the LG and I think the LDA 511 is the same player, the 531 being the Canadaian version. With the upgrades and hacks it should do everything you want. I'm sure the OPPO would be just as good or better judging by other reviews. The LG has an HDMI output and component. They both work equally well.

JeffD2.

01-26-06, 08:20 PM

You disabled macroblocking? What do you mean?

You can certainly reduce MB with various hacks, but you can't disable it unless you disable the DCDi processing... but then you've crippled the deinterlacing magic, and you may as well have bought a $30 player.

Gary
The setting was for MB to OFF/ON. I chose off. I did not see any degradation in PQ but rather an improvement in scenes similar to those sited as examples of bad MB. I used The Bourne Supremacy (the subway/bridge jump to barge scene) as criteria. Maybe I'd like a 30$ dvd player over the $150 LG511 (it was a gift) because I've seen no evidence of THIS upconverting player making a significant difference in PQ.

My family has indulged me and I'm going to conduct a blind test of PQ this weekend. Now I'll throw the MB on/off into the mix.

Thank you for your expertise.

GSB

01-27-06, 04:26 AM

The setting was for MB to OFF/ON. I chose off. I did not see any degradation in PQ but rather an improvement in scenes similar to those sited as examples of bad MB. I used The Bourne Supremacy (the subway/bridge jump to barge scene) as criteria. Maybe I'd like a 30$ dvd player over the $150 LG511 (it was a gift) because I've seen no evidence of THIS upconverting player making a significant difference in PQ. Wait a minute Jeff, I think you've made a mistake... the LG511 is not a Faroudja player, therefore MB (macroblocking) is not an issue. The LG511 hack is for macrovision ON/OFF. A different thing entirely.

Gary

Gary E

01-29-06, 01:31 PM

I wanted to share a my experiences with up converting DVD players with everyone.

SYSTEM 1: Living Room
DVD – LG LST 3510
RPTV – Panasonic PT 53X54 (ISF calibrated)
Connection – DVI -> HDMI

When I bought the Panasonic TV, I replaced a Toshiba 5109 DVD player with an LG LST 3510. The PT 53X54 was calibrated using the 3510 as the source. The up scaling results, as stated here many times, is dependant upon the source material. The first DVD I watched with this configuration was Star Wars IV – A New Hope. It looked amazing with incredible detail and color saturation. Most discs look good, none look worse than the Toshiba and certain titles look great. Some discs exhibit a minor combing effect but it is very brief and not the norm. Since the Panasonic PT 53X54 has only one HDMI input, the 3510 is a perfect DVD/HD receiver combo for me. I’m very pleased with this DVD player/TV combination.

SYSTEM 2: Bedroom
DVD – Samsung HD850 (fixed)
Direct View TV – Samsung TX – P2675WH
Connection – HDMI -> DVI

I bought the Samsung HD850 to replace a CYBERHOME 300 that died. I have compared the 850’s DVI connection to the component connection and find the DVI connection to be superior, by quite a margin. The DVI connection produces more vibrant color, a sharper image and more depth to the picture. The component connection seems somewhat flat in comparison. The Samsung TX – P2675WH is not ISF calibrated but the small screen size (26”) is very forgiving. If this TV did not have a DVI input, I would keep the Samsung HD850 over the Cyberhome 300. For a cheap player, the Cyberhome 300 (progressive) did a good job on most discs but the up convert from the Samsung, through component cables, beat the Cyberhome. The current configuration of the two Samsung units is very nice.

SYSTEM 3: Dedicated HT
DVD – Panasonic RP91
RPTV – Toshiba 40H80 (ISF calibrated)
Connection – component

I recently purchased an LG LDA 511, with the intention of replacing the RP91. The LG was good but not good enough to send the RP91 to the garage (where all outdated HT gear goes to die). To be fair, the TV was calibrated with the RP91 as the source, so inserting the 511 in it’s place required some tweaking to adjust to the new unit. As has been stated here many times, the 511 seems to soften the picture quite a bit. I found this true on 3 of the 4 discs I watched

Star Wars IV – A New Hope
Picture was not as good as the combination in my living room. The up scaled image of the 511 was on par with the RP91 480P.

Diamonds Are Forever
The 511 did a great job with this disc. It did not exhibit the softening effect and the colors and detail were outstanding. This disc looked better with the LG than with the RP91.

Eddie And The Cruisers
The up scaled image of the 511 was sub par compared the RP91 480P. The 511 made the disc look washed out. The audio output from the 511 did beat the RP91 by a hair, in fact all the discs played on the 511 sounded very, very good.

Brian Setzer – Live In Japan
Here again the 511 did nothing to improve the image the RP91 put out. It did not look worse than the RP91’s 480p output; I just didn’t see any significant difference.

I returned the LG LDA 511 to Best Buy (cost $121.00 after rebate) only because I did not feel it was substantial enough to displace the RP91. Had the RP91 stopped working and I was in need of a replacement, I would have kept the 511. (Aside from that, the RP91 is programmed into my RS 15-1994 remote’s macros and I didn’t want the hassle of changing things if I didn’t really have to. )

I just wanted to share these results with everyone since every component listed above was purchased after reading about them on AVS or on HTF. This forum has been a valuable source of information for me and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Thanks for all the great advice during the years.

mrsmith

02-05-06, 06:50 PM

Any recomendations on a player that can upconvert to 1080i over component cables, under 300?
Try the Momitsu V880. I've had one over 2 years and
the result is outstanding over component(also does
over DVI of course). Careful though first about whether
there is any conflict with the type of display; some,
particularly certain front projectors, just don't work
with upcon players. Check with the manufacturer
first, giving them your hardware details.

On first-class DVD transfers, the upcon'd image
at 1080i is verrrrry close to 'native' hi-def. In
some cases(standard DVD of Terminator 2
upconverted to 1080i on this machine vs.
the Microsoft WM9 'native' hi-def disk in the
same box is almost indistinguishable, it's
that good). I've also seen the D-VHS of this
film and the V880 cranks out an image that's
so darned close, it most probably would fool
many viewers.

Enjoy!

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

rkb0378

02-06-06, 06:30 PM

Hi. I just purchased a Pioneer Elite 1130 plasma.

Would it make sense to replace my 3 year Denon 3800 ($1800) for the OPPO ($199)?

Thanks Rob

scheerce

02-09-06, 02:24 PM

I just purchased the oppo off of amazon. They had free shipping, though it won't ship until 2/14. Can't wait to post my findings......

scheerce

02-09-06, 05:08 PM

Actually went back to amazon and repurchased it becuase they also have a promo 5% off until 2/13 in addition to the free shipping. 189.99 total.

bradesp

02-10-06, 10:39 AM

I would highly reccomend the LG LDA 531. Just bought it for $179cndn. I'm using it with an Infocus SP4805. Compared to the Samsung HD941 which has all the same features (HDMI/DVD Audio/ Faroudja) it is Waaaaay better.

PROS: (With the upgraded firmware, HDCP hack, and Macrovision Hack).

Upcoverts to 720p and 1080i over HDMI and Component.
Faroudja DCDi
Gorgeous colors and contrast.
Absolutely no compatibility issues with any movies so far
Plays Divx and most other formats.
.

Zippo,

You posted last month that your LG 531 (after hacks) will play DVD's at 1080i over component. I've researched the heck out of the LGT 531 and most others say the hack only enables 1080i over hdmi NOT component.

Can you comment further on how certain you are that you're getting 1080i to play on store bought, copy protected DVD's?

Thanks!

bradesp

zippo2

02-10-06, 11:02 AM

Hi,

Very certain. I have the hack info written down somewhere. I disabled HDCP and Macrovision using remote control hacks. I got the info from a canadian A/V forum. If you need it let me know. I will say however that the video is better in HDMI. Specifically, I noticed last night that my component output does not do a good job of Blacker than black using the DVE callibrating patterns. Other than that all resolutions work fine, Guaratntted.

bradesp

02-10-06, 11:20 AM

Zippo, Thanks.

Unfortunatley i have an older Pioneer Elite HDTV (2001) that has VGA and Component Inputs only...

I'm curious about something.. If I find my Time Warner HD Digital Service (when watching HD programming) "amazing", will I likely find the picture on the upscaled LG 531 Pleasing or Disappointing? Any thoughts?

Thanks!

bradesp

scheerce

02-10-06, 11:52 AM

I know there is a section for audio hookup, but I have had a thread out there that nobody has responded to. I will post my question here becasue y'all seem very knowledgeable.

What is the difference between hooking up your DVD player via optical/coax DD connection or using the 5.1 RCA outputs?

zippo2

02-10-06, 02:04 PM

Bradesp,

I can only compare it to the Sammy 850/941 and my panasonic F65 displaying on my infocus sp4805 which is not true HD but will read 1080i. It is beautiful compared to both. The issues with component BTB might be with my projector becasue I could swear that the problem wasn't there last time I checked, but it was there yeasterday after I reconected the component input. You could get a component to VGA adaptor also. All I know is that the picture is better (smoother) with 1080i than with either 480i or 480p. You could always try to buy it and return it if you don't like it. My other choice would have been the oppo but I didn't feel like waiting for shipping. Hope this helps.

bradesp

02-11-06, 07:33 AM

In my quest to find options I emailed Oppo this week and they responded that March will see the release of a new Oppo DVD Player that supports upscaling over component!!! See my email response below:

From: service@oppodigital.com
To: xxxxxx
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 1:01:42 PM
Subject: RE: Any Plans to Add Support for Upscaled Component Video?

Brad,

We are looking into integrating upscaling through the component outputs
in future DVD hardware releases. The first new DVD player with
component based upscaling is slated for a late-March release.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119

jamawass

02-11-06, 10:23 AM

zippo2

02-11-06, 02:51 PM

Not sure what .tp HDTV files are so I couldn't say.

Chris Gerhard

02-11-06, 04:39 PM

I can say with absolute certainty the LG does not play any true HDTV files or discs.

Chris

javry

02-11-06, 05:59 PM

Brad,

We are looking into integrating upscaling through the component outputs
in future DVD hardware releases. The first new DVD player with
component based upscaling is slated for a late-March release.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119

This sounds real interesting. Though I use them both, I'm not a big fan of the whole DVI/HDMI saga. It would be nice to upscale through component. That way, I wouldn't have to upgrade my Mosquito. I just hope the new player is on par with the 971H.
Javry

zippo2

02-12-06, 02:57 PM

Bradesp and anyone else interested,

An ammendment/correction to my previous statement re: this player. The component 1080i IS actually better than the HDMI output. The problem I was having with BTB was a fault of my projector. I noticed that when I fiddled with the horizontal/vertical position of the image while receiving a component input, the image would get a few levels darker and would not pass BTB with the DVE disc. The same thing used to happen with the Samsung hd941. After reseting the factory settings on my projector (sp4805), the LG passed BTB and had much better contrast control via component that via HDMI. I did some very thorough comparisons last night using DVE, Star wars episode III (THX), Pearl Harbor (THX), and Sin City. I compared the contrast/brightness and color outputs between HDMI and Component 1080i. In the end the component is better. The difference is mostly noticable on contrast tests using the THX optimisers and the DVE calibration screens. The HDMI connection does not allow as much white control as the component. It is difficult to see the 8 white squares on the THX test. The resoultion looks the same on both and its very smooth. The colors are equally vibrant on both. I will be sticking with the component output from now on and I'll use my HDMI cable with my computer (DVI adapter). The HDMI is still very good however it does seem to push the whites a bit. In conclussion, anyone looking for an upconverting, Faroudja player that does component for all copyright/ HDCP/Macrovision sources should be very happy with this one.

Cheers

<BSD>

02-12-06, 07:19 PM

vanhorst

02-12-06, 11:00 PM

Sorry to barge in on this thread, but it sounds like one of you may have some answers to or advice on my questions. My objective is to display photo CDs, jpegs on CD, on my 55" HDTV in the highest resolution I can get. I see where some upcoverting DVD players claim to read such media, and imply that can be upconverted using component connections. My HDTV does not have either HDMI or DVI connections, so I'm stuck with component for any DVD player.

Trusting sales info on Mfr/Supplier websites is hazardous.

Here are my questions: Is what I want to do possible? What kind of resolution could I get via component, if the JPEGs can actually be upcoverted?

I'm not looking for true HD, like HDNet via satellite, but something a lot better than what I can get now, which is even less than 480i SDTV resolution. (VCD, SVCD, DVD using burning softrware and my standard progressive scan DVD player all look crummy, yet I know the JPEG files, usually 1.5 to 2 megs each, have excellent detail.

I have only read about one DVD player, a NeuNeo 2085, or close to that, that sounds maybe possible, but I'm a little 'Hinky" about buying straight from China.
I looked at a Sumsung DVD-HD950, but it apparently only upconverts via HDMI or DVI, once I got their techies to admit that. I'm not sure who to believe now.
Are there reputable others out there that can meet my objective?

Any advice or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Bob VH
Walnut Creek, CA
(I've been in the HDTV forums for several years.)

scheerce

02-15-06, 12:48 PM

TexRob

02-15-06, 02:57 PM

For those who are waiting for a fix on the shift issue for Sony DVP-NS70H, Sony is releasing the DVP-NS75H in March. Might as well wait to see if this has the shift issue. Article says the list price will only be $130!

$150 for the 5 disc version, DVP-NC85H.

http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/6399

I think I might just do that, thanks for the find! Expect to see NS70s for $99 or less would be my guess, when that new one comes out.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-vEz0MJnEWCX/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=54400&I=158NS75H

3/23/06 release date supposedly

Itsdon

02-15-06, 03:14 PM

Amazon has them for pre-order now also.

GSB

02-15-06, 06:13 PM

Well, I hooked up the oppo to my TV. There are some settings in the menu that were not explained well, bit rates, etc. The macroblocking is terrible on Pirates of the Car. The drive tray is not the best and the remote is the the worst thing I have ever seen. I don't know if I can tell a diference between this and an Apex 29.99 walmart special.Did you order from Amazon? They may have sent you old stock. The newer OPPO stock comes with a considerably better remote, plus a DVI->DVI and a DVI->HDMI cable. Perhaps later firmware too. The drive tray is surprisingly tough. Macroblocking can be minimized or even eliminated by properly calibrating your display. See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6811617&&#post6811617).

scheerce

02-15-06, 10:37 PM

I did order from amazon. It appears to be the new remote. It is just not a good remote. I did get both cables. I will have to check to see how to look at the firmware version and check to see if it is the newest.
When you say proper calibrating, I guess my only option is Avia or DVE. I have spoken with a pro and this person did not think the Mitsu 53725 had good controls and it might not be worth the money for a pro calibration.

scheerce

02-15-06, 10:39 PM

Oh ya, thanks for the link to the other post. I will read throught it.

scheerce

02-15-06, 11:01 PM

Just looked at the firmware and the remote more closely. It appears to be pretty old :-( The firmware is 0925.

I plan on calling Amazon and complaining!!!!!!

scheerce

02-16-06, 09:36 AM

update on old DVD player.
I sent oppo customer service an email about the issue and they state it is probably an October model. Amazon does not send back old stock when they get new in. Crappy practice I think. But, their customer service is going to ship out a new remote ASAP. This just goes to show how great their customer support it. They are really putting effort in keeping the customer happy. Even if this unit is not 100% perfect, I would recommend it to anyone!

baritony

02-21-06, 08:53 PM

Zippo2,,, Where did you find the LG dva 531?

SCWells72

02-26-06, 11:40 AM

Well, I tried to install the HD-745 firmware on my HD-841 last night, and in the process it's pretty much dead (similar issue to what others have seen where the tray won't open, the display is black, and the LED says "Load"). I've enjoyed that player, but I'm not entirely mourning its death. I see this as an opportunity to upgrade to a better upconverting player. Now the real question is which one gets my $$.

I'd prefer to cap out around $200 since HD-DVD and BluRay are just down the road. I see this as a tide-me-over solution. After some initial research, the Oppo is looking very promising. My TV is a 65" Toshiba RP-CRT with DVI input, so I'm definitely looking for something that looks best over DVI if possible. I'd also like to be able to play Divx/Xvid on the player (as evidenced by my failed attempt to flash my HD-841!), from the network being ideal, but from a DVD-RW being completely fine.

Anyone have any heart-felt recommendations? I'm not in a super-hurry, so if something perfect is coming out in a month or two, that's fine. I can use one of my other DVD players in the interim to limp along.

Thanks in advance,
Scott Wells

Damaestro

02-27-06, 06:44 PM

I have the Samsung HD755 and am having problems getting through the 720 menu to the 1080i resolution that my Mitsu 55 inch can support. Anyone have a solution?

Steve L

02-28-06, 08:51 AM

It would be nice to upscale through component. That way, I wouldn't have to upgrade my Mosquito. I just hope the new player is on par with the 971H.

I've traded several e-mails with Oppo regarding this player (the 970H). They've been pretty frank about the fact that this unit is intended to be a lower cost "daughter product" alternative to the 971H, and that it's upscaling capability won't be on a par with the 971H's. (While they didn't say it, I take that to mean no Faroudja technology at the lower price point.)

They are anticipating a replacement for the 971H (date unspecified) which will have improved picture quality, but I do not know if that will offer upconversion over component. (If you're not already familiar with it, I believe the Zenith 318 offers Faroudja upconversion over component with the proper firmware installed. Last time I checked, it can still be found new on Amazon for less than $200.)

Price aside, what many of us are hoping for the 970H is that 480i over HDMI from this player will present a comparable alternative to an SDI-mod'd player, for those of us who feel our display or external scalers can do a better job.

/steve