They told me this December for the 971H replacement.

You mean 10 months away!?

You mean 10 months away!?

I'm pretty sure he does. Last time I asked, Oppo told me it would be "later this year".

/steve

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


I bought it at FutureShop in Canada. There is also another Canadian web dealer that sells it
http://www.onlybestrated.com

Good luck

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!

I also ordered mine through amazon (free shipping :) ) and got an older model with the black remote (plastic see through buttons) not glow in the dark. I emailed oppo and they replied in a minute (really) saying they would send me a new remote.

I've updated the firmware and im using this connected via DVI-HDMI (with the included cable) to my Sony KDF-E42A10 using 720p upconverting and it looks great!

Awesome dvd player for HTDV sets using HDMI for just $199!

If u use component then this unit is not for you

I ordered my Oppo direct and received it yesterday. It had the new remote and the latest firmware. I haven't hooked it up via the HDMI yet but did quickly install it via the SVHS cable to see how it played. Picture quality even thru the SVHS cable far exceeded my existing Panasonic S35 so I can't wait to see how it works at 1080i when I get it installed in my new TV. What really made me happy was the fact that it played all my burned movies perfectly which for me is important since most of the movies I buy for the grand kids are copied and put away. I haven't had to by additional copys of disney movies since I started burning back-ups. I learned my lesson quickly on that one. I also have quite a few home movies I've converted from VHS and they play fine. That was one of the issues that would have been a deal breaker for me no matter how good the picture quality was. A friend of mine owns a Sony upconverting DVD player and it balks at a large amount of home produced discs so right now I'm extremely happy I went with the Oppo.

at $200 bucks, it is a good gap solution until the HD/Blu-RAY disks become reasonable. It is nice that you can upgrade the firmware and their customer support is excellent. As some have found out, Amazon is good at shipping old gear. But, Oppo is quick to fix the situation. If Oppo will be making a HD/BR player in the future I will be one of the first in line to get one!

Can anybody comment on how the Oppo player will perform with a CRT HDTV? I ask because despite all the love this player gets, it seems like it's really only good using the HDMI input. And I have seen a couple people mention over in the CRT forum that the best colors come from component input for CRT. So I'm wondering how much better the Oppo would be versus just a good progressive scan dvd player without the upscaler. I just don't want to buy a $200 player if a $100 player will do just as well.

I have a CRT RPTV and I found the Oppo looking too soft and the colors weren't as good as my Panasonic XP-30 (480p component).

And I have seen a couple people mention over in the CRT forum that the best colors come from component input for CRT. You have to be careful of statements like this. Best colors from component? You are supposed to calibrate your display to the new source (including color saturation and balance) so the image should look identical, no matter what type of connection you use.

In addition, the original signal on the DVD is digital YCrCb. An HDMI output simply passes that signal to the display. But a component output has to pass that signal to the display through D-to-A and A-to-D converters and over an imperfect analog cable, introducing noise, false contouring, and other inaccuracies.

If your display cannot be calibrated to make HDMI look as good (or better) than component, there is something wrong with the display or player. The OPPO certainly does a better job with the digital output.

Gary

I bought one of the first progressive Toshiba players that is now having problems playing some DVD's as well as decoding DD or DTS 5.1 so it's time for a replacement. Thanks to Mitsu's broken *promise* stance my WS-65869 RPTV does not have DVI or HDMI so I'm stuck with component for up-scaling which I understand limits my choices.

From researching here in this thread it sounds like my options are the Samsung DVD-HD841, HD850, HD941 and HD950 models along with older Zenith 318 players. The Sammy's require hacks to up-convert through component which sounds straight-forward and simple enough but are there any other options out there I should know about?

***update***

Ok, looks like the LG LDA-531 is another popular option here but I can't find it local or by a well-known web merchant here in the states. How many have ordered from Only Best Rated for this unit?

I'm trying to decide between the Samsung 941/950 or LG LDA-531. All three I've found new for under $200 and while reading the pros and cons of all which one is the better unit for my setup.

I've been searching for the correct thread to post this in, but couldn't find, maybe someone here can help. I have a Sony DVP-NS70H upconverting player connected via HDMI. My problem is many of my burned DVD's dont play or get stuck while watching on this brand new player. My older piece of crap $39 Norcent from Walmart has no problem playing the same DVD's. Can anyone explain this to me? Thanks for helping a newbie!

I purchased the LG LDA-531 from Only Best Rated -- they shipped it fast to California and it arrived in good condition (although they put the original box in a plastic shipping bag --no other protection).

LDA-531 does upconvert original DVDs (copy-protected) to 1080i over component with the remote hacks described in this forum.

Only Best Rated will include a region free hack on disk -- I bought it but I haven't tried it.

I have just started to assess the PQ with Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK, and my initial impressions are favorable. I replaced my older DVD player, a Panasonic DVD-RP91, just to try out the upscaling.

Brian

OK, heres a basic question that I need some help answering. First some background:

my parents recently got a HDTV, and also got an upconverting DVD player (SD-4980SC) .... now, they have a Shaw HD cable box, which is connected to the TV with HDMI. The DVD player has an HDMI connection, and the guy at the HT store said that to get the best picture and sound my parents would have to unplug the cable box HDMI (plugged into TV HDMI) and plg in the DVD playersw HMDI cable.

Is that true?
Can we use the Component cable/connection and get the same image quality?
I'm confused :/

Thanks for any help you can provide!

I connected the DVD player with both the Component and HDMI and tried both.
Sure didnt notice any difference. (tried all three upconverting options)

I purchased the LG LDA-531 from Only Best Rated -- they shipped it fast to California and it arrived in good condition (although they put the original box in a plastic shipping bag --no other protection).

LDA-531 does upconvert original DVDs (copy-protected) to 1080i over component with the remote hacks described in this forum.

Only Best Rated will include a region free hack on disk -- I bought it but I haven't tried it.

I have just started to assess the PQ with Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK, and my initial impressions are favorable. I replaced my older DVD player, a Panasonic DVD-RP91, just to try out the upscaling.

Brian

Isn't the LDS-531 a Samsung clone? I bought a Samsung (hd-950) to check out component upconverting, but immediately went back to my trusty RP-91. The Samsung was just unacceptably soft.

glad I didn't shell out for an upconverting DVD player. I hooked up my TEN year old Toshiba DVD (480i--not even progressive) and it looks GREAT with my new Pioneer PDP-5060HD plasma :)

This maybe a stupid question, but I'm not sure how this should work so I thought I would check: I've been using the LDA511 upconverting DVD player - trying both component and HDMI on my 16x9 TV. The DVD player always sends the picture stretched to a full 16x9 regardless if the DVD is 4x3, 16x9, or 2.35:1. I can change this via settings on the TV, but should that be necessary? Is it common practice for DVD players to strectch everything out? I've tried several non-upconverting DVD players, and they will atleast get the 2.35:1 correct without any adjustment, but they still stretch 4x3 out to 16x9...

Thanks!

I'm using a basic, 2-yr old Sony, at 480p with my 5060 and it looks excellent. I've switched back and forth between 480i and 480p and it's hard to see much of a difference. The 5060 must have some excellent processing. I'd like to get a DVD Player that doubles as a SACD player, but don't know if giving up the 480i capability in the process (can't seem to find one with 480i and 480p) is wise or not.

Any suggestions?

Rod W.


glad I didn't shell out for an upconverting DVD player. I hooked up my TEN year old Toshiba DVD (480i--not even progressive) and it looks GREAT with my new Pioneer PDP-5060HD plasma :)

I have a question about the upscaling from 480p/i to 720p/1080i. I have a samsung HD-941 dvd player which upscales through HDMI either 480p, 720p, 768p or 1080i. I'm feeding a Panasonic AE-900 projector, but changing from 480p to 720p or 1080i, I can't see any difference.
Is this because the projector is doing the upscaling even if I send a 480p signal? I did try using the component connection using 480i and 480p, but I liked the picture using the HDMI better.

This maybe a stupid question, but I'm not sure how this should work so I thought I would check: I've been using the LDA511 upconverting DVD player - trying both component and HDMI on my 16x9 TV. The DVD player always sends the picture stretched to a full 16x9 regardless if the DVD is 4x3, 16x9, or 2.35:1. I can change this via settings on the TV, but should that be necessary? Is it common practice for DVD players to strectch everything out? I've tried several non-upconverting DVD players, and they will atleast get the 2.35:1 correct without any adjustment, but they still stretch 4x3 out to 16x9...

Thanks!When you upconvert to 1080I or 720P you get some vertical or horizontial distortion-you can either try to correct it with your tv's service menu (verrtical and horizontial) or try using the zoom function on the 511.

Has anyone seen the new Harmon Kardon DVD 47 updconverting DVD player with HDMI? I'm curious about it's upconverting performance compared to other players. It says it uses pixel-by-pixel upconversion as opposed to line-by-line, so it is supposed to have few jaggies, compression artifacts, etc.

Anyone have any input?

I just tried out a Sony NS70H, single upconverting DVD player. WOW! And for $135.

Now my dilema. I also have an older Sony 400 DVD jukebox.

Do I also buy the newer Sony Upconverting DVD jukebox, or upgrade my 3 year old Denon 3803 (which has component upconverting) for a new 3806 which has the HDMI upconverting?

I wonder if my 3803 only changes the signal to be sent out via the component cables, and not the actual signal to 1080? Does the new 3806 upcovert the signal to 1080? I could really see a diff from my old DVD jukebox (480) and the new upconverting NS70H (1080) I just got.

FYI, I was using a monoprice 50 foot (yes, a 50 foot HDMI cable) hooked directly to my new 60" Sony SXBR (wow what a TV!) and a 6 foot optical cable, and there were no issues with any delays.

I would rather not have to spend $1000-1500 on a new receiver, but i also want the best picture I can get.

Suggestions please?

I just got a Panasonic S97 yesterday , its a nice dvd player with tons of features but Im not seeing an improved picture on my XBR960 with the player set at 720 or 1080i via HDMI input , when comparing the same DVDs on my Sony NS725P player via Component / 480P theres very little difference at all with the only differences being color saturation / brightness. DVD playback looks great on both players its just I was expecting to see an improvement in the upconversion.

I guess its true when they say up converting players are best suited for fixed pixel displays.

I just got a Panasonic S97 yesterday , its a nice dvd player with tons of features but Im not seeing an improved picture on my XBR960 with the player set at 720 or 1080i via HDMI input , when comparing the same DVDs on my Sony NS725P player via Component / 480P theres very little difference at all with the only differences being color saturation / brightness. DVD playback looks great on both players its just I was expecting to see an improvement in the upconversion.

I guess its true when they say up converting players are best suited for fixed pixel displays.

That's a 34" display, isn't it? At that screen size and dot pitch, I would think it would be pretty hard to see the difference in video frequency response between these two players, especially at normal viewing distances.

That is a great TV, however. You're probably seeing a superb picture at 480p, so you shouldn't feel like you're missing anything in terms of picture quality.

/steve

I just tried out a Sony NS70H, single upconverting DVD player. WOW! And for $135.

Now my dilema. I also have an older Sony 400 DVD jukebox.

Do I also buy the newer Sony Upconverting DVD jukebox, or upgrade my 3 year old Denon 3803 (which has component upconverting) for a new 3806 which has the HDMI upconverting?

I wonder if my 3803 only changes the signal to be sent out via the component cables, and not the actual signal to 1080? Does the new 3806 upcovert the signal to 1080? I could really see a diff from my old DVD jukebox (480) and the new upconverting NS70H (1080) I just got.

FYI, I was using a monoprice 50 foot (yes, a 50 foot HDMI cable) hooked directly to my new 60" Sony SXBR (wow what a TV!) and a 6 foot optical cable, and there were no issues with any delays.

I would rather not have to spend $1000-1500 on a new receiver, but i also want the best picture I can get.

Suggestions please?

Wait one week before you do anything. I say that because the new Sony NS75H is just hitting the shelves (I'll have one in my hands on Thursday, it's shipped already) and it should fix the one glaring issue with the NS70H (upconversion shift). I tried many players (Oppo, 2 Samsungs, Zenith 318, RCA 8060N, Sylvania (faroudja based) - all HDMI upconverters) and the Sony NS70H was/is simply the best. The picture at 720P to my Sharp projector simply sparkled. It's glaring (and unfixed) issue is an image shift when upconverting. It bothered me enough to sell my NS70H as soon as I heard the 75H was on the horizon. I can't say that the shift issue is fixed (yet) but with as much stink as has been made about it I can't imagine Sony didn't fix it.

If indeed it is fixed and they left all the other goodies the 70H alone it should be the DVD player to beat (of course until HD players are widely available). I'll post a review after I've put it through its paces.

I have tried 4 up-converting DVD players recently. I have a 50ft HDMI to M1 (projector port similar to DVI) cable from Monoprice going to SP5000 projector. My goal was a DVD player that did better up-converting to 720p than the projector.

Samsung HD-845: Worked for a little while, then would not play copy-protected DVDs over HDMI, was going to swap for another, but Best Buy only had 4 open units left, no new ones - figured with that many returned must not be any good.

LG LDA511: Slot load, ok upconverion, very slow... Insisted on stretching all 4x3 material to 16x9 widescreen. If use hack to disable HDCP and macrovision then worked fine over 50ft cable, otherwise all I got was snow - not worth the trouble... Hack for component upconvert worked ok for 720p, 1080i was horrible skewed/tinted with 25ft cables (from monoprice)...

Toshiba SD-4980: Just seemed junky.... still stretch 4x3 so everything was short and fat.. Upconversion nothing great...

Sony DVP-NS70H: first off, I notice a very slight smaller picture on 4x3 material, but that is it. I can set the projector to always have overscan on so that is not an issue, anything widescreen appears to be fine... Other than that this DVD player is the BEST. Best buy does not list this one on their website even though the local store had it (I tried all of the upconvert DVD players at the store). It has an option for 4x3 if you want it stretched or pillarbox, upconversion is excellent quality...

If the Sony and Toshiba DVD players are any indication of how Blu-ray and HD-DVD will do, HD-DVD does stand a chance...
The Sony is better than any DVD player I have ever used!
(and monoprice is great place to get cables!)

A question for knowledgeable members. I have recently tried the Samsung HD 850 for its upconverting feature over component. It does not pass below black information in this configuration. Otherwise an excellent player.

Does anyone know of a player in this price range that does pass below black over component with an upconverted signal?

glad I didn't shell out for an upconverting DVD player. I hooked up my TEN year old Toshiba DVD (480i--not even progressive) and it looks GREAT with my new Pioneer PDP-5060HD plasma :)

You know what's funny? I was thinking of doing the same thing with my 7yr old Toshiba 3109 non-progressive player and seeing how it compares to the Oppo. I'll see if I can give it a shot. What model do you have?

What about using one of the new HD-DVD players to upscale Standard Def DVD disks also?

Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

Hello all,

I just got the JVC 40" 1080p LCD, and now i'm looking for a DVD player to go with it. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good upconverting DVD player with hmdi that can be found for < $200?

Thanks in advance!

Hello all,

I just got the JVC 40" 1080p LCD, and now i'm looking for a DVD player to go with it. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good upconverting DVD player with hmdi that can be found for < $200?

Thanks in advance!

Sony DVP-NS75H. Check out the thread on this player.

Is this one better than the Oppo Digital OPDV971H?? thanks...

I just got the JVC 40" 1080p LCD, and now i'm looking for a DVD player to go with it. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good upconverting DVD player with hmdi that can be found for < $200? Also check out the very highly-rated OPPO 971H.

And i'm sorry that I don't know more about this stuff, but do i even need an upconverting DVD player since my JVC 40FH96 TV upconverts?

glad I didn't shell out for an upconverting DVD player. I hooked up my TEN year old Toshiba DVD (480i--not even progressive) and it looks GREAT with my new Pioneer PDP-5060HD plasma :)The video signal processing in mainstream TV's has certainly come a long way. However, you would be very surprised to see the improvement from a fully-digital upconverting player. You have to know what to look for, of course, but when you see the difference, you will never want to go back to the 10-year old analog 480i unit!

Gary

Is this one better than the Oppo Digital OPDV971H?? thanks...

It's about $70 less and many claim that it is better. Check out the NS70H thread and the new NS75H thread.

Is this one better than the Oppo Digital OPDV971H?? thanks...Well, people rave about the Sony players, but they falter in the de-interlacing department. A person who knows what to look for, could identify and point out where these players trip up. As long as your display doesn't have problems with Faroudja macroblocking, the OPPO is fantastic for the money.

Gary

Isn't the LDS-531 a Samsung clone? I bought a Samsung (hd-950) to check out component upconverting, but immediately went back to my trusty RP-91. The Samsung was just unacceptably soft.
Is the LDA-531 really a Samsung clone? I would have thought LG and Samsung products are independent.

P.S. Which TV are you using? I have the Panasonic RP-91 too, and I've been satisfied so far, partially because my TV is only 34".

Also, there is an article on engadget this morning about the upconverting pioneer players that completely lack HDCP :) how are these?

persyus -- There's a difference between "HDCP free" and "not HDCP compliant". HDCP is only there for copy protection, if enabled. Your new display should be HDCP compliant and will work with any DVD player that is either HDCP compliant or HDCP free. You'll have to check to see what the HDCP compliance of the Pioneer players are, but for any DVDs which do not have copy protection, it won't matter.

Itsdon -- At less money than the Oppo, the new Sony NS-75H sounds interesting, especially since you've indicated that they've fixed the "shift" issue that the NS-70H has. I sent you a PM on your 75H. One thing I forgot to ask is about layer change delays -- have you seen any?

PS - I also have the HQV DVD. Since you are local, I could bring it over, if you'd like. Check your PM for contacting me.

when is deinterlacing important and when is scaling important??

I have the s77 and a 42PHD8UK panny display. I bought the DVI blade and when connecting the s77 with a HDMI to DVI converter the color was not very good. It had a definite green push. I have learned from other forums that DVI only accepts RGB whereas HDMI will accept RGB or YCbCr. So what I am wondering is if I get the HDMI blade instead of the DVI blade and set the s77 to output YCbCr will the colors look correct? I also think that doing it that way will at list give me some control over the tint and color adjustments as my display disables those features when the input signal is RGB but enables them when it is YCbCr.

Add the Sony DVP-NC85H to the list, I got one of these 2 days and all I have to say is-WOW! My hdtv doesn't have either an HDMI or DVI input so I'm running the unit at 480P on the componet outputs and all I gotta say picture wise it's great.

Ok, I finally got the LDA-531 from Only Best in Canada so I hooked it up and started playing with it this weekend. It distorts the picture on my Mitsu WS-65869 at 720p and 1080i to where the TV goes blue on that impute but plays fine on 480i and 480p. I haven't tried tweaking settings on the tv and/or the DVD player but before I do I was hoping to find someone with this same problem.

Just got first HDTV (Panasonic 42PX60U) and thinking about getting an upconverting DVD player. Will the upconverting DVD player fill the screen w/o the letterboxing that I get with my standard DVD player? I would like a full screen picture when watching DVDs without having to zoom on the TV. Is that possible or is it just how DVDs are formatted?

Just got first HDTV (Panasonic 42PX60U) and thinking about getting an upconverting DVD player. Will the upconverting DVD player fill the screen w/o the letterboxing that I get with my standard DVD player? I would like a full screen picture when watching DVDs without having to zoom on the TV. Is that possible or is it just how DVDs are formatted?

I would also like to know the answer to this question.

Sony DVP-NS75H fills the screen for 16:9 content and has black bars on the sides for regular content.

Well, there's also widescreen content that's wider than the 16:9 aspect ratio (I'm sure someone knows the right aspect ratio/term, but it's eluding me right now), and that content will continue to be letterboxed unless you zoom it, but if you zoom it, you'll lose information on the sides (well, unless you stretch it, but then it looks like crap).

I was frustrated when I first got my widescreen HDTV and discovered that some stuff was still letterboxed. I was watching coverage of an A/V trade show and saw that there are front projectors that can actually zoom content of the wider aspect ratio, removing the letterboxing in the process. That sounds very cool. Maybe if/when I convert my game room into a dedicated home theater some day down the line.

What do you guys think?

Wow! Does this company have enough models in it's line? About 12, by my count.

Interesting that their component upconverter (EVD-8700) offers 768p output. That's a nice match to my 50" Fujitsu's native resolution. From a marketing standpoint, I'm amazed that it doesn't offer 720p as well, however.

/steve

Edit: Not sure why this post shows up out of sequence. It was intented to be a response to post #1302 in this thread.

check out my RCA DRC-255N review, the player seems promising, and it about 5 at Wallyworld!!!!

My brain is swimming after searching the internet and AVS on 1080p upconverting, I'm pretty confused. I just received a 1080p TV (the infamous Sceptre 42) and have only a PS2 for playing DVDs so I was hoping to find a good solution to take advantage of the high resolution - would the aforementioned Sony or OPPO at 1080i be okay or is it worth it to find the "p"? All of my equipment is a few years old and I even was beginning to wonder if an new upconverting receiver or iScan from DVDO would be worth it instead of trying to upgrade all of the components. I think I've been staring at reviews I don't entirely understand for too long... :P

Thanks a bunch in advance for any help/suggestions.

Edit: realistically the iScan is too expensive, but it just sounds so beguiling, like it would solve everything - but what do I know...

It's about $70 less and many claim that it is better. Check out the NS70H thread and the new NS75H thread.


The New NS75H by Sony is an excellent DVD player and the cheapest if I'm not mistaken as well of the bunch. It is even cheaper than the NS70H which was still excellent but had the shrinking issue. It wasn't really a shift, but the image simply wasn't upconverted properly to begin with. However it still produced amazing results. The NS75H is a breath of fresh air from Sony, and at a very good price. Only negatives I still have with it are that it has a permanent Zoom icon present when zoomed at 2x. Also, it doesn't come with an HDMI cable. It has excellent sound quality. As good as the more expensive Oppo. A good choice that should keep you entertained without hurting your pocket-book until the new HDDVD and BLueRay's come out.

i just got the new samsung hdtv lcd 46" flat panel lcd. cany anyone recomend a dvd player that has hdmi ooutput and plays dvd-r's and good PQ to compliment this tv.

i just got the new samsung hdtv lcd 46" flat panel lcd. cany anyone recomend a dvd player that has hdmi ooutput and plays dvd-r's and good PQ to compliment this tv.

See the post right above yours. The Sony NS75H is a stellar player.

This question may have been asked before but I just got my HDTV with 1080p resolution and was wondering if the PQ would be better with an upconverting DVD Player as compared to the TV itself upconverting the signal from a regualr DVD player. As someone stated on a review site, why would any one spend couple of hundred dollars on an upconverting DVD player when they have a TV worth thousands of dollars that is probably doing a much better job of it already. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

This question may have been asked before but I just got my HDTV with 1080p resolution and was wondering if the PQ would be better with an upconverting DVD Player as compared to the TV itself upconverting the signal from a regualr DVD player. As someone stated on a review site, why would any one spend couple of hundred dollars on an upconverting DVD player when they have a TV worth thousands of dollars that is probably doing a much better job of it already. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


Save your money and wait a year. HD-DVD players will be aroung 300 dollars and
most of the initial bugs worked out.

Just a question. I just bought one of these upconverters yesterday. I only have 1 HDMI input on my tv under video1, but am currently using components under video 1 for my xbox. I have the dvd player connected via component, yet can't seem to get any better than 480p. Can this only be done with the HDMI? Maybe I just haven't figured it out yet, but I would assume I can get 1080I through the component cables. If it's not possible, I'll need to get a longer HDMI cable, but will it work having 2 inputs in video1, a component source and the HDMI. Any answers would be appreciated.

Gir-- I have had both the OPPO and the Sony 75-- both are excellent players...picture is pretty comparable. I went back and forth between the 2 with same scene for a long time trying to pick out details to see if they were on both and they were. Try the Sony 75-- audio is great and picture is excellent. Pay the MSRP of $129 or less and then if the price, picture and sound didn't make you happy return it and try OPPO. Oh, by the way no macroblocking at all on the Sony and right now the Oppo 971 is DVI and component-- do NOT use component on that player.

You can only get 1080i through the HDMI (or DVI) on most players. A handful of older
models will do 1080i over component with a hack such as the Samsung HD841/HD941
models. The reason there is not any official upconverting over component is because
of copy protection/DRM issues.

C Snyder



Just a question. I just bought one of these upconverters yesterday. I only have 1 HDMI input on my tv under video1, but am currently using components under video 1 for my xbox. I have the dvd player connected via component, yet can't seem to get any better than 480p. Can this only be done with the HDMI? Maybe I just haven't figured it out yet, but I would assume I can get 1080I through the component cables. If it's not possible, I'll need to get a longer HDMI cable, but will it work having 2 inputs in video1, a component source and the HDMI. Any answers would be appreciated.

Anyone have the RCA DRC255N Upconverting DVD player? Looking for comments.

Walmart has it for under $50 and other places have it 2x-3x the price.

My brain is swimming after searching the internet and AVS on 1080p upconverting, I'm pretty confused. I just received a 1080p TV (the infamous Sceptre 42) and have only a PS2 for playing DVDs so I was hoping to find a good solution to take advantage of the high resolution - would the aforementioned Sony or OPPO at 1080i be okay or is it worth it to find the "p"? All of my equipment is a few years old and I even was beginning to wonder if an new upconverting receiver or iScan from DVDO would be worth it instead of trying to upgrade all of the components. I think I've been staring at reviews I don't entirely understand for too long... :P

Thanks a bunch in advance for any help/suggestions.

Edit: realistically the iScan is too expensive, but it just sounds so beguiling, like it would solve everything - but what do I know...

I know what you mean about the iScan...my wife won't let me buy any AV component that is more expensive than out TV. :) Can't say I blame her.

I have a Westinghouse LVM-37w1 that does 1080p. (Also considered the Sceptre but at the time there were too many people having problems with it...glad to hear that yours is OK). My Philips DVP-642 just doesn't cut it with this TV. The player seems to put out a rather dark image (noticed this on my old TV as well), and the only way to get the image bright enough is to also make the blacks too bright as well. Since the LCD TV itself cannot do perfect black, upping the black level even a little bit is unacceptable.

I am waiting for the Samsung DVD-HD960 and DVD-HD1080 to come out. Both of these have the FLI-2310 DCDi and upconvert to 1080p through the HDMI port. The 960 was supposed to be out by "mid April" and the 1080 by early May. The 960 costs $179 and the 1080 $249.

For me, the one thing I definitely want is a feature like Samsung's EZ-View that scales up a 2.39:1 letterboxed movie to vertically fill a 16:9 screen. I have found that while the Westinghouse's black levels are quite decent for an LCD, having not-quite-black bars at the top and bottom of the screen bothers me. If I can fill up the screen, I am much happier. To my knowledge, only Samsungs and the Panasonic S97S (and I think S77S) do this. The Oppo does not (I asked them). I don't know fit the Sony NS75H does.

The problem I face is this: The S97S has excellent image quality...certainly better than anything Samsung has managed to put out lately. Am I better going with this and living with 1080i, or should I get the Samsung and feed my display 1080p? 1080i vs. 1080p might not really be any big deal at all since most movies only have 24 frames per second. The question is can the TV reconstruct a perfect 1080-line image from the pair of interlaced frames?

Or maybe I will get lucky Samsung will put out a better product this time and the DVD-HD960's picture quality will rival the Oppo and Sony.

Mofongo

Ok, I finally got the LDA-531 from Only Best in Canada so I hooked it up and started playing with it this weekend. It distorts the picture on my Mitsu WS-65869 at 720p and 1080i to where the TV goes blue on that impute but plays fine on 480i and 480p. I haven't tried tweaking settings on the tv and/or the DVD player but before I do I was hoping to find someone with this same problem.


HDMI or component? Look here it may have some answers.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=534154&page=8&pp=30

My take on sammy HD860 vs RCA DRC255N

Hooked up the new RCA DRC255N with HDMI (it came with load of cables - HDMI/DVI-HDMI and other basic cables) and played finding nemo. Recognized my backup quickly (faster than sammy) and played it well along with SPDIF to my Pioneer Elite THX receiver. No problems whatsoever.


Now, I play the same dvd on my sammy HD860 and wow - the difference! Thought I may be biased. Took some pics of few frames on each and blew them up side by side on my PC (PS) and there it was - a clear difference between the PQ played on sammy vs POC RCA. Not only the details are clear on sammy but colors are vivid compared to RCA which looks faded/washed out. The difference is convincing enough for me to return it. I dont know how to return shipped c*ap from WM. BTW my PJ is Panny AE900U; just got it last week - one amazing HTPJ!! Used HDMI-HDMI cable that came with RCA for hook up with both players (one by one). Finally, this player may be better compared to the same brand conventional player or some others but it definitely produces inferior PQ compared to Samsung HD860 and thats my take on it.

I wish I could compare sammy to that famous oppo but well..I will live with sammy for now. Will check the quality of HDMI cables next. Cant believe I paid ****ing BB $63 for an HDMI cable.

I am waiting for the Samsung DVD-HD960 and DVD-HD1080 to come out. Both of these have the FLI-2310 DCDi and upconvert to 1080p through the HDMI port. The 960 was supposed to be out by "mid April" and the 1080 by early May. The 960 costs $179 and the 1080 $249.

For me, the one thing I definitely want is a feature like Samsung's EZ-View that scales up a 2.39:1 letterboxed movie to vertically fill a 16:9 screen. I have found that while the Westinghouse's black levels are quite decent for an LCD, having not-quite-black bars at the top and bottom of the screen bothers me. If I can fill up the screen, I am much happier. To my knowledge, only Samsungs and the Panasonic S97S (and I think S77S) do this. The Oppo does not (I asked them). I don't know fit the Sony NS75H does.

The problem I face is this: The S97S has excellent image quality...certainly better than anything Samsung has managed to put out lately. Am I better going with this and living with 1080i, or should I get the Samsung and feed my display 1080p? 1080i vs. 1080p might not really be any big deal at all since most movies only have 24 frames per second. The question is can the TV reconstruct a perfect 1080-line image from the pair of interlaced frames?

Or maybe I will get lucky Samsung will put out a better product this time and the DVD-HD960's picture quality will rival the Oppo and Sony.

Mofongo

Can you post when you see the HD960 or even get it with your opinion on its performance? Thanks.

My take on sammy HD860 vs RCA DRC255N

Hooked up the new RCA DRC255N with HDMI (it came with load of cables - HDMI/DVI-HDMI and other basic cables) and played finding nemo. Recognized my backup quickly (faster than sammy) and played it well along with SPDIF to my Pioneer Elite THX receiver. No problems whatsoever.


Now, I play the same dvd on my sammy HD860 and wow - the difference! Thought I may be biased. Took some pics of few frames on each and blew them up side by side on my PC (PS) and there it was - a clear difference between the PQ played on sammy vs POC RCA. Not only the details are clear on sammy but colors are vivid compared to RCA which looks faded/washed out. The difference is convincing enough for me to return it. I dont know how to return shipped c*ap from WM. BTW my PJ is Panny AE900U; just got it last week - one amazing HTPJ!! Used HDMI-HDMI cable that came with RCA for hook up with both players (one by one). Finally, this player may be better compared to the same brand conventional player or some others but it definitely produces inferior PQ compared to Samsung HD860 and thats my take on it.

I wish I could compare sammy to that famous oppo but well..I will live with sammy for now. Will check the quality of HDMI cables next. Cant believe I paid ****ing BB $63 for an HDMI cable.
No way would I pay 100 bucks for a cable that cost less than 60 cents to make in China!!

No way would I pay 100 bucks for a cable that cost less than 60 cents to make in China!!Next time you're in China, test one and if it will pass 720p 15 meters, pick one up for me. I'd gladly pay you $0.60 cents.

They have a much better deal at Walmart-a 6' hdmi cable for 25 bucks-now we're talking.

Have a LG LST 3510A with the latest firmware so it upconverts to 1080i over component and the PQ is superior to the DVI. Also have a Sylvania DVL 1000f which is a basically a clone of the Denon 1920 minus SACD. Both give me great PQ and I got them both for a song. The only negative is the Sylvania does not pass DTS. It can but they disabled it probably to avoid paying the fee. I am hard pressed to spend 500 dollars right now for a HD player. Will wait it out till the dust clears and prices really drop.

Greetings all.I to have been going through the pains of choosing an upconverting player to replace my still working,but aged toshiba sd-1800.Based on this and other forums,I first tried an LG LDA-531 to take advantage of the upconversion over component(to save on buying hdmi cables).My system consists of Pioneer 74txvi avr and a panasonic th42px50 plasma display.The lg gave great picture quality in all modes but really noticeable(to me) in the 720 and 1080 resolutions.However,in these two settings there occured a 'shift' to the left leaving a black stripe aproximately 1"wide down the left side of my screen.I found this unacceptable and returned the unit for another,however this one did the same thing so I returned it and am now currently trying out a Toshiba 4990.I had to buy a HDMI cable for this one and currently have it going directly into the display via hdmi.So far picture quality is great,sound (via digital co-ax to receiver) is also good.I am currently going through some of my dvds to evaluate the player and so far I have found ;if i press the 'progressive scan' button on the remote the player'locks up' and i have to turn everything off and reset everything using component out into the tv to take the player out of the progressive scan setting,I can then go back to hdmi setting inti the tv.The other issue i have noticed is that on 3 movies tried so far the screen blacks out/pauses on chapter changes.Not on every chapter it seems,just some.I was just about to note that it seemed fine on my 'back up' copy of LOTR- the first one,but it just happened on it.Note:I reversed the disc a bit to see if it would repeat itself but it did not.?I am going to continue to test different discs over the next few days to see if there are any other issues.To finish this off,does any body have any suggestions for other similarily priced players I could try,or comments on my experience so far.Sorry for being so long winded,but maybe my info can help others out as I have been helped.

I've read thought a few pages of this thread and reviewed the chart on the first page, but I still cannot determine which DVD player that upconverts using component, is currently the best bang for the buck and is still available.
I live in the US and I just got my Panasonic 900 a few months ago. I ran the wires before the basement was finished and i only ran a component cable. Now everthing is drywalled and the projector is about 17 ft from my equipment. I don't want to try to run another cable right now.

Thanks,jb

lol go to fryes electronics and you can find hdmi cables for less then twenty five bucks

I've read thought a few pages of this thread and reviewed the chart on the first page, but I still cannot determine which DVD player that upconverts using component, is currently the best bang for the buck and is still available.
I live in the US and I just got my Panasonic 900 a few months ago. I ran the wires before the basement was finished and i only ran a component cable. Now everthing is drywalled and the projector is about 17 ft from my equipment. I don't want to try to run another cable right now.

Thanks,jb

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=534154

Has anyone read about the DV-490V-S? I have been trying to find a good HDMI dvd player and have not been impressed with anything i have seen so far, that also does Divx and MP3 playback...

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_15020669_301660907,00.html

Anyone have any other suggestions?

I recently purchased a LG LDX-514 because I read you can hack upconvert through the component cables (I have a Panasonic CT32HX42 that supports 420p and 1080i but no HMDI input). I did the following:

HDCP off/on:
PAUSE,1,2,3,6,9
on screen: "OK H" or "Default H" (Status)
(2xPAUSE to leave)

Macrovision off/on:
Pause,7,4,1,5,3,6,9
on screen: "OK M" oder "Default M" (Status)
(2xPAUSE to leave)

EDID off/on: (Extended Display Identification Data)
Pause,1,4,7,8,9
on screen: "OK E" oder "Default E" (Status)
(2xPAUSE to leave)

Region Code:
Pause,3,1,4,1,5,9
0=all

Video/HDMI Info Page:
Pause,2,4,8,6,5

Factory reset + SYSTEM INFORMATION page
go to Setup/video/TV Aspect/16:9
and press 1,3,9,7,1,3,9,ENTER

The region code didn't work and I didn't try the Factory reset but I did download the zip file to open up the region to 0 so that's ok now (it did ask me to press pause to 'exist'). Interesting note: The macrovision code hack forms a 'M' on the remote. The others seem to form shapes as well but the region code doesn't.

Anyways, my problem is that I don't seem to be able to get the 1080i to work. When I select it, the screen turns blue with the words "HIGH DEFINITION" across the screen. I can get sound, however.

The video/HMDI info page looks like this:

.HDCP: OFF
-HDCP Auth: Fail
.EDID: OFF
-EDID parsing:
-480p: Yes
-720p: No
-1080i: No
.Macrovision: OFF
.Video Mode: YPbPr -480i:
.Audio Mode: SPDIF

Is there something I'm missing or doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

:( ;) ;)
thanks

Ok I figured out my problem. I had the tv set to channel 3 and it would automatically switch over when I inserted a VHS or DVD. This was going through a coax connection. My wife was playing a DVD for my daughter but wasn't getting any sound. I told her that to get sound she had to turn on the receiver for the optical cable to work. As my brain was starting to sort things out, I remembered that I had been getting sound before from DVD's without the stereo being on. At this point, I realized that I had not selected the proper input on the tv via the remote. Since my wife had the tv in the proper mode for DVD's, I tried selecting the 1080i and voila it worked.

Wanted to see if anyone could recommend a DVD Player that meets the following requirements:

- HDMI Connectivity (Up-conversion optional)
- DivX Playback
- DCDi by Faroudja (Or similar proprietary technology such as Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive)
- Around $200

Hope I am not asking for too much as I am yet to come up with one player that has all of the above.

anyone have info on the new rca upconverter?? model# DRC257N its at walmart.

Wanted to see if anyone could recommend a DVD Player that meets the following requirements:

- HDMI Connectivity (Up-conversion optional)
- DivX Playback
- DCDi by Faroudja (Or similar proprietary technology such as Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive)
- Around $200

Hope I am not asking for too much as I am yet to come up with one player that has all of the above.
go to

www.oppodigital.com

Have you checked the huge amount of discussions here about this DVD player?

go to

www.oppodigital.com

Have you checked the huge amount of discussions here about this DVD player?

The Oppo is DVI not HDMI. I assume he doesn't want to deal with a converter or he would have specified HDMI or DVI.

Just purchased the Panny 60u and I need a good dvd player with hdmi output. Any suggestions? I know the oppo has dvi but I can run a dvi to hdmi cable just wondering if that is the best player for this tv or if there is anything out there better but in the same price range

go to

www.oppodigital.com

Have you checked the huge amount of discussions here about this DVD player?
Thanks Fussy viewer, but as Itsdon mentioned, it is not HDMI. I did read thru the discussions on that player and looked at their web site. Impressive player except for the HDMI.
This means I am still looking for one that has the following:

- HDMI Connectivity (Up-conversion optional)
- DivX Playback
- DCDi by Faroudja (Or similar proprietary technology such as Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive)
- Around $200

LGDVB418-it shouldn't be to hard to find one.

RCA DRC8060N - This is a good choice also. I have one (along with my Sony NS75H) and I really like it. You get the bonus of being able to record also.

Thanks Fussy viewer, but as Itsdon mentioned, it is not HDMI. I did read thru the discussions on that player and looked at their web site. Impressive player except for the HDMI. But the OPPO OPDV971H ships with a free DVI to HDMI cable. And the conversion to HDMI is lossless.

Gary

I think I may have found what I was looknig for but of course it is not yet available. Though the ship date is listed as 4/06, here it is almost middle of May and yet all retailers still show pre-order status.
http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/Hi_DefConversionDVDPlayers/DVD_HD960XAA.asp

I think I may have found what I was looknig for but of course it is not yet available. Though the ship date is listed as 4/06, here it is almost middle of May and yet all retailers still show pre-order status.
http://www.samsung.com/Products/DVDPlayer/Hi_DefConversionDVDPlayers/DVD_HD960XAA.asp

Did you notice in the picture of the HD960 it says HD recorder? Big typo or big feature! It otherwise looks like a decent player. I'd wait for some hands on reviews before plunking down the cash though, Sammy players don't have the greatest track record. You don't have macroblocking issues do you?

Did you notice in the picture of the HD960 it says HD recorder? Big typo or big feature! It otherwise looks like a decent player. I'd wait for some hands on reviews before plunking down the cash though, Sammy players don't have the greatest track record. You don't have macroblocking issues do you?
Looks more like a typo than anything else. I am not sure about the macroblocking issue as I am not being too critical of my current PQ. I recently got a Samsung HL-R6168 but do not have a high end DVD Player connected to it yet. Hence the search for the player, which would be connected using an HDMI cable. Once I have the basic setup in place, I would be better able to provide you with true feedback.

I just wanted to drop a note to the posters in this thread and say "thank you".

I have been reading page after page of this thread looking for an up converting dvd player that works on a component connection.After much searching and also following the hacks included here in,I found the LG 511 open boxed at a local BB.(actually,I founds lots of them ,but only 1 with the remote to input the hack).

Hooking it up to my tosh 65h82(no hdmi connections) by component and inputing the hack to make it 1080i on component,I'm very pleased.While it isnt a major improvement over my old tosh dvd player,it is an improvement none the less.

Some dvd's showed little or no improvement.Others showed much better PQ.

Again ,my thanks for posting .Your knowledge and experience has helped fellow members :)

Enjoy your LDA-511 like I do mine.

Add the Sony DVP-NC85H to the list, I got one of these 2 days and all I have to say is-WOW! My hdtv doesn't have either an HDMI or DVI input so I'm running the unit at 480P on the componet outputs and all I gotta say picture wise it's great.

Has anyone compared the Sony NC85H to the NS75H on a 1080 TV? I've read that the NS75H has excellent quality and I'd rather get an upconverting changer if possible to replace my old Sony 480p changer, so I'm wondering if the NC85H has the same quality as the NS75H?

Update-I've got a hdtv with an HDMI input so that's how I'm using the 85 now-and it looks about 25% better than componet at 1080I-my hdtv's native resolution.

OK, I have been trying to do my homework and read up on the best upconverting DVD player but there is so much info. I have a 30" 1080i CRT set with HDMI but no DVI input. I want to be able to play WMVHD movies and DivX files and it sounds like the Oppo is the best player for that. The Sony also sounds good but I don't know if it plays the other file types. It sounds like some players are better at 720p than they are at 1080i but my set is native 1080i so that is the best option for me.

Thanks guys for any and all help!

Has anyone compared the Sony NC85H to the NS75H on a 1080 TV? I've read that the NS75H has excellent quality and I'd rather get an upconverting changer if possible to replace my old Sony 480p changer, so I'm wondering if the NC85H has the same quality as the NS75H?

After reading several threads from this website and others I feel that alot of clarification need to be made about the quality you will notice about upconverting DVD players. To start with here is my current configuration:
TV: Sony 55" HDTV (KDF-E55A20)
Old DVD: Samsung Progressive Scan DVD Player (DVD-P230) {Up to 480p}
New DVD: Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H) {Up to 720p or 1080i}

After reading multiple reviews and forum posts, I was excited to setup my new Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H). These two units are connected via a HDVI cable for the max resolution output from the DVD player. The default resolution for these two devices after being connected was set to 1080i, which if you know anything about resolution isn't as good as 720p. So I changed the resolution settings on the Sony DVD Player (DVP-NS75H) to display at 720p.

I then also left my Samsung Progressive Scan DVD Player (DVD-P230) setup to the TV via component cables. With several interested friends, we all watched 5-6 movie clips from different movies and had an interesting time comparing the noticeable quality of 480p to a upconverted 720p.

We were all amazed on how little noticeable difference there really was. You really had to pay attention to the detail in each movie clip to see a difference. After this experience, I started to ask myself is $129.95 Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H) worth a minute difference in viewing quality? Granted $129.95 isn't alot of money, but I still may take back the Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H).

To summarize if you currently have any 480p DVD player, in my option don't waste your time and money on getting a upconverting DVD player. The noticeable difference between 480p and a upconverted 720p isn't worth anything but the bragging rights to your friends. All other people in this forum must have made the switch from 480i to 720p which their purchase of a upconverting DVD player.

I think I heard that the Sony Upconverting player that you used/tried/tested does a better job at 1080i than 720p. I know this is very true for my Zenith 318 that I have set at 1080i even though my RPLCD HDTV is a 720p panel.

I'd give that test/check one more try with the upconverting at 1080i. Plus I would adjust each input on the TV to be calibrated via AVIA or DVE seperately (each input that is a DVD player of course).

Doing this should help with your comparison. You might just have the TV brightness, contract, and/or color adjustments not setup correctly on that HDMI connection for the Upscaler.

To summarize if you currently have any 480p DVD player, in my option don't waste your time and money on getting a upconverting DVD player. The noticeable difference between 480p and a upconverted 720p isn't worth anything but the bragging rights to your friends.

I have no doubt you didn't see much difference, but your experience may not translate to others with different display devices than yours.

You are using an LCD rear projector TV. The subtle difference in sharpness that you might be gaining through an upconverted DVD signal via HDMI vs. 480p component may not be as visible to you as to someone else viewing a plasma or LCD flat screen display. Flat screens tend to convey a bit more picture detail than rear projectors.

Secondly, you've got a recent vintage Sony TV and its internal scaler is probably using similar upscaling algorithms to the scaler in the Sony DVD player, so that's another reason you're probably not seeing a dramatic difference.

Just my $.02. :)

/steve

Don't forget that many have reported that the Sony DVP-NS75H has superior audio quality.

... my current configuration:
TV: Sony 55" HDTV (KDF-E55A20)
Old DVD: Samsung Progressive Scan DVD Player (DVD-P230) {Up to 480p}
New DVD: Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H) {Up to 720p or 1080i}
...
To summarize if you currently have any 480p DVD player, in my option don't waste your time and money on getting a upconverting DVD player. The noticeable difference between 480p and a upconverted 720p isn't worth anything but the bragging rights to your friends. All other people in this forum must have made the switch from 480i to 720p which their purchase of a upconverting DVD player.

I would bet (and hope) your Sony TV has a good quality upscaler in it. So long as the P230 is putting out a good signal (and doing the inverse 3:2 pulldown properly), then you may not really see that much of a difference. Whether an upscaling player is worth it depends on the deinterlacing and upscaling abilities of both the player and the TV. Unfortunately, there is no "one solution fits all."

One thing I would be interested in is whether you can see any difference the NS75H putting out 480p vs. 720p vs. 1080i.

I do not own an upscaling DVD player (yet), but I can say that for many movies there is a HUGE difference between playing them on my cheapo Philips DVP-642 (480p via component) and using ZoomPlayer with ffdshow filtering and upscaling on my laptop (outputting 1080p via VGA port to my Westinghouse lvm-37w1).

Mofongo

I actually have tested the 1080i compared to the 720p upconverting signals from the Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H). These two setting are very hard to differentiate after switching between them several times. It appears that the 720p may look slightly better than the 1080i setting.

I have also had some time to adjust and play with the color settings on the different resolutions. This didn’t seem to have a lot of difference when trying to compare 720p vs. 1080i. I did however see a small difference when comparing the 480p vs. 720p or 1080i on the Sony DVD player. Perhaps a more interesting comparison was the 420p on the Samsung Progressive Scan DVD Player (DVD-P230) vs. 420p on the Sony Upconvering DVD Player (DVP-NS75H). This comparison also resulted in another slightly noticeable difference.

I would have to agree that my TV’s internal scaler is probably using similar upscaling algorithms to the scaler in the Sony DVD player. This may help explain why I’m not seeing a dramatic difference between my older Samsung DVD player (DVD-P230) (which does use the inverse 3:2 pull-down) and my new Sony Upconverting DVD Player (DVP-NS75H). I’d have to say I’m slightly disappointed that I didn’t get the amazing results others have had, probably due to my Samsung DVD player (DVD-P230) only being a couple years old which does play 480p rather well.

Granted there isn’t one solution for everybody, but a decent 480p DVD player which uses the inverse 3:2 pull-down system will probably have similar results to mine.

How good is the Progessive Scan Phillps 642 compared to that LG 511 or even the Phillips DVP5960 model (can that new phillips model be hacked to display Upconvert over Component?)

All I can say is that the image from the DVP-642 is noisy at times. I think my 1080p LCD excels in reproducing fine detail, which means it shows noise quite well. To be fair, I don't think the noise is really the DVD player's fault...if the DVD is a particularly bad transfer, the player is just reproducing what's there. Movies that show lots of noise for me are Blade Runner Directors Cut, The Matrix, and March of the Penguins.

If I use my laptop to play these movies with upscaling and noise filters, it makes a big improvement (as viewed on the same TV). On the other hand, a movie like Shrek (which is an excellent transfer) looks nearly identical to the DVP-642. So even though I call it my "cheapo DVD player" it's really not that bad for the price.

Really, I think having a DVD player with a noise filter is a bigger priority for me than the upscaling (although you usually need to get an upscaling player to get an adjustable noise filter).

Mofongo

All I can say is that the image from the DVP-642 is noisy at times. I think my 1080p LCD excels in reproducing fine detail, which means it shows noise quite well. To be fair, I don't think the noise is really the DVD player's fault...if the DVD is a particularly bad transfer, the player is just reproducing what's there. Movies that show lots of noise for me are Blade Runner Directors Cut, The Matrix, and March of the Penguins.

If I use my laptop to play these movies with upscaling and noise filters, it makes a big improvement (as viewed on the same TV). On the other hand, a movie like Shrek (which is an excellent transfer) looks nearly identical to the DVP-642. So even though I call it my "cheapo DVD player" it's really not that bad for the price.

Really, I think having a DVD player with a noise filter is a bigger priority for me than the upscaling (although you usually need to get an upscaling player to get an adjustable noise filter).

Mofongo

Thanks for the reply Mofongo.. I have it hooked up to a Sharp Aquos 26 inch... so its a high end LCD for sure. I just wonder if its worth the money for one of those units over the Phillips (Upconverting is important plus DIVX)

A significant factor is the native display resolution. Your Sony is 1366x768, so it takes the 1280x720 image and scales it again to 1366 x 768. The 480p output is scaled directly to 1366x768. That's why you won't see much difference. I have an Oppo player and in the threads about it, the happiest owners seem to have displays of 720p resolution, which show the Oppo's best upscaled output with no further scaling. There are other factors too, but every time you scale the picture, you lose.

I would never buy a display that was not one of the two standard HD resolutions.

A significant factor is the native display resolution. Your Sony is 1366x768, so it takes the 1280x720 image and scales it again to 1366 x 768. The 480p output is scaled directly to 1366x768. That's why you won't see much difference. I have an Oppo player and in the threads about it, the happiest owners seem to have displays of 720p resolution, which show the Oppo's best upscaled output with no further scaling. There are other factors too, but every time you scale the picture, you lose.

I would never buy a display that was not one of the two standard HD resolutions.

It's a sharp, not a Sony, please don't insult my LCD like that ;) (though I do own a 50 inch LCD Projection in the living room that's a Sony so... :D)

I understand the scaling issue, but The Sharp Aquos line is one of the higher end lines, and they use 1366X768 for some reason, I would imagine (first kneejerk guess) higher resolution?

I love my Sharp and it is MUCH better looking then alot of LCD's I've seen.

It's a sharp, not a Sony, please don't insult my LCD like that ;) (though I do own a 50 inch LCD Projection in the living room that's a Sony so... :D)

I understand the scaling issue, but The Sharp Aquos line is one of the higher end lines, and they use 1366X768 for some reason, I would imagine (first kneejerk guess) higher resolution?

Sorry about calling it a Sony ;-) I also wonder why LCD TVs don't use exact HD resolution, especially if they have an HD tuner. There is some need to use computer or game resolutions, but I think it compromises HD viewing.

1366x768 may not be a typical HD resolution, but it is 16:9 aspect ratio. I guess the
selling point is the extra pixels available if you have a video source capable of taking
advantage of it, but it is certainly wasted on "standard" HD source material.

C Snyder

Just purchased the Panny 60u and I need a good dvd player with hdmi output. Any suggestions? I know the oppo has dvi but I can run a dvi to hdmi cable just wondering if that is the best player for this tv or if there is anything out there better but in the same price range

I just got the Sony for my 60u and it looks good at 1080i to me. I have not tried any other of the new upconverting DVD players on it though.

I justed purchased the Sony NS75H and am very happy with the picture quality, actually quite amazed at how good DVD's look on my new Hi-Def Plasma.

But, I was under the impression the NS75H would play PAL DVDs. When I insert a PAL DVD, it says it is unplayable due to being out-of-region. Also, the users manual clearly states it only plays NTSC DVDs. Does anyone know if there is a way (hack?) to enable the NS75H to play PAL DVDs?

If not, does anyone have a recomendation for an unconverting HDMI DVD player that will play PAL.

Thanks,
Dave

If not, does anyone have a recomendation for an unconverting HDMI DVD player that will play PAL.

Thanks,
Dave

Samsung HD860 or the hopefully soon to come out Samsung HD960 should both do a good job. HD860 is about $200 AUD.

About 100 us smackaroos.

How about this one? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7686186&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03013&id=1134703785411 I got one, love its look and it plays well. It does have optical audio out as well as coax. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is piano black on the sides.

Lots of people have pointed out that Insignia products are garbage, I have an Insignia 27" crt hdtv and I love it.

Do you know whcih chip it was uses to Upscale?

No, but there is no macroblocking.

Hello!

I'm considering the Sony DVP-NS75H or Samsung DVD-HD860 upconverting HDMI DVD player. I would be using the player with a JVC HD61FH96 1080p RPTV. Please let me know your opinions on the picture quality, ease of operation, etc. of these two units. The Sony is about $38.00 more than the Samsung - is it worth the difference?

Thanks,
Eric

If you have 1080p input, then why not get a Samsung DVD-HD960? It outputs 1080p. You can get one for $166 + free shipping from ABT Electronics.

Mofongo

If you have 1080p input, then why not get a Samsung DVD-HD960? It outputs 1080p. You can get one for $166 + free shipping from ABT Electronics.

Mofongo

Mofongo,

The JVC set will display 1080p, but doesn't accept it via the HDMI input.

Regards,
Eric

TV: Sharp Aquos LC-37DB5U
New DVD player: Sony DVP-NS75H
Old DVD player: Panasonic 480p
Setting: 1080i on the TV and the Sony DVD player

Experience: I purchased a monster HDMI cable from ebay for ~ 30 (yes, this looks exactly like the cable sold in bestbuy for $99). Connected the new DVD to the Aquos and...... WOW... what a difference in picture compared to the old Panasonic player side by side. Depending on the DVD, some DVD's are much better in quality than other. Difference is even noted when I put a burned DVD in the Sony and the original copy in the Pana. I definitely noted the difference in changing from 720p to 1080i. 1080i is much better!!

I haven't had a chance to try out the optical or digital sound yet as my amp does not have any of these. But I have heard that the sound is also exceptional.

Just my .02 cents.

Both the 75 and 85 have fantastic pq.

so what is a good region free upconverter??? also do any of the region free upconveters play divx/xvid???

so what is a good region free upconverter??? also do any of the region free upconveters play divx/xvid???

You might try the Samsung DVD-HD841, upconverts over component and DVI. It is inexpensive, although picture quality isn't the best but acceptable in my opinion.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=544422

Chris

nah i want good video quality however i dont wanna spend more than 130 any other suggestions? thanks for your input!

Again, this one. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7686186&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03013&id=1134703785411 It has a code to make it region free. There also is a thread on it now

Ya know what really floors me? I got an Insignia 27" crt hdtv and I love it but everybody keeps telling me what a piece of junk it is and how it's gonna break down any second-nice to see that some one agrees with me that the BB house brand ain't so bad-did I mention that I work for BB?

Have anyone seen the quality of Samsung HD960 at 1080p output? I'm thinking about getting the new Samsung HL-S87 series that accepts 1080p input via HDMI and using HD960. Does upconversion really work well as Samsung claims?

Have anyone seen the quality of Samsung HD960 at 1080p output? I'm thinking about getting the new Samsung HL-S87 series that accepts 1080p input via HDMI and using HD960. Does upconversion really work well as Samsung claims?

I haven't seen the Samsung claim and I haven't seen the HD960 yet. Expect a very minor improvement with upscaling, some find no improvement at all. I own previous Samsung upconversion players and think they are good budget players. Will upconverting to 1080p make much difference compared to upconverting to 1080i? I don't think so but it is like most other things subject to user opinion, your opinion could be the picture quality is much better. The upcoming HD1080 plays DVD-A and SACD and if you haven't heard those formats, those two really do improve on CD and DVD-V audio. That opinion is close to unaminous.

Chris

nah i want good video quality however i dont wanna spend more than 130 any other suggestions? thanks for your input!

I am not aware of any good players for $130, just players that provide good value. I love inexpensive players and have owned and compared a bunch of them. The LG DVB418 can be purchased refurbished for less than your price. I just bought one, upgraded the firmware and applied needed hacks to do what I needed and find it is very good for the price. It should meet all of your criteria. The picture quality is good for the price range, not good compared to expensive players. There is a long thread on the DVB418 which shows how the player has improved from the original release. I have compared the DVB418 picture to the HD841 and at most resolutions, think the DVB418 is slightly better. The DVB418 does DVD-A, but not SACD while the HD841 plays both.

Chris

I am not aware of any good players for $130, just players that provide good value. I love inexpensive players and have owned and compared a bunch of them. The LG DVB418 can be purchased refurbished for less than your price. I just bought one, upgraded the firmware and applied needed hacks to do what I needed and find it is very good for the price. It should meet all of your criteria. The picture quality is good for the price range, not good compared to expensive players. There is a long thread on the DVB418 which shows how the player has improved from the original release. I have compared the DVB418 picture to the HD841 and at most resolutions, think the DVB418 is slightly better. The DVB418 does DVD-A, but not SACD while the HD841 plays both.

Chris
The 418 is a very good choice, I have one-the dvd audio doesn't matter to me though.

Have anyone seen the quality of Samsung HD960 at 1080p output? I'm thinking about getting the new Samsung HL-S87 series that accepts 1080p input via HDMI and using HD960. Does upconversion really work well as Samsung claims?

There is an entire thread on the DVD-HD960! Come on over. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=673545)

Mofongo

what about the panasonic s52 or the samsung 860??? hows the quality on those players??

what about the panasonic s52 or the samsung 860??? hows the quality on those players??

Those two are pretty new, I haven't seen them. My local Best Buy has the DVD-HD860 although I don't think it is set up to demo.

Chris

what about the panasonic s52 or the samsung 860??? hows the quality on those players??

There's quite a thread on the S52:

http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=665559

The picture quality is quite good - especially for the price. As always, your mileage may differ...if you can, take a couple of players for a test drive on your system.

Hey guys - my Panny 50 600U is arriving this week. I was thinking of getting the Panasonic DVD-S97S to go with. Running a HK 635 as well. Any reason I shouldn't go for this DVD player over something else? thanks.

Hey guys - my Panny 50 600U is arriving this week. I was thinking of getting the Panasonic DVD-S97S to go with. Running a HK 635 as well. Any reason I shouldn't go for this DVD player over something else? thanks.
If you can find one, great! Both the S97 and the S77 have been discontinued - though for some reason Panasonic Canada still has S77 stock. They're both really good. Anyway, if you buy one you should get the full warranty etc so I wouldn't worry too much.

they're available on the panasonic website - am I missing something?

P.S. is it worth it to pay the extra $200 or is the 100 model not that much different. I plan on upgrading to HD DVD within the next 2 years BTW. Thanks.

they're available on the panasonic website - am I missing something?

P.S. is it worth it to pay the extra $200 or is the 100 model not that much different. I plan on upgrading to HD DVD within the next 2 years BTW. Thanks.
Yeah, it's interesting, eh? In many places the only HDMI Panasonic player is the new S52 (doesn't use the Farouja and has a 108mhz 12 bit video processor instead of the S77 and S97's 214mhz 11 bit video processor). The Farouja models should be great but they also have the Farouja macroblocking bug. The S97 is the better built of the three. The S77 still has the Farouja and has multichannel DVD audio outs. The S52 only does multichannel DVD audio through the HDMI out (but has coax and optical outs for DTS and Dolby sound for your DVDs - it also has two analogue sound outs)
Take a look at this page (points out some differences)
http://www.panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/dvdvcr/player/features.asp

then look at this comparison of the S52 and S77:
http://www.panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/dvdvcr/player/specs.asp

Sorry..in most places, the S97 was the first to go (it's the oldest, remember)Check out the S97 and S77 on this page:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=6&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0

Very cool. There's only one thing I still don't get ...

What is the difference between multichannel audio out through HDMI vs. optical/Coxial out? Is multichanneled HDMI audio for dvd music or something? Many thanks.

Oh yeah, 2 things - what is the macroblocking bug - sorry, I'm a noob.

Very cool. There's only one thing I still don't get ...

What is the difference between multichannel audio out through HDMI vs. optical/Coxial out? Is multichanneled HDMI audio for dvd music or something? Many thanks.

Oh yeah, 2 things - what is the macroblocking bug - sorry, I'm a noob.

Yeah, the multichannel outs are for DVD-Audio (the higher priced music DVDs). If you have an HDMI Receiver you could use the S52 to attach it to there and from there to your tv (such receivers are still pretty expensive). DVD Audio is normally analog audio outs (the S52 doesn't have these - the S77 and S97 do).

The macroblocking bug? Read here...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=591032

Thanks N'Yeti -

Last question - based on the macroblocking bug, is this dvd player not recommended? Thanks again. I owe you a few beers for sure.

Thanks N'Yeti -

Last question - based on the macroblocking bug, is this dvd player not recommended? Thanks again. I owe you a few beers for sure.

The S77 and S97 use the best implementation of the Farouja Chip (though, apparently, Oppo matches it better than Panasonic to their hardware). I would think that most people who have the S97 or S77 put up with the occasional MBE (macroblock enhance - the bug) because, the rest of the time they love the output. Only Farouja devices have the MBE. You should read all the links and threads...

The S52 is not in the same league as the other two but its a great player for the price and produces a great picture. Actually, at todays prices you could buy a S77 and an S52 for about the same price of one S97. If you have two tv's...there could be an answer for you...There is a good S97 thread on this site...find it...read it...

anyone know if the Sammy 860 will upconvert via Component or if there is a hack for it?

anyone know if the Sammy 860 will upconvert via Component or if there is a hack for it?

I have not seen any hacks disclosed to permit component upscaling with the new Samsung DVD-HD860/960/1080 and I don't think Samsung has provided for hacks to enable it with that series of players but only time will tell.

Chris

I doubt we will ever see the component hack from Samsung again. Supposedly there
was a lawsuit againest Samsung for the previous two model generations having the
capability since it effectively bypasses all the HDCP stuff for it to work. Some of the
more recent refurbs of the HD850 series and variants have been modified to prevent
the hack from working. Maybe someone with more knowledge on this subject will chime in.

C Snyder

How about the DN191H? A Hack for that would be very sweet.

I doubt we will ever see the component hack from Samsung again. Supposedly there
was a lawsuit againest Samsung for the previous two model generations having the
capability since it effectively bypasses all the HDCP stuff for it to work. Some of the
more recent refurbs of the HD850 series and variants have been modified to prevent
the hack from working. Maybe someone with more knowledge on this subject will chime in.

C Snyder

I think that sums it up. Here are some links that discuss the Samsung suit.

http://www.techspot.com/news/20537-...-dvd-drive.html

http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/20/...ntinued-player/

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060220-6219.html

I think the whole thing is silly since true HD DVD allows component 1080i with all releases to date. Upscaling then copying makes little sense and I can do it but it isn't worth it.

Chris

Has anyone heard any thing good about the Phillips DVP5960/37? Best Buy sells it for under $80 and I was wondering if it was decent or not. Also, does anyone know if Phillips players support DTS audio? None of their players have the DTS logo on them and the manuals I've seen don't mention it anywhere. Is DTS always supported or only on certian players?

How about the DN191H? A Hack for that would be very sweet.
Good luck Charlie Tunafish-I had one of em'-only hack that would work was the one for the system information screen.

Good luck Charlie Tunafish-I had one of em'-only hack that would work was the one for the system information screen.

Bummer...im real happy with the image quality out of this machine in 480p though so im going to hang onto it for now.

hello all ,
i have an hdtv ready ae900 panasonic projector and i am considering to buy a new Upconverting DVD Player . and my question is is the difference in picture quality between the normal dvd player and the Upconverting DVD Player is signifcant ?

hello all ,
i have an hdtv ready ae900 panasonic projector and i am considering to buy a new Upconverting DVD Player . and my question is is the difference in picture quality between the normal dvd player and the Upconverting DVD Player is signifcant ?

Depends on what you would think should be considered significant. I consider the improvement very subtle but worthwhile for me. Some find the difference very important, others find no improvement at all. Just a guess, but I think with your 720p LCD projector, you will find the improvement worthwhile, but only you can tell for sure.

Chris

thanks chris :)

I plan on buying the Sony 5-Disc Progressive-Scan DVD Player with HD Upconversion Model: DVP-NC85H/B. Has anyone tried it out? I'm going to use it for music and movies. I'll hook it up to my Panny 50" Plasma HDMI and HK 7200.
My receiver does not support HDMI, but I'll figure something out. I also hope it will play my DL +R discs.

I have one and love it-so go ahead and get one-highly recommended.

I got one, but my HDMI cable from Monoprice.com won't be here until next week. I hooked component to my TV and average picture. I am happy it plays all of my backups.

Mine has played every home made dvd I've put into it.

There is a lot of emphasis put on D/A converters when listing the specs on DVD players. I was wondering if the D/A converter is still a factor on players that have HDMI outputs? Is the converter being bypassed as the unconverted digital content is sent to the TV or one should still look at the specs closely to make sure you are getting a higher bit higher MHz D/A converter even on those players?

There is a lot of emphasis put on D/A converters when listing the specs on DVD players. I was wondering if the D/A converter is still a factor on players that have HDMI outputs? Is the converter being bypassed as the unconverted digital content is sent to the TV or one should still look at the specs closely to make sure you are getting a higher bit higher MHz D/A converter even on those players?
Hi Yardost,

If the audio is being output dgitally via HDMI, then the DACs in the player are not a factor.

Thanks for the answer rdjam. I will have the DVD player connected to a digital input of a receiver and I was assuming this is where the audio DAC would come into play. I believe a 24bit/192MHz unit is considered decent. So I guess if I have that part covered, it really shouldn't matter what the specs on the video DAC are since the video signal is going to TV over HDMI?

Thanks for the answer rdjam. I will have the DVD player connected to a digital input of a receiver and I was assuming this is where the audio DAC would come into play. I believe a 24bit/192MHz unit is considered decent. So I guess if I have that part covered, it really shouldn't matter what the specs on the video DAC are since the video signal is going to TV over HDMI?
Correct, the DACs will only matter where the signals are converted to analog (ie, audio in your rcvr).

Of course, there are other digital processors at work, depending on where upsampling etc may be taking place.

Hey guys - my Panny 50 600U is arriving this week. I was thinking of getting the Panasonic DVD-S97S to go with. Running a HK 635 as well. Any reason I shouldn't go for this DVD player over something else? thanks.



I'm also planning to buy the 97S or the Oppo 971 for the Panny plasma. Any idea on which is better suited for the panny plasma? what about the zenith DVB318? I currently have one of those.

include cyberhome 655 :D

Bought Sony 85H, but had the handshake issues with Monoprice 5 to 1 HDMI switch, won't upconvert unless directly connect to my HC3000 projector. Took it back and exchanged with LG DH191, everything worked fine. I have read few other posts here, and notice there are quite few handshake issues with Sony units.

I am not an expert but have been interested in and experimenting with Home Theater components for many years. I have owned about 15 different DVD players since 1997. In general I have found the Panasonic players to be the most reliable, best features, color, play more types of discs, etc. (among reasonable priced players <$200). The reviews below are my own opinion and should be taken as a guideline from a mere mortal home theater lover and not as an expert videophile.

About 3 weeks ago, I purchased a Sony 50" HDTV (KDF-E50A10) and started the quest to find an excellent HDMI output DVD player for under $200. I did some quick research and decided to try the Panasonic S52 ($99 @ CC). I hooked it up using HDMI for video (straight to the TV) and Toslink for audio (to my surround system). After performing calibrations using the DVE disk, I had an outstanding picture in every way (to my taste). The audio was also very good. I had the DVD player do the upconverting to 720p, since this is the natural resolution of the TV. I also tried 1080i and saw no improvement. I then tried it over a component video cable and let the TV doing the scaling. The picture was not quite as good, but the differences were fairly small. Using the HDMI does give you less cables and provides more options within the DVD player for processing. The S52 does have good menus, fast loading, plenty of options, decent remote, great picture quality, good sound quality, good looks and about every connection type you could want. However, there was one problem that caused me to replace it with the Sony 75H. It had issues reading many of my DVD-Rs, especially those with labels. This is a dealbreaker for me as I make lots of DVD home movies on my computer. I use the highest quality disks, but many of the discs stalled or had digital artifacts.

So, I decided to really dig in and research the locally available DVD players and came up with the Sony 75H ($129 @ CC) as my next experiment. I brought it home, recalibrated using the DVE disk again and proceeded to run the same tests using the HDMI and component cables. I was stunned. The color reproduction and sound quality were unbelievable for a unit that costs only $29 more than the Panasonic. The 720p scaling was beautiful. I saw the same differences using the HDMI vs Component cable as before. I stuck with the HDMI cable as its output is very pure. The Sony's menus are not quite as nice, the unit loads slower and the output of 30fps video isn't as sharp as the Panasonic. However, it is superior in just about every other way. It plays DVDs that were scratched and I was going to throw away! If you have DVD-r disks this is a welcome relief. I have not found one disk that it won't play yet. If you are looking for a sub $200 unit this might just be the best unit out there for 720p or 1080i output. For the non-videophile, I highly recommend testing this player. If your main objectives are picture quality, sound quality and DVD-r playback I don't think you can do much better in this price range.

The Panasonic S52 is a good alternative with a little less picture/sound quality but a cheaper price and faster loading as long as you do not need to play DVD-r disks.

*Sidenote: I spent about $20 on an HDMI cable online and it is every bit as good as my brother's $144 Monster Cable. I tested them one after another and could not tell the difference. Since the signal is digital, it makes since. Unless you have a long run between your DVD and TV, I don't think it makes any sense to spend more than $30 on the cable.

... the output of 30fps video isn't as sharp as the Panasonic. However, it is superior in just about every other way. ...

Thanks for the review; I'm looking at the Sony myself. Can you tell me what you meant by the above note on 30fps video? It seems like you found the Sony PQ superior in general, but this note suggests some issue. Is it limited to non-cinematic DVD material (ie. television or home movies), or is there something else you're seeing?

Thanks again.

You are correct Old School. Video based DVDs (30fps) aren't as sharp on the Sony 75H as the Panasonic S52. It is not poor picture quality but certainly not as good as the 24fps theatrical DVDs. If you have a lot of concert DVDs, home videos or comedy shows, etc. you may want to go with the Panasonic. However, the color and picture quality of standard 24fps movie DVDs is spectacular on the Sony. Even my children could tell the difference watching movies like Shrek 2, Finding Nemo and Spiderman 2. The audio is also very dynamic on the Sony.

Another thing to note: The Sony has virtually no macroblocking on standard DVDs but the Panasonic did have some issues. It was most obvious on disks like Lord of the Rings and Zathura. Personally I can live with slightly lower quality 30fps video-based DVDs to get the unbelievable picture quality on standard 24fps DVDs. Plus this Sony will play discs that simply refused to play on other players. I have a JVC, Samsung and another Panasonic that are progressive scan but not HDMI upscaling models and they all have trouble with some disks but not the Sony 75H.

One thing to remember is Circuit City has a 30 day no hassle return policy if you try the Sony and decide to change to the Panasonic or Samsung later. I can't imagine anyone returning this unit once they see the output!

Hope this helps.

i just got the pio 490v-s its really nice!

So, I decided to really dig in and research the locally available DVD players and came up with the Sony 75H ($129 @ CC) as my next experiment. I brought it home, recalibrated using the DVE disk again and proceeded to run the same tests using the HDMI and component cables. I was stunned. The color reproduction and sound quality were unbelievable for a unit that costs only $29 more than the Panasonic. The 720p scaling was beautiful. I saw the same differences using the HDMI vs Component cable as before. I stuck with the HDMI cable as its output is very pure. The Sony's menus are not quite as nice, the unit loads slower and the output of 30fps video isn't as sharp as the Panasonic. However, it is superior in just about every other way. It plays DVDs that were scratched and I was going to throw away! If you have DVD-r disks this is a welcome relief. I have not found one disk that it won't play yet. If you are looking for a sub $200 unit this might just be the best unit out there for 720p or 1080i output. For the non-videophile, I highly recommend testing this player. If your main objectives are picture quality, sound quality and DVD-r playback I don't think you can do much better in this price range.

Wow...You certainly make the 75H sound like a great bargain. I just bought a 32" Samsung LCD HDTV (LN-S3251D) and am looking for a reasonably priced HDMI-enabled upconverting DVD player to use with it. This unit is retailing for around $120 most places, and it doesn't get much more reasonable than that.

My one reservation is that I do own and watch the occasional video-based DVD and both your review and others I've read are fairly down on the 75H's handling of this task. But I think I can overlook that given the fact that film makes up a significantly greater portion of my viewing.

Can anyone recommend comparable models in this price range?

Thanks also for your comment on low-priced HDMI cables. I'm still kicking myself for shelling out $40 for a Monster toslink cable last week, even with a perfectly acceptable cable for half that price hanging right there next to it. Old habits die hard, I guess. :rolleyes:

The 30fps video output on this unit is very good. Granted it's not stellar, fantastic, awesome like it is on DVD film but I highly doubt you'll have a problem with the video portion. I've watched the entire Firefly series, 24 & Grey's Anatomy and the picture is great via HDMI on my Sharp projector (576p). Get it from a place with a good return policy and then kick it's tires, I'm bettin' you'll keep it.

The 30fps video output on this unit is very good. Granted it's not stellar, fantastic, awesome like it is on DVD film but I highly doubt you'll have a problem with the video portion. I've watched the entire Firefly series, 24 & Grey's Anatomy and the picture is great via HDMI on my Sharp projector (576p). Get it from a place with a good return policy and then kick it's tires, I'm bettin' you'll keep it.

May pick one up on the way home from work tonight!

I'm also planning to buy the 97S or the Oppo 971 for the Panny plasma. Any idea on which is better suited for the panny plasma? what about the zenith DVB318? I currently have one of those.

There are reported macroblocking issues when connecting Faroudja-based upconverting players like the Oppo 971 and Zenith DVB318 to Panasonic plasmas. Before you shell out more $$ for the 97S, you may want to audition the Sony NS75H.

/steve

There are reported macroblocking issues when connecting Faroudja-based upconverting players like the Oppo 971 and Zenith DVB318 to Panasonic plasmas. Before you shell out more $$ for the 97S, you may want to audition the Sony NS75H.

/steve

For a plasma, Iwould not recommend the Oppo, as the image from the Oppo does not fill the whole screen, leaves out some pixels unlit, so if your plasma is new and subject to burn in, do not get the Oppo unless you want to zoom with the TV to fill the whole screen.

I picked up a Toshiba SD-4990 at Best Buy a few days ago and the image quality on a Sony 34" Wega seemed good (with HDMI to DVI converter), but it would skip every once in a while on a DVD. If I backed it up it would not repeat the problem. Tonight I was watching Lawrence of Arabia and it just flat froze on the scene where Lawrence is "exectuting the law" to prevent the tribal blood bath before the attack on Acabba. It eventually cleared and began running later on in the chapter. The DVD has played well on a conventional DVD player as well as on my Mac and so I guess that the Toshiba goes back to Best Buy.

I have read a few remarks in this thread about a Sony that seemed favorable, but are there any other recommendations for a unit that works well? I would appreciate any suggestions as I really enjoyed the image when upscaled and would like to get something.

Thanks!

OK so i gave another LDA-511 a SHOT. Indeed it does work great with the upconversion hack and I took back the 191h as this one just has it beat since it can upconvert over Component.

Great unit! Too bad I had to try 5 before gettinga good one!

You are correct Old School. Video based DVDs (30fps) aren't as sharp on the Sony 75H as the Panasonic S52. It is not poor picture quality but certainly not as good as the 24fps theatrical DVDs. If you have a lot of concert DVDs, home videos or comedy shows, etc. you may want to go with the Panasonic. However, the color and picture quality of standard 24fps movie DVDs is spectacular on the Sony. Even my children could tell the difference watching movies like Shrek 2, Finding Nemo and Spiderman 2. The audio is also very dynamic on the Sony.

Another thing to note: The Sony has virtually no macroblocking on standard DVDs but the Panasonic did have some issues. It was most obvious on disks like Lord of the Rings and Zathura. Personally I can live with slightly lower quality 30fps video-based DVDs to get the unbelievable picture quality on standard 24fps DVDs. Plus this Sony will play discs that simply refused to play on other players. I have a JVC, Samsung and another Panasonic that are progressive scan but not HDMI upscaling models and they all have trouble with some disks but not the Sony 75H.

One thing to remember is Circuit City has a 30 day no hassle return policy if you try the Sony and decide to change to the Panasonic or Samsung later. I can't imagine anyone returning this unit once they see the output!

Hope this helps.

Can the Sony upscale via component? :confused:

Can the Sony upscale via component? :confused:


No, HDMI only.

anyone have info on the new rca upconverter?? model# DRC257N its at walmart.

I'm going to buy one tomorrow and try with component and the HDMI and see how it does. My main TV is only HDTV "ready" so it does not have its own scaler. My new Samsung does. (HDMI too) I'll try it on both and see what it looks like.

I just replaced my HK22 (for DVD Play) and a Denon (DVM-1815 which I used just to shuffle CD's) with the Sony DVP-NC85H... The only difference between the 85H and the 75H is that the 85 takes 5 disks at a time so I can use it for CD play as well. I have to say the output it beautiful and I finally am able to pass the BTB tests with my Panny 8UK plasma. Non of the other reasonably priced players I have used have passed that test.

I watched a few disks with it yesterday and it handled everything flawlessly and the output is top notch. For the $139 purchase price I really could not ask for more.

Rich

I tried the CostCo Toshiba but found that when upconverting to 1080i on my Toshiba 65HDX82, the PQ was horrendous. It seemed to be losing insane amounts of detail and showing major dithering issues. I wasn't sure if it was the HDMI-to-DVI cable I was using, the player, or something else. Regardless, I took the plunge and ordered the Oppo 970 and really could not be happier now.

The PQ on the Oppo truly is somewhere between DVD and HD. I watched "The Hills Have Eyes" with another A/V-phile friend last night and he's actually leaning toward buying a 970 now as well after seeing the results. The folks at Oppo threw in another HDMI-to-DVI cable for me after I specified that I didn't have HDMI in on my TV, and I tried out the CostCo Toshiba on that cable to the same results of horrible PQ, so I assume that it's the player and not the cable now since the Oppo looks great over the same cable. The Oppo also plays Divx and Xvid flawlessly and includes a memory card slot (MMC, SD, etc.) and a USB port (thumb drives, etc.). While I do wish it were network attached (there goes that "I couldn't be happier" comment!), the ability to play videos (and audio and pictures) from a USB thumb drive mostly resolves that issue.

For $164 shipped, I think I've finally found the DVD player that will last me until the HD-DVD/BluRay war settles and I know for sure that I won't be ending up with the next-gen BetaMax.

I-for one-am staying as far away from the Bluray-HDDVD debacle as I possibly can.

Can the Sony upscale via component? :confused:

The only one I know of that up-converts via component is the new Oppo 970 HD (http://oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd.html). It has HDMI also but it's hdcp....if that helps.
Javry

The only one I know of that up-converts via component is the new Oppo 970 HD (http://oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd.html). It has HDMI also but it's hdcp....if that helps.
Javry

I'm pretty sure the 970 doesn't upconvert CSS-encrypted stuff (most commercial DVDs) over component, just over HDMI (and DVI via a converter cable) because of HDCP handshaking and copyright requirements. The Samsung 841HD has a bypass for region-free and upconvert over component, though. You can't get it new anymore, but you can find refurbs on eBay.

I'm pretty sure the 970 doesn't upconvert CSS-encrypted stuff (most commercial DVDs) over component, just over HDMI (and DVI via a converter cable) because of HDCP handshaking and copyright requirements. The Samsung 841HD has a bypass for region-free and upconvert over component, though. You can't get it new anymore, but you can find refurbs on eBay.

Correct. The 970HD can be made region free, but unless someone hacks the firmware, you can't upconvert encrypted material over component.

/steve

I just recently bought the sony dav-fx500 package and it says it is able to upconvert, but no matter what I try my dvds still come out the same. Can anyone explain why it doesn't upconvert?

Correct. The 970HD can be made region free, but unless someone hacks the firmware, you can't upconvert encrypted material over component.

/steve

I stand corrected. What the specs actually say is Multiple high definition video formats through HDMI and component outputs*: NTSC: 480i/480p/720p/1080i; PAL: 576i/576p/720p/1080i (* Component output for CSS-encrypted DVD discs (almost all commercially pressed DVD discs) is limited to 480i/480p only.)

Thanks
Javry

I-for one-am staying as far away from the Bluray-HDDVD debacle as I possibly can.
They're not exactly a 'debacle', just extraordinarily disappointing. Like the HD-DVD I've seen a few weeks ago, the new Samsung Blu-Ray produces a terrific image. The problem, aside from the silly pricing, is not that it's really good(it is), but that the DIFFERENCE over a first-class upconvert of a high-quality standard DVD is so small.

This weekend, for the first time, I had opportunity to do an apples to apples comparison with the SAME film('The Fifth Element'): the 'native' Blu-Ray version, and my own standard DVD(SuperBit) version on the same Samsung machine and the same display. I'd swear that, if you didn't know in advance which was which, it would be virtually impossible to tell one from the other. The Samsung, like the Toshiba HD-DVD player does a very good upcon'(not up to the $700-plus Denons, but close enough). So good that, if the allegations are true, Warner Brothers deliberately downgraded the standard DVD side of their dual-format disk of 'Firewall' to make it artificially appear that the HD-DVD version was that much better. If true, that is a revealing and damning comment.

The other possibility is not the players, but the transfer rates on the disks: the HD-DVD early releases are purportedly in the 12-15mbps range, while the medium is capable of around 30. If so, this relatively low transfer rate may account for why the image is just not that much better than upcon' of first-class standard DVD. Maybe what we'll eventually get is a SuperBit HD-DVD or SuperBit Blu-Ray?

For now, neither of these hi-def optical disk formats is worth anything NEAR the current pricing.

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

For now, neither of these hi-def optical disk formats is worth anything NEAR the current pricing.

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

I don't know where you can get better picture quality for less money than HD DVD offers. In fact, I don't know how to get comparable picture quality for anywhere near the price. C-Band maybe or maybe a cable system somewhere, but I doubt it.

Chris

I don't know where you can get better picture quality for less money than HD DVD offers. In fact, I don't know how to get comparable picture quality for anywhere near the price. C-Band maybe or maybe a cable system somewhere, but I doubt it.

How about free over the air HD? :)

/steve

Or MovieBeam ??

Or D-VHS / D-Theater ??

I don't know where you can get better picture quality for less money than HD DVD offers. In fact, I don't know how to get comparable picture quality for anywhere near the price. C-Band maybe or maybe a cable system somewhere, but I doubt it.

Chris
As you can see from the other responses here, several disagree with your assertion which seems to be a 'bang-for-the-buck' argument. In the broadest terms, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray probably do indeed provide the best image on the market today. But that, to me anyway, still does not warrant a $500 or $1,000 investment. The latest test I was able to do a couple of days ago('The Fifth Element' Blu-Ray and the same film SuperBit on the same Samsung player, same display) illustrates how overpriced is this technology as of this writing. The image in both cases was so similar that I don't think anyone not knowing in advance which was which, could tell the difference. High-quality standalone upconverting players are available at a fraction of cost of the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray machines, and produce a virtual hi-def image essentially the same as the 'natives'.

I, for one, could not care less about the development costs of the hi-def optical disk formats. If somebody else wants to pay Toshiba or Sony big bucks for their efforts, more power to 'em. Hey, this capitalism at its finest: if you can get, great. But so far, as evidenced by the majority of the nation's professional consumer electronics writers, HD-DVD for one is "unimpressive". If you're happy with the purchase, that's all that counts. However, in the immortal words of Judge Judy, "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

Please take the HD talk some place else unless you are specifically talking about upscaling/upconverting of SD DVDs on HD players.

larry

As you can see from the other responses here, several disagree with your assertion which seems to be a 'bang-for-the-buck' argument.

I do think the inexpensive upscaling DVD players are great deals, and the expensive upscaling DVD players provide only marginal improvement for a lot of money and not at all worth the price. The $500 Toshiba player that upscales standard DVD acceptably and plays true HDTV sure seems like a lot better deal than the expensive or inexpensive DVD players to me. I have several inexpensive DVD players and like them a lot because of the great DVD selection and will continue to use them for years, but I would recommend the Toshiba player over any one of them at this time and believe it is well worth the money.

Chris

Not sure where you're coming from here, Milt.

But I can say my Denon 3910 cost me the equivalent of $2,000 all modded up with SDI, etc.

For a quarter of the price, the A1 has outperformed it in everything except DVD-Audio and SACD playback.

And the bonus is HD DVD playback.

It's a no-brainer on it's upscaling alone.
As you can see from the other responses here, several disagree with your assertion which seems to be a 'bang-for-the-buck' argument. In the broadest terms, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray probably do indeed provide the best image on the market today. But that, to me anyway, still does not warrant a $500 or $1,000 investment. The latest test I was able to do a couple of days ago('The Fifth Element' Blu-Ray and the same film SuperBit on the same Samsung player, same display) illustrates how overpriced is this technology as of this writing. The image in both cases was so similar that I don't think anyone not knowing in advance which was which, could tell the difference. High-quality standalone upconverting players are available at a fraction of cost of the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray machines, and produce a virtual hi-def image essentially the same as the 'natives'.

I, for one, could not care less about the development costs of the hi-def optical disk formats. If somebody else wants to pay Toshiba or Sony big bucks for their efforts, more power to 'em. Hey, this capitalism at its finest: if you can get, great. But so far, as evidenced by the majority of the nation's professional consumer electronics writers, HD-DVD for one is "unimpressive". If you're happy with the purchase, that's all that counts. However, in the immortal words of Judge Judy, "Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

Not sure where you're coming from here, Milt.

But I can say my Denon 3910 cost me the equivalent of $2,000 all modded up with SDI, etc.

For a quarter of the price, the A1 has outperformed it in everything except DVD-Audio and SACD playback.

And the bonus is HD DVD playback.

It's a no-brainer on it's upscaling alone.
I'm going from recent memory, prior to release of the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players, in which I thought the Denons did a better upcon' job. But, time marches on of course and I dare say that an upcon comparison side-by-side matching the newest HD-DVD/Blu-Ray machines with an older Denon, may produce the result you've reported - that the older Denon at some $2,000 can't match upcon from the new Toshiba HD-DVD player. For the record, I too thought the upconverting capabilities of both the Toshiba and Samsungs were very good - so good that the 'Fifth Element' B/R and 'Fifth Element' SuperBit on the Samsung were mostly indistinguishable - but I think that may be a transfer rate problem with the initial hi-def disks, and not the medium nor the players themselves. Maybe we'll need SuperBit HD-DVD and SuperBit Blu-Ray disks(?)

But here's a tough one: last week I saw an "aged"(but very expensive) Meridian standard DVD player(no upcon) displaying a movie on a F/P screen about 12-feet horizontal, and IMO neither HD-DVD, nor Blu-Ray could touch that image. The resolution, color saturation and contrast were extraordinary, and especially so on such a huge horizontal scale. So go figure.

This will all be sorted out over time as the general public, and not just H/T enthusiasts such as you and I, will make the final determination just as they did with D-VHS, VHS/Beta, RCA SelectaVision(remember?). It's gonna be fun to watch.

Enjoy!

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

Hello Everyone,

I'm a total newbie, but any help would be appreciated. I've seen this debated on a few different sites. I've got an old Panasonic 53WX42F that only has component. I'm looking for the best upconvert dvd player to buy for it, but obviously, it needs to convert over component only. One of several that I've looked at is a LG 511...I found a website that has one code and region free, but when I called, the guy said it won't play copywritten discs. Is that the case across the board? Is there something I'm missing? Do I need to get a new tv? Boy...talk about wishing I had a waited a year.

Thanks,

John

Hello Everyone,

I'm a total newbie, but any help would be appreciated. I've seen this debated on a few different sites. I've got an old Panasonic 53WX42F that only has component. I'm looking for the best upconvert dvd player to buy for it, but obviously, it needs to convert over component only. One of several that I've looked at is a LG 511...I found a website that has one code and region free, but when I called, the guy said it won't play copywritten discs. Is that the case across the board? Is there something I'm missing? Do I need to get a new tv? Boy...talk about wishing I had a waited a year.


You might want to check Amazon or Pricegrabber to see if there are any Zenith DVB 318's still available. Faroudja-based player that upconverts anything to 720p or 1080i over component.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=400480&highlight=zenith

/steve

ok! I did not read all 49 pages, but I too have been looking at the 75H, S52, HD 960, RCA 8052, Phillips 5960/960, DVD recorders, as well as the A1.

I just need a great picture(factory pressed DVDs) to send to my new Westinghouse 42" monitor from BB. It does not have a built in tuner but is a true 1080P monitor with HDMI,DVI,Component, SVIDEO etc inputs. I can sweat the tuner part later or use my Liteon 5005 for that function.

I am thinking the A1 may be too much of an investment at this time considering the HD wars have just started and the prices on the A1 have not come down yet.

Hello Everyone,

I'm a total newbie, but any help would be appreciated. I've seen this debated on a few different sites. I've got an old Panasonic 53WX42F that only has component. I'm looking for the best upconvert dvd player to buy for it, but obviously, it needs to convert over component only. One of several that I've looked at is a LG 511...I found a website that has one code and region free, but when I called, the guy said it won't play copywritten discs. Is that the case across the board? Is there something I'm missing? Do I need to get a new tv? Boy...talk about wishing I had a waited a year.

Thanks,

John

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7437059&highlight=upconvert#post7437059

Hello Everyone,

I'm a total newbie, but any help would be appreciated. I've seen this debated on a few different sites. I've got an old Panasonic 53WX42F that only has component. I'm looking for the best upconvert dvd player to buy for it, but obviously, it needs to convert over component only. One of several that I've looked at is a LG 511...I found a website that has one code and region free, but when I called, the guy said it won't play copywritten discs. Is that the case across the board? Is there something I'm missing? Do I need to get a new tv? Boy...talk about wishing I had a waited a year.

Thanks,

John
The Momitsu V880 series(currently V880N) is a high-quality upcon machine that I've had for almost three years. It upconverts via either DVI/HDMI(cable) or component to 720p or 1080i. The result on a high-quality standard DVD is exceptional. Another is the NeoDigit line at about $100 less but the reviews I've seen are less kind. I understand the V880s are in short supply and on back-order from some sources, but be sure to get a good dealer with a liberal return policy, and ask that the machine be set to region-free and macrovision "off" before its shipped out to you, saving you the bother(macrovision must be "off" before any upcon machine can do the upconversion). Price on the V880s is still in the $300 range I understand, and around $200 for the NeoDigits.

Looks like Keohi and HiviZone are two of the current direct sellers of the V880s.

Enjoy!

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

I've tried the OPPO 970 and the Sony 75H on my 60"SXRD. To my eyes, the picture was no better (and perhaps a tad worse) than what I see with my entry-level progressive scan Sony via component. I tried various resolutions, cables, calibrations, etc., but I really prefer what I see via component. I don't mean to start another argument, just posting my observations and preferences.

I've tried the OPPO 970 and the Sony 75H on my 60"SXRD. To my eyes, the picture was no better (and perhaps a tad worse) than what I see with my entry-level progressive scan Sony via component. I tried various resolutions, cables, calibrations, etc., but I really prefer what I see via component. I don't mean to start another argument, just posting my observations and preferences.

I have come to the same conclusion and everywhere I turn I see other similar comments.

I've tried the OPPO 970 and the Sony 75H on my 60"SXRD. To my eyes, the picture was no better (and perhaps a tad worse) than what I see with my entry-level progressive scan Sony via component. I tried various resolutions, cables, calibrations, etc., but I really prefer what I see via component. I don't mean to start another argument, just posting my observations and preferences.

The scaler in your SXRD is probably using the same Sony scaling algorithms as the 75H scaler, and the scaler in the 970HD is just an average performer, so your preferences are not surprising to me at all.

I would guess the best input for your display would be the Oppo's Mediatek de-interlacer at 480p, connected via either HDMI or component. Whether this combination will result in $150 better PQ than your entry level Sony component player, I can't say without seeing. Rear projectors by the nature of their design deliver a slightly more diffuse image (compared to plasmas and LCDs) that may mask any subtle improvements in quality.

There are other benefits to the Oppo, however, if you play several different video and audio formats, or want more flexible zoom options for 2.35:1 material.

/steve

OK! Now that I have the RCA DRC257N, I see the need for vertical fill for DVDs over HDMI. My 257 does do the zoom. Which upconverting players do the vertical fill dance? The RCA is fine BTW. I am just tired of being lead down the upgrade road and those stupid black bars are still there"I thought I bought a wide screen monitor, right!". Funny I did not notice any bars in BB on the display models, they all had full screens, What a jerry rigged rip off!
LOL
Its like this, " oh, you need to buy a super, super, extra wide screen TV, a regular wide screen will not do". Thats next, I am sure. LOL
Just venting steam, but a great picture on the LVM-42-2 and it has a fill mode that makes the black lines smaller, but not much. Playing a standard DVD in 1920X540. Is that normal?

PS/257 does have zoom/just drags off part of the picture in the horizontal plain

For $164 shipped, I think I've finally found the DVD player that will last me until the HD-DVD/BluRay war settles and I know for sure that I won't be ending up with the next-gen BetaMax.

You sound like me. I'm about to pick up a Westy 42" and will probably buy the Oppo instead of an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player. I'm not buying into either format until a) the format war is over or b) a dual format player is released.

You might want to check Amazon or Pricegrabber to see if there are any Zenith DVB 318's still available. Faroudja-based player that upconverts anything to 720p or 1080i over component.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=400480&highlight=zenith

/steve


I have this one, it is amazing. Upconverting to 720p and 1080i is very noticeable to everybody I've shown it too. The real question for me was which was better 720p or 1080i. I ended up going with the 1080i. As has been mentioned elsewhere though the resolution is only a small part of the total PQ equation.

I've tried the OPPO 970 and the Sony 75H on my 60"SXRD. To my eyes, the picture was no better (and perhaps a tad worse) than what I see with my entry-level progressive scan Sony via component. I tried various resolutions, cables, calibrations, etc., but I really prefer what I see via component. I don't mean to start another argument, just posting my observations and preferences.

I tried the 970 into my Pioneer 436 and would agree... At any output resolution the picture was no better (to my eyes) than from my 4 year old Sony progressive player via component cables.

Perhaps the processing in the 436 is already quite good... or maybe 43" is not enough to see a fantastic difference in PQ.

Glad I didn't spend more.... I already have 4 "standard" progressive DVD players :) But at east I tried!!

etp -- You are under the common misconception that just because you have a "widescreen" display (16:9 screen = 1.78:1 ratio), all movies should "fill the screen". There are only a very few movies that were shot in the 1.78:1 mode. Most widescreen theatrical releases are much wider, like 2.35:1 or 2.40:1. They will always show back bars on the top and bottom (for the same reason that SD TV, 4:3 = 1.33:1, will show black bars on each side). If you vertically stretch the widescreen movie to fill your screen, you will be distorting the image (or cutting off the sides, depending on what mode you use).

If you still want to get rid of the black bars, your best "bang for the buck" is the Oppo 970H player, IMHO. It appears to do the best job, based on the reviews that I have read.

NOTE: There are reasons to "fill the screen", none of these were mentioned by you. These have to do with screen burn, which can occur on some plasma displays (thet depends on the manufacturer, when the display was built -- newer ones have much less of a problem, etc.).

I currently have my Zenith DVB 318 modified for component upscaling and Region Free on Ebay!

:)

etp -- You are under the common misconception that just because you have a "widescreen" display (16:9 screen = 1.78:1 ratio), all movies should "fill the screen". There are only a very few movies that were shot in the 1.78:1 mode. Most widescreen theatrical releases are much wider, like 2.35:1 or 2.40:1. They will always show back bars on the top and bottom (for the same reason that SD TV, 4:3 = 1.33:1, will show black bars on each side). If you vertically stretch the widescreen movie to fill your screen, you will be distorting the image (or cutting off the sides, depending on what mode you use).

If you still want to get rid of the black bars, your best "bang for the buck" is the Oppo 970H player, IMHO. It appears to do the best job, based on the reviews that I have read.

NOTE: There are reasons to "fill the screen", none of these were mentioned by you. These have to do with screen burn, which can occur on some plasma displays (thet depends on the manufacturer, when the display was built -- newer ones have much less of a problem, etc.).

But even the OPPO/BBK will not totally fill the screen at 720p or 1080i as there is an underscan (I think thats the term anyway..) problem:

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_faq.html#B8

This was an issue with me as I am nursing my plasma. It doesnt happen at 480 lines but then why bother? Seems this is a flaw with many current unscaling players except the Sony 75/76 where they have zoomed and cropped a little to get around it.

But even the OPPO/BBK will not totally fill the screen at 720p or 1080i as there is an underscan (I think thats the term anyway..) problem:

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_faq.html#B8

This was an issue with me as I am nursing my plasma. It doesnt happen at 480 lines but then why bother? Seems this is a flaw with many current unscaling players except the Sony 75/76 where they have zoomed and cropped a little to get around it.

The zoom on my RCA257 distorts the picture too much. I need a better quality fill mode or stretch mode player if there is one. If they all do a serious visable distort when they zoom then I will skip that feature. However if a stretch will fill the screen without dumping the resolution then I need to buy that player. So the 971 and 75h may be better in that area?
PS, my Westy 42" does a partial fill on all formats and a complete fill on limited formats.

Not sure where you're coming from here, Milt.

But I can say my Denon 3910 cost me the equivalent of $2,000 all modded up with SDI, etc.

For a quarter of the price, the A1 has outperformed it in everything except DVD-Audio and SACD playback.

And the bonus is HD DVD playback.

It's a no-brainer on it's upscaling alone.

Ignoring the HD capability and just focusing on the Toshiba and Samsung HD player's upscaling performance... and also thinking about what mrsmith said...

The latest test I was able to do a couple of days ago('The Fifth Element' Blu-Ray and the same film SuperBit on the same Samsung player, same display) ... The image in both cases was so similar that I don't think anyone not knowing in advance which was which, could tell the difference.

It sounds like the HD-A1 and Sammy Blu-Ray player's ability to upscale a standard DVD are very good. Certainly more expensive than the Oppo or Sony but a LOT less expensive than a 3910 or similar player.

Is the upscaling capability of the new HD-A1 and/or Samsung Blu-Ray player better than the Sony 75H and Oppo 970/971? If so, the price difference seems more reasonable and as rdjam said, having HD DVD playback is a nice bonus... :)

I just recently took the plundge and picked up a new 50 inch panny plasma from costco-with dual HDMI. I also picked up a sony DVPNS71HP DVD player that upconverts via HDMI- the problem is I hooked up the HDMI to the panny but for audio I connected the Digital coax from the dvd player to my B&K ref 50 (like I did my previous player). But now the B&K doesn't reconize the digital signal (dolby or DTS). does this have to do with the HDMI cable? I'm confused-am I hooking thisup right. I went into the menu of the player and told it what connections I was using, any help appreciated

Ignoring the HD capability and just focusing on the Toshiba and Samsung HD player's upscaling performance... and also thinking about what mrsmith said...



It sounds like the HD-A1 and Sammy Blu-Ray player's ability to upscale a standard DVD are very good. Certainly more expensive than the Oppo or Sony but a LOT less expensive than a 3910 or similar player.

Is the upscaling capability of the new HD-A1 and/or Samsung Blu-Ray player better than the Sony 75H and Oppo 970/971? If so, the price difference seems more reasonable and as rdjam said, having HD DVD playback is a nice bonus... :)
I had the Oppo 970HD. I now have the Toshiba HD-A1. The Toshiba is clearly superior and better build quality. Sorry, but the OPPO has that cheap but flashy made in China thing that throws "kitchen sink" features you won't use or don't work well. Otherwise, its one of the few players out there that let you go 480i but the Toshiba still leaves it in the dust.

Then, there's the HD-DVD experience that will either knock your socks off or they are off already.

I had the Oppo 970HD. I now have the Toshiba HD-A1. The Toshiba is clearly superior and better build quality. Sorry, but the OPPO has that cheap but flashy made in China thing that throws "kitchen sink" features you won't use or don't work well. Otherwise, its one of the few players out there that let you go 480i but the Toshiba still leaves it in the dust.

Then, there's the HD-DVD experience that will either knock your socks off or they are off already.

Now you got me thinking about ditching my Oppo for this Toshiba. I have had and still have issues regarding divx playback, audio-sync issues and black levels.

Now you got me thinking about ditching my Oppo for this Toshiba. I have had and still have issues regarding divx playback, audio-sync issues and black levels.

Unfortunately I do not recall the model number, but I got a Toshiba upscale DVD player from Best Buy which coughed up a fur ball on several of my favorite DVDs (One DVD it simply froze up and would not play) and so I took it back. I wound up getting the Sony that they had instead and it has worked nicely so far. The setup on the Toshiba was not very user friendly. The Sony was much simpler to set up.

Unfortunately I do not recall the model number, but I got a Toshiba upscale DVD player from Best Buy which coughed up a fur ball on several of my favorite DVDs (One DVD it simply froze up and would not play) and so I took it back. I wound up getting the Sony that they had instead and it has worked nicely so far. The setup on the Toshiba was not very user friendly. The Sony was much simpler to set up.

I was refering to the Toshiba HD-A1 and I don't think its close to the model you are talking about at Best Buy.

Unfortunately I do not recall the model number, but I got a Toshiba upscale DVD player from Best Buy which coughed up a fur ball on several of my favorite DVDs (One DVD it simply froze up and would not play) and so I took it back. I wound up getting the Sony that they had instead and it has worked nicely so far. The setup on the Toshiba was not very user friendly. The Sony was much simpler to set up.
In defense of the Japanese "brand" name SD DVD players out there, you can always find a lemon but the quality control is far superior to next notch down Chinese brands. They have corner cutting down to a science.

The Toshiba HD series are very well built. They are well engineered for an emerging first generation product. To promote the format they are even being sold for about half what they could. Some estimate they are losing $200 on each unit just in parts alone.

The one I tried was an "upscale" of a conventional DVD, not a HD-DVD player. I agree that you probably have a different one in mind...sorry about that. Nevertheless, the one I had performed poorly. As it was the only one of theirs I tried I am unable to say whether I got the "bad" one that can happen periodically or whether "they are all like that". I can say that the setup was not as convenient as the similar Sony unit I wound up getting.

There seems to be a lot of speculation about the pricing of the HD-DVD player that Toshiba is selling. I suspect that Toshiba felt that they would be unable to move enough units to influence the market at the prices people are speculating they "should have" sold it at which may have left them on the losing end of the format war, although Sony runs the same risk with Blu-Ray. It is possible that Toshiba is pricing the units based upon the expected *average* price of the components over the longer run. I doubt that they are actually pricing the unit as a loss leader, but the people who are in a position to actually know are not speaking.

Both formats run the risk of people deciding that "upscale" players of conventional DVDs are good enough until the format issues of HD are resolved. Either way there is a worthwhile market opportunity to sell these "upscale" DVD players to a great many people who are unlikely to toss out their exiting DVD collections.

Cheers

The one I tried was an "upscale" of a conventional DVD, not a HD-DVD player. I agree that you probably have a different one in mind...sorry about that. Nevertheless, the one I had performed poorly. As it was the only one of theirs I tried I am unable to say whether I got the "bad" one that can happen periodically or whether "they are all like that". I can say that the setup was not as convenient as the similar Sony unit I wound up getting.

There seems to be a lot of speculation about the pricing of the HD-DVD player that Toshiba is selling. I suspect that Toshiba felt that they would be unable to move enough units to influence the market at the prices people are speculating they "should have" sold it at which may have left them on the losing end of the format war, although Sony runs the same risk with Blu-Ray. It is possible that Toshiba is pricing the units based upon the expected *average* price of the components over the longer run. I doubt that they are actually pricing the unit as a loss leader, but the people who are in a position to actually know are not speaking.

Both formats run the risk of people deciding that "upscale" players of conventional DVDs are good enough until the format issues of HD are resolved. Either way there is a worthwhile market opportunity to sell these "upscale" DVD players to a great many people who are unlikely to toss out their exiting DVD collections.

Cheers
Glad you are enjoying the Sony. :rolleyes:

Glad you are enjoying the Sony. :rolleyes:

Not sure if you meant :rolleyes: or :) , but the thread is actually about "upscale" converter DVD players for conventional DVDs.

Is there any reason that some players are included in the master list but others aren't? I see LP2 but I don't see my Snazio or the Zensonic or similar HD players that upconvert DVDs as well...

I am new in this forum and the reason why i am in is just because i need to know if there is cheap HD DVD player that i can crack code it to support All Region Format DVDs
?

Do you guy can tell me a nice cheap HD DVD that i can buy and crack the code to All Region?

Samsung HD841

Do you guy can tell me a nice cheap HD DVD that i can buy and crack the code to All Region?Haven't tried it myself, but probably also the Insignia NS-VDVD1 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=678338). (When you say "HD DVD player" I'm assuming you mean one that upconverts regular DVDs to 720p/1080i via HDMI rather than one that plays HD-DVD format discs.)

Hi - New to this thread. Just bought a new Panny 50inch 9uk Plasma (arrives next week). Need to upgrade my DVD player. I've heard mixed reviews on the 1080i upconversion HDMI DVD players (like the Sony DVPNS75H) - some people say they can't tell the difference from component to HDMI/1080i.

Can someone who's compared regular DVD playing in regular DVD player with regular DVD playing in upconversion DVD player tell me how much better it looks? I tried to get some folks in Best Buy to put some stuff side by side, but you know...19 year old kid said it would be a hassle.

Thanks for your input. They cost just $120 (the sony model), so not a big deal to get one. Just wondered if it's worth tossing my existing DVD unit (just bought it 2 months ago).

John

Hi - New to this thread. Just bought a new Panny 50inch 9uk Plasma (arrives next week). Need to upgrade my DVD player. I've heard mixed reviews on the 1080i upconversion HDMI DVD players (like the Sony DVPNS75H) - some people say they can't tell the difference from component to HDMI/1080i.

Can someone who's compared regular DVD playing in regular DVD player with regular DVD playing in upconversion DVD player tell me how much better it looks? I tried to get some folks in Best Buy to put some stuff side by side, but you know...19 year old kid said it would be a hassle.

Thanks for your input. They cost just $120 (the sony model), so not a big deal to get one. Just wondered if it's worth tossing my existing DVD unit (just bought it 2 months ago).

John

I have had the Sony DVPNS75H about a month now. It is playing on to a Sony Wega CRT through an HDMI to DVI converter. I am not sure how much of what I see is the result of a cleaner signal through the HDMI output or is a result of the 'upscaling' process, but I think that it is worth the money for an existing DVD collection.

I had previously used an inexpensive Phillips DVP642 which was supposed to have been DivX and MPEG4 compatible. That part of it had very mixed performance results. The Phillips definitely did not deliver as good an image as the Sony 'upscaling' DVD player.

That said, I do not know if there are other 'upscale' DVD players which perform better. So far, the Sony has not presented any problems.

Cheers

Hi - New to this thread. Just bought a new Panny 50inch 9uk Plasma (arrives next week). Need to upgrade my DVD player. I've heard mixed reviews on the 1080i upconversion HDMI DVD players (like the Sony DVPNS75H) - some people say they can't tell the difference from component to HDMI/1080i.

Can someone who's compared regular DVD playing in regular DVD player with regular DVD playing in upconversion DVD player tell me how much better it looks? I tried to get some folks in Best Buy to put some stuff side by side, but you know...19 year old kid said it would be a hassle.

Thanks for your input. They cost just $120 (the sony model), so not a big deal to get one. Just wondered if it's worth tossing my existing DVD unit (just bought it 2 months ago).

John

side by side you can tell the difference. Can you tell the difference if you and your buddies sit down and watch a movie? Probably not. My example is this: I started to watch my upconverting dvd player with a backup movie that I made. About half way through it stopped playing so I plopped it in my non upconverting player and right away you could tell the difference in the picture. So could my wife. Would I have enjoyed the movie on my cheapo dvd player? Probably but I am used to my nicer player.

To me it's kinda like when you're young and all you drink is the cheap beer cause that's all you can afford but then you get older, make more money and buy the good stuff. Now, I couldn't even stomach cheap beer. So it's all about what you're standards are.

Thanks for the feedback Ronin1 and Huskerfan, I really appreciate it. I'm going to buy the upconverting DVD player.

John

I just bought the Sony DVPNS75H upconverting player today. I will be hooking it up via HDMI to a Panny 50" 600U. I currently own a Samsung DVD/VCR combo hooked up via S-Video, so there should be a significant difference. I'll post back with my impressions of this rather inexpensive upconverting DVD player, once I get it hooked up.

If you don't see a difference (S-Video vs HDMI) there's something very very wrong...

Got everything hooked up last night and the Sony DVD player looks great. Picture and sound were much better through HDMI, which I expected. The blue HDMI light on the Sony DVPNS75H is not that distracting and I don't think I even got around to lowering the display brightness.

Could I use this Sony player on my Samsung DLP which takes only DVI? Would I need some kind of HDMI to DVI converter for the DVI cable I already have?

You could get a DVI Male to HDMI Female Adapter for about $12 or a HDMI Male to DVI Male Cable for about $20...the choice is yours...(as is the pocketbook...)

Ok thanks. Is there any advantage at all to the $20 adapter? Did you mean to say male to male?

The Cable? The cable should be male (to plug into your tv) to male (to plug into your dvd player)...the adapter should be male (to plug into your tv) to female (to plug into your existing hdmi cable.

I think I got that right...or am I gender confused this evening?

Recently bought a Sony KDF-e42a10. I originally bought the Samsung HD860. I shortly returned that due to horrible picture quality. I then bought the Sony DVPNS75H which has a great picture quality. For both DVD players, I tested them with Apature and Mogami component video cables. Also with Apature and Monster HDMI. I believe it looked the sharpest picture with the richest color with Mogami component video. I noticed a red tint using HDMI.

In most cases you need to calibrate your tv for the type of input. Having calibration differences between HDMI and Component is not unusual. Unless you've done this, it is really not correct to compare the pictures on one input to the other (yeah, on some sets this could be an impossible task...since you'd have to remember what the settings on one looked like while you looked at the results of the other...on other sets though, this is quite easy to accomplish).

vipeme, are you saying the sony upconverts over component?
Are there still any DVD players at a decident price that do upconvert over component?

thanks,jb

Hi Everyone,
I'm thinking about replacing my current almost identical looking Sony DVP-NS775V with the new DVP-NS90V Upconverting player. Right now I am running monster component video to my Sony 40XBR1 LCD. I enjoy the picture quality very much, however since I am going to wait on choosing a hi-def dvd format, would I see a big improvement in getting this player? I'll be connecting with a monster hdmi cable. the reason I am considering this player is that I want to keep the SACD capability and I have been happy with Sony dvd players in the past. Any shared thoughts or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Lippertize

vipeme, are you saying the sony upconverts over component?
Are there still any DVD players at a decident price that do upconvert over component?

thanks,jb


this is exactlywhat i am trying to find! the sony webstie states:

DVD Player
DVP-NS75H
$ 129.99


* 720p/1080i Upscaling Video Output through HDMI™1 Output


...so i was under the impression the it only upscaled over hdmi. I desperately am looking for a good proven dvd player that upscales over component. anyone?

aakash

The LG LDA-531 will do upconverting through component by this hack:

HDCP off/on (Enables upconversion on Component Output):
- PAUSE,1,2,3,6,9
- on screen: "OK H" or "Default H" (Status)
- (2xPAUSE to leave)

Otherwise, you're about a year late since many more existed last year but have now been made compliant.

On the other hand, I've seen a few ads for Yamaha receivers that seem to indicate that the will upconvert through their component outputs. I don't know if anyone else has seen these ads or knows the truth of the matter. Anyone?

this is exactlywhat i am trying to find! the sony webstie states:

DVD Player
DVP-NS75H
$ 129.99


* 720p/1080i Upscaling Video Output through HDMI™1 Output


...so i was under the impression the it only upscaled over hdmi. I desperately am looking for a good proven dvd player that upscales over component. anyone?

aakash

Oppo 970HD will only upscale non-copy protected DVD's over component. Otherwise, try to find someone who still has a new (or used) Zenith DVB-318. if you do a search, there's a huge thread on it in the DVD forum. It's a very nice, Faroudja-based player that will do 720p/1080i over component with the correct firmware revision installed. Link to the firmware is in the forum.

/steve

this is exactlywhat i am trying to find! the sony webstie states:

DVD Player
DVP-NS75H
$ 129.99


* 720p/1080i Upscaling Video Output through HDMI™1 Output


...so i was under the impression the it only upscaled over hdmi. I desperately am looking for a good proven dvd player that upscales over component. anyone?

aakash

LG LDA-511, try *bay

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7437059&highlight=upconvert#post7437059

What makes you think upscaling over component is going to give a better picture than your display doing the conversion?

In regards to a much earlier post, I saw a Denon player on an HD set the other day, and it really looked amazing. Great buy if you don't mind the slightly higher price tag.

We bought the Samsung HD860 up-convert DVD player at BB for $99. I was very impressed after hooking it up to my Samsung DLP via HDMI. This DVD player is a hell of a deal for $99. The picture is sooooooooo good.

What makes you think upscaling over component is going to give a better picture than your display doing the conversion?

Depends on the display, doesn't it?

And that's true for any interface, not just component. It's always worth a look to see how well your display device converts an image. So far, none of mine do a better job than a progressive scan DVD player, and in my current situation, my projector (Sharp Z2000) really benefits from upconversion, since it doesn't scale well.

Depends on the display, doesn't it?

And that's true for any interface, not just component. It's always worth a look to see how well your display device converts an image. So far, none of mine do a better job than a progressive scan DVD player, and in my current situation, my projector (Sharp Z2000) really benefits from upconversion, since it doesn't scale well.
Progressive scan results in 480p. The poster wanted to upconvert to HDTV resolutions. But yes, all conversion schemes are worth a try for a particular set of components.