I'm looking to buy a DVD player that upscales to HD. I found the DVD-HD841 refurbished on Amazon for a few ten spots, and I also found the DVD-HD850 - at nearly double the price, but new. I also found the Samsung DVD-HD950 HD Conversion DVD Player (Black) on Amazon, for a little under 2 bills.

Any reason I should go for the DVD-HD850 over the DVD-HD841? What about the HD950? :confused: I've searched on here, and I see the hacks to play DivX on the HD841 (not something I needm since my modded Xbox is running Xbox Media Center aka XBMC), but I do need upconversion over component (since my HD STB is using DVI to HDMI cable, and my PDP only has one HDMI port.) I can't seem to figure out what exactly is the difference in the models. Anyone?

...but I do need upconversion over component (since my HD STB is using DVI to HDMI cable, and my PDP only has one HDMI port.)
I know that remote controlled HDMI switchers are expensive, but have you considered using this? (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569022) Although it has no remote, that shouldn’t matter since you would have to get off the couch anyway to put a DVD into the player.

ProofTech

I don't need an HDMI switch. I know the 841 does upconversion over component, so I was wondering if the 850 or 950 has more/better features or output. From what I've read so far, the 850 and 950 also does upconversion over component.

I don't watch that many DVDs, so spending the cash on an HDMI switch box isn't something I'd really want to do. Hence me comparing the 841 (cheap, does what I want) cs the 850 vs 950.

ive got the 841, and for the price, i dont think it could be beat with upconversion on components, though i cant say ive had any experience with the 850 or 950

Although there are some improvements with the newer HD850/950 like black level adjustment over HDMI, keep in mind that feature wise, HD841 and HD 950 are identical while HD850 lacks DVD-A/SACD capability. Of course, if you don't care about hi-res audio, all three are similar in video performance.

Well, right now I have my HD STB using digital coax, and my Xbox using optical, going into my Logitech Z-680 5.1 surround-sound speakers. Not sure how I'm going to hook up the DVD player to get surround sound, since I don't know of any splitters for digital coax or optical sound.

But it looks like the HD841 for $60 or so is my best bet. Thanks!

You can buy a digital audio switch. Or buy a real surround sound system with a receiver that takes three or more digital audio inputs.

I don't want to buy a new speaker setup, since I'm happy with my Logitech Z-680 system. I don't watch enough DVDs to really justify it. I may look into a splitter for digital coax or optical, but it's not a primary concern. I can alwas just unhook the digital coax from the HD STB and plug it into the DVD player for the occassional use. :cool:

..

I've had the HD841 in my computer room for 6 months or so to use with a standard def 27 inch flat screen Philips TV on my desk beside my monitor. It can be a bit finicky at times as to what discs it likes to play but it does a fine job overall for what I'm using it for. I'm thinking about adding one to my HT setup.

The problem with the 841 is that has the black crush problem where detail are lost in black. good example is a black suit, with the 841, you will lose details of the fine lines detailing the suit.

The other problem with the 841 is they tend to break.

Currently, what most consider a true or at least a decent upconvert play is one that has the dcdi chip inside or one of the sony models. I think both the 850 and 950 has them.

Personally, if one is go buy the 841, they would better off just go buy the Toshiba mention on the board, which is cheaper and possible looks better.

Samsung has horrible software. I have an 841 and its nowhere near as well thought through as a product as panasonic/sony/pioneer, etc. I have 2 Panasonic S77's and they provide a noticeable better picture and ease of use compared to the Samsung. After purchasing it i wouldn't buy another Samsung DVD player again.

The problem with the 841 is that has the black crush problem where detail are lost in black. good example is a black suit, with the 841, you will lose details of the fine lines detailing the suit.

True but latest firmware greatly reduced black crush.


The other problem with the 841 is they tend to break.

That's true for ALL Smasung products.


Currently, what most consider a true or at least a decent upconvert play is one that has the dcdi chip inside or one of the sony models. I think both the 850 and 950 has them.

Wrong. 850 and 950 don't have DCDi chips in them. 950 is a refreshed 841 with HDMI and 850 is 950 w/o DVD-A/SACD.


Personally, if one is go buy the 841, they would better off just go buy the Toshiba mention on the board, which is cheaper and possible looks better.

Not necessary. Actually aside from the outside shell. It seems to me both Toshiba and Samsung units are made by same OEM company. Their menus are exactly similar and performance are too.

Remember you only buy HD841 at very cheap price (less than half the price of a new HD850/950 or Toshiba players). At that price, a few shortcomings can be forgiven.

OK, I've decided to keep my 50" plasma HDTV. So now I need to find a decent upconvertign DVD player that will upconvert over component. Which one should I go for? WIll the Toshiba player upconvert over component?

I plan on getting the HD950. At under 2 bills, its a pretty good deal. I'm going to be using this via component cables, so I have heard that it does not give a HD signal over component, but there is a hack to do this. Can anyone provide me with the link for the hack? Thanks a lot.

Personally I would stay away from the 841. I have had 3 of them, all with the same problems.

Yes they will produce a fine picture (when it works).
As another poster stated (these players are very finicky)
I have original pressed discs and dvd-r.
For some reason the pressed disc (originals) did not like playing in this player.
The dvd-r did actually play better (I mean more often)

Anyhow my suggestion is NeuNeo. I had the 2081 for quite some time and had no issues with it (other than the 1 firmware upgrade)
I sold that one to a fellow, who has since said it is better than his 700.00 HTPC.
So he was going to sell that.

I have the latest model the 2085. And as of now it has played flawless.
It may be something that you should look into.
Here is a direct link. - http://www.neodigits.com/body/product/hvd2085/feature.asp

I have used the 1080P. But my projector, does not truly support this. So at the moment I am at 1080i.
Also I use the VGA to a monitor so I clan play my mp3's that are on dvd. It gives a good enough file system so I can search & play the 500 songs that are on the dvd.
Yes it will upconvert over component, as well HDMI/DVI.

I plan on getting the HD950. At under 2 bills, its a pretty good deal. I'm going to be using this via component cables, so I have heard that it does not give a HD signal over component, but there is a hack to do this. Can anyone provide me with the link for the hack? Thanks a lot.

The remote angle hack:

Power on if off then

Angle

4327

Angle

Several people including myself find the component upconversion at 1080i is unacceptable. I use mine at 720p and I am very pleased.

Chris

Thanks Chris. I just Pm'd you before you responded to my question. Why is the upconversion of 1080i unacceptable? Does it just look bad? How does it compare to the HDMI 1080i?

Thanks Chris. I just Pm'd you before you responded to my question. Why is the upconversion of 1080i unacceptable? Does it just look bad? How does it compare to the HDMI 1080i?

I find the picture is skewed at the top with some DVDs. I only checked a few and about half had the problem. The picture over HDMI does not have the problem.

Chris

Chris - What produces a better picture - 1080i or 720p mode?

Btw, I have a Samsung HLR4667 HDTV DLP. Does anyone know if this TV does upconversion?

Chris - What produces a better picture - 1080i or 720p mode?

Btw, I have a Samsung HLR4667 HDTV DLP. Does anyone know if this TV does upconversion?

I am very happy with the 720p picture when used with my 720p LCD projector but I find the 1080i picture unusable over component. The picture is fine at 1080i over HDMI to my XBR910.

Chris

Chris - What produces a better picture - 1080i or 720p mode?

Btw, I have a Samsung HLR4667 HDTV DLP. Does anyone know if this TV does upconversion?

Your TV is 720p native. Everything send to it will be upconvert or downconvert to 720p.

So how can I change it to 1080i? The signal from my HD STB is outputting 1080i, so does that mean when it gets to my TV I am seeing a downgraded 720p signal?

Yes. Your TV as well as many other digital TVs (LCD, Plasma, DLP) only has one native panel resolution. You can't change it. Especially not to 1080i which is only possible on CRTs.

And convert 1080i to 720p does not mean downgrade.

i read alot about people having problems with the 841, and i had some intial issues as well. The DVI out would not work at all and other small issues with sound. After upgrading the firmware, it is like a different player. Upconversion though DVI works flawlessly and i can see a marked difference between 1080i and 480p and a huge difference between 1080i and 480i. As far as high res music is concerned, i honestly could not tell the difference between the samsung and my pioneer 579. I got the 841 from refurb from amazon, you cannot beat the price (although they sent me a set of plates instead of the player the first time). So that my 2 cents.

sorry,the Pio is the 563-a, not 579 . brain fart.

Personally I would stay away from the 841. I have had 3 of them, all with the same problems.

Anyhow my suggestion is NeuNeo. I had the 2081 for quite some time and had no issues with it (other than the 1 firmware upgrade)
I sold that one to a fellow, who has since said it is better than his 700.00 HTPC.
So he was going to sell that.

I have the latest model the 2085. And as of now it has played flawless.
It may be something that you should look into.
Here is a direct link. - http://www.neodigits.com/body/product/hvd2085/feature.asp...That's $75 more than the Samsung HD950. :( The Samsung HD850 seems to have gotten better reviews than the 841, and is only marginally more expensive ($99 refurb'd at Amazon, or $129.99 new), so that's what I'm going to try I think. Then again, I see on the link you provided, the "Holiday Specials" has it for $225, which isn't terribly bad...

Yes. Your TV as well as many other digital TVs (LCD, Plasma, DLP) only has one native panel resolution. You can't change it. Especially not to 1080i which is only possible on CRTs.

And convert 1080i to 720p does not mean downgrade.My 50" plasma HDTV displays 1080i great.

I have been playing with the 850 for about a month now. I'm pleased with it but I have no frame of reference other than the HD signal from my sat and OTA. No other upconverting DVD players for comparison.

The very first thing I watched on it was the latest Star Wars flick. My jaw dropped as I played the various scenes over and over, flabbergasted by the visuals. But that was my first experience, and rather like a fresh prescription for my contact lenses. The picture looked impossibly clear.

Last evening I experimented for an hour or so with different settings with "Nemo" as my subject.

The difference between the HDMI and component outputs is dramatic, with the HDMI providing a much improved picture. I realize the TV may have something to do with this, but I have no other way of comparing the two. Even my wife, who is generally unimpressed by HD, notices the difference.

The black adjustment is a very nice feature. I turn it all the way down and let the settings determined for the TV with the "DVE" do that work for me.

I could not discern (nor do I know which I should be using) a difference between the various output methods available (RGB-normal, RGB-expanded, YCR 4:4:4 or YCR 2:2:1 (I think I recall that correctly), but I _think_ 4:4:4 displayed more vivid, but not necessarily accurate colors.

I find the interface to be slightly annoying, but not unusable.

I'm using the optical audio output, so I don't care about the HDMI audio, but I do see a message on the screen with every disc that says "HDMI audio unavailable". I don't know what that is all about but I'd probably be curious if I wanted to use HDMI audio.

I like this player for what it is - inexpensive and much better than my standard def DVD player.

My 50" plasma HDTV displays 1080i great.

Your 50" plasma's native resolution is either 720p or 768p (old ones even lower @ 1024x768). 1080i is converted into native resolution. Fixed pixel panels can not display interlaced singals natively because its pixels can not shift half lines between frames.

My 50" plasma HDTV displays 1080i great.

Is the resolution 1024x1024?

Chris

When comparing the 850 HDMI vs. Component, did you use the hack to upconvert over component when you did the comparison? I did the hack for my 941 and don't really see any difference between HDMI and component.
Regarding "HDMI audio not supported"--that is a common problem with Samsung. Some users cannot get audio through their TV speakers because of this.
esteps

Is the resolution 1024x1024?

ChrisWhen it displays 1080i it says the resolution is 1920 x 1200. From the product page for my plasma:

"1366 x 768 pixel resolution supports 720p signals for stunning image clarity and 1080i for the highest quality interlaced picture possible from a high-definition source."

I bit the bullet and ordered a remanufactured Samsung HD850 from Amazon. Came out to under a bill shipped (free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime, of which I am on the 4-month trial.)

When comparing the 850 HDMI vs. Component, did you use the hack to upconvert over component when you did the comparison? I did not (not aware of such hack - info please?) I would actually prefer to use the component if it had quality even close to the HDMI because I have only one HDMI port on the TV and the DVR is connected to it primarily. (no HDMI switch yet either)

When it displays 1080i it says the resolution is 1920 x 1200. From the product page for my plasma:

"1366 x 768 pixel resolution supports 720p signals for stunning image clarity and 1080i for the highest quality interlaced picture possible from a high-definition source."

I bit the bullet and ordered a remanufactured Samsung HD850 from Amazon. Came out to under a bill shipped (free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime, of which I am on the 4-month trial.)

No, I meant is your plasma a 1024x1024 resolution? It appears it is 1366x768 if I understand correctly.

Chris

I did not (not aware of such hack - info please?) I would actually prefer to use the component if it had quality even close to the HDMI because I have only one HDMI port on the TV and the DVR is connected to it primarily. (no HDMI switch yet either)

The hack to enable component upscaling is:

power on if off
angle
4327
angle

You should briefly see HDCP free displayed on the screen.

Chris

I'm pretty sure it doesn't.
ClayCOnsidering that I'm watching it right now - "Stacked" in HD at 1080i - I'd say I disagree with you. :rolleyes:

COnsidering that I'm watching it right now - "Stacked" in HD at 1080i - I'd say I disagree with you. :rolleyes:

My bad, brain fade. By the way, how do those hot blondes look in HD? :D

Clay

The hack to enable component upscaling is:

power on if off
angle
4327
angle

You should briefly see HDCP free displayed on the screen.

Chris
Thanks Chris. I used this hack last evening to check out the differences and I can report that the hacked upconvert on the component output is still not nearly as crisp and clear as that of the HDMI at 1080.

I used the shuttle launch video on the DVE disc to do my comparison. Then just to make sure I wasn't kidding myself I showed my wife how to make the change between HDMI/component and then had her show me the video back to back. I correctly guessed which was which.

Unfortunately, I only have one HDMI input, and it's used by the cable STB. So component (and upconverting over) is the only way to go, since I don't want to go the switcher route. :cool:

I can't give up until I ask you one more question--when you performed the angle hack, did you then scroll through the HDMI SEL. button and select 720 or 1080?
When most people cite the angle hack, they fail to mention this necessity.
esteps

Thanks Chris. I used this hack last evening to check out the differences and I can report that the hacked upconvert on the component output is still not nearly as crisp and clear as that of the HDMI at 1080.

I used the shuttle launch video on the DVE disc to do my comparison. Then just to make sure I wasn't kidding myself I showed my wife how to make the change between HDMI/component and then had her show me the video back to back. I correctly guessed which was which.

I can't give up until I ask you one more question--when you performed the angle hack, did you then scroll through the HDMI SEL. button and select 720 or 1080?
When most people cite the angle hack, they fail to mention this necessity.
estepsI'll answer this one. Yep, and it's currently sitting on 1080i right now. Avia looked good; I'm getting ready to pop in "Madagascar" and see how it looks.

I couldn't get the Avia audio to work thru digital coax, though. Not sure if it was the Avia disc or not. Hopefully "Madagascar" will help resolve that.

Madagascar is a great movie!

Well, no matter what mode I chose, both Madagascar and Monsters Inc. showed blocks of color. Not smooth, but not unwatchable.

So I was reading, and this HD850 uses something other than the Faroudja chip, right? Am I correct when I read that only the 950 has DCDi, using the Faroudja chip? If so, I'm wondering if I should return this 850 and get the 950. I need upconvert over component, or else I'd look at the Oppo. I'd prefer to stay in the $125 range, so that put the NeuNeo out of the picture too. :cool:

Sigh...I don't want to look into an HDMI switcher, because my STB is DVI, and I use a DVI to HDMI cable. I doubt I can even find an HDMI switcher that also does DVI.

Well, no matter what mode I chose, both Madagascar and Monsters Inc. showed blocks of color. Not smooth, but not unwatchable.

So I was reading, and this HD850 uses something other than the Faroudja chip, right? Am I correct when I read that only the 950 has DCDi, using the Faroudja chip? If so, I'm wondering if I should return this 850 and get the 950. I need upconvert over component, or else I'd look at the Oppo. I'd prefer to stay in the $125 range, so that put the NeuNeo out of the picture too. :cool:

Sigh...I don't want to look into an HDMI switcher, because my STB is DVI, and I use a DVI to HDMI cable. I doubt I can even find an HDMI switcher that also does DVI.

The DVD-HD950, HD841 and HD850 use a Zoran Vaddis chip. The DVD-HD941 uses the Faroudja FLI2310 DCDi chip. Many switchers do DVI/HDMI, including an inexpensive 2>1 switcher sold by Markertek.

Chris

Interesting. So which is better: Faroudja DCDi, or the Zoran? SInce the 941 has the Faroudja, should I try that instead?

I managed to get digital coaz to work, finally. Had to wiggle the connection into the receiver - odd, my STB had no problem working, only the DVD player needed that. Weird...I may switch to optical instead.

The black adjustment is a very nice feature. I turn it all the way down and let the settings determined for the TV with the "DVE" do that work for me.


I have not seen this option on the menus. Is it only for components or does it apply also for hdmi?

Interesting. So which is better: Faroudja DCDi, or the Zoran?
Faroudja's DCDi seems to be a referent and generally speaking, much better. However, it seems that it may show up macroblocking issues that other chips don't.

I got today a HD850 and, even that it does not have Faroudja, I could see those blocks in 480p and 720p. 1080i looks very good with mu Fuji plasma connected through HDMI->DVI.

I'll try to run DVE soon

hfelsh: I tried a refurb 841 recently and applied the angle hack to upconvert over component and it worked pretty well at 720p except that it had some kind of wierd flashing while playing certain dvd's. I sent it back and since have got a refurb 941 from ebay and applied the same remote hack and it's been outstanding at 720p so far with no problems.

hey guys - I got it pretty much narrowed down to either a sammy 850 or 950. The only difference is one is black, one is silver, one supports SACD Audio etc., and one doesn't, and one comes with a dvi-hdmi cable and one doesnt. Oh yea - and the price. :)

I'm really torn between the 2. If I knew a little bit more about the SACD DVD-Audio thing, it might sway my decision. I'm leaning toward the 850, because of the price and all, but the 950 comes with a DVI - HDMI cable. I will be using this player via component, but I can use that cable for my OTA HD cable box to my one HDMI input on my display. I havent gotten the cable box yet, but I am sure it doesnt come with a dvi-hdmi cable I wouldn't think. So I am gonna have to purchase this cable anyway, - I might as well get it for free from my DVD player. But theres about a 60 dollar difference between the 2 players, and I doubt that the cable that comes with the 950 is worth 60 bux. (I could be wrong). Then that begs the question, - Is there really a difference between a 60 dollar dvi-hdmi cable versus the ones that come free with players. If not, then its a moot point.

So y'all see my dillema. Can someone help me out? Are there any other differences that I missed?

Thanks!

Neo....I'm in the same position as you. I'm deciding between the 850 and the 950. 950 seems to have the DVD Audio capability. I also like the black casing, but would probably rather have the 60 bucks extra in my pocket.

One question I have is that I've read that the LCD screen on both the 850 and 950 is a white background with black text. Some reviews have complained that it is distracting during movies in a dark room. Any owners care to comment? thanks

hey guys - I got it pretty much narrowed down to either a sammy 850 or 950. The only difference is one is black, one is silver, one supports SACD Audio etc., and one doesn't, and one comes with a dvi-hdmi cable and one doesnt. Oh yea - and the price. :)

I'm really torn between the 2. If I knew a little bit more about the SACD DVD-Audio thing, it might sway my decision. I'm leaning toward the 850, because of the price and all, but the 950 comes with a DVI - HDMI cable. I will be using this player via component, but I can use that cable for my OTA HD cable box to my one HDMI input on my display. I havent gotten the cable box yet, but I am sure it doesnt come with a dvi-hdmi cable I wouldn't think. So I am gonna have to purchase this cable anyway, - I might as well get it for free from my DVD player. But theres about a 60 dollar difference between the 2 players, and I doubt that the cable that comes with the 950 is worth 60 bux. (I could be wrong). Then that begs the question, - Is there really a difference between a 60 dollar dvi-hdmi cable versus the ones that come free with players. If not, then its a moot point.

So y'all see my dillema. Can someone help me out? Are there any other differences that I missed?

Thanks!

I recently purchased my first SACD and DVD-Audio discs and use my HD950 for playback. I really like both formats, the selection is not good but I found enough to make it worthwhile for me. The HD950 is worth the extra amount in my opinion.

Chris

I recently purchased my first SACD and DVD-Audio discs and use my HD950 for playback. I really like both formats, the selection is not good but I found enough to make it worthwhile for me. The HD950 is worth the extra amount in my opinion.

Chris

Chris, Can you comment on the LCD display of the 950? Is it a white background with black text? And more importantly, has it ever been distracting during DVD playback in dark rooms? thanks

Pritam

The hack to enable component upscaling is:

power on if off
angle
4327
angle

You should briefly see HDCP free displayed on the screen.

Chris

Do you need to do this hack every time you turno on the machine and put in a DVD or is it a once-does-it fix?

Thanks

Do you need to do this hack every time you turno on the machine and put in a DVD or is it a once-does-it fix?

Thanks

I did it one time and never have again, it survives power downs and power outages.

Chris

Chris, Can you comment on the LCD display of the 950? Is it a white background with black text? And more importantly, has it ever been distracting during DVD playback in dark rooms? thanks

Pritam

Yes it is white with black letters, never bothers me but I could see how it could bother others as it is not the best front display design.

Chris

It has been reported that the 850/950 still don't pass Blacker than Black over HDMI (HDMI to HDMI). Anyone confirm/deny?

Also regarding the 850/950 (they behave the same right?):

Also does the blue beacon light go out while DVD is in play or always on?

Does it remember what upconvert mode (ie: 1080i) it is in or do you have to set it for every DVD or after power down/on, etc.? Thanks.

Actually, the 850 will pass BTB over HDMI but only if you increase the player's brightness control to it's highest level (the second highest level might do it, too...I forget). However, doing so will crush whites. Please note that I'm talking about the brightness control on the 850, not on the display.

Is it me, does the 850 seem a little soft? Was watching Transporter2 last night and it wasn't as eye popping (3d look) that everyone claims on the oppo's. I also tried many of my backups and they didn't look all that great either, granted there backups. Tried SW3, Longest Yard, Butterfly Effect, Donnie Darko, Madagascar, Incedibles and Vertical Limit.

On a side note, so far the 850 will play every disk I throw at it, including my mac backups. Getting my xbox 360 tonight and will see if the dvd look the same as the 850, if so, returning it till the newer (less buggy) models come out in March-June.

Seems like the 3 HDMI DVD players I was thinking about to simplify the cable connections all have silly problems. The Sammy 850 won't pass BTB over HDMI properly(w/out consequneces), Sony n70 has Shift issue, and Panny s77 has MB and vertical jailbars issues. I think I'll stick with my old Pioneer DV-525 non-progressive player for now.

"Is it me, does the 850 seem a little soft? Was watching Transporter2 last night and it wasn't as eye popping (3d look) that everyone claims on the oppo's"

It isn`t you dude. I cannot get a sharp picture out of the 850. I`d be surprised if anyone can. My Panny RP82 crushes this player. And you would think the 850 with the HD upconverting features would be at least as good. If anyone is getting a sharp pic out of this player, please post your settings so I can try them. Thx.

Yeah, same here. Got a HD950 couple weeks ago but it's now sitting on the shelf unplugged (b/c of the damn blue flashlight when it's off) because it's so soft that I would describe it as blurry or out-of-focus. Totally unwatchable, compared to my RP-91.

Several reviews have alluded to high-frequency roll-off for all of these Samsung players, but I did not expect it to be this shockingly soft on real-world DVDs. I've only used the component outputs (no HDMI/DVI) but the softness is there regardless of resolution (480p or 1080i). Very disappointing.

I use the HD950 at 720p over component connected to my 720p LCD projector with 77" screen and the picture is acceptably sharp. I don't have it on now to check the settings but believe sharpness is at 3, which might have been the default setting.

Chris

I guess I jinxed my HD950 as it just started freezing on DVD-A and SACD discs. After about 6 months of heavy use it is apparently dying. It was my favorite player, especially since I started buying high resolution audio discs. This is of course too short of a life span so the replacement won't likely be another HD950. I expect DVD-V to no longer work as well, just haven't tried one yet. What a pain. It worked great for me while it worked.

Chris

I set up my Sharpness setting on my Hitachi with the AVIA disk. So I am not gonna play with that nor should I have to for DVDs after the fact. I am pretty saddened to see the Sammy drop the ball so hard. Whoah. So this 850 goes back to CC tonight.

I use the HD950 at 720p over component connected to my 720p LCD projector with 77" screen and the picture is acceptably sharp. I don't have it on now to check the settings but believe sharpness is at 3, which might have been the default setting.

Chris

The sharpness and color controls in the HD950 do not have any affect on the component output.

I started using my HD841 in place of the HD950 and it works acceptably for everything but DVD-V. Picture quality isn't as good although I might try firmware updates to see if I can improve picture quality. Now to see if I can get Samsung to repair my HD950 under warranty. I just read that the upcoming HD960 will be using a Faroudja chip, athough I can't tell if it will be a universal player.

Chris

Chris,
It looks like the 9XX series will no longer be a universal player. Looks like the 1060 will be the one.
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4082133

http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20060107_0000223786

Should still be interesting to try out when they are available.

does the 850 not output audio through the HDMI? I think I might have read that somewhere in these forums? I was at BB today looking at the 850. It was plugged in via HDMI to a Sony Bravia, and I saw a text message on the screen saying HDMI audio not supported.

or is it the Bravia that doesn't support audio input through HDMI?

Your TV speakers only output 2-channel stereo. HDMI ouputs 5.1 dolby digital. Therefore, this message pops up because your TV cannot accept DD so will not output any audio signal through HDMI.
esteps

does the 850 not output audio through the HDMI? I think I might have read that somewhere in these forums? I was at BB today looking at the 850. It was plugged in via HDMI to a Sony Bravia, and I saw a text message on the screen saying HDMI audio not supported.

or is it the Bravia that doesn't support audio input through HDMI?

I'm going on 6 months or so on my 950 with no problems. I think it's a bargin for all the functions it has. I'm using it in a bedroom setup with a Hitachi 51" HD RPTV via the supplied HDMI cable. I did the upconvert over component hack for use with my projector a few times with excellent results. I will admit the picture is a tad softer than i would like and the front panel display is just stupid bright but overall I'm really pleased with the unit. Ive even considered modding it. I wish I knew what audio DAC's it has for the hi rez audio.

I know what the "Samsung DVD-HD841 vs DVD-HD850 vs DVD-HD950" differences are but I'd like to know especially what the HD-755 is - I suppose because of the lower number it is inferior to the others. It is being discounted in a few places to clear room for the new line, probably. Also, what about the HD-845? Is that the 841 with a cable? An electronics box store had a mess of them repackaged. It's amazing seeing how many Up-Converters get returned! I've seen the same LG model at another store bought and returned three times in the last month as a "display" unit discounted with no accessories ( I can tell it's the same one because part of the sticker is torn). At least it sells quickly.

does the 850 not output audio through the HDMI? I think I might have read that somewhere in these forums? I was at BB today looking at the 850. It was plugged in via HDMI to a Sony Bravia, and I saw a text message on the screen saying HDMI audio not supported.

or is it the Bravia that doesn't support audio input through HDMI?

As stated your set can't do anything with the DD 5.1 output from the DVD player. Simply reset the audio on the DVD player to 2 channel stereo and you'll get sound from the set.

I know what the "Samsung DVD-HD841 vs DVD-HD850 vs DVD-HD950" differences are but I'd like to know especially what the HD-755 is - I suppose because of the lower number it is inferior to the others. It is being discounted in a few places to clear room for the new line, probably. Also, what about the HD-845? Is that the 841 with a cable? An electronics box store had a mess of them repackaged. It's amazing seeing how many Up-Converters get returned! I've seen the same LG model at another store bought and returned three times in the last month as a "display" unit discounted with no accessories ( I can tell it's the same one because part of the sticker is torn). At least it sells quickly.

The HD745 and HD845 are similar to the HD850 without a cable and with different firmware that did not allow the remote control hacks that were useful with the HD850. The differences are difficult to determine as is actual performance variances. I have both the HD950 and HD841. The HD950 provides better picture picture quality in my opinion but I like both players and while my HD950 is getting warranty service, I am using my HD841 but if Samsung gets a properly working HD950 back to me, my HD841 goes back in the box. The HD841 is a universal player therefore different than the HD845.

Chris

The Yahoo Zoran group has firmware that appears to be intended to make an HD841 into an HD950. I can't find enough information about it to try it and don't understand how it could do diddly but who knows.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZoranDVD/files/

Chris

I belong to Yahoo Zoran group's and used their firmware to make my HD841 into HD745 I believe (to open upconversion through component, and also to make the HD841 play divx/xvid). I got a post just a few days ago from Yahoo Zoran group that firmware is now available for HD950, however, I am not sure what exactly this 950 firmware does.

I get a loud popping sound when connecting the 850 to my samsung dlp via hdmi. It is unusually loud and the popping sounds like it is going to damage the tv's speakers. What can I do to fix this? Thanks

The Yahoo Zoran group has firmware that appears to be intended to make an HD841 into an HD950. I can't find enough information about it to try it and don't understand how it could do diddly but who knows.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZoranDVD/files/

Chris

To Chris and absolutic - I've upgraded my 841 with the posted 950 firmware about a month ago. All the extra hd950 picture controls are working fine. The brightness, sharpness and saturation for the dvi are adjustable, and so is the dvi range from RGB-Normal to RGB-Expand, YCbCr-(4:4:4) or YCbCr-(4:2:2). BTB is not an issue anymore. On the other hand, the player lost the ability to continue a movie from the same point after it goes to a power-save - it starts over from the beginning. It also shows the "HDMI audio not supported" message more often than I would like.

I get a loud popping sound when connecting the 850 to my samsung dlp via hdmi. It is unusually loud and the popping sounds like it is going to damage the tv's speakers. What can I do to fix this? Thanks

anyone? anyone?

To Chris and absolutic - I've upgraded my 841 with the posted 950 firmware about a month ago. All the extra hd950 picture controls are working fine. The brightness, sharpness and saturation for the dvi are adjustable, and so is the dvi range from RGB-Normal to RGB-Expand, YCbCr-(4:4:4) or YCbCr-(4:2:2). BTB is not an issue anymore. On the other hand, the player lost the ability to continue a movie from the same point after it goes to a power-save - it starts over from the beginning. It also shows the "HDMI audio not supported" message more often than I would like.

I have to hit power off while the DVD is playing with my HD950 to resume from the stopping point on a DVD when returning to watch again. HDMI audio not supported doesn't ever happen with my HD950 but I am using it at 720p over component. I am going to try to upgrade an HD841 with HD950 firmware and see what happens.

Chris

i got the 960 and it seems pretty solid. it played any the dvds and cds i threw at it and played most of the formats too. the one it missed so far was a vcd format vid on cd.

my 6187 doesnt come in til weds. more later.

To Chris and absolutic - I've upgraded my 841 with the posted 950 firmware about a month ago. All the extra hd950 picture controls are working fine. The brightness, sharpness and saturation for the dvi are adjustable, and so is the dvi range from RGB-Normal to RGB-Expand, YCbCr-(4:4:4) or YCbCr-(4:2:2). BTB is not an issue anymore. On the other hand, the player lost the ability to continue a movie from the same point after it goes to a power-save - it starts over from the beginning. It also shows the "HDMI audio not supported" message more often than I would like.

I couldn't find directions to update an HD841 with HD950 firmware. Can you point me in the right direction?

Chris

I just last week got a new Sammy HL-S5087 and the Oppo 971. Turns out the macroblocking with the Oppo is going to be a showstopper.
What about replacing it with the Sammy HD860, the only thing local BB has in stock?

Thanks

Answered my own question.
Bought the HD860 from Sears ( I despise the local BB) and it is wonderfull compared to the Oppo with the Sammy.

To Chris and absolutic - I've upgraded my 841 with the posted 950 firmware about a month ago. All the extra hd950 picture controls are working fine. The brightness, sharpness and saturation for the dvi are adjustable, and so is the dvi range from RGB-Normal to RGB-Expand, YCbCr-(4:4:4) or YCbCr-(4:2:2). BTB is not an issue anymore. On the other hand, the player lost the ability to continue a movie from the same point after it goes to a power-save - it starts over from the beginning. It also shows the "HDMI audio not supported" message more often than I would like.
browser,
I am interested in trying this upgrade hack and have downloaded the file, but it is a .rar file, not a .zip like the other ones. I get an error if i try expand it. I know the normal procedure as I've done standard Samsung updates before, but what am I supposed to do with this .rar file, and how do I get it into the 841? I searched the zoran forum and found nothing about this.
Thanks

browser,
I am interested in trying this upgrade hack and have downloaded the file, but it is a .rar file, not a .zip like the other ones. I get an error if i try expand it. I know the normal procedure as I've done standard Samsung updates before, but what am I supposed to do with this .rar file, and how do I get it into the 841? I searched the zoran forum and found nothing about this.
Thanks

Try this utility:
http://www.izarc.org/

It handles a lot of formats. Once you uncompress it, just burn the contents straight
to a CD (don't use a directory folder). Once you place the disc in the player it should
recognize what you want to do. Just follow the prompts from the player.

C Snyder

To Chris, and everyone esle interested in 841 to 950 upgrade - there are no specific directions or zone 1 firmware posted. The file in the .rar archive is the original zone 5 firmware for 950 and can not be directly applied to US 841. You will have to modify it to match the strings of 841, as well as recalculate the checksum at the end. The chance of making a mistake is considerable, so if you have not done anything like that before, i would suggest to stay with the 745 or whichever firmware you've been using so far.

To Chris, and everyone esle interested in 841 to 950 upgrade - there are no specific directions or zone 1 firmware posted. The file in the .rar archive is the original zone 5 firmware for 950 and can not be directly applied to US 841. You will have to modify it to match the strings of 841, as well as recalculate the checksum at the end. The chance of making a mistake is considerable, so if you have not done anything like that before, i would suggest to stay with the 745 or whichever firmware you've been using so far.

Good advice, thanks. I think I will just leave my HVD-HD841 as is until a closer to risk free way to upgrade firmware is available. I have used several manufacturer provided firmware updates easily but this one would be totally new and different to me.

Chris

Try this utility:
http://www.izarc.org/

It handles a lot of formats. Once you uncompress it, just burn the contents straight
to a CD (don't use a directory folder). Once you place the disc in the player it should
recognize what you want to do. Just follow the prompts from the player.

C Snyder
Thanks bigsnyder,
izarc expanded it like a charm. Now it has build.img and update.ver files like all the other samsung updates.
Browser,
Thanks for the warning, but why is it posted as a 841 to 950 upgrade if it isn't already modified to do as stated.

At the time I did my update, there was no modified file available, only the original 950 firmware. Probably someone uploaded fixed for 841 firmware afterwards. Let us know if it would load.

At the time I did my update, there was no modified file available, only the original 950 firmware. Probably someone uploaded fixed for 841 firmware afterwards. Let us know if it would load.I have an 841 at my disposal, but it's 3000 miles away right now. That'll give me some time to sort out if this is worth risking. I'll have it shipped over and report how it turns out.

The picutre quality of LG 511 is very poor. Too much smoothing causes the image losing details.It looks like there are tons of makeup on everyone's face in the image. Really bad PQ! It may relate to the poor upconversion algorihtm and cheap video DAC (only 10bit/27 MHz) and audio DAC (24bit 96 MHz).

Just bought a Samsung HD850 (video DAC 10bit/54 Mhz, audio DAC 24bit/192 Mhz) from ebay for about $70. The picture quality of this samsung HD850 is much better than that of LG 511. Besides, much cheaper too. The picture quality of HD850 is same as the upscale version HD950. The HD850 just lacks of DVD-audio and SACD support. So why spend $200 on 950 insteday of a $70 refurb 850 if DVD watching is your primary focus.

I have compared Oppo 751 , LG 511, Samsung 850 and Philips 5960 with my Vizio 42HDTV via HDMI connection. The Oppo 751 has the best PQ but has random green sparkles problem due to DVI to HDMI connnection on Vizio side (I know it is Vizio problem not Oppo problem .But I keep the vizio and send the Oppo back to Amaz*n). LG 511 (~$99 for open box) has the worst PQ (so it is back to BB right after I test the samsung 850). The Samsung HD850 has the best performance/price ratio and PQ is good enough. I have also tried new Philips 5960 but the HDMI output does NOT work at all (so it is back to CC). I cannot believe that this cheap Philips one (~$70 for NEW) has the highest scores at CNET review. Just remind you that you get what you paid.

The picutre quality of LG 511 is very poor. Too much smoothing causes the image losing details.It looks like there are tons of makeup on everyone's face in the image. Really bad PQ! It may relate to the poor upconversion algorihtm and cheap video DAC (only 10bit/27 MHz) and audio DAC (24bit 96 MHz).

Just bought a Samsung HD850 (video DAC 10bit/54 Mhz, audio DAC 24bit/192 Mhz) from ebay for about $70. The picture quality of this samsung HD850 is much better than that of LG 511. Besides, much cheaper too. The picture quality of HD850 is same as the upscale version HD950. The HD850 just lacks of DVD-audio and SACD support. So why spend $200 on 950 insteday of a $70 refurb 850 if DVD watching is your primary focus.

I have compared Oppo 751 , LG 511, Samsung 850 and Philips 5960 with my Vizio 42HDTV via HDMI connection. The Oppo 751 has the best PQ but has random green sparkles problem due to DVI to HDMI connnection on Vizio side (I know it is Vizio problem not Oppo problem .But I keep the vizio and send the Oppo back to Amaz*n). LG 511 (~$99 for open box) has the worst PQ (so it is back to BB right after I test the samsung 850). The Samsung HD850 has the best performance/price ratio and PQ is good enough. I have also tried new Philips 5960 but the HDMI output does NOT work at all (so it is back to CC). I cannot believe that this cheap Philips one (~$70 for NEW) has the highest scores at CNET review. Just remind you that you get what you paid.

I don't own and haven't ever seen either an LG LDA511 or Samsung DVD-HD850. I do own a refurbished LG DVB418, which sure looks similar to the LDA511 and upgraded it with LDA531 firmware. The picture quality of the DVB418 appears to be as good as my HD950 which I like really well. The DVB418 was $80 delivered. The DVB418 does DVD-A, but not SACD so it isn't really competition for the HD841/HD941/HD950/HD1080 but for DVD-V upconversion to 1080i over component or HDMI, it is a real good value. I finally seem to be getting bored with all of these comparisons between these inexpensive players. I now own more players than I recall, only have three connected and several in boxes. I like the Samsung DVD-HD950/HD941/HD841 in that order of preference from 1st to 3rd, but would be happy with any one of them with the hacks and firmware upgrades available. The Samsung players have turned out to be the best value for me since I have about 100 SACD's and maybe 60 DVD-A's in addition to my library of DVD-V. I have several duplicate DVD's and have done comparisons between players trying to find some great difference. After calibration, the differences between these cheap players whether using Zoran Vaddis, Faroudja FLI23xx or AMLogic doesn't amount to diddly with good DVD's. I don't have duplicates of any crappy DVD's, noisy, severely improperly flagged, poor video sourced, etc. to do comparisons but accept the Faroudja chip players would do the best based on the Secrets test data. I know many place importance on how well a player does with problematic DVD's, but I haven't come to that conclusion yet.

My recommendation for someone wanting cheap DVD players offering acceptable performance right now would be to buy one LG DVB418 and one Samsung DVD-HD841, upgrade firmware, apply necessary hacks, calibrate for each, and just use and enjoy. The hunt for great performance at a cheap price won't result in much better. As far as I can tell, with those two you should be able to play most any SD disc format acceptably.

Chris

I tried the 841 to 950 firmware from the Yahoo group Zoran site. The update seemed to go fine, but my 841 didn't output any signal after the update. I reloaded the old 841 firmware and it works again. I am not sure if the upgrade to 950 changed the region code making it not work.

Chris

This firmware upgrade sets the region to 5.You have to press "Repeat" on the remote followed by "53814"-"5" shows on screen-then "9" then "Open/Close" then "Power".When you switch it back on-you should find it works.

This firmware upgrade sets the region to 5.You have to press "Repeat" on the remote followed by "53814"-"5" shows on screen-then "9" then "Open/Close" then "Power".When you switch it back on-you should find it works.

Does the 841 to 950 upgrade make the picture even better? And if so, what does it do exactly to improve the picture?

Does the 841 to 950 upgrade make the picture even better? And if so, what does it do exactly to improve the picture?Read post #77 for info.

This firmware upgrade sets the region to 5.You have to press "Repeat" on the remote followed by "53814"-"5" shows on screen-then "9" then "Open/Close" then "Power".When you switch it back on-you should find it works.Thanks daveyjay,
I plan on doing this update/hack when I get my 841 back.
Could you please clarify the steps after entering "53814"?
Are you saying that the number 5 shows up on screen next and then I should enter "9"? Does entering 9 make it "region-free"?
Should I use any specific cable like S-video or composite?
Sorry if I'm being a bone-head for not understanding completely.
Thanks
Steve

This firmware upgrade sets the region to 5.You have to press "Repeat" on the remote followed by "53814"-"5" shows on screen-then "9" then "Open/Close" then "Power".When you switch it back on-you should find it works.

I had printed out instructions that indicated repeat 57538 was the code for region change, that didn't work so now I will try repeat 53814, thanks.

Chris

No luck for me again, I am changing back to the 841 firmware. I don't have the player connected to a multistandard display and after the firmware change, I can't get anything to display regardless of connection used. The good news is, I don't appear to have harmed the player. I have the HD950 and HD841 and if there was a way to get picture quality on the 841 to equal the HD950, that would have been an improvement.

Chris

Thanks daveyjay,
I plan on doing this update/hack when I get my 841 back.
Could you please clarify the steps after entering "53814"?
Are you saying that the number 5 shows up on screen next and then I should enter "9"? Does entering 9 make it "region-free"?
Should I use any specific cable like S-video or composite?
Sorry if I'm being a bone-head for not understanding completely.
Thanks
Steve

The firmware upgrade for me changed the output to s-video. I had both s-video and component connected and could not get anything to display after changing to the HD950 firmware. Changing back to HD841 resulted in the player set to s-video and working fine. The instructions indicate entering 9 makes it region free if you can get to that point.

Chris

Well I just did the 841 to 950 upgrade and really do not notice much of a difference in PQ no matter what settings are changed. One thing I do notice though is 768p is gone and 1080i overscanns now and 720p gives the best PQ.

I might just go back to 841 which was fine to begin with and had no HDMI audio messages.

I have a bunch of players and the HD841 has the worst picture quality of any of them, but I still use it and it works well enough so I am not going to mess with it unless I can find something that will improve picture quality. It does work well otherwise.

Chris

I'm writing from the UK and have a PAL TV,apart from setting the region code to "5" the upgrade changes the TV System to PAL,which accounts for the difficulties some of you are having.If you can find a multistandard TV to connect it to-you'll be able to set the output to NTSC.The picture looks pretty good with the settings on 720p and RGB-Expand,but I'm not sure if it's better than the 745 firmware I was using before.

I'm writing from the UK and have a PAL TV,apart from setting the region code to "5" the upgrade changes the TV System to PAL,which accounts for the difficulties some of you are having.If you can find a multistandard TV to connect it to-you'll be able to set the output to NTSC.The picture looks pretty good with the settings on 720p and RGB-Expand,but I'm not sure if it's better than the 745 firmware I was using before.

I did the region code hack to 9 and set it to NTSC right away. No real difference in PQ. I even tested a pal disk, "Lighting the Candles, by the Mission U.K." and set everyting to PAL including the Syntax LT42HVi and again no real difference.

If you set the HDMI brightness greater than 3 you will loose contrast so that setting does not do squiddly. The standard 841 firmware is just fine.

I have owned a Samsung DVD-HD950 for about a year. I just purchased a Sony DVP-NS75H, having been led by various comments and reviews to believe that its picture quality would be a step up from the Samsung. The comparison was an interesting one. I viewed both players on a Dell 42-inch plasma and set both players for 1080 resolution and 16 by 9 screen size but otherwise used their default picture settings (both through HDMI). I found the Sony to yield a tad sharper image with slightly crisper contrast, but nothing on the order of a night-and-day difference (and the difference I did note might have been due as much to the default settings as to the inherent properties of the players). On the other hand, the Samsung's very slightly softer presentation struck me as more natural--somehow a bit easier on the eyes and subtly less hot and hyped than the Sony's. My guess is that the Sony would score higher on various tech tests than the Samsung--maybe even trounce it--but a casual viewer sitting 8-10 feet from a good plasma would not be struck by any differences dramatic enough to feel deprived by the Samsung or humbled by the Sony. In fact, aesthetic considerations might trump technical ones, as they did in my case, and lead to a slight preference for the Samsung's very marginally less sharp but "easier" image quality. The lesson for me here is this: don't entirely trust the impressions or opinions of others, whether they emanate from ordinary users or professional reviewers. Make every effort that you can to view players in controlled comparisons, and leave the final verdict to your own eyes.

I have owned a Samsung DVD-HD950 for about a year. I just purchased a Sony DVP-NS75H, having been led by various comments and reviews to believe that its picture quality would be a step up from the Samsung. The comparison was an interesting one. I viewed both players on a Dell 42-inch plasma and set both players for 1080 resolution and 16 by 9 screen size but otherwise used their default picture settings (both through HDMI). I found the Sony to yield a tad sharper image with slightly crisper contrast, but nothing on the order of a night-and-day difference (and the difference I did note might have been due as much to the default settings as to the inherent properties of the players). On the other hand, the Samsung's very slightly softer presentation struck me as more natural--somehow a bit easier on the eyes and subtly less hot and hyped than the Sony's. My guess is that the Sony would score higher on various tech tests than the Samsung--maybe even trounce it--but a casual viewer sitting 8-10 feet from a good plasma would not be struck by any differences dramatic enough to feel deprived by the Samsung or humbled by the Sony. In fact, aesthetic considerations might trump technical ones, as they did in my case, and lead to a slight preference for the Samsung's very marginally less sharp but "easier" image quality. The lesson for me here is this: don't entirely trust the impressions or opinions of others, whether they emanate from ordinary users or professional reviewers. Make every effort that you can to view players in controlled comparisons, and leave the final verdict to your own eyes.Well put, kman.
I had no issues with the 841 untill I read that it didn't pass BTB thru DVI. I probably would never have noticed, but it bugged me just knowing and verifying it with the THX optimiser. I eventually got a 941 because of this. Now I have macroblocking, and I want my 841 back. It's still in the family, and I'll have it again soon. If the 841 to 950 firmware gives me BTB thru DVI on the 841, I'll have the perfect player to hold me over 'till the dust settles on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.

I have owned a Samsung DVD-HD950 for about a year. I just purchased a Sony DVP-NS75H, having been led by various comments and reviews to believe that its picture quality would be a step up from the Samsung. The comparison was an interesting one. I viewed both players on a Dell 42-inch plasma and set both players for 1080 resolution and 16 by 9 screen size but otherwise used their default picture settings (both through HDMI). I found the Sony to yield a tad sharper image with slightly crisper contrast, but nothing on the order of a night-and-day difference (and the difference I did note might have been due as much to the default settings as to the inherent properties of the players). On the other hand, the Samsung's very slightly softer presentation struck me as more natural--somehow a bit easier on the eyes and subtly less hot and hyped than the Sony's. My guess is that the Sony would score higher on various tech tests than the Samsung--maybe even trounce it--but a casual viewer sitting 8-10 feet from a good plasma would not be struck by any differences dramatic enough to feel deprived by the Samsung or humbled by the Sony. In fact, aesthetic considerations might trump technical ones, as they did in my case, and lead to a slight preference for the Samsung's very marginally less sharp but "easier" image quality. The lesson for me here is this: don't entirely trust the impressions or opinions of others, whether they emanate from ordinary users or professional reviewers. Make every effort that you can to view players in controlled comparisons, and leave the final verdict to your own eyes.

I was able to calibrate my 720p LCD projector to prefer the HD950, but not my 1080i CRT direct view where I slightly prefer the Sony. I like the HD950 really well, but as you mention not everyone agrees.

Chris

OK, I'm trying to decide which DVD player to go with for my Z4. I have at home now a LG 531 (like a 418 but better DAC and newer firmware) and a Samsung HD850. I have about 20 days to evaluate them before one or both go back. The 531 was new in box and cost $129 (canadian) and the 850 was an open box demo at $99.

I went with these since I thought I would use the component input (HDMI used for satellite HD). Both can be hacked. However, via component, the LG 531 suffered from black crush and the 850 seemed horribly soft in the picture dept...possibly some white crush?

So now I have decided to go with the HDMI and get a cheap monoprice switch ($28).

I tried the LG via HDMI and the blacks aren't crushed....but whites seemed a little high/whacked. Also, on the THX test screen I see some random blocking....is this macroblocking?

Haven't tried the 850 on HDMI yet. Will it look better?

IS there a firmware upgrade for the 850?

I must say I hate both remotes....the Sammy worse. I hate the FF settings on the 850....and neigther player will indicate Time remaining in the movie!?!?! At least the LG lists the chapters 7/25 so you know how many chapters are remaining. Also the 531 seems terribly slow to load.


more testing tonight.

Am about to purchase a refurbished 950 for $108 thru AMAZON.

Does anyone know a wiser deal?

Does anyone suggest an alternate DVD player for about the same price? What I like about this is the EZ VIEW and 10 second "rewind" button. Plus, everyone seems to like it.


THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!

Am about to purchase a refurbished 950 for $108 thru AMAZON.

Does anyone know a wiser deal?

Does anyone suggest an alternate DVD player for about the same price? What I like about this is the EZ VIEW and 10 second "rewind" button. Plus, everyone seems to like it.


THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!

I think you can find quite a few negative opinions on the HD950. I recommend it if you want a universal player, I think it is the best budget universal player, better than the older DVD-HD941. That Amazon deal is the best price I have seen for the player. The DVD-HD841 is available at about half the price refurbished and is the best deal for a universal player but I can't tweak DVD-V performance to be as good as the HD950. If you don't want a universal player, then I think there are better deals and better players for DVD-V than either player. The LG DVB418 and the Oppo DV971H are two. If you don't want a Faroudja player, the Sony DVP-NS75H.

Chris

I think you can find quite a few negative opinions on the HD950. I recommend it if you want a universal player, I think it is the best budget universal player, better than the older DVD-HD941. That Amazon deal is the best price I have seen for the player. The DVD-HD841 is available at about half the price refurbished and is the best deal for a universal player but I can't tweak DVD-V performance to be as good as the HD950. If you don't want a universal player, then I think there are better deals and better players for DVD-V than either player. The LG DVB418 and the Oppo DV971H are two. If you don't want a Faroudja player, the Sony DVP-NS75H.

Chris

THanks, Chris. One more question: I am told that the Samsung HD950 can handle 1080 when it comes out, whereas the Oppo, for all its advantages, will not.

Is this true? Anyone?

THanks, Chris. One more question: I am told that the Samsung HD950 can handle 1080 when it comes out, whereas the Oppo, for all its advantages, will not.

Is this true? Anyone?

I don't know what that means, but the Samsung DVD-HD950 and Oppo DV971H can upscale standard DVD but neither can play HDTV discs in any format.

Chris

I don't know what that means, but the Samsung DVD-HD950 and Oppo DV971H can upscale standard DVD but neither can play HDTV discs in any format.

Chris


Chris: Thanks for clarifying that neither can play HDTV discs. I was confused. :rolleyes:

The new Samsung 960 and 1080 use the much-praised and -maligned Faroudja chip. Many have decried the macroblocking that the chip seems to cause in some cases. But very few have clearly explained what the advantage of the chip is. Would anyone care to go to bat for the Faroudja chip and explain what is does better than other chips and why a player with the chip might give better results--in this or that respect--than a player that doesn't have it (say, the Samsung 950)? Thanks.

I got my 841 back today and applied the 841 to 950 firmware from yahoo's Zorandvd forum. I started using the svideo connection but got diagonally skewed video after the successful update. I tried the region free hack blind, but it didn't fix the skewed picture. I tried to navigate the almost legible menu to no avail. I could make out that the menu was now in Italian. I then decided to use the composite output and viola, the picture was stable and legible! and already on NTSC! It was now easy to set the language to english. I played with the NTSC/PAL setting, and the menu was legible but slightly distorted in PAL, like looking through a wide-angle lens. I put in a DVD, but it said can't play disc or something to that effect. I then applied the region free hack as in davejay's post and now my DVD played fine. This firmware update works with a little effort and has all of the new menu items for picture adjustment as the 950. The preliminary testing I've done on my Toshiba 42HP95 look very good and the PQ seems to be better than the 841 standard. BTB is better now with the brightness adjustment bumped up from the default 3, to 4.

"Is it me, does the 850 seem a little soft? Was watching Transporter2 last night and it wasn't as eye popping (3d look) that everyone claims on the oppo's"

It isn`t you dude. I cannot get a sharp picture out of the 850. I`d be surprised if anyone can. My Panny RP82 crushes this player. And you would think the 850 with the HD upconverting features would be at least as good. If anyone is getting a sharp pic out of this player, please post your settings so I can try them. Thx.
I picked up an HD850 today. IMO, the picture is sharp. Way better than my progressive scan player. I used Swordfish for my test. I have the 850 set to output 1080i over the HDMI. Did you use HDMI? Did you set the output res to 1080i?

I had the 850 connected to my Z4 projector via hdmi and I kept getting "hdmi audio not supported" messages any time I did anything...chapter skip play etc.....hated that....plus I found the picture too soft.

The new Samsung 960 and 1080 use the much-praised and -maligned Faroudja chip. Many have decried the macroblocking that the chip seems to cause in some cases. But very few have clearly explained what the advantage of the chip is. Would anyone care to go to bat for the Faroudja chip and explain what is does better than other chips and why a player with the chip might give better results--in this or that respect--than a player that doesn't have it (say, the Samsung 950)? Thanks.

Except for the macroblocking enhancement problem, the Faroudja FLI23xx based players are great budget players. The difference between Zoran Vaddis players and Faroudja FLI23xx players isn't much for high quality film sourced DVDs, which is what I buy mostly. Video sourced titles can clearly favor the Faroudja FLI23xx players but only rarely based on my experience. DVD doesn't look like HDTV with either option and both are good budget options for DVD players in my opinion. I wouldn't opt for either in a high priced player now. For whatever reason, I find the Zoran Vaddis Samsung DVD-HD950 better than the Faroudja FLI23xx Samsung DVD-HD941 regardless of connection used and regardless of source. The inexpensive Faroudja FLI23xx LG DVB418 can be tweaked to offer slightly better performance than my DVD-HD950 but it doesn't do SACD unfortunately. I also own the Zoran Vaddis Samsung DVD-HD841 which doesn't look as good as the DVD-HD950 or the DVD-HD941 for that matter. I was hoping the new DVD-HD1080 would be the best of the budget universal players but I don't know if it will ever be released.

Chris

I have an 841 with the modified 745 firmware... it does the job for me - I'm not complaining. I wanted to upgrade to the new 950 firmware just to see what all the fuss was about, decided to search here first - and I'm glad I did.

Not 1 post here says upgrading the 841 to the 950 firmware is worth it. Most people claim they don't see any difference in PQ and loose some of the features the 745/841 firmware offered.

Looks like my 841 is staying put right where its at (firmware wise that is)...........

If I'm wrong - please correct me - I'm interested to know.

I just picked up my second 950, factory-refurbished (so pleased was I with my first for the living room, that I opted for the same DVD set-up in the bedroom).

I am using the HDMI cord that came with the unit, which is about seven feet long. Am I correct in asssuming there is no point in purchasing a Monster or other "superior" cord for the signals HDMI carries? And if I need a 12' cord, does this same logic hold?

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

When in doubt, pick up a cable from monoprice. No need to waste money on the
expensive stuff that may or may not be better.

C Snyder

When in doubt, pick up a cable from monoprice. No need to waste money on the
expensive stuff that may or may not be better.

C Snyder

Thanks, I have taken your advice. Seems to me the interfearance and 'sparkle' caused by HDMI problems are easily seen by even a novice, so there's little risk in giving a low cost cable a try. Despite the scary warnings offered at BetterCables.com

If someone feels differently, I'd like to know.

Thanks

craycomputer

Need help......I have the Samsung HD850 - need assistance on how to 1) hack to be region free and 2) guidance on how to get off the "HDMI audio not supported" message. I appreciate any help. Thanks

btw...I have tried using the Phillips remote control PM435S and did not work. I have also tried the DVD remote control using code 768847xx and did not work. Any other ideas?

For region free hack, try this post (you need an Awia remote):

Region Hack (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5786194&&#post5786194)

C Snyder

Having hard time to find the Aiwa remote control. Any other suggestion?

The Aiwa is the only way, to the best of my knowledge, to enable the multi-region
hack. Try ebay or your local thrift store. They are many still floating around.

C Snyder

EDIT
Actually, some people have reported emulating the Aiwa with a universal or harmony
remote with some success.

How can one stop this machine without the "powersaver" feature shutting it down? I am frustrated because every time I get an extended phone call, the player shuts down and I must spend ten minutes finding my place on the DVD...

IS THERE AN ALTERNATE WAY TO HOLD, OR IS THERE A WAY TO DISABLE THIS FEATURE?

Many thanks!

If you power down instead of pause/screensaver, it will continue... Another AVSer gave me this tip, it works fine on a 950

Yes, my 950 powered back up and continued right where it was... THANK YOU!

Has anyone determined how long the 950 stays in "PAUSE" mode before it loses your place? I'd rather not power down unless necessary.

Thanks!

I have a hd841 with hd950 firmware.

Is there any "FBI warning" skip FF hack for 841/950 ? (on my daewoo dvd pl i can go to the disc menu right away.)

What is the RGB-normal/expand , YCbCr(4:4:4)/(4:2:2) ? which one is the best
setting ?

Hi guys, I too have the 850 and am wanting to send the audio through the set and output it via the digital out to my receiver so I can have 5.1 on both the dvd and HDTV (only one input on my receiver). Is there any way to get around the HDMI audio error message? I can't believe that Samsung would market this dvd player with this problem. Is there a compatable firmware update for this model that fixes this issue?

I'm using the optical audio output, so I don't care about the HDMI audio, but I do see a message on the screen with every disc that says "HDMI audio unavailable". I don't know what that is all about but I'd probably be curious if I wanted to use HDMI audio.


This is my biggest complain with my 850. I don't care about HDMI audio. But I get this message every time I stick a disc in...AND every time there's a layer change!!! There is a menu option to turn off display messages, and that nixes this message - until I cycle the power. The dang thing won't remember the "turn off display messages" option that I put in.

UGGHHH.... FWIW, I also have a Sammy DirecTV receiver and it sucks more than the 850 does as far as S/W quality goes. I'll never buy another Sammy product...except for TVs. I love my Sammy DLP.

Other 850 complaints I have...
If I pause a DVD for too long, it goes into its power-saving(?) mode and starts the DVD over when I unpause it.

My A/V receiver is a Yamaha 2095. Its a bit old. It supports DD only (no DTS, etc). I've got it connect to the 850 with toslink. This has worked fine with a handful of dvd players. With the 850, the A/V receiver doesn't recognize DD unless I power cycle it *after* the 850 is turned on and playing a DVD. Left to its own, it plays like Pro Logic mode. Every dang time I play a movie, I have to wait for the movie to start, then cycle my A/V power. I hate that. Not sure if that's the A/V's fault or Sammy's. My money would be against Sammy.

I suppose I'll stick with this until 1) I can find a firmware upgrade (is there one for the 850?) or 2) the dreaded Bluray/HD-DVD war finally ends.

Anyone got comment on the Samsung DVD-HD 870 which is using the DCDi chipset ?

http://www.samsung.com/sg/products/dvdplayer/dvdplayer/dvd_hd870.asp

I keep hearing people say that you need a universal remote to do the 850's region and HDCP hacks. Is that right or can you use the player's remote? :confused:

Anyone got comment on the Samsung DVD-HD 870 which is using the DCDi chipset ?

http://www.samsung.com/sg/products/dvdplayer/dvdplayer/dvd_hd870.asp

Just ordered me 1 from Amazon. @ $79.99 & free shipping can't afford not to see.
will let you know by this weekend.

It's better to wait for the Samsung 1080p7 which uses HQV from Silicon Optix's Reon chip which should not have macroblocking risk like DCDi's FLI-2310 chipset of the 870 series.

It's better to wait for the Samsung 1080p7 which uses HQV from Silicon Optix's Reon chip which should not have macroblocking risk like DCDi's FLI-2310 chipset of the 870 series.


Where did you read this? In the thread on this board that talks about the 1080p7, I was under the impression both were using some form of the SO chipsets? & the announcement @ the CES by SS that :
http://www.samsung.com/common/microsite/exhibition/ices2007/presskit/ices2007_ce09.html