Like others I could not select any resolution other than 480p when using a HDMI>DVI cable, even with the newest firmware. I can confirm using the latest European firmware fixes this issue (Credit to Chris55HDM71 for posting this fix earlier)
For what it's worth, this did not work for me. However, I am now convinced that the problem is my TV.

I have an Olevia LT32HVE LCD TV w/DVI. Manual claims HDCP, and the fix listed enables the various resolution settings in the DVD player. However, when I actually try to kick in the upscaling, my TV screen goes blue briefly with "Not Supported" appearing in the top right hand corner, then it snaps back to 480p and the DVD player displays an error stating that it's not connected to an HDCP-enabled device.

I have contacted Olevia technical support, but I don't have high hopes.

cheer, don't forget to try a different cable (or even just reversing the cable you have). Many handshaking errors seem to be cable-related. - DR

cheer, don't forget to try a different cable (or even just reversing the cable you have). Many handshaking errors seem to be cable-related. - DR
Unfortunately it's DVI->HDMI, so I cannot reverse it. If Olevia has nothing useful to suggest, I will order another cable from monoprice.com.

nichrf36, did the forum that suggested the Euro firmware explain what it is about the current US firmware that makes the selection ability go away with some displays? Anyway, glad to see you got the system working. - DR

Haha it was this forum that suggested the fix. The euro firmware text file specifically stated that there was a fix for the 480p as the only option in resolutions on certain televisions.

Sounds like the US firmware hasnt incorporated this yet.

Prior to reading about this firmware fix in trying to troubleshoot I even attempted to hook the 5960 to my computer LCD (A 1680x1050 Widescreen) and could only select the 480p as well.

The post with the olevia TV that sounds like it is the TV side did you check what resolutions are supported through the DVI input? Perhaps if your PC has a DVI out try hooking that up to your TV see if it will work?

It's a great DVD Player plays everything, light and slim. Direct USB plug and play is a great feature.

Haha it was this forum that suggested the fix.

Hmm...but the people doing the really technical stuff with the 5960 firmware are elsewhere, I will have a look in the obvious places.

The post with the olevia TV that sounds like it is the TV side

The easiest diagnostic thing to do is try another hdmi player on the TV; maybe Cheer has a friend from whom he could borrow one. - DR

Is there anyway to make pictures appear immediately instead of having the horrendously slow switching screens?

I have a Canon powershot but not sure if it has 16:9. Can you post the final resolution of your jpg that is produced from the Lumix (that produced full screen images with no borders)?

I guess I can crop my pics to that exact resolution.

Thanks

My Lumix-FZ7 has a 4:3 mode (6 Meg pictures) and a 16:9 mode (4.5 Meg pictures). It also has a 3:2 mode, but that's outside of the scope of our discussion

4:3 mode produces 2816 x 2112 images, which is exactly 4 x 3 ratio
16:9 mode produces 2816 x 1584 images, which is exactly 16 x 9 ratio

So I guess if you resize your pictures to any 16 x 9 resolution (1600 : 900 for example), you should be good to go

My Lumix-FZ7 has a 4:3 mode (6 Meg pictures) and a 16:9 mode (4.5 Meg pictures). It also has a 3:2 mode, but that's outside of the scope of our discussion

4:3 mode produces 2816 x 2112 images, which is exactly 4 x 3 ratio
16:9 mode produces 2816 x 1584 images, which is exactly 16 x 9 ratio

So I guess if you resize your pictures to any 16 x 9 resolution (1600 : 900 for example), you should be good to go


ok then I must be doing something wrong becoz I did resize my pictures to 1920x1080 (exactly 16:9) which the panasonic tv SD card slot uses and displays perfectly full screen - no black borders. however the same pic when displayed using the dvd player, even with 1080i output mode still has black borders around. is there some setting I am missing?

thx

Hi

I just got this dvd player and i bought a home theatre system. The problem is my receiver doesn't have a digital coax out. I was wondering if it's possible to connect the receiver via hdmi to this dvd player then connect component video from the dvd player to my vizio lcd and get true dolby digital surround sound and DTS? I know i won't be able to upconvert but I'd rather have surround sound then a slightly better picture. Any help would be appreciated

Your receiver has HDMI in but it doesn't have digital coax in? I wasn't aware such a thing existed.

What receiver do you have?

I have the home theatre system Panasonic SC-HT743. Yeah I looked it up and I read a review saying that surround sound can only be played only on the receiver/dvd player they provided. It's really lame. I have no idea what i'm going to do. Return it i guess...

I have the home theatre system Panasonic SC-HT743. Yeah I looked it up and I read a review saying that surround sound can only be played only on the receiver/dvd player they provided. It's really lame. I have no idea what i'm going to do. Return it i guess...I looked at similar HT systems and ruled them out because they didn't have either coax or optical inputs.

I have the home theatre system Panasonic SC-HT743. Yeah I looked it up and I read a review saying that surround sound can only be played only on the receiver/dvd player they provided. It's really lame. I have no idea what i'm going to do. Return it i guess...
A good reason to avoid Home-Theater-in-a-Box systems. I don't see how you can get surround out of your standalone player with this.

Is there anyone here who owns this DVD player and is using it with a projector?

I was reading this review (http://reviews.cnet.com/Philips_DVP5960_37/4505-6463_7-31871079.html) and the mentioned "shift" bug would probably cause me trouble with my PJ.

I use a very similar Philips 3960 with my Panasonic projector, and it did have a black bar running across the bottom of the screen. I use an 82" 16:9 screen, and the black bar at the bottom probably took up 2-3" at the bottom. This was watching a movie which was originally shot in 16:9 format. I doubt you would notice it much if watching something more "letterboxed" than 16:9, since the black bars are already there. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm wondering if by choosing 480p as a resolution if the bar would go away. I really only purchased an upconverting DVD player to take advantage of HDMI to my projector, but I'm not really sure if there is much of a picture quality improvement through upconverting. If the picture is just as sharp using 480p through HDMI, and it gets rid of the bars, I might just stick with that.

It's really just a question of the scalar involved -- if your projector's scalar is as good or better than the Philips', then the upscaling feature of the player isn't of much use to you.

It's really just a question of the scalar involved -- if your projector's scalar is as good or better than the Philips', then the upscaling feature of the player isn't of much use to you.
That's one thing I've never really been clear on. If I set my Sanyo Z2 projector to 720p or 1080i, I get no picture with my Pioneer DVD player. Does that mean the projector is not doing any scaling?

As for the Philips, I mainly just want a good region-free player and I figured the upconversion would be a bonus.

The "shift bug" is an upscaling characteristic of the mediatek chipset, not the particular player. It (a) should not happen at 480p, and (b) does not represent a loss of any image, just a slight vertical compression. - DR

Hi, from the U.K

Has anyone had problem selecting the HDMI option?, as at present mine is greyed out, so I am unable to select it. :(

interesting
did you plug your cable into the hdmi port on the dvd?

interesting
did you plug your cable into the hdmi port on the dvd?

Yes, but viewing menu via scart connection.

I have the DVP5960 hooked up to a Vizio 47" lcd via hdmi.

I noticed that edges and lines are cleaner in 1080i upscaling mode, but the image is slightly squashed vertically. On a 47" lcd, it is about an inch or two vertically. The images appear to be correct at 480p, but upscaling thru 576, 720, and 1080 causes a successively more vertical squashing.

No one noticed around here, but I noticed and it bugs me. I checked with the scientific thumb on the LCD while cycling thru the different upscaling settings.

Is this a player problem, or a monitor problem?

I believe this is a Mediatek chipset problem apparent on Oppo 970, Sony 75H, and Phillips Divx/DVD players (even the newest 5982). It's not your display. 480p is fine but 720p and 1080i have this vertical aspect problem.

I believe this is a Mediatek chipset problem apparent on Oppo 970, Sony 75H, and Phillips Divx/DVD players (even the newest 5982). It's not your display. 480p is fine but 720p and 1080i have this vertical aspect problem.Thanks for the info. No workaround or fix. right? That would be a shame if I can't use 1080i upscaling, as the image is somewhat better (on Phantom of the Opera dvd)

Huey: the image is not squashed on the Sony, since that player does postprocessing to re-expand the image (though some say that it softens the image).

Nogasbiker, you are not missing any of the image, it is simply vertically compressed by a negligible amount. You wouldn't even have noticed if you didn't have a thin blank band across the bottom of the screen. If you think that the image is clearest at 1080i, then just leave it there, and ignore the band the same way you ignore sidebars on 4:3 images. - DR

I need some advice on upscaling. I have a 5960 and recently bought a HDMI cable to connect the 5960 to the receiver. I have a Sanyo Z4 projector connected to the receiver with component cables. I haven't seen any improvement in watching DVDs. Do I need to connect the projector to the receiver using HDMI cable as well? Thanks for any help.

I need some advice on upscaling. I have a 5960 and recently bought a HDMI cable to connect the 5960 to the receiver. I have a Sanyo Z4 projector connected to the receiver with component cables. I haven't seen any improvement in watching DVDs. Do I need to connect the projector to the receiver using HDMI cable as well? Thanks for any help.
I would think so since Component video signals is not the same as HDMI digital video signals.

Just for kicks, connect the HDMI directly to your Sanyo Z4 projector and see what that looks like!

Phil

I need some advice on upscaling. I have a 5960 and recently bought a HDMI cable to connect the 5960 to the receiver. I have a Sanyo Z4 projector connected to the receiver with component cables. I haven't seen any improvement in watching DVDs. Do I need to connect the projector to the receiver using HDMI cable as well? Thanks for any help.You may not seen an improvement. If you TV does a good job of upscaling from the 480p, then you very well not see any difference.

The "shift bug" is an upscaling characteristic of the mediatek chipset, not the particular player. It (a) should not happen at 480p, and (b) does not represent a loss of any image, just a slight vertical compression. - DRI measured the image for fun

Phantom of the Opera 2-disc collectors edition, upc 012569702998. Correct aspect is 2.35.

Image width is 41" for all resolutions

480p 18.5 2.22
576p 18.75 2.19
720p 17.63 2.33
1080i 16.63 2.47


17.6" to 16.6" is a big deficit, about 6% loss. The characters don't look quite right. You get used to it 10 or 15 minutes into the movie, but I think I will keep it at 720p for accurate reproduction. Amazingly, running it at 576p for 6% stretch actually nice.

Thanks piturra and Karl. Unfortunately, I have the component cables buried behind the wall and it won't be a simple matter to connect the HDMI cable to test it. I was hoping I had just overlooked something simple.

I measured the image for fun

Phantom of the Opera 2-disc collectors edition, upc 012569702998. Correct aspect is 2.35.

Image width is 41" for all resolutions

480p 18.5 2.22
576p 18.75 2.19
720p 17.63 2.33
1080i 16.63 2.47




I tried to duplicate your test this rainy afternoon ... I only have the Phantom single disk edition, upc 0 85393 89512 9. It also should have a aspect ratio of 2.35. Displayed on my Toshiba 62HM116 the width is 54", the height should be 23".

480p 24.625" a/r 2.19
720p 22.75" 2.37
1080i 22.75" 2.37

On my TV, looks like 720p and 1080i are more accurate. I see no size difference between 720p and 1080i and are very close to correct. Wonder if it is the display ... the 62HM116 is a native 1080p display.

I measured the image for fun

Phantom of the Opera 2-disc collectors edition, upc 012569702998. Correct aspect is 2.35.

Image width is 41" for all resolutions

480p 18.5 2.22
576p 18.75 2.19
720p 17.63 2.33
1080i 16.63 2.47


17.6" to 16.6" is a big deficit, about 6% loss. The characters don't look quite right. You get used to it 10 or 15 minutes into the movie, but I think I will keep it at 720p for accurate reproduction. Amazingly, running it at 576p for 6% stretch actually nice.

Please note that the larger picture size (smaller aspect ratio) you get in 576p and 480p is probably due to overscan from your display and not the mediatek scaling. I know that is the case for my panasonic plasma. The squishing at 1080i is directly due to the mediatek scaling.

How does the 5960 compare to the s52s? I just bought a 5960, but knew nothing of the s52s until just a few minutes ago. Did I make the right purchase?

I know about the divx/xvid/mpeg playback, so that's all just a plus.

But the most important features to me are picture quality, sound quality, and if it's region free. How do the 5960 and s52s compare in these three areas?

what is s52s never heard of it

Do these Philips players handle native PAL? Is there actually a setting for PAL in the menu?

The 5960 does handle PAL.

chaarlieee. if you mean the Panasonic s52s, the PQ should be about the same, the Panasonic is probably slightly better built, but the Philips has much more functionality as it can be made region-free (the US version of the Panny is region-locked). - DR

The 5960 does handle PAL.

chaarlieee. if you mean the Panasonic s52s, the PQ should be about the same, the Panasonic is probably slightly better built, but the Philips has much more functionality as it can be made region-free (the US version of the Panny is region-locked). - DR
Thanks.

That's great if the picture quality is about the same. How about the sound quality?

Thanks.

That's great if the picture quality is about the same. How about the sound quality?


PAL DVD's play flawlessly on this machine.

Hey guys,

I just got this DVD player, and with it I bought an HDMI-->DVI converter cable to take advantage of the upscaling, since my TV doesn't have an HDMI input. And it doesn't work at all; the image is grainy and all green, as though it's missing the blue colour element. I've returned the cable already and replaced it with no change; do you think this is a problem with the DVD player or with one of the ports or the TV itself, or what? It's very frustrating.

Thanks

Luc

Do you still have the component cables connected to the player?

No, that's not the problem, unfortunately.

Back in stock at the employee store.
Only $54 shipped (http://www.employeestore.philips.com/b2c_redesign/b2c/productdetail.do?productguid=4192934B236F010500000000828BD47 342FCF3B09B90025400000000828BD443&productarea=4192934B236F010500000000828BD473&scenario=catalog&shop=PHILIPSCE).

chaarlieee, sound is not a strong point for the 5960; for example, high-resolution audio is not supported (but this is true for the Panny as well).

antexit, I am no expert on the Westinghouse sets (but such experts do exist on the board!), could it be that the dvi port is set to the PC colorspace instead of TV colorspace, or that there is a handshaking setting turned off? Alternately, was your replacement cable/adapter the same brand, or did youtry another brand? - DR

Did walmart ever sell these?, i got a 3960 there.

chaarlieee, sound is not a strong point for the 5960; for example, high-resolution audio is not supported (but this is true for the Panny as well).

antexit, I am no expert on the Westinghouse sets (but such experts do exist on the board!), could it be that the dvi port is set to the PC colorspace instead of TV colorspace, or that there is a handshaking setting turned off? Alternately, was your replacement cable/adapter the same brand, or did youtry another brand? - DR
What do you mean? Sorry about not being specific, I just meant how does the sound quality of the Philips 5960 compare to the Panasonic S52S in DVD's with DTS, etc.

I tried to duplicate your test this rainy afternoon ... I only have the Phantom single disk edition, upc 0 85393 89512 9. It also should have a aspect ratio of 2.35. Displayed on my Toshiba 62HM116 the width is 54", the height should be 23".

480p 24.625" a/r 2.19
720p 22.75" 2.37
1080i 22.75" 2.37

On my TV, looks like 720p and 1080i are more accurate. I see no size difference between 720p and 1080i and are very close to correct. Wonder if it is the display ... the 62HM116 is a native 1080p display.That's weird. My Vizio 47" lcd is also a native 1080p. For what it is worth, ff the air 1080i looks fine on my lcd.

I have a file with the following settings:

I have a couple of Divx files that are being viewed from a USB flash drive and the TV is showing bars on the bottom and the sides (squished on all sides). These DIVX files play in widescreen mode fine from my PC.

General #0
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
Format/Family : RIFF
File size : 231 MiB
PlayTime : 43mn 4s
Bit rate : 743 Kbps

Video #0
Codec : XviD
Codec/Family : MPEG-4
Codec/Info : XviD project
Codec settings/Packe : No
Codec settings/BVOP : No
Codec settings/QPel : No
Codec settings/GMC : 0
Codec settings/Matri : Default
PlayTime : 43mn 4s
Bit rate : 602 Kbps
Width : 704 pixels
Height : 400 pixels
Aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Resolution : 8 bits
Chroma : 4:2:0
Interlacement : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.071
Writing library : Lavc51.29.0

Audio #0
Codec : MPEG-1 Audio layer 3
Codec profile : Joint stereo
PlayTime : 43mn 4s
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Bit rate mode : CBR
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits

Ideas???

What do you mean? Sorry about not being specific, I just meant how does the sound quality of the Philips 5960 compare to the Panasonic S52S in DVD's with DTS, etc.
They should be identical. The DVD player is just passing digital bits to your receiver which does the decoding.

Width : 704 pixels
Height : 400 pixels

that says it all thumper, xvids are all custom made i've made many, you can adjust the size to anything you want, black bars are very common, most xvids are extremely squished compared to the standard 720x480 dvd size.

Anybody encounter this problem?

I set the dvd player to be 1080i on hdmi it works fine however when I take the dvd player off and use it again say another day or so it default's to 480P or auto which is 480p... It gets quite annoying because I have to do the whole setup back again manually to 1080i.

I have a Toshiba 50HM66, any suggestions?

I just now set up the player completely.

The picture is VERY grainy through HDMI. I thought the Sony DVP-NS75H was grainy when I owned it, this is much grainier. My 360 through component is actually has the least grain in the picture.

I guess it's a TV problem, but does anyone have any tips that will reduce grain? Thanks.

Hello,

I am a new owner of a Philips 5960 unit. It works nicely... my only concern is the strange noise when the head is "moving" within the unit.. it sounds like something which "scrathes" a disc.. but not always:
- when the tray is empty and I close it then I can hear that "noise" 2 times
- when a disc is at the end and I am choosing the root menu then the head needs to move back and then I also can hear that strange "scratching" noise
- when I use a DVD with a complex menu (Thomas the tank engine with animated menu) then the unit "fights" with it with strange noise.. finally it is ok but I was worried what caused that noise...

Did you also experience this issue? Is that normal?

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
emts

Do you hear the noise while standing right next to the unit?
Then it's normal.
If you can hear it across the room then that would be a concern.

Thank you! Actually it is noisy when I am really close to it. First time I was really worried that my dvd disc will be scracthed :) ... it did not happen anyway

Thanks again!

chaarlieee, is your TV by any chance an LCD or Plasma? If so, the very first thing you should do is turn the sharpness down to or near 0. Unlike a CRT, 'sharpness' in a fixed-pixel display is actual a form of artificial edge-enhancement, and one side effect is that grain in SD signals is exaggerated, as the edges of the adjacent pixel blocks get enhanced. (This is just part of the process of calibrating the entire set - there is a calibration subforum here on the AVS forum that might prove helpful.)

Your TV probably has different sets of calibrations for every input, and these all need to be calibrated separately. - DR

chaarlieee, is your TV by any chance an LCD or Plasma? If so, the very first thing you should do is turn the contrast down to or near 0. Unlike a CRT, 'contrast' in a fixed-pixel display is actual a form of artificial edge-enhancement, and one side effect is that grain in SD signals is exaggerated, as the edges of the adjacent pixel blocks get enhanced.

Hey DR, where in the world did you get this idea? Contrast(or picture) on both LCDs and Plasmas has nothing to do with edge enhancement. The sharpness control effects edge enhancement. Contrast controls intensity, they do it differently than a CRT but it's the same function:

CRT - contrast controls intensity via drive voltage
LCD - contrast controls intensity via degree of polarization blocking of the backlight
Plasma - contrast controls intensity via pulse width modulation of pixel on time (frequency at which it is turned on and off)

wikipedia has a good summary here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Display_technology_temporal_characteristics.gif) and poynton talks about it here (http://www.poynton.com/papers/Motion_portrayal/index.html)

Hey zoyd and dr0s. Thanks for the help/links.

I have a 30" JVC CRT and I have calibrated my set only with a THX optimizer from Fight Club. I didn't buy a real optimizer because I was undecided on what type of media player I wanted to keep (I just bought this Philips and got it in the mail two days ago, I just sold my HD-DVD player yesterday).

I'll try a more proper calibration another time.

I just now set up the player completely.

The picture is VERY grainy through HDMI. I thought the Sony DVP-NS75H was grainy when I owned it, this is much grainier. My 360 through component is actually has the least grain in the picture.

I guess it's a TV problem, but does anyone have any tips that will reduce grain? Thanks.

It could be the DVD transfer also, i noticed a few dvd's like that in my collection.

It could also mean the HDMI connection is much clearer and amplifiying the grainyness.

Hey DR, where in the world did you get this idea? Contrast(or picture) on both LCDs and Plasmas has nothing to do with edge enhancement. zoyd, of course you are right, I meant sharpness, not contrast. I blame sleep deprivation. Will edit the original post. - DR

zoyd, of course you are right, I meant sharpness, not contrast. I blame sleep deprivation. Will edit the original post. - DR

I suspected as much after I wrote the reply but it gave me a chance to prattle on about display technologies. :rolleyes:

I received my Philips DVP5960/37 HDMI 1080i upscaling DVD player on April 5, 2007 from Amazon ($68, no Tax & w/2-day FREE Prime SH).

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUILT: Very nice considering the price. Thanks to the latest LSI IC technology, the unit is slim and light even though it contains all sorts of Multi-video playability formats, i.e. Movies: DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, (S)VCD, DivX*.

*NOTES:
1) *DivX Ultra Certified for enhanced playback of DivX videos

2) *DivX Ultra combines DivX playback with great features like integrated subtitles, multiple audio languages, multiple tracks and menus into one convenient file format.

3) Music: CD, MP3-CD, CD-R/RW & Windows Media Audio

4) Picture CD (JPEG) with music (MP3) playback
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SETUP: Simple, ... basically plug & play!

1) AC power cord

2) DVP5960/31 HDMI OUTput > Toshiba 62HM196 HDMI-2 INput
.... a) Toshiba 62HM196 HDMI-1 INput < Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD Player HDMI OUTput
.... b) All AUDIO via HDMI > 62HM196
........ 1. My Toshiba 62HM196 passes thru all audio formats including DD-5.1 via Optical to my Yamaha RX-V1300.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALIBRATION: I used Digital Video Essentials (Color & Tint w/BLUE Filter, & Contrast & Brightness w/Pluge Test Screen***Note 1)

Philips DVP5960/37 - (HDMI upconverting = 1080i)***Note 1
Contrast...... 75
Brightness... 45
Color.......... 51
Tint........... -20
Sharpness.... 5

For comparison, ...

Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD Player (HDMI)***Note 2
Contrast...... 75
Brightness... 53
Color.......... 66
Tint............ 14
Sharpness.... 0

Samsung DVD-VR330 DVR / VCR Combo Recorder (Component = 480p)***Note 1
Contrast...... 75
Brightness... 54
Color.......... 57
Tint............ 10
Sharpness.... 5

***NOTES:
1) ALL Video Sources REF Video Calibrated w/DVE, and verified w/VE & AVIA.

2) Just REF Calibrated w/HD DVD DVE - basically no change w/DVE SD DVD Calibration values.
.... a) No surprise here - but the dedicated 1080p Test Screens are Super, ... Super Clear & Sharp!!! :eek:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REMOTE: Functional, usable from 15+ feet away though somewhat directional.

1) NO OPEN / CLOSE button on the remote, but after reviewing the User's Manual, pressing the STOP button and holding it down for at least 2-seconds will perform the OPEN / CLOSE button function.

2) NO Video Resolution options button (480p / 720p / 1080i) on the remote, ... though the button is on the front panel, next to and to the right side of the DVD display.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PICTURE QUALITY: Comparison vs. Toshiba HD-A1 upscaled = 1080i

1) EXCELLENT :D - 16x9 anamorphic DVDs upscaled = 1080i
- DVDs sampled = "Night in the Museum" SD DVD
.... a) Visually identical to the Toshiba HD-A1 PQ w/color and sharpness
........ 1) "Night in the Museum" - FBI screen, Opening credits, opening museum lobby pans, close ups, etc.
.... b) Other DVD's sampled = "Flyboys" - Anamorphic - 2.35:1**; "The Illusionist" - Anamorphic - 1.78:1

2) VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT ;) - 4x3 DVDs viewed = 480p to maintain their OAR
- DVDs sampled = JAG Season 3; Remington Steele Season 1 & 2; Hart to Hart Season 1 SD DVDs
.... a) Visually identical to the Toshiba HD-A1 PQ w/color and relative sharpness - depends on the SD DVD source
........ 1) "JAG Season 3 & Remington Steele Season 2 "was slightly better that "Hart to Hart Season 1" which was an older video source.

**NOTES: I did visually see that the lower black space is just slightly wider vs. Toshiba HD-A1 (Flyboys - Anamorphic - 2.35:1 movie). This characteristic was noted in this thread w/2.35:1 Widescreen movies but it was not distracting on my 62" Toshiba 62HM196 HDTV!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RELIABILITY & OPERATION:

1) After 1 month of almost daily use, I had no issues with my SD DVDs, DVD player or Remote.

2) Easy to operate once I found that the Stop Button doubles for the DVD Tray OPEN / CLOSE options.

3) Pressing the HD UPSCALE button between 480p <> 1080i is not an issue since I do that when I insert my DVD.
... a) Yes, it would of been nice to have it on the Remote.

4) The Remote's DISPLAY (INFO) and Setup Menu is very easy to use, navigate and understand.

5) The USB Port works as designed and the speed refreshing each JPG image was not painfully slow.
.... a) Kingston 1GB V2.0 DataTraveler w/100 JPG images
.... b) Remote's general JPG picture operation is super

6) No comments w/DivX - since I don't know what that is and my main use will be playing one of my SD DVDs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

The Philips DVP5960/37 fulfills my goal, ... by taking over the SD DVDs (over 540 in library) playback duties from my Toshiba HD-A1, which is now my dedicated HD DVD player only.

The Philips DVP5960/37 SD DVD upconverted 480 > 1080i HDMI 16x9 anamorphic PQ reproduction was, as far as I critically see from 8.6' away, ... the same basic PQ vs. Toshiba HD-A1!!!

Highly Recommended if you're looking for a inexpensive, HDMI SD DVD player with excellent upconverted 480 > 1080i HDMI PQ! :) :rolleyes: ;) :D

Phil

Thanks for the review, piturra.

**NOTES: I did visually see that the lower black space is just slightly wider vs. Toshiba HD-A1 (Flyboys - Anamorphic - 2.35:1 movie). This characteristic was noted in this thread w/2.35:1 Widescreen movies but it was not distracting on my 62" Toshiba 62HM196 HDTV!
Phil

Also note that component outputs pass whiter than white info but hdmi does not.

I like the component image from the 5960 but the HDMI image is slightly vertically squashed and there are what appear to me to be deinterlacing artifacts. (I am using the 5960 in 720P mode)

I got this as a backup DVD player for my Bravo D1 and as a backup it is fine. But it is not a great upconverting DVD player, IMO. I wish that it were. I view a 100" screen driven by an Optoma HD70 from 9 feet away. It's hard not to see artifacts.
I will say the 5960 plays discs I never thought would play on another DVD player. (scratched and/or just unplayable) As far as PQ goes it cannot compete with the Bravo D1 but the D1 is finicky and occasionally will refuse to play a disc. The 5960 never seems to refuse.

BTW, the 5960 gets a score of 78 in the DVD BENCHMARK TEST (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all) and the Bravo D1 gets a 70. (Don't try the D1 using component output, BTW, it is very BAD - Digital only is where it shines.)

EDIT: I just tried the HDMI connection with my HD70 (720P PJ) using the 1080i setting, rather than the 720P setting, and the difference was considerable. I have to use the PJ in 16:9 mode instead of "Native" (Native should be best) and the PQ is really nice. The deinterlacing artifact I was seeing (especially on diagonals) is gone. The slight vertical compression is still there (unfortunately), but the overall look is really good.
The component (480, only) connection has better shape integrity, but it is softer and not so HD-seeming. I'm glad I tried the 1080i DVD Menu setting.
:)
It is a better upconverting DVD player than I thought in the beginning of this post. I still would prefer circles to be perfectly round. I can see this distortion. And I've read that others see it as well.

JMO

5) The USB Port works as designed and the speed refreshing each JPG image was not painfully slow.
.... a) Kingston 1GB V2.0 DataTraveler w/100 JPG images
.... b) Remote's general JPG picture operation is super



What is the size of your JPG images?
Do you have HD JPEG turned on?

My 6 Megapixel Pics (3 MB files) are painfully slow going through USB. HD JPEG is turned on though.

Which remote capabilities for JPG do you consider super (could you list what you can do with the remote)?

I am overall very happy with my 5960. Just out of curiosity, have you guys heard of a similar product that would add USB 2.0 (probably 5982) and DVD Recorder? This is probably a question for the recorder forum, but I want all the capabilities of 5960 + USB2.0 + DVD Recorder + Inexpensive :)

What is the size of your JPG images?
4MP & 7.1MP

Do you have HD JPEG turned on?
Yes!

My 6 Megapixel Pics (3 MB files) are painfully slow going through USB. HD JPEG is turned on though.

Load up time is approx. 12 secs for portrait view and up to 22 secs with landscape view for either 4MP & 7.1MP images.

Though, loading up the 12 thumbnail pictures screen Display takes around 52 secs.

Which remote capabilities for JPG do you consider super (could you list what you can do with the remote)?

USB JPG MENU:
- Folders:
.... 1) "Up / Down Arrow" keys to navigate
.... 2) "OK" key to select
- Files:
.... 1) "Up / Down Arrow" keys to navigate
.... 2) "PREV < / NEXT >" keys to see previous / next page
.... 3) "OK" key to select (starts AUTO Slide show)

DURING PLAYBACK:
1) "PREV < / NEXT >" keys to see previous / next image
2)" Left / Right, Up / Down Arrow" keys to rotate image
3) "PLAY / PAUSE" key to toggle between pause / resume playback
- ZOOM
.... 1) Press "ZOOM" key toggles different scales
.... 2) "Left / Right, Up / Down Arrow" keys navigate zoomed image.
- DISPLAY THUMBNAILS
.... 1) Press "DISPLAY" key - see 12 thumbnail pictures
.... 2) "PREV < / NEXT >" keys to see previous / next thumbnail page
.... 3) "Left / Right, Up / Down Arrow" keys to select image
........ a) Press "OK" key to start playback
PICTURE MENU
1) Press "DISC MENU" key to return to Picture menu

Zooming in 200% on my 7MP images looks great!!! :D

Phil

I've been pretty happy with mine so far.

My only "complaint" is in regard to Divx movies. The compression looks like monkey butt.

I guess that's what I get for watching it on a 110" screen, though.

DVDs look great, though. We are happy with it.

Zooming in 200% on my 7MP images looks great!!! :D

Phil

Are the images full screen on your HDTV? i.e. with absolutely no black bars around the pics. I tried with all 16:9 resolutions and still see a considerable black bars around the pics in all modes (480p, 720p and 1080i).

Are the images full screen on your HDTV? i.e. with absolutely no black bars around the pics. I tried with all 16:9 resolutions and still see a considerable black bars around the pics in all modes (480p, 720p and 1080i).
Using the HDMI input there will always be some black bars on the top and bottom unless your TV (mine is a PJ) has strong overscan (underscan?). This is covered earlier in this thread. It is the fault of the Mediatech chip used for upscaling.

For some the slight vertical compression will be a problem, for most it won't. I'm still on the fence. It is a distortion I readily see.
For $60 it's a pretty good player.

Are the images full screen on your HDTV? i.e. with absolutely no black bars around the pics.

Yes!!! The 200% zoomed JPEG images fills-up the 16x9 HDTV screen! I uploaded some examples here @ my Webshots album. (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/557363492bBGXMc?start=12) (7.1 MP pics)

The only Zoom image that still has a small vertical side black space is my last 200% zoom 'portrait' photo of the old Orchid Video PCB!

NOTE:
1) Philips DVP5960 HDMI
- Video Resolution = 1080i
- HD JPEG = ON
- TV Screen = 16x9

2) Toshiba 62HM196 HDMI-2
- Picture Size = NATURAL (1:1 Pixel Mode)
- Aspect Ratio = AUTO

I tried with all 16:9 resolutions and still see a considerable black bars around the pics in all modes (480p, 720p and 1080i).

Check your TV Picture Size or Aspect Ratio and choose the option that will give you 1:1 Pixel Mode!

Phil

Quick question for other owners. When watching DVDs that are "enhanced for 16x9 TVs", is there a way to disable that? I actually like watching it in the full width, not necessarily filling up the entire 16x9 area.

... Yes!!! The 200% zoomed JPEG images fills-up the 16x9 HDTV screen! ...

just out of curiosity (and forgive my technical ignorance). What does 200% zoom do for JPEG display? (considering that it is 6/7 MegaPixel). My pictures made in 16 X 9 mode fill up the screen without any zoom. Are you zooming to fill up the screen with regular 4X 3 pictures

... Yes!!! The 200% zoomed JPEG images fills-up the 16x9 HDTV screen! ...

just out of curiosity (and forgive my technical ignorance). What does 200% zoom do for JPEG display? (considering that it is 6/7 MegaPixel).

It allows you to zoom-in one area, up to 200%, ... in the digital picture image.

Since the Philips remote includes controls for you to navigate around the 200% zoomed image, ... you can view whatever you want to see up-close and personal that's in the image.

It works well w/any 3MP to 10MP image, ... as long your camera optics are sharp enough.

Zooming it 200% allows you to read the small text on a plaque/sign or see more intricate details that's anywhere in the image!

My pictures made in 16 X 9 mode fill up the screen without any zoom. Are you zooming to fill up the screen with regular 4X 3 pictures

Yes, the majority of my images are 4x3 landscape or 3x4 portrait.

I'm just zooming in certain images to see it larger and for the fun of it! :D ;)

Phil

Quick question for other owners. When watching DVDs that are "enhanced for 16x9 TVs", is there a way to disable that? I actually like watching it in the full width, not necessarily filling up the entire 16x9 area.


Go to you set-up menu and change the HDMI setting down to 480P and this will allow you to control the image size with your television. I do this all the time when I'm watching material (TV shows and the Like) that wasn't origionally 16X9 or more.

I really thought this drive was going to be a panacea for me. Missed TV shows that were downloaded through a torrent could be copied to a thumb drive and played directly from there. To not have to convert the files to DVD-Video compliant to watch them on the HT would be great BUT…..after viewing 3 different Divx files from the thumb drive I have seen 3 different setups:

1. File played zoomed. When viewing from a PC it was fine (showed in widescreen).

2. File played with bars on the sides and the people showed up as long and skinny. When viewing from a PC it was fine (showed in widescreen).

3. File played with bars on all sides. When viewing from a PC it was fine (showed in widescreen).

I don’t understand all the whys and hows of what is going on but not *one* Divx file I have tried to play “directly” through this player has played as expected. Of course it is convenient but if the format is not as expected what is it worth???

The first 2 examples above play as widescreen from the player if I convert it to DVD video.

FWIW I have flashed the player to the newest firmware.

Thanks
T

I don’t understand all the whys and hows of what is going on but not *one* Divx file I have tried to play “directly” through this player has played as expected. Of course it is convenient but if the format is not as expected what is it worth???I've never had any of these problems. Can you give a pointer to a file with one of these behaviors (or maybe lop off a small sample and attach it)? - DR

Using the HDMI input there will always be some black bars on the top and bottom unless your TV (mine is a PJ) has strong overscan (underscan?). This is covered earlier in this thread. It is the fault of the Mediatech chip used for upscaling.

For some the slight vertical compression will be a problem, for most it won't. I'm still on the fence. It is a distortion I readily see.
For $60 it's a pretty good player.

I know about the Mediatek issue wherein the picture is vertically compressed with a small black bar (around 1" or so) at the bottom.

However, the black bars I am talking about take around 2-3" on all four sides of the pic. I did check the pics are exactly 16x9 (1920x1080) and if I put those same pics on an SD card and play it on my TV's SD card slot, it does play full screen, so maybe I am not doing something right here. Let me upload some pics later tonite to explain what I see.

Thanks.

Check your TV Picture Size or Aspect Ratio and choose the option that will give you 1:1 Pixel Mode!

Phil

My Setup is as follows:

1) Philips DVP5960 HDMI
- Video Resolution = 1080i
- HD JPEG = ON
- TV Screen = 16x9

2) Panasonic TH-50PX60U HDMI 1
- Aspect Ratio = FULL (also tried JUST, H-FILL, 4:3 without success)
- Not sure if the Panasonic has any picture size settings to control 1:1 pixel mode. If anyone else knows, please let me know.

Even with that 16x9 pics do not come full screen but with black bars all around the pic - almost 2-3" thick.

Will upload some pics tonite of the issue.
Thanks

My Setup is as follows:

1) Philips DVP5960 HDMI
- Video Resolution = 1080i
- HD JPEG = ON
- TV Screen = 16x9

2) Panasonic TH-50PX60U HDMI 1
- Aspect Ratio = FULL (also tried JUST, H-FILL, 4:3 without success)
- Not sure if the Panasonic has any picture size settings to control 1:1 pixel mode. If anyone else knows, please let me know.

Even with that 16x9 pics do not come full screen but with black bars all around the pic - almost 2-3" thick.

Will upload some pics tonite of the issue.
Thanks

Try the 5960 at 720P and even at 480P. Your TV is a 1366 x 768 res so the 720P might fit better than 1080.

My PJ is a 720P and I get slight black bars top and bottom with any upconverting due to the Mediatek chip the 5960 has. (A slight compression (vertical squeezing) is also evident. Not everyone will notice this. I do.)

Good luck.

I've never had any of these problems. Can you give a pointer to a file with one of these behaviors (or maybe lop off a small sample and attach it)? - DR

Hey doc have you tried to use any TV shows shared out on torrents. I have downloaded Grey's Anatomy and Sopranos.

T

I'm a little confused about something, so maybe someone can help.

I have the Philips DVP-5960 connected to my Panny RP-CRT (16x9 HD) via Component. My TV only has one HDMI port and the Cable TV looks better coming on on HDMI.

I threw in a DVD listed as 1.87x1 ratio and had the DVD player set to 16x9, progressive scan. The TV dispayed the video without letterboxing. The only options I have on the TV are 4x3, Zoom and Full. It was in Full mode, that's the only one that displayed it even close to properly. I then changed the DVD to 4x3 letterbox and the TV then displayed the video in what appeared to be the correct aspect ratio with the letterboxing and with the video taking up the whole width of the screen. In going back and forth between images with the DVD set to 16x9 and 4x3, it looked like there was more vertical image (i.e. I could see tops of heads that I couldn't see on the other setting) when the DVD player is set to 4x3 letterbox. It appeared as if the horizonal image was the same.

Can someone tell me what's happening exactly when I choose 16x9 and 4x3 letterbox on the DVD. I don't want to be using a setting that's completely wrong. It seems like the 4x3 letterbox setting gives me more vertical image and the correct aspect ration, but it does't make sense that would be the correct setting.

Hey doc have you tried to use any TV shows shared out on torrents. You sure you're not an MPAA litigator?-)

Seriously, my player has played quite a wide variety of files, and never had aspect ratio or screen-filling problems. - DR

I have the Philips DVP-5960 connected to my Panny RP-CRT via Component.[...]Can someone tell me what's happening exactly when I choose 16x9 and 4x3 letterbox on the DVD. I don't want to be using a setting that's completely wrong. It seems like the 4x3 letterbox setting gives me more vertical image and the correct aspect ration, but it does't make sense that would be the correct setting.If your TV is a 4:3 set, then your DVD should indeed be set to 4:3, to match the set. This setup option is the only way that the player knows what kind of set you have. The letterboxing option says to letterbox 16:9 content into the 4:3 image to be transmitted to your set. - DR

If your TV is a 4:3 set, then your DVD should indeed be set to 4:3, to match the set. This setup option is the only way that the player knows what kind of set you have. The letterboxing option says to letterbox 16:9 content into the 4:3 image to be transmitted to your set. - DR

Sorry, I should have noted that my set is a 16x9 set. That's why I'm confused even more.

Panny RP-CRT 16x9 ... I threw in a DVD listed as 1.87x1 ratio and had the DVD player set to 16x9, progressive scan. The TV dispayed the video without letterboxing. The only options I have on the TV are 4x3, Zoom and Full. It was in Full mode, that's the only one that displayed it even close to properly.
...

With anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) SD DVDs, you got it right, use Panny FULL mode.

In all case, see below, the Philips DVD player is set for 16x9 and since your TV is 16x9, forget using the 4x3 letterbox option.

Base on my Toshiba 16x9 CRT RPTV (my ole' 50H81 Native Resolution = 1080i) experience, ... try the following.

NOTES:

A. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 1080i / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = FULL mode
1) SD DVDs w/anamorphic 1.78:1 & 1.85:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen, corner to corner, top to bottom.

2) SD DVDs w/anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen left to right, but not top to bottom. You will see a small black bars above and below the scene.

B. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = FULL mode
1) SD DVDs w/1.33:1 OAR (4x3) classic TV shows or classic pre-'50s Movies. The screen is filled top to bottom w/black bars on each side.

C. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 1080i / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = ZOOM mode
1) SD DVDs w/letterbox (not anamorphic) 1.78:1 & 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This should fill the screen all-around.
2) SD DVDs w/letterbox (not anamorphic) 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen left to right, but not top to bottom. You will see a small black bars above and below the scene.
.... a) Very rare unless you bought DVDs around 1998-2000 and kept them.
........ 1. I sold my last letter box 1.78:1 DVD on eBay (Wing Commander) last year.

Try the above and see if that works.

Phil

piturra, thanks for all of that.

The Panny CRT RPTV will only do 480p if the DVD is coming through the component connection. I don't think there's any way to have the TV upconvert that to 1080i. My last LiteOn that upconverted over component died on me.

With that fact, I'm not sure how to relate it to what you posted above.

I'm also wondering why I see more vertical image when the DVD is set to 4x3 letterbox.

Is 37.06.42.29 still the latest firmware for this unit?

Anybody encounter this problem?

I set the dvd player to be 1080i on hdmi it works fine however when I take the dvd player off and use it again say another day or so it default's to 480P or auto which is 480p... It gets quite annoying because I have to do the whole setup back again manually to 1080i.

I have a Toshiba 50HM66, any suggestions?

My Toshiba resets it to 480p as well. I leave my TV on a different input(or off) and turn the DVD player on. If I switch over to HDMI after it's loaded up the disc, it will be in whatever resolution I left it in when I turned it off.

Try that?

piturra, thanks for all of that.

The Panny CRT RPTV will only do 480p if the DVD is coming through the component connection. I don't think there's any way to have the TV upconvert that to 1080i. My last LiteOn that upconverted over component died on me.

With that fact, I'm not sure how to relate it to what you posted above.

I'm also wondering why I see more vertical image when the DVD is set to 4x3 letterbox.

Me bad lexluthor, ... my old Toshiba 50H81 only accepted 480p via Component also!

So, ... my Notes now takes that into consideration and all other factor's still remain the same.

NOTES:

A. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = FULL mode
.... 1) SD DVDs w/anamorphic 1.78:1 & 1.85:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen, corner to corner, top to bottom.

.... 2) SD DVDs w/anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen left to right, but not top to bottom. You will see a small black bars above and below the scene.

B. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = FULL mode
.... 1) SD DVDs w/1.33:1 OAR (4x3) classic TV shows or classic pre-'50s Movies. The screen is filled top to bottom w/black bars on each side.

C. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = ZOOM mode
.... 1) SD DVDs w/letterbox (not anamorphic) 1.78:1 & 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This should fill the screen all-around.

.... 2) SD DVDs w/letterbox (not anamorphic) 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen left to right, but not top to bottom. You will see a small black bars above and below the scene.

So, in all cases, you will just set your Philips Resolution = 480p.

You will change your Panny's Picture Size option between: FULL** or Zoom**

**More NOTES:
1) FULL = Sends the entire 480p anamorphic video to your 16x9 Panny, corner to corner. With anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9) DVDs, the aspect ratio will look correct. Same with older 1.33:1 (4x3) DVDs, since the side black space is included in the 480p DVD resolution.

2) ZOOM = Zooms-in the 480p letterbox signal and will generally look correct with non-anamorphic widescreen DVD movies. This works since the black space all-around the 1.78:1 - 2.35:1 widescreen movies is part of the 480p resolution & zooming-in put's the black space outside your 16x9 viewing area zone.
.... a) Like noted above 1.78:1 fills up your 16x9 screen
.... b) 2.35:1 will fill-up your screen left to right, but you will have a black bar space above and below the DVD movie.
.... c) Yes, non-anamorphic letterbox DVDs looks horrible with the new digital HDTVs, since the movie overall resolution is lower vs. anamorphic widescreen DVD movies.
........ 1. Should still look A-OK on your older analog CRT HDTVs.
.... d) If you don't own any non-anamorphic DVDs, ... then you will never use your Panny ZOOM option with the Philips DVP5960/37.

With either scenario, FULL or ZOOM, ... your Aspect Ratio should hopefully look correct.

Try the above and let me know if that works the way I remember!?!?

To take advantage of the Philips DVP5960/37 upscaling circuitry, you must use the HDMI Output.

Phil

Me bad lexluthor, ... my old Toshiba 50H81 only accepted 480p via Component also!

So, ... my Notes now takes that into consideration and all other factor's still remain the same.

NOTES:

A. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = FULL mode
.... 1) SD DVDs w/anamorphic 1.78:1 & 1.85:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen, corner to corner, top to bottom.

.... 2) SD DVDs w/anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen left to right, but not top to bottom. You will see a small black bars above and below the scene.

B. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = FULL mode
.... 1) SD DVDs w/1.33:1 OAR (4x3) classic TV shows or classic pre-'50s Movies. The screen is filled top to bottom w/black bars on each side.

C. Philips 5960 TV Screen = 16x9; Resolution = 480p / Panasonic 16x9 CRT RPTV = ZOOM mode
.... 1) SD DVDs w/letterbox (not anamorphic) 1.78:1 & 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This should fill the screen all-around.

.... 2) SD DVDs w/letterbox (not anamorphic) 2.35:1 aspect ratio will fill the 16x9 screen left to right, but not top to bottom. You will see a small black bars above and below the scene.

So, in all cases, you will just set your Philips Resolution = 480p.

You will change your Panny's Picture Size option between: FULL** or Zoom**

**More NOTES:
1) FULL = Sends the entire 480p anamorphic video to your 16x9 Panny, corner to corner. With anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9) DVDs, the aspect ratio will look correct. Same with older 1.33:1 (4x3) DVDs, since the side black space is included in the 480p DVD resolution.

2) ZOOM = Zooms-in the 480p letterbox signal and will generally look correct with non-anamorphic widescreen DVD movies. This works since the black space all-around the 1.78:1 - 2.35:1 widescreen movies is part of the 480p resolution & zooming-in put's the black space outside your 16x9 viewing area zone.
.... a) Like noted above 1.78:1 fills up your 16x9 screen
.... b) 2.35:1 will fill-up your screen left to right, but you will have a black bar space above and below the DVD movie.
.... c) Yes, non-anamorphic letterbox DVDs looks horrible with the new digital HDTVs, since the movie overall resolution is lower vs. anamorphic widescreen DVD movies.
........ 1. Should still look A-OK on your older analog CRT HDTVs.
.... d) If you don't own any non-anamorphic DVDs, ... then you will never use your Panny ZOOM option with the Philips DVP5960/37.

With either scenario, FULL or ZOOM, ... your Aspect Ratio should hopefully look correct.

Try the above and let me know if that works the way I remember!?!?

To take advantage of the Philips DVP5960/37 upscaling circuitry, you must use the HDMI Output.

Phil

Phil, thanks for this detailed info. I'm about to buy a new television and have a question for you in regards to this. What should I look for in a TV so that I get full-screen, corner to corner, top-to-bottom coverage with SD sources? I know this is a little off-topic for this thread, so feel free to reply privately if you prefer.

Thank you for your time,
grimholtz

Try the 5960 at 720P and even at 480P. Your TV is a 1366 x 768 res so the 720P might fit better than 1080.

My PJ is a 720P and I get slight black bars top and bottom with any upconverting due to the Mediatek chip the 5960 has. (A slight compression (vertical squeezing) is also evident. Not everyone will notice this. I do.)

Good luck.I found that on my setup, running the 5960 at 720p yields the correct aspect ratio. I have it hooked up to a GV47 Vizio LCD via hdmi.

I am a little confused about anamorphic dvds and the roles that the dvd player and digital tv play in producing anamorphic picture.

The black bars that appear on widescreen films when watching in 4x3 television, IS THAT PART OF THE MOVIE FILE on the DVD or is that produced by the DVD player or is that produced by the digital television?

Are the movie files on anamorphic dvds encoded with a 16x9 resolution or a 4x3 resolution that includes black bars. Meaning does the dvd stretch a 4x3 image to fill up a 16x9 screen?

if anyone has a clue, I would really like to know the specifics of how an anamorphic dvd picture is displayed

http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

I found that on my setup, running the 5960 at 720p yields the correct aspect ratio. I have it hooked up to a GV47 Vizio LCD via hdmi.
I get the correct aspect ratio. There is a slight (you may not notice it at all.) squeeze to the picture that is caused by the Mediatek's (the 5960 chip) upscaling. I notice it but it is not terrible. And I find the 1080i PQ better than the 720P PQ on my 720 PJ. I expected the 720P selection to be best. It is not. I see what appear to be deinterlacing artifacts w/720P. I am connected via HDMI.
However, I am watching a 100" picture from 8-9 feet away so small anomalies are magnified.

YMMV.

BTW: look back a couple of pages in this Thread and you will see several other posters also who notice this "squeeze" It is there. It will not be noticed by most people. And most won't care if they see it. I would prefer it wasn't there, but I can live with it.
It is not as "true" as my Bravo D1, though, but it plays everything even remotely playable. My D1 is finicky.

piturra, great information again.

My goal isn't necessarily to fill the screen though. I'd rather watch it letterboxed in the exact ratio it was intended to be rather than have the picture stretched.

I think, with that being the case, with your option C, I should still just use Full mode and I'll just see larger bars for the letterboxing, would that be correct?

As for option A, I presume, with this setup, there's no way to get the TV to display the proper letterboxing?

Lastly, I still don't understand why, when, on the DVD player, I select my set as being 4x3, I get a widescreen letterboxed display that seems to show the same horizonal image as when the DVD is set to 16x9, but it shows a little more vertical image then when the DVD is set to 16x9.

If someone went through those options without be looking and then I had to say which looked right, I'd say the 4x3 letterbox option looks right, but it just doesn't make sense to set it that way and I don't want to use it that way if that's causing some sort of degradation or missing image.

From what I've seen and read, the DVD player should ALWAYS be set to 16:9. Any needed changes are done at the display device. With me that has been a projector for the last 4 years. Even with a 4:3 PJ I set the DVD player at 16:9. Now with a 16:9 PJ I also set the DVD player at 16:9.

Good luck.

EDIT: When I had a 4:3 RPTV display I set the DVD player to 4:3 since the set could not change ARs and, therefore: be able to take advantage of anamorphically enhanced DVDs.

With the 4:3 Projector setting the DVD player at 16:9 allowed the enhance squeeze (anamorphic) to put out the best PQ. I never changed the DVD player to 4:3. I would play 4:3 (1.33) discs by choosing the proper setting on the PJ (Not sure what its menu name was on the Infocus X1.)
It worked properly for 2700 hours on the X1 and about 300+ hours on our Optoma HD70.

I don't know. I just looked at this again. TV is 16x9. DVD connected via component.

If I set the DVD player to 4x3 widescreen, I get a letterboxed display on the TV that displays the movie in the correct aspect ration.

If I set the DVD player to 16x9, the TV stretches the picutre vertically and displays the image filling the screen.

With the 4x3 setting, I see exactly the same amount of horizontal picture that I do with the 16x9 setting.

I think the first way is how it should be (visually), but I don't know why that ways.

Any thoughts?

Whatever works, works. If you can't adjust the AR at the display device then do it at the DVD player I guess. (Not in my experience though - the DVD player menu is not one meant to be gone into for each DVD that is played.)

But to get the best PQ the DVD player should be at 16:9. (Unless you have a 4:3 display) Perhaps if your particular DVD is a letterboxed (non-anamorphic) DVD then you might need 4:3 at the DVD player. But such has not been the case for me. (Even with a 4:3 PJ I set the DVD player at 16:9 - I would rather have the PJ do the anamorphic correction rather than the DVD player. The DVD player merely removes "lines" in order to achieve the correct (aspect ratio) AR. )

My PJ has all the necessary AR modes to allow for correct conversion of whatever DVD is being played. There is no unwanted stretching (or squishing) of people or objects in our HT. I notice even slight "shape abberrations". Some people don't mind watching out-of-shape TV. I do. :)

But as I say: whatever works for you. You're the best judge of what looks good to you. How you get there might take some exploring. Be sure and try ALL of the modes available on your TV with the DVD player set at 16:9.

Good luck.

THIS (http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#3.5) might help.

THIS (http://gregl.net/videophile/anamorphic.htm) is good, too.

Has anyone done a side-by-side comparison with the Sony? I'm thinking about returning my Sony for the new 5982. I just noticed a small hiccup when watching "The Queen" last night. The only thing i've seen on this thread is that someone mentioned about the sony not being as grainy.

I just ordered one off Ebay (I know lol). I should have read this forum first, but it's already on it's way here.

All in all, how is everyone satisfied so far with it?

I own a 37" Widescreen LCD HDTV.......... I hope it looks good.

I just ordered one off Ebay (I know lol). I should have read this forum first, but it's already on it's way here.

All in all, how is everyone satisfied so far with it?

I own a 37" Widescreen LCD HDTV.......... I hope it looks good.
I've been very happy with mine so far. I don't have much to compare it to, but I have no complaints.

Depending on how fresh the stock from your reseller is, you may not have to worry about the firmware upgrades that are mentioned in the earlier pages of this thread. I got mine a month or so ago, and the "digital audio while using HDMI" and "DTS doesn't work" issues were moot out of the box.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhh. I'll be blunt. The movies look horrible on here. I think they looked better on my SD DVD player :(

I'm sending it back tomorrow.

Next time I'm going to read reviews first.

see this is what i don't get. I've had the 5960 and the PQ was crap and many people seem to think the same. However everyone raves about the pw of the new 5982 model which i can't imagine being that much different/improved from this one since it sounds like it's essentially the same except with 1080p, does anyone that has/had both have any say about this?

see this is what i don't get. I've had the 5960 and the PQ was crap and many people seem to think the same. And even more people disagree with you. In reviews which use objective measures of quality (such as the reviews on Cnet and hometheaterhifi), the player ranks very highly among sub-$200 players. - DR

5982 can pillarbox, has video controls (brightness, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness) as well as audio sync delay (very cool feature on a cheap player), has 1080p HDMI, passes DTS out of the box, as well as other features of the 5960 (region free, USB, DivX Ultra, etc.) Plus, it's cheaper than the 5960--go figure. It's Mediatek PQ is very good (cheap man's Oppo 970HD) without vertical scaling issues.

I've had the 5960 and the PQ was crap and many people seem to think the same.
Many people?
Where?

My audio issue is when I set the player to "all" rather than PCM, I don't get any sound over HDMI to my Dell W4201C. I have to switch back to just listen on the TV. Any fix for that?

Here's my problem:

Id like to have as little cable tangle as possible, so I thought HDMI would be perfect. Not so:

Full HDMI solution
DVD --HDMI--> Philips 42 1080 LCD --COAX--> Receiver --> No 5.1 whatsoever

Half HDMI solution
DVD --HDMI--> Philips
DVD --COAX--> Receiver --> Perfect 5.1

I wish I could just the HDMI to connect to the TV and have only one audio out from the tv to my receiver.

Hope I made myself clear. I have updated the firmware to the latest version.

Thanks,
Roger

My audio issue is when I set the player to "all" rather than PCM, I don't get any sound over HDMI to my Dell W4201C. I have to switch back to just listen on the TV. Any fix for that?

To solve this problem I have this audio hook-up:

player digital coax-> receiver
player RGA->TV
set player audio to "all"
set HDMI audio (in) on TV to analog.

that way I get 5.1 on the receiver and TV audio at the same time.

Here's my problem:

Id like to have as little cable tangle as possible, so I thought HDMI would be perfect. Not so:

Full HDMI solution
DVD --HDMI--> Philips 42 1080 LCD --COAX--> Receiver --> No 5.1 whatsoever

Half HDMI solution
DVD --HDMI--> Philips
DVD --COAX--> Receiver --> Perfect 5.1

I wish I could just the HDMI to connect to the TV and have only one audio out from the tv to my receiver.

Hope I made myself clear. I have updated the firmware to the latest version.

Thanks,
Roger

I think most displays act like this (I know mine does), they do not pass 5.1 via HDMI to the digital audio out connections.

I'm working on a solution, I have it working as long as I don't switch to a different HDMI input. As soon as I switch to my cable HDMI input and switch back to my DVD HDMI, I loose the 5.1 on my DVD audio signal.

Here's the thread where I'm working on a solution, its actually in a Philips LCD thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10633602&&#post10633602

Roger

Your LCD has more digital out options than mine does (Panny plasma), I can only get 5.1 by connecting the player directly to my receiver.

I decided to hook this up via component to see how it looked. But I'm only getting 480P out of it according to my TV. I know how to set the HDMI tp upconvert, will it do so over component?

I decided to hook this up via component to see how it looked. But I'm only getting 480P out of it according to my TV. I know how to set the HDMI tp upconvert, will it do so over component?

720p/1080i is via HDMI only due to copy protection.

I think most displays act like this (I know mine does), they do not pass 5.1 via HDMI to the digital audio out connections.

I guess it depends on the Display since my Toshiba 62HM196 HDMI (DVP-5960/37 HDMI) passes the bitstream DD-5.1/6.1 to my Yamaha RX-V1300 via Optical.

Phil

does this player upscale divx??? only i have a sammy that doesnt do it atm,it only upscales dvd's and i need something that upscales dixv files thnx...

does this player upscale divx??? only i have a sammy that doesnt do it atm,it only upscales dvd's and i need something that upscales dixv files thnx...
I just put in a DIVX copy of BSG Season 2.0 a friend gave me (before the Official S2.0 DVD came out) and I scaled it up to 1080i with no issues. So, Yes, ... this player upscales DIVX DVDs.

Phil

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned (didn't find it via search) but all current Philips DVD players have NO S-video output - only composite, component and/or HDMI. Their Blu-Ray player has S-video out, but none of their SD DVD players do. I find that strange for a DVD player. It may not be a problem for those who own a new HDTV display that takes component or HDMI, but for those of us who like to copy PAL to NTSC via S-video input on a DVR-DVD recorder it sucks.

I decided to hook this up via component to see how it looked. But I'm only getting 480P out of it according to my TV. I know how to set the HDMI tp upconvert, will it do so over component?


The 5960 does HD (720p/1080i) over component, added in a firmware upgrade after the original release. It would be nice if they could add it to the 5982 also.

does this player upscale divx??? In fact, it can't be avoided, since it only plays divx files whose resolution is below the resolution at which one typically connects the player to the TV!

The 5960 does HD (720p/1080i) over component, added in a firmware upgrade after the original release. What? Really? I missed that! Which firmware version?

Upscaling over component is one of the few advantages that more expensive players (like the Pio DV400) had over the Philips line. If that advantage is gone... - DR

Does anyone know the highest resolution a divx file can be encoded to and still play on this player via USB?

I want to encode at the highest quality/bitrate possible.

Does anyone know the highest resolution a divx file can be encoded to and still play on this player via USB?

I want to encode at the highest quality/bitrate possible.

Nothing over 720x480 will be playable in my tests.

I burned a copy of a Star Wars move that was in 720P, and it would not play.

Nothing over 720x480 will be playable in my tests.

So then, the optimal resolution to encode a divx/xvid file would be 720x480 then?

Hi, I've got a plasma tv with HDMI (HP PL4260) and just ordered Philips DVP5960. To get the upconverting, which HDMI cable do I need? HDMI to HDMI or HDMI to DVi? What's the way to get the best audio quality? Standard red/white to the receiver?
Thanks y'all!

Hi, I've got a plasma tv with HDMI (HP PL4260) and just ordered Philips DVP5960. To get the upconverting, which HDMI cable do I need? HDMI to HDMI or HDMI to DVi? What's the way to get the best audio quality? Standard red/white to the receiver?
Thanks y'all!

First, what input does your TV have? That will determine what cable you need. The 5960 has HDMI output. If your TV has HDMI input, use that with and HDMI to HDMI cable. HDMI carries both video and audio so that will give you the best quality if you are going to use the TV for audio too.

Do you have a surround sound receiver (AVR)? If so, I would use the digital audio output of the 5960 into the AVR. Using the TV for video and the AVR with digital feed for audio will give you the best of both worlds. Last choice for audio would be the red/white connections. That is analog stereo and you would be missing the surround channels.

Thanks for your response--my tv does have an HDMI input. But I thought the Philips does not have an optical audio out????

Thanks for your response--my tv does have an HDMI input. But I thought the Philips does not have an optical audio out????

It doesn't have optical but it does have coax digital out.

can someone tell me what divx is and where can i download movies i have a phillips 42 inch hd tv and the phillips hd dvd with divx?

got the philips dvd player 5960 directly from Philips Employee Store for just under 50 dollars shipped. I also have a philips 642. I have the philips 5960 hooked up to a 37"Sharp LC-C3742U using HMDI cable connection. I also have the older model philips 642 hooked up using component cables. I used the movie Das Boat to test the difference between both dvd players. What I have found is quite striking, the 5960 at 1080i produces a very clear and detailed picture. The older philips 642 dvd player at 480p produced a picture of the same movie that was not as sharp or clear and also the images were darker especially with shadows. I have to say for the money spent, the philips 5960 has exceeded my expectations for what this dvd player can do.

Hi, I recently purchased DVP5960 and I am using a HDMI to DVI cable. As happened to a couple of you, I can't select anything over 480p. As someone suggested, I upgraded to firmware 12.06.36.40, and I still can't select anything over 480p. My TV is a 60" Philips CRT HDTV, and it does support 1080i through DVI, so I have no clue what the heck the problem is.....any ideas anyone ?

Hi, I recently purchased DVP5960 and I am using a HDMI to DVI cable. As happened to a couple of you, I can't select anything over 480p. As someone suggested, I upgraded to firmware 12.06.36.40, and I still can't select anything over 480p. My TV is a 60" Philips CRT HDTV, and it does support 1080i through DVI, so I have no clue what the heck the problem is.....any ideas anyone ?

The player will only output hi-def via a connection that supports copy protection, which DVI doesn't.

The player will only output hi-def via a connection that supports copy protection, which DVI doesn't.Uh...not true. Older sets with DVI may not have copy protection, but many new TVs do. I had a 30" LCD with DVI and it worked with my Samsung upconverting player just fine. My older plasma with DVI did not work with the same player.

Well since my TV is a couple of years old, there's probably no copy protection through DVI. I guess my TV can't use upconverting DVD players then, since DVI is my only connection other than Component. =(

...unless I buy one that I can hack and upconvert through Component or, preferably, through DVI which I doubt. Does anyone know of one that I can hack and upscale through DVI ?!? Or a good one (cheaper) that I can hack and upscale through Component ?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Actually, I just checked in the manual and it says "DVI-D with HDCP" as a connection on my set, so that's not the problem.

I bought the Philips DVD player and connected it to my panny 42" plasma through HDMI cable.

Can you please tell me the settings i need to do for getting the maximum (720P i beileve) benefit.

Thanks

A quick note to anyone using a 2.5 inch UNPOWERED external HDD via the USB port. It seems the port may not put out enough power to run the drive correctly. I thought the player was unable to support both drives that I tried. This had never been a problem using them with a laptop or desktop computer. I dug out the original cables that have a second, power only dongle on the USB port end and plugged it into my cable box (I have it on top of the 5960 and luckily can reach the port without any kind of extension). Both drives are now supported and work fine.

@sssharp

I haven't noticed a lot of transport noise with this player and I'm fairly sensitive to that sound. The DVP642 was way louder. That being said I haven't had time to use it with a large number of disks and on the 642 the sound varied greatly from DVD to DVD.

Kaitak98, I was looking for a post like yours. I just bought the 5960 player and a WD 2.5 Ext HDD with the hopes of using the USB port to connect the HDD. When I gave it a try it didn't work. I was ready to return it but your post makes sense. I just need to find a "dongle" USB cable. My cable box also has a USB port that I think I can get power from. Is there any other way to get power on a 2.5 Ext HDD so I can use it with the Philips DVD player?

You are over thinking the USB connection. Just buy some rewritable DVD blanks and you can burn and reuse to hearts content without worrying about USB 1 or 2 or hardrives setup.

For the usb, using RW may do the job but is too much of a hassel. Take the easy route and use a USB Flash Drive. It works really well and i dont have to waste my cds. if you upload via usb 2.0 it will be as fast as burning it maybe faster but usb 1.1 is gonna take like 20 mins. But yeh no more wasting cd. USB flash is the way to go and they are pretty cheap now too

hey guys old thread but was wondering i just bought a phillips and noticed it doesn't have the optical out is there a way to convert the digital coax to a optial toslink cable?

hey guys old thread but was wondering i just bought a phillips and noticed it doesn't have the optical out is there a way to convert the digital coax to a optial toslink cable?I purchased one of these a while back. It was a great and cheap solution:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2947&seq=1&format=2&style=

hey thanks for the info i think i may just give the player back and buy one that has it however, this dvd player says its 1080 p and i can't seem to get that signal it says only 720 p or 1080i instead of messing with it i may just get a different player thanks though.

hey thanks for the info i think i may just give the player back and buy one that has it however, this dvd player says its 1080 p and i can't seem to get that signal it says only 720 p or 1080i instead of messing with it i may just get a different player thanks though.

The 5960 only upscales to 1080i. The 5982 upscales to 1080p.

Hi,

What is HDMI version of Philips DVP5960/37?

(I updated to the latest firmware)

-Frank

I have upgraded to the lastest firmware but I m stiull getting the stutter problem when playing back Divx/Xvid ?
Any thoughts ?

Hello, I just upgraded to a new TV yesterday, a Westinghouse 47" (from my Toshiba 42HP86). So far, I am super impressed with the combination of these two elements. However, I am having an odd problem that I wanted to bounce off the group. I have it hooked up via HDMI to the TV.

Basically, when I play DVDs, the sound is great and works perfectly. However, when I try to play XVID or DIVX programs, there is no sound at all that comes through. I assume that this means that it is a TV decoding problem, as the player is obviously outputting sound.

I am going to try a hookup with an HDMI-DVI cable and analog cables, but was just wondering if anyone had any other ideas on this.

Kind of a weird problem. Anyone has troubles with this units coaxial output dropping out on you? It will play fine for hours then randomly stop playing audio. I have it set up for HDMI video to my HDTV and the coaxial to my receiver. It only seems to do this on burned DVD's not originals. The unit has the latest firmware I can find and like I said, it's intermittent. Unit is over a year old.

Hello, I just upgraded to a new TV yesterday, a Westinghouse 47" (from my Toshiba 42HP86). So far, I am super impressed with the combination of these two elements. However, I am having an odd problem that I wanted to bounce off the group. I have it hooked up via HDMI to the TV.

Basically, when I play DVDs, the sound is great and works perfectly. However, when I try to play XVID or DIVX programs, there is no sound at all that comes through. I assume that this means that it is a TV decoding problem, as the player is obviously outputting sound.

I am going to try a hookup with an HDMI-DVI cable and analog cables, but was just wondering if anyone had any other ideas on this.


Is your sound settings for digital set up for PCM only or auto?

got the philips dvd player 5960 directly from Philips Employee Store for just under 50 dollars shipped. I also have a philips 642. I have the philips 5960 hooked up to a 37"Sharp LC-C3742U using HMDI cable connection. I also have the older model philips 642 hooked up using component cables. I used the movie Das Boat to test the difference between both dvd players. What I have found is quite striking, the 5960 at 1080i produces a very clear and detailed picture. The older philips 642 dvd player at 480p produced a picture of the same movie that was not as sharp or clear and also the images were darker especially with shadows. I have to say for the money spent, the philips 5960 has exceeded my expectations for what this dvd player can do.
Thanks for the comparison. I also have a 642 and was looking at the 5960. I'll pick one up tomorrow- on sale at Target. My 642 locks up from heat due to extented use. Heatsinking has helped. Was wondering if 5960 had similar problems.

hello, guys! do you think it's worthwhile to buy the 3960 for its upconverting performance while i save up to buy the ps3?

Old thread but worth a shot. Reading through there seemed to be a lot of similar problems, but I still can't get it to work. I have the 5960 connected to my H/K AVR247 with HDMI. I can't get any Dolby Digital signal. I upgraded to the latest firmware and still nothing. If I change the Digital Audio Setup to "All" I get no sound, and if it's PCM only I get 2-channel sound. Not sure what's happening here, maybe someone can help?

Hi,

What is HDMI version of Philips DVP5960/37?

(I updated to the latest firmware)

-Frank

Sorry to revive a dying thread but I'd like to know as well. My 5960 won't deliver audio (video is fine) via hdmi. Would it be b/c its not 1.3? Please advise.

Hi

You must set Digital Output to "PCM Only". You will only get 2 ch output I believe. The 5960 doesn't output raw digital through HDMI.

Cheers

Hi

You must set Digital Output to "PCM Only". You will only get 2 ch output I believe. The 5960 doesn't output raw digital through HDMI.

Cheers

Thanks, Vagabond. I was thinking of upgrading to a 5990 to get the audio-capable 1.3 HDMI but I'll put it off to see if I can live with this. I might just decide to get a speaker set-up instead. :cool:

nevermind, receiver problem