What DVD player do you use with Pioneer 5070/71 and what do you think of it?

I actually just purchased a 5070 today and I was sitting here thinking about this same question so I'd love to know too.

I believe the consensus on this is the Oppo 970 is one of the best choices for the 5070.

The reason is because this is one of the very few players that can send 480i over HDMI. This means the panel deinterlaces and scales the picture up to it's native. Sending 480i is best for two reasons:

#1 The panel is 768p, so any input from an upscaling player (that will output 720p or 1080i) will be scaled a second time. Less processing = better in general.

#2 The Pioneer's scalers and especially de-interlacers are very, very good - in general better than the average upscaling DVD player.

So sending 480i over HDMI will reduce the processing to one step, by what is most likely the better processor and going through a digital link means there won't be any degredation of the original signal, it should basically be like the TV reading the disc directly.

A few people have differing opinions, but this is the general consensus with regards to a DVD player on this particular panel.

But I would second the Oppo 970 and it's ability to trasmit 480i. My research led me to that same conclusion.

On a related note, I have actually decided that when the TV comes I am going HD-DVD, so I will let you know how that works, I have heard that is a very nice combo as well.

I have the oppo970 with my 5071HD, and am passing 480i via HDMI...outstanding picture quality. I love the player and think it is the perfect match for the pioneer. Nothing else in its price range will pass 480i via HDMI without massaging the signal.

Thinking of getting the 4270 in the next couple months...but with DVD Recorders so cheap was thinking of getting one of those.

Any recommendations on a good DVD Recorder that would be my primary DVD player as well?

What do I need to look for...480i with HDMI?

Anything else?

I've heard the Toshiba HD DVD players top even the Oppo for SD DVD playback
...So that's a good option for an extra Benjamin or two. Plus you can play HD DVD's.
So that would be my choice if I could do it all over again.
I'd probably pass on the Oppo. Last time I checked the A2 was around $379
and you could get 3 free HD DVD's, which really narrows the price gap

I'm currently using my XBOX 360 for HD DVD's and the add-on player's PQ is great,
just hasn't got any of the new HD Audio capabilities that the Toshiba's offer.

I have not tried an Oppo,
but have had Sony and Yamaha Progressive scan DVD players
a Pioneer Up-Converter, XBOX 360 and most recently my PS3

For screen shot comparisons :
>>Click Here!<<

The PS3 is by FAR the best looking SD DVD player of the bunch even at 480p, has HDMI 1.3
plus it plays Blu Ray Movies and Games, and I even use it for wireless web browsing
on the 50" plasma from the living room couch now that I've got a wireless router,keyboard and mouse
The Playstation Network is totally free for web browsing, game demos, movie trailers, and on-line gaming.
I got the 60gig unit that cost a little more, but for the built-in Wifi and larger HDD, its worth it.
I've ripped dozens of my favorite CD's onto the HDD,
along with a bunch of digi photos and game demos I downloaded FREE from the Playstation Network.

Even if you're not a "gamer"
...Ripping up the asphalt with HOT cars from the free Gran Turismo HD demo
is enough to convince most people I know to at least go for test drive.


(Yes! it's not a real car in the photograph it's a game ! )

PDP-5070HD/Toshiba HD DVD/PS3/HD STB/ HDMI 7.1 AVR would be a perfect combo
No need for stand-alone SD DVD player.

I have the Oppo 970 and although I use it mostly for music, SACD and DVD-A, it has an outstanding SD picture. I use the Toshiba HD-A1 for DVD's most of the time.

itigap has been researching dvd players, apparently some of the new upconverting ones are coming out with a "superchip". I don't know much about it, hopefully he'll stumble across this thread & post here.

Thanks for the good information. I ordered the Oppo 970. I refuse to touch the HD/BR stuff until all of that is sorted out, or until I get a 360.

On my Pio 6071 I have had the Toshiba HD-DVD A1 for the last 6 months or so, and a few days ago I just got the new A2 player.
The HD-DVD on my 60 inch Pioneer is jaw droping to say the very least, sometimes I cant even pay attention to the movie as I tend to get caught up in how amazing the picture is,,,, HD disc with an HD player on a Pio 60 incher,, WOW !!!

Also, HD-DVD looks way way better than HD cable

I have never seen the Oppo player (Im sure its good), I do how ever have the Samsung up-converting player and the HD-DVD player blows it away, not even a contest.

The HD-DVD player up-converts rather nicely but the bottom line is once you watch a HD disc it is so very hard to watch any SD DVD, even an up-converted one on the HD player.

Get the new Toshiba A2 player and you will never leave the house, except to buy more HD-DVD's.

Davyo

if you just spent $2311-2500 on a new pio 5070 go ahead and spend the $400 for a toshiba hd a2 hd dvd player to get true hd into your display. they are also excellent sd dvd upconverting players.

Hummmm,, I fail to see why a anyone would order the Oppo, its been posted more than a few times in this forum that the HD-DVD up-converts a SD DVD better than the Oppo if not just as well.
With the HD DVD player you get to up-convert and be able to watch HD DVD's with the Oppo all is you get is the up-conversion, that does not make to much sense to me.

As far as refusing to touch the HD/BR until the dust settles in the format war, that is too bad, you are missing a jaw dropping video experience.

Davyo

I'd definitely agree. I started with my HD-a1 for SD-DVDs and got tired of not getting the most hd out of my 5070 so I also got a BDP-S1 blu ray player. I tend to lean slightly toward the BDP-S1's ability to output 480i over HDMI for SD DVDs over the HD-A1's upconverting ability. Of course it's all moot when I pop in a HD DVD or Blu ray disc because they absolutely blow your socks off compared to anything else

I went with the Oppo 970 as well. While I agree, the Oppo upconverting is not as good as the Pio 6070, the Oppo is much better at 480i than my old philips DVD player, and it didn't cost 400 or more for a format that may or may not be around in a year or two. I'll wait till the war is over, and then go HD...maybe. The DVD's look great out of the oppo.

Actually its not costing $400.00 or more dollars as you stated.

An Oppo player is average between $200.00 and $240.00, the new Toshiba HD-DVD A2 player can be had for $379.00 that would be a differance of between $139.00 to as high as $179.00.

It seems odd that someone would spend all that money on a nice plasma but not see the advantage of spending an extra 139.00 dollars to be able to up-convert better AND be able to play HD-DVDs as well.

As far as who wins the format wars your going to wait a year or two to save a $139.00,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and you will go HD "maybe",,,,,,,,,, OK, never mind,,,,,, I will just stop typing now.

Davyo

davyo,

You got that right, I dont know if the Toshiba deal is still on, but right around xmas,
if you purchased a new HD DVD player they threw in *3 HD DVD's (about $75 value)
making the spread between the Oppo about $60-$100...and talk about supporting a dying technology
...SD DVD is just that! Why invest another $240 in the future 8-track player of digital video devices...specially if you already have a DVD player.

I dont get the whole "wait and see" on the HD format war thing either,
both technologies are going to be around for at least a couple more years.
The losing format (if there ever is a loser) will still work after the war is over,
and if you get an A2, it willl still play your HD DVD's as well as upconvert SD DVD's,
if you get a PS3 it will continue to play Blu Ray movies in addition to being a gaming console and a web browser for your TV.

...Not to mention there are close to 400 titles combined in HD/BD right now,
likely to be another 400 within the next 1-2 years.

PS3=$500
A2-$380

That gives you a Total HD package and upconverter and game console
for less than $900. Even if both technologies die a horrible death after 2 years
you only paid $1.23/day...less than most people pay for cable

If both technologies survive for 3 years or more, the price per day gets even lower.

* Yes, the Toshiba 3 free HD DVD deal is still on:
http://web1.toshiba.ca/toshibahddvd/completeHDoffer.php
...Expires Feb.28/07...at least in Canada, not sure about the US

Well, you did forget 1 important fact...the cost for HD-DVD and BR does not just stop there...now you have to buy or rent movies...it is like the little guy in Ice Age 2...he puts a finger in a leak on the damn to plug it and another leak pops a few inches away. To many people $1000 is a lot of money, so buying a $175 dollar DVD player, (shipped), is going to be much easier on their budjet short term, and likely hold them over until the new technology comes down in the future.

For me, the main reason for waiting is the stupid studios. If they didn't pull that exclusive content crap, I would be more than happy to support one or the other. I really don't want 2 additional components on my rack unless I have to, so for me it is much better to hold off until price drops occur, or studios start supporting both formats completely.

Oh, sorry

Where is it that your are buying/renting SD DVD's for free?

Blu Ray's and HD DVD's can be had for the same cost as many SD DVD new releases these days, and rental prices at Block Buster here are no different

I still believe you're getting a superior SD DVD player with the Toshiba,
and for $60-$100 more than an Oppo...an almost free HD DVD player

Actually the Oppo 970 only costs 149, so that's a difference of 250, and I don't have an expensive doorstop when one or the other formats are discontinued.

LOL!
Why is it people dont realize HD players dont magically stop working
if and when the format war ends?

How is it that the 300-400 HD titles suddenly become useless?
How is it anymore obsolete as a SD DVD player
...when it still plays SD DVD's better than the Oppo.

Is the Oppo not just as much a door stop for having a dying technology?

even $250 is a drop in the bucket over 2 years
(dont forget the $75 worth of free HD DVD's) <$175>

Would you go back to SD analog basic cable over HDTV via STB to save $10 a month?
How much is an HDTV STB to purchase these days? ....about $250?

I know it may seem like since I dropped how ever much cash I did on the 5070 that a HD-DVD player should be no problem, but I just prefer to wait. I'm sure the players are getter better, and I figure by the end of the year prices will have dropped and I'll take a look then. In between now and then I'll just be happy with the improvement of a 50 inch plasma over a 27 inch RCA crt.

I already own hundreds of SD-DVD's, and the Oppo makes them look great eventhough I'm just feeding 480i over HDMI. I don't see a need to buy a player right now that will cost an extra 250, just so I can start buying HD disks that aren't the greatest movies ever made just so I can have an HD source. In 2-3 years, HD players (both or which ever format survives) will be about $100, and the disks will be about 15-20 dollars, and then I can justify moving to a different format. Until then, I don't see a big enough improvement in PQ to justify the cost of a player and new disks. That's just me, and if you're happy with it then I'm happy for you. The OP asked what we were using and why, so I told him, and I don't regret my choice.

I'm just glad I haven't seen an HD-DVD player or BR in action, otherwise I sure I would have gone with one of those right now instead of just wait for awhile. It's nice not to know any better some times.
The only reason got the 5070 pio in the first place was because I finally saw HD on my parents tv while they were watching the Cowboy's game. I don't even like football that much and I sat down and watched the whole game because it looked so good. What I really want is some Premiership action in HD but I live in the wrong country for that.

[quote=Chris Hansen]Thanks for the suggestions.


Toshiba HD DVD/PS3/HD STB/ HDMI 7.1 AVR would be a perfect combo.

That is what I had until last night. The 50" Vizio HD blew its top. Now.. am thinking about getting the PIO 5070. Your thoughts please?

FYI....this offer is still available in the US:
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd/da...Rebate_R08.pdf
http://www.toshibahddvd.com/

adding a 5070? and you already have the rest?
I cant imagine a better choice, (other than maybe a 1080p FHD1 Pro)

My only mistake/buyers remorse was thinking I "needed" an upconverter for the 5070,
and wasted $120 on a DV-490v

and wasted another $200 on the XBOX HD DVD add-on
...that doesnt have HDMI or 5.1 analog audio outputs for the new HD Audio tracks
(DD+ and DD TrueHD lossless)
the XBOX Add-On converts ALL audio tracks (even DTS) to standard DD 5.1

...Thats almost enough ($320) to have purchased a Toshiba A2 that has it all and more in a single component.

Do not click the first link in Piomaniac's sig then...

davyo

"its been posted more than a few times in this forum that the HD-DVD up-converts a SD DVD better than the Oppo if not just as well."

come on guy, almost every post I've read on the 5070 says to send it 480I and let the great scaler in the Pioneer handle the up-conversion. So the 970 doesn't have the best scaler in the world, who cares if you don't use it because you've got the Pioneers Scaler. Aside from a pretty good scaler the Oppo is amazing. Is your Toshiba up-converting to 768 or are you upconverting it to something else then letting your Pioneer convert it a second time? Doesn't two conversions create more unwanted visuals than one conversion?

I agree, I'd bet the HD DVD beats the piss out of SD DVD but let's keep it real.