Hi friends. I am relatively new here and also don't live on my computer, but i have posted a bit on HTS also. I just wanted to comment on the Philips DVDQ50AT. I have read a lot of posts the last couple of weeks and it kind of piqued my interest. Anyway, to make a long story at least somewhat shorter, I purchased and have been auditioning one of these little gems the last few days. This players is beautiful, well constructed ( a billet like brushed aluminim framed front bezel), and it has superb video quality. I have played 18 or 20 dvd's so far, including some "previously owned" ones from Blockbuster. No "freezing", no skips, no hangups. Just pristine video and the audio is an unexpected bonus. Very defined, clear, full, rich. I hear nuances and details in movies and music that were muddy before. You should see/hear "Diana Krall- Live In Paris"! I have an older JVC XV501BK, a Panasonic DVD-C220D 5 disc changer (very good video for non-progressive scan), a Philips DVD580MT compact upright model, and three Apex units of various vintage for giggles. (Hey, for $40 at Walmart they play jpegs and SVCD's)
Anyway, this Philips DVDQ50AT is a fabulous unit. The component output in progressive scan with the Farouda DCDI enabled is excellent! For $148 to $200 or so on line in various places this player is a bargain considering it listed for $500 list. I was looking for a player to supply a good signal to my Hitachi 57WXW20B HDTV until the new Hi def dvd's and players arrive with either DVI or that other connection scheme, and this Philips is just the ticket. It is not a cheap unit. Apparently designed to compete with pricey European brands and higher end world models from Pioneer, Panasonic and Sony, this Philips unit kicks butt. So if you were wondering like me if the talk about freezing and what not is something to be concerned about, so far it isn;t for the one i have. They are still available NEW, not refurb, right from Philips on their web site. Beware that some other on line vendors are selling "refurb" units that may have the freeze bug,and for higher prices. There are several downloadable firmware updates for that also though! So, I felt secure enough to make this purchase. ( I did download the firmware updates to have on hand in case i did develope a problem, but so far okay! )
I purchased and took back the following models over the holidays:
Sony NC685 (soft video , cinema modes suck, a bit smoother on some edges here and there than my 5 year old Panasonic but not worth the other vicdeo softness.)
Panasonic F85 ( again soft picture, not very sharp, audio was ok but not great)
Pioneer 563SA ( wanted to try the Super Audio CD thing a gain. Picture way too soft lacked detail, clean color but SOFT picture. Sound overall wasn't all that great either, even with SACD.)
This Philips unit has very detailed video performance and very clean, clear audio performance.
I have had home theater and upper end audio systems in my home since 1983. I stiill use my Bob Carver designed Phase Linear 700B ( over 350 watts RMS/channel) for my front driving amp. I also have two Pioneer laser disc players in fine working condition. Boy, did video come a long way since VHS, huh!
I hope this info helps anyone looking for a good, inexpensive, well performing progressive scan dvd player with the Farouda DCDI chip.