[Mike2567]

Does anyone have much experience watching Superbit DVDs with a progressive scan player? If so what did you find--


--is the combination a real winner? How close to HD quality?


--is progressive scan with a regular DVD better than a Superbit DVD on an interlaced player? i.e. which enhancement makes more of a difference relative to your basid DVD and interlaced scan?


--has anyone used one of the lower priced ($300) progressive scan players? (Sound&Vision Oct. 2001 rates a couple of them pretty high)


My Scottish ancestry won't let me spend money on a progressive scan player when the old one seems to work perfectly fine. So I need to do some research.

 

[DBNyack]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike2567 Does anyone have much experience watching Superbit DVDs with a progressive scan player? If so what did you find-- --is the combination a real winner? How close to HD quality? --is progressive scan with a regular DVD better than a Superbit DVD on an interlaced player? i.e. which enhancement makes more of a difference relative to your basid DVD and interlaced scan? --has anyone used one of the lower priced ($300) progressive scan players? (Sound&Vision Oct. 2001 rates a couple of them pretty high) My Scottish ancestry won't let me spend money on a progressive scan player when the old one seems to work perfectly fine. So I need to do some research.

All I can say is I was curious so I got the Airforce One Superbit DVD. Playing it on my Denon 2800, it's practically the best darn video quality I've ever seen comparing to my about 300 disc collection. Definitely the closest to HDTV from a DVD I've ever seen. The audio is excellent too, but I still have The Mummy Returns as my favorite audio track. If it helps to give a perspective though, the DTS track on Airforce One was far superior to the Dolby EX track on The Phantom Menace disc.

 

[BSteinke]

I too was curious about the new SuperBit so I went for the Fifth Element as a trial. I didn't really do direct comparisons with the old version because I think that Bjoern Roy's threads re: said comparison are pretty much definitive.


Anyway, through my Toshiba 6200 in progressive mode I thought the picture was really excellent, definitely a worthwhile step up from the old disc. For me, however, the biggest difference was the DTS soundtrack - it was so much more involving, as real "sit up and take notice" kind of difference.


I am definitely buying the SB versions of CTHD and AFO and I can't wait to see which ones are next!


Brian

 

[whewtoo]

Since purchasing 4 of the superbits...I now pass on buying 'regular' DVD's that I may have purchased in the past. DTS audio is the #1 feature for me. Played on my DV-37 and run thru the Onkyo 989 these superbits overall satisfy me more than most HDTV programs (video approaches good HD but the DTS audio mixes surpass anything being passed along with an HD picture).


I look forward to replacing many DVD's in the future with superbits. My collection is at 300+ discs - and not having the time, I never watch DVD extras.

 

[Prosumer.tv]

There's definitely much more information in the Superbit version of Fifth Element than in the regular. I was able to do an A/B comparison and I found both image detail and soundtrack quality to be a marked improvement over the vanilla version.


I use a Panasonic RP56 and a Toshiba 34HF81 HDTV display and after playing with both extensively yesterday, watching the Fifth Element for the like fifth and sixth time, I can say the combination is nothing short of amazing.


BTW, any of you who have been waiting to upgrade your old Sony DVP-S7700 for a progressive-scan player, I have to tell you that the latter is simply no match for the RP56.


After paying $1000 for the DVP-S7700 in '99 and only $250 for the Panny, you have to marvel at the speed at which technology is improving.