[Augmont]

HD DVD and Blue-Ray are not in my budget this year and I just purchased a Sammy HDTV (HL-S6187W) with 1080p.


I thought that an up converting player would/can satisfy my need for the next 12 months. Not know anything about them, i thought i'd asked for some opinions.


Can you guys recommend a few so i can research? Price will be a factor.


This unit will be a secondary player since my primary player is a recorder and my better half backs up lots of tv programming for friends and family.


Also, how much better will the PQ be than a progressive DVD player? If it's minimal, i probably wouldn't get one. but if is noticably different, then i would.

 

[louthewiz]

Well I just got an oppo hd970 and it buries the panasonic 480p player that I have and my samsung hd-841 upscaling dvd player and the picture is a huge difference so if you are going to get one get an oppo, for the price of $149.00 it is an incredible value.

 

[Augmont]



Quote:
Originally Posted by louthewiz /forum/post/0


Well I just got an oppo hd970 and it buries the panasonic 480p player that I have and my samsung hd-841 upscaling dvd player and the picture is a huge difference so if you are going to get one get an oppo, for the price of $149.00 it is an incredible value.

thanks......


What's your tv type? DLP, Plasma, or LCD?

 

[louthewiz]

I have a panasonic crt hdtv and an epson lcd projector and the 970 looks stunning on both displays.

 

[Anodyne]

I'm also looking for a new DVD player (upconverting/HDMI). I'd like the Oppo but I have a BestBuy gift card that is burning a hole in my wallet. Rather than fork out the money for an Oppo, I'd like a recommendation on the best brick and mortar retail option (Best Buy, in particular) under $200. I'd be using it with a Sony 34XBR970.

 

[RetRoe]

BB carries the Sony DVP-NS75H which is an upconverting/HDMI DVD player (onsale for $116.99 at their online store). If you tell them this they will check it and match the price to what their price is online. I can't say for sure if the oppo is any better but a lot of people in this forum like the sony. My guess is its on-par with the oppo as far as PQ goes.

 

[BillP]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RetRoe /forum/post/0


BB carries the Sony DVP-NS75H which is an upconverting/HDMI DVD player (onsale for $116.99 at their online store). If you tell them this they will check it and match the price to what their price is online. I can't say for sure if the oppo is any better but a lot of people in this forum like the sony. My guess is its on-par with the oppo as far as PQ goes.

Actually, although the Sony is a good player and a great value, most prefer the Oppo for PQ.

 

[jwebb1970]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Anodyne /forum/post/0


I'm also looking for a new DVD player (upconverting/HDMI). I'd like the Oppo but I have a BestBuy gift card that is burning a hole in my wallet. Rather than fork out the money for an Oppo, I'd like a recommendation on the best brick and mortar retail option (Best Buy, in particular) under $200. I'd be using it with a Sony 34XBR970.

I picked up the Sony that RetRoe mentioned (DVP-NS75H) from BB.


I had considered ordering an Oppo after all the glowing reviews their players get here (and elsewhere). But the PQ from my older Panny p.scan changer still looked really nice on my Hitachi CRT RPTV (51F59A). Figured that upscaled DVD wasn't gonna make a $150-$200 PQ improvement over what I had.


On New Year's Day (after clearing out the last of the XMAS crap), the wife and I did some living room re-arranging. New corner unit fit all A/V stuff nicely except the Panny DVD changer (too wide). This was my impetus to go with an upconverting player. BB had the Sony (also well received) on sale for $108 that day. The NS75H, an 8 ft HDMI cable for 30 bucks from the Target across the street (wasn't paying BB almost as much/more than the Sony for a stinkin' "premium" cable!) and tax on both pretty much equaled what I would have spent on the Oppo online. Plus, if the Sony sucked, I could just take it back to BB.


Well, the Sony looks and sounds great on my Hitachi. I noticed an improvement over the old Panny right away. Not a massive leap forward in PQ, but a noticable improvement. Some DVDs do look better than others. Depends on the mastering job done to them, I imagine. I compared my Star Wars DVDs with the HD broadcasts from Cinemax. Virtually indistinguishable from a normal viewing distance.


If you can, give 'em both a shot. Then return what your own two eyes deem the lesser of the two. If simply high quality DVD PQ is what you're after, I wouldn't let the extras on the Oppo be a deciding factor.

 

[notlad]

I have a question regarding DVD players with an HDMI output. If you are outputting through the HDMI output to a projector that doesn't need the audio signal imbedded in that output, does the DVD player still simultaneously output the digital audio on the regular coaxial or optical digital audio outputs to go through your amp?

 

[Augmont]

Anyone running an up converting player on a Samsung DLP 1080p? wondering if the HDMI hook up over the component is a better PQ.

 

[marcusm750]



Quote:
Originally Posted by notlad /forum/post/0


I have a question regarding DVD players with an HDMI output. If you are outputting through the HDMI output to a projector that doesn't need the audio signal imbedded in that output, does the DVD player still simultaneously output the digital audio on the regular coaxial or optical digital audio outputs to go through your amp?

Yes. My Panny 'S77, Oppo '970HD and Sammy all do that. All my players do simultaneous output via coax and/or optical. I run a projector too that doesn't need the audio via HDMI.

 

[marcusm750]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Augmont /forum/post/0


...wondering if the HDMI hook up over the component is a better PQ.

It will be. HDMI keeps it in the digital domain where it belongs. No D/A and A/D conversions like with component which can introduce noise and error.

 

[Augmont]



Quote:
Originally Posted by marcusm750 /forum/post/0


It will be. HDMI keeps it in the digital domain where it belongs. No D/A and A/D conversions like with component which can introduce noise and error.

I totally understand that from a spec. stand point. I was wondering from an actual user if they noticed a difference from when they first had component, then switched over to HDMI.


I have a panny now with only component and was wondering if was worth upgrading. Everyone says buy both but my cash flow dam (my wife) doesn't work that way.

 

[steind]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Augmont /forum/post/0


Anyone running an up converting player on a Samsung DLP 1080p? wondering if the HDMI hook up over the component is a better PQ.

I have a 5687 from sammy paired with a 1080p upconverting sammy DVD, the HD-960. The picture quality to me looks much better than it did with my Toshiba progressive scan over components. The HDMI gives you a much sharper picture than the softer image over components. The only comparison I can give witht he sammy 1080p DLP's is to a sony N75. The picture quality between my player and a friends with the same TV looked to be about equal, despite mine outputting 1080p vs. 1080i. Can't comment on the Oppo quality with the DLP's. Be warned though, if you get an upconverting player with the Faroudja DCDi scaler, like the HD-960 and some of the Oppo's, you have to properly calibrate your TV to minimize macroblocking since DLP's run the risk of enhancing macroblocking from the upconversion process.


Steind

 

[Augmont]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steind /forum/post/0


I have a 5687 from sammy paired with a 1080p upconverting sammy DVD, the HD-960. The picture quality to me looks much better than it did with my Toshiba progressive scan over components. The HDMI gives you a much sharper picture than the softer image over components. The only comparison I can give witht he sammy 1080p DLP's is to a sony N75. The picture quality between my player and a friends with the same TV looked to be about equal, despite mine outputting 1080p vs. 1080i. Can't comment on the Oppo quality with the DLP's. Be warned though, if you get an upconverting player with the Faroudja DCDi scaler, like the HD-960 and some of the Oppo's, you have to properly calibrate your TV to minimize macroblocking since DLP's run the risk of enhancing macroblocking from the upconversion process.


Steind

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a lot. It really helps in my decision moving forward.

 

[StinDaWg]

Refurb Oppo 970HD for $119.


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