Skyworth HVD-3050

[Li On]

Hi,

Last night we tried the new Skyworth HVD-3050 on a Sony G70.

The HVD-3050 plays ALL DVDs. Has 3 RCAs component AND 15pin VGA port (NO DVI out). The VGA port outputs BOTH component and RGBHV depends on the selected output resolution. Selectable output resolutions are:

1. standard 480i interlace for both PAL/NTSC (component out ONLY)
2. 480p/576p progressive (component out ONLY)
3. 1080i (component out ONLY)
4. 720p (component out ONLY)
5. VGA (720x480?) (RGBHV ONLY)
6. SVGA (800x600) (RGBHV ONLY)

We only tested the 720p component out (via the 15pin VGA port). The player has NO picture adjustment control.

Picture quality is very good! :) No scaling artifacts. Smooth and clear. Very low noise level. Color looks smooth and rich. NO Edge Enhancement artifact. Resolves all AVIA Resolution patterns. No overscan. Only -0.07 Y/C delay.

3/2 pulldown detection looks very GOOD. IMO as good as a Faroudja chip. Video deinterlace looks like a DVDO performance which is fine IMO. 2/2 pulldown on NTSC is a bit lacking though.

It also does frame-rate conversion and plays PAL DVD at the same output resolution at 60Hz.

Besides, there is NO CHROMA BUG effect whatsoever! Very nice! :)

Compared to the reference HTPC setup at the same 720p resolution. The 3050 looks softer. But some people may prefer the 3050 more film-like tone! Or you may need to put some sharpness control on the display device.

[b]HVD[/v] - what is HVD? I don't know! It's another form of EVD (what is EVD?). I haven't seen EVD so I can't compare them. This 3050 HVD player comes with 3 HVD discs bundled.

2 HVD discs are Chinese/Hong Kong movies. 1 bad and 1 good. The bad HVD looks worse than most good quality normal DVD. The good HVD movie looks BETTER than the best looking DVD. It has a HDTV quality feeling. Not the best looking HDTV, but decent.

The third HVD disc has some scenery demo clips. This one looks stunning! Almost like some excellent HDTV show.

You can check some photos at this thread there http://www.avbuzz.com/bbs/av/diss.php?tid=14080

All in all, it's FUN! :)

regards,

Li On

[mrwilson]

What are the titles of those HVD discs?

[Crusher]

Hi, Li On,

I wonder the 720p and 1080i output. Could you get full screen picture on a 4:3 screen when playing 4:3 video source DVD? You know some 720p and 1080i outputs expect 16:9 display only and force 4:3 image to show anamorphically at the centre with vertical black bars on left and right.

[kraine]

Hi Li On, do you have any idea where I can order this dvd player online ?

[pww118]

Hey Li On, can you get hold of a LG DV-7832/Zenith DVB318 HD DVD player to compare with this HVD player over their 1080i performance?

Thanks

Phil

[Li On]

Hi Crusher,

The player has no aspect ratio control (except anamorphic downconvert to letterbox). On your CRT projector, you need to setup differences picture memory (size/position) on the projector for 4:3 fullscreen and anamorphic.

On a 16x9 digital projector, it depends on the projector aspect ratio control. Most digital projector has NO aspect ratio control in native mode (720p) so and 4:3/letterbox will have a dissort picture, just like the Denon 5900/A11.

regards,

Li On

PS: when will you come, with all the DVD I wanted! You know my number! :)

[edmond]

Li On,

Great report, i am glad that i got one on my last trip to Hong Kong.

Edmond

[Crusher]

Li On,

Thanks for your reply. I guess you mean I can get a 1080i 4:3 full screen with 4:3 source DVD using a 3050.

Let's meet at Hon's shop tomorrow (Friday) after work.

[hd_fan_2003]

Hi,

As I know, Skyworth HVD-3050 can output XGA/SXGA, even 1080P with a small firmware upgrade, no hardware change needed. I am trying to find the upgrade firmware now.

[E Jackson]

Originally posted by kraine
Hi Li On, do you have any idea where I can order this dvd player online ?

Ditto.

Originally posted by pww118
Hey Li On, can you get hold of a LG DV-7832/Zenith DVB318 HD DVD player to compare with this HVD player over their 1080i performance?

Thanks

Phil

Me, too. And how about a Norcent 501 or Liteon 2001?

[Li On]

Hi kwokyan,

Though we all know these online retailers but I thought it maybe against forum rule to post their direct link...

regards,

Li On

[Ewong]

He is always repeating this practice not only in this forum but also in review33 and avbuzz. We all knew Kwokyan is the boss of hivizone.

[timoth]

Hi Li On

Do you have the ability to try this with an LCD projector like the panasonic ae300

If so is it great?

It seems that 720 p or 1080i via component is the way to go for best picture quality

Thanks

[kwokyan]

Hi, timoth,

I compared Skyworth 3050 and Momitsu V880 using Sanyo Z2. The 720p DVI output of V880 is better than 720p component output of 3050 in terms of clarity and noise level. If you are using a projector with a DVI input, say, Panasonic AE300, AE500 and Sanyo Z2, DVI connection should be the way to go for better picutre quality.

[mark_k]

Li On:
Do you mean that I can plug this DVD via VGA cable directly to my PJ's VGA, which accepts both component and RGBHV, and still giving me those 720P' pic?
Sorry for my ignorance but BuzztheLightyear's report did not specify this cos he is using a CRT projector

[mark_k]

Li On
Sorry for my ignorance and I found my answer in your thread..................

[kwokyan]

Hi, E Jackson,

I sent pm to you. Please check your inbox.

Originally posted by E Jackson
Ditto.



Me, too. And how about a Norcent 501 or Liteon 2001?

[wojtek]

If this player has no picture controls, how does it differentiate between a 4:3 and a 16:9 display?

If I set my Skyworth 1050D DVD player to 4:3, all movies are so narrow (squished) on my 16:9 Sampo CRT that I cannot compensate for that with TV's picture controls.

How does the new Skyworth handle this if you cannot choose the display aspect ratio in its menu???

[Brian Dickie]

Hi,

I'm not quite sure why you'd want to set the dvd aspect to 4:3 on a 16:9 tv ...... you should set the dvd to 16:9 as well.

Has anyone tried the svga (rgbhv) output onto a crt projector ? I'd be interested in that option for a projector with 7inch tubes.

[wojtek]

Originally posted by Brian Dickie
Hi,

I'm not quite sure why you'd want to set the dvd aspect to 4:3 on a 16:9 tv ...... you should set the dvd to 16:9 as well.


I don't.

But sometimes my Skyworth spontaneously resets itself to its default mode: all Chinese menus and 4:3 aspect ratio.

I wade thru the Chinese menus to set it back to 16:9.

That's how I know that DVDs don't look good if the output is set to 4:3 and the display is 16:9.

Back to my original question: does the new Skyworth have aspect ratio controls?

[leslie]

I've been wondering about replacing my Skyworth 1050P which has worked perfectly for me since August, 2001. My display is a Panasonic 50" Plasma (1366 x 768) without DVI so I have to use component cables (the pin input doesn't work).

I've read a number of posts, but still can't decide which player might be best, Momitsu or Skyworth. I've even read about the new Samsung to be released "real soon." I use my preamp to switch component signals, as well as to route all my audio to my surround system so audio capabilities are not useful to me.

I want a player without the chroma bug and I especially like the Faroudja chip so I want it. Any advice, guys?
Leslie

[leslie]

bump

[Josh Z]

So does anyone have any info on what the HVD discs themselves are? Is this a high-def format, and if so which resolution?

[nyg]

Originally posted by mrwilson
What are the titles of those HVD discs?

Ditto. This question never got answered.

[nyg]

Originally posted by Li On
You can check some photos at this thread there http://www.avbuzz.com/bbs/av/diss.php?tid=14080

Oh Lord, I've never seen so many smilies in all my life! I tried to figure out what all of those people were talking about even though I don't know chinese. I've got to take a break and get rid of this headache now.

[Larry Davis]

Members are not allowed to place ads in their posts. The correct method is to place an ad by contacting administrator David Bott. If anyone sees a member placing an ad, please report the post using the "report this post to a moderator" link in the lower right corner of that post. Your identity will be kept confidential amongst the forum staff. Thanks!

[kwokyan]

Originally posted by amelie
Ditto. This question never got answered.

Hi,

There are no HVD titles released yet. However, Skyworth 3050 is bundled with 3 HVD titles (Hong Kong movies "Heroic Duo", "My Dream Girl" and 1 demonstration disc).

[rwestley]

I just found this like with pictures for this player if anyone is interested.
I would love to see a review and get more information.

http://www.avbuzz.com/eq/3050/3050.htm

[Burtz]

I have just ordered one for my Panasonic AE500 so I will let you know how it goes. It will be replacing my 963SA which I find with PAL discs the hacked 1080i firmware over component tends to flicker.

[nyg]

Originally posted by kwokyan
Skyworth 3050 is bundled with 3 HVD titles (Hong Kong movies "Heroic Duo", "My Dream Girl" and 1 demonstration disc).

Many thanks!

[Josh Z]

And still no one can answer what resolution format the HVD discs are?

[nyg]

Originally posted by kwokyan
Skyworth 3050 is bundled with 3 HVD titles (Hong Kong movies "Heroic Duo", "My Dream Girl" and 1 demonstration disc).

By chance do those 3 HVD discs include English subs? Forget to ask that earlier.

[boatman]

Has anyone gotten the Skyworth 3050 yet? Looking to upgrade from my current Skyworth 1050P.

leslie have you heard anything?

[Burtz]

I have one on pre-order from Hong Kong but they have changed the new stock arrival date three times - first late May, then 10 June , now it says 15 June - today is the 17th and no news yet.

[leslie]

Thanks for posting. I'm dying to hear someone's review of the machine!
Leslie

[kwokyan]

Originally posted by 720p
By chance do those 3 HVD discs include English subs? Forget to ask that earlier.

Hi, 720p,

The 3 bundled HVDs do not have English subtitles.

[rlam01]

Nice pics! :)

[kwokyan]

Originally posted by Burtz
I have one on pre-order from Hong Kong but they have changed the new stock arrival date three times - first late May, then 10 June , now it says 15 June - today is the 17th and no news yet.

Hi, Burtz,

Have you got your Skyworth 3050? The stock is available now.

[Burtz]

Thanks Kwokyan

I just had an email today to say the unit has shipped. So I am looking forward to trying it with my projector.

Do you know when the Momitsu 880N might be in stock?

[Burtz]

If you have been following this thread, you'll know I pre-ordered the HVD-3050. The good news is it arrived this morning, the bad news is the disc tray will not open. The tray is very thin and nothing seems to be impeding its motion. Anyone have any ideas? I can get a menu on screen and every thing else seems find just a DOA disc tray. How annoying!!

[boatman]

What bad luck. I was hoping to read a review from you this morning, not a problem with the loader tray. I hope it's just a one off problem. Let us know what happens.

[Josh Z]

I received both the Skyworth HVD-3050 and EVD-8830 a few days ago and have been extensively testing both this weekend. I will be writing a full head-to-head review that will be published by the first of the month, but the short answer is that the Skyworth is definitely the better of the two.

The Skyworth's deinterlacing is not up to Faroudja's standards, but it's pretty good. Scaling quality to both 720p and 1080i also looks good, I think with a preference towards 1080i. The player's functionality has a few minor quirks but no deal-killers. I like most things about it, and it will be my default region-free player from now on. I don't hesistate to recommend it.

FYI, the two HVD discs included are encoded at 1080i resolution, but the player can scale them to any output resolution, all the way down to 480i (I have an S-video cable connected from the player to an old TV on the side of the room, and the HVDs display fine on it).

More in-depth details to come in a few days.

[wojtek]

Josh, when you review the new Skyworth, can you indicate whether you can choose the display aspect ratio on it?

Thx

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by wojtek
Josh, when you review the new Skyworth, can you indicate whether you can choose the display aspect ratio on it?

The Skyworth has all the same features as a regular DVD player, so yes you can tell it whether you have a 4:3 screen or a 16:9 screen and it will convert to non-anamorphic letterbox if necessary (for a 4:3 set).

The player does not offer any pillarbox or zoom modes for watching 4:3 and non-anamorphic content on a 16:9 screen, unfortunately.

[Burtz]

Just a note on my DOA disc tray in my Skyworth 3050 player. It seems I may have it sorted - I took it with my projector to panasonic to get serviced and asked them to have a look at it , one of the techs had worked on these before and just had to re-time the mechanism!

So hopefully fixed but am travelling for a week and won't be able to test it til next Wednesday!!

[Larry Dickman]

I have just connected one of these players to my X1. I have one question (which to you pros may appear a little dumb....). When I play a 4:3 DVD on 720 or 1080 it appears that the image on the screen 'shrinks' somewhat.
What would be the cause of this?
Thanks.

[boatman]

Ordered my HVD-3050 about an hour ago. I've had the 1050 about 2 years and love it. I will help with the reviews when I receive it.

[AVJ]

Hi all AVS friends !

Have anyone of you tested the Skyworth HVD-3050 (or HVD-3250) or GIEC GK-3118's 1080i output on Sanyo Z1 projector ? (using Component video connection)

Will these players' "upscaling" (i.e. on ordinary DVDs, not HVD) to 1080i really look MUCH better than those middle price players' (e.g. Philips 963SA) at 480p/575p ???!

Looking for opinion & advice !!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by Larry Dickman
I have just connected one of these players to my X1. I have one question (which to you pros may appear a little dumb....). When I play a 4:3 DVD on 720 or 1080 it appears that the image on the screen 'shrinks' somewhat.
What would be the cause of this?
Thanks.

The output 1080i or 720p signals are natively 16:9. Unfortunately, the Skyworth does not offer an ability to pillarbox 4:3 content in the center of that 16:9 frame.

For 4:3 content, you'll have to switch down to 480p output (assuming your TV doesn't lock into 16:9 mode on 480p as well).

My full review is online today at Connected Home Magazine (http://www.connectedhomemag.com). The story is called "High Definition DVD - Available Now". Here's the direct link to the article:

http://www.connectedhomemag.com/HomeTheater/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=43123

[trbarry]

Josh -

Great review.

Did you ever find out what format an HVD disc is. I would really love to know if it is some red laser format where I could burn my own hidef HVD's for this player using some available codec.

Please anyone feel free to jump in here. ;)

- Tom

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by trbarry
Did you ever find out what format an HVD disc is. I would really love to know if it is some red laser format where I could burn my own hidef HVD's for this player using some available codec.

The player's box makes a vague mention of MPEG2 at 1080i resolution (as does the EVD box). Other than that, I've had a lot of difficultly getting good technical information about these formats, which is why I bit the bullet and decided to observe their performance for myself.

[trbarry]

Are the sample HVD discs readable at all in a PC?

Still exploring the idea it's maybe just a standard red laser format with higher rez.

- Tom

[mrwilson]

I know this isn't much help but I remember reading a press release regarding one of the *VD formats. They said it was using a codec from an American company. For the life of me I can't remember their name, seemed like a smaller company. They did have a version of that codec available for download for PC on their web site. So there is some hope of using Windoes Media Player to play these discs. Try googling for EVD/HVD, it was in one of those Sino/China news site articles.

[dr1394]

mrwilson,

You're thinking of On2 (formerly Duck). However, the EVD folks (E-World)
couldn't get off square one with VP6 due to no real-time encoders and no
decoder chips. They bailed on On2 -

http://www.on2.com/pressreleases.php3?qs1=eworld_arbitration

and went to LSI Logic for some good old MPEG-2.

I'm one of the developers at LSI for the EVD HD MPEG-2 encoder. The EVD discs
bundled with the Shinco player are encoded with MPEG-2 video at 720p@24.

I'm not sure what format the HVD discs are. I thought they were just high
bitrate (15 Mbps video) SD, but I can't confirm that. EDIT. The silicon
company for HVD is Amlogic:

http://www.amlogic.com

If you read the product description of their decoder, it mentions 720p/1080i
output (as in upscaling), but not 1080i/720p decoding.

Ron

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by trbarry
Are the sample HVD discs readable at all in a PC?

No, they have some sort of propriety encryption scheme. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm not a computer programmer.

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by dr1394
I'm one of the developers at LSI for the EVD HD MPEG-2 encoder. The EVD discs
bundled with the Shinco player are encoded with MPEG-2 video at 720p@24.

That's interesting. The box claims 1080i, and the player is only capable of output at 1080i.

I'm not sure what format the HVD discs are. I thought they were just high
bitrate (15 Mbps video) SD, but I can't confirm that. EDIT. The silicon
company for HVD is Amlogic:

http://www.amlogic.com

If you read the product description of their decoder, it mentions 720p/1080i
output (as in upscaling), but not 1080i/720p decoding.

Well, watching the discs, they are definitely not just upscaled. The picture is sharper and more detailed than regular DVDs upscaled in the same player. They look like true HD to me.

edit: I think you may be reading too much into the word "output". The site is obviously written by someone for whom English is a secondary language. There isn't anything on the page that excludes the possibility that the player decodes 1080i and 720p in order to output it.

The official web site for HVD is www.hvd.cn, which is primarily in Chinese, however it does clearly have a logo referring to the product as "High-definition Versatile Disc" (Previous press releases have called it "High-Clearness Video Disc").

[kjack]

If you read the product description of their decoder, it mentions 720p/1080ioutput (as in upscaling), but not 1080i/720p decoding.

True, their chip spec only indicates MPEG-2 MP@ML decoding, with some HVD stuff being done on the ARM CPU (copy protection?). Maybe HVD adds some "enhancement info" to MPEG-2?

[trbarry]

No, they have some sort of propriety encryption scheme. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm not a computer programmer.

I didn't really expect to be able to play it. But what happens if you put it into a PC (or Linux) DVD drive and try to open or explore it. Can you list any files by any chance?

- Tom

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by trbarry
I didn't really expect to be able to play it. But what happens if you put it into a PC (or Linux) DVD drive and try to open or explore it. Can you list any files by any chance?

Well, I put it into my PC and on the disc is a file folder called HVD_TS. When I open that, Windows Media Player launches (a good sign), but is unable to play the content. It comes out looking scrambled and then Media Player crashes. I see that some of the programs in the folder are .mpg file types. When I try to play one of those, Windows Media Player launches again but gives the error message "Cannot play back the file. The format is not supported."

[Josh Z]

I have been playing around some more with my two available HVD discs tonight, and unfortunately I don't think I'm quite as enthused about the format as I was after my initial impressions. Neither of the two movies looks that much better than a regular DVD in terms of sharpness or detail. I can't tell whether that's because of the format itself, because both movies just happen to have a soft-focus photographic look, or because the movies have been heavily filtered to avoid compression artifacts. I suspect the latter, or some combination of the three.

I'm pretty sure the format's native resolution is not regular old 720x480. When I set the player for 480i or 480p output, it is obvious that the HVD discs are being downscaled, as fine details in the image start to shimmer or look jagged. When I set for either 720p or 1080i output the picture details fill back in. Regular DVD playback at both resolutions looks fine.

Assuming the format is natively high-def, I can't tell whether it is supposed to be 720p or 1080i. I think 720p looks a little better, but that might just be the interaction with my display causing that impression.

I've sent an email to Amlogic support asking them if they can clarify HVD's native resolution. If they respond, I'll post the details here.

[kjack]

If the Amlogic chip could decode HD MPEG-2, I would think they would advertise MP@HL instead of MP@ML and also pick up the EVD business.

Thinking about it, it wouldn't surprise me if the content was 960x540 or something like that. That would keep the bit rate reasonable to still fit on the DVD yet offer some quality improvement.

[JonMarsh]

Interesting question what the true native format is, as the AMLOGIC chip set will convert it fairly well to whatever output resolution is chosen.

But I have to say that the HVD disk I have, "Le Peuple Migrateur" (with Jacques Perrin - yes, the commentary in French, Chinese subtitles) is rather stunning looking; as you might guess, it's a nature documentary, it claims to be native 1080i, and it looks like it. It has that kind of riveting characteristic that good HD has, that keeps you watching something you otherwise might not normally watch. This is on a new Skyworth player, not the 3050, which I'm evaluating for someone else. The player has some issues, but is promising, especially the VGA output.

Dropping to 800X600 the picture takes a marked hit in apparent resolution compared with the "native" output mode.

If commercial movies were available in this format, I would definitely buy them; the image on the one disk I have is quite, quite good. No apparent edge enhancment, good color fidelity, fine detail, low noise (non apparent on my CRT system), and even handles things like fog and clouds compellingly well. I think this one has a rather good source element, of course.

Regards,

Jon

[AVJ]

Hi JonMarsh !

You mentioned that "..... This is on a new Skyworth player, not the 3050, which I'm evaluating for someone else .....".

Is that the "Skyworth HVD-3250" ? (with a very "cool" blue light front panel ?)

Looking forward for your full report on how better the 3250 is over the 3050 !!! :D :D :D

[JonMarsh]

No, this is another Skyworth model, an HVD-8610. The "platform" (i.e., mainboard) is very similar, but it doesn't have the Karoke mic preamp or mic input (the main board still has the spot on the PCB). This is a low profile unit with the same slim, occasionally mechanically glitchy transport.

Regards,

Jon

[trbarry]

My apologies if it this was already stated above somewhere but I didn't see it. Did we establish yet exactly which AMLOGIC chip is being used in these players?

- Tom

[AVJ]

As far as I know, the AMLOGIC chip being used in those HVD players is called "AML3400" --- see the attached pic inside the Skyworth !

[AVJ]

... plus the "inside" view of the Skyworth HVD player ! :D

[trbarry]

I think it was the AML 3300 chip that advertised MPEG-2 MP@ML. But if the new Skyworth player uses the 3400 that is a different story and we can't assume anything yet. I can't find any info on the 3400 chip.

- Tom

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by trbarry
I think it was the AML 3300 chip that advertised MPEG-2 MP@ML. But if the new Skyworth player uses the 3400 that is a different story and we can't assume anything yet. I can't find any info on the 3400 chip.

The link provided on their web site has a typo in it, but the product sheet is actually on-line at this link:

http://www.amlogic.com/products/AML3400.pdf

[trbarry]

Oops :(

The AM 3400 also seems to be MP/ML.

@kjack -

Gosh you are quick. ;) Your Video Demystified Glossary already states this for HVD. Do you have any more info about these?


HVD

HVD (High-clearness Video Disk) is a DVD player specification for China. The player uses a standard MPEG-2 DVD decoder chip with a separate scaler/deinterlacer chip so as to output upscaled content onto YPbPr analog video outputs.

- Tom

[kjack]

Still advertises MPEG-2 MP@ML. Maybe they forgot to edit it, stranger things have happened... :) But they are very careful to mention HD only on the outputs.

Maybe HVD adds an enhancement layer to MP@ML...

[kjack]

Hey Tom,

Got that definition from one of our technical people in China when I inquired about it couple of months ago. It held up until a reviewer here indicated HVD was indeed higher resolution than DVD. Guess I should push harder to get a real spec...

[trbarry]

Maybe HVD adds an enhancement layer to MP@ML...

Good point!

Whatever happened to Pixonics and their pHD system?

article (http://www.fresnosdvdconnection.com/hddvd.html)
interview (http://www.twice.com/article/CA293613.html?display=Video%2FHome+Satellite)

I don't think it got approved by the DVD Forum. Maybe this is where it went. ??

- Tom

[Burtz]

Well after getting the faulty disc tray "retimed" locally I finally got to try out the Skyworth tonight with my Panasonic AE500 projector.

I had some friends over and the consensus was the 720p picture was better than 1080i. Not surprising I guess as this is the native resolution of the projector.

I am very impressed with this unit and it certainly produces a very film like picture with depth and colour clarity- on a par with my Philips 963SA but without the annoying flicker that the 1080i hack induced.

I tried both PAL and NTSC movies, Gladiator and Fellowship of the Ring my test movies of choice. Colours are very rich and the detail is superb at 720p.

Overall I think it was $150 well spent for a high definition picture over component. I have attached a picture which I hope shows the definition.

[Victor C]

I went into the hvd.cn web page and got the following information:

1. HVD stands for High-definition Versatile Disc. It is a native development from China.
2. HVD's native high definition resolution is 720P.
3. HVD can be output at 1080i, 720P and 480P. Unlike evd, which can be output at 1080i only.
4. HVD claims to use a "Two-pass" encoding and VBR technology. I would translate that as variable bit rate technology. It can place 150 minutes of 720P program on a typical DVD9 disc.
5. It is perfectly downward compatible with existing DVD titles.
6. It already has some 30 titles of Chinese and Hong Kong movies. Some of them are really nice Hong Kong movies. I would think more title are coming. They also has one Chinese TV program in HVD format.

The HVD format seems very promising. I suspect that just the Chinese and far east Asia market will be big enough for its survival. I will buy the skyworth just for those nice HD Hong Kong movies. I don't have to wait for microsoft any longer for its WMP9 DVD players.

I hope this help members that cannot read Chinese.

[Josh Z]

Thank you, Victor. That is very helpful!

This makes sense based on my observations that the discs looked notably inferior downscaled to 480i or 480p. They must be natively encoded for 720p, but these two particular examples are likely heavily filtered to reduce compression artifacts, and therefore also reduce picture detail.

[AVJ]

Has anyone tried another brand of HVD Player : the GIEC GK-3118 ???

http://www.giec.cn/cn/web/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=97

[kjack]

They must be natively encoded for 720p, but these two particular examples are likely heavily filtered to reduce compression artifacts, and therefore also reduce picture detail.

Yes, thank you! Very good information! :)

To get a 720p MPEG-2 movie on a DVD, you have to crank down the bit rate substantially, which requires a really good encoder and preprocessing. You're trying to fit 2.7x more info in the same space as a regular movie, so something has to give.

[Victor C]

The DVD disc they use is of DVD9 format. It has a capacity of 8.5GB. It is like a double layer on the same side of the disc.

[Josh Z]

FYI, I have updated my review with my current findings and information about the HVD discs:

http://www.connectedhomemag.com/HomeTheater/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=43123

(There's nothing that hasn't been said already in this thread, but I just wanted to note that I've corrected some of the previously incorrect information.)

[boatman]

Received my Skyworth 3050 last Friday. Played with it Sunday and yesterday, and I must say that I'm impressed with this player. I have been using a HTPC with TheaterTek to play and up convert all my DVD's for the past 2 years. This little player thru component to my SE13HD projector is awesome. Set at 1080I the detail of the test DVD's was better than the HTPC. The 2 HD DVD’s that came with the player are very clear and detailed. So far no problems with the loader or firmware. Anybody want to buy an HTPC!!!!

[Josh Z]

Just to follow-up:

I actually purchased the movie Heroic Duo on DVD yesterday so that I could compare it to the HVD. Although I stated that I was disappointed in the HVD, in direct comparison it is much better than the DVD. It is substantially more detailed, has crisper contrasts and cleaner colors. The DVD looks soft and muddy in comparison.

This may be chalked up to the HVD simply having a better video transfer, but when watching the two back-to-back it really does seem like it could be SD vs. HD.

I still think that the HVD doesn't look that much better than a good DVD, though. But this could perhaps show some hope for the format after all.

[CMRA]

This player and the highly touted NN 2805 really do make the grade. To say I'm impressed would be an understatement. Now that I have gotten use to the 'flimsy' loading drawer, I find nothing to fault on the units.
Matched with compatible displays, they are for lack of another term, fabulous.

Both units I tested are late editions so perhaps all/most of the bugs have been worked out.

If you have the 'right' display I'm confident you'll come to similar conclusions. BTW, both units fair best at 480p component.

Now the third cent:

Perfect colors, no macroblocking, no green push, no color ringing, no highlight blowout, no gray blacks, no loss of shadow detail.

[CMRA]

BTW...I forgot to mention excellent sound.

[CMRA]

I know I'm going out on a limb, but this player is so good if there are any Denon owners in the area open for a shootout this is your chance to shut me up. Yeah, I think it's that good.
Any takers?