what's the best 480i player money can buy?

[gagaliya]

hey guys, i searched and searched and noone seems to provide recommandations. My projector will be doing the conversions, so all i need is a good 480i player, connection will be component. Any recommandations please?

I need something i can BUY from stores, not those out of production models like panny r91.

thank you for your time!

edit: doesnt matter if it is an upconverting player or not, but all i will be using is the 480i signal output.

gaga

[Paul Bigelow]

The title indicates the best money can buy, the text indicates a good 480i, so there's a bit of a discrepancy there.

A good 480i player would be the Panasonic DVD-S97 (has HDMI upconversion as well).

Amongst the best money can buy would be the Denon DVD-5910 or the Onkyo SP1000.

Paul

[Ja Phule]

If you're willing to spend any amount of money for a good 480i player, why not just spend it on an upconverting player? The best upconverting player may have a better deinterlacer than your projector like the 5910.

[gagaliya]

[QUOTE=Paul Bigelow]The title indicates the best money can buy, the text indicates a good 480i, so there's a bit of a discrepancy there.

A good 480i player would be the Panasonic DVD-S97 (has HDMI upconversion as well).

Amongst the best money can buy would be the Denon DVD-5910 or the Onkyo SP1000.

Paul[/QUOTE]

my good lord! $3000 for a dvd player?!?! i was expecting to pay a couple hundred bucks but wow! ok i definitly dont want the "best" 480i player now :D

about the s97, was going to buy that one but saw in other threads that the 480i output wasnt good at all. It's a great player when you use its upconverting feature not 480i output.

Any s97 owners out there using it as a pure 480i output can comment on the pq please

[videoaddikt]

Although slammed for earlier units being unreliable, when working the Sony NS975V has a very good deinterlacer (and so reported by hifi secrets, etc.). Soon to be replaced by the NS90...at $200. Hopefully with the best parts carried over.

I think there are several good ones at that price point, and hopefully more will be on the scene, including Pioneer.

[ted_b]

Since you don't really mean "best money can buy" at all.... I'd change the title if I were you. Few will respond to your last request about the Panny 97 if you continue to use the current misleading title. Say "less than $500" or something. My $.02

Ted

[Spiky]

Try a Pioneer, they always have a nice picture. Maybe the 588. I hate to say it since I'm sick of their pricing and reliability, but Sony often has a nice 480i pic, too.

Everybody answering with upconversion and deinterlacing advice are missing the point.

[htpcfan]

[QUOTE=Ja Phule]If you're willing to spend any amount of money for a good 480i player, why not just spend it on an upconverting player? The best upconverting player may have a better deinterlacer than your projector like the 5910.[/QUOTE]
Why would you suggest an upconverting player for someone who a) does not want to use HDMI/DVI, b) needs 480i?
Even if 480p would be an option then still, why an upconverting?

Or is this the "latest must be the greatest" or "more expensive is better" argumentation?

[gagaliya]

[QUOTE=Spiky]Try a Pioneer, they always have a nice picture. Maybe the 588. I hate to say it since I'm sick of their pricing and reliability, but Sony often has a nice 480i pic, too.

Everybody answering with upconversion and deinterlacing advice are missing the point.[/QUOTE]

spiky, yes that's exactly what i was looking for. but do you have the model #s for the pioneer or sony that has a good 480i output?

to be clear, i dont care about hdmi, upconvert, 480p etc, those features could be
included or not included, i just want a good 480i dvd player. If it also happens to include the other features, then that's fine too (not that i will use them)

edit: also changed title, really had no idea dvd players can go up to $3000!

[CCarncross]

I guess a good question would be, what PJ do you have, and what have you been using up til now? BTW, there are DVD players that are way more expensive than $3000 as well...

[gagaliya]

hey ccarncross, it will be a new setup.

my projector will be a toshiba mt800 (infcous 7200). It uses the: Faroudja™ (Sage) FL12300 DCDi+™ chip.

in the thread below we estalished that 480i signal is probably the best for me. So now i am trying to find a good 480i player unfortunately all the ones that were mentioned on this forum are out of production and very difficult to purchase like the RPs.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=549194

thanks!

[Huey]

I would go for the Samsung (any model) as it has EZView which can be very useful for pillarboxing 4:3 tittles on your 16:9 PJ, stretching nonanamorphic tittles (your PJ may squish it vertically thinking it's anamorphic), good 480i via component, available locally, and cheap. I would go specifically for the HD941 for $121 shipped ( www.c-source.com ) as it allows DVD-A, SACD, HDMI upconversion, component upconversion (via remote codes: angle, 4, 3, 2, 7, angle), passes blacker than black with newest firmware (on Samsung website), has EzView, good 480i component (if you don't care to use other resolutions), and has DCDi (FLI2310) too in case you want to try other resolutions for kicks on your excellent PJ.

[Kris Deering]

Best 480i analog player is the Panasonic RP-82 or the old Sony 7000 (??)

Best 480i digital player is probably a tie between the Pioneer 59AVi and the Arcam DV-29 since they'll do 480i via HDMI. No go though with DVI.

[Huey]

MPEG2 decoder wise the old Panny RP82, XP30, XP50, RP91 are very good but he wants stuff he can buy locally. I doubt he can find these dinosaurs locally. The Sigma series of players also have good MPEG2 decoder (Momitsu, LiteON LVD-2001) but crappy build otherwise.

I doubt he wants to spend the dough on Pioneer 59AVi or Arcan DV-29 from his responses earlier.

[Carled]

How about a SDI modified Linn Unidisc 1.1, or an Ayre DX-7?

[steviec]

I think the Panasonic S97 is probably the best choice here due to the great mpeg decoder. Of course the rp82 and xp30 are great also but the S97 is new and you will have a warranty.
Any Pioneer will have the 3:2 and 4:2 chroma problems unless you mask it with the iscan hd+ or another component.
Kris has stated that it is best to use a player with a decoder that does not have these problems and that is the decoder found in the S97.
Also, any Denon with a Ess decoder would be good 2nd choice also.
The one thing the Pioneer 59avi has is the ability to do 480i over its hdmi output , but if you do that you are losing some chroma resolution i believe since you have to mask the problems.
Kris has stated that it is best to use a player that does not have these problems.
I don't mean to sound like a Kris Deering Parrot but he didn't state these things here so i thought I would so the original poster would benefit.

[ted_b]

[QUOTE=Huey]I would go for the Samsung (any model) as it has EZView which can be very useful for pillarboxing 4:3 tittles on your 16:9 PJ, stretching nonanamorphic tittles (your PJ may squish it vertically thinking it's anamorphic), good 480i via component, available locally, and cheap. I would go specifically for the HD941 for $121 shipped ( www.c-source.com ) as it allows DVD-A, SACD, HDMI upconversion, component upconversion (via remote codes: angle, 4, 3, 2, 7, angle), passes blacker than black with newest firmware (on Samsung website), has EzView, good 480i component (if you don't care to use other resolutions), and has DCDi (FLI2310) too in case you want to try other resolutions for kicks on your excellent PJ.[/QUOTE]

I'm gonna assume, with posts like this, that gaga's pj's scaler can be bypassed or turned off?! If not, why would anyone recommend the virtues of HDMI upconversion, component upconversion and DCDi chips in the player?? They are totally irrelevant to someone asking for a 480i player. But this poster has many posts here at AVS so I will give the benefit of the doubt that the pj's scaler can be bypassed and these wonderful features can be used.

Carled,
Please let me know where you can get a Linn Unidisk or Ayre DX-7 with SDI mods, and a modded SDI interface to gaga's pj for under $500. I WANT ONE!

Ted

[Carled]

[QUOTE=ted_b]Please let me know where you can get a Linn Unidisk or Ayre DX-7 with SDI mods, and a modded SDI interface to gaga's pj for under $500. I WANT ONE![/QUOTE]
I want one too. Heck, I'd get one of each. :D

[Huey]

Dear Ted_b:

Yes you can bypass the builtin scaler. Faroudja DCDi+ is only used for 480i signals. If fed 720p the PJ's good scaler and deinterlacer can be bypassed as this is its native resolution. Why then you ask should he even try upconversion?

Because he can !!!! Curiosity certainly would make me want to try 720p with this PJ even though I know 480i will look great with this PJ's already good scaler. Remember that upconversion DVD player can do 480i too and the price is not much more (or even cheaper than some) 480i only player. As a matter of fact, it's hard to find 480i only player as most new players upconvert or at least allow 480i or 480p.

Heck, this is why there are external scalers like Iscan HD(+) for these PJ. The goal is to have the best image which may (or may not) be bypassing the builtin scaler. If you can try, why not?

[ted_b]

[QUOTE=Huey]Dear Ted_b:

Yes you can bypass the builtin scaler. Faroudja DCDi+ is only used for 480i signals. If fed 720p the PJ's good scaler and deinterlacer can be bypassed as this is its native resolution. Why then you ask should he even try upconversion?

Because he can !!!! Curiosity certainly would make me want to try 720p with this PJ even though I know 480i will look great with this PJ's already good scaler. Remember that upconversion DVD player can do 480i too and the price is not much more (or even cheaper than some) 480i only player. As a matter of fact, it's hard to find 480i only player as most new players upconvert or at least allow 480i or 480p.

Heck, this is why there are external scalers like Iscan HD(+) for these PJ. The goal is to have the best image which may (or may not) be bypassing the builtin scaler. If you can try, why not?[/QUOTE]

Agree on all counts. Gaga posted as if he is stuck at 480i options only; I agree that for the same $$ go ahead and find a player with options that allow flexibility and pq choices that hover at or near pj sweetspot, assuming no double scaling.

Ted

[gagaliya]

thanks guys! looks like the choices are between Samsung HD941 and Panny S97 (or S77) for 480i output. HDMI is useless to me since my video cables are already installed. I use decorp flatwire (my ceiling is concret) and they only have component wires. There are also issues with dvi and infocus 7200.

But it will be interesting to try out the dvd player's conversion vs projector's.

One more thing, about the old dvd players like the panny rp91. I dont mind buying them online, problem is i cannot find any stores that sell them online either! searched froogle, google etc.

[ted_b]

[QUOTE=gagaliya]

One more thing, about the old dvd players like the panny rp91. I dont mind buying them online, problem is i cannot find any stores that sell them online either! searched froogle, google etc.[/QUOTE]

You've probably done this, but I'll mention it nonetheless....You may want to check AVS's own classified section here, too. I notice a few older classic Panny's on there from time to time.

Ted

[greeno]

[QUOTE=gagaliya]thanks guys! looks like the choices are between Samsung HD941 and Panny S97 (or S77) for 480i output. HDMI is useless to me since my video cables are already installed. I use decorp flatwire (my ceiling is concret) and they only have component wires. There are also issues with dvi and infocus 7200.

But it will be interesting to try out the dvd player's conversion vs projector's.

One more thing, about the old dvd players like the panny rp91. I dont mind buying them online, problem is i cannot find any stores that sell them online either! searched froogle, google etc.[/QUOTE]

You might want to check this via the master S97/S77 thread(s), but the older panny's, rp82, xp30, xp50, clipped below black when using 480i output. the rp91, however, does not. this one (the rp91) is a VERY nice 480i player with lots of adjustments. Here's one on ebay
LINK (http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61246&item=5784605731&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW) .

Best,
jeff

[mjolson]

I have an old Panasonic RV80 that's still going strong also. Excellent 480i player in it's day.

[gagaliya]

[QUOTE=greeno]You might want to check this via the master S97/S77 thread(s), but the older panny's, rp82, xp30, xp50, clipped below black when using 480i output. the rp91, however, does not. this one (the rp91) is a VERY nice 480i player with lots of adjustments.
Best,
jeff[/QUOTE]

hey jeff,

"clipped below black" what does this mean?

i would love to buy a new rp91, dont think that's possible anymore. Not sure about buying used dvd players...

[Kris Deering]

The S97 has CUE issues just like the Pioneer. I specifically stated that the new Panasonic MPEG decoders are not up to par with the old ones.

Sigma Design players tend to have HORRIBLE roll off in the upper frequencies if you are sending out via component.

A Mediatek player that passes below black would probably be the best bet if you couldn't find an old Panasonic around.

[greeno]

[QUOTE=gagaliya]hey jeff,

"clipped below black" what does this mean?

i would love to buy a new rp91, dont think that's possible anymore. Not sure about buying used dvd players...[/QUOTE]

check out this
THREAD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=426253&highlight=clip+black). Look for Joe Murphy's posts.

Best,
jeff

[steviec]

"The S97 has CUE issues just like the Pioneer. I specifically stated that the new Panasonic MPEG decoders are not up to par with the old ones".Kris Deering

Kris, then why on the benchmark chart does the pioneer 59avi fail 3:2 and 4:2 while the chart shows the S97 passes.The S97 is not even marked as border line.
Just curious.

[Ja Phule]

I believe the Panny passes at 480p, at 480i it fails. The Secrets benchmark measures mainly the players ability as a progressive player.

Though it would be nice to have player results at 480i for non progressive tests.

[Kris Deering]

Correct. The Faroudja chip masks the issue on the Panasonic. The Pioneer is doing some light chroma filtering, but not enough to cover the issue.

[Huey]

I would not spend too much money on a DVD player as HD-DVD is close to release although it won't be affordable for a while. Used DVD players have no warranty so the first thing to go is usually the spindle motor (HO2 error on Panny players) where it won't read discs. Next is the powersupply. Mediatek players are plentiful, cheap, and may be your best bet if you don't want to spend too much.