BPWingN
02-08-06, 12:45 PM
The new Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players are due out soon...very soon. They will be phenomenal, and they will be expensive. BUT.....with our new 42" Sony KFE-42A10 HDTV, I wanted something to use now.
There a few upconverting DVD players available, and after having tried these 4 lesser expensive ones out, here's my verdict, and recommendations.
An upconverting DVD player takes the existing DVD picture (480P)and upconverts that picture to either 720p or 1080i. Yes, your HDTV must upconvert (or downconvert)any signal to it's natural resolution, and therefore you could leave it to your TV, but that can present audio lag problems...and most DVD players have slightly better upconverting chips in them. PLUS.....you can connect via HDMI inputs if your TVset has it (if not,only one player I tried will upconvert through any other inputs.)....and stay digital throughout the DVD process, never converting to analog. Mmmkay...enough mumbo jumbo...here's what I found, having bought each of the following, taken them home, and tried them out.
The list of players...
1) Toshiba HD4980
2) Samsung HD850
3) Sony NS70H
4) Panasonic S77
1) Toshiba HD4980. I paid $149.00 CDN
It comes with its' own HDMI cable, whereas the Panasonic is the only other to do so. I liked this player, and though the machine itself looked somewhat flimsy, I found the Picture Quality (PQ) to be quite reasonable. The remote was quite unresponsive unless aimed directly at the player. The reason I no longer own it is the long pauses that would occur (2-3 times a film sometimes). These were not a layer change releted problem, and were random, and not reproducable in the same spot in the film. This seems to be a known issue with this player. Too bad, as it was inexpensive, and reasonable.
2) Samsung HD850. Available for $149.00 CDN
These used to come with an HDMI cable provided, but no longer. When you purchase an HDMI cable, you definately DO NOT need to spend the huge dollars on a Monster brand cable. With digital signals...they either work, or do not. There is no reason to spend $100.00 on a super high grade HDMI cable. A reasonable grade cable will do fine.
The HD850 had a much simpler menu system than the Toshiba....and did not pause, skip or stutter. BUT.....It will not send sound through the HDMI cable when the sound option is set to "Bitstream", which one would use if the player is also connected to an A/V Home Theatre Reciever via the optical/digital output for D/D and DTS surround, as I do. When the audio option is set to “Bitstream” an annoying "HDMI Sound Not Supported" flashes on the TV screen quite a bit, and though it can be turned off in the options menu, the HD850 will not remember this option, and it must be set every time the machine is turned on. Hmmm.....not liking this.
I also found the PQ to be quite grainy and harsh through HDMI, even after lots of tweaking, but since I want to upconvert...this is my only choice of connection, right? NOPE. There is a code that can be entered throught the remote...an unsupported "hack" that enables upconverting through the component cables. I connected component cables, entered the "hack"..and....PRESTO!...I could upconvert through the component cables. Funnily enough, I preferred the PQ this way, and after some tweaking, I thought I'd be happy. Nuh-Uh. I realized I had to make the picture extremely soft and non-sharp for it to be acceptable....and ........I wanted to use HDMI!
NEXT!
3) Sony NS70H $199.00 CDN
No included HDMI cable.....never had it....never will.
This DVD Player gets alot of praise for its' PQ and it does look great hooked up through the HDMI cable. This machine lives up to its' praise for PQ...it is lovely. However, it also receives criticism for a shift in the picture when upconverting to either 720p or 1080i. Somehow, in amongst all it's brains, the Sony squirts the picture out about 1/2" too low. This produces a 1/2' black bar at the top of your monitor. I saw this immediately, and though it isn't a HUGE deal to me personally....why pay for a player that has a known visible flaw, however minor it may be. AND...I just know I'd stare at that little black stripe, until it was all I'd see. LOL! That's just me.
Now, I must confess I never actually brought this one home, but I saw it hooked up at a local A/V store...hooked up to the same display as mine at home. Hmmm....only one left on my list...and it has a potentially HUGE flaw......
4) Panasonic s77. I paid $250.00 CDN
HDMI cable included.
This player recieves universal praise for its' outstanding PQ. It is favorably compared to many players costing 3-4 times as much. It has an amazing amount of options as far as picture and sound controls and settings....though these are very poorly explained in the manual, and could overwhelm some novices.
The HUGE problem with this player, is the amount of macroblocking (an annoying picture problem) seen on some displays. This is only apparent on some displays, and to varying degrees. (Panasonic Plasmas apparently being one of the worst) You don't know if it affects you until you try it out on your set. MAKE SURE THERE IS AN EXCHANGE/RETURN POLICY AT YOUR PLACE OF PURCHASE...just in case.
I brought the Panasonic home, and hooked it up through HDMI, and had the Samsung HD850 still connected through component cables. Both machines upconverting to 720p. Perfect. I can A/B the two and see if there's much difference.
The Panasonic (IMHO) blew all the other machines out of the water with its' PQ. Details jump out at you that are not visible on the Samsung. My wife, who has been ho-hum throughout this entire process, immediately noticed the difference.....that is really saying something.
As for the macroblocking problem....yes...it is there...but it is so miniscule as to make it a non-issue…ON MY DISPLAY.
The Panasonic, to my eyes, is truly king of the pack. I must repeat though, that if your set is effected by the macroblocking bug to much of an extent, that you would find this annoying…and some may find it unwatchable.
The Sony, if not for the small horizontal shift, is definately a wonderful looking machine as well.
Phew...sorry about the long post.
I hope this helps some of you.....
There a few upconverting DVD players available, and after having tried these 4 lesser expensive ones out, here's my verdict, and recommendations.
An upconverting DVD player takes the existing DVD picture (480P)and upconverts that picture to either 720p or 1080i. Yes, your HDTV must upconvert (or downconvert)any signal to it's natural resolution, and therefore you could leave it to your TV, but that can present audio lag problems...and most DVD players have slightly better upconverting chips in them. PLUS.....you can connect via HDMI inputs if your TVset has it (if not,only one player I tried will upconvert through any other inputs.)....and stay digital throughout the DVD process, never converting to analog. Mmmkay...enough mumbo jumbo...here's what I found, having bought each of the following, taken them home, and tried them out.
The list of players...
1) Toshiba HD4980
2) Samsung HD850
3) Sony NS70H
4) Panasonic S77
1) Toshiba HD4980. I paid $149.00 CDN
It comes with its' own HDMI cable, whereas the Panasonic is the only other to do so. I liked this player, and though the machine itself looked somewhat flimsy, I found the Picture Quality (PQ) to be quite reasonable. The remote was quite unresponsive unless aimed directly at the player. The reason I no longer own it is the long pauses that would occur (2-3 times a film sometimes). These were not a layer change releted problem, and were random, and not reproducable in the same spot in the film. This seems to be a known issue with this player. Too bad, as it was inexpensive, and reasonable.
2) Samsung HD850. Available for $149.00 CDN
These used to come with an HDMI cable provided, but no longer. When you purchase an HDMI cable, you definately DO NOT need to spend the huge dollars on a Monster brand cable. With digital signals...they either work, or do not. There is no reason to spend $100.00 on a super high grade HDMI cable. A reasonable grade cable will do fine.
The HD850 had a much simpler menu system than the Toshiba....and did not pause, skip or stutter. BUT.....It will not send sound through the HDMI cable when the sound option is set to "Bitstream", which one would use if the player is also connected to an A/V Home Theatre Reciever via the optical/digital output for D/D and DTS surround, as I do. When the audio option is set to “Bitstream” an annoying "HDMI Sound Not Supported" flashes on the TV screen quite a bit, and though it can be turned off in the options menu, the HD850 will not remember this option, and it must be set every time the machine is turned on. Hmmm.....not liking this.
I also found the PQ to be quite grainy and harsh through HDMI, even after lots of tweaking, but since I want to upconvert...this is my only choice of connection, right? NOPE. There is a code that can be entered throught the remote...an unsupported "hack" that enables upconverting through the component cables. I connected component cables, entered the "hack"..and....PRESTO!...I could upconvert through the component cables. Funnily enough, I preferred the PQ this way, and after some tweaking, I thought I'd be happy. Nuh-Uh. I realized I had to make the picture extremely soft and non-sharp for it to be acceptable....and ........I wanted to use HDMI!
NEXT!
3) Sony NS70H $199.00 CDN
No included HDMI cable.....never had it....never will.
This DVD Player gets alot of praise for its' PQ and it does look great hooked up through the HDMI cable. This machine lives up to its' praise for PQ...it is lovely. However, it also receives criticism for a shift in the picture when upconverting to either 720p or 1080i. Somehow, in amongst all it's brains, the Sony squirts the picture out about 1/2" too low. This produces a 1/2' black bar at the top of your monitor. I saw this immediately, and though it isn't a HUGE deal to me personally....why pay for a player that has a known visible flaw, however minor it may be. AND...I just know I'd stare at that little black stripe, until it was all I'd see. LOL! That's just me.
Now, I must confess I never actually brought this one home, but I saw it hooked up at a local A/V store...hooked up to the same display as mine at home. Hmmm....only one left on my list...and it has a potentially HUGE flaw......
4) Panasonic s77. I paid $250.00 CDN
HDMI cable included.
This player recieves universal praise for its' outstanding PQ. It is favorably compared to many players costing 3-4 times as much. It has an amazing amount of options as far as picture and sound controls and settings....though these are very poorly explained in the manual, and could overwhelm some novices.
The HUGE problem with this player, is the amount of macroblocking (an annoying picture problem) seen on some displays. This is only apparent on some displays, and to varying degrees. (Panasonic Plasmas apparently being one of the worst) You don't know if it affects you until you try it out on your set. MAKE SURE THERE IS AN EXCHANGE/RETURN POLICY AT YOUR PLACE OF PURCHASE...just in case.
I brought the Panasonic home, and hooked it up through HDMI, and had the Samsung HD850 still connected through component cables. Both machines upconverting to 720p. Perfect. I can A/B the two and see if there's much difference.
The Panasonic (IMHO) blew all the other machines out of the water with its' PQ. Details jump out at you that are not visible on the Samsung. My wife, who has been ho-hum throughout this entire process, immediately noticed the difference.....that is really saying something.
As for the macroblocking problem....yes...it is there...but it is so miniscule as to make it a non-issue…ON MY DISPLAY.
The Panasonic, to my eyes, is truly king of the pack. I must repeat though, that if your set is effected by the macroblocking bug to much of an extent, that you would find this annoying…and some may find it unwatchable.
The Sony, if not for the small horizontal shift, is definately a wonderful looking machine as well.
Phew...sorry about the long post.
I hope this helps some of you.....