new DLP tv: DVI cable decision...

[arash]

Hi all,

I just bought a 50" samsung DLP tv and also the Samsung DVD-HD841 hi-definition dvd player and the salespeople convinced me to pick up the Monster DVI400 DVi cables to connect the two. The samsung dvd player actually said it came with a DVI cable included but they said it's not good enough. I actually havent seen the cable yet as everything is being delivered but I'm thinking that the $150 Canadian or so I paid for the monster is a bit much, I was wondering what you guys think about these Dayton's instead:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=181-706

Do you think the Monster's will really make any difference? Thanks very much for any advice.

cheers,

Arash

[woodman]

Hi all,

I just bought a 50" samsung DLP tv and also the Samsung DVD-HD841 hi-definition dvd player and the salespeople convinced me to pick up the Monster DVI400 DVi cables to connect the two. The samsung dvd player actually said it came with a DVI cable included but they said it's not good enough. I actually havent seen the cable yet as everything is being delivered but I'm thinking that the $150 Canadian or so I paid for the monster is a bit much, I was wondering what you guys think about these Dayton's instead:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=181-706

Do you think the Monster's will really make any difference? Thanks very much for any advice.

cheers,

Arash

Stop right where you are! To answer your last question first ... NO, the Monster cable will not make any difference whatsoever! You're being seriously misled - not to mention ripped off! Do not ... I repeat, do not even bother to open up that Monster, but take it right back to the store and get your money back on it, pronto.

As for an alternative cable from parts express, I have very serious doubts that it would be of any meaningful benefit to you. Hookup your new DVD player to your new TV set with the cable supplied and see if it doesn't fill the bill for you. It is not performing any miraculous achievement in any sense - only transferring a digital data "bitstream" from the DVD player to the TV set - that's all. For the salespeople that sold you these two units to tell you that the supplied cable was not good enough is a crime - which should be punishable in a court of law, but unfortunately cannot be. Although it is a possibility that these poor uninformed schlubs actually believe that what they told you is truth, it's far more likely that they are merely repeating what they were told to say by some superior with ulterior motives (like getting a "piece of the action" from Monster). It's perhaps a little known fact that the very reason that Monster products have achieved dominance in the industry is because of "payola" to the people involved in selling it (at outrageous prices) to the unsuspecting and gullible public!

In closing, I think you're under some sort of misunderstanding regarding your new DVD player when you refer to it as a "hi-definition DVD player" ... it's not really any such thing at all. The capability that it has is to "up-convert" the 480 line video format into 720 or 1080 format (the formats used for hi-def video) - but only when the software being played allows such an upconversion to take place. As far as I know, this is not a common situation at all. Most pre-recorded movies come with restrictive coding which prohibits altering the data bitstream in any way. So, this DVD player can only perform this "quasi-hidef" feat on DVD discs which do not have this restriction encoded on them ... a very limited capability it would appear to be. How much did you pay for the player? You might be way better off (financially) to return it as well and exchange it for something far less expensive that will do every bit as good of a job playing the discs that you want to play.

Hope this helps you

[arash]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice, I agree with you on the cable situation so I'll be taking the Monster's back for sure, I might spring for the Dayton's depending on the quality of the included cable. On the DVD player, I actually got a really good price as part of the overall package so I'll be keeping it. Specifically as well I like the player's DVI output and aspect ratio controls as well as ability to play both DVD-A and SACD (even if I'll use these formats sparingly). On your comment about the ability to upconvert, actually this can be done with most of today's DVD movies and can be beneficial given the tv it will be paired with ;) Also, the unit's picture was given high ratings on Sound & Vision so I think I'll stick with it. Thanks for the help though.

cheers,

Arash



Stop right where you are! To answer your last question first ... NO, the Monster cable will not make any difference whatsoever! You're being seriously misled - not to mention ripped off! Do not ... I repeat, do not even bother to open up that Monster, but take it right back to the store and get your money back on it, pronto.

As for an alternative cable from parts express, I have very serious doubts that it would be of any meaningful benefit to you. Hookup your new DVD player to your new TV set with the cable supplied and see if it doesn't fill the bill for you. It is not performing any miraculous achievement in any sense - only transferring a digital data "bitstream" from the DVD player to the TV set - that's all. For the salespeople that sold you these two units to tell you that the supplied cable was not good enough is a crime - which should be punishable in a court of law, but unfortunately cannot be. Although it is a possibility that these poor uninformed schlubs actually believe that what they told you is truth, it's far more likely that they are merely repeating what they were told to say by some superior with ulterior motives (like getting a "piece of the action" from Monster). It's perhaps a little known fact that the very reason that Monster products have achieved dominance in the industry is because of "payola" to the people involved in selling it (at outrageous prices) to the unsuspecting and gullible public!

In closing, I think you're under some sort of misunderstanding regarding your new DVD player when you refer to it as a "hi-definition DVD player" ... it's not really any such thing at all. The capability that it has is to "up-convert" the 480 line video format into 720 or 1080 format (the formats used for hi-def video) - but only when the software being played allows such an upconversion to take place. As far as I know, this is not a common situation at all. Most pre-recorded movies come with restrictive coding which prohibits altering the data bitstream in any way. So, this DVD player can only perform this "quasi-hidef" feat on DVD discs which do not have this restriction encoded on them ... a very limited capability it would appear to be. How much did you pay for the player? You might be way better off (financially) to return it as well and exchange it for something far less expensive that will do every bit as good of a job playing the discs that you want to play.

Hope this helps you

[E-Stat]

On your comment about the ability to upconvert, actually this can be done with most of today's DVD movies and can be beneficial given the tv it will be paired with ;)
Technically no DVD offers the resolution of Hi Def. That is why there are two (as usual) emerging standards that eventually will obsolete the current DVD standard. Native HD and upsampling are not the same thing.

<a href="http://news.com.com/Next-generation+DVD+formats+rally+support/2100-1041_3-5516161.html?tag=nefd.top">New DVD standards</a href>


Also, the unit's picture was given high ratings on Sound & Vision so I think I'll stick with it.
I agree. Just bought the 61" flavor. There is definitely a difference between the video quality of a high def cable source and a DVD movie. The wife and I watched a travelogue program about the Greek Isles on Discovery HD this weekend. Incredible picture. BTW, I chose to go the component video route with both the DVD and the HD cable box. Bought some AR brand cables.

rw

[arash]

Yep of course it's not native HD but the upsampling can make a difference (but not in all cases)! :p

- Arash




Technically no DVD offers the resolution of Hi Def. That is why there are two (as usual) emerging standards that eventually will obsolete the current DVD standard. Native HD and upsampling are not the same thing.

<a href="http://news.com.com/Next-generation+DVD+formats+rally+support/2100-1041_3-5516161.html?tag=nefd.top">New DVD standards</a href>


I agree. Just bought the 61" flavor. There is definitely a difference between the video quality of a high def cable source and a DVD movie. The wife and I watched a travelogue program about the Greek Isles on Discovery HD this weekend. Incredible picture. BTW, I chose to go the component video route with both the DVD and the HD cable box. Bought some AR brand cables.

rw

[midfiguy]

I do not think the Monster cable will make any difference in your DVI connection. I would stick with the one that comes with the Samsung if it is long enough. I have a new Infocus SP4805 DLP projector and hooked it up to a Pioneer DVD player with DVI out (not my player) and I tried it with a cheap, basic DVI cable. It works flawlessly and the picture is simply beautiful.