New DVD Player

[ronning]

Well, I've made due with my roommate's KLH dvd player, but now that he's moving out it's time to get a real player.

I'm looking for the following features (ranked with most important on top):

-progressive scan (is faroudja really *that* much better??)
-coax and optical digital outs
-DVD-Audio (or at the least, 192khz/24bit DAC)
-CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW/etc compatibility
-DIVX/MPEG4 playback (possible?)
-MP3 playback
-multidisc changer (really not necessary)
-SACD (already have an SACD player.. but why not?)
-network ability? (totally gimmicky??)

I'm looking to spend something around up to $200, preferably less. Recordable features would be great, but probably out of my price range and still not standardized enough.

I don't really care, but I guess I'm slightly biased towards Sony since my receiver is a Sony.

Thanks!

-Olen


for reference:

Sony STR-DB830 receiver
Sony SCD-CE775 SACD multidisc changer
Sharp Hi-Fi VCR
Fisher 27" HiFi TV (*not* digital... yet...)
**KLH something-something basic DVD player**
Sony Playstation 2
Complete set of Infinity Delta 60's + center

[elh]

Well, I've made due with my roommate's KLH dvd player, but now that he's moving out it's time to get a real player.

I'm looking for the following features (ranked with most important on top):

-progressive scan (is faroudja really *that* much better??)
-coax and optical digital outs
-DVD-Audio (or at the least, 192khz/24bit DAC)
-CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW/etc compatibility
-DIVX/MPEG4 playback (possible?)
-MP3 playback
-multidisc changer (really not necessary)
-SACD (already have an SACD player.. but why not?)
-network ability? (totally gimmicky??)

I'm looking to spend something around up to $200, preferably less. Recordable features would be great, but probably out of my price range and still not standardized enough.

I don't really care, but I guess I'm slightly biased towards Sony since my receiver is a Sony.

Thanks!

-Olen


for reference:

Sony STR-DB830 receiver
Sony SCD-CE775 SACD multidisc changer
Sharp Hi-Fi VCR
Fisher 27" HiFi TV (*not* digital... yet...)
**KLH something-something basic DVD player**
Sony Playstation 2
Complete set of Infinity Delta 60's + center

PIONEER DV-575A
Philips DVP 720SA
or
Kiss DP-500

[ronning]

PIONEER DV-575A
Philips DVP 720SA
or
Kiss DP-500

Good suggestions. I like both, but is the Pioneer even a USA model??

My feature set needs have also changed, with more of an emphasis on multidisc capacity and also this new HDTV capabilities (true 720p or 1080i) with DVI out (not that I'll use it any time soon).

I like the Samsung dvd-hd841, but there's not divx playback and it's only single disc.

Any multidisc divx players??

Thanks

[elh]

All three players have progressive out with 720p. HDTV (with DVI) output have for example
Technosonic MP-101, but this is not good player. But the question is: why HDTV output,
when DVD dont have HDTV resolution? 720p is realy maximum.

Future of hom evideo HDTV is in WMV-HD or HD-DVD, blueray aso...

[elh]

Multidisc? Isnt HDD better? For example Kiss DP-508 is great, but design is

[ronning]

Multidisc? Isnt HDD better? For example Kiss DP-508 is great, but design is

Multidisc is more important now because (in another post I mentioned that) some of my electronic equipment was stolen in a break-in a week ago. (they just caught the guy, too! but the stuff is gone...) Among the equipment stolen was my 5 disc SACD changer. I don't have insurance, so I'd like to kill 2 birds with one stone and get 5 disc SACD + DVD. Divx, MP3, and DVI output options would be great, too.

What is this "kiss" model?

[Woochifer]

Good suggestions. I like both, but is the Pioneer even a USA model??

My feature set needs have also changed, with more of an emphasis on multidisc capacity and also this new HDTV capabilities (true 720p or 1080i) with DVI out (not that I'll use it any time soon).

I like the Samsung dvd-hd841, but there's not divx playback and it's only single disc.

Any multidisc divx players??

Thanks

If you're referring to the Divx compressed video format, how much material is really out there that you would want to transport over to your DVD player? Divx's website has a list of DVD players with built-in format support if that's really a must have feature. If you're referring to the buy-it-and-chuck-it Divx movie discs that were sold by Circuit City a few years ago, don't bother, that format's long dead.

Personally, I think you should just buy the DVD player within your budget that fits your current needs and expected needs. Stuff like DVI is useless if you aren't planning to upgrade to a DVI-enabled TV within the next couple of years. And right now, you're paying a pretty high premium to get that connection (a bigger price difference than getting DVD-A or SACD). By the time you buy a HDTV, the standard digital video connection might have changed (HDMI is the most likely candidate since it can also carry high resolution digital audio signals), so I wouldn't lock down your choice of DVD player based on DVI.

Those resolution figures that you quote are also not available with DVD. DVD is a 480p format, period. Nothing out there can manufacture additional pixels or lines of resolution if it's not present in the original source material. HDTV signals at that resolution can pass through a DVI connection, but DVD is not a true HD format.

Since you're planning to spend less than $200, just get whatever meets your most pressing needs and don't bother with stuff that has little relevance to how you currently use and plan to use your system in the next couple of years. At that price point, DVD players are not meant to last forever, and by the time you build up the rest of your system, all of those things that you think matter right now might be well on their way out by then and replaced by a new group of connections and standards.

[ronning]

If you're referring to the buy-it-and-chuck-it Divx movie discs that were sold by Circuit City a few years ago, don't bother, that format's long dead.

-no, the mpeg4 compression variant.

Personally, I think you should just buy the DVD player within your budget that fits your current needs and expected needs. Stuff like DVI is useless if you aren't planning to upgrade to a DVI-enabled TV within the next couple of years. And right now, you're paying a pretty high premium to get that connection (a bigger price difference than getting DVD-A or SACD). By the time you buy a HDTV, the standard digital video connection might have changed (HDMI is the most likely candidate since it can also carry high resolution digital audio signals), so I wouldn't lock down your choice of DVD player based on DVI.

As I've been researching this more and more, I'm starting to realize exactly what you're saying that it's not worth the price premium for this DVI output when I won't even have a DVI input TV for quite some time. I'm better off saving that extra cash for the TV..! Anyway, I was just captured by the cool Samsung player which had that feature for such a low cost player ($200). But really I just want the other features (see below).

[QUOTE=Woochifer] Those resolution figures that you quote are also not available with DVD. DVD is a 480p format, period. Nothing out there can manufacture additional pixels or lines of resolution if it's not present in the original source material. HDTV signals at that resolution can pass through a DVI connection, but DVD is not a true HD format.[QUOTE]

I realize this, however the current 'hype' at least is that it can interpolate the higher resolution. It seems to me that a higher resolution DVD format must be in the works....?

Since you're planning to spend less than $200, just get whatever meets your most pressing needs and don't bother with stuff that has little relevance to how you currently use and plan to use your system in the next couple of years. At that price point, DVD players are not meant to last forever, and by the time you build up the rest of your system, all of those things that you think matter right now might be well on their way out by then and replaced by a new group of connections and standards.

I agree. Here's my revised list of features:

looked at the Samsung dvd-hd841 player and it looks great, good price, and everything. But it's only single disc. I'd like to find a 5-disc changer with the same capabilities, if possible. Here's what I like that it has:

-Audio CD
MP3
WMA

-Playback Disc Formats: DVD
DVD-R
CD-R/-RW
DVD Audio
Super Audio CD

-Progressive Scan

So I'm really looking for something that does all of the above but also is a 5-disc changer if possible. I'd love to have DIVX capabilities, but all the divx players seem to be really gimmicky and not the highest of quality. I'd also like to get a player with 192/24 DACS as I do listen to the higher resolution 2-channel audio (DVD-A, and SACD - although SACD doesn't apply to that).

THANKS!

-Olen

[ronning]

Update:

Well, I went shopping around today and have narrowed down my choices for a new dvd player to these players:

Pioneer DV563A ($150)
Samsung DVD-DH841 ($180 special at CC)
Pinoeer DV578AS ($150)

and a new discovery...

Toshiba SD6915 (on sale for $170 at Best Buy).
This one supposedly has all the features of the above, but it's *also* a 5-disc changer (like I was looking for - see the post above).

Any opinions / pros/cons on these models?

Thanks.

[Woochifer]

I realize this, however the current 'hype' at least is that it can interpolate the higher resolution. It seems to me that a higher resolution DVD format must be in the works....?

Yes, but there are two competing high res DVD formats in development, and whatever you buy right now won't be capable of playing either of those HD formats. Whether or not the interpolating makes a difference in the picture quality is up to you to decide.

So I'm really looking for something that does all of the above but also is a 5-disc changer if possible. I'd love to have DIVX capabilities, but all the divx players seem to be really gimmicky and not the highest of quality. I'd also like to get a player with 192/24 DACS as I do listen to the higher resolution 2-channel audio (DVD-A, and SACD - although SACD doesn't apply to that).

The Divx issue depends entirely on whether you plan to ever use that feature. Unless you do your own video editing and compression, there's hardly anything out there that would use that feature.

If you get a DVD-A player, it has to have 192/24 DACs, and nowadays just about every DVD player uses those anyway since the 192/24 DACs are what get produced in mass quantity. For basic DVD video playback, I doubt that you'll hear any difference between the 96/24 or 192/24 DACs.

[ronning]

Well, just the other day I finally went down to my local Best Buy and purchased the Toshiba SD6915 player. It used to be on sale for $169 but was $179 when I got there. I waited around for a while to get to talk to someone (got put off a couple times.. 'be right with you' etc) and then finally got somebody who basically knew nothing. However, I had come fully prepared and knew everything I really needed to know (I just wanted to find out if I could get it for the previous sale price).

I went to the check out and as I was going through all the slow process (another new guy) and such the guy who had previously put me off walked by and asked if I had gotten the player for the sale price. I hadn't, and so he helped the new guy redo the transaction. He asked me, "$159, right?" and without hesitation I replied definitely "yes". So, despite the hassles, I managed to walk out with the player for $157 (159 + 10% difference discount).

Anyway, seems like a good player so far. When I get my surround system hooked up again I'll give a full review.

Thanks for your help, everybody!

[zooplibob]

Hi,

I found this thread very interesting because I am in the market for the same kind of player as you were. I was excited about your purchase, but then I read an unfavorable review of the player at:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-b...ToshibaSD-6915

Because it's the only one on the market that does all that I want, I wanted to get a second opinion from you about the player. Please let me know what your experience has been. Thanks for your help!

-Zoop

[ronning]

Hi,

I found this thread very interesting because I am in the market for the same kind of player as you were. I was excited about your purchase, but then I read an unfavorable review of the player at:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-b...ToshibaSD-6915

Because it's the only one on the market that does all that I want, I wanted to get a second opinion from you about the player. Please let me know what your experience has been. Thanks for your help!

-Zoop

Very interesting review...

I haven't personally done a thorough test on this as my home theater setup is in pieces because I'm not living full time at my house right now (and don't want my speakers stolen).

I agree the menus/remote could be a bit more intuitive.. especially on the audio side of things (for dvd video it's fine). One thing I found interesting is that the firmware for this device is upgradeable via CD... it is quite possible that they will attempt to remedy any problems found. Toshiba tends to have high reliability for their DVD players.

The verdict is still out, however, and I have 20 days left to return it to Best Buy. However, for the time being I don't think I could be any happier having only spent $158 on the player.

I'll give a better review when I have my HT hooked up again...

-ronning

[ronning]

hhmm....

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/service/ownersofSD-6915.asp