DVD Player recommendations: Discuss DVD player recommendations here - Page 3

tomdkat · 07-18-2003, 12:37 AM

Well, from what little research I've done, it looks like the Denon DVM-1805 has Faroudja de-interlacing with DCDi for video sourced material, which means it _should_ produce a GREAT progressive scan picture. I've read ONE comment where a DVM-1805 owner preferred the video performance of his XBox to the DVM-1805.

Based on the fact that the Denon has the Faroudja de-interlacer, I would say try out the Denon and see how you like it.

I just don't know enough about the video performance of the Pioneer DV-C36 to make a more informed recommendation. Does the place where you are buying this player have a good return policy? I mean you could always exchange one for the other if they are priced close enough in the event you don't like one of them.

Good luck!

Peace...

**Pirate** · 07-18-2003, 12:51 AM

Yes, they both have a 30 day- money back policy. The weird thing is, The store thats selling the DENON is a specialty store and a DENON dealer. I told him about the PIONEER ELITE and he told me to go with that because (he says) The DENON beats it on picture quality!

-PH

P.s. I couldnt fin what kind of chip the PIONEER has. ANy ideas?

snipsnapsappy · 07-18-2003, 01:01 AM

Pioneer uses theor own Progressive chip. It is good, but not as good as the Faroudja DCDi according to most experts. The Pioneer will likely have the Chroma Error, which the Denon will not. I do not think there is much of a debate between these players. The Denon should beat the Pioneer in almost all categories (Picture, Sound, Features). Not that the Pioneer is any slouch, it is just the Denon is better, so if the prices are similar, I say go Denon.

Although, I am partial to the look of Pioneer Elite equipment, I would love to have a DV47Ai and a VSX 49Txi and one of their beautiful Plasmas or Rear Projection TVs. Man is that Glossy Piano Black finish beautiful.

tomdkat · 07-18-2003, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by piratehunter
P.s. I couldnt fin what kind of chip the PIONEER has. ANy ideas?

I don't know what the DV-C36 uses for de-interlacing and Pioneer has a track record of using proprietary de-interlacing chipsets. At least with the Denon, you know you're getting great de-interlacing.

Try out the Denon and if you're curious about the Pioneer return the Denon and get the Pioneer and then return it if you prefer the Denon.

This UN-informed recommendation is based on the assertion that the Denon will have better video quality based on the Faroudja de-interlacing. If we're talking "overall" performance, I would definitely recommend the Pioneer since Pioneer has a GREAT track record of being reliable DVD players. I believe the Denon is a NEWER player than the Pioneer DV-C36 and it supports MP3 playback where the Pioneer doesn't.

Faroudja de-interlacing, newer machine, MP3 playback all give the Denon an edge over the Pioneer and I would say check out the Denon.

Good luck!

Peace...

snipsnapsappy · 07-18-2003, 01:10 AM

Here is a link for a refurbished DVD-1805. Like I said before, these products are under warranty from Denon and so are perfectly safe.

http://www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/de...sp?dpno=163303

The price is only $129.99.

I do not know what you were planning on spending, but the MSRp of the Pioneer seems to be $700!? I am sure you can find it for cheaper, but that still seems to be a big price difference between the 2 players. If you have that much, waybe you might want to look into the Denon 4800 at the sight linked above.

**Pirate** · 07-18-2003, 01:18 AM

My only concern is picture quality. I'll only be using DVDs and SVCDs on these machines. Thats another thing, the users manual says that the DENON does not play VCD's which sucks, cause I make alot of short films and things that I put on svcd.

I think I will buy the DENON tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll let you guys know. And yes that piano finish is gorgeous!

thanks
-PH

tomdkat · 07-18-2003, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by piratehunter
I think I will buy the DENON tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll let you guys know.

The Pioneer would probably play the VCDs just fine. Try the Denon anyway and if it doesn't play the VCDs, exchange it for the Pioneer. Even if the Denon has better picture quality than the Pioneer, the Pioneer might not be that far behind it.

You just never know until you try...

Peace...

**Pirate** · 07-18-2003, 01:32 AM

cool. Thanks for the advice. I'll post tomorrow and let ya know the verdict on the DENON.

-later
PH

**Pirate** · 07-18-2003, 01:35 PM

CRAP! They were out of the DENON. Wont get more in till MONDAY!!!! Guess we're going with the PIONEER first

I'll let ya know later tonight how the PIONEER holds up

later
-PH

**Pirate** · 07-18-2003, 08:54 PM

This has been a day! Lemme tell ya. First I find that the store I was gonna buy the DENON from, Sold out. Then I go to buy the PIONEER and they try and sell me a floor model with the wrong remote (what?). I found a store about 20min from here that says they have the DENON. Wish me luck

tired and frustrated

-PH

tomdkat · 07-18-2003, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by piratehunter
Wish me luck

Good luck...

Peace...

**Pirate** · 07-18-2003, 11:57 PM

Ladies and Gents...THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!

I got the DENON DVD-1805 5 disc pscan player about 3 hours ago.

It is by far the most beautiful piece of crap I've ever owned! Yes, you heard me...crap. The picture kills the SONY, that I'll give it. It's nice and clear, but there's this softness to it. So the "flicker" is gone, but now the picture is too soft. You would think I could go into the players inner setup and adjust this. Nope. Theres like 3 options in the menu. Also, when the film starts the "black enhancement" is always on. You have to manually turn it off...everytime! Really annoying! It also won't play SVCD, which is something i need in a player.

The biggest flop about this player is that it's a 5 disc DVD player, but the "program" feature only works for audio CDs. What?!

So overall it's a nice player that has the Faroudja ( which seems to make a difference) but it won't let you control ANYTHING!. I need a little bit of control in my relationships!

I guess Ill wait for the PIONEER to come in.

Sad sad sad
-PH

tomdkat · 07-19-2003, 12:28 AM

Slow down... the Denon DVD players tend to have a good amount of video settings so you will need to "play around" with them. As for the "softness", have you performed a video calibration using Video Essentials or Avia? If not, do that first. That WILL NOT eliminate the softness but might adjust it some make the picture not as soft as it is now.

Also, keep in mind the various video modes can have different effects on the video so you will need to get an understanding of how those modes work, etc.

As for the SVCD support, can't help you there. When you get the Pioneer, take a SVCD WITH YOU to the store and try it out there BEFORE you buy it That way, you will know for sure.

I've seen Chromy's Denon DVD-2900 and the picture was not as "soft" as his HTPC's picture (at least not to me) and I thought it was vibrant and beautiful.

Peace...

**Pirate** · 07-19-2003, 12:43 AM

It seems the darker films are the ones that suffer from the softness. And I'm telling you, there are no inner menu settings I've read the manual front to back. I can adjust my TV and I know my TV settings very well, but it changes very little. Like I said the picture is better, but it suffers when it comes to darker films and control options. That black level thing is really annoying. There should be a memory feature for that or something.

The programming feature not being available for DVDs is really the deal breaker for me. I just dont see the point in a 5disc DVD changer that you can't program.

As for the PIONEER. I have played with it at the store and it does support svcd. They have it set on a plasma screen at the store and it's hard to tell how it will look.
If that doesnt work I'm going back to VHS...kidding

-PH

tomdkat · 07-19-2003, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by piratehunter
The programming feature not being available for DVDs is really the deal breaker for me. I just dont see the point in a 5disc DVD changer that you can't program.

That DOES seem like an obvious kind of feature and it doesn't make sense that they would leave it out. Maybe they left it out to keep the cost of the player down or something.

Quote:

As for the PIONEER. I have played with it at the store and it does support svcd.

Cool! Did you play the SVCD the Denon would not on the Pioneer, just to be sure? It might be advertised to play SVCD but it might have problems with your particular one.

I'm confident it will play your SVCDs just fine since it IS a Pioneer and I'm a Pioneer guy...

Good luck!

Peace...

**Pirate** · 07-19-2003, 01:02 AM

Yeah, I only make one kind of SVCD (in terms of formatted) and the PIONEER played it fine. I just watched a few minutes of spider-man on the DENON and as long as the picture stays bright, it looks fine. Once it goes dark though, it starts to get soft.
I dont know what the deal with that is.

BTW I check the manuel and in the back it says "The programming feature is only for use with audio CDs" That make no sense. Oh well.

I should get the PIONEER next week. I'll update the post and let you know how it holds up against the DENON

later
-PH

chipmac · 07-19-2003, 02:59 AM

Ok I just gotta ask. Why do you need to program 5 DVDs? Are you going to play one chapter from each disc like you would play one song from each disc? I always thought that the idea behind DVD changers was to avoid the down time of getting up to switch discs yourself.

Keep in mind every player is going to be different. Each one needs to be connected and recalibrated to get the best picture. The settings on your TV from one player will not work for another. I don't know if your old player could pass below black but this one can so your brightness will need to be adjusted. Try turning off the black enhancement mode when no disc is playing. Perhaps doing it this way will keep the setting for all discs rather than just the one currently playing.

**Pirate** · 07-19-2003, 09:22 AM

I understand about calibration. I've had alot of DVD players.

Why I need to program the five discs is this: I make my own trailer DVDs that I play before the film begins (just like in the theatre, sans the TV comercials) THe trailers are very high quality and take me time to make. When you have to switch inputs to go from the trailers to the film, it screws up the flow. Thats why the 5disc is good, cause it can all stay on the same input. I also have DVD's with the sound trailers (DD, DTS, THX). When put together it's a super cool experience, that in some of my frequent guests opinions, rivals the theatre. And that make me giddy like a schoolgirl.

From what I've read about the PIONEER, it should pull this off the way I want.

Later
-PH

P.S. I've also been known from time to time to put a cartoon before the film. Kickin it old school!

**Pirate** · 07-19-2003, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chipmac
Try turning off the black enhancement mode when no disc is playing. Perhaps doing it this way will keep the setting for all discs rather than just the one currently playing.

Tryed it. I'm telling you, this player gives you no control.

good thought though

-PH

lilsam51 · 07-28-2003, 02:43 PM

Its been a while since I did my homework on progressive scan DVD Players but I am a firm believer of "you get what you pay for". When Pioneer came out with their Progressive Scan DVD Player, I believe it was the DV-37, its in their elite line, I didnt think their would be that much difference between a $500 player and a $1000 player. But I am so happy that I went the route of the Pioneer player. Best DVD Player that I have owned. I have an HDTV and its amazing how crystal clear the picture looks, even at 480P only. I hear the Denon is an excellent choice as well. You figure you cant go wrong with Denon or Pioneer's Elite line.

I dont know if you want to focus on DVD-Audio just yet as it hasnt seemed to pick up in the consumer market. I think Sony's SuperCD is more popular.

Another factor you need to consider is the quality of your HDTV. Mitsubshi has three differnt grades of their HDTV. Not sure about the other manufacturers.

When it comes to home theater equipment never cut corners on cost. You might think you are getting a better deal with a cheaper piece of equipment, and sometimes you do. Take your time and do alot of research.

MRSMITH · 07-28-2003, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomdkat

This is perfectly valid as a DVI connection does not require HDCP but I _think_ HDCP does require a DVI connection.

So, if people have a DVI connection between various video sources (DVD players or HD receviers, etc) and their displays and they are NOT watching HDCP encrypted material, everything will work fine.

Catch my drift?

You can read more about some testing that people with DirectTV can do now here:

HDTV, HDCP, and YOU!

Peace...

It's all academic with the new Momitsu V880:

This unit upconverts current-generation DVDs to
hi-def user-selectable 720p or 1080i (to be more
correct, it upconverts to VIRTUAL hi-def since the
original current DVD source remains at 480p). Unlike
either the Samsung HD931 or the Bravo D-1, the
V880 accomplishes this feat via EITHER the DVI or
component outs/ins. This means that a DVI
"in" on your set is unnecessary.

I got my V880 last week and have never seen an
image on my year 2001 65-inch RCA Scenium from
any DVD like this. This replaces my Panasonic RP-56
which was no slouch either. But the V880 is a
quantum leap in imaging technology, if my eyes are
any gauge. The audio also marks a significant
improvement in speech clarity and overall perceived
range.

The V880 was shipped to me with the macrovison/copy
protection turned OFF(thus no HDCP concerns), which
allows SETUP to either 720p or 1080i. The native
480p setting out of the factory is VERY good. But switching
to either 720p or 1080i will knock your eyeballs out of
their sockets. Word of caution: When the hi-def settings
were chosen, it took my set at least 3 minutes of multi-
colored horizontal snow before everything re-set itself
and the menu came back. Don't know if this is simply
the electronic "match" between the player and the HDTV,
or something else. I found little difference between the
720p or 1080i, except for the long time-interval for the
re-set as mentioned above. The remote control on this
unit is cheesy and perhaps should be replaced by the
manufacturer with a better, more durable model. The unit
also responds quite slowly to remote control commands.

At 1080i the V880 upconverts reference-class DVDs like
North By Northwest and the Superbit version of The Fifth
Element from outstanding, to positively 3-dimensional,
glassy-smooth images that rival any D-VHS I've seen
so far. The greatest improvement, however, is to be found
on something like the notoriously bad MGM transfers such
as some of the earlier Bond films; those are converted from
'lousy' to 'very good'. In between are the 'average' transfers
which now become beautifully clear and sharp, a very
noticeable improvement by any standard.

I can see why Jack Valenti and the MPAA would want to stop
this technology in its tracks, particularly since this not only
makes re-purchase of your existing stash of current-generation
DVDs by native Hi-Def disks totally unnecessary, but means
that the virtual hi-def image can itself be transferred to D-VHS
or any other such machine. Such are the vagaries of the
marketplace. The so-called 'first sale doctrine' means that in
any case if you own a DVD or a player outright, you have the
absolute right to use it any way that you want for your
own internal personal purpose, so I don't think Mr. Valenti or
his cohorts will have any success in stopping it, at least from
that perspective. I suppose that, in one form or other, the
new chips that drive the V880 will become standard in most
players as time goes on, for competitive if for no other reasons.
I think many manufacturers may wait for the DVI/HDMI controversy
to be decided first, also.

Anyway, I thought other of your readers might want to know
my experience with this machine. At less than $300 delivered,
I don't think there's anything on the market to match this
at ANY price. And I have no interest either in the manufacturer
or anyone else connected with the V880. I'm just a movie buff.

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

tomdkat · 07-28-2003, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRSMITH

I got my V880 last week and have never seen an
image on my year 2001 65-inch RCA Scenium from
any DVD like this. This replaces my Panasonic RP-56
which was no slouch either. But the V880 is a
quantum leap in imaging technology, if my eyes are
any gauge. The audio also marks a significant
improvement in speech clarity and overall perceived
range.

I'm glad to hear you're really enjoying your Momitsu!

I've been reading some additional commentary on this player and it seems to have had an "interesting" history, plagued with quirks galore. I guess one of the latest firmware updates resolves a lot of these issues. As for the video quality from this player, it seems like the component video output at 720p or 1080i is a bit softer than people would prefer. I've read a comment where the DVI RGBHV analog output is "better" than the 720p or 1080i component output of this player.

For $300, it certainly brings a LOT to the table and is definitely worth checking out!

By the way, have you experienced any of the lip sync or lock-up problems people have been reporting?

Peace...

tomdkat · 07-29-2003, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilsam51

Its been a while since I did my homework on progressive scan DVD Players but I am a firm believer of "you get what you pay for". When Pioneer came out with their Progressive Scan DVD Player, I believe it was the DV-37, its in their elite line, I didnt think their would be that much difference between a $500 player and a $1000 player.

Unfortunately, the Panasonic DVD-RP56, DVD-RP82, DVD-CP72, and DVD-XP30 disprove this assertion since they all cost < $300 and outperform several > $1000 players, at least in terms of video performance. I think this really surprised a LOT of people too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilsam51

I dont know if you want to focus on DVD-Audio just yet as it hasnt seemed to pick up in the consumer market. I think Sony's SuperCD is more popular.

My Pioneer DV-656a plays DVD-Audio, but I haven't tried and discs yet. I've heard SACD at Chromy's place and was VERY impressed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilsam51

Another factor you need to consider is the quality of your HDTV. Mitsubshi has three differnt grades of their HDTV. Not sure about the other manufacturers.

Toshiba and Pioneer have two lines of widescreen HDTVs. Pioneer has the non-Elite and the Elite lines. I bought my Toshiba 57HX81 since I couldn't afford a similarly sized Pioneer Elite HDTV.

Oh well, I LOVE my Toshiba to death!

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilsam51

When it comes to home theater equipment never cut corners on cost. You might think you are getting a better deal with a cheaper piece of equipment, and sometimes you do. Take your time and do alot of research.

Of course, staying within budgets should ALWAYS be a priority. That is what makes forums like this great... it gives people a place to research components so they can get the BEST bang for their buck.

Peace...

MRSMITH · 07-29-2003, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomdkat

I'm glad to hear you're really enjoying your Momitsu!

I've been reading some additional commentary on this player and it seems to have had an "interesting" history, plagued with quirks galore. I guess one of the latest firmware updates resolves a lot of these issues. As for the video quality from this player, it seems like the component video output at 720p or 1080i is a bit softer than people would prefer. I've read a comment where the DVI RGBHV analog output is "better" than the 720p or 1080i component output of this player.

For $300, it certainly brings a LOT to the table and is definitely worth checking out!

By the way, have you experienced any of the lip sync or lock-up problems people have been reporting?

Peace...

No particular quirks so far, just the slowness of the
interface between my HDTV and the player when
changing from one hi-def mode to another. But then
I've only played two movies all the way through; in
addition however I've now sampled perhaps 14 or
15 others from my library which is the source of
my comments. Based on performance so far, I
don't see any further need to change the machine
from the 1080i it's set for now. Hope I don't
experience 'quirkiness' in the future, because
that is one characteristic I don't need.

As to the "softness" of the image, I would agree,
but that appears only when viewing some of the
reference-quality movies -- but again, not all. North
by Northwest and S/B The 5th Element come out
PERFECT, that's the only description I can render. On
a few others sampled, I too have found moving the
"sharpness" control on the set one click to the right
compensates for the "softness" you're describing. It
appears what's happening, is that you're taking a
native 480p image that's so good to begin with, that
up-converting is almost a kind of 'overkill' to a certain
extent; yet why that 'overkill' does not come into
play with North By Northwest and S/B The 5th Element,
I don't know. Khartoum, a Cinerama movie out on a
quite-good transfer(at least for MGM), requires the
sharpness to the right as the up-converted image is
just a little too soft for my taste. I understand that
some high-frequency roll-off via component is part of
the reason for this phenomenon.

Overall, the result at 1080i on most everything I've
tried so far is absolutely STUNNING. I''m curious to
know how your readers using this machine on a
FRONT projector have fared.

Hope this information is of some benefit to your
readers considering purchase of this new technology.

Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com

07-18-2003, 12:37 AM	#101 (permalink)
tomdkat Official Forum Warmonger "Dial Tone" Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hayward, CA, USA	Well, from what little research I've done, it looks like the Denon DVM-1805 has Faroudja de-interlacing with DCDi for video sourced material, which means it _should_ produce a GREAT progressive scan picture. I've read ONE comment where a DVM-1805 owner preferred the video performance of his XBox to the DVM-1805. Based on the fact that the Denon has the Faroudja de-interlacer, I would say try out the Denon and see how you like it. I just don't know enough about the video performance of the Pioneer DV-C36 to make a more informed recommendation. Does the place where you are buying this player have a good return policy? I mean you could always exchange one for the other if they are priced close enough in the event you don't like one of them. Good luck! Peace... __________________ My DVD Aficionado List "At last we shall reveal ourselves to the Jedi, at last we shall have revenge!"

07-18-2003, 01:01 AM	#103 (permalink)
snipsnapsappy Actor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Shell Beach, CA, USA	Pioneer uses theor own Progressive chip. It is good, but not as good as the Faroudja DCDi according to most experts. The Pioneer will likely have the Chroma Error, which the Denon will not. I do not think there is much of a debate between these players. The Denon should beat the Pioneer in almost all categories (Picture, Sound, Features). Not that the Pioneer is any slouch, it is just the Denon is better, so if the prices are similar, I say go Denon. Although, I am partial to the look of Pioneer Elite equipment, I would love to have a DV47Ai and a VSX 49Txi and one of their beautiful Plasmas or Rear Projection TVs. Man is that Glossy Piano Black finish beautiful. __________________ I balked, now the proud owner of both formats. I am now bi-partisan. I enjoy what both red and blue have to offer. My Theater MySpace

07-18-2003, 01:10 AM	#105 (permalink)
snipsnapsappy Actor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Shell Beach, CA, USA	Here is a link for a refurbished DVD-1805. Like I said before, these products are under warranty from Denon and so are perfectly safe. http://www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/de...sp?dpno=163303 The price is only $129.99. I do not know what you were planning on spending, but the MSRp of the Pioneer seems to be $700!? I am sure you can find it for cheaper, but that still seems to be a big price difference between the 2 players. If you have that much, waybe you might want to look into the Denon 4800 at the sight linked above. __________________ I balked, now the proud owner of both formats. I am now bi-partisan. I enjoy what both red and blue have to offer. My Theater MySpace

07-18-2003, 01:32 AM	#108 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	cool. Thanks for the advice. I'll post tomorrow and let ya know the verdict on the DENON. -later PH Last edited by Pirate : 07-18-2003 at 01:38 AM.

07-18-2003, 11:57 PM	#112 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	Ladies and Gents...THE RESULTS ARE IN!!! I got the DENON DVD-1805 5 disc pscan player about 3 hours ago. It is by far the most beautiful piece of crap I've ever owned! Yes, you heard me...crap. The picture kills the SONY, that I'll give it. It's nice and clear, but there's this softness to it. So the "flicker" is gone, but now the picture is too soft. You would think I could go into the players inner setup and adjust this. Nope. Theres like 3 options in the menu. Also, when the film starts the "black enhancement" is always on. You have to manually turn it off...everytime! Really annoying! It also won't play SVCD, which is something i need in a player. The biggest flop about this player is that it's a 5 disc DVD player, but the "program" feature only works for audio CDs. What?! So overall it's a nice player that has the Faroudja ( which seems to make a difference) but it won't let you control ANYTHING!. I need a little bit of control in my relationships! I guess Ill wait for the PIONEER to come in. Sad sad sad -PH __________________ Early Adopting So You Don’t Have To.

07-18-2003, 12:51 AM	#102 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	Yes, they both have a 30 day- money back policy. The weird thing is, The store thats selling the DENON is a specialty store and a DENON dealer. I told him about the PIONEER ELITE and he told me to go with that because (he says) The DENON beats it on picture quality! -PH P.s. I couldnt fin what kind of chip the PIONEER has. ANy ideas?

07-18-2003, 01:18 AM	#106 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	My only concern is picture quality. I'll only be using DVDs and SVCDs on these machines. Thats another thing, the users manual says that the DENON does not play VCD's which sucks, cause I make alot of short films and things that I put on svcd. I think I will buy the DENON tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll let you guys know. And yes that piano finish is gorgeous! thanks -PH

07-18-2003, 01:35 PM	#109 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	CRAP! They were out of the DENON. Wont get more in till MONDAY!!!! Guess we're going with the PIONEER first I'll let ya know later tonight how the PIONEER holds up later -PH

07-18-2003, 08:54 PM	#110 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	This has been a day! Lemme tell ya. First I find that the store I was gonna buy the DENON from, Sold out. Then I go to buy the PIONEER and they try and sell me a floor model with the wrong remote (what?). I found a store about 20min from here that says they have the DENON. Wish me luck tired and frustrated -PH

07-19-2003, 12:28 AM	#113 (permalink)
tomdkat Official Forum Warmonger "Dial Tone" Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hayward, CA, USA	Slow down... the Denon DVD players tend to have a good amount of video settings so you will need to "play around" with them. As for the "softness", have you performed a video calibration using Video Essentials or Avia? If not, do that first. That WILL NOT eliminate the softness but might adjust it some make the picture not as soft as it is now. Also, keep in mind the various video modes can have different effects on the video so you will need to get an understanding of how those modes work, etc. As for the SVCD support, can't help you there. When you get the Pioneer, take a SVCD WITH YOU to the store and try it out there BEFORE you buy it That way, you will know for sure. I've seen Chromy's Denon DVD-2900 and the picture was not as "soft" as his HTPC's picture (at least not to me) and I thought it was vibrant and beautiful. Peace... __________________ My DVD Aficionado List "At last we shall reveal ourselves to the Jedi, at last we shall have revenge!"

07-19-2003, 12:43 AM	#114 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	It seems the darker films are the ones that suffer from the softness. And I'm telling you, there are no inner menu settings I've read the manual front to back. I can adjust my TV and I know my TV settings very well, but it changes very little. Like I said the picture is better, but it suffers when it comes to darker films and control options. That black level thing is really annoying. There should be a memory feature for that or something. The programming feature not being available for DVDs is really the deal breaker for me. I just dont see the point in a 5disc DVD changer that you can't program. As for the PIONEER. I have played with it at the store and it does support svcd. They have it set on a plasma screen at the store and it's hard to tell how it will look. If that doesnt work I'm going back to VHS...kidding -PH __________________ Early Adopting So You Don’t Have To.

07-19-2003, 01:02 AM	#116 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	Yeah, I only make one kind of SVCD (in terms of formatted) and the PIONEER played it fine. I just watched a few minutes of spider-man on the DENON and as long as the picture stays bright, it looks fine. Once it goes dark though, it starts to get soft. I dont know what the deal with that is. BTW I check the manuel and in the back it says "The programming feature is only for use with audio CDs" That make no sense. Oh well. I should get the PIONEER next week. I'll update the post and let you know how it holds up against the DENON later -PH __________________ Early Adopting So You Don’t Have To.

07-19-2003, 02:59 AM	#117 (permalink)
chipmac Actor Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Hardyston, NJ	Ok I just gotta ask. Why do you need to program 5 DVDs? Are you going to play one chapter from each disc like you would play one song from each disc? I always thought that the idea behind DVD changers was to avoid the down time of getting up to switch discs yourself. Keep in mind every player is going to be different. Each one needs to be connected and recalibrated to get the best picture. The settings on your TV from one player will not work for another. I don't know if your old player could pass below black but this one can so your brightness will need to be adjusted. Try turning off the black enhancement mode when no disc is playing. Perhaps doing it this way will keep the setting for all discs rather than just the one currently playing.

07-19-2003, 09:22 AM	#118 (permalink)
Pirate Director/Moderator Loves Yellow Subtitles Join Date: Jun 2003	I understand about calibration. I've had alot of DVD players. Why I need to program the five discs is this: I make my own trailer DVDs that I play before the film begins (just like in the theatre, sans the TV comercials) THe trailers are very high quality and take me time to make. When you have to switch inputs to go from the trailers to the film, it screws up the flow. Thats why the 5disc is good, cause it can all stay on the same input. I also have DVD's with the sound trailers (DD, DTS, THX). When put together it's a super cool experience, that in some of my frequent guests opinions, rivals the theatre. And that make me giddy like a schoolgirl. From what I've read about the PIONEER, it should pull this off the way I want. Later -PH P.S. I've also been known from time to time to put a cartoon before the film. Kickin it old school! __________________ Early Adopting So You Don’t Have To.

07-28-2003, 02:43 PM	#120 (permalink)
lilsam51 Supporting Actor Join Date: Jul 2003	Its been a while since I did my homework on progressive scan DVD Players but I am a firm believer of "you get what you pay for". When Pioneer came out with their Progressive Scan DVD Player, I believe it was the DV-37, its in their elite line, I didnt think their would be that much difference between a $500 player and a $1000 player. But I am so happy that I went the route of the Pioneer player. Best DVD Player that I have owned. I have an HDTV and its amazing how crystal clear the picture looks, even at 480P only. I hear the Denon is an excellent choice as well. You figure you cant go wrong with Denon or Pioneer's Elite line. I dont know if you want to focus on DVD-Audio just yet as it hasnt seemed to pick up in the consumer market. I think Sony's SuperCD is more popular. Another factor you need to consider is the quality of your HDTV. Mitsubshi has three differnt grades of their HDTV. Not sure about the other manufacturers. When it comes to home theater equipment never cut corners on cost. You might think you are getting a better deal with a cheaper piece of equipment, and sometimes you do. Take your time and do alot of research.