Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the price point, this is a feature rich player. What you get:
- a very sleek looking player that loads fast. Compared to the Phillips I bought at a big box store for the same price a year ago, it is greased lightning.
- a functional remote that is comfortable and easy to use.
- a USB port on the front of the player to play .mpg and picture files or to rip music to a flash drive or MP3 player from a CD or DVD.
- easy to navigate controls on the front panel. This is essential for me because my employees, who will not have the instruction manual available, will also be using the machine.
- an HDMI output, as well as the regular RCA type jacks.
- a ton of other features I will not use in my particular application.
Setup was a snap, even without so much as a glance at the instructions. I was even able to do a picture slide show from a flash drive without instructions, it is that intuitive. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars:
- If you want to connect an old school coaxial cable (the one that you screw on - with the little wire in the middle of the cable), you are out of luck
- I don't see any instructions on how to get it to control the volume on my TV (and it does not do it on it's own) even though the remote indicates it has the capability.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player

Samsung DVD-1080P9 Upscaling DVD Player DVD-1080P9 DVD Players

Click here for more information about Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player

Toshiba XD-E500 Upconverting 1080p Extended Detail DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Ever since HDTVs came on the scene DVD players have boasted they improve DVD to "HD" quality, most only delivered marginally better pictures at best. Thankfully recent players have come a long way offering some really exceptional pictures from a DVD source.
Given the history of up-processing players and the hype surrounding XD-E500 I couldn't wait to get my hands on this player. For comparison I used my best Up-processing player with Reon-VX HQV. As anyone who has one knows the Reon chip offers one of the best pictures available.
Wondering about the "Two" part of the title now? Well I didn't get carried away and buy two. What happened was the first player sent was defective. It was not obvious at first because I didn't know what to expect, but during the comparisons I and my 3 other testers noticed only a very slight difference over the Reon chip, so small it wouldn't be worth buying. I was about to write a scathing review, luckily I first contacted George, a fellow HD nut. He bought the XD the first day they were available and was surprised I was so disappointed. He then said I must have defective player because the XD blows Reon out of the water.
Long story short, I contacted Amazon and they express shipped a replacement. George was right it blows Reon right out of the water.
The Picture is impressive, very impressive. The better the DVD transfer the better the picture.
New movies like The Bank Job look extraordinary. It was difficult to remember that it was not a true HD picture.
Star War IV looked sharper than ever, the best I've seen outside the theater. The backgrounds of the ships, corridors, lighted buttons, and droids all had richer detail that really stood out. I should note while Star Wars looked sharper it was evident to me it was not HD especially in exterior shots. This probably has more to do with the age of the film, some of the flaws I noticed will probably be present in any release.
Toshiba included a Mbps meter, neat feature. Also a tool for getting an idea of what is being done.
From what I can tell the XD essentially doubles the DVDs natural Mbps.
Bank Job (13 to 14 Mbps), Star Wars IV (17 Mbps), 5th Element superbits (7-8 Mbps), Pirates of the Caribbean I (15 to 16 Mbps), *highest Mbps noticed
Is it HD? No, and it does not claim to be.
Does it look close to HD? Yes, at times it can fool the eye. The three modes (Sharp, Color, Contrast) do a very nice job compensating the picture and can add significantly to the picture.
I only gave the XD 4 out of 5 stars because I feel there are a few small flaws to be worked out and improvements to be made.
Make no mistake this is revolutionary technology. I also believe that this is just the beginning of this technology. Improvement are inevitable. Better software, improvements to the hardware and the much talked about implementation of DVD 2.0 next year.
Kaleidescape already offers a DVD player which does a similar job. In fact they claim it does a better job boasting that it makes DVD look as good as blu-ray. Doubtful, however their system connects to a server and downloads additional data to improve the picture. Maybe this is the next step for all players when DVD 2.0 & DVD DL come to fruition.
In a way this player feels rushed out, quickly put in production an configured for the easiest and most rewarding optimization. Simply put my impression is that if Toshiba tweaks the settings better quality could be achieved. Although part of impression it was rushed might be because we were told to expect this player by December and here it is available in the middle of August.
Considering the price of top of the line up-processors this one is quite a deal at the current price and is likely to get better as they become cheaper to make and as other manufactures start to make their own versions of this.
This player does what it promises. It provides unprecedented DVD picture quality and is a decent DivX player as well. This is a perfect player for anyone who has a large DVD collection, or who prefer DVD to the alternatives.
---------------------
08-25-2008
Small Update: The XD-E500 seems to have a issue with aspect ratio. It stretched 4:3 material to fit the screen. Wouldn't be a big issue except, well I prefer it in the correct aspect and the two sources were low quality classic films which look worse stretched. If I find a solution I'll update again.
---------------------
No solution yet, all settings correct, the DVDs in question display properly on another DVD player. It should be noted that this is a glitch common to a lot of players.
-----------------
Region free via remote control:
- open the tray
- type 2403960
- press 9
- close the tray
- turn the player off and back on again
Worked for me. XD is able to playback Region 2 PAL DVDs now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
09-29-2009
9 Month Update:
It is now tail of 3 XDs.
The XDE sent as a replacement by Amazon last August died over the Memorial Day weekend. During a Star Trek marathon no less. Maybe it was too much for it. ;) I don't know if it was more embarrassing to admit it was Trek Marathon or that the XD died in front of all my guests.
The symptoms were: at first it froze in the middle of show, pressed stop checked the disc (it was fine) then tried to play it again, then it was stuck at "loading", after it was turned off for awhile it would load the disc but display "bad disc" or "no disc", I unplugged it and left it alone for a day, the next day it load and played the dvd properly but for only 10 minutes then it repeated the cycle as described previously.
I almost didn't buy another one, two things swayed me. The first was the price, much more reasonable than it was last august. The second was I could not get as satisfactory dvd picture from my high end blu-ray player. I tweaked the setting and tried everything I could think of. Whatever I did the picture was not as pleasing as the XDE's.
I almost held off because I firmly believe by this time next year DVD Up-processing will be a new game. Possibly as soon as this holiday season. But I decided for the next year or so I would want another DVD player to save the wear and tear on my Blu-ray player and the XD so far has the most pleasing picture available.
New player arrived to day and I swapped it right out. This one worked properly out of the box, as the second player did. The region free code worked as before. Although it is a later build date the firmware seem to be the same. Same aspect ratio problems as noted earlier.
Among my disappointments with the XD are the lack of quality control. I am very disappointed the second player died. I had a Sony dvd player used regularly for 8 years that I gave away when I upgraded to Blu-ray and HD DVD, never a lick of trouble with it. Not to single out the Sony brand, I have other players last as well but they were not used as regularly.
My other major disappointment is the remote. It can be a bear to use. Well it is probably more the fault of the placement of the receiver in the player rather than the remote. Although when holding the flimsy remote in your hand and having nothing happen it is the remote control that gets the blame.
This is still a great player despite its faults. And still a great player for anyone with a large DVD collection.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba XD-E500 Upconverting 1080p Extended Detail DVD Player

1080P Upconverting Detail Enhanced DVD Player

Get 38% OFF

Click here for more information about Toshiba XD-E500 Upconverting 1080p Extended Detail DVD Player

Toshiba XDE600 1080p Upconverted DVD Extended Detail Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this one on a whim just to try out the extended detail enhancement feature. Of the three (Sharp, Color, Contrast) Sharp worked very well. I have a properly calibrated set, so the other two were pretty much of no use. On newer films Sharp added just the right amount of sharpness to scenes without additional halos or other edge enhancement artifacts (the better the film's cinematography the better it works). With older 4:3 aspect films or non-HD TV shows from the 90s the image is stretch and there is nothing I can do to fix it. My Vizio TV can't adjust for it (it just sees a 1080P image coming from the player and keeps it in its "normal" state - stretched in other words) and neither can the player. That's pretty frustrating and I may end up sending this back for that reason. Need to take stock of how many DVDs I rent that are 4:3. The audio is good/average. Nothing to write home about, but perfectly acceptable. The build quality of the unit is very light. The case of the player feels like a tin can and the remote is as tiny and lightweight as a child's toy. The buttons are very small and unintuitive.
Again, for what its basic purpose is (DVD upscaled playback), it does a great job on 16:9 widescreen material, particularly with Sharp enabled. The image quality rivals at times the Oppo DV-980H (no joke) and is slightly better than the Pioneer Elite DV-49AV. I wished Toshiba had chosen to put the XDE feature into a more quality player from a feature and build standpoint. It would have a real winner then - even at another say, $50 for that quality.
Edit: Well, after a week or so of ownership I feel I was a bit too harsh on the XDE-600, so I bumped the rating up to four stars. The image quality is so good for the low price that I can overlook the deficiencies. Plus I found a work-around of sorts for the 4:3 aspect problem. Set the HDMI resolution to 480p in the player and it will display in the proper aspect ratio on the TV. The only snag is that the XDE settings won't work in anything but 1080p, but since they are mostly older movies (that use that format) I can live with it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba XDE600 1080p Upconverted DVD Extended Detail

Upconvert 1080P DVD Player

Get 4% OFF

Click here for more information about Toshiba XDE600 1080p Upconverted DVD Extended Detail

OPPO OPDV971H Digital HD-Ready Up-Converting DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just got this player thru Amazon, and ran two region1 DVD disks: LOTR Return of the King Platinum and Dying Young. The short review: The wife is so impressed with the Oppo's picture quality (that's probably the most important consideration when buying anything like this). I was expecting the quality, since I was able to demo a Samsung earlier that could do DCDI/Faroudja/upconvertion. ADDED: I also tried Star Wars DVD. WOW!! The picture quality really blew me away. I can see details in the movie I have never seen before on a TV.
Our Oppo/HT setup: Panasonic AE700 widescreen lcd projector hdmi, ht=61" x wd=108" diy "blackout" screen (viewing distance=3.5meters), Yamaha RXV2095 receiver, Pioneer DV515 (old non-progressive dvd player via 12meter sVideo, 1.5meter fiber optic audio), Oppo DV971H (via dvi-to-hdmi adapter, 5meter hdmi cable, 3.7meter 75ohm component video cable, 10meter 75ohm coax audio), Speakers: Wharfedale Diamond 8.4 L/R/C and Bose AM10 L/R/C/Surr, Wiring AWG12. Home Theater PC setup (6meter VGA output, 1.5 meter fiber optic audio, Asus Pentium 4-2.67GHz notebook, ATI Radeon 9000-64MB, 512MB, 40GB HDD, ZoomPlayer, FFDShow, PowerStrip, WinDVD6, PowerDVD6). (1meter = 3.28ft)
I have observed a significant video improvement over our old pioneer DVD player. I also tried a 1970's movie (I won't mention the title) that was so poorly transferred to DVD (region3), and I noticed a significant improvement in the video playback over the old player. The noise artifacts were minimized, and the sharpness had a significant improvement. I guess that was the DCDI/Faroudja chip doing its work.
I've tried the 480p,720p,1080i upconvertion using the "dvi" button on the remote and although I couldn't really notice the difference in quality between the three modes even on such a large screen, the lcd projector saw the difference and reported the corresponding "input source signal". I may have to observe some more and change the projector's picture mode, we usually leave it at "Cinema1 mode".
ADDED: okay, I've now looked A LOT closer using Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon region3 DVD. Basically, as I move up the DVI resolution from 480p to 720p to 1080i, I did noticed that less and less horizontal lines were becoming visible (a good thing).
BUT, since our projector uses hdmi, the picture does suffer from hdmi cropping issues (varies with the resolution being used). Using component/analog gives the largest picture that can occupy the screen (unfortunately there is no upconversion using component, only the Oppo's DVI output has the upconversion). At the projector side: Using hdmi input, the picture appears cropped (black bars at the left and right, sometimes at the top and bottom, sometimes a combination of both). I also cannot change aspect ratio using hdmi, while you can using component/analog inputs of the projector.
ADDED: The Oppo I have can play DVD-Audio, something not stated in the manuals or the unit's array of logos. The DVD-Audio sampler disc I used came from Creative Lab's Audigy 2 for the PC.
ADDED: I also compaired the Oppo's component output vs. the dvi-to-hdmi output, basically, there's a big difference in the picture quality, you should connect using the dvi output if possible.
I also noticed that the subtitles on the movies are much easier to read now when compaired to the old dvd player, but on one brief moment the subtitles on Dying Young were garbled -that's never happened before on the Pioneer.
ADDED: Okay, this has now happened to a bunch of other DVDs, sometimes it garbles one single line of subtitle per entire single dvd I watched. That is still an acceptable problem to me.
I also heard no apparent difference in audio quality between the Oppo and the old Pioneer despite the length of the coax. Naturally I set all audio sound effects to off when compairing audio CDs.
I also compaired the Oppo to our HTPC. Basically, the HTPC could output better video than the old Pioneer, but when compairing with Oppo, I prefer the Oppo. I don't want the hassle the HTPC is giving me. I saw no significant video quality difference between the HTPC and the Oppo. So my take on this is if you're happy with your HTPC, stick to it. If you want convenience then Oppo is something to look at. If you can't demo an Oppo, try looking at anything with DCDI/Faroudja.
Bottom line: I am happy with the purchase. Good value for the money. It's region free and can upconvert, and that's what's important to me. I chose Oppo vs. Momitsu V880 because I prefer Faroudja over Sigma Designs. BUT, BUT, here are my Oppo gripes....
1. I don't like the remote's key layout, it also seems flimsy, it could use a backlight.
2. I don't like the el-cheapo plastic disc tray. It looks like it will break easily. It's weird having to insert a disc if the tray doesn't comeout 100% all the way. I just hope this is the design, not a defect.
3. I don't like the bright blue light which is distracting in a completely dark home theater room.
4. The player's buttons are a little hard to press, well, maybe because it's still new. As with other players, not all remote functions can be found on the unit itself. So take care of the remote.
5. I wish the unit was color black instead of silver.
6. I don't like the OSD font, could use a better readable font.
7. The setup menu could be more descriptive, the manual helps but not enough...
8. I wish it was HDMI rather than DVI, but the adapter solved that issue.
ADDED: 9. Subtitle display is sometimes garbled (sometimes happens once on a single line per DVD watched).
ADDED 05/28: Okay, after 3 months and almost 200 hrs of use, I am still happy with this purchase. However, not all DVD titles appeared fantastic thru the DVI upconversion output (hdmi input on our projector), such as Top Gun r1. I had to watch it thru the component output. It appeared too visually noisy via DVI.

Eric Gutierrez
Manila, Philippines

Click Here to see more reviews about: OPPO OPDV971H Digital HD-Ready Up-Converting DVD Player

Improve the picture quality of DVD movies shown on your high-definition television with the versatile OPPO Digital OPDV971H DVD player, which provides 480p/540p/576p/720p/1080i resolutions and can upconvert 480i video from DVDs to the high definition 720p/1080i formats. Featuring a slim and elegant design, it featurs a sleek, silver design that will fit in nicely the rest of your home theater's components. In addition to standard DVD move and CD audio discs, it's also compatible with DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, (S)VCD, HDCD, and CD-R/RW discs as well as WMA and JPEG digital content. It also plays DivX 5, DivX 4, DivX 3, and DivX VOD video content (in compliance with DivX Certified technical requirements).
The OPDV971H features Faroudja's Emmy award-winning DCDi deinterlacing and scaling technology to up-convert standard video in DVDs to HD resolutions. DCDi (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) technology eliminates the jagginess that conventional upconverters introduced to diagonal edges in video. FaroudjaÕs unique DCDi algorithm identifies all the moving edges in a scene and adjusts the angle of interpolation at each pixel so that the interpolation always follows the edge instead of crossing it, eliminating staircasing or jagged edge artifacts.
Other features include a 108MHz/12bit video D/A converter, super error correction with twin laser and intelligent laser wavelength control, NTSC/PAL output (from both NTSC and PAL formatted discs), multi-angled view capability, virtual surround sound, and built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoders. Future upgrades to the firmware can be updated to the player via a CD-ROM disc. It offers the following connection options:
DVI Out: 1 (480p, 576p, 540p, 720p, 1080i resolutions)
S-Video Out: 1
Composite AV Out: 1
Component Out
Subwoofer Out: 1
Optical digital audio Out: 1
Coaxial digital audio Out: 1

Tech Talk DivX is a video codec (a piece of software encoding and decoding video) based on the MPEG-4 compression format, that blends good quality video with a low bitrate. This translates to a smaller file size (around 15 percent of a standard DVD's video file), making it easier to transfer to portable devices as well as quicker to create (encode).
HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital) is a disc encoding format for audio CDs and DVDs. It can encode 20 bits of audio information into a conventional CD 16-bit channel, yielding a greater dynamic range and a more true-to-life sound when decoded. HDCD-equipped players will improve audio quality for even traditionally recorded CDs and DVDs. Conversely, because of the recording process, HDCD-encoded media will also sound better than traditionally CDs and DVDs on players that don't have the HDCD chip.
DVI (Digital Video Interface) provides an uncompressed transfer of high definition video from a digital video source to a digital display device. HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) ensures copy protection of the content. The DVI output is also essential if you want to watch copyrighted DVDÕs at a higher, upconverted resolution (other video connections do not provide upconversion).
What's in the Box DVD player, remote control (with batteries), video cable, RCA L/R audio cable, printed operating instructions

Click here for more information about OPPO OPDV971H Digital HD-Ready Up-Converting DVD Player

LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have to say that I'm impressed with this unit. The wait times are not too bad at all, and as others have said, the picture quality is excellent. Standard DVD upconversion is excellent. There are a few minor issues that I've found, which I'll get to.
Setup out of the box was quick and simple. I plugged it in and set a few audio options, video needed no adjustment from the defaults.
The network setup wasn't too bad, but I did have some issues with encryption. I also purchased a new wireless router (the Netgear RangeMax WNDR3300 Wireless-N Router) to replace the near-decade-old Linksys I have. I tried two different encryption types, and both both times the player could connect after entering the key, but refused to obtain an IP address. Disabling encryption on the router caused the player to obtain an IP address quickly, and setup was complete. Currently I'm running without encryption but with MAC address filtering. I'm okay with that, but I might go back and try encryption again now that I've downloaded a firmware update for the router. Other reviews state no problems setting up with encryption, so the problem might be specific to my setup.
Netflix functionality took a few seconds to set up. Anything in your "Watch Instantly" queue is displayed in the Netflix menu and you can rate any of them from the player. Unfortunately, at this time there is no ability to browse or search for anything that's not already in your queue. With the right connection, the higher quality video is quite good - as good or slightly better than standard definition cable. At this point, audio doesn't get any better than stereo, and while it's not crystal clear, it's not bad. Hopefully some new features will be added in future firmware updates.
The YouTube player is nice too. This supports searches, "Top Rated", "Most Viewed", "Recent Videos", etc. It's fun to play around with, and I'm glad the feature exists on this player, even if the novelty might wear off a little over time.
I did a firmware update this morning (it wasn't available yesterday), and now there is a new menu item for CinemaNow. I haven't messed with it much, but apparently you can "rent" a movie for around $3.99 or "buy" a movie for $15-$20. There's a section for TV, but it merely says "Coming Soon". I don't see the point in this really, since Netflix covers the rentals (for much cheaper), and the movies seems to be the same price as going out and buying the DVD. I'd rather have the DVD than an over-compressed soft copy for the same price.
I can't get the Media Server stuff to work at all [fixed! -- see updates below]. So far, I've dedicated about 6 or 7 hours to getting this to work. None of the other reviews have mentioned a problem with this, so I guess it must be me. I installed the included Nero MediaHome 4 Essentials software, and added a directory to share. I started the server fine, but the player constantly tells me "No Server Found". I have tried two different wireless routers and an infinite number of settings adjustments. My firewalls are off. I just can't get a break. As a software engineer with a degree in the field, you can bet that it's pretty frustrating for this to beat me. I'll update the review if and when I get it working. Others have not had the same problem as me, though. So I imagine that this is NOT a problem with the player.
There are also a number of little features related to the playing of DVD's and BD's that I like. The player remembers each movie's last position when it was stopped and/or removed. So the next time you start up that movie, it will resume where you left off.
The video settings are reasonably full-featured as well. Brightness, Contrast, etc. are all adjustable, and you can adjust colors manually (just the reds, just the yellows, etc.) Upconverted DVD's have a couple of NR options, and there's an auto-contrast feature which seems to work pretty well. There's also a zoom feature that let's you zoom in on a part of the screen to get a closer look. That's cool.
Overall, this player was definitely worth the money for me. I'm looking forward to the day when I can get the media server working, but even without that feature, I love this player. It's worth every cent. Great video, great audio, and instant Netflix that doesn't involve me using composite cables to mirror my laptop screen to the TV. Progress!
---------------- Update 05/27/2009 ------------------
Now I seem to be having an additional problem. I tried two DVD's that have an alternate picture-in-picture track that can be enabled. They pop up with a small video in the corner of the screen every so often when the option is turned on (like a video commentary track). I can't get either of them to play with sound. The video shows up but you can't hear anything. There is no mention of this in the manual, and nothing that I can find online about it. One person with the same problem (but a different player) said that their player had a "Secondary Audio" option that was turned off by default, and turning it on fixed the issue. This player does not have that option. None of the standard audio tracks contain the PIP audio. I've just about given up. If someone can tell me how to fix this, I'd be grateful. Otherwise I'd knock this down to three stars until it's fixed in firmware. For reference, the two Blu-Ray discs I'm talking about are Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder and Groundhog Day.
---------------- Update 06/05/2009 ------------------
Following the recommendation of xoco (see Comments), I changed the audio from Primary Pass-Through to DTS Re-Encode. This fixes the PIP audio track problem. I'm satisfied with that, although I'm not sure if I have lost anything by making the switch.
---------------- Update 08/25/2009 ------------------
SUCCESS!! Finally, I can see my PC as a media server. Whatever issues I had were fixed with the latest firmware download (BD.8.08.498.B). As soon as I finished the download and rebooted the player, my PC was visible in the My Media section. Nero MediaHome 4 still does not seem to work, but the standard sharing built into Vista works fine. That's the (very) good news. The bad news? I immediately shared one of my video directories to try it out. I tried a couple of videos that I had scaled down to 720p to put on Flickr, and even scaled down they were horribly choppy and slow. I may need to start messing with router settings again to see if I can fix this. Currently, the streamed videos are completely unwatchable.
Additionally, one of the previous firmware updates added high definition support for Netflix streaming. And they seem to have fixed an issue where the video quality was always lower than it should have been, given the speed of the connection. With a 22MBps connection, I was previously getting generally 50-75% "bars" on the quality scale. Now I'm usually getting 100% (HD), and sometimes one or two steps down from that when I'm using at peak times. It's a vast improvement. And the HD quality is better than I could have imagined for streaming video.

Click Here to see more reviews about: LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player

Blu-ray Disc Player w/1GB Memory, 7.1 discrete analog output, BD-P, Netflix HD, YouTube, CinemaNow Full HD 1080P Output via HDMI, DVD 1080p Up-conversion.

Click here for more information about LG BD 390 Network Blu-ray Disc Player

Pioneer DV-420V-K Multi-Format 1080p Upscaling DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We originally tried the Samsung DVD-1080P9 after moving up from an old 480i Sony, but the 9P had trouble reading some of the more scratched up DVDs. Also, the Sony would remember your last play spot for the last 6 DVDs that you played, which the Samsung didn't. Not quite satisfied with the Samsung we decided to try out the Pioneer DV-420V-K and after one night of fiddling we're returning the Samsung.
As other's have said, it has all the important remote buttons on the face of the player, it has a high quality video output, and I have had no problems yet reading scratched up DVDs. As a bonus it remembers at least the last two DVD's play spots which is very handy if you have kids and want to swap out parent's material for the kidstuff. I also like the setup menu and manual better on the Pioneer.
Highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pioneer DV-420V-K Multi-Format 1080p Upscaling DVD Player

DV-420V-K Multi-Format DVD Player Featuring HDMI, 1080p Upscaling, USB, and ivX/WMV Playback VIDEO FEATURES - Dual-Layer DVD-R/DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD+R/ DVD+RW Compatible SVCD/VCD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW Compatible HDMI Terminal for Digital Audio/Video Out HDMI Upscaling (to view on a 1080p display) WMV (Windows Media Video) Compatible Official DivX Certified Product Compatible with All Versions of DivX Video (including DivX 6) with Standard Playback of DivX Media Files 108 MHz/12-bit Video DAC PureCinema 2:3 Progressive Scan I/P Simultaneous Output USB Input for Compressed Video (DivX/WMV) and JPEG HD JPEG Playback JPEG PhotoViewer (Fujicolor CD) Video Adjust Function with Sharpness/Brightness/Contrast/Gamma/Hue/Chroma Level Control Zoom Function AUDIO FEATURES 96 kHz/24-bit Audio DAC USB Input for Compressed Music Playback WMA (Windows Media Audio)/MP3/MPEG-4 AAC Compressed Music Playback Compatible Dolby Digital Output Dialogue EnhancerVirtual Surround Sound Equalizer (Rock/Pop/Live/Dance/Techno/Classic/Soft) CONVENIENCE FEATURES KURO LINK CD ➝ USB Recording Photo + Music Mix (JPEG Slideshow with Music) Advanced GUI Disc Navigator for Easy Browsing Last (Position) Memory: 5 DVD Discs/1 VCD Disc Resume Function Screen Saver Auto Power Off TERMINALS 1 HDMI Terminal 1 USB Input 1 Coaxial Digital Output 1 S-Video Output 1 Audio/1 Video Output Component Video Output (DVD, Video CD)

Click here for more information about Pioneer DV-420V-K Multi-Format 1080p Upscaling DVD Player

Philips DVDR3576H DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disc and Built-In Tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This excellent unit is truly powerful and capable. It's a real bargain if its price does not climb (see paragraph 3). It combines 3 different functions in one slim package, any one of which alone would have cost more than its sub-$300 price not so long ago: a 160 GB hard disk recorder, an ATSC digital tuner (and an analog NTSC tuner too), and a DVD recorder. Additionally, it breaks the DVD +/- format war by its ability to record on both.
This unit is one of the surprisingly few hard disk-plus-DVD recorder devices available today that has a digital tuner. It eliminates the high cost of monthly charges for a TIVO. No monthly charges at all! It can do two things at once, allowing playback from either DVD or HDD while recording to HDD. It has a fan but it's quiet, and turns off about a minute after turning the unit off. And, of course, you can watch live TV via your TV's tuner as well.
NOTE ON PRICES: In 2009 the Philip's price has increased, sometimes substantially above what it was last year, although you may still find it at a good price. It may be in limited quantities and/or about to be deleted: I do not know. If you can only find it at an elevated price you should also consider other units. Gary S. reports recently that the newly-available Magnavox H2160MW9, now at Amazon too, is essentially identical to the Philips and is at a sub-$300 price, so investigate that. At higher prices, there are other units that, unlike this otherwise excellent Philips, can record in high definition instead of standard def (albeit on hard drive only): the Moxi MR 1500 (for cable only, cannot be used with an antenna; 500 GB hard drive); or the TiVo TCD658000 HD XL DVR (for both cable and antenna; 1000 GB hard drive). TiVo imposes service charges, unlike Moxi or Philips, so the HD XL effectively costs about $900 for the unit + "lifetime" service fee. However, unlike the Philips, both Moxi and TiVo need an adjunct DVD recorder in order to download keeper programs to a DVD (in SD not HD, at least until Blu-Ray recorders are available). Otherwise you lose your recordings if/when the hard disk crashes.
Recording TV programs
I use a roof antenna, and receive both analog and digital TV signals. Programming to record TV shows is very similar to programming a VCR manually. There is no automatic programming system, but it's really not that hard to do manually. It records HD signals as SD (standard definition).
The listing of programs ("Titles") that you have recorded are clearly shown and easy to navigate to. But it is best to put at least a rudimentary title on the TV programs right after you record them. Otherwise all you have is the date, time, and channel of the recording. You have to add titles by a clunky texting method, requiring multiple presses of numbers 1-9.
Playback
I use an HDMI cable between this unit and my TV. Playback from the hard disk is a joy. Access is immediate. The unit remembers where you left off watching last time on each program individually. You can manoever around the recordings with an (adjustable) 30-second skip forward/backward button, or with an adjustable-speed fast forward/rewind, or with a chapter-jump ("next") which uses the (optional) 10-minute auto-chapters that are inserted.
Playback from DVD is fine, but loading a DVD is slow (perhaps because it can handle so many different DVD formats).
Aspect Ratio (edited 12/08--thanks to Arnold E.)
This will require fiddling with from time to time to display the picture properly.
When recording DIGITAL programs you get 16:9 playback with very good SD definition on a widescreen TV with the following settings: Setup/General/Video/TV Aspect/16:9. AND set the "HDMI" toggle button to 1080p (or 1080i if your 16:9 set doesn't have p). The TV should then choose the correct aspect ratio setting automatically.
If you play back a 4:3 ANALOG program (until June 2009) with these settings, it will play back stretched sideways: reset "HDMI" to 480p to fix this.
AND if you are recording some digital programs which are not broadcast full-screen (e.g. BBC News) you may wish to press ZOOM on your TV to fill the screen.
User-friendliness
Most functions are well thought out and the software is good. But you will have to read the manual.
The remote control has the buttons needed, but several important ones are badly laid out. The STOP button is tiny.
Since it's a multifunctional device, you have to tell it what component you want to use. If you have been watching a TV show recorded on HDD, and then insert a DVD, if you just press "play", it will resume playback of the HDD unless you press "DVD" first. It's not smart enough to realize you want the DVD now.
The 122-page instruction book is detailed. It is fairly well written. Mine is very well-thumbed and dogeared. To get the most out of this complex unit, you will need to read it carefully.
Editing
For copying from old VHS tapes or home DVD's, I find it best to record first onto the HDD. Then use "deleting a scene" to remove unwanted sections. The software for this is pretty user-friendly. Then transfer the cleaned-up version to DVD. You can in theory record directly to DVD from VHS, and delete unwanted sections on the DVD directly, using "Hiding Chapters" but this is clunky (first you have to define the section as a chapter). Worse, these deletions, and added chapter headings, were ignored when played back on another unit.
Upsides
An excellent, low-cost, way to record digital and analog programs over the air or on cable.
No monthly fee.
Good quality SD 16:9 recordings.
Versatile: able to transfer recordings either way between DVD and HDD.
Downsides
It can't record HD programs in HD--it downgrades them to SD.
It's slow to load a DVD.
The remote buttons are poorly laid out.
Titling tracks is tedious.
DVD edits may be ignored in other DVD players.
Summary
This is a really fine and extremely versatile unit, at a good price. It is a leapfrog into the digital age. Finally here is a device with the versatility to fully supplant S-VHS VCR's.
The next step will be when this kind of device is upgraded to record HDTV on its hard disk AND to record Blu-Ray DVD's. Don't hold your breath.
(This review is based on the predecessor model, DVDR3575H, similar except for the tuner).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Philips DVDR3576H DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disc and Built-In Tuner

Philips DVDR3576H DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disc and Built-In Tuner

Click here for more information about Philips DVDR3576H DVD Recorder with 160GB Hard Disc and Built-In Tuner

VIZIO VBR100 Full HD Blu-ray Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought one of this when they first came out early last fall from a large discount store. I was really impressed as I unboxed it - it looked very nice and had a nice "hefty" feel to the case (unlike so many other players). I hooked it up to a 37" Vizio 1080p TV. The Blu-Ray quality was decent - nothing to write home about though. While it was better than an upconverted DVD of course, it didn't have the crispness to the image that I was expecting. I ran about three recent movies through it and all had the same result - good enough, but not great. Then I tried upconverting standard DVDs. That's where it really fell down. The image quality was much worse than my upconverting DVD player. No depth, fuzzy, stuttering in fast motion. Other disappointments were the weak sound quality with both DVDs and Blu-Rays and a very short range for the remote. I literally had to be in front of the player to activate it. The DVD player or TV had no issue with the same angle. All in all a weak effort from Vizio (and it went back).
Black Friday I grabbed a Toshiba BDX-2000 from Amazon. It has more or less the same specs as the Vizio but its performance is like night and day better. Sharper Blu-Ray, better upconverting (still not as good as my DVD player though), much better sound and greater remote range. I thought maybe I was being too harsh on the Vizio, but after having the Tosh for a few weeks I can see that I wasn't.

Click Here to see more reviews about: VIZIO VBR100 Full HD Blu-ray Player


VIZIO's VBR100 High Definition Blu-ray disc player places you in the center of the action. Featuring full HD 1080p playback, you get razor sharp, life-like picture quality you never thought possible. It also features 7.1 multi-channel audio via HDMI that delivers a surround sound experience that's so crisp you'll feel as if you're sitting in middle of the scene. Owners of the VBR100 get all this packaged in a sleek design with an illuminated touch panel that disappears when the player is off and includes an easy-to-use, intuitive remote control.

Technical Specifications
Compatibility Add full 1080p high definition playback and 7.1 multi-channel audio to your home theater experience.View larger.

Click here for more information about VIZIO VBR100 Full HD Blu-ray Player

Naxa NX-831 High Resolution 2 Channel Progressive Scan DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The 5 yo COBY finally broke down. Went to Fry's and replaced it with a NAXA 831....it was the cheapest player. I figured that these players are mature now and should just work. I put in a factory Disney DVD and it played through OK. Put in a DVD+RW and it would freeze during FF. This same disk played fine in the COBY and my other Pioneer. If you just play factory DVDs, it will probably work OK, but your burned ones may not. Who knows what the problem is....the disk....the player....the moon phase....I packed it up and took it back. Probably get another COBY 224.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Naxa NX-831 High Resolution 2 Channel Progressive Scan DVD Player

Naxa ND-831* Progressive Scan DVD Player* Digital Audio Output* Audio/Video Jacks* Audio/Video Cable* Full Function Remote Control* UL or ETL Listed

Click here for more information about Naxa NX-831 High Resolution 2 Channel Progressive Scan DVD Player