I need a new DVD player?

dmginter · January 2003

I have Polk 6700 home speakers system and a Panasonic SAH200 reciever.
Any suggestions for a DVD player in the $200- $300 range?

Thank you

dbournival · January 2003

Sony NC655P, it's a progressive scan 5 disc changer, works well with movies and music. They retail for around 230-250. I've had mine since July or August.

tonyv1 · January 2003

Get the Sony DVPNS755V, progressive scan and SACD capability, $249.99 at Circuit City.

dmginter · January 2003

I just got the reciever, panasonic sa-he200, and they sent a "surround back speaker" FREE with it. I gather this is a 6.1 system(?).
Do I need a spreal DVD for this?
I went to Circut City website and they don't have a Sony ns755v.
I will keep looking
Thank you

dbournival · January 2003

Do you mean a DVD or DVD player? To get true 6.1 you will need a DVD encoded with 6.1, 5.1 will work fine however. Any DVD player with a digital output should work, at least all of the ones I've used in the past couple of years.

dmginter · January 2003

Should I buy a 6.1 DVD PLAYER?
Any recommendations?

tonyv1 · January 2003

Go to Circuit City site and search for SACD.
You will found the Sony DVPNS755V as the first item.

scottvamp · January 2003

Should I buy a 6.1 DVD PLAYER?

WOW!!! They don't make 6 channel dvd players. To get 6 channel sound you need a reciever or pre/amps to get 6.1 sound.

swillis55 · January 2003

Why not look at the highly regarded and recommended panny rp82. Fabulous picture. No chroma bug either. $200. Check out these two links:
For introduction into the "shootout":

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_1/dvd-benchmark-guide-to-progressive-scan-shootout-1-2003.html

For the results of January 2003:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=5

And the mirror finish will match that of your receiver.

Cheers,

Sean

shack · January 2003

The RP-82 is almost impossible to find. No one seems to have them even though Panasonic has not said that production has stopped. My guess is that is has since Panasonic's new models will be out in a couple of months. I saw where one went for over $400 on e-bay. You might be able to find the RP-72. Same electronics but a 5-disk changer and can be had for a little over $200.

dmginter · January 2003

Great report on the rp-82. Do you trust the reporter?

Are you sure the rp-72 has the same electronics as the rp82?

I found an rp72 for $189, should I buy it?

dmginter · January 2003

I can only find a cp72

swillis55 · January 2003

Originally posted by dmginter
Great report on the rp-82. Do you trust the reporter?

Are you sure the rp-72 has the same electronics as the rp82?

I do trust the reporter, as do many people. The shootout appears to be quite objective and reproducible. They outline exactly what they're doing, why and more importantly, how.

I can't say I've compared the insides of the cp72 and rp82, but from other reports I've read, they are the same in terms of mpeg decoder and deinterlacing chip. Assuming that is the case, the picture produced should be identical. The cp72 will be added to the shootout, likely in the next few months once they get their hands on one to test.

If I didn't already have the rp82, I would consider the 72 as my backup. I've also read that the denon 1600 has the same decoder and deinterlacer as the 82. That would also be another option.

Cheers,

Sean

dmginter · January 2003

The 82 has a lot more bells and whistles than the cp72, do I need them?
What about the sound quality, your artical was only about picture quality?

http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/shop/newdesign/ProductComparison.asp?Action=COMPARE&CatId=2977&ModelIDs=15825%FA16348

PETERNG · January 2003

Originally posted by tonyv1
Get the Sony DVPNS755V, progressive scan and SACD capability, $249.99 at Circuit City.

this is the best DVD player in your price range, you can get it at onecall.com for about $217 incl free shipping.

goingganzo · January 2003

i like my hk dvd 25 got it for 189 at abc

swillis55 · January 2003

Originally posted by dmginter
The 82 has a lot more bells and whistles than the cp72, do I need them?
What about the sound quality, your artical was only about picture quality?

The extra features on the 82 vs. 72 are completely up to you. Really, the main differences are no coaxial digital out and no digital remastering feature. If you have optical input on your receiver and don't mind using it, then coax is irrelevant. Digital remastering as far as I'm concerned isn't really a worth while feature to have.

The sound quality of either player is, again, irrelevant if you are using the digital audio out since your receiver is doing all the decoding.

If you decide to use the DVD-A feature on these players, be aware that, like most DVD-A players at present, these two players do not have bass management built in and bypass bass management in your receiver. As I stated above, this is present in most DVD-A players right now. As a result, full frequency signal is sent to all speakers, regardless if they can handle it or not. ie. sats.

The video quality on this and likely the 72, is outstanding. If you're unsure, buy and try it from a place that will let you return things. ie CC or Best Buy. That way, if you don't like it, return and no harm done.

And even better, both players fit nicely in your budget. In the end the decision is yours. Let your eyes be the judge.

Cheers,

Sean

shack · January 2003

Are you sure the rp-72 has the same electronics as the rp82?

YES!

dmginter · January 2003

I like everything I am reading about the CP72 and RP82 by Panasonic.

Could someone give me the reasons to by the Sony other than it is the "best"?

Thank you

swillis55 · January 2003

What makes you believe that sony is the best? Sony makes some good products, but everything they make is not the best. The sony name is not the be all and end all. My suggestion to you would be to purchase the panny and the sony and compare on your equipment which you like best and take back the other. That's the only way you're going to be fair to yourself and get what you like and not what everyone else says you should have.

Cheers,

Sean

dmginter · January 2003

I don't know what is the "best". I am just quoting what someone else said on this board. I asked, why do they say " buy the Sony"

PETERNG · January 2003

Originally posted by dmginter
I don't know what is the "best". I am just quoting what someone else said on this board. I asked, why do they say " buy the Sony"

I said it's the best in the price range of $220 or less, the built-in decoder for DD and DTS does an outstanding job, the picture is excellent, the vdieo processor is the most powerful one in the market, it also plays SACD. There are some better DVD players but you have to pay several hundred dollar more. If you just want to spend about $220 or less, the Sony 755 probably the best choice, then the Pioneer 626 and several other Panasonic players in the price range.

swillis55 · January 2003

In your price range, for video performance, sony is not the best. No questions asked. It is easily outperformed by the panny, video based. Built in DD and DTS are marketing features because in the end, who uses them? Majority of DVD owners use the decoders in the receivers vs. using 6 channel analog out on the player. As for the statement "sony's video processor is the most powerful one in the market", where does that come from? Look anywhere on the internet, and the deinterlacer of choice right now is the Faroudja with DCDi. Sony does not have this. Many new players coming out for 2004 will be incorporating this deinterlacer. I don't see anywhere people praising the sony for it's deinterlacer and wonderful mpeg decoder. If fact, for many videophiles, the sony is intolerable because of the chroma upsampling error from their mpeg decoder.

To declare something the best when there is obvious flaws in what it supposed to do well (video performance, because afterall, it is a DVD player) is, and I'm understating here, misleading.

I will not declare the panny the best in it's price range because I am in no way an "authority" in DVD player performance. But I have given links to those whom many people consider a reliable source for evaluating video performance. What you do with this information is up to you.

Cheers,

Sean

dmginter · January 2003

Thank you Sean. You have given me some good information.

The "Sony" people have not back up any of their statements with reliable facts.

dmginter · January 2003

FYI

http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-6733219-8-20784172-1.html?tag=redirect

PETERNG · January 2003

The Sony DVP-NS755V plays DVD-Video discs, CDs, audio CD-Rs & CD-RWs, multichannel & stereo SACDs, and MP3 CDs.

Key features include:
· 108MHz/12-bit Video D/A converter
· 192kHz/24-bit Audio D/A converter
· Selectable Interlaced/Progressive Scan Component Video Output
· Pixel-by-Pixel I/P Conversion de-interlacer with 3-2 pulldown processing
· Twin Laser Pickup
· SmoothScan and SmoothSlow search modes with 10-second Instant Replay
· Precision Drive 2 System
· TV "Virtual Surround" for enhanced 2-speaker sound
· Built-In Dolby Digital/DTS decoder with 5.1-channel output
· Coaxial (digital) & Optical outputs for Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM
· Two Composite A/V outputs
· Two S-Video A/V outputs
· One 480i/480p component video Output

Panasonic RP-82 DVD -A
· plays DVD-Video, DVD-R, and Video CD
· plays DVD-Audio, CD, CD-R & CD-RW, and MP3 & WMA CD-R & CD-RW
· 54MHz/10-bit video D/A converter
· selectable interlaced/progressive-scan component video output
(progressive scan requires a compatible TV)
· de-interlacer with 3-2 pulldown processing
· 4:3 TV Zoom
· Advanced Virtual Surround Sound for enhanced 2-speaker sound
· video black level control
· built-in Dolby Digital/DTS decoding with 5.1-channel output
· optical and coaxial digital outputs for Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM
(96kHz/24-bit-capable)
· 1 set of A/V outputs (composite video, S-video, and 480i/480p component video)
· 192kHz/24-bit audio D/A converter
· audio signal-to-noise ratio 115 dB

As you can see, the video D/A converter (108MHz/12-bit vs 54MHz/10-bit) on the Sony is almost twice powerful than the Panny, everything else is very comparable. I do not know of any report said that the Pany outperforms the Sony. In fact I had the top of the line Pany model DVD-RP91 for 2 years now and the above Sony, and I do not see this one outperforms the Sony, but the Panny DVD-RP91 costs twice as much as the Sony 755 DVD player. Now let talk about the Faroudja with DCDi, ofcourse, this is an excellent D/A converter but can you get a DVD player with this video processor for less than $300?, these DVDs cost in the range of $700 to $2000. Well, these are the facts, my point is: in that price range I think Sony is the best choice. Someone said: the sony is intolerable because of the chroma upsampling error from their mpeg decoder, check the facts again my friend, Panny have many players with these existing problem incl the top of the line, the panny DVD-RP91.

Again, you have the opinion from the guy that owns both of those players (pany and sony).

swillis55 · January 2003

Peter, where are you from? If you're from the US, then you can get the panny82 for around $200. You don't believe me the 82 has the faroudja with DCDi, then take a look at this website:

http://www.dcdi-video.com/

You will find the panny 82 and 62 listed as one of the DVD players with their chip. This link has a picture of the inside of the 82 showing the faroudja chip fli2200 with DCDi:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=204328&highlight=rp82

The panny 82, 62, 91, 56, cp72, xp30 and 50 and the rv31 for that matter, do not have the chroma bug. For chroma bug info, take a look at the Secrets shootout link I've posted above. They'll give you info about the chroma upsampling error and tell you that the panny does not have it. Do I believe them? Yes, because their people were one of the first to identify the chroma bug and have been very vocal about companies fixing their mpeg decoder software to correct this error. Here's another link to look at regarding the chroma bug and the 82:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202603&highlight=rp82

Hopefully these links will help.

Cheers,

Sean

shack · January 2003

The new Panasonics DO NOT have the Chroma Bug. The Sony 755 is a nice player and has gotten some good reviews, but for less money and the fact that is does not have the Chroma Bug the RP-82 has recieved the nod as the best bargain in the $200± range by most reviewers.

PETERNG · January 2003

This is just simply my opinion on the Sony DVD player. I own one of this so I known it dont have the chroma bug. In the past, there are several Pany and Sony players including the ES models have this problem, but Pany and Sony have done a good job and fix it so their new models dont have this problem any more. I agreed that with the Pany RP-82, it coupled with Faroudja de-interlacing means the RP-82 can compete against just about any DVD players in its class, but it doesnt mean this is the real, 100% Faroudja processing that you found in several expensive player like the Denon, Kenwood or Onkyo etc( I still love the video performance of my Pioneer Elite 38A). Having said that, I have nothing against the Pany at all, in fact I own several Pany players, the RP-91, A-7 and the lastest DMR-HS2. I still think the Sony 755 is the top choice in the $200 range and the Pany RP-82 is hard to beat.

This is my last comment about this subject.

swillis55 · January 2003

Just an update for anyone interested. The panny xp30 and denon 1600 were justed added to the secrets shootout and performed just as well as the panny 82. The panny cp72 is also listed but didn't perform as many expected it would. Here's the link again:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=5

Cheers,

Sean

shack · January 2003

They should perform as well as the RP-82:

This player (Denon 1600) is based on a Panasonic design and includes the same MPEG decoder and deinterlacer found in the highly-regarded Panasonic RP82

The XP30 appears to be identical in terms of video performance to the RP82. It's not a perfect substitute for the RP-82, as it doesn't have DVD-A, but as a video player it seems essentially identical.

I think this goes to show why the RP-82 is so popular. The Denon at $499 and the XP-30 at $299 make the $229 RP-82 seem like a real bargain. The next 3 that were ranked below these were priced at $1,199, $3,500 and $1,200 before you get to the Panasonic RP-72 at $279.

Panasonic is certainly doing something right to be at the top of the moderately priced DVD player market "for now". It should be noted that the primary criteria that they are judging is the de-interlacing (progressive) capabilities of these machines. Since I don't have a HDTV I don't have a dog in this hunt. I do have a Panasonic DVD player (RP-62) that I am checking out before the 30 day return period expires and so far its interlaced and overall performance is very good.

I need a new DVD player?

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