DVD Player Recommendations

[moerl]

I'm trying to find a DVD player... and it's harder than I thought it would be. There are so many of them out there.. and I guess the reason it's a bit hard to find one for me is because I'm looking for a region-free DVD player so we can play our European DVDs as well as US ones, plus one that that has good picture and audio quality. We have an HD Sony TV and that's also a hurdle.. trying to find a player that will meet the above criteria and also go along nicely with our HDTV. There probably are differences between DVD players that aren't designed for use with HDTV's and those that are. That's what I'm trying to find.

Recommendations, links, suggestions, anything is welcome! Oh yeah.. price-wise, we'd like to stay under 200 dollars if possible.

Thanks

[edDV]

Most HDTVs are optimized to work well with a progressive 480p/576p DVD input. Most players in the $100-200 range will look great from the analog component inputs unless your TV is very high end. I'd save the DVI/HDMI inputs for a future HD DVD player or a HD tuner.

see https://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers
for player feature sorting and reviews.

[moerl]

Thanks for the comment. I linked to the TV we have in my post. I suppose it couldn't be considered "very high end" as you say, but it's a pretty nice HDTV. Why save DVI/HDMI for later if I could make use of it now? Our cablebox is currently hooked up to the TV using component video and the HD channels really look great. From what I've read so far, however, DVI/HDMI is the absolute best possible output devices support it, so I don't see why I shouldn't go with that?

Another issue is that I'm having a hard time finding a DVD player that is confirmed to have good video and audio output AND is region-free. That's why I posted here--in the hopes that someone might point me in the right direction. The player sorting feature on the site doesn't let me search for region-free players, from what I could gather. Or is the "countries = all" field supposed to mean region-free?

Thanks

[manono]

Hi-

Another issue is that I'm having a hard time finding a DVD player that is confirmed to have good video and audio output AND is region-free.

http://www.extremephono.com/Oppo_DV971.htm

[moerl]

Nice link. Looks great to me.. but tell me.. why that one? Any particular reason?

Also, I didn't see any mention of it being region-free on that site. Maybe I missed it...

We have a small collection of DVDs that were purchased in England and we'd like to be able to play them here (in the US) without me having to screw around with CloneDVD and AnyDVD and all the other tools on the computer... that's why I'm saying region-free would be a big plus.

The player you linked to looks awesome, really, I"d just like to know just why you linked to that very one

[CBC]

Check reviews on the Oppo. Pretty well though of overall, good featureset & decent build quality, upconverts, good price.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Check reviews on the Oppo. Pretty well though of overall, good featureset & decent build quality, upconverts, good price.

http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/oppoDV971Hdvdplayer1.php

The Denon's are also highly rated.
As for region free the review doesn't mention it,most likely you will have to hack the player or make a DVDR backup.

[MJA]

PIONEER DV-383S Multi-Zone DVD Player
Features:

Plays Region 1,2,3,4,5,6,0 PAL or NTSC
DIVX Player/DVD/Super VCD/ Video CD/ CD DVD Player
Works any where in the World 110/220v
WMA/Mp3 Compatible
Best Pal To NTSC Conversion GOOD QUALITY!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000AN5DT0/qid=1127573081/sr=8-4/ref=sr_...onics&n=541966

[CBC]

hmm..re: the Pioneer mentioned above.


"Since this product is not intended for the US market, Pioneer USA does not support it. (They don't even have the manual)."

Could be an issue if it breaks (for US customers)

[moerl]

The Pioneer sounds like the perfect match. CBC does make a good point though.. I can't say that I'd worry much about it braking.. but I would hope to have a manual? How will I know how to set things up without a manual? I wonder if it could be downloaded off the web..

Anyway.. the Oppo got a fairly good review from the Audioholics. I don't see any reviews of that Pioneer player.

[Eyedoctor2]

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=274215

Still available online at less than $100 with free shipping:

http://www.computers4sure.com/product.asp?productid=2010466&iid=1249&Hits=3&HKeyword=s...ung+dvd+player

[CBC]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/search.php?searchid=691416

[moerl]

Quoting from CBC's link... about the Samsung player Eyedoctor2 linked to:

"It plays both but stay away from it, serious quality problems."

"If you want Samsung, you're much better off with the 941 (or waiting for the 950). Panasonic and Sony upscaling DVD players are other options around the same price range. For a larger budget, the Denon 3910, Pioneer 59ai, Onkyo SP1000, and (at the top, but significantly more expensive) the Denon 5910 are the best."

Hmmm.. thanks for the links. I'll look into it.

[manono]

Hi-

Nice link. Looks great to me.. but tell me.. why that one? Any particular reason?

Because it's the best player available fitting all your criteria. I own one and can vouch for it.

Also, I didn't see any mention of it being region-free on that site. Maybe I missed it...

You did:

Video Output: NTSC/PAL 4:3, 16:9 Progressive Scan.

Although they were initially region-free out of the box, nowadays you go into setup and press 9210 and select region 0, or whatever region you want. In addition, at the Secrets Of Home Theater review (it's the top one) linked from the Oppo site:

Some of the bonus features of this player include excellent PAL support with PAL to NTSC conversion

And almost all of the problems mentioned in that review have since been fixed with firmware upgrades.

Comes with a free DVI2DVI cable, and if you order from Amazon.com instead of directly from Oppo, shipping is free:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00078GLJY/sr=1-1/qid=1130127239/ref=sr_...=UTF8&v=glance

[moerl]

The remote still isn't backlit, right? Otherwise, it looks like I've got myself a deal. Thank you for the help!

[manono]

That's correct. Not backlit. It has this weak glow-in-the-dark thing going on. Doesn't bother me, though. The remote is one of its weakpoints. Some people into that sort of thing have transferred the codes to better remotes. Some of the other "complaints" are baseless. For example, some guy on Amazon was complaining about a flimsy loader. Utter nonsense. Sure, it's flexible, but not the least bit flimsy.

By the way, don't get it unless you plan to use the DVI. Over component it's not nearly as good, doesn't use the Faroudja chipset.

[moerl]

I do plan to use DVI. I always confused HDMI and DVI.. I suppose there are DVD players that can act as both DVI and HDMI sources, correct? Anyway.. the link to the TV I have is in the first post, and I'm pretty sure it has a DVI-in.

The remote isn't a big deal. I mean, think about it.. on most occasions you will look at a DVD menu real fast, then hit PLAY and usually not even touch the remote for another two hours until the movie is over .

One more thing.. from our discussion so far I have come to conclude that the ability of a DVD Player to handle both PAL and NTSC is equivalent to the terms "multi-zone" or "region-free". Is this correct? By the latter two terms I mean the ability to play a DVD of ANY region code on the player. That means, region codes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 should all be supported (7 and 8 are not really relevant in a discussion about DVD home use). Really, all I need is the ability to play both regions 0 and 1, but usually that will mean that everything up to 6 will be playable, making a player really region-free or multi-zone or whatever you want to call it. I can't quite believe that PAL/NTSC playback ability equals region-free/multi-zone.

Thanks

PS
Is the included DVI cable good enough? I shouldn't have to shop for a separate one, right?

[manono]

Hi-

Yes, just set it for region 0 (all regions) and forget it. I'm not real sure of my ground here, but I believe that discs with RCE protection will require you to go back and set it for the region of the disc. I haven't run across any yet myself, or I haven't seen any that wouldn't play, so maybe I'm wrong. I have R1 NTSC, R2 NTSC (Japan) and R2 PAL (Europe) DVDs.

Any DVD player that is region free will play discs from everywhere. It may be that some players will also do the conversion and some won't. Not real sure there. In any event, the Oppo does do the conversion, and does it well. Once they get the 2:2 cadence bugs out of the latest firmware (in a few days), it should be one of the best, if not the best, at doing the conversions. If you get one, check the site periodically for firmware upgrades. They release them with some regularity.

I suppose there are DVD players that can act as both DVI and HDMI sources,

Maybe there are players that have both DVI and HDMI ports. I don't know, as my Samsung HDTV has only DVI, so that's all I care about at the moment.

Is the included DVI cable good enough?

Yeah, it's a good cable. I believe Amazon will send you the 3 foot long one. If you want longer, either order from Oppo and get the free 12 foot one, or e-mail them later about a switch. Their customer service is the best in the business (no joke). Oppo also has a DVD2HDMI cable available, free when ordering from them, or available as a switch with the DVI2DVI if you get it from Amazon. There are plenty of examples of Oppo just sending out a cable without even asking for the original in return.

[moerl]

What would I gain from using a DVItoHDMI cable over using a DVItoDVI cable, if anything?

Thanks for answering that question. Well, in short that means I'm sold . Thank you!

[CBC]

nothing at all, except they are two different terminating connectors, which need to match whatever you are hooking the DVP up to. It is DVI out of the player, & either HDMI or DVI into your TV, depending on what connection it uses.
HDMI allows both digital video and audio to be carried, but since the player is DVI (video only), the only benefit is the flexible connectivity to your TV

[moerl]

Ah yes.. now I remember the clear difference between DVI and HDMI. HDMI seems superior to me. I wish the Oppo had a HDMI out

Anyway.. if DVI is only for video, which it is, how do I make an audio connection between the DVD player and the TV? I suppose I"ll need a separate cable for that. Does Oppo provide anything in that department or will I have to get one on my own?

Thanks

[manono]

Hi-

What would I gain from using a DVItoHDMI cable over using a DVItoDVI cable, if anything?

Well, a picture for one thing. I just checked the specs on your TV set, and it seems to have only an HDMI port, and no DVI port. Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe the specs as listed at that site to which you linked are wrong.

I think Oppo supplies composite cables, but unless you're going to hook them up to the TV set and use the TV's crappy speakers, I'd suggest getting an optical cable from Wal-Mart or somewhere for hooking up to your receiver. You do have a receiver and good speakers, right? How else will you be able to enjoy the good DD 5.1 or DTS audio from your DVD collection? As far as I know, no DVD players come with good audio cables.

[moerl]

Hm... so it does only have an HDMI in. Well, how should I go about this when ordering them? Can I tell them to include a DVItoHDMI cable right away? I'll check one more time to make sure that that's correct, that it does not have a DVI in, (the TV).

And no, I don't have a receiver, and I don't have a sound-system. All there is is the TV and the DVD player. I'm just a college student and too poor to get an entire home theater system set up

I'm a "techie" though so whenever I buy electronics, I try to find the best performing gear for my budget. That's why I'm here. I must say, the speakers on the Sony are amazingly good. Of course it's nothing like having a deidcated sound system with speakers.. but for TV speakers, they are very powerful and do a really good job. My apartment-mate and I are quite satisfied. Of course I'd love to have a whole home theatre setup, but that's just not feasible at the time. 10 years down the road maybe...

[Seeker47]

The Denon's are also highly rated.
As for region free the review doesn't mention it,most likely you will have to hack the player or make a DVDR backup.

Doesn't the Pal <--> NTSC conversion feature necessarily imply an all-region capability ?

Anyway, I find this thread timely as well as interesting, since I'm considering a possible (or eventual) replacement for my Malata N900R. It has been a very solid -- if unspectacular -- player, though like many other players I've seen it does have its own particular issues. It was purchased a few years back, already "chipped" by the online dealer. Main features: All region, Pal --> NTSC conversion (this was an uncommon feature back then, much easier to find now; it looks pretty good to me on a 27" CRT), and *built-in* Macrovision defeat. Ideally, any replacement should have all that, PLUS:

I'm getting the notion that upconversion is going to be a very desirable feature, if not for the current tv then for the next one,
which can't be that far off. (I'm NOT planning on having one of those conversion boxes with an old tv, when the digital-only broadcasting change comes.)

By the way, what is this "pulldown" capability, that I see mentioned in a lot of the product descriiptions ? Something to do with going between 4:3 and 16:9 ?

A quick note in regard to MV. If you look over the faq for the Oppo, you'll see

7. Is there Macrovision on the Oppo?

In compliant with the DVD Forum, Macrovision is enabled on
Oppo's Composite and S-Video output.

This suggests -- perhaps a bit slyly -- that it is not a factor on the DVI output.

Because I don't know exactly when it will be the right time for me to upgrade to a better tv, I would not want to get a unit that has very good results only over the DVI.

Considering all the above, do your recommendations change ?

[manono]

Hi moerl-

If you order from Oppo, you'll get both a DVI2DVI AND a DVI2HDMI cable. That must be new, as it's the first time I've noticed it. It used to be you chose one or the other. At the Oppo link:

http://www.extremephono.com/Oppo_DV971.htm

at the very bottom of the page is where you order the player and add the cables to the cart.

If you order from Amazon to save on the shipping, after you order, e-mail Oppo's support and say something to the effect of, "Can you help me please? I ordered your grest player from Amazon.com, but it only comes with a DVI2DVI cable, and I've just noticed that my TV has only an HDMI port. May I exchange the Amazon cable for a DVI2HDMI cable?"

They'll be happy to send you the cable you need, and if you're real lucky, won't even ask for the DVI2DVI cable back.

It comes with Composite cables (RCA jacks). You'll get one cable with yellow for the video (which you won't need). You'll get another set, kind of 2 cables joined together with red and white on the ends, for the audio. Just hook up red to red and white to white and there's your audio. According to your specs, you've got one set of composites in the front and 3 in the back.

[manono]

Seeker47-

You quoted from MOVIEGEEK, but you seem to be addressing me, so I'll answer. I know nothing about the Denons, except that they're very good and very expensive. You have a standard 4:3 interlaced CRT tube set at the moment, but will be getting an HDTV sometime in the future, is that right?

There are lots of cheap players that can do the PAL2NTSC conversions, so I don't know why you'd want the relatively expensive Oppo at this point, unless you plan on getting the better TV very soon. If you wait too long, Hi-Def DVDs will be here and you'll want a different player anyway.

You don't upconvert to your interlaced TV set. It won't even have a DVI/HDMI port anyway.

By the way, what is this "pulldown" capability...

Nothing to do with 4:3 or 16:9. It's a feature for progressive displays. Movies on NTSC DVD are telecined to output 29.97fps, whereas they are usually stored on the DVD at 23.976fps. Having Pulldown detection just means that it first undoes the telecine to return it to 23.976fps progressive, and then outputs the video in a 3/2 pattern of progressive frames, assuming your HDTV outputs at 60Hz (actually 59.94Hz). There are varying degrees of quality in pulldown detection, and the Faroudja chipset used by the Oppo is one of the best, if not the best. HDTVs also have their own pulldown detection, also of varying degrees of quality. Some also have the Faroudja chipset.

This suggests -- perhaps a bit slyly -- that it is not a factor on the DVI output.

That's correct.

It'll be a fine, if a bit expensive, solution for your current TV set. It's just that a lot of its features won't be used. It comes into it's own with a progressive display, using digital connections. That is, don't get it if your next TV doesn't have either a DVI or HDMI port. A lot of its features won't be used if you hook up using analog component cables.

[moerl]

Thanks a ton everyone. This thread has been extremely helpful

Every question I had was answered by people who really seem to know what they're talking about

I'll probably order from Amazon and try Oppo to get me the right cable. Their customer support sounds nothing short of excellent if it's even close to what people say in this thread.

Thanks everyone, for their great input. I greatly appreciate it.

[moerl]

Hi moerl-

If you order from Oppo, you'll get both a DVI2DVI AND a DVI2HDMI cable. That must be new, as it's the first time I've noticed it. It used to be you chose one or the other. At the Oppo link:

http://www.extremephono.com/Oppo_DV971.htm

at the very bottom of the page is where you order the player and add the cables to the cart.

If you order from Amazon to save on the shipping, after you order, e-mail Oppo's support and say something to the effect of, "Can you help me please? I ordered your grest player from Amazon.com, but it only comes with a DVI2DVI cable, and I've just noticed that my TV has only an HDMI port. May I exchange the Amazon cable for a DVI2HDMI cable?"

They'll be happy to send you the cable you need, and if you're real lucky, won't even ask for the DVI2DVI cable back.

It comes with Composite cables (RCA jacks). You'll get one cable with yellow for the video (which you won't need). You'll get another set, kind of 2 cables joined together with red and white on the ends, for the audio. Just hook up red to red and white to white and there's your audio. According to your specs, you've got one set of composites in the front and 3 in the back.

Thanks a ton for this post! I just ordered from Oppo and got the option for 2 free cables . I already love Oppo and don't even have anything from them yet.
I just ordered

Thanks everyone!

[moerl]

Got my Oppo today! It looks very nice. Only the CD tray couldn't possibly look any cheaper.. lol, but that doesn't bother me at all, it's just something I noticed right away. The front looks very sleek and I like the blue color of the LEDs used in the front.

Anyway.. I connected it using the included DVI2HDMI cable and expected to get class clear picture.. much the way HDTV looks, but instead I got a rather normal-looking, grainy picture. Is that normal? Tell me it isn't so. If I have an HDTV I'd like to have DVDs look razor sharp on it, and not like regular TV... for the sake of completion, I tested the setup with the first DVD from the first season of Nip/Tuck, a show I'd die for. It's so good . Anyway.. I haven't tested with any movies yet, and in fact, that's the only disc I tested so far. Still.. do I have to change a setting or do something else to get HDTV-like razor sharp picture out of my DVDs?

Thanks.

Oh yeah.. is there any way I can check what firmware is currently on the Oppo? And how do I update the firmware? Thanks

[edDV]

Got my Oppo today! It looks very nice. Only the CD tray couldn't possibly look any cheaper.. lol, but that doesn't bother me at all, it's just something I noticed right away. The front looks very sleek and I like the blue color of the LEDs used in the front.

Anyway.. I connected it using the included DVI2HDMI cable and expected to get class clear picture.. much the way HDTV looks, but instead I got a rather normal-looking, grainy picture. Is that normal? Tell me it isn't so. If I have an HDTV I'd like to have DVDs look razor sharp on it, and not like regular TV... for the sake of completion, I tested the setup with the first DVD from the first season of Nip/Tuck, a show I'd die for. It's so good . Anyway.. I haven't tested with any movies yet, and in fact, that's the only disc I tested so far. Still.. do I have to change a setting or do something else to get HDTV-like razor sharp picture out of my DVDs?

Thanks.

Oh yeah.. is there any way I can check what firmware is currently on the Oppo? And how do I update the firmware? Thanks

A DVD is 720x480 no matter what you play it on. Upscaling does not add resolution.

If your TV accepts 720p/59.94 over HDMI try that. Otherwise use 480p over HDMI. If using 1080i what you are doing is converting a perfectly good 480p/59.94 progressive image from the DVD to 1080i29.97 interlaced and then the TV will display that through an approx 800x600 to 1024x768 resolution CRT.

With that set, the differences are probably minor no matter what the mode except usually a 60 fps rate beats a 30 fps rate.