Can a player introduce artifacts?

[tbessie]

I'm playing back DVDs on a relatively inexpensive, but pretty good Panasonic DVD player, onto an LCD monitor/TV combo display.

I'm seeing artifacts relatively frequently on many DVDs.

I didn't think this would happen when watching commercial DVDs, but it is. Is this caused by the monitor, or the player, most likely?

- Tim

[mats.hogberg]

Even commercial DVDs suffer from this. After all, it's still mpeg video within the DVD standard - same as you and I can create...

/Mats

[canadateck]

What year was this movie made? I have some movies made back in the 80's and 90's and they suffer with major artifacts, I think most just take the film "AS IS" and Throw it on DVD , not taking any care with the quality.

[lordsmurf]

Yes, players with crappy decoder chips can cause artifacts.

[tbessie]

This is the 2001 (I think) edition of "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". There are definitely some blemishes from the original film on it, but since it was made in 2001, I'd think the quality would be pretty good.

I bought a new player recently, and it seems to play much better on that. However, the new player isn't playing the audio on some self-authored DVD tracks that the old player DID play... which is puzzling.

- Tim

[Jah_Rankin]

I'm playing back DVDs on a relatively inexpensive, but pretty good Panasonic DVD player, onto an LCD monitor/TV combo display.

I'm seeing artifacts relatively frequently on many DVDs.

I didn't think this would happen when watching commercial DVDs, but it is. Is this caused by the monitor, or the player, most likely?

- Tim

A DVD cleaner will eliminate this

[tbessie]

I'll give that a try -- I have cleaned them with a screen-cleaning cloth (micro-fiber), and they seem to play better. I'll try a DVD cleaner and see how it cleans things up. Thanks!

- Tim

[bugster]

However, the new player isn't playing the audio on some self-authored DVD tracks that the old player DID play... which is puzzling.

- Tim

Maybe your new player doesn't support mp2 audio, it is not a requirement for NTSC players.

[tbessie]

That ended up being the problem (someone on another subject in this forum told me so -- it's an Onkyo Integra player, which apparently only plays AC3 audio).

I don't understand why some companies, especially on high-end-ish gear, decide not to include MP2 audio capability, especially since so many people who are authoring are using it.

- Tim

[bugster]

I don't understand why some companies, especially on high-end-ish gear, decide not to include MP2 audio capability, especially since so many people who are authoring are using it.

- Tim

Thats exactly why. So called high-end equipment is more expensive to design and manufacture and harder so to sell in quantity, so profit margins need to be higher. Each feature included in a DVD player is some companies Intellectual property and requires the appropriate license fee to be paid. Also, if it is for sale in the USA, mp2 audio is not a requirement in the standards specification. So if you want to make a high end player and sell it with the best possible profit margin but at a price as good as or better than your competitors, you want to reduce your costs. One way of doing this is not include features that cost you money but are outside the DVD specs. I bet it doesn't play (S)VCD either. This way the manufacturer maximises profit margin and is still able to claim DVD compliancy and use the official DVD-Video logs etc.