Philips DVP-5140 'DivX Ultra' player vs. the Philips DVP-642

[ntngod]

EDIT: Comparison page updated June 3; added a few pictures of the DVP-3040 and DVP-5960, courtesy of Ytsejam
/end EDIT

I'm splitting this off from an earlier DVP-642 thread, since we were starting to take over the person's thread :0

Anyways, I picked up the new (to the USA) Philips DVP-5140 'DivX Ultra'-certified player over the weekend to replace my dying circa-March-2004 DVP-642. It cost about $55 at Wal-Mart.

I posted a quick summation of the two units (with a bunch of comparison pictures). The page was put up quickly and is still a little rough, and will be updated as I test the player out more.

I have not tested the DivX Ultra/DMF stuff yet; I need to encode some files to try that out, and will do so in the next couple of days.

In short, compared to the ESS-powered DVP-642, the Mediatek-powered DVP-5140 appears to be a much, much more capable unit. Gone are the problems with QPEL and files encoded with custom quant. matrices (the files where you had to hit 'SYSTEM' twice to get the colors to appear correctly). While this is to be expected, since the unit is much more up to date, it'll be nice not to have to work around the 642's quirks any longer.

I do feel I got my money's worth out of the 642, since I only bought it to use on a 27-inch bedroom TV, not as the centerpiece of a home theater system. YMMV.

[ntngod]

Double post.... please ignore this one.

[ntngod]

I finally got around to trying those two Divx Ultra sample files from the DivX.com site (the LAST MAN STANDING and REVELATIONS).

LAST MAN STANDING worked OK - menus, subs, everything.
REVELATIONS played the menu OK for a bit, then when it appeared it was in a menu transition, it dumped to the Philips disc menu screen.

Perhaps this weekend I'll make my own DivX 6 files with menus and all that, to see if I can replicate the problem.

I encoded a bunch of other test files for a homebrew test DVD and threw them at both the 642 and 5140; I'll probably post some results this weekend w/ more screenies if any 642 owners want to check them out to compare...

The fact the 5140 appears to understand aspect ratio and PAR signaling is pretty nice, I thought - I encoded a 720x480 anamorphic DVD with no cropping (movie was 2.35:1), set PAR to 16x9, and the 5140 spit it out correctly, just like it would an anamorphic movie DVD.

This may not be unheard to owners of other players, but my 642 certainly couldn't do that
My days of resizing and encoding square pixels at 1:1 ratio are OVER! 8)

[jagabo]

The fact the 5140 appears to understand aspect ratio and PAR signaling is pretty nice

Nice! Is there any way to adjust the AR manually? My old Liteon 2002 can but I'd like to get something new sometime. I could use MPEG4Modifier to set the DAR but I'd have to burn lots of DVDs over again.

[newnews]

After I read the manual, there is a page with language code but no instruction about it. Do you know what is the purpose? Does it mean that the player can support all languages(I mainly concern about the subtitle file)?
In manual, it did not mention about idx/sub subtitles, you figure out that it can be supported, if it is true, this is good to have the player.

[ntngod]

The fact the 5140 appears to understand aspect ratio and PAR signaling is pretty nice

Nice! Is there any way to adjust the AR manually? My old Liteon 2002 can but I'd like to get something new sometime. I could use MPEG4Modifier to set the DAR but I'd have to burn lots of DVDs over again.

No, I'm afraid. It appears it has to be set in XviD when encoding, or afterwards in MPEG4Modifier...

[pegcity]

does it have an optical out or is it a digital coax?

[ntngod]

After I read the manual, there is a page with language code but no instruction about it. Do you know what is the purpose? Does it mean that the player can support all languages(I mainly concern about the subtitle file)?
In manual, it did not mention about idx/sub subtitles, you figure out that it can be supported, if it is true, this is good to have the player.

I'm not sure about how extensive the language support is on subtitles. It might be different on European/Asian models of the 5140 (5140/12?), compared to the North American model (5140/37?).

IDX/SUB files do work, though.

Unlike the 642, where you had to manually select the subtitle before playing, the 5140 doesn't even list the SRT/IDX/SUB files in the disc menu.
It automatically loads the subtitle files (as long as they have the same name as the file) when you hit PLAY; you just have to hit the subtitle button when you want to display them/change them...

[ntngod]

does it have an optical out or is it a digital coax?

Here's a picture of the back connections, shown as compared to a DVP-642...

Short answer - just coax...

[jagabo]

The lack of s-video is sad.

[ntngod]

The lack of s-video is sad.

Yeah, both the 5140 and 5960 lack them. I use component, but still, it could be a problem for some folks depending on their available connections.


It's still a mess organization-wise, but I've added two more pages to my 642/5140 comparison (w/ pics):
A comparison of the Philips DVP-642 and DVP-5140, rev 1.5

[CrayonEater]

That is very disconcerting. I was seriously thinking about picking up this Pioneer for my spare room til I saw that. Well, I won't totally rule one the Pioneer, but I will have to give it a lot more thought.

[lizzoqops]

Ok, I'm not having much success with the subs (idx and sub)...

I got them to load on one video...the player sees that there are four selections, but it won't display them, except for the first one (which is Korean, and it does display the correct characters for this). Can you tell me more about the ones you got to work? Was there more than one language in there, and did you get it to display all the different subs?

Oh, and the other file (which is part one of this same video)...I couldn't get it to display them at all. It tells me they are there, and I can run through a selection by pressing the subtitle key on the remote, but they are never displayed.

[pegcity]

we just got a 3040 today, no optical output where my 642 has one, wtf?

I cant use it on my reciever in the basement it only has 3 optical jacks , not coax.

They got cheap.

[ntngod]

Ok, I'm not having much success with the subs (idx and sub)...

I got them to load on one video...the player sees that there are four selections, but it won't display them, except for the first one (which is Korean, and it does display the correct characters for this). Can you tell me more about the ones you got to work? Was there more than one language in there, and did you get it to display all the different subs?

I usually just rip the one language I need so I didn't think to test that.

I created a new .AVI file (from DOG DAY AFTERNOON this time) and tested it out, with audio/video and an IDX/SUB with English, French, and Spanish. It worked with one string attached: if I fast-forwarded, the subtitles disappeared when I started again.

EDIT: From further investigation, it seems this disappearing subtitle bug appears in many Mediatek-based players when using AC3 audio (which my test file did)... I'll have to try it out some more.


Normal play worked just fine:








Your question also got me to test some other related combinations I had overlooked, as well:
- .AVI with multiple AC3 audio tracks works normally
- .AVI with multiple MP3 audio tracks works normally
- .AVI with multiple audio tracks *AND* multiple subs from an IDX/SUB file works normally

[handyguy]

I saw that 5140 at walmart online, $55.00, with $64 shipping for me.....

However, why not get the next one up?
Philips DVD Player with HDMI (DVP5960)

It was $69 at CC yesterday but its up to $79 today. It has a USB port on it. Similiar specs to that 5140.

Ah, I see your review mentions it.

One thing I have issue with is the front panel, there are so few buttons you can't do anything but pause & play.

[mech1]

i'm assuming the dvp 642 has been discontinued? I couldn't find any at Target or BestBuy. is the 5140 the newest version? I saw the hack for the 5140 so i'm assuming it works perfectly like the 642 hack.

[handyguy]

642 should be at circuit city or maybe walmart.

[ntngod]

i'm assuming the dvp 642 has been discontinued? I couldn't find any at Target or BestBuy. is the 5140 the newest version?

I believe the 3040 is now the current low-end Divx-capable Philips model, and has a $40ish price tag at Wal-Mart.

[WaveGoodbye]

When I set the player's output to component/PAL or MULTI/progressive, and input to a 42" plasma, some 25 fps MPEG2 and MPEG4 encodes look better played by the 642 than they do played by the 5140 (less jaggedness of diagonal lines on the 642). With these 25 fps MPEG2 and MPEG4 encodes, switching on progressive output makes a more noticeable improvement on the 642 than the 5140. Note that here I'm not talking about the PAL-to-NTSC conversion quality of either unit.

SRT subs are the right size and placement, but they are translucent light (white) letters on translucent dark backgrounds; opaque white letters on translucent dark backgrounds would be preferrable.

[FulciLives]

When I set the player's output to component/PAL or MULTI/progressive, and input to a 42" plasma, some 25 fps MPEG2 and MPEG4 encodes look better played by the 642 than they do played by the 5140 (less jaggedness of diagonal lines on the 642). With these 25 fps MPEG2 and MPEG4 encodes, switching on progressive output makes a more noticeable improvement on the 642 than the 5140. Note that here I'm not talking about the PAL-to-NTSC conversion quality of either unit.

I am confused ... you say you are NOT talking about the PAL-to-NTSC conversion quality yet you talk about playing back PAL MPEG-2 and PAL MPEG-4 ...

Are you saying that your 42" Plasma is a multisystem TV that can handle both PAL and NTSC then or what ... ?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[WaveGoodbye]

Yes, the plasma is multisystem and automatic through component. I found long ago that PAL DVD's look best when I output PAL/progressive from the DVP642. Progressive has to be reset each time I turn on the 642. They don't look as good on the 5140.

I didn't get a Philips DVP5960 because the plasma is not a HDTV and it doesn't have a HDMI connector, it's a EDTV with 852x480 resolution.

[FulciLives]

Yes, the plasma is multisystem and automatic through component. I found long ago that PAL DVD's look best when I output PAL/progressive from the DVP642. Progressive has to be reset each time I turn on the 642. They don't look as good on the 5140.

I didn't get a Philips DVP5960 because the plasma is not a HDTV and it doesn't have a HDMI connector, it's a EDTV with 852x480 resolution.

I had a Philips DVP-642/37 for about 2 months (before it just broke on me with very little use) and at that time I had a standard defination 27" TV and I found the PAL to NTSC capability to be truely terrible.

I've been dealing with PAL to NTSC since the early 1990's with PAL VHS then with PAL DVD and I was truely disappointed with how bad the Philips DVP-642/37 was with the PAL to NTSC conversion and I've seen a lot of different DVD players that do such a conversion.

Currently I'm using the old but very trusty Cyberhome CH-DVD 500 for PAL to NTSC and it looks great on my new 51" 16x9 WS HDTV but the Cyberhome does have a bit of a red "push" and I'm thinking of replacing it with either the Philips DVP-5960 ... the Pioneer DV-490V-S ... or the Oppo Digital (the old version with the DCDi chipset).

I have to admit I am a bit afraid to try Philips again for PAL to NTSC.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jagabo]

I was truely disappointed with how bad the Philips DVP-642/37 was with the PAL to NTSC conversion

What exactly were the problems?

[FulciLives]

I was truely disappointed with how bad the Philips DVP-642/37 was with the PAL to NTSC conversion

What exactly were the problems?

As I recall at the time most of my DVD collection was boxed up due to a recent move but I did have 4 PAL DVD discs handy yet all were very high quality progressive video ... the PAL DVD discs that I had that I knew from experience that were "challenging" to play back were boxed up ...

The FPS conversion was good ... movement was fluid and not jerky at all ... but the image looked very poorly resized with a lot of "jaggies" ... I guess what you would call very bad anti-alaising (sp?) and one could see slight (really almost only noticeable with credits or text) up and down bobbing.

These titles were all 16x9 WS and at that time I had a 4:3 27 inch TV and some have suggested that the Philips DVP-642/37 would have looked better had I had a 16x9 WS TV which I do now but not then ... but I never had these problems with my Cyberhome CH-DVD 500 nor a Pioneer DVD player I tested once ... all while I had that same TV. I have also seen (a long time ago) a Malata and a JVC that didn't seem to have such problems.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jmikeh]

ntngod, great job on the comparison web pages. That really helps in my decision to upgrade my 642. Although it is still working fine, a replacement sounds like a good idea especially if the features are this much better. I think I may try the 5960 however. The front USB is important to me with all of my music, and, allegedly, the ability for divx files to be played from it.

I am only assuming that the 5960 specs will be very similar to the 5140. Circuit City has the 5960 for $79.99 and I think I will pick one up this weekend and run it through it's paces..

Thanks again and good luck.

[handyguy]

Someone is trying to see if you can play a usb HD through that usb slot. But you can put a divx file on a usb thumb drive & play it I heard.

[jagabo]

I was truely disappointed with how bad the Philips DVP-642/37 was with the PAL to NTSC conversion...

The FPS conversion was good ... movement was fluid and not jerky at all ... but the image looked very poorly resized with a lot of "jaggies" ... I guess what you would call very bad anti-alaising (sp?) and one could see slight (really almost only noticeable with credits or text) up and down bobbing.

Thanks for the detailed report! My old Liteon LVD 2002 is exactly the opposite with PAL to NTSC conversion of DVDs. Scaling of the image is quite clean but playback is a little jerky because it simply duplicates every 5th frame to create 30 frames out of 25 per second. For the most part it's only noticeable on smooth pans.

[LisaB]

Can you tell us whether this new Philips will properly play xivd with 2 or more consequtive b-frame encoding?

Many of the mediatek-based players would have jerky playback in video parts where more than 2 consecutive b-frames were used. This was not a problem with the ESS-based players, and the old 642 could thus play such vids perfectly.

I'm tempted to get this player, seeing its advantages over the 642, but if it can't do 2 b-frames, then it just isn't worth it. 2-b-frames is a *lot* more common than QPEL or 3-point GMC, and so it is vital that the player has fixed this common mediatek problem.

[ntngod]

XviD's 'Home Theater' profile defaults to 2 consecutive B-frames, so that's what I used for all the XviD encodings.