Opinion on Best upconverting DivX standard DVD player? (New guy)

[troymess]

Hey everyone,

I came here on advice from a friend who said the members here are great for advice/solutions.

I have a 37" LCD Flat Panel HDTV with HDMI/handles 1080i/p and I'm now looking for a new DVD player that'll support 1080 upconverting as well. I'd really like to have something that'll will play DVD-Data discs (with .avi files encoded with DivX/Mpeg4 support). I'm using a Philips DVD642 right now (which supports DivX/Mpeg4), but will only output up to 480i, which looks AWFUL on my HDTV. It also doesn't support HDMI.

I did some research on LG players that can do this, and one even had a USB port that will play movies off of a flash drive. Something like that would be cool.

Like I said, I've done some research, but the user reviewers on each site haven't been helpful, please throw in your two cents!

[redwudz]

I would look at some of the Oppo players: https://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers?DVDname=oppo&Submit=Search&Search=Search&dvdportab...y=Name&hits=50

And welcome to our forums.

[jman98]

You are completely wrong about the DVP-642 (you got the name wrong). I have this and it totally is capable of outputting 480p video. It's been over a year since I've done it, but there is a setting in the menu where you can tell it to send out progressive video. The DVP-642 looks great on my TV, which also supports 1080p. Yes, it doesn't support HDMI, but what do you expect for a cheap player? Component video works great on it and it's what I use. If you are using something like composite video, yeah, it's not going to look very good.

You might consider the highly regarded Oppo line of players:
http://www.oppodigital.com
but if you own the DVP-642, I have a feeling you're not going to like the Oppo prices.

Note that you don't have to have an upconverting DVD player. Your TV will convert whatever it gets to the native resolution it supports and if your TV has good hardware, it may upscale better than a cheap DVD player anyway.

[troymess]

I have a Vizio 37" and I haven't found an option for it to upscale the video anywhere. Any ideas on how to do that?

Also, my DVP-642 (thanks for the correction) is set to progressive and I'm using COMPONENT video, and I still think there is a LOT of room for improvement to be honest.

I'll check out the OPPO stuff, but if anyone could advise me how to possibly make the DVP-642 and my HDTV work better, I'd really appreciate it. I'm new to this stuff

[Relayerman]

I just bought a Philips DVP3960/37 that does 720p / 1080i with HDMI at Wal-mart for $39 US. It is a great cheap player. There are slightly more expensive models that go farther than that, but at $39 dollars and me not having a decent player at all I couldn't pass it up.

[troymess]

That DVP3960/37 sounds like a GREAT deal! Does is support DviX playback/MPEG4? Any kind of data support?

[Krispy Kritter]

There won't be a setting on the TV to change the resolution. The TV only tells you the input resolutioin.

All LCD TV's convert the video input to the screens native resolution. So the TV is automatically upconverting your 480i/480P input to match the native resolution of the screen...which in your case is likely 1366x768 (720P). You will need to experiment, but you will likely get the best picture by inputting in the resolution closest to your TV's native resolution.

And while the 642 will output at 480P (you have to enable progressive), there are better players. I have two of the original 642's and replaced the primary one with an Oppo 971H. The Oppo players noted above, are known for very high quality video reproduction. They also upconvert and several are Divx certified.

[jman98]

Also, my DVP-642 (thanks for the correction) is set to progressive and I'm using COMPONENT video, and I still think there is a LOT of room for improvement to be honest.

I see two possibilities.
1) The DVP-642 is problematic for sure and it could be that I have a good one and you have a bad one. Everybody and I do mean everybody who's seen my DVP-642 hooked up to my TV has raved about the picture. There is a slight chance that perhaps your component cables are doing a bad job. This is not common, but it could happen.
2) It could just be that your TV sucks at upscaling. I have a Samsung and they excel at this. Since you didn't mention what kind of TV you had, for all we know you have a cheapish model not known for being good at upscaling.

Don't expect miracles from Divx playback. Many people are VERY disappointed on seeing Divx playback on HD TVs as the format is lossier than many people understand and sometimes the flaws in the encoding becoming glaringly obvious on a bigger TV. I don't know what your viewing distance is, but do note that if you sit too close to the TV, everything will probably look flawed. With your TV size, I'd say you probably need to be 8-9 feet away from it at a minimum for best results.

[manono]

I'm using a Philips DVD642 right now (which supports DivX/Mpeg4), but will only output up to 480i, which looks AWFUL on my HDTV.

Why can't it be that your AVIs are of bad quality and you never noticed before with your old interlaced TV? An HDTV will make good sources look very good, but bad sources will look worse. Your DVDs look OK over the DVP-642, don't they?

That said, that player is one of the worst ever made. If you want a good player, do as others have suggested and get an Oppo. But I don't think your AVIs are going to look much, if any, better.

[dfisher052]

Any opinions out there on how the Philips DVP5982 would work in this situation?

[jman98]

That said, that player is one of the worst ever made. If you want a good player, do as others have suggested and get an Oppo. But I don't think your AVIs are going to look much, if any, better.

You'll get no arguments from me on that. While my DVP-642 has generally worked well for me and I certainly got my money's worth out of it, I don't recommend it. So many others have reported problems that it seems that I am the exception to the rule with this player.

Oops. The original poster did mention his TV brand, so I'm wrong in an earlier post where I said he didn't. I know nothing about this Vizio brand and I wouldn't bet any money that it can compete with the really good HDTVs out there like by Samsung. Vizio probably just sells cheap HDTVs that work OK for people who are looking for bargains, but well, you DO get what you pay for. Samsung HDTVs aren't the cheapest for sure, but you get high quality for the money. Samsung's upscaling is so good that you don't need an upscaling DVD player.

The original poster may just need to get a better DVD player before he can be sure, but I suspect ultimately the problem is that his TV is just not that good at upscaling and that's the real problem.

[jagabo]

The DVP-642 has rather poor scaling. The Philips DVP-5960 and DVP-5982 scale much better.

[jman98]

The DVP-642 has rather poor scaling. The Philips DVP-5960 and DVP-5982 scale much better.

Well, considering that the DVP-642 can't send out a signal beyond 480p, your post is sort of beside the point. Like I said before I have a DVP-642 and it works fine for me, but I don't recommend it. Do I need to boldface that? I don't think anybody is recommending the DVP-642 and since it's not an upscaling DVD player anyway I don't think we need to worry about somebody buying it.

[schematic2]

I have the Philips DVP-5960/37 from Costco. Although I'm not a huge fan of Philips, this player works well for the $59 price. It upscales to 1080i and is DIVX certified. The USB is also fine for Divx movies once you flash the firmware...

[jagabo]

The DVP-642 has rather poor scaling. The Philips DVP-5960 and DVP-5982 scale much better.

Well, considering that the DVP-642 can't send out a signal beyond 480p, your post is sort of beside the point. Like I said before I have a DVP-642 and it works fine for me, but I don't recommend it. Do I need to boldface that? I don't think anybody is recommending the DVP-642 and since it's not an upscaling DVD player anyway I don't think we need to worry about somebody buying it.

It upscales when it plays Divx files that are smaller than 720x480. It downscales when it converts PAL to NTSC. I was just letting the OP know the new players scale better.

[troymess]

Original poster here. Thanks so much for the advice everyone.

I did a lot of research on my Vizio HDTV before I bought it and the only complaint was the how dark tones were not that clear. Other than that, all reviews said that this TV performed extremely well. It is a money-saver, but I think it'll be worth it once the up-grades are in place.

Hoping those reviews are accurate, so I'm going to be investing in a new DVD player, probably an OPPO. I'm hoping that will fix the issue.

I'm also planning on solely using Monster HDMI cable for the HD Digital Cable as well as with the new DVD Player. The Vizio has two seperate HDMI inputs as well as an HD Tuner.

Just to answer a previous question, I haven't been using the .avi files when testing this. I've been using Standard DVD. Nothing on DVD-R. However, the DVD-R/.avi files have looked decent up against the DVD Standards with the current setup.

If anyone has any other ideas, I'd gladly take them!

[jagabo]

I'm also planning on solely using Monster HDMI cable for the HD Digital Cable as well as with the new DVD Player.

Save a lot of money and get something like this instead:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189053
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812339005

If you're dead set on Monster, at least get one of those cables to compare.

[manono]

Yep, don't waste your money on Monster. Digital is digital. It either works or it doesn't. Unless you have long cable runs - then a better quality might make a difference, but still not overpriced Monster.

[Constant Gardener]

When I bought my Oppo 971H two years ago, it included both HDMI and HDMI-DVI cables. No need to buy ANY video cable.

[troymess]

I love this thread, thanks so much for the advice on the Monster as well. I'll considering those New Egg link cables.

Here's a DVD player I thought looked decent. I know Samsung has a decent reputation. My first standard DVD player was a Samsung and worked AMAZINGLY until I wanted to begin upgrading.

How about the Samsung DVD-1080P7 DVD Player one for an upconversion/DivX. A bit more affordable than an Oppo...

There's several on eBay for decent prices.

[jagabo]

I believe that Samsung is similar to the Philips DVP-5960 or 5982.

[Krispy Kritter]

I've never used a Samaung, if I was looking for a bargain player, I'd likely stick with a Philips (5982). For everyday use, I'd go with a player known to have quality video reporoduction (of standard DVD material). You will see as much, if not more benefit from a quality video signal, than from an average quality upconverted signal. Upconversion would be an afterthought, especially since your TV is converting all video inputs anyway. Hence the reason I suggested the Oppo.

Note, it all boils down to your budget and you will likely be happy with any of the suggested players and likely several that weren't.

[jman98]

How about the Samsung DVD-1080P7 DVD Player one for an upconversion/DivX. A bit more affordable than an Oppo...

There's several on eBay for decent prices.

Note that this Samsung player does NOT support VCD and SVCD. That may or may not be a big deal for you. Frankly it's stupid that the player doesn't support them as it could with a simple firmware fix, should Samsung care enough to do so.

Oppo players do support VCD and SVCD and SACD and DVD-Audio as well. You get what you pay for.

[troymess]

Well, I think it's come down to this. I've recently got a good paying job and I'm looking to build on my home entertainment/theatre system. I might as well get something that will last and is highly recommended.

I'm going to get one of these Oppos:

DV-981HD
DV-980H

The only BIG difference I'm seeing is the DCDi by Faroudja video processing technology on the DV-981HD. Is this worth the extra $60 in comparison to the DV-980H? Has anyone had experience with this?

[Jim44]

Look at the comparison chart on Oppo's site - they recommend each based on type & size of display you'll be using (there are some instances of "macroblocking" on DLPs with the Faroudja-based player, as an example).

Also, Oppo is set to release a new player 983 next week I believe.

There are some long, but very informative, threads on all three players at AVS Forum.

(FWIW, I've been looking at these, as I'm looking to upgrade my ~8-year-old Panasonic player; I may pull the trigger on the 983 in order to "future-proof" myself for whatever display I end up getting later this year.)

Hope that helps.

[troymess]

Jim,

Thanks so much for the heads up on the 983 possibly coming out next week. I might hold off purchasing anything until I see what that has to offer.

If I don't like the options/price tag on the 983 I might just purchase the DV-980H and go from there.

On my way to also check out the AVS Forum.

[manono]

The only BIG difference I'm seeing is the DCDi by Faroudja video processing technology on the DV-981HD. Is this worth the extra $60 in comparison to the DV-980H?

That might depend on what you watch. The chipset in the other one is inferior. If all you watch is progressively encoded Hollywood-type movies, you'll be OK with the DV-980H. But if you like some unusually encoded stuff, anime, documentaries, a lot of TV series DVDs, many of the extras on DVDs, where you get interlaced encoding or hard telecine encoding, then having the Faroudja chipset is worth its weight in gold. You're spending a lot of money on your home entertainment system, TV set, receiver, speakers. Don't scrimp on the player.

I own a DV-981HD. I can't speak to the 983 as it's not out yet