Newbie Needs DVD Player Help

[ChrisW123]

Hi Everyone,

We just purchased a new HD TV which is coming today and I just realized I have an old cheap DVD player that probably won't work very well with it! So I need help!

So I'll need a new DVD player, keeping in mind that I will want to add a better sound/speaker system at a later date.

The new TV has: 1080p, HDMI inputs, S-Video input, Compenent Input, 5.1 SPDIF Digital Audio output, 1920x1080.

So given these features, what DVD player features should I look for, remembering that I would like to add a sound system later. At first thought and some research it seems that the DVD player would need:

1) HDMI output.
2) 5.1 audio output.

Anything else I need? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks! -Chris.

 

[zumbo]

Pick one, and then find your best deal.
Panny DMP-BD35K or DMP-BD55K

 

[ChrisW123]

Pick one, and then find your best deal.
Panny DMP-BD35K or DMP-BD55K

Thanks Zumbo, CNet gives these good reviews. In their review the BD55K, they say this:

"As good as the DMP-BD55 is, unless you intend to use the analog outputs on your Blu-ray player, go with the less expensive DMP-BD35. "

I'm thinking that I would need the 7.1 analog outputs right, if I want to connect a better sound system later? Is that right? What other options are there?

 

[Gatsby191]

It seems to me that you would want a receiver too, no? Afterall You did state that you wanted to add a good sound system later also.(5.1) You also mentioned HDMI.
Why not get a decently priced Home Theater receiver(AVR), with an ample amount of power(WPC-watts per channel), that has HDMI imput/output?
The DVD player that was suggested by Zumbo, is actually a Blu-Ray player(a great one at that! IMHO), and as most people know, all Blu Ray players(all of the one's I know of anyway)also play regular DVDs(SD DVD)and CDs also. And, whenever a SD DVD is played on a Blu Ray player, it is "upped" to 1080P in it's resolution which usually results in making that SD DVD look alot better.
This way, you can run any and all of your other gear(now and in the future)to your AVR using HDMI(or conponent) connection, and then you can have the HDMI OUT cable that comes out of your AVR, going straight to one of you HD TV's HDMI imputs. Pretty easy to do, and when you add the 5.1 speaker set-up, you'll have everything already in place.
It may sound a little backwards, but after you mentioned that you wanted to add a 5.1 sound system later on(hopefully more sooner than later.), I figured an AVR might be your best bet.
Of course you could just run the new Blu Ray player straight to the HD TV right now, and get the AVR and the speakers later on.(you'll need an AVR because your new HD TV won't be able to drive any of the average powered speakers out there today, very well)
Good Luck! Joe B.

 

[zumbo]

Thanks Zumbo, CNet gives these good reviews. In their review the BD55K, they say this:

"As good as the DMP-BD55 is, unless you intend to use the analog outputs on your Blu-ray player, go with the less expensive DMP-BD35. "

I'm thinking that I would need the 7.1 analog outputs right, if I want to connect a better sound system later? Is that right? What other options are there?

The seperate analog outputs is for use with AV receivers, or pre-pros, that don't have HDMI inputs, and/or don't decode the new audio formats.

Since many of the receivers anyone here recommends have the new audio formats, myself included, it's just easier to get the 35. That way, you can just use HDMI for audio and video.

Just be sure that your future AV receiver is up-to-date. All you have to do, is come back with a new thread for the receiver when you are ready.

 

[ChrisW123]

Thansks Zumbo and Gatsby for the great info...

I was also thinking about a Sony PS3 for a little more, you get a network enabled Blu-ray player plus the gaming capability.

So my point is, I'm gonna need to do more research and read these boards here (great site BTW), and gain more knowledge of all of the options before buying something.

For now (now that the TV is here I'm going to hook up the old DVD player to it and see how a couple DVDs look. The back of this old player has Composite (yellow) hook up which is how it was connected to my 27", it has Component (green, blue, red), and it has S-Video.

My guess is I should use the Component (green, blue, red) to hook it up to my new HD TV for now, correct? What kind of resolution will I be getting from typical DVD movies? 480? 720, 1080i?

 

[Geno]

Thansks Zumbo and Gatsby for the great info...

I was also thinking about a Sony PS3 for a little more, you get a network enabled Blu-ray player plus the gaming capability.

So my point is, I'm gonna need to do more research and read these boards here (great site BTW), and gain more knowledge of all of the options before buying something.

For now (now that the TV is here I'm going to hook up the old DVD player to it and see how a couple DVDs look. The back of this old player has Composite (yellow) hook up which is how it was connected to my 27", it has Component (green, blue, red), and it has S-Video.

My guess is I should use the Component (green, blue, red) to hook it up to my new HD TV for now, correct? What kind of resolution will I be getting from typical DVD movies? 480? 720, 1080i?

All standard definition DVDs are 480. Newer DVD players can 'upconvert' to 1080, but you really only get 480, since that's all the information that's on SD DVDs. And yes, you should use the component cables for the best video from your old DVDs. You won't see real High Definition until you have a Blu-Ray player.

 

[jostenmeat]

My guess is I should use the Component (green, blue, red) to hook it up to my new HD TV for now, correct? What kind of resolution will I be getting from typical DVD movies? 480? 720, 1080i?

The "resolution" you get is determined by the native resolution of your actual TV.

A DVD player with component connections can only output at 480p, AFAIK. Perhaps things have changed and/or improved. Component connections could give you up to 1080i (but not 1080p), but were not possible due to HDCP crap. (with perhaps the notable exception of HACKED Oppo 970 players, to allow 1080i output).

So because of HDCP, you will need HDMI for 720p/1080i, let alone 1080p, AFAIK from a DVD source.

Otherwise, exactly what geno said.

 

[ChrisW123]

Yeah, I have the TV hooked up and my crappy DVD player playing a movie right now, and it's in 480 something rez. I know this because I've seen a short display popup now and then that says that. I didn't notice if it's an "i" or "P" after the 480.

Couple updates:

1) The remove for the TV (Vizio) seems to have stopped working. So it makes experimenting the "Wide" and "Full" screen settings for the TV. I have to use the actual buttons on the side of the TV for now until I figure out what happened.

2) I was able to get my Comcast remote to control the TV, crappy DVD player, and Comcast cable box! All three, whoohoo! Except, the "Menu" button on the remote doesn't popup the TV's menu so I still have to use the actual buttons on the side of the TV still!!! Grrr.

3) I refuse to use the TV's "Wide" mode setting unless the images/content are made for a 16:9 (wide?) format. Given this, I can't get the DVD I'm watching to fill my entire TV screen correctly. I have tried using "Wide" and "Full" TV setting, along with "Wide" and "Full" selections on the DVD menu, but none of these combinations give me the correct format. So for now I'm using "Full" on both. I don't want any "stretched" images. And if I use "Wide" on both, it's simply a stretched "wide" image which sucks.

I'll have to do more research to figure out what the problem is.

-Chris.