The Real Scoop... Upconverting DVD Players?

[azcoyote]

OK. Someone put me out of my misery. There seems to be a lot of info that contradicts regarding upconverting DVD players. A friend of mine has a Samsung 5668 DLP and the Samsung 841 (0r 950 not sure) and the picture quality looked quite nice.

The problem? Is it the TV or the upconverting DVD player?

Can anyone difinitively say whether upconverting players are better than a good high quality player and letting the TV upconvert the signal? I plan on getting teh Samsung 6168 soon. The DVD player is still up in the air...

Thanks,
Wiley

 

[soundsfine]

OK. Someone put me out of my misery. There seems to be a lot of info that contradicts regarding upconverting DVD players. A friend of mine has a Samsung 5668 DLP and the Samsung 841 (0r 950 not sure) and the picture quality looked quite nice.

The problem? Is it the TV or the upconverting DVD player?

Can anyone difinitively say whether upconverting players are better than a good high quality player and letting the TV upconvert the signal? I plan on getting teh Samsung 6168 soon. The DVD player is still up in the air...

Thanks,
Wiley

It really depends on the scaler/deinterlacer that is built into the television. Some of them do a really good job, and others are really poor. In either case, you want to be able to send a digital signal to the television so that the scaling is done in the digital domain. In many instances, that means scaling in the DVD player instead.

 

[Pyrrho]

OK. Someone put me out of my misery. There seems to be a lot of info that contradicts regarding upconverting DVD players. A friend of mine has a Samsung 5668 DLP and the Samsung 841 (0r 950 not sure) and the picture quality looked quite nice.

The problem? Is it the TV or the upconverting DVD player?

Can anyone difinitively say whether upconverting players are better than a good high quality player and letting the TV upconvert the signal? I plan on getting teh Samsung 6168 soon. The DVD player is still up in the air...

Thanks,
Wiley

It depends on both the player and the TV. IF the player does a good job of upconverting, then that is best, as the signal remains digital all the way. But if the player does a poor job of it, then it is useless and you might as well just send the signal via component connection and let the TV do its work (and, of course, some TVs do a better job than others). You will need to do some research to find out if anyone has actually tested the player you are considering to find out if it is worthwhile or not.

 

[azcoyote]

OK. I have been looking at the new Samsung upconverting players like the 841 and 950. I am also looking at the Denon DVD-955 since it has the Faroudja FLI-2310 chip as well as Burr-Brown DACs and dual Analog Devices ADV-7310 216 MHz 12 bit Video D/A Convertors. Sounds pretty darn impressive and has HDMI.

The display I will be using is a Samsung 6168 DLP.

Thanks,
Wiley

 

[soundsfine]

OK. I have been looking at the new Samsung upconverting players like the 841 and 950. I am also looking at the Denon DVD-955 since it has the Faroudja FLI-2310 chip as well as Burr-Brown DACs and dual Analog Devices ADV-7310 216 MHz 12 bit Video D/A Convertors. Sounds pretty darn impressive and has HDMI.

The display I will be using is a Samsung 6168 DLP.

Thanks,
Wiley

The Samsung 841 and 950 use chip sets from Zoran and don't do as well as the Faroudja-based solutions.

The Denon is a nice player. From what I understand, Denon has found a way to get rid of the macroblocking problem that most Faroudja players have.

The Burr-Browns will only help you if you go to analog. If you are using digital connections they will be idle.

 

[WndrBr3d]

OK. I have been looking at the new Samsung upconverting players like the 841 and 950. I am also looking at the Denon DVD-955 since it has the Faroudja FLI-2310 chip as well as Burr-Brown DACs and dual Analog Devices ADV-7310 216 MHz 12 bit Video D/A Convertors. Sounds pretty darn impressive and has HDMI.

The display I will be using is a Samsung 6168 DLP.

Thanks,
Wiley

Unless you're hooking up the DVD player using the Analog 5.1 outputs, the DAC's will not be used.

Just a comment on Burr-Brown DAC's. Burr-Brown was absorbed by Texas Instruments back in June of 2000. Since then TI has grown it's DAC offering by including a lot of Burr-Brown technology without the actual product branding.

Just food for thought

 

[DaveOCP]

The Genesis FLI and Silicon Optix Realtas are definitely the best scaling chips out there, so look for a model with either one. You dont really have to spend a lot of money to get one. The Silicon Image chips are good, but not quite on the same level.

 

[azcoyote]

The Genesis FLI and Silicon Optix Realtas are definitely the best scaling chips out there, so look for a model with either one. You dont really have to spend a lot of money to get one. The Silicon Image chips are good, but not quite on the same level.

I thought the Realta was only offered in the Denon 5910 which costs one arm and one leg....

Is there an offering with a Realta that is not so expensive? I am looking up the Genesis FLI...
ADDED: I see. The Genesis is the chip used in the 3910. Cost only one leg, you save an arm..

Thanks!
Wiley

 

[WndrBr3d]

The FLI-2310 chip is also used in the Oppo player (DVI-D output only). Since HD DVD is on the horizon, spending $199 on the Oppo is a good alternative than sinking more money in a technology that will be replaced by newer hardware next year.

 

[Audioholics]

I thought the Realta was only offered in the Denon 5910 which costs one arm and one leg....

They are running a sale this month for Audioholics readers: two arms and an ear.

 

[bupton]

Nice Clint

But what I really want to know is this. Does it say anywhere in the fine print that it has to be your own ear? Are they going to check and make sure you arent paying with someone elses ear?

 

[DaveOCP]

The FLI-2310 chip is also used in the Oppo player (DVI-D output only). Since HD DVD is on the horizon, spending $199 on the Oppo is a good alternative than sinking more money in a technology that will be replaced by newer hardware next year.

You can also get the FLI-2310 in Panasonic's $249 DVD-S77, and some cheap Zenith models as well.

 

[Votrax]

But what I really want to know is this. Does it say anywhere in the fine print that it has to be your own ear? Are they going to check and make sure you arent paying with someone elses ear?

They won't check. Also the arms have to be a matched set so you'll have to take both arms from the same donor. You may get by with a different donor for the ear than the arms. It depends on the dealer.

 

[azcoyote]

They are running a sale this month for Audioholics readers: two arms and an ear.

LMAO

No arms to push buttons on remote, missing one ear I need to to hear with...

No sale!

LOL

Wiley