Video issues w/ newer Sony changers

[dma]

I currently own three Sony 5-disc DVD changers: one DVP-NC655P and two slightly newer DVP-NC665P models. All three players provide an excellent picture and sound. I was looking to upgrade to a newer changer, as I have noticed that with some of my TV-series DVDs, such as "Stargate SG-1" and "Millennium", the video "lags" in certain spots (the audio does not break up, though); the problem can be duplicated in all 3 players in exactly the same spots on the discs.

Now, my issue: I tried two of last year's models, the DVP-NC675P and the DVP-NC875P, and one of this year's DVP-NC80V, and I returned all of them -- the picture was absolutely awful with all of the units. I'm not exactly sure of the correct term to use, but I think it's described as "aliased" -- the pictures were very "jagged", unlike the smooth, sharp picture rendered by the older players. (please see the pic below)

I have one of the 665's hooked up to a Sony KV-36FS210 via component cables, and I get a beautiful picture; I hook up one of the newer units to the same TV with the same (or different) cables, I get a picture much like the one on the left, marked "without film mode" -- the older changers give me a picture much more like the image on the right. I've hooked each unit up to two other televisions, an older Sony and a Philips, both via an S-video cable, and I got the same result. I even tried (gasp) composite on all three TV's...same result.

I've tinkered around in all of the menus, trying different video settings, and each time I end up frustrated... Am I doing something wrong? I don't see anyone else complaining about getting a lousy picture, so I'm beginning to wonder if I am going nuts. I did have a friend with me with me while I hooked up the latest purchase, the DVP-NC80V, and he saw the same differences in picture quality, so at least I know that it wasn't my imagination.

One other point: I bought a Sony RDR-GX300 DVD recorder from Crutchfield a couple of months ago, and it's also hooked up to the same 36" Sony Wega TV via the second set of component inputs. The picture quality is fantastic.

That just confuses me all the more...why can't I get the new changers to produce the same quality picture?


Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[j_garcia]

Every time you switch a player, you would have to recalibrate the display for each one. It isn't a plug and play deal. The settings for one player may not work well for another, even from the same manufacturer in the same model year.

Most likely what you are seeing is just various quality levels of the different players. Now, you aren't comparing all progressive if you compared the players on composite and s-video, so you would need to compare them ALL on s-video, which will not pass progressive scan, so it won't tell you everything about a given player's capability.

Video sourced material vs film based are handled differently and some players are not good at handling it correctly. Sony uses their own proprietary decoding and deinterlacing. In standard testing, they don't usually do that well.

I would also say that newer players, especially on the bottom end, are not focusing on their interlaced capability too much, thanks to the push to HDTV, so progressive scan has become far more common.

My recommendation: start looking at some players other than Sony. Sonys are good, but there are better ones out there for sure.

 

[dma]

I jumped on a really good deal (well, at the time it was) on the 36" Sony FS210 (non-digital), since I wanted to wait for the jump to HDTV, so I am using the player(s) in interlaced mode for the time being.

I see what you mean about the settings -- the GX300 recorder actually renders a much better picture than any of the changers...the blacks are amazing, even at default settings. I was kind of wondering if they were concentrating on progressive output performance (as opposed to interlaced) on the newer players, as you pointed out. I'll start checking into other brands...the Onkyos look interesting.

Thanks very much for the input.

 

[j_garcia]

In the price range, the Panasonics are decent. A little above, Denon is a great choice.