upconvert dvd players

[wyatt9696]

hey there mods, if this is not the right forum for this topic, feel free to move it.

i'm looking for peoples thoughts on a reasonably priced hdmi dvd player. i've looked at several from 80.00 to 400.00 anyone have any experiences they would like to share? i don't want to spend a ton of cash, but i don't want a POS either. any help would be appreciated. thanks folks.

 

[drbonbi]

Wyatt9696,

Check this one out. It's a winner. http://www.oppodigital.com/

Dana

 

[f300v10]

I can second that on the oppo. I have had one since June, and it is great. Also oppo has been very good at fixing issues with firmware updates. Note that it is a DVI output, so you will need a dvi->hdmi cable.

Here is a site that rates DVD players, and the OPPO is #1, better than $3500 Denon 5910

 

[vurbano]

I have the Avel LP2, it outputs 1080i and upscales commecial DVDs to 1080i over component without the latest firmware upgrades. Also networkable via ethernet to stream HD mpeg2 files too.

 

[Tom Reid]

I bought the Toshiba at Costco for $80 - works like a charm! I was blown away since I had been looking at units for more money. Used with my Samsung 50" - you can see the difference switching between Componet and HDMI input! Get this, also has optical out for nice surround sound.

 

[guffy1]

I have an Oppo that Ive had for about 3 weeks now, and Ive also checked out the Toshiba at Best Buy..

That Toshiba is nothing compared to the Oppo, trust me..

I have tried about 5 different upconverting DVD and that Oppo is the best, hands down..

 

[cal87]

I agree about the Oppo - fantastic player. I had the Toshiba from Costco for about 2 hours and took it back. It looked pretty cheap and couldn't tell the difference between it and my old progressive scan player. When I hooked up the Oppo, even my wife could tell the difference right away. Looks almost high def if you have a good DVD.

 

[wyatt9696]

thanks for all the input. looks like the oppo is the way to go. thanks all.

 

[guffy1]

thanks for all the input. looks like the oppo is the way to go. thanks all.

Its definately the way to go, IMO...

Do not waste your money on any of the upconvert players at the big box stores..

 

[jalegria11]

Just bought a refurbished Oppo from their website at 160.00 + 14.49
New ones will be available on 3/15 at 199.00 plus S+H

This will be my 7th DVD player (two SONY, one Pioneer Elite, Philips DVD recorder, and two multi-region generic ones...) but from what I've read it will probably be better than the D45-A Elite I currently use.

My DVD collection deserves an Oppo! since HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are still out of reach...

My only problem... I now will need a decent price HDMI switcher which is backordered at both monoprice and markertek.

At least I ordered the extra 3ft HDMI cable from monoprice at $6.50 + 2.92.
Great price for an HDMI cable!

I have been tempted to buy the Cyberhome 655 , but I'm now glad I waited until the OPPO came along!

 

[cal87]

My only problem... I now will need a decent price HDMI switcher which is backordered at both monoprice and markertek.

I know what you mean about switchers.
I paid over 300 for my Gefen switcher - more that I paid for either the Oppo or my HD DVR.

 

[landlocked]

upconverting DVD

Blu Ray is suppose to debut for $500. You could always get one of those next month and at least spend your money on a system that might still be supported in 5 years.

 

[cal87]

Blu Ray is suppose to debut for $500. You could always get one of those next month and at least spend your money on a system that might still be supported in 5 years.

Well, I eagerly await the next format. However, I, like many people, have a sizable DVD collection, most of which will not be replaced. The high def players will likely not do as good a job upconverting standard def DVDs. Plus, the Oppo in particular will play just about anything you throw at it - NTSC, PAL, Divx, CD, mp3

 

[sleepless]

I have the Panasonic S97 which comes with a HDMI cable- one of the nice features it has that I like is that it has different aspect ratios based on your DVD and you can set it to auto to adjust automatically. Excellent picture.

 

[Zookster]

I agree that Oppo is the way to go as opposed to waiting a couple months for HD DVD/Blu-ray... Until the price point drops below $200/unit, those two formats will cater to high-end early adopting video-philes. Your rank and file public is still buying DVD players for $50 and the new video releases at Walmart/Target for $16. Not to mention the 100s of porn titles that are released every month. Based on that, SD DVDs will be around for a long long time... heck, my grandmother still uses good 'ol VHS.

 

[stumacdo]

Just be careful with the Oppo. Depending on which display you have, macroblocking can be quite bad. I can vouch for mixing the Oppo with a Samsung HLR-5067W - the results were catastrophic. Before all the flames begin, I've already had the display ISF calibrated, so the issue isn't at the display level.

 

[soncaliente]

Anyone here use a Neodigits HVD2085?

I actually use a Neodigits HVD2085 that will upconvert via HDMI but will also upconvert your video via it's component interface. (...so no need for the HDMI switcher) The quality of the video looks great IMO. If you are lucky enough to have a 1080P HDTV you can upconvert to 1080P via HDMI. It is also region free.

The only downside is you will not be able to use a programmable remote with the unit. My Onkyo, luckily enough, has a learning remote so I was able to program all of the necessary buttons to work with the unit.

Check it out.
http://neodigits.com

 

[Slump Buster]

A question about an earlier post... can you achive 1080i via component connection? I'd really rather not buy an hdmi switcher either

 

[ScottChez]

Let not forgot that most Good HDTVs already have Upconverters build in.

How else do they get a 488P picture to fix?

Please dont laugh, but I returned my OPPO as my XBOX 360 did almost as good using my TVs built in upscaller (line doubler or what ever you want to call it).

Plus the XBOX 360 worked with the ZOOM function (to get rid of those bars that the wife and kids hate).

The OPPO was still a little better but to my eyes it was not $200 better when my TV already had the line doubler.


Remember, the XBOX 360 is a software based DVD player, so in most reviews its in a different class than the hardware based ones.

Here is the DVD Benchmark for it, yes the OPPO is better, but the Software based solution would be pretty darn close to the average viewer.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-...rch&articles=125#MicrosoftXbox 360 (Component)

 

[soncaliente]

Neo-Digits Player and Upscaling

A question about an earlier post... can you achive 1080i via component connection? I'd really rather not buy an hdmi switcher either

If you asking about the neo-digits player, the answer is yes. It will upconvert to 1080i and 720p via component video. The player has a set-up menu that allows you to change these settings at boot time. One other good thing is neo-digits offers very good support via email. I actually had one question about the set-up menu and turning off the sub-titles and recieved a response in about 2 hours from their support team.

Let not forgot that most Good HDTVs already have Upconverters build in.

Very good point. I did a comparison myself with my Sony HDTV. I thought the neo-digits scaler was better and made the decision it was worth the $200. However, since I am always willing to save a penny I definitely understand using a $40 player and have your television perform the upscaling.

Plus the XBOX 360 worked with the ZOOM function (to get rid of those bars that the wife and kids hate).

This is also a good point. The up-scaling players that I have experience with actually do not work well with full-screen Movies and Television shows as it stretches the video using a wide zoom. (People look short and fat) Luckily the only full-screen DVDs I own are the Dora videos for my daughter