Good DVD players that will do HD conversion?

[SSSnail]

I'm looking for a few DVD players to replace my current ones. Need good HD up conversion, HDMI is OK (probably go with components and separate audio for the bed room sets). I would like one with a good DAC for stereo also; but might do separate CD player. Do any of you guys have actual experience with any that can recommend? (in the few hundies range).

 

[austin316]

few hundies? get the DVP5960 for $70

 

[slackerinabox]

Yep, the philips is pretty decent. I have a sony that does great upconversion but doesn't play divx. I miss taht feature. The sony was $95

 

[Saga]

Out of curiosity, can someone explain the details on upconverting?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

The vast majority of players that do upconversion are going to only do it through HDMI.

Oppo units are quite popular. I'm not sure on the quality of the analog audio output though.

http://www.oppodigital.com/

Have you thought about just getting an HD-DVD player?

 

[funboy6942]

Cheap computer, dvd rom, ATI 9800 or better, And the free VLC program and you got a up-converting DVD player.

I have had a sony upconverting 400 disk player (sold it), I also, still, have a cheap cyberhome upconverting player, and my PC. When all three were hooked up to my 65" HD toshiba, the pc looked better then the sony and the cyberhome upconverting the dvds to 1080I.

The PC, running a X1800 at the time, with the VLC program, spanked them both in picture quality, not to mention with the pc you can run almost every other video format under the sun, and play games too, if thats your thing.

Things needed to make your own, cheep, HTPC are:

ATI chipset MOBO, look for one with built in X graphics and DVI output, it will do HD content then. Also make sure it has the realtek HD 880 Chipset for it will have DD and DTS decoding and wont need to buy a sound card ($50)

512MB or more cheap ram $50

3000+ socket 939 cpu $50~

Cheap Case $20-$50

Everyone has a HD and a dvd rom laying around if not then tack on another $100 for them both on the super high side.

These are new prices, Im sure you can go into the FS/FT section and find this set up for $150 shipped or less.

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
The vast majority of players that do upconversion are going to only do it through HDMI.

Oppo units are quite popular. I'm not sure on the quality of the analog audio output though.

http://www.oppodigital.com/

Have you thought about just getting an HD-DVD player?

I'm still waiting on the dust to settle on the format war to invest in a camp, until then, I'll still buy DVDs and try to take advantage of them. Fortunately, the native upscaling of the LG XD series LCDs are very good, I'm wondering adding upconversion to those would give me a better picture.

Funboy42, I'm thinking about adding an HTPC to my HT as well... but I just love my components a bit too much. The ones in question are for the bedrooms, something cheap and sensible that does the job well. I haven't really looked into them much lately

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: funboy42
Cheap computer, dvd rom, ATI 9800 or better, And the free VLC program and you got a up-converting DVD player.

I have had a sony upconverting 400 disk player (sold it), I also, still, have a cheap cyberhome upconverting player, and my PC. When all three were hooked up to my 65" HD toshiba, the pc looked better then the sony and the cyberhome upconverting the dvds to 1080I.

The PC, running a X1800 at the time, with the VLC program, spanked them both in picture quality, not to mention with the pc you can run almost every other video format under the sun, and play games too, if thats your thing.

Things needed to make your own, cheep, HTPC are:

ATI chipset MOBO, look for one with built in X graphics and DVI output, it will do HD content then. Also make sure it has the realtek HD 880 Chipset for it will have DD and DTS decoding and wont need to buy a sound card ($50)

512MB or more cheap ram $50

3000+ socket 939 cpu $50~

Cheap Case $20-$50

Everyone has a HD and a dvd rom laying around if not then tack on another $100 for them both on the super high side.

These are new prices, Im sure you can go into the FS/FT section and find this set up for $150 shipped or less.

Or save yourself all that trouble and get a damn dvd player to play dvds.

It gets really annoying when people suggest a HTPC to play dvds. That's like someone buying a high end oven when all you want to do is make toast.

 

[funboy6942]

My HTPC:

ASUS A8R-MX/SI $39 from Chiefvalue

Sound is built in on mobo HD Realtek 880

4000+ Used from the FS/FT forum for $45

1 gig of 3200+ OCZ $50 off the FS/FT Forum

500gigs WD HD (2x 250 HD) $65 each new off FS/FT Forum

Sony DVDRW $32 New Newegg

ATI X1900 AIW Traded my X1800XT for it off the FS/FT forum

Cheap HTPC case from Newegg $50 Shipped

Logitech Z5500 $200 a year+ ago from newegg

Optoma H31 new $599 Tigerdirect

100" Elite 16:9 Screen $59 Tigerdirect

You will have to pry this all from my cold dead hands before I will give any of it up

Oh and to the comment above, with this I have all my dvds networked on a network PC, all categorized, all 500+ of them, I dont have to get up to put a single disk in if I dont want to, it will play, Divx, Xvid, AVI, MOV, HD, you name it, if it is a video file it will play it, do that with your stand alone dvd player. OH surf the net with it too, play games on it, chat with it, start a video conversation with family members in a different state with it, pretty much anything more then pop in just a dvd in it
Go ahead and spend $100-$400 on just a stand alone dvd player, I can just pop in a dvd into it as well

 

[Number1]

I tried an upconverting DVD player (Sony?s DVP-NS75H DVD Player ) and I did not see any significant improvement to the picture. I returned the new upconverting player to the store.

My current unit:

DVD/Home Theater: DurabrandSTS-98, Progressive, 3 years old, initial cost, less then $100.00 Good picture, excellent sound

Dont waste your money.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Number1
I tried an upconverting DVD player (Sony?s DVP-NS75H DVD Player ) and I did not see any significant improvement to the picture. I returned the new upconverting player to the store.

My current unit:

DVD/Home Theater: DurabrandSTS-98, Progressive, 3 years old, initial cost, less then $100.00 Good picture, excellent sound

Dont waste your money.

Not true all the time. I had a Panasonic Progressive scan player hooked up to my HDTV and everything looked awful and there was a weird stuttering going on with motion. My sony upscaled dvd player really improved things. Trust me, I didn't want to spend the money - it just worked so it was $95 well spent.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: Number1
I tried an upconverting DVD player (Sony?s DVP-NS75H DVD Player ) and I did not see any significant improvement to the picture. I returned the new upconverting player to the store.

My current unit:

DVD/Home Theater: DurabrandSTS-98, Progressive, 3 years old, initial cost, less then $100.00 Good picture, excellent sound

Dont waste your money.

Not true all the time. I had a Panasonic Progressive scan player hooked up to my HDTV and everything looked awful and there was a weird stuttering going on with motion. My sony upscaled dvd player really improved things. Trust me, I didn't want to spend the money - it just worked so it was $95 well spent.

Obviously your old DVD player had a compatibility issue. I don't think this is the case with the OP's equipment.

 

[funboy6942]

Oh there is a HUGE diff in a regular dvd picture and a up converted one, its a diff between night and day difference, must have been doing something wrong, setting wrong, not hooked up right, something, but there is such a diff, even my wife, who can give a rats ass about audio video, notices a big difference between the two when I showed her.

OP if you want, I dont use the Cyberhome at all and it just collects dust, if you want it you can have it for $40 shipped. HDMI output, does retail DVDs, doesnt like most back ups, and it plays xvid as well, not all though for some reason.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: funboy42
Oh there is a HUGE diff in a regular dvd picture and a up converted one, its a diff between night and day difference, must have been doing something wrong, setting wrong, not hooked up right, something, but there is such a diff, even my wife, who can give a rats ass about audio video, notices a big difference between the two when I showed her.

OP if you want, I dont use the Cyberhome at all and it just collects dust, if you want it you can have it for $40 shipped. HDMI output, does retail DVDs, doesnt like most back ups, and it plays xvid as well, not all though for some reason.

I used the HDMI signal into my brand new Hitachi 42HDS69 Widescreen Plasma HDTV
There was NO significant picture improvement between up converted and non up converted progressive DVD picture.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: Number1
I tried an upconverting DVD player (Sony?s DVP-NS75H DVD Player ) and I did not see any significant improvement to the picture. I returned the new upconverting player to the store.

My current unit:

DVD/Home Theater: DurabrandSTS-98, Progressive, 3 years old, initial cost, less then $100.00 Good picture, excellent sound

Dont waste your money.

Not true all the time. I had a Panasonic Progressive scan player hooked up to my HDTV and everything looked awful and there was a weird stuttering going on with motion. My sony upscaled dvd player really improved things. Trust me, I didn't want to spend the money - it just worked so it was $95 well spent.

Obviously your old DVD player had a compatibility issue. I don't think this is the case with the OP's equipment.

Nope, I think you're wrong... Progressive scan players just don't look as good as HDMI /up converted dvd players most of the time. I think the truth is more obvious to me than you!

AVForum has thread after thread about this and it boils down to the upconverter chipset on your tv. MOST of the time, the ones in a $90 dvd player are more adept at upconverting the footage that the one on your tv, oddly enough.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: funboy42
Oh there is a HUGE diff in a regular dvd picture and a up converted one, its a diff between night and day difference, must have been doing something wrong, setting wrong, not hooked up right, something, but there is such a diff, even my wife, who can give a rats ass about audio video, notices a big difference between the two when I showed her.

OP if you want, I dont use the Cyberhome at all and it just collects dust, if you want it you can have it for $40 shipped. HDMI output, does retail DVDs, doesnt like most back ups, and it plays xvid as well, not all though for some reason.

I used the HDMI signal into my brand new Hitachi 42HDS69 Widescreen Plasma HDTV
There was NO significant picture improvement between up converted and non up converted progressive DVD picture.

AWESOME! Your one case has proven the thousands of people who buy upconverting DVD players to be fools.

Rock on! You proved us all wrong.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: Number1
I tried an upconverting DVD player (Sony?s DVP-NS75H DVD Player ) and I did not see any significant improvement to the picture. I returned the new upconverting player to the store.

My current unit:

DVD/Home Theater: DurabrandSTS-98, Progressive, 3 years old, initial cost, less then $100.00 Good picture, excellent sound

Dont waste your money.

Not true all the time. I had a Panasonic Progressive scan player hooked up to my HDTV and everything looked awful and there was a weird stuttering going on with motion. My sony upscaled dvd player really improved things. Trust me, I didn't want to spend the money - it just worked so it was $95 well spent.

Obviously your old DVD player had a compatibility issue. I don't think this is the case with the OP's equipment.

Nope, I think you're wrong... Progressive scan players just don't look as good as HDMI /up converted dvd players most of the time. I think the truth is more obvious to me than you!

AVForum has thread after thread about this and it boils down to the upconverter chipset on your tv. MOST of the time, the ones in a $90 dvd player are more adept at upconverting the footage that the one on your tv, oddly enough.

This was my own personal experience. I am going to wait for the new HD standard to emerge before purchassing a new unit.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: funboy42
Oh there is a HUGE diff in a regular dvd picture and a up converted one, its a diff between night and day difference, must have been doing something wrong, setting wrong, not hooked up right, something, but there is such a diff, even my wife, who can give a rats ass about audio video, notices a big difference between the two when I showed her.

OP if you want, I dont use the Cyberhome at all and it just collects dust, if you want it you can have it for $40 shipped. HDMI output, does retail DVDs, doesnt like most back ups, and it plays xvid as well, not all though for some reason.

I used the HDMI signal into my brand new Hitachi 42HDS69 Widescreen Plasma HDTV
There was NO significant picture improvement between up converted and non up converted progressive DVD picture.

AWESOME! Your one case has proven the thousands of people who buy upconverting DVD players to be fools.

Rock on! You proved us all wrong.

Relax budy.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: funboy42
Oh there is a HUGE diff in a regular dvd picture and a up converted one, its a diff between night and day difference, must have been doing something wrong, setting wrong, not hooked up right, something, but there is such a diff, even my wife, who can give a rats ass about audio video, notices a big difference between the two when I showed her.

OP if you want, I dont use the Cyberhome at all and it just collects dust, if you want it you can have it for $40 shipped. HDMI output, does retail DVDs, doesnt like most back ups, and it plays xvid as well, not all though for some reason.

I used the HDMI signal into my brand new Hitachi 42HDS69 Widescreen Plasma HDTV
There was NO significant picture improvement between up converted and non up converted progressive DVD picture.

AWESOME! Your one case has proven the thousands of people who buy upconverting DVD players to be fools.

Rock on! You proved us all wrong.

Relax budy.

I am relaxed, because I know you're wrong Cnet and a few other tech oriented places did blind tests comparing progressive dvd players and HDMI upscaling players, hooked up to HDTV monitors. There is a difference, google it. The degree of difference depends on the upscaling chip and the monitor used, of course.

 

[Squisher]

My Panasonic RPTV only has one DVI input otherwise I'd think about getting an upconverting DVD player.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Squisher
My Panasonic RPTV only has one DVI input otherwise I'd think about getting an upconverting DVD player.

Do you have any HDMI ports or a switcher? Monoprice has some for cheap.

Also, oppo can be hacked to allow upscaled video via component cables.

 

[Imported]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
The vast majority of players that do upconversion are going to only do it through HDMI.

Oppo units are quite popular. I'm not sure on the quality of the analog audio output though.

http://www.oppodigital.com/

Have you thought about just getting an HD-DVD player?

I picked up an Oppo 970HD. Love it. I'll probably be buying another to replace my mom's aging DVD player.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Squisher
My Panasonic RPTV only has one DVI input otherwise I'd think about getting an upconverting DVD player.

are you saying you are out of ports or just need it to be DVI? HDMI to DVI cables are common. You can always get a dvi switch if it is the other case. Monoprice cable is cheap, don't know about the switch.