[Tinkerer]

Seeking recommendations on the best currently-available low-cost DVD Player, with (1) DVD-Audio and (2) interlaced video output.

Can't find anything with interlaced output these days - why did they disappear?  I thought interlaced signal was better for a standard CRT type TV with interlaced signal design, as compared to progressive scan signal.

The progressive scan players I've seen running CRTs sure do look flickery, compared to my Panasonic DVD-RA60 with interlaced signal, using S-Video.  And the DVD-RA60 only cost about $120, several years ago.

Surely it is still possible to spend $150 or less and get a decent player with DVD-Audio and good-quality interlaced video output...?   One that is well-built and does not have excessive motor noise, etc?

I don't really want to spend a lot on a progressive scan DVD player right now, if it is not well-matched for interlaced CRT monitor - given that some version of HD will be the the common norm in 5 to 10 years.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[Eric5676]

The ever venerable and versatile Phillips 642?

[Tinkerer]

The ever venerable and versatile Phillips 642?

This one does not do DVD-Audio, as far as I'm aware.

Looking for:  DVD-Audio, plus interlaced video, plus good quality of both performance AND the unit itself (low mechanical noise etc.), for < $300.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[bubba966]

You can always turn the progressive scan off on the player and have it just output interlaced.

That's what I'm doing now with my Pioneer DV-AX10. While I'd say to go out and grab an AX10 as it'd probably give you the best DVD-A & Interlaced output of anything out there it's not anywhere close to $150.

You may want to try and find a used Pioneer Elite DV-45A, a DV-47A, or a DV-47Ai. Those all had rather good Interlaced outs & DVD-A that was pretty good as well.

[Tinkerer]

You can always turn the progressive scan off on the player and have it just output interlaced.

<snip>

I didn't realize this was a user-configurable option on the typical player.  Maybe high-end players allow this selection but $150 players don't as a rule?

Good idea, though...I'll look to see if it is an option on some of the (<$200) players.

[wshuff]

If you use the s-video or composite outputs of ANY DVD player, you are going to get interlaced.  As for the component outputs, every DVD player I've owned has allowed the user to choose either interlaced or composite output.

I posted a Pioneer Elite DV-45A for sale.  It does DVD-A and SACD.  If you are interested send me a PM.  I'm on vacation so my access to the Internet is spotty, but I'll check back as often as I can.

[rbrb]

If you want great DVD-A sound forget about the Japanese mass market players and look at the Cambridge Audio 540R.  It's in your price range and you can choose between interlaced and progressive from the remote.

Don't believe me though, check out these reviews.........

http://www.avguide.com/servlet/com.absolutemultimedia.servlets.DownloadReviewPDF/REVIEW_1805.pdf?download=yes  

http://search.ecoustics.com/Editorial/Reviews/cambridge-audio-540d  

It can now be purchased for $269.  Nothing can even come close to it's performance at or near that price!!!

http://audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=CAMB540D&product_name=Azur%20540D%20DVD%20Player

[Digi-G]

I'll second the Pioneer recommendation.  I've got the DV-45A that I've been very happy with (SACD, DVD-Audio, mp3, etc.).  I bought it new and it was more than $150 though.  I set a friend up with a Pioneer 563 univeral player (about a year and a half ago) that seemed to do everything fairly well.  It seems like it was just a bit more than $150 and not sure if the model is still available, but Pioneer probably has a comparable model.

The comments above about Progressive (being switchable) vs Interlaced seemed to mirror my experiences too.

[Wayne1]

Oppo has just announced a new player. It is $150.00 retail.

The model number is DV-970HD.

Here are some of the features:

Universal DVD Player Features:

•   Superior compatibility with DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), Certified DivX, Xvid, Audio CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD and other digital audio and video media/formats
•   Plays DivX® 5, DivX® 4, DivX® 3, and DivX® VOD video content (in compliance with DivX Certified™ technical requirements)
•   Plays XviD and .SRT, .SMI, .IDX and .SUB format

Video Up-Conversion Features:

•   High definition up-conversion with film-like picture quality to up-convert 720x480 interlaced video encoded on DVD discs to 480p/720p/1080i
•   High-quality pure digital video and audio through a single HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) cable
•   Multiple high definition video formats through HDMI and component outputs*: NTSC: 480i/480p/720p/1080i; PAL: 576i/576p/720p/1080i (* Component output for CSS-encrypted DVD discs (almost all commercially pressed DVD discs) is limited to 480i/480p only.)
•   Compatible with HDTV, HD-Ready TV, HDTV monitors and projectors

Optimized Audio Features:

•   Optimized analog audio circuitry for great audio quality
•   Built-in Dolby Digital decoder with individual 5.1ch and down-mixed stereo outputs
•   Optical and coaxial digital audio outputs for Dolby Digital, DTS and Linear PCM
•   Unique “Audio Only” mode with video processing turned off for perfect acoustic fidelity
•   3D Surround (Virtual Surround): Concert, Live, Dance, Techno, Classic, Soft
•   Built-in equalizer, channel trim and channel delay functions

Compatibility Features:

•   PAL/NTSC disc and TV compatible with automatic or manual system conversion
•   Compatible with CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW and DVD+R DL* (* Playability of self-recorded discs may vary depending on media and formatting software types)
•   Enhanced dual-layer disc support with fast layer change

Standard Video Features:

•   Progressive scan component outputs (YPbPr)
•   Composite video and S-Video outputs for standard TVs
•   Supports screen aspect ratio 4:3 (standard) and 16:9 (wide-screen)
•   User adjustable video controls: Sharpness, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, Hue and Gamma
•   Multi-angle view

Convenience Features:

•   4-in-1 flash memory card reader compatible with Memory Stick, Secure Digital, Multi-Media Card, and SmartMedia (MS/SD/MMC/SM)
•   USB interface for expanded connectivity
•   Smooth and easy navigation of photo albums, music collections and video files on DVD, CD, flash memory cards and USB disks.
•   Selectable subtitle and audio tracks

Connectors:

•   HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface: 1
•   Component Video (YPbPr/YCbCr): 1 group (3 connectors)
•   Analog Stereo Audio (Mixed 2-Channel Left/Right): 1 group (2 connectors)
•   Analog 5.1 Channel Audio: 1 group (6 connectors)
•   S/PDIF (IEC-958) Coaxial Digital Audio: 1
•   S/PDIF (IEC-958) Optical Digital Audio: 1
•   Composite Video: 1
•   S-Video: 1

[Tinkerer]

Oppo has just announced a new player. It is $150.00 retail.

The model number is DV-970HD.

<snip>

Thanks for the tip.  The Oppo website only mentions an OPDV971H Player, that pretty much looks the same as the specs for the "DV-970HD" you note.  (I did not pore over every nit and detail...)

I wonder what kind of built-in bass management and/or audio downmixing it has?  

The user manual for the OPDV971H has scarce mention of any bass management, only noting a function to set speakers to "large" or "small", with no mention of high-pass/low-pass frequency, whether thus-skimmed channel bass material passes to the subwoofer output, or anything else as far as I can tell.

(Ideally, I'd like to skim the bass off any/all channels, with adjustable low-pass frequency, and pass all this bass to a subwoofer, with the remaining high-pass signal for the 2, 5, or 7 channels being processed to 2-channel stereo.  This, to play anything on any DVD - including DVD-Audio etc. with LFE - on a 2-channel stereo with separate powered SVS subwoofer.)

Ideas?

[Wayne1]

I am not sure sure about any bass management on the new player. It was JUST announced today. They should start shipping towards the middle of June.

From OPPO:

The DV-970HD is a complement to OPDV971H, not a replacement. We will continue to market the OPDV971H and are going to release another new firmware for it pretty soon.  In short, the DV-970HD is a more “consumer oriented” version of the OPDV971H.

The difference between DV-970HD and OPDV971H are as follows:

   1. DV-970HD utilizes a new MediaTek upscaling chipset MT1392 for up-conversion. Visually the picture quality is excellent.  However when doing benchmark test, it doesn’t score as high as the OPDV971H.  For example, it does not pass as many cadence tests and cannot pass some HQV test very well. OPDV971H utilize the Genesis DCDi Faroudja chipset. The overall video processing is well known and can receive high scores in any benchmark test.

   2. DV-970HD is designed for customers seeking a lower cost and still fully featured up-conversion DVD player.  Its selling points are HDMI, SACD and lower price.  For most users who can afford $199, we should always recommend OPDV971H for its superior picture quality.

   3. Since DV-970HD support 480i/576i over HDMI output, it also good for those high end users who want to utilize their own expensive video processors or scalars.

[bubba966]

The OPPO is great on upsampled video & the digital audio is pretty decent as well.

But I wouldn't say that the analog audio outs & interlaced video is that great.

So Wayne, how did your OPPO compare to your Pioneer on interlaced video & analog audio (before you modded them if you can recall what they were like then?)

[Tinkerer]

I keep reading about the Faroudja chipset players, and how despite certain advantages, they all exhibit an obnoxious "macroblocking" problem.

If macroblocking is such a problem with these Faroudja-based players, I wonder if there are other (more well-rounded) performers that do not have such visual artifact problems?

And, can anyone advise:  Is the macroblocking only a problem with progressive scan output, or does it also typically affect interlaced output to plain-vanilla S-video or component video?

Looking for all-around good-performing player...my 8 year old Trinitron CRTs don't care about some types of visual imperfections, but I'm pretty sure they will show something as obnoxious as macroblocking.

(One Day, there will be HD monitors and underlying systems that are both decent quality AND affordable for the common man.  That day is still some years off...)

[Wayne1]

I have never tried the 971 on interlaced video.

I suggested the 970 because it does not use the Faroudja chipset.

BTW, macroblocking in in the DVD. It is a compression artifact. The Faroudja chipset will show the effects of the compression more than others. If you have a good DVD with little compression, it will look better with the Faroudja.

If the DVD you are trying to watch is very heavily compressed, then you may see macroblocking.

The effects can also be reduced with ISF calibration.

[Woodsea]

My Samsung 841 which is soft-hacked is outputting to my 93' projection at 720p through component cables.  The picture is stunning via a ceiling mounted Panasonic AE700.  This Samsung plays really quite well, ALL audio I put into its tray.

[Tubo]

I have the Oppo 970. It is a terrific universal player. It outputs 480i and 1080i, if you want interlaced, and it plays pretty much anything you throw at it. At the price, you cannot go wrong.

[Woodsea]

If you want my 2 cents, I would not spend more than $75 for a DVD player now.  In 1 year to 18 mos, the same $200 will buy you a market driven down HD player.
Oppo will have another killer rig at that point as well.  You know they will

[Tinkerer]

If you want my 2 cents, I would not spend more than $75 for a DVD player now.  In 1 year to 18 mos, the same $200 will buy you a market driven down HD player.
Oppo will have another killer rig at that point as well.  You know they will

I agree, except that the $75 and cheaper players don't do DVD-Audio, they sure as heck won't have any bass managment for audio in any case, and they tend to have inferior audio & video quality - plus the mechanisms are noisier and less robust/durable.

I don't plan on buying into the HD spasm until the cost of GOOD monitors & players comes WAAAAY down to a very small fraction of current pricing levels, the equipment is SEVERAL generations beyond today's offerings so the flaws are mostly ironed out, and the interoperability and standards issues are resolved to one simple true plug & play configuration, literally (not plug & play as the PC industry chose to define it, which was "plug & pray").  All the above AND I actually have time to watch more than one movie every 3 months!  Translation:  Somewhere between 5 and 10 years from now, NOT 18 months from now.

[Woodsea]

I just read on AVS that in 3 months, OPPO will be bringing out an HDMI, SACD player with the ability to upconvert over component.  Supposedly in the $150-200 range.

[Levi]

I just bought an OPPO OPD971H.  I connected it using DVI to HDMI cable 720p setting to my 50" panny.  The picture is surely is pretty good for a DVD player that costs less than $200 bucks.