Showing posts with label electronics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electronics. Show all posts

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Onkyo DV-CP706B 6-Disc DVD Player (Black) Review

Onkyo DV-CP706B 6-Disc DVD Player (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
We've had this product just a few weeks, but are quite pleased with it. The only snag was when we hooked it up to both our receiver (with RCA analog jacks)and our new HDTV (with an HDMI cable)so that we could play our CD's through our receiver and our DVD's through the television. The problem was in hooking up the TV. We received a picture but no sound. Talking to our tv technician was of no help. We figured the problem out through trial and error, namely that the Onkyo's menu had a variety of sound options, to include some that we had no idea what they were for. One option, I believe it was the "PCM" option, did the trick when we turned it on. Apparently this option lowers the kHz frequency of the output so that it is compatible with the television (whatever all that means). Once I clicked that option on, the sound came through the TV. These instruction booklets all assume that consumers understand these technical terms, so you have to be something of a detective to finally figure it all out. Now everything (finally) works.

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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Samsung DVD-HD860 Up-Converting DVD Player Review

Samsung DVD-HD860 Up-Converting DVD Player
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I picked up a refurbished job from Tiger (I like Amazon but the deal was just too good) Works great for the short time I've had it. Got a new big HDTV that does the 1080 thing so I'm impressed. You can set it up to just come on at that rate but it has a botton to "toggle" through the options. The only minor complaint is the on light the BRIGHT blue on light is a bit much. Put a little round sticky thing to tone it down. Should you care, I'm going to give you a little "hack" information should you play disc from other than Zone One (you know who you are) It worked like a charm first time for me so I pass it on. I have the Alley McBeal complete set from the UK (can't get it in the US) plus a few DVD I pick up on vaction.
This just sets you DVD to Region "Free"--Region code hack posted by
Silver Surfer, November 05 2006:
DEAR FRIENDS, IT TOOK ME A LOT OF TIME AND PATIENCE, BUT I DID IT
GOT A SAMSUNG HD860, JUST HACKED THE REGION WITH THE SAMSUNG
REMOTE 00054D, I BOUGHT DVD PLAYER ON USA, REGION 1, I DID THIS, NOW
I CAN SEE ANY REGION DISK ON MY DVD PLAYER. . . SO HERE IS HOW
FIRST SET HDMI SEL BUTTON TO 480P, THEN OPEN TRAY NO DISK ON IT,
PRESS INFO BUTTON, AND PRESS NINE, UNTIL NUMBER 9 APPEARS ON LEFT
CORNER OF TV DISPLAY, THEN, TURN OFF DVD, THEN ON AND. . . . ENJOY
FREE REGION LIFE. . . BYE BYE!
You have to hit the number 9 repeatedly to get it to show and it will appear on the upper left corner of your screen (be careful the #9 shows up "over" the other information on the screen) but the whole things pretty groovy. Tiger had them for about $40 but even at twice the price it's very cool. The HDMI works great I put that into my HDTV then run the Optical sound from the the TV (it has optical out) to the Receiver for my "Surround" sound. Actually due to that blue light its gets just 4.5 stars but I rounded it up to 5! It does require the HDMI hook up to benifit from the Up-Convert feature, works for me my Toshiba HDTV has 2 in HDMI and wth the "Optical" sound out from the TV makes for a very good set up for me.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung DVD-HD860 Up-Converting DVD Player

Enjoy your favorite DVD movies in high definition without having to wait for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players with the affordable Samsung DVD-HD860 single-disc, progressive scan DVD player--the perfect partner to your HD-capable LCD or plasma TV. Where standard DVD players (even progressive scan models) provide just 480 lines of resolution, the DVD-HD860 will "upconvert" the picture to 720p or 1080i--taking full advantage of your HD television's sparkling resolution. This elegantly slim unit can also play a wide range of disc and file formats and offers a number of playback convenience features, including bookmarking, multiple camera angles, and folder accessibility on MP3/WMA-formatted discs.
The DVD-HD860 upconverts a standard DVD's native resolution (480p) to output close to high-definition formats (720p/1080i). To achieve that higher resolution, the player fills in additional image data by assessing existing pixels and intelligently predicting what the surrounding pixels should look like. Because the upconversion process occurs in the digital domain, no data is lost (compared with analog conversion) and the resulting image is close to pristine. To produce an upconverted picture, your high-def TV must have an HDMI connection (and HDCP support)--the 720p/1080i choice is only available when using the HDMI cable (which is not included). Also note that the DVD-HD860 is not a high-definition DVD player (i.e., not to be confused with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players, which play specially formatted high definition discs), so it will work with your existing DVD library.
This player is compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, and SVCD, as well as MP3, WMA, and JPEG file formats. Compression rates supported for MP3 are from 128-192 kbps and for WMA from 64-192 kbps. JPEG files can be seen in a slide show with intervals of 6, 12, or 18 seconds between images; and you can zoom in (2x or 4x) on an image or rotate it 90-degrees clockwise.
The bookmark function lets you mark and store up to three scenes at a time for easy recall. Instant replay shows you the previous 10 seconds of the movie again--in case you missed something important. Instant skip jumps ahead 10 seconds--in case you want to miss something. And parental control lets you set a password that must be given before a password-protected disc can be viewed.
It features the following video and audio connections:
Composite AV Out (RCA): 1
S-Video Out: 1
Component video Out: 1
HDMI AV Out: 1
Coaxial digital audio Out: 1
Optical digital audio Out: 1

Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a system for protecting DVD content outputted via DVI/HDMI from being copied. It provides a secure digital link between a video source (PC, DVD. etc) and a display device (TV, projector, etc). Content is encrypted at the source device to prevent unauthorized copies from being made.
High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time. The 1080i format displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels, and the "i" means that it is interlaced (the old-school way of presenting video where the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines). The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 720 lines.
What's in the Box Upconverting DVD player, remote control (with batteries), AV cable, printed operating instructions
Warranty 1 year parts, 90 days labor

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

RCA BRC3108 10-Inch Portable Blu-ray Player, Blue/Black Review

RCA BRC3108 10-Inch Portable Blu-ray Player, Blue/Black
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I've been a blu-ray user since 2005 and I entered through my PS3 wow!!!! Portable Blu-rays have been sparse/limited ablilities and very expensive UNTIL RCA produced a very economical blu-ray player at $349. This was very competitive and reasonable to spark my curiosity.
I did heavy research and was skeptical (at first) a year later I looked again what was available and the cost.!!!!! RCA's price dropped over $100 and now even more soo I said lets see this hype and if this player really lives up to its claim.
BOTTOMLINE: This Blu-ray portable/main (jack of all trades unit) does almost everything perfectly!!!
In a nutshell;
PROS: 10" screen produces an incredible HD picture (1024x576 lines), excellent sound, and vivid color!! Has an internal battery that holds from 2 1/2 (using screen) to 4 hours (without screen use)of viewing per charge!!!
NOTE: without screen use is for external HDMI cable house big HD screen tv.
True 1080p HDMI output to hdtv or projector!! Note: this is the ONLY PORTABLE that provides full/true 1080p HDMI output picture and sound (5.1 & 7.1 dolby). So this can also be your home base Blu-ray player (using AC adapter) with extensive full function remote control!!!
Cons; these are weak cons but after-all they are still there. Something you won't use for the most part. Carrying case used for a player case to a headrest. very flimsy and frustrating setting it up. Note: most headrests won't work effectively. Ethernet output N/A ! NOTE: going to RCA software up grades lists BRC3108 N/A at this time. This feature was for future applications, maybe?
This player is very flimsy construction makes it NOT a CHILD player (under 10 unless they are very responsible)
NOTE: to use the HDMI output you must buy your own cable. It is worth it the output is amazing just like the big boys!!!
I recommend this as your home/portable or introductory blu-ray player it does all the visual/sound wonderfully. It can go everywhere, versatile and quiet!!!
Seeing and listening is the proof and believe me this the REAL DEAL!!!! Buy NOW! NOW! NOW! Enjoy!!!!!! Ps - the USB flash port for pictures is great too!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: RCA BRC3108 10-Inch Portable Blu-ray Player, Blue/Black

Imagine watching your favorite high def movies as you're lying comfortably in bed, as you're sun bathing by the pool, or during long road trips. Now you can turn your movie-watching dreams into a reality with the RCA BRC3109 portable Bluray player. The crisp playback on the widescreen ten-inch LCD display coupled with the smooth refresh rates provides the ultimate viewing experience - on the go. The player features built-in stereo speakers and a headphone jack so you won't have to worry about packing any "extras" to enjoy movie entertainment abroad. The portable player is compatible with Blu-ray discs, DVD's, CD's will even display JPG files. Use the portable player at home by hooking it up to your TV via the HDMI 1080p output or AV output jacks. The BRC3108 comes with all the extras you need to use it at home or abroad including an AC adapter, car adapter, carrying bag with headrest attachments, and remote control. Your movie-watching venues will be endless.

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

PTC DigiView HDMI 1.3 4-Port Switch w/Remote & 6ft Gold Cable Review

PTC DigiView HDMI 1.3 4-Port Switch w/Remote and 6ft Gold Cable
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Some people may think this item is defective because of the way it works. Let me explain.
To be able to switch from port 1 thru 4, every port has to sence a signal going to it. Example. I have my PC, PS3, & cable tv box plugged into ports 1,2,3.
If my PC is off, port#1 will not sence a signal,& it cant be selected until I boot my PC. My PS3 is on port#2 & will also not be senced allowing me to switch to it if the PS3 is off. My cable TV box has an always active HDMI port even though the box is off, Port#3 can always be selected. This confuses alot of people,& they think the switch is defective. It's not. If I turn on my PC & PS3, all ports are now sencing a signal going to them, allowing you to switch to any port 1,2, 0r 3.
I'm very happy with this item. Use the cable that comes with it. Do not buy cheep cables for something else otherwise you will see pixel specs & or noise lines on your screen, & you will think something is wrong. Yes, cheep cables have cheep insulation & will create signal noise lines on your screen. It happend to me cuz I used a cheep cable at first to hook up my PC with HDMI out on my graphics card.
As soon as I used the cable that cable that came with it, I could see the difference in the thickness in the cable insulation. Noise lines on my monitor are gone.

Click Here to see more reviews about: PTC DigiView HDMI 1.3 4-Port Switch w/Remote & 6ft Gold Cable



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Friday, May 25, 2012

Sony DVP-NS55P/S Single Disc DVD Player, Silver Review

Sony DVP-NS55P/S Single Disc DVD Player, Silver
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Although I have had this player a short time, it has played every DVD I have put in it including my wifes Thai DVDs. The Panasonic combo DVD/VCR player that this Sony replaced would not play any of my wifes DVDs and on occasion would not read some of mine until I reinserted the DVD. (to be fair to Panasonic, the VCR section of the player worked fine and the sound and picture were both good). Getting back to the Sony player, the sound and picture quality is great and seems to be an excellent match for my 36" Sony TV.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DVP-NS55P/S Single Disc DVD Player, Silver

Sony's DVP-NS55P/S delivers excellent picture and sound quality--even from damaged discs. How? The unit's Precision Drive 3 system allows you to playback some DVDs that may have been damaged or warped without a degradation of picture quality. This feature comes in handy when watching rentals or other heavily used discs.
Precision Cinema Progressive While other DVD players detect image changes at the scan line level, Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive (PCP) system detects them at the pixel level. This makes the picture more faithful to the source--whether film or video--because the technology uses separate, optimized algorithms to handle the differing pixel behavior. It also uses separate algorithms to process the moving and still parts of an image, resulting in sharp backgrounds with moving objects that are virtually free from motion artifacts.

MP3 and JPEG File Playback The DVP-NS55P/S plays MP3 sound files and JPEG photo files. Simply insert the disc and use the remote control to navigate through your folders to your files. The player also recognizes image files on a Kodak photo disc.

Home Theater Compatible The player is compatible with Dolby Digital and dts decoding and includes 96KHz 24-bit coaxial digital output and a 193 KHz 24bit audio digital-to-analog converter for analog RCA audio output. On the video side, it features a 12-bit video digital-to-analog converter with 108Mhz processing for a sharp image.


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Monday, March 5, 2012

Sony CDPCX355 300-Disc MegaStorage CD Changer Review

Sony CDPCX355 300-Disc MegaStorage CD Changer
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I've had this unit for about a year now without any problems. It was originally on a shelf with my 40lb amplifier sitting on top of it. Once I removed the 40lb amplifier away, the CDs start skipping. So I put in this tweak which I learned from an audio forum. Put 4 round glass marbles under the cd player using a small bottle cap or something to under the marbles to keep it from rolling away. This stopped the skipping.
Conlusion: The skipping is due to the vibration of the unit when the CD player is spinning and the problem is amplified by unit being so lightweight. By either adding more mass to the unit like putting something heavy on top of it or isolation using the marble trick or buy one of those audiophiles component spikes or damping feet.
Update: 9/24/2009.
After 5 years, this CD player still works beautifully. I'm not a fan of Sony products but this player has been with me for a long time and will still be my primary CD player. I do not notice scratches on CDs like others have mentioned. If you have skipping problems please try the suggestion I mentioned above. If you have CD loading problems, make sure the CD player is leveled as this is a vertical loader not the horizontal tray type typical found in smaller players.

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Monday, January 9, 2012

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-Ray Player With A 1-Year Extended Warranty Service Plan & High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters) Review

Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-Ray Player With A 1-Year Extended Warranty Service Plan and High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters)
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The bad:
First:
NO AUDIO WITH HDMI. The whole point of the HDMI cable is to have 1 (one) cable to run from one machine to another, right? But with this player, in order to get audio while using HDMI, you need to either plug in the analog RCA (red and white) cables, or a digital audio cable. Unfortunately for me, I am already using the audio-in on my HDMI for a PC (DVI to HDMI, and separate audio out.) I have seen many other people contact Samsung for support, and all got this response.
Second:
The player never remembers where I left off with a movie. With my previous Sony 5 disc DVD player, wherever a disc left off when either pressing "stop" or powering down, is picked up in the same spot when playing again. But for some reason this is intermittent on this player and incredibly frustrating.
Third:
A little complicated, but hear me out: After pressing "play" after rewinding, it takes 3 seconds to get back up to speed and play. But instead of picking up on the timecode where you press play, it uses those few seconds and continues to step forward through the timecode without sending any kind of a signal to watch, making you have to rewind again. This happens often.
Other minor annoyances:
The device is loud;
very slow to load DVD's or Blu-Ray discs;
the fast forward and rewind are very, very slow;
the timecode disappears from the screen while fast forwarding or rewinding, so if you need to FF to a certain time, you are left guessing;
there is no way to navigate any menus without the remote (common on many players, but still frustrating);
pressing the "play" button doesn't close the tray and play a disc, you have to press close first;
pressing the power button while the disc tray is open is tough unless you have the fingers of a 5 year old;
the button response is terrible on the remote (though I have found this to be on ALL Samsung remotes I have used.)
Yes, these can seem pretty nit-picky. But these are the things you run across each and every day with this model, and I have never had this experience with previous DVD players. And all of these issues are problems I have had with both DVD and Blu-Ray discs on this machine.
Sure, Blu-Ray movies look amazing, but I don't think that warrants getting a great review because it did the 1 thing right it was supposed to. Whereas a great, or even nice player, will have all the extra things which make interacting and using the device comfortable and not aggravating.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-Ray Player With A 1-Year Extended Warranty Service Plan & High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters)



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Friday, October 14, 2011

Panasonic SC-BT300 1250W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System Review

Panasonic SC-BT300 1250W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System
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First off, this system can get L-O-U-D! It will be perfect in a standard household/apt and I would even say it could fill up a large living room with ease. I don't even have the sub turned all the way up in fear of getting a noise complaint. That's a good thing.
The system offers a lot of dynamic sound settings. Here are some of a few:
HEAVY - added bass/good clarity
CLEAR - More Treble/less bass
FLAT - All levels straight across
SOFT - More subdued/less treble/a little bit of added bass
The system also has a couple of Easter eggs that I was not expecting. There is a nice feature of being able to "re-master" the sound of any Blu-Ray/DVD to give it the user more control over the specific sound they want to hear. Additionally, one can manipulate the visual aspect to create a more refined picture.
The down side is that the system offers a limited amount of inputs, but in its defense, it is not a standalone receiver. The good thing is that it offers two optical inputs which can easily accommodate your XBOX/PS3/Wii and you Cable/Satellite TV receiver.
There is a nice smart setup feature which calibrates your sound from a specific device. In my opinion it worked quite well and the levels were automatically adjusted.

Extra features include the IPOD adaptor which has been done well and easily allows the user to access the IPODs songs/playlists etc. There is also a SD card which can play pictures/video files. The speakers are wireless capable.
Ultimately, I am a stickler for being able to manipulate every aspect of the sound/video to make my experience the best it can be. This system does not offer every little nuance, but for the money it comes pretty darn close with a lot of extra features. Most importantly, I have been quite impressed with the sound and visual clarity of the system and have been quite pleased with the purchase. Give it a look!!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic SC-BT300 1250W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System

HDTV is easy. Home-Theater sound systems used to be hard but Panasonic has made it easier than pie (ready-made pie). Blu-ray extends beyond HDTV in sound. HDTV has 5.1 channel ability but Blu-Ray offers 7.1 channels. The SC-BT300 boasts seven speakers to envelop viewers in a remarkably true-to-life surround sound experience. The front and center channel speakers are made with a bamboo diaphragm which provides a tightly intertwined fiber to deliver greater rigidity and accuracy, resulting in clear reproduction of sounds over a wide frequency range, from massive explosions to metallic clangs. The subwoofer features a Kelton system with a dual diameter structure to deliver a deep powerful bass. The Smart Set-up guide uses the help of GUI navigation to allow users to set up their SC-BT300 home-theater system for optimum performance. The result is being able to stay at home while enjoying a thrilling, incredibly lifelike audio performance that rivals a movie theater. The appeal of Panasonic Blu-ray products goes beyond the breathtaking pictures and sound; the networking functions open the door to new kinds of entertainment fun. The SC-BT300 can connect to the Internet for downloading bonus content available with Blu-ray Discs and for playing Internet games via BD-Live. This connectivity is further enhanced with the addition of VIERA-Cast. VIERA-Cast integrates the Amazon Video-on-Demand (VOD) online movie rental service. The Amazon VOD service joins other content options already available on VIERA-Cast, including videos from You Tube, access to online photos via Picasa Web Albums, financial information from Bloomberg News, as well as local weather updates. The possibilities are virtually endless. It comes with a Universal Dock for iPod, making it easy for iPod users to play their favorite music or video downloads. This system is also Green-friendly. It has a power-save mode to protect the green in your

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Apex AD-5131 3-Disc DVD Player Review

Apex AD-5131 3-Disc DVD Player
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I got this unit after buying a Daewoo DVG-5000 and finding it dead on arrival and having no success with Daewoo's pathetic customer service.
At first I didn't expect much out of this APEX machine but after getting it home I connected it to my older TV and VCR, powered the unit on, figured out which combo of buttons to punch on my myriad of remote controls and there it was ... a nice DVD movie playing on my TV and great sound coming from my stereo speakers.
The unit is able to play my DVDs, audio CDs, and CD-R/RW without a problem and the 3-disc changer is a pleasure to have for us couch potatoes. The remote has too many buttons for my taste but they all work as they're supposed to so I can't complain.
Have yet to try the MP3 and jpeg reader but I expect these functions to work as advertised and after my recent electronic experiences, it'll just be icing on the cake.
Having this kind of functionality available in such a low-cost unit is terrific!

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sony DVPCX995V 400-Disc DVD Mega Changer/Player Review

Sony DVPCX995V 400-Disc DVD Mega Changer/Player
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I have had the previous version (985V) for about two years now, and most of this review will refer to differences between the two. I have enjoyed the ability to store all my DVD's in one place (I have three children; and this prevents them from having to sort through the movies by hand).
The software is mediocre at best, though a large improvement over the 985V. The menu is much faster and allows scrolling by page. The folders (A, B, C, & D) now support labeling of more than three characters (a plus), though getting to the custom folders is a bit more cumbersome. Labeling remains nearly the same; a PS/2 keyboard is an obvious MUST. The remote control layout has been slightly redesigned, though I am not yet sure it was an improvement. I have read others reporting on the quietness when compared to the 985V, though I haven't noticed much difference. The load and disc change speed seam unchanged.
Several others have reported issues placing this monster into their entertainment cabinet, shelf, etc... due to its massive size. It is quite large and homework should be done to eliminate a VERY aggravating experience.
The video set-up functions are useful and probably similar to the much more expensive 777ES; though this may not be useful to an individual who has the ability to set up their TV specifically for this input.
Ok, so it is a great idea and a bit short on the software (disc explorer), but it is very functional. I don't think anyone will complain too much when only spending a bit over $300 for this monster.
Sony has a long history of maintaining proprietary connections and connectivity. This until does NOT support RS-232 connection, Ethernet connections, firewire etc... These players will NOT connect in series, nor will the software support multiple players. The 985V had a selectable switch in the back to allow up to three players to operate independently with the remotes (not very useful, but at least it's there if you need it). The 995V does not have that function.
The video quality: Yup, the HDMI works quite well with my Sony 50" LCD TV (KDF-50WE655). I've verified functionality of 480P, 720P, and 1080i via the HDMI connection. The video quality from the 480P and 720P are nearly identical (I can't tell a difference). The 1080i produces a grainier picture. I have done tests with several motion pictures (Lord of the Rings, Monsters Inc, Spider Man) using fast motion pictures and still images. ALL tell the same tale; No difference between 480P and 720P. The 1080i setting consistently losses the quality comparison. To be honest, this is no surprise, due to the native resolution of the DVD (480). It's just a novelty to see 720P or 1080i on the screen with a DVD input. The video quality is very good.
My recommendation: This is NOT a player to consider IF you are considering upgrading from the 985V, unless it is based solely on the software upgrade. It is an improvement. Video quality remains the same. I do NOT recommend using the very expensive HDMI cable. Use the component video out and you will not be missing anything (unless you're a gadget freak like me). Audio quality remains excellent
If you are considering a DVD Mega-Changer, then within this price range (there are no competitors yet) you will not be disappointed. This unit is far from perfect, but is a very functional player.
Addressing the DVD Changer Myth's:
"My data (titles) will all be lost if the power goes out." NOPE... It will hold them in memory for at least 30 minutes (that was the longest test I'd seen)
"The search function will not find any titles... what a piece of crap" Sorry, not a problem with the player, this is caused by the retail manufactures of the DVD's not placing this data on the DVD. Back-up you copy and use titlewriter. Then burn it. You will have your title automatically recognized.
"High Def from a DVD will look awesome on my TV" Sorry to disappoint you but you will find that the native resolution of the DVD is 480. This unit "upscales" the resolution to provide the high-def image. It is not truly high def. Many TV's actually have scalers built in to upscale the image. This may be the reason for no noticeable improvement on my system?
"This player automatically starts the last movie selected when powered up". Yup it sure does... and that really stinks. If you stop the movie while rolling credits, just hit the stop button once. Once your player powers up, it will begin where it left off. You can immediately Stop the video from that point. If not, you will be forced to view the FBI warning, THX audio scene, etc...
I hope this review helps others make a bit more informed decision when it comes to this specific player. Overall I am satisfied with my purchase and would buy again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DVPCX995V 400-Disc DVD Mega Changer/Player

Conveniently store your entire DVD library (or all your favorite CDs and Super Audio CDs) in the Sony DVPCX995V 400-disc, progressive scan Mega Changer--the perfect tool for organizing your media library as well as providing extraodinary high definition sound and video to your home theater. It up-scales video to high-definition (1080i/720p) resolution and transmits high quality audio through a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). It also features a redesigned Disc Explorer on-screen graphic interface, providing intuitive and easy access to the expansive disc library. With the ability to conveniently house and sort through 400 media discs, this cool player can eliminate the need for racks and racks of CD and DVD storage.
It features Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive circuitry, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 channel outputs, and also offers coaxial and optical digital outputs. It's compatible with DVD-RW/-R/+RW/+R, MP3, JPEG, CD-RW/-R, VCD and SVCD formats--so it can play just about any disc you have from movies and video to music. Other convenience features include multi-disc resume (40 discs), custom parental controls (on all 400 discs), playback memory (400 discs), background graphics that display on your TV while music plays, and a multi-brand remote control.
Tech Talk HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). This is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV or monitor. Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive. This feature detects image changes at the pixel level versus other types that detect image changes at the scan line level. Separate algorithms are used to process the moving and still parts of an image to achieve sharper backgrounds and moving objects that are free from motion artifacts. SACD (Super Audio CD). Super Audio CD is a high-quality audio disc standard in which music is recorded in the DSD (Direct Stream Digital) format (where conventional CDs are recorded in the PCM format). Using a sampling frequency 64 times higher than PCM and with 1-bit quantization, the DSD format provides both a wide frequency range and a wide dynamic range across the audible frequency range, providing music reproduction that's extremely faithful to the original source. Sony's 3:2 Reverse Pulldown DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 reverse pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.



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Monday, September 19, 2011

Sony HDR-UX5 4MP AVCHD DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Review

Sony HDR-UX5 4MP AVCHD DVD High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The combination of ClearVid CMOS and x.v. Color standard makes the difference. Supposed to capture 1.8X colors more than the human eye can recognize and i agree with that. Your LCD with HDMI will blow your eyes (component is nice too). I never tought my TV can display those colors, clear, crispy, vivid, you got to see it to believe it.
You can capture still images at 4MP even while you're recording (you need a MStick Duo). The pics are ok but doesn't replace a semipro digital camera. But let me tell you that you can leave your digital camera at home.
Your home movies will be flavored with dolby digital audio, so if you have a home teather you will see your friends in the scene while you're hearing sounds from other directions.
Slow motion mode lets you capture up to 240 fps for just 3 seconds, that's a 12 seconds sequence with no lost frames at normal playback, interesting for sports or any fast move.
The only con is the AVCHD format, you will need a PS3 or Blue Ray player in order to play the Double Layer DVD but can use the camcorder as player. Anyways you can use standards mini DVDs.
Is a good deal, i think camcordes twice the price are not much better than this.

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CL) SONY HDR-UX5 HI-DEF DVD Camcorder

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