Panasonic DVD-S54K 1080p Upconverting DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)There are DVD players out there in the same price range that offer a better picture. But what the Panasonic has going for it is rugged construction, a good remote, quick loading, easy set up and it plays everything (not multi-region though). I bought the S54 to replace my S47 which has given me six years of good service and is still running (the motor is getting tired though). I have tried other brands, including a Philips, which gave me just six months of service. So six years of intense use for this price is excellent (My friend's S47 is still going strong after six years). I watch my quality DVDs on a Denon or Marantz, but like all good DVD players, they can't handle shoddy media. They stick, skip or refuse to load. Which is why I always have a cheap DVD player on hand for less than perfect media. The S54 does that job in style, none of that dreaded 'disc error'. Simply put, this Panasonic range is the AK47 of DVD players. If it had better picture quality it would rate five stars.

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Samsung DVD-C500 Upconverting DVD Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This upconverting DVD player is very small and slim and lightweight. The quality of the picture on my new plasma TV is excellent. I compared the same DVD played on my previous (5 years old) Samsung player with this player and the difference was obvious.
I'm guessing this improvement is due to two reasons: the upconverting process plus the HDMI output. The player also has Component and Composite outputs, but the picture is much better using an HDMI cable to the TV. One slim cable for excellent picture and sound compared to the five bulky cables required by my previous player -- that is also a big improvement.
** Update 8/14/2011 ** This DVD player and remote are still working very well.

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Toshiba SDK1000 DVD Player with 1080p Upscaling (NEW Model) (Includes HDMI Cable) Review

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(More customer reviews)This model number, SDK1000, appears to be a package specifically sold at Costco. It includes an HDMI cable, in addition to composite RCA cables. The DVD player itself is super-thin and slim and small and lightweight, yet it does a very good job at upscaling regular DVD images to 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, as long as you use the HDMI cable. (In other words, upscaling is not available on RCA cables, composite or component.) Image quality and audio quality are both very good. I paid less than forty bucks at Costco for this, and I think it's a GREAT value.
The user's manual is hard to read, typical of electronics. The remote control is actually easy to use, once you get used to its layout, or just use a universal remote if you prefer.

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Pioneer BDP-51FD BonusView Blu-ray Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this unit from Amazon at almost 1/3 off the MSRP; at that price I almost feel guilty. This is among the higher-quality BluRay players with regard to picture and audio quality. So far I've watched about a half dozen movies on it and I couldn't possibly love it more. My A/V receiver predates HDMI, so I needed a player with multichannel audio outputs. This unit has high-quality Wolfson DACs that really produce outstanding sound.
Perhaps the most important thing to be said about this player (any current player, for that matter), is you must *update your firmware*! As of this writing the current firmware version is 1.17 (my unit arrived with version 1.02 installed) and it fixes a ton of bugs present in earlier versions. Current firmware and instructions for installation can be easily found on the Pioneer USA website with a little patience. Still missing currently is the ability of this unit to decode DTS Master Audio, but it is promised in an any-day-now firmware upgrade; there are few BluRay units that shipped with DTS MA decoding ability, so Pioneer isn't particularly far behind any other manufacturer in this regard.
One thing to note is this player is a Profile 1.1 player and NOT a Profile 2.0 player, meaning it does not support BluRay Live content that is downloadable from the internet. Personally, I could not care less. There is very little BluRay Live content out there now that is worthwhile, and the BR Live processing and downloading is often mentioned as a performance drag on units that support it. Picture and audio quality are what mattered to me, and this unit delivers in spades.
EDIT 06/09/09: Editing to update info. As of 06/04/09, Firmware 1.32 does indeed enable in-player decoding of DTS Master Audio. It sounds outstanding!

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Spectacular 1080p Picture Quality: The BDP-51FD provides up to 1920 x 1080p resolution for an unrivaled picture quality. And with True24FPS, now see your movies as the director intended
Single-Wire Connection: One HDMIR 1.3a digital connection is all you need from the BDP-51FD to output both HD audio and video signals to your HDMI-capable A/V receiver or HD flat panel. Compared to typical connections, the HDMI interface replaces multiple cords without degradation in signal quality between components. HDMI 1.3a also provides 12-bit deep color support, improving subtle gradations between colors
HDMI Control: Master your home theater universe. The BDP-51FD supports HDMI Control, which allows you to seamlessly control all your HDMI Control-equipped Pioneer A/V equipment with a single remote
Wolfson Audio DACs: Each DAC features a signal-to-noise ratio of 117db. Wolfson DACs provide top-notch audio performance from music and movie soundtracks
Exclusive Jitter Re

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Sony DVP-NS710H/B 1080p Upscaling DVD Player, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD player does an excellent job of upconverting in my opinion. I also have a far more expensive Oppo DVD player and I would say they are on par.
One 'feature' I dislike about these DVD players is in the manufacturer's quest to make the box look sleek and simple, there are only a couple of buttons: open/close, play and stop (aside from the power button). Why, oh why, do manufacturers not put skip or fast-forward buttons on the box? Is this to force us to buy new remote controls when the kids make them disappear? I just don't like the idea that a piece of equipment become less functional without the sometimes elusive remote control.
Still, it does provide a beautiful picture, very sharp and one I believe almost maximizes the contrast, color and clarity provided by our expensive plasma tv.
A very good value when considering the quality for the price point.

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