Zenith - DVB-318 DVI

MPEG Maker: STMicroelectronics MPEG Model: Omega DVD STi5505 Deinterlacer Maker: Faroudja Deinterlacer Model: FLI-2310     MSRP: $249.99 Website: www.zenith.com

The DVB-318 is Zenith’s first scaling DVD player. This player also marks a first since it is the only DVD player on the market with the Faroudja FLI-2300 chip that scales via its component outputs. The player features a DVI output as well with the same scalable resolutions of 480p/720p/1080i.

As always the Faroudja chip performed extremely well in all of our tests. It did fail the 2-2 Cadence test showing that the filter is not activated in the Faroudja chip.

Unfortunately the rest of the testing did not go as well. This player has a lot of issues in its core performance. It has some very severe pixel cropping in all resolutions, with up to 15 pixels being cropped from the right side of the image. There are also various amounts of Y/C delay when using the component outputs. The 1080i resolution did the best in this respect with only about 5ns of Y/C delay, but the other resolutions showed at least a full pixel of delay. White levels for all output resolutions were on the hot side, varying from 102 to 104 IRE. The player did pass blacker then black though as well as breezing through our chroma tests.

On the DVI side things are also a bit amiss. There seems to be some Y/C delay on all output resolutions but 1080i. Thankfully though, the DVI output still passes blacker than black, which is a shortcoming with a lot of DVI based players out there.

Like most of the inexpensive DVI DVD players out there, this one definitely has its issues. I love the fact that it uses the Faroudja chip and allows for scaleable resolutions via component, but the analog section needs some work. Hopefully Zenith can improve on the design with future models.

A big thanks goes out to Chris Allen from AVS for providing us with this player to test. We can’t always get a hold of the players out there so we really appreciate the loan!!

Zenith - DVB-318 Component

MPEG Maker: STMicroelectronics MPEG Model: Omega DVD STi5505 Deinterlacer Maker: Faroudja Deinterlacer Model: FLI-2310     MSRP: $249.99 Website: www.zenith.com

Video Frequency Response
Zenith

Arcam - DV-79 HDMI

Arcam - DV-79

MPEG Maker: Zoran MPEG Model: Vaddis 5 Deinterlacer Maker: Zoran Deinterlacer Model: Vaddis 5     MSRP: $1799.00 Website: http://www.arcam.co.uk

The DV-79 is Arcam’s first player to feature a digital video output. Instead of going the more common DVI route, they chose the newer HDMI connection. This provides some advantages to DVI based players since it will output an interlaced signal to an outboard scaler or display allowing you to take advantage of a higher quality de-interlacer or scaler and still keep the signal in the digital domain. It will also support higher bit rate RGB and Y/Cb/Cr data rates for scalers that can take advantage of them.

The DV-79 uses the same Zoran Vaddis 5 MPEG decoder that you’ll find on their flagship offering, the DV-27A. This is an average solution as a de-interlacer, and I was actually hoping that they would have coupled it with the Sil-504 like the 27A. The HDMI output is not scaled like most digital outputs. It only offers 480i and 480p as well as 525i and 525p for PAL sources. This MPEG decoder does have the chroma bug in all forms, but it is pretty much completely eliminated with Zoran’s chroma filters. Unless you are sitting extremely close to the image or have a huge screen, I doubt you would even see it. Because of this I have given the player a borderline score for the chroma tests.

On the analog side, the core section did pretty well. The video frequency response of the player is nearly flat, and there are no signs of Y/C delay at all. White level is perfect at 100 IRE, and the player passes below black via component. The menu navigation is a tad sluggish but doesn’t have the fade in/fade out feature the 27 has. Chapter skips are also a bit on the sluggish side, making navigation a bit tedious.

You may have noticed I changed the score for the Arcam for HDMI. Turns out the software on my player was in the wrong setting. This player is set for Studio RGB settings (black at 16, white at 235) and does pass blacker then black. If for some reason you are not seeing the same thing with your player, contact Arcam and they will help you resolve it. The output is also HDCP, so make sure your display is compliant. There were no signs of Y/C delay via HDMI, and pixel cropping was perfect with no pixels out of view on any side.

On the audio side, this player offers DVD-Audio support as well as a built in Pro Logic II decoder, which is a rarity for DVD players. For DVD-A, there is extensive bass management and time alignment options, as well as test tones. The bass management can also be fully utilized for CD playback.

Overall this is a decent offering from Arcam, though not quite to the level of their higher end FMJ offerings. I love that they went with a HDMI output vice DVI. This gives videophiles a bit more flexibility with future outboard scalers and de-interlacers. At this price point, I would have preferred a better de-interlacer but this is still a very solid offering from Arcam and my favorite player of this benchmark.

Video Frequency Response
Arcam

V. Inc - Bravo D2 DVI

MPEG Maker: Sigma Designs MPEG Model: EM8500 Deinterlacer Maker: Sigma Designs Deinterlacer Model: EM8500     MSRP: $249.99 Website: http://www.vinc.us/

The Bravo D2 is the follow up to the relatively popular Bravo D1. These players are extremely similar to each other in performance on the DVI side but Bravo has upped the ante on the component side, for the most part. The new machine sports a better build and nicer looking chassis and retains most of the features of the previous player.

The D2 uses the same Sigma Designs EM8500 MPEG decoder that the previous model used. This all-in-one solution performs all of the de-interlacing and scaling. We at Secrets think this is a stellar MPEG decoder that offers great scaling but only average de-interlacing. I am still waiting with baited breath for a player that combines this MPEG decoder with a more formidable de-interlacer like the Faroudja or Silicon Image offerings.

The D2 performed essentially identical to the previous D1 in terms of de-interlacing, but its analog performance is a welcomed step up. All of the Sigma Designs players I have tested have very steep roll-off in their video frequency response, contributing to a very soft picture and an utter lack of fine detail. The D2 has the best performance I have seen in this area to date for a Sigma-based player with a far more gentle roll-off in the upper frequencies. The only problem is, this new player will not output 720p or 1080i via component with copyrighted material. The bulk of the DVD library today is protected, making this player almost useless in this respect.

The DVI output is not HDCP compliant (neither was the D1), but it is still the preferred connection with this player, sporting an amazingly sharp image and proper video levels. Both the analog and digital outputs support blacker than black information, and there are no issues with Y/C delay or pixel cropping except via component 480p (10 pixels cropped on the right side). The player’s white levels are a bit on the low side, measuring around 90 IRE (component output) for all resolutions. This will cause a lack of dynamic range in the image and will reduce the contrast.

The user interface is good on this player. Menus and chapter skips were pretty fast, though not blinding. The player offers brightness and contrast settings for DVI, though I felt the steps were a bit too large, making picture calibration a bit tough. This new player also features an all new remote design that is a big step up from the previously supplied remote for the D1.

Overall, the D2 seems to be in about the same league as its predecessor. I like that V Inc put a bit more effort into the analog stage this time. This player still remains a solid value given its performance and price point with only a few shortcomings in overall performance. Also, a big thanks goes out to V Inc. They have graciously provided this player as a prize for our new Secrets forum. Be sure to check it out for a chance to win this player and more!!

Momitsu - V-880 DVI

MPEG Maker: Sigma Designs MPEG Model: EM8500 Deinterlacer Maker: Sigma Designs Deinterlacer Model: EM8500     MSRP: $229.00 Website: www.momitsu.jp

Ever since we started testing the Sigma Designs 8500-based players, I have been getting swarms of PMs and e-mails asking why we haven’t reviewed the Momitsu. The word from the forums is this is the player to beat and doesn’t have the caveats reported with the other Sigma-based players.

One of the members at AVS, Yowei Liu, graciously offered his modified Momitsu for our tests. This player has been modified with new cables inside as well as shielding. Be advised that these are not mods performed by Momitsu so the results here do not probably reflect what you will get from a stock model. He also made sure that all the recent firmware updates had been installed.

As I mentioned before, this player uses the Sigma Designs 8500 chip that can also be found on offerings from V Inc. and Liteon. This chip offers average de-interlacing performance that falls short of the better chips out there such as the Silicon Image or Faroudja solutions. But it does offer quite good scaling and custom resolutions for different display devices.

On the analog side, this player fared about as well as its counterparts, which was a bit of a surprise, based on the responses I’ve heard on the internet boards. The video frequency response is heavily rolled off in the upper frequencies, contributing to a softening of finer detail on screen. This is apparent regardless of output resolution. The analog stage also suffers from some slight Y/C delay that measures just above 5ns on all the output resolutions except 1080i, which suffers from some slight Pb/Pr delay. Pixel cropping is excellent though with only one pixel being cropped in 480p and no pixels cropped in the other resolutions. The player also passes below black correctly, and white levels are close to the mark at 98 IRE.

The DVI output is the preferred output with this player. I did feel it was a bit soft as well, but unfortunately I don’t have the means to measure frequency response via DVI or HDMI at this time. Pixel cropping and Y/C delay were perfect via DVI and the de-interlacing performed the same as its analog counterpart.

As a whole, the Sigma players still represent an outstanding price performance option in the market. While they do fall short of some of the better digital players out there, they are a lot closer than you might assume.

Pioneer - DV-578a

MPEG Maker: Media Tech MPEG Model: MT1389EE Deinterlacer Maker: Media Tech Deinterlacer Model: MT1389EE     MSRP: $199.00 Website: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com

The Pioneer 578a is the successor to the previously tested 563a. This is Pioneer’s entry level universal player and represents a solid value in the market today. This new player has quite a few differences from its predecessor, including a completely different MPEG decoder and de-interlacing solution.

The 578 uses the Mediatek all-in-one MPEG decoder solution. This chip has some great strong points to it, including being extremely fast in its functionality. This can be seen in both the user interface and layer change of the player. This is the first Pioneer player to have a completely seamless layer change and extremely fast menu and chapter navigation.

This chip also excels at its PAL to NTSC conversion, which is excellent. I went through a lot of the demo material on the PAL edition of the Digital Video Essentials disc and there wasn’t a trace of artifacts or improper timing. If this player could be made region free, it would be an excellent offering for those with monitors that only accept NTSC.

On the de-interlacing side, this chip did fairly well. I have tested quite a few players this past week that utilize this same chip, and every one of them tested slightly different, meaning that player manufacturers should take great care with their implementation. I think that if Pioneer would have paid a bit more attention, this player could have walked away with a killer score in our Benchmark. This brings up another point: The player’s front face plate has a “Pure Cinema Progressive” logo on it, but this is not the Pioneer de-interlacing solution.

For out core tests, the player did okay with a few shortcomings. The player will not pass a below black signal and has over 1 pixel of Y/C delay. There is some minor pixel cropping with 5 pixels dropped from the right side and 2 from the left along with 1 from the bottom of the image. This MPEG decoder does show the CUE problems in all our tests except for 2-2 material, but like the Faroudja solution it masks the CUE in progressive mode. White level is at a respectable 99 IRE and again this player is lightning fast.

On the audio side, this seems to be exactly the same as the 563 in terms of setup limitations. The manual doesn’t state what the crossover setting is for bass management, but rather only that speakers with drivers less then 12” should be set to small. It also groups its audio delay for each section (mains, surrounds), and the center and surrounds are limited to a 0 to 3’ difference from the mains.

Overall, this is still a great bargain as an entry level universal player. If it could be modded to Region-Free it would be an excellent solution for those with NTSC-only displays. I hope in the future though that Pioneer incorporates its own de-interlacing solution with this new MPEG decoder or tweaks it in a bit more.

Video Frequency Response
Pioneer

V. Inc - Bravo D2 Component

MPEG Maker: Sigma Designs MPEG Model: EM8500 Deinterlacer Maker: Sigma Designs Deinterlacer Model: EM8500     MSRP: $249.99 Website: http://www.vinc.us/

Video Frequency Response
V. Inc

Momitsu - V-880 Component

MPEG Maker: Sigma Designs MPEG Model: EM8500 Deinterlacer Maker: Sigma Designs Deinterlacer Model: EM8500     MSRP: $229.00 Website: www.momitsu.jp

Video Frequency Response
Momitsu

Samsung - DVD-HD841

MPEG Maker: Zoran MPEG Model: Vaddis 7 Deinterlacer Maker: Zoran Deinterlacer Model: Vaddis 7     MSRP: $249.99 Website: http://www.samsungusa.com

The HD841 is Samsung’s second DVI-based player in the DVD world. It is also their first universal transport offering both DVD-A and SACD playback. This player provides a pretty incredible feature set given its price point, but still misses the mark as a reference DVD player.

The 841 is built on Zoran’s newest Vaddis 7 MPEG decoder and HD Extreme Scaling solution. While this is one of Zoran’s newer MPEG decoders, it doesn’t have the de-interlacing capability shown by its previous Vaddis 5 offering. Namely it isn’t motion adaptive. It is also a flag based de-interlacer, so it tripped up quite a bit on poorly flagged material.

For our core tests, the 841 did pretty well. The player passes blacker than black just fine, though not via DVI. The DVI output is very similar to the 931 in that video levels are being stretched, so head and toe room (above white and below black) are not available. Not only does this get rid of information in the image, it makes it quite difficult to set up properly with a display. On the component video output side, the player’s white output is perfect at 100 IRE, and there is no Y/C delay to worry about. It does have pretty significant Y/C delay via DVI though, so we recommend the component output for this player.

On the user side, the 841 is quite fast as far as interfacing. Menu navigation and chapter skips are brisk, with barely any delay at all. The layer change is noticeable but clocks in at a respectable 1.25 seconds. Something worth noting is that this player seems to trip itself up a bit with certain discs. When we fed it certain test patterns, the player’s output was completely turned off, forcing us to power down and start over again. While this could be an isolated incident, I have seen reports from several owners online that state the same problems.

Samsung has another DVI player due out soon, the HD941. This player uses the Faroudja solution for its de-interlacing and scaling and hopefully won’t have the same issues the 841 has shown via DVI. If you are in the market for a universal transport sporting DVI, you may want to wait for their newer 941 offering or look elsewhere on the market.

Video Frequency Response
Samsung

Adcom - GDV-850

The Adcom GDV-850 is built on the Mediamatics chipset. This all in one solution is an excellent MPEG decoder, but a rather poor de-interlacer. DVD companies looking to use this chip should really consider mating it with a separate de-interlacing solution. For our de-interlacing tests, the GDV-850 didn’t do very well at all. It has a plethora of de-interlacing modes, but none seemed to fit the bill. All of the modes are flag-based, so they were very quick to trip up on any improperly flagged material. There are even modes called “Smart” and “Super Smart” but they didn’t fare well either. In fact, the only two modes we thought worth considering were “Film” and “Smart” which did a fairly decent job on the test material, but nowhere near the performance of the better solutions out there.

The player overall has a very solid build that looks like it was designed from the ground up. The player features DVD-Audio playback and we will be reporting on that in a future article.

For our core tests, the player was fair. The funny thing about the Mediamatics chip is that it needs to be in one of the “Smart” modes to pass our chroma tests. The player has some very severe pixel cropping, with 20 pixels cropped from the right side of the image alone. There is also some extreme Y/C delay, and Pb/Pr delay resulted in over two pixels of delay for the latter. The player does not pass below black, and white level was a bit low at 97 IRE. Since these are the core tests of the player I was hoping Adcom would have paid a bit more attention to the details.

As a video player, I really can’t recommend this one at this price point. There are far too many other players that perform better for less money.

Video Frequency Response
Adcom

Toshiba - SD-6915

MPEG Maker: Zoran MPEG Model: Vaddis 7 Deinterlacer Maker: Zoran Deinterlacer Model: Vaddis 7     MSRP: $179.99 Website: http://www.toshiba.com

Here is another first in the DVD market. Toshiba has launched a universal changer, something I know a lot of you have been waiting for. Unfortunately you may have to wait a bit longer to get one that really works well.

The SD-6915 is based on the Zoran Vaddis 7 MPEG decoder instead of Toshiba’s own solution. This chip seems to be a bit of a step down from the recently released Vaddis 6. The Vaddis 6 had eliminated the chroma problems associated with the Zoran line, but here they return. The MPEG decoder passes our 3-2 Film and 2-2 Film CUE tests but not the ICP or 3-2 alternating tests.

As a de-interlacer, the chip did okay. Unfortunately, this solution is not motion adaptive and seems to be flagged based. On the core side, the player did pass a below black signal but has about 8ns of Y/C delay which is just short of our passing mark. Pixel cropping is not too bad, with 3 pixels being dropped from both the left and right side of the image.

From a user standpoint, this isn’t a very good player. The menus and chapter skips are quite sluggish and the remote is quite lame. There are a lot of shared buttons which makes navigation even more cumbersome then normal.

On the audio side, there doesn’t seem to be any adjustability for DVD-Audio or SACD. The time alignment and bass management settings seem to apply only to the built-in Dolby Digital decoder according to the manual. You also have to access the setup menus of the player to select which layer of the SACD you want to listen to.

While I am glad that someone has finally released a universal changer, this is a bit far from the level of performance I would have liked associated with it. It has quite a bit going against it both in the de-interlacing performance and core tests. Those looking for a universal changer might be better off holding out for something else down the line.

Video Frequency Response
Toshiba

Samsung - DVD-HD841 DVI

DVDO - Iscan HD

MPEG Maker: N/A MPEG Model: N/A Deinterlacer Maker: Silicon Image Deinterlacer Model: Sil504     MSRP: $1499.00 Website: http://www.dvdo.com

Over the years, the DVDO video processors have continued to impress us more and more both in their performance and their great price. The IScan HD continues that idea with what is in my opinion their best offering to date.

The IScan HD combines outstanding de-interlacing capabilities with a world class scaling engine. This scaling engine was made right in house at DVDO by the co-founder and very well may be the best one I have seen to date. The unit comes pre-programmed with most of the popular resolutions out there including 720p, 1080i, and many of the LCD and D’ILA resolutions. On top of that you can create your own custom resolutions all the way up to 1080p.

Another stellar feature is frame rate conversion. You can now change the frame rate of the source to 48 Hz or 72 Hz to eliminate 3-2 pulldown artifacts such as judder. Be advised though, not all displays will accept these frame rates, so this feature may prove to be useless in some applications. I do know of some InFocus projectors that will supposedly support this though, as will many consumer grade CRT projectors.

The IScan HD also includes delays for audio inputs to the unit to compensate for the video processing. This is an excellent added benefit, as most receivers and processors on the market lack a group audio delay.

The DVDO chroma filters also return from the IScan Ultra. These will eliminate all forms of the CUE, including the ICP error that previously only the Faroudja solution would fix.

For de-interlacing, the IScan HD uses the Silicon Image SIL-504 chip, which always does very well in our tests. The processor passed all of our de-interlacing tests with flying colors as expected. I am hoping to receive an SDI input update for the IScan HD soon so I can test its video analog outputs for frequency response and Y/C delay. Right now it looks like the analog pass-through has a slight roll-off in the higher frequencies, but I want to try it with a digital connection to take the player’s analog section completely out of the picture.

Overall, this processor gets our highest recommendation. We can’t wait to see what the folks at DVDO come up with next!!