Review: Samsung BD-P1500 (Blu-ray Player)
Samsung new Blu-ray player the BD-P1500 becomes a more compelling option.It is relatively inexpensive compared with other Blu-ray players with very good image quality.If you are not interested to buy the Panasonic DMP-BD50- Sony Playstation 3,the Samsung BD-P1500 is better choice for the money.The BD-P1500 upgraded its standard DVD resolution to 1080p and supports full HD Blu-ray movies, naturally. Samsung claims it will update the BD-IP500 by adding Profile 2.0 support and onboard DTS-HD Master Audio decoding in the future to fight back against PS3.
Presently Samsung BD-P1500 is a Profile 1.1 Blu-ray player, which can operate picture-in-picture commentary tracks such as Sunshine.Samsung is promising to update its player with a Profile 2.0 player so that it can access the BD-Live features on a Blu-ray Discs.The BD-P1500 can internally decode Dolby TrueHD, but currently can’t decode DTS-HD Master Audio bit stream output for all high-resolution audio formats.It also provides ethernet port for firmware updates.
Samsung BD-P1500 Specifications:
General:
Product Type: Blu-Ray disc player
Form Factor: Tabletop
Width: 16.9 in
Depth: 10.8 in
Height: 3.3 in
Weight: 8.6 lbs
System:
Parental Lock: Yes
VCR:
Sound Output Mode: Stereo
DVD:
Media Type: CD, DVD, BD-R, CD-R, BD-RE, CD-RW, DVD-R, BD-ROM, DVD-RW
Built-in Audio Decoders: DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Media Load Type: Tray
Supported Digital Video Standards: VC-1, H.264, MPEG-2
Supported Digital Audio Standards: PCM
Upscaling: Yes
Output Resolution: 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Audio System:
Digital Audio Format: DTS digital output, Dolby Digital output
Response Bandwidth: 4 – 44000 Hz
Dynamic Range: 100 dB
Signal-To-Noise Ratio: 110 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.003 %
Additional Features: Upgradeable firmware
DVD Features:
Additional Features: BD-Live, JPEG photo playback, Progressive scanning
Remote Control:
Type: Universal remote control
Technology: Infrared
Connections:
Connector Type: 1 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) – Rear, 1 x Component video output ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Rear, 1 x Composite video/audio output ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Rear, 1 x Digital audio output (optical) ( TOSLINK ) – Rear, 1 x Network ( RJ-45 ) – Rear, 1 x USB – Rear
Power:
Power Consumption Operational: 28 Watt
Power Device: Power supply
Type: Power supply
Power: AC 120 V
Manufacturer Warranty:
Service & Support: 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details: Limited warranty – Parts – 1 year, Limited warranty – Labor – 90 days
Philips DCP750 Portable Video Player Review
Like far, far too many iPod-compatible accessories out there, Philips has taken the easy road with the DCP750. Or, in other words, it’s white. Until you open it up, that is, where it sports an all-black casing with silver lettering. The size of the DCP750 is a touch misleading; while it measures in at 210mm by 39mm by 178mm, the display is only seven inches wide, with speakers integrated underneath. The left side of the base of the unit houses the DVD tray, while the right hand side is where the remote control is stored — as well as something else. The design of the remote is about the only thing we don’t like about the DCP750. It’s chunky and doesn’t match well with the sleek aesthetics of the rest of the player. The remote sticks very firmly in place and pops out via a two-part release mechanism, which means you’re very unlikely to lose it.
The display screen on the DCP750 swivels, tablet-PC style, allowing you to present it either as a flat tablet or standard flip-top DVD player, even with the remote control or an iPod installed.
If there’s a video format out there, then the DCP750 will pretty much play it. We were somewhat surprised to note that it’s not region free, which is a tad annoying for a portable player. Some quick Googling fixed that for us, thankfully. The optical drive also supports DVD, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, SVCD, Video CD, CD, CD-R/CD-RW, MP3-CD, Picture CD and DivX, which should keep you entertained. If that’s not enough, an SD card slot on the side lets you browse photos. Finally, the compatibility with 5th generation iPods lets you access any iPod-compatible media.
The DCP750 also doesn’t slack when it comes to connectivity. It boasts AV input and AV output — so when you get to your motel room, you can plug it in and watch your DVDs and iPod videos full-screen. It’s also got two headphone sockets, ideal for subduing two unruly backseat passengers.
The DCP750’s display has what Philips calls a Zero Bright Dot screen. In non-marketing speak, that means it shouldn’t have any over-bright pixels distracting from the image. In our tests we were very impressed with the screen quality of the DCP750 across all media. We were less impressed with the inbuilt speakers on the player. At higher volume levels — such as those found in the average car — we found the speakers distorting a touch.
Switching to other media is as simple as hitting the source button on the player, or the dedicated buttons on the top of the remote. We did become intermittently annoyed with the remote, which wasn’t always responsive to our button presses.
The only major caveat we’d apply to the DCP750 is that with an RRP of over AU$300, it’s not exactly an inexpensive player, and certainly not one you’d want pinched out of your car. There’s certainly enough lurking within its interior to justify the asking price, but if you only want an in-car DVD option to pacify the kids and don’t care for the iPod connectivity then cheaper options are available.
Pioneer DVR-LX60D DVD Review
After releasing their first ‘LX’ product earlier this year — the Pioneer BDP-LX70, Pioneer has now unveiled a deluge of high end products — including the new DVR-LX60D DVD recorder.
The DVR-LX60D has a built-in SD digital tuner and contains a 250GB drive which, with the highest compression rates, can hold up to 711 hours of recordings.
For users with Foxtel and European electronics, the recorder features a SCART port for straightforward connectivity — and it can then upscale these signals to 1080p. As the device is also a DVD player, it can also upscale disks to 1080p via the HDMI connection.
Multimedia is also well served by the DVR-LX60D — users can rip CDs or copy MP3s from a USB source straight to the HDD if they wish. It also features JPEG compatibility, which means you can also watch slide shows or even print photographs from the hard disk with a PictBridge compatible USB printer.
From our experiences with the Pioneer BDP-LX70 Blu-ray player, if you are at all obsessive, a piano-black finish is not for you. Load a DVD and your pristine player will be festooned with prints.
We would have liked to see an HD tuner onboard this player, as the ability to save and replay HD content on the hard disk would be a killer feature. Of course, you can’t save HD onto DVD, but surely it would be easy to implement a downscaler for archiving purposes.
The DVR-LX60D looks pretty classy in its piano-black coat and has several useful AV features. Upscaling capability is fantastic, but it’s something that most DVD players can now do. Nevertheless, the DVR-LX60D could form an integral part of an all-Pioneer system.
Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blue Ray Disc Player
Panasonic has announced the introduction of the DMP-BD30, the next generation High Definition 1080p Blue-ray disc player.The DMP-BD30 is the first Blue-ray player to be introduced with Final Standard Profile, which adds many new and enhanced features to the Blue-ray arena.
Also unique to the DMP-BD30 is the inclusion of an SD Memory Card slot for playback of High Definition content recorded in the AVCHD format, which allows the viewing of digital still images recorded to an SD Memory Card.
The Final Standard Profile is an advanced function added to the Blue-ray standard, which opens the door to new functions such as Picture-in-Picture and Audio Mixing.
With an SRP of $499.95, the DMP-BD30 also features a myriad of technology advances, including Deep Color Compatibility, and HDMI 1.3B, that bumps the step gradation from 8-bit 256 all the way up to 12-bit, 4,096 step gradation.
The DMP-BD30 also provides 1080/24p playback. This eliminates the need to utilize 3.2 pull down, a process to convert 24-fps images to 60-fps, resulting in a smoother picture.
Yamaha CD-S2000 SACD player’s Reveiw
Yamaha has recently released its new CD-S2000 SACD player and A-S2000 preamplifier that are touted to come with the highest quality components to bring you purest sounding audio. Not only that, each subsystem eliminates the possibility of interference between various signals in an audio system.
This dynamic duo is capable of outputting SACD/CD and MP3/WMA audio with 190 watts per channel over a frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz. This offering from Yamaha isn’t only fantastic on the inside, it also looks great on the outside with simple lines and a minimalist design.Both devices will be available in December for $3,400.
ES Series DVD/SACD/CD Single Disc Player Review
Sony designed the DVP-NS3100ES to deliver beautifully clear, lifelike video and audio playback. As part of Sony’s high-performance ES Series, it boasts sophisticated circuitry and a high-quality build with an attractive brushed-aluminum front panel .
The ‘NS3100ES uses advanced processing to upgrade or “upconvert” DVD video signals to near-high-definition quality. It sends the upconverted signals to any TV with a digital video input. Since the picture stays digital until it hits your TV screen, you get cleaner, sharper images. You also get gold-plated analog video outputs, including a component video output, for a great picture with TVs that don’t have digital connections. Built-in circuitry refines blocky, jagged edges into smooth lines for more natural image quality .It provides warranty period of 5 years.
Details:
* Digital video upconversion.
*Selectable 480p/720p/1080i output via HDMI digital interface.
* Vertical Edge Compensation checks edges to avoid jagged or blocky appearance.
* Separate video circuit board with separate power supply.
* Video Off and Display Off modes.
* Vibration-resistant off-center insulator feet.
* Selectable progressive-scan mode for smoother video with HD-compatible TVs.
* Pixel-by-Pixel interlaced-to-progressive conversion.
* Dolby® Digital and DTS® decoding with gold-plated 5.1 analog audio output.
* HDMI version 1.1
* 2 sets of gold-plated audio/video outputs.
The Most Portable DVD Player By Hammacher Schlemmer
Hammacher Schlemmer has introduced the most Portable DVD Player. The Most Portable DVD Player pulls to punches by measuring a mere 1? thick, making it easy to slip into your bag in a cinch.
This portable, handheld device allows you to watch DVDs and listen to CDs and easily fits into a carry-on bag because it is only 1? thick. The unit has a 3 1/2? TFT LCD screen that can redraw images faster than typical LCD monitors, resulting in a sharp, clear, and detailed resolution. Integrated anti-skip circuitry maintains uninterrupted viewing during turbulent flights or bumpy car rides, and it provides multiple viewing angles because it can be adjusted using its integrated stand. Compatible with all CDs and DVDs, this unit has two stereo speaker, and includes a headphone jack for private listening.
With a remote control, a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack that lasts up to three hours on a full charge, AC adapter, DC car adapter, a nd a carrying case. Connects to a television via included AV cable.
It currently retails for $149.95 in the market.
Toshiba Introduced Second Gen HD-DVD Drive
The new HD DVD players are smaller and offer improved speed in loading and response times over the HD-XA1, the world’s first HD DVD player, brought to market by Toshiba in March 2006. The new high-end HD-XA2 supports Deep Color technology, an optional standard under HDMI that improves representation of color tones and achieves finer color gradation. HD-XA2 also provides support for the superior high-definition images of 1080p output.
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, and also support linear PCM 5.1ch audio. Up-conversion of standard DVD to a resolution of 1080i or 720p through an HDCP-capable HDMI output allows viewers to enjoy their current DVD libraries with an output resolution scaled to match their resolution of their HDTV or HD displays.
HDMI output allows viewers to enjoy their current DVD libraries with an output resolution scaled to match their resolution of their HDTV or HD displays.
The availability of HD DVD content continues to increase, with more titles expected within this year from various content providers including Paramount Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Home Video. This fast growing availability is spurring demand for even more advanced HD DVD players.
HD DVD Titles Introduced By CES: Warner
Warner Home Video announced at CES 2006 a confirmed list of 24 titles that will be released on HD DVD in conjunction with the initial deliveries of HD-DVD Players. The films represent a combination of new releases and catalog favorites.
Additional releases from the catalog will be introduced throughout the balance of 2006,2007 including both theatrical and TV products. HBO Video, distributor of critically-acclaimed television series, films and theatrical features, also plans to issue releases on HD DVD through Warner Home Video, its distribution partner.
Films include The Departed, The Wicker Man, Beerfest, Happy Feet, Blood Diamonds, We Are Marshall and classics such as The Matrix series, Harry Potter series, Oceans 11 and Oceans 12, Bullitt, The Getaway and a new release, Alexander Revisited.
Blu-Ray Player Reviews
With the competition of the market for high-definition movie discs still up in the air, Sony Corp. declared that it is including a small surprise with the new Blu-ray disc player it is shipping this week ,a price tag $100 lower than previously announced.
The review basically boils down to this: if you have a high definition TV larger than 42-inches, then you’ll definitely notice a difference between Blu-ray and standard or upscaled DVDs, and the Samsung does a good job delivering the picture quality that Blu-ray is capable of.The new player has essentially the same capabilities as the older BDP-S1 but is smaller.
Neither Blu-ray nor HD DVD players have caught on strongly with consumers, who have been waiting for the market to settle on one of the formats. But dropping prices for players and HDTV sets in more homes mean a big showdown between the discs may be looming this holiday season.
Most people buying Blu-ray discs are apparently buying them for their Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles. The cheapest version of the console costs $499, but its game-oriented wireless controller and relatively loud fan makes it a less than ideal movie player.