Questions that do not deserve a thread

[atheistgod1999]

PS2 is a terrible DVD player.

Why? Because it starts skipping over light scratches? I don't get why they're any worse due to DVDs being digital, could you explain that to me? Also, I'm not going to use HDMI over 480i for DVDs because I'm watching them on my BVM, not an HDTV. I got a PS3, PS4, and Windows 7 desktop to watch DVDs on, but they're all connected to 1080p LEDs (I stopped using that PC CRT because the lower resolution wasn't giving me enough screen space). PS2 is the only DVD player I have connected to a CRT, so I was just watching them over component on that.

[Fudoh]

I don't get why they're any worse due to DVDs being digital, could you explain that to me?

On a DVD player with analogue outputs the D/A conversion (along with the MPEG decoding) makes a huge difference. The PS2 isn't able to produce high frequency details and so the picture lacks detail and resolution.

Also, I'm not going to use HDMI over 480i for DVDs because I'm watching them on my BVM

what BVM do you have or planning to get ? If you have (or get) a display capable of 31khz, you should utilize that. Although the DVD specs require interlacing (480i) the native material on film DVDs from 2002 onwards is progressive in nature, so you never want a 480i output for movies when you can get (good) 480p playback on a CRT.

[atheistgod1999]

I don't get why they're any worse due to DVDs being digital, could you explain that to me?

On a DVD player with analogue outputs the D/A conversion (along with the MPEG decoding) makes a huge difference. The PS2 isn't able to produce high frequency details and so the picture lacks detail and resolution.

Also, I'm not going to use HDMI over 480i for DVDs because I'm watching them on my BVM

what BVM do you have or planning to get ? If you have (or get) a display capable of 31khz, you should utilize that. Although the DVD specs require interlacing (480i) the native material on film DVDs from 2002 onwards is progressive in nature, so you never want a 480i output for movies when you can get (good) 480p playback on a CRT.

OK I'll get a progressive player. I got a 20F1U (got it on Craigslist in May and came with a PVM-135 (something I'll edit the post later), input cards for composite and S-Video, and a BKM-10R and it also only had 5.5K hours on it ) which I know is locked at 15KHz. The PS2's horizontal resolution is about the same as a DVD, so does that mean that even with component on 900 TV lines, I'm not seeing all the horizontal detail?

[Fudoh]

The PS2's horizontal resolution is about the same as a DVD, so does that mean that even with component on 900 TV lines, I'm not seeing all the horizontal detail?

The PS2 is likely good enough to output a high detail pattern, but it's nowhere as sharp or as defined compared to a proper player.

[nissling]

I remember the old days when expensive DVD players were really beating the living shit out of cheap ones. Even on my crappy 15KHz CRT I had back then, going from a low-budget generic Denver player to a Pioneer DVR-LX70D (with a problematic Faroudja Genesis chip, don't give me wrong) the difference was night and day. Almost like going from VHS to DVD. It made my awful CRT look brand new. Nowadays when we've got Blu-Ray players, differences are generally extremely small when compared in 1080/24p although they may exist (mostly measurable differences in grey scale and chroma upsampling, most likely nothing visible).

If I recall correctly, the Ps2 forces YPbPr mode when playing a DVD if you've got it set to RGB. At least that was the case with my console. And I agree with Fudoh, the Ps2 was pretty bad in most aspects which makes it a terrible choice of player.

[tacoguy64]

I like the JP/EUR Sonic CD soundtrack over the US version but I only have a US sega cd.
My question is what are my best options to play the JP/EUR version of the game without having to do a pointless mod?

[nissling]

If you've got an Everdrive you could boot a JP bios for you Sega CD, allowing you to play Japanese games.

[atheistgod1999]

So how expensive are great DVD players nowadays?

[Fudoh]

there are no more good dvd players being build these days.

I would say you should be able to get a $1000 player for $100-150 these days.

[nissling]

The Pioneer DV-79AVI is actually not bad, I would give it a try if I could find it. Very, very minor CUE but can be filtered out with a built-in function. Other than that there's really nothing wrong if you go for 480/60i. Lovely build quality as well.

[FinalBaton]

Well I just gave a go to a dvd in my Sony Blu-Ray player (BDP-S5500). It's been a while since I did this.
And believe it or not... it seems to look better than my Oppo in pretty much every way.
Am I imagining things?
i didn't put the Sony through a test-dvd or anything, but I A/B 'd it with the Oppo, same anime dvd in each. Tried both 480p and 720p.
I swear to my eyes it looks a good cut better. Maybe someone can do a more scientific evaluation of the BDS5500's (or higher end models) deinterlacing performance?

Not saying that that the Oppo is the best ever... but it's at least a "good" player. And if the Sony performs noticeably better than that, than that would make the Sony a darn good dvd player that's still in production.

The Sony doesn't have analog outputs though.

[cfx]

.

[Fudoh]

There are a lot of different types of video material and each type requires different deinterlacing. The current Sony BD players (actually all Sony BD players since the very first one) are good if you have DVDs that are native progressive (film sourced), but there's a lot of material that requires more than the player can deliver.

Which Oppo did you compare it to ?

[Xyga]

We need an AV hardware thread.

[FinalBaton]

There are a lot of different types of video material and each type requires different deinterlacing. The current Sony BD players (actually all Sony BD players since the very first one) are good if you have DVDs that are native progressive (film sourced), but there's a lot of material that requires more than the player can deliver.

Which Oppo did you compare it to ?

Interesting point in your first sentence. I'm definitly not fully awared of the many types of video material and what kind of deinterlacing is best for each of them, I'll admit that.

I only tried a couple of dvds, but I will now try to test as many video material types as I can.

The Oppo is a OPDV971H. As I understant it, it's a good little player, but certainly not the best there is, is this right?

[Fudoh]

As I understant it, it's a good little player

it was ok. The players after that using a ABT processor were MUCH better.

[FinalBaton]

As I understant it, it's a good little player

it was ok. The players after that using a ABT processor were MUCH better.

interesting. Do you think there are Oppo dvd players that would give a better picture, across most video material types, than the Sony I refered to above?

[Fudoh]

Likely, but I'm not sure when Oppo went from DVD to BD and when they changed their processing ICs.

You're still best off by using a player that can output natively and then use an external processor. After all that is what all those processors I reviewed were originally intended for. Oppo's DVD players for known for their ability to output in native DVD format - much more important than their processing.

Unless you have a lot of problematic DVDs, you're fine with your current Sony. Problematic DVDs include almost all Fortune Star and Shaw BDs from HK, since these were converted from PAL to NTSC during authoring. Heavy stuff for any deinterlacer.

Sony's earlier BD players were not able to output 480i through HDMI. Can yours do that ?

[FinalBaton]

Likely, but I'm not sure when Oppo went from DVD to BD and when they changed their processing ICs.

You're still best off by using a player that can output natively and then use an external processor. After all that is what all those processors I reviewed were originally intended for. Oppo's DVD players for known for their ability to output in native DVD format - much more important than their processing.

Unless you have a lot of problematic DVDs, you're fine with your current Sony. Problematic DVDs include almost all Fortune Star and Shaw BDs from HK, since these were converted from PAL to NTSC during authoring. Heavy stuff for any deinterlacer.

Sony's earlier BD players were not able to output 480i through HDMI. Can yours do that ?

Yes it does output 480i through HDMI.

I'll keep in mind to use an external processor for best results! Are there video deinterlacing units reccomendations on your site? I've read all of it a while back, and remember seeing videogame deinterlacing devices reviewed, but I can't remember if there was reviews for video deinterlacing.

The Oppo DV983H gets insanely good reviews, maybe I'll snag one up if I ever see one on craigslist here. And supposedly the DV980H performs just as well in 480i over component and should be cheaper, so this is an option as well.

In the meantime, the Sony BR will do

[atheistgod1999]

So what's a good $1000 DVD player for $100-150? Also, does this matter with Blu-Ray players seeing how they're digital? I use my PS4 (or PS3, depending on what I feel like) for Blu-Rays, are they bad for those or anything?

[Fudoh]

Are there video deinterlacing units reccomendations on your site? I've read all of it a while back, and remember seeing videogame deinterlacing devices reviewed, but I can't remember if there was reviews for video deinterlacing.

If you're watching on a TV get a DVDO. For projection there are better alternatives with cleaner scaling, but on a TV the DVDOs add artifical sharpness and DVD material will profit a lot from this.

Also, does this matter with Blu-Ray players seeing how they're digital? I use my PS4 (or PS3, depending on what I feel like) for Blu-Rays, are they bad for those or anything?

as long as your Blu-Rays are 1080p24 you're golden. If you watch a lot of 1080i material (live concerts, sports and so on) picture quality will massively profit from a better deinterlacer than the one you get in the video game systems.

[atheistgod1999]

Never mind.

[tomwhite2004]

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=56213

[zakruowrath]

Out of curiosity, is anyone making console CD/DVD drive belts out of the clear synthetic nylon mobilon material that the Famicom Disk System repairs are using?

[bobrocks95]

Out of curiosity, is anyone making console CD/DVD drive belts out of the clear synthetic nylon mobilon material that the Famicom Disk System repairs are using?

I take it those don't break apart like the old ones, and would be a better replacement than the stock part on most systems?

[FinalBaton]

I take it that the iscan vp50 can act as a pure transcoder? meaning that if you select an output resolution that is the same as the input resolution, but with a different signal and/or connector, it will work?
i.e. :

480p YPbPr(through rca) IN > 480p RGB(through BNC RGBHV) OUT
1080p(through HDMI) IN > 1080p RGB(through BNC RGBHV) OUT
etc etc

And also mix and match, ie:

480i(through HDMI) IN > 480p RGB(through BNC RGBHV) OUT
etc etc

[Fudoh]

I take it that the iscan vp50 can act as a pure transcoder?

no, the output won't be neutral.

[FinalBaton]

I take it that the iscan vp50 can act as a pure transcoder?

no, the output won't be neutral.

will it have a brightness difference or something?

what would the difference be on the output

[Fudoh]

480p YUV to 480p HDMI for example has more ringing and fuzzier edges than the original.

[FinalBaton]

480p YUV to 480p HDMI for example has more ringing and fuzzier edges than the original.

gotcha

here are the applications I would potentially use with a VP50 then :

-480i dvds HDMI out > VP50 - 480p RGBHV out> RGB monitor (multisync)
-480i dvds HDMI out > VP50 - 720p RGBHV out> HDTV
-1080p blu-rays HDMI out > VP50 - 1080p RGBHV out> RGB monitor (multisync)
-480i ps2 games RGBs(SCART) out > SyncStrike > Extron interface > VP50 - 480p RGBHV out> RGB monitor (multisync)
(for this last one I have the Extron here simply because I don't want to unplug from it every time I switch from native 480p RGsB ps2 games, to 480i RGBs ones, and vice versa.)

Would all those conversions be of excellent quality?