Picture somewhat better than average.
Written: Mar 30 '05 (Updated Mar 30 '05)
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Pros: Nice industrial design, clean picture, digital output.
Cons: User interface issues - poor remote and aspect ratio switching.
The Bottom Line: Best low-price upsampling player, if you can put up with UI issues.
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| nhunt's Full Review: Samsung DVD-HD841 DVD Player |
My first upsampling DVD player. See also my reviews of the Toshiba 5970 (http://www.epinions.com/content_178440736388) and the Denon 2910 (http://www.epinions.com/content_178441522820).
My overall impression is that the DVD player is the best place to de-interlace the signal, then send it digitally to the TV, and let the TV (Sharp LC32 in my case) upsample to its native resolution of 720p. I really can't tell the difference between connecting to the TV in digital 480p and digital 720p. The digital 480p is considerably better than analog 480p, or analog or digital 480i. This is sort of what you'd expect, since the DVD player has more information than the TV to unravel the interlace, but the TV and the player have identical information to upscale to HD, and the TV cost a lot more!
As with all upsampling DVD players, the upsampled signal is only available on HDMI (with HDCP), and the component output is limited to 480p analog. This is a restriction imposed by the DVD licensing bodies to "close the analog hole" to protect the content. If you have an older HDTV without HDMI (or DVI with HDCP), you'll only get 480p output, and you might as well not bother with an upscaling DVD player at all.
The remote is average to poor. Short on range - 10 feet max, and sensitive to orientation. The DVD menu is mixed up with the setup menu, and needs extra button presses to choose setup, title menu, or DVD menu.
The unit includes aspect ratio correction, but at least in HDMI output mode, reverts to 16x9 for each DVD, and worse, for each title on the DVD. This is regardless of whether the content is 16x9 or 4x3. Some DVDs separate episodes of a TV series as separate titles, and you have to switch aspect ratio mode for each episode - very silly.
The only way to get to HDMI mode is via onscreen menus, so its necessary to hook up an analog video for setup, which is irritating.
On a few DVDs, deep shadows and blacks all turn completely black, until the TV is adjusted to reduce contrast about half, and increase brightness to the limit. Other DVDs are fine. Its hard to predict. This appears to be the same whether the output is digital or component, at 480p or 720i. Can't say that its the player and not the DVD, but it is fixable, at least with my TV.
I didn't test SACD or DVD Audio, but the standard movie soundtracks via toslink optical digital connector sound exactly as good as any other player with digital sound connection (unsurprisingly). Another copy protection limitation prevents SACD or DVDA from digital output, so you'll have to hook up 5.1 analog connections to your receiver to enjoy these media.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
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Epinions.com ID:
nhunt
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Member: Neil Hunt
Location: Bay Area, California
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 3 members
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