The Perfect DVD Player

[Canoehq]

Is this the perfect DVD player ?

Philips 963SA

http://www.p4c.philips.com/mprdata/0...250051_dfu.pdf

Probably NTSC / PAL Progressive Scan hackable.

Anyone know where and when I can get one ?

regards

Canoehq

Heh, you really should have added the DVD player's model, since it would have been a LOT easier ^_^

Anyway, after DLing this PDF. I can confirm that its the Philips 963SA guys, of which we all know a lot about since Philips confirmed that it will be released in Europe with prog.scan, unlike its older brother the 962SA.

Since it will be keeping its internals for once IMO this is the DVD player to get once its out in September or so. I haven't got a clue about the pricepoint yet but since my Philips Q50 is on order I'm going to wait and see.

It is very likely that it can be hacked just like the 962SA so everyone is just waiting in anticipation now for its release.

[Canoehq]

Oops sorry !

I have edited the above post as suggested.

Canoehq

[Matt F]

Originally posted by Canoehq
Is this the perfect DVD player ?

No - because it lacks DVD-A - if it had that then it would be (at this price point).

Matt.

If DVD-A was your thing then its a fair point. For me though, great video playback, multi-region, CD-R/CD-RW, progressive scan and MP3 playback are my only wants of which (bar the first point) comes as standard thesedays.

[Reiner]

The perfect player is my Shinco DV-8100 as it plays pretty much anything except DVD-A and SACD. On my 21" TV (came with the apartment) using a composite and mono connection it looks and sounds fantastic - not to mention the Karaoke ability! Well, for around EUR100 only I wouldn't dare to complain ...

PS: This post is not to be taken seriously.

[Matt F]

Originally posted by NeoBlade
If DVD-A was your thing then its a fair point.

Don't get me wrong, the 963SA looks great - I may even get one at some point. DVD-A would just have been the icing on the cake and I daresay they would sell even more of them it if played everything.

Matt.

[evildonut]

...IMHO, Jack of all trades, master of none
For the time being anyway...

[Branxx]

Don't worry about DVD-A or SACD. Both are going to be failed attempts. Several resons:

1. To really appreaciate the sound quality improvement you'll need expensive audio system. This limits the potential market.
2. Both formats are incompatible with ever increasing number of users who like to manipulate their music via HTPC or do their own complilations for use in the car and elsewhere. Again, restricted user rights!
3. Price hike. They are almost 50% more expensive.
4. Many true audiophiles believe the only true hi-fi is stereo. DVD-A and SACD are going to be marketed primarely as multichannel.
5. Limited availability of the titles.

I have one of this systems that would do justice to inherent improvement in sound quality of DVD-A or SACD. I have no intention of using them unless I can rip them to my sound server.

[Matt F]

Originally posted by Branxx
Don't worry about DVD-A or SACD. Both are going to be failed attempts. Several resons....

You're right, they may fail - the fact that the two exist and are competing against each other hardly helps.

However, I must query some of the points you raised:

To really appreaciate the sound quality improvement you'll need expensive audio system. This limited potential market. Well, maybe but surely the same is true with buying, say, a £1000 plus CD player i.e. there's no point doing that if the rest of your system isn't up to much.

Both formats are incompatible with ever increasing number of users who like to manipulate their music via HTPC or do their own complilations for use in the car and elsewhere. Again, restricted user rights! I must say that I don't know anyone who "manipulates" their music via a PC. Are you suggesting you want to mess about with the recording itself? If so, isn't that a bit like using a graphic equalizer i.e. you're only going to degrade the quality? I agree with your point about making copies and compilations though.

Price hike. They are almost 50% more expensive. Fair point.

Many true audiophiles believe the only true hi-fi is stereo. DVD-A and SACD are going to be marketed primarely as multichannel. Those true audiophiles would do well to remember that 2 channel stereo sound was a compromise from the original idea that was to use 3 speakers for the front soundstage - 2 channels went ahead due to practicalities rather than it being the sonic ideal. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of stereo but it has it's limitations - multi channel music done properly can do things that stereo simply cannot.

I have no intention of using them unless I can rip them to my sound server. What does this actually mean? (sorry if I'm being thick) - what do you actually do to these high quality recordings on your sound server and, again, isn't this likely to degrade the quality?

Matt.

[Branxx]

Matt F,

Out discussion may diverge from the original subject of the thread but please allow me to clarity some of the points.

Well, maybe but surely the same is true with buying, say, a £1000 plus CD player i.e. there's no point doing that if the rest of your system isn't up to much.

If think to properly appreciate difference between 16bit 44.1kHz sound resolution and say 24bit/96kHz one would need to spend upwards of £10,000 on the speakers amplifiers and associated bits and pieces. These kinds of systems are not unusual and are not mainstream.

Manipulate music: I was simply trying to avoid using the word 'rip' and trying to point to a group of music lover who like to compile a CD containing their own favorite tracks from the collection their own.

Preferring stereo to multichannel is frequently physiological thing. I rarely find a piece of music that obviously sound better in stereo rather than surround.

Sound Server: All my music (and DVDs) is stored on the house media server PC and played by simply point and click operation. I handle CD only once and then they are stored away collecting dust. In then next few weeks I will be having some forum members with v/expensive CD/DVD player over for a comparative test. It is for my benefit, as I what to find out how much I am missing the 'high-end' by using computer to do the playback. We will be comparing £5,000+ players vs. HTPC, this is how good is HTPC so far. I am hoping to give them a good run.

Back to the subject or perfect DVD player, features like SACD and DVD-A should rank very low unless the overall budget is considerable.

[nwgarratt]

Price hike. They are almost 50% more expensive.

Actually if you use the Internet it is possible to get SACD's and DVD Audio about the same price as High Street prices for CD's or just a couple for quid more.

The difference between SACD and CD is quite a bit. SACD is better than DVD Audio in my opinion.

[John Dawson]

In answer to Branxx, at Arcam we routinely demonstrate differences between CD players of the highest quality using a £370 amplifier and speakers of a comparable price. It's even easier with a £1100 amplifier and (say) £2000 worth of speakers but good simple systems are perfectly adequate for this. The same systems are more than good enough to show improvements, where the source material is good enough, of going up to 24/96.

In Germany at the recent high end Frankfurt show our distributor went back to basics with a CD72, A65 Plus and a pair of mid price AE speakers, all properly set up on lightweight IKEA tables and properly cabled with rigid speaker stands. The whole system retailed for 2000 Euros. That was all there was in the room, apart from some CDs to play and some chairs to sit on. It is fair to say it caused a sensation, with positive articles in every magazine, because it was arguably the best sound of the show. It was certainly the best value and it caused (a) a lot of red faces elsewhere in the hotel where exhibitors had to answer consumer queries as to why their (very expensive) systems didn't sound as good and (b) a big surge in business for us.

Conclusion - you don't need a lot of expensive kit or golden ears to hear the difference. You do need good kit which is properly set up however :-)

John Dawson (Arcam)

[Plump]

Excuse me Mr.Dawson, but it is ridiculous even to think it was the best sound on the show!!!
I was definitely good and I sat there for at least twenty minutes myself, but there were some sensational things there, from the other universe if you compare it to your setup!
Just had to say this.

Cheers.
Kastrup

p.s. I'll write my FMJ27 - DVD32R comparison today