Is this a HK DVD25 bargain?

Crocodile JD · 18-12-2003, 3:36 PM

I've just seen the DVD2550 (The silver DV25) for £249.99 at Home Cinema Heavan. It's on an Xmas special. For some reason the DVD25 is quite a bit more expensive. I reakon this is the best price for one of these at the moment. Not sure what Hiway HiFi are doing it for at present, but their addy in WHF states £259.95 I think. Play247 have put their price up even more now.

I have a couple of issue tho.:

Firstly are Home Cinema Heavan OK?

Secondly they say that the player has been loaded with the "Sprinter" multiregion software. Anyone know anything about this?

Alternatively, the DVD506LE is on AV-sales for around £280. It seems to be similar specs. except that it has Burr Brown audio DACs as opposed to Wolfson as in the dvd25. Might it be worth the extra?

Help appreciated before I shell out.

Cheers

Croc

Sheepking · 18-12-2003, 3:40 PM

the 506 is unavailable at the moment, no UK date from HK as yet. It's missed a few expected release dates.

hornydragon · 18-12-2003, 4:33 PM

I would go for DVD25 506 is nice but not worth the extra IMHO unless you need a slimmer (height) unit!

Crocodile JD · 18-12-2003, 4:41 PM

Quote:

I would go for DVD25 506 is nice but not worth the extra IMHO unless you need a slimmer (height) unit!

No I've got enough space.

I take it that the DVD2550 is indeed identical to DVD25 apart from colour?

Also what about the other points I raised, (Home Cinema Heavan and Sprinter software) anyone?

Cheers

Croc

hornydragon · 18-12-2003, 4:43 PM

never used home cinema heaven mate and not heard of sprinter software but a mod is a mod! as long as it works you'll be fine!

LDJ · 18-12-2003, 5:30 PM

Crocodile JD:

I bought the same player from HCH this week!

Firstly, HomeCinemaHeaven (HCH) or UpgradeHeaven as they are also known are a fantastic company, i've always had great service from them. I searched extensively for the best price and this was £20 cheaper than play.com and the cheapest I could find anywhere. However, they do charge £10 delivery, but I did receive my player next working day!

As for the player, all I can say is that its fantastic. The PQ is sensational, but what impressed me more is the sound from the unit - its enhanced so much from the Sony 735 it replaced its remarkable.
Its a great all-round unit, plays every disk I have tried (DVD-R both Princo & Ritek dye) and DVD+RW, along with disks from all regions. Their mod works a treat - my RCE copy of Bad Boys 2 played like a charm (and with Progressive Scan fed into my PWD6 looked absolutely sensational I might add).

The DVD2550 is simply a DVD25 with a silver fascia - the "startup" screen (for want of a better term) even states its a DVD25. So far I have been very impressed with the player. The remote control is good, playback is sublime and the HK comes with a 2yr warranty which is nice.

Hope that helps, if there is anything else you want to know or something you want me to test, just ask

FaxFan2002 · 18-12-2003, 7:26 PM

LDJ,

Could try a couple of dvd's and see if they are recoginsed as progressive or interlace for me??

LOTR the two tower (ES version?) ? (interlace on mine)
Matrix 2 (progressive)
Pirates of the caribean (interlace)

Just press info then the disc is playing the main film, you should get a "disc information" screen. I'm getting a 50 / 50 split on progressive / interlace (player information screen always shows output as progressive) - from other posts people may think that player is fudging progressive mode. We appear to have the same dvd / plasma combo.

Cheers,

Rob.

Crocodile JD · 18-12-2003, 9:35 PM

All set to flex the plastic and then

Quote:

from other posts people may think that player is fudging progressive mode

what?

Which posts are you referring to? I'd like to have a squint at them I think.

Cheers

Croc

FaxFan2002 · 18-12-2003, 11:52 PM

not sure how to put url's in but under the following:

AV Forums > AV Food > DVD talk > pirates of the caribbean

got a proper URL link into another site

LDJ · 19-12-2003, 9:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FaxFan2002
LDJ,

Could try a couple of dvd's and see if they are recoginsed as progressive or interlace for me??

LOTR the two tower (ES version?) ? (interlace on mine)
Matrix 2 (progressive)
Pirates of the caribean (interlace)

Just press info then the disc is playing the main film, you should get a "disc information" screen. I'm getting a 50 / 50 split on progressive / interlace (player information screen always shows output as progressive) - from other posts people may think that player is fudging progressive mode. We appear to have the same dvd / plasma combo.

Cheers,

Rob.

Well I dont have the LOTR:TTT, or any LOTR DVD for that matter, so I cant try that. I tried disk 1 of Pirates, and during the startup nonsense that comes with every DVD it reported an interlaced output, but for the main feature it reported progressive (and looks sensational I might add!

)
I also tried Bad Boys 2, thinking that was the other title you requested and that did the same - Interlaced for all the startup crap and progressive for the mail feature.
I'll take a look @ the matrix later for you and get back.

HTH

Crocodile JD · 19-12-2003, 10:02 AM

Seems to me that it is a flag reading issue. If the flags are not correct (which I've read is quite a regular occurance) the player may struggle to identify film material as film material and switch into video mode as a compromise. I think this function is present in most decent players.

It might be that the DVD25 switches a bit too easily into video mode perhaps (i.e. poor flagging upsets this player more than others)??

Or it might be that it handles the flags no worse than any other player and the only difference is that it tells you when there is an issue. It may be compounded by a poor choice of terminology in the player info screen as well. Ignorance may be bliss in this scenario??

Or it could be that I am talking rubbish anyway??

I think we need one of our more experienced members to unravel this before it becomes a big mess. It is too easy to fire from the hip. I don't know much about it all, but what I do know is that Prog scan/deinterlacing is technically complex.

feed back from those in the know most welcome

Cheers

Croc

LDJ · 19-12-2003, 10:18 AM

excuse my stupidity, but are some dvd's progressive scan encoded then and some not? my "blonde moment" impression was that progressive scan was merely they way the image is 'drawn' on the screen, irrispective of the source material?!?

KraGorn · 19-12-2003, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LDJ
my "blonde moment" impression was that progressive scan was merely they way the image is 'drawn' on the screen, irrispective of the source material?!?

That's correct, the HK is giving the wrong impression with poor use of terms in status messages, all DVDs are interlaced video.

LDJ · 19-12-2003, 11:00 AM

I just checked the Matrix reloaded and that is listed as Progressive all the way

Crocodile JD · 19-12-2003, 11:45 AM

Discs are either film or video based and it is this information that is flagged (often incorrectly) not whether it is Progressive or not. The player uses the flags to determine how best to do the deinterlacing as they deinterlace film and video differently. I.E they do the progressive bit differently.

The confusion has arisen hear I think because it sounds like the HK DVD25 refers to these different deinterlacing modes misleadingly and incorrectly as either Progressive or Interlaced. There are actually 4 different ways of deinterlacing I think but please let someone with experience explain or post a link to where it has (almost certainly) been explained before. (many times over probably)

Cheers

Croc

LDJ · 19-12-2003, 12:08 PM

on the subject of the splinter-mod from HCH, as I mentioned earlier it plays absolutely everything I have tried so far. Other things I have noticed with this mod are:

> You can skip FBI warnings and other 'hard-coded' nonsense that some players wont let you skip

> You cannot fast-forward menus. On my old Techtronics modded Sony 735 you were given complete freedom, and on some DVD's where there is a video intro that is good upon first viewing, irritable upon second and simply unbearable thereafter, the techtronics mod would let you fast forward the menus! Unfortunately, this one will not. Only a minor gripe, but something worthy of mention I thought

FaxFan2002 · 19-12-2003, 12:33 PM

It would appear that my dvd 25 and LDJ are giving different results on the same films... Anyone know how to check firmware revisions? Also whats the site with the firmware on?

Crocodile JD · 20-12-2003, 11:32 AM

Gone for it ordered from same place as LDJ. LDJ did you do it online or over the phone. I ordered mine online but was woundering whether to give them a call?

Cheers

Croc

LDJ · 20-12-2003, 12:26 PM

No, I ordered mine online too. I ordered it late Sunday night IIRC and it arrived Tuesday, so next working day.
You can track your order through their web site.

Crocodile JD · 20-12-2003, 12:53 PM

I ordered mine late last night (Friday). I've just been and registered on their site in order to track the order but it says no orders found!! I hope that means it just hasn't been processed yet and that details will appear at some point today? I notice they say you can't chase online orders via phone so I guess I just have to wait a while.

we'll see

cheers

Croc

KraGorn · 20-12-2003, 1:06 PM

Did you get an e-mail confirmation of your order within a few minutes of your completing it? I got one within 5 mins. when I bought a DVD player off them recently.

If not, it may mean the 'no orders found' is true and it got dropped on the floor somewhere.

LDJ · 20-12-2003, 2:35 PM

how did you have to register to track the order? surely you registered when you placed the order?

Crocodile JD · 20-12-2003, 2:43 PM

When I checked my e-mail first thing this morning, I found I had recieved a standard auto reply from them. It wasn't an order confirmation, but I guess it does mean they must have received something there end in order to generate the auto response.

I have since phoned them and they said that the order wont be processed until Monday now anyhow and that the reason the online tracking states no order found is because I didn't register at the time of order. In orther words I can't track this order now, only subsequent orders. However, the chap I spoke to confirmed stock and said I should still recieve it by Tuesday.

Hope so. I'd still normally have expected e-mail confirmation either way? I've sold my existing player now and I'd be really narked if I didn't have a player over Xmas due to them loosing my order

Cheers

Croc

Crocodile JD · 20-12-2003, 2:47 PM

Actually KraGorn should have asked what day and time did you place your order. It might simply be that I picked the worse time to place an order, late Friday night, if they don't process them over the w/e.

LDJ as you say you ordered sunday evening I guess they were straight onto it first thing Monday. when did you get your e-mail order confirmation?

Cheers

Croc

LDJ · 20-12-2003, 2:56 PM

I got an email confirmation almost immediately I think, and then the next day I got one of those daft auto-replies suggesting I had emailed htem when I hadn't! The one email said I would be notified when my order changes status, but the next thing I knew was when the player arrived at my door!

KraGorn · 20-12-2003, 3:02 PM

I was most puzzled by the "you've contacted us for help" one. In the past I HAD e-mailed and never got a reply.

I actually did get a 'your parcel shipped' notification on the day it was sent.

Crocodile JD · 22-12-2003, 10:30 PM

Just had e-mail confirmation to say that it's shipped and will be with me tomorrow

(Provided someone is in when they call)

Otherwise it's a long wait in on Christmas eve as they will try a second delivery apparently and I'm off work that day.

JDJ we'll be able to compare notes soon

Cheers

Croc

rauer · 23-12-2003, 1:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Crocodile JD
It might be that the DVD25 switches a bit too easily into video mode perhaps (i.e. poor flagging upsets this player more than others)??

The Mediamatics chip that the DVD25 has is purely a flag reader. So as many if not most film originated European R2 DVD's are badly flagged as interlaced, the H/K will do the deinterlacing in video mode resulting a soft image. However, in the EzMenu there's the V-setting that determines the deinterlacing method. 0 is default and reads the flags, 1 is forced video mode and 2 is forced film mode (that's the one to use!). Unfortunately you have to select that for each DVD inserted.

In film mode and film originated material the results are OK. What's the Mediamatics' achilles heel is the video originated material which for example the Genesis/Sage/Faroudja chip handles better. Mediamatics probably only does simple bob-deinterlacing.

Crocodile JD · 23-12-2003, 3:18 PM

rauer

Thanks for the informed reply, a little late for me maybe?

. As you can see from the thread, I've ordered one now. This is the exact info I was after, I suspected as much. Question now is whether for the money there was a better choice? I know the Phillips 963SA has Faroudja but there were many accounts of Lip sync issues. Can't think of any others of the top of my head? Alternatively would one of the cheaper Prog Scan Players done just as well? Is Meadiamatics chip behind some of these players, i.e. Yam s540, Marantz 4300, Panny s75 etc

Hope you can get back to me on this rauer, look forward to your reply

Cheers

Croc

WeirdFish · 23-12-2003, 5:08 PM

Well that was todays good information for me

I shall check that out later.

Croc, don't worry the HK DVD25 is an excellent machine. I have a 6ft screen that reassures me how good it is