Sigismund
Distinguished Member
It's alive... I mean arrived
First of all I disconnected my Panny DVDS97, plugged in the new Philly, connected my AE700 with the Panny's HDMi lead - no lead with the 9000 pressed the eject button and popped in DVE. This immediately showed that the player doesn't appear to pass a blacker than black signal - the left hand bar is not visible. Hmmm.
I set up contrast and colour, ejected DVE and replaced it with Star Wars II: A.O.T.C. Very nice! Subjectively, the image appears very similar to that using the Panny.
Now, when I used the True Life function of the Philips 963 the image suffered from jaggies if I set it to anything above +1. The True Life function on the 9000 doesn't have the same problem - it really makes a difference to the image, giving it a much more 3D look, without causing any immediately apparent artifacts.
One scene I use to check for macroblocking is the group meeting in AOTC - I think it's chapter 4. The red walls show up macroblocking quite clearly on the Panny. I didn't notice any MB using the 9000, so it does seem to be better in that respect - at least when combined to my AE700.
The menu system is certainly better than the one used in the 963 - at least the movie continues as the setup menu is accessed. For some reason Black Level - I can't remember exactly what it's called - cannot be chosen?
DCDi is set to on as a default, unlike the 963.
As I tinkered with things it soon became clear that the unit isn't free of a few little bugs. For instance, if I chose the Sharpness setting, which comes up as a sliding adjustment, and set it to 2, then moved the slider back to the zero setting and pushed left one more time... the DVD ejected! There is no eject button on the remote. Speaking of the remote, I really like it and it's much better than the 963's, and my initial feeling is that it's pretty much on a par with the Panny's remote, but in a much sleeker body - very much like the DVD player itself.
To sum up my initial reaction - subjectively, image quality is excellent, although I suspect that when it is put through its paces with my soon to be delivered HQV test disc, it will be beaten by the Panasonic DVDS97.
Audio wise it's a no contest - this thing is awesome in comparison.
All in all - so far - I'm very happy. I should say that I believe a DVD player really shows how good an image it can put out not by playing a DVD that has been blessed with an excellent transfer, but rather one that is poor to mediocre. For instance, the Region 3 release of The Bodyguard. When I viewed this on the 963 it looked truly awful - soft and with high levels of video noise. If I was reviewing the DVD I'd have given it a 3 or 4 for picture. Placing it in the Panny completely changed things. Gone was the noise, and now the image looked reasonably sharp! Easily a 6 or 7 out of ten! It's pretty much the same when using the HDMi out on the Philips. It's still clear that the image isn't the best ever, but it no longer looks like poo!
All in all I'm happy. I now feel like I have a DVD player that satisfies me both image and audio wise. The Panasonic has excellent image combined with mediocre sound. I'd rate the Philips DVD9000 as perhaps not quite as good in the picture department as the Panny, but head and shoulders above it as far as audio is concerned.
I have my fingers crossed that Philips will come up with a firmware update to iron out the few bugs.
EDIT: Some less enthusiastic thoughts...
I cannot seem to adjust contrast, colour or brightness using the DVD player's settings. Also, horizontal pans seem jerky... at least on DVE - I haven't had a chance to check this whilst watching a movie.
There are a number of things that are beginning to bug me a little too much, but hopefully I'll come to terms with the machine before too long. I've got my fingers strenuously crossed that this particular unit isn't faulty...
First of all I disconnected my Panny DVDS97, plugged in the new Philly, connected my AE700 with the Panny's HDMi lead - no lead with the 9000 pressed the eject button and popped in DVE. This immediately showed that the player doesn't appear to pass a blacker than black signal - the left hand bar is not visible. Hmmm.
I set up contrast and colour, ejected DVE and replaced it with Star Wars II: A.O.T.C. Very nice! Subjectively, the image appears very similar to that using the Panny.
Now, when I used the True Life function of the Philips 963 the image suffered from jaggies if I set it to anything above +1. The True Life function on the 9000 doesn't have the same problem - it really makes a difference to the image, giving it a much more 3D look, without causing any immediately apparent artifacts.
One scene I use to check for macroblocking is the group meeting in AOTC - I think it's chapter 4. The red walls show up macroblocking quite clearly on the Panny. I didn't notice any MB using the 9000, so it does seem to be better in that respect - at least when combined to my AE700.
The menu system is certainly better than the one used in the 963 - at least the movie continues as the setup menu is accessed. For some reason Black Level - I can't remember exactly what it's called - cannot be chosen?
DCDi is set to on as a default, unlike the 963.
As I tinkered with things it soon became clear that the unit isn't free of a few little bugs. For instance, if I chose the Sharpness setting, which comes up as a sliding adjustment, and set it to 2, then moved the slider back to the zero setting and pushed left one more time... the DVD ejected! There is no eject button on the remote. Speaking of the remote, I really like it and it's much better than the 963's, and my initial feeling is that it's pretty much on a par with the Panny's remote, but in a much sleeker body - very much like the DVD player itself.
To sum up my initial reaction - subjectively, image quality is excellent, although I suspect that when it is put through its paces with my soon to be delivered HQV test disc, it will be beaten by the Panasonic DVDS97.
Audio wise it's a no contest - this thing is awesome in comparison.
All in all - so far - I'm very happy. I should say that I believe a DVD player really shows how good an image it can put out not by playing a DVD that has been blessed with an excellent transfer, but rather one that is poor to mediocre. For instance, the Region 3 release of The Bodyguard. When I viewed this on the 963 it looked truly awful - soft and with high levels of video noise. If I was reviewing the DVD I'd have given it a 3 or 4 for picture. Placing it in the Panny completely changed things. Gone was the noise, and now the image looked reasonably sharp! Easily a 6 or 7 out of ten! It's pretty much the same when using the HDMi out on the Philips. It's still clear that the image isn't the best ever, but it no longer looks like poo!
All in all I'm happy. I now feel like I have a DVD player that satisfies me both image and audio wise. The Panasonic has excellent image combined with mediocre sound. I'd rate the Philips DVD9000 as perhaps not quite as good in the picture department as the Panny, but head and shoulders above it as far as audio is concerned.
I have my fingers crossed that Philips will come up with a firmware update to iron out the few bugs.
EDIT: Some less enthusiastic thoughts...
I cannot seem to adjust contrast, colour or brightness using the DVD player's settings. Also, horizontal pans seem jerky... at least on DVE - I haven't had a chance to check this whilst watching a movie.
There are a number of things that are beginning to bug me a little too much, but hopefully I'll come to terms with the machine before too long. I've got my fingers strenuously crossed that this particular unit isn't faulty...