Best DVD player for PTAE500

brad123

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2002
Messages
6,399
Reaction score
286
Points
2,020
Location
Yorkshire
OK im upgrading soon from a 100 to a 500. Now at the moment im using a compak £50 player from safeways. Is this going to do a good job for the new 500 projector or am i best upgrading the dvd payer to get the best picture possible from the 500.

Will those old philips 963sa everyoe raved about last year do the job.
 
I've posted a pretty similar thread below mark, seems the Sony 730 at £120 offers good price/performance however may not take full advantage of an AE500.

The Philips 963 is a year old now and I've read many issues about quality so I dare say there are better players out there now.
 
While the Sony 730 has an excellent image whats the dvd drive like for noise, reading, copied media etc. How does it cope with the layer change or older dirty/scratched dvds? Whats the picture search like, can it do animated picture search faster than 2x?
 
Surly the best DVD player for any type of screen is the one which will give the best output. How much do you want to spend?
for the £400 of a 963a phillips I would go for the Pioneer DV-656A.
 
I've partnered an HK2550 (£250) to take advantage of progressive scan capabilities of dvd player & ae500: IMO the result is superb..
 
To get the most from the AE500 you should use a DVD player with a DVI output; something like a Samsung HD935 or a Yamakawa, or a player with HDMI (Marantz, Pioneer etc) and a converter cable.

By limiting yourself to players with component outputs you're never going to see what the 500 is truly capable of.

Adam
 
Whats all this DVI malarky. Can somebody explain please. Is this better the component.

I wnat to take my cinema experience to the next level up. Would there be a big leap in qiality from my PTAE100 and £50 compak player from safeways.

So whats the cheapest DVD player with DVI output and why is DVI so good.

Cheers
 
DVI is good because it keeps the signal path from the player to output device in the digital domain.

No lossy (mostly) conversions between Analogue and Digital (and Vice Versa).

Hence, better picture.
 
Not being too familliar with projectors, I too am thinking about getting a Panasonic 500. Now if I purchased one of the DVI dvd players is it just a simple case of buying the correct cables and off I go. I think what I'm trying to get at is, does the Panasonic 500 have a DVI input?. Or is it a bit more complicated than that.

£150 for a DVD player isn't bad, is it.

Thanks,

Sam
 
Yes the Ae500 has a DVi input, this is the best way to go.
For cheapness go for the samsung HD935 dvd player, but avoid upscaling pal discs to 720p, stick to 625p progressive scan or you will get juddery pans.
I am pretty sue you will need an inline signal booster if you go over 5 metres with a DVi cable. take a look at the Ae500 threads on the projector section of this forum.
 
Thanks for the information and the speedy responce Timh.

I will look into it. Mind you, I think that I will place the DVD and the amp quite close to the projector, just so I don't have to run too many cables.

Another question, I have read a review that suggest's that it's best if you don't use keystone correction. I am thinking about mounting my projector on the ceiling and wondered, do people use a mount that lets them move the unit down to the level required, or if you place it on the ceiling how far down the wall does the image appear?

Maybe a dumb question but I have never had a projector before.

Any help appreciated.

Sam
 
I'm using the Samsung HD935 with the AE500 and the difference between this setup and the AE100 coupled to many different dvd players, is outstanding. DVI is definately best, i tried Starship Troopers out last night and the clarity is amazing, Shrek almost looks 3-D. You can't fall off for the price.:clap: :laugh: :zonked: :zonked:
 
Originally posted by sam100
Another question, I have read a review that suggest's that it's best if you don't use keystone correction. I am thinking about mounting my projector on the ceiling and wondered, do people use a mount that lets them move the unit down to the level required, or if you place it on the ceiling how far down the wall does the image appear?

Codgitated long and hard about this one myself. I didn't want to use the keystone unless I had to. I came up with a solution that suits us.

The proj hangs 2'6" from the ceiling and is on runners. The advantage of this is that very little keystone is required and when not in use the proj can be rolled into a corner of the room.
 
Thanks guys, very useful information. The Samsung sounds like a good choice then as far as DVD players go. And what an ingenious way of mounting your projector, I would have never thought of that. Do you have any pictures?

How does everyone else combat this issue? I could drop mine about 12 inch's from the ceiling without really noticing it as there's a supporting wall going into a conservatory. How far down the wall would the top of the image be roughly, does anyone have an idea?

All thoughts greatly appreciated.

Sam
 
Sam

My AE100 hangs approx 30cm from the ceiling and the top of the image projects approx 46cm from the ceiling, this is when using -2 keystone. I didn't find it made much differance in picture quality when using keystone. Many will not use keystone and if you can get away with it, then don't use it.

Tip: when switching the projector off always use the standbye as this allows the fan to cool the lamp down.

p.s Panasonic give 12 months warranty, I believe Sanyo still give 24 months, bare this in mind when purchasing, as Sanyo do the Z2 which is similer to the AE500 in specs.

I may be tempted to go for the Samsung myself even though I do not have DVI on my PJ :(
 
Sam,

I have just sent you an email. In the meantime, a quick overview of the projector mount.

I got 2 DIY wardrobe sliding door kits. The rails are fastened parallel to each other on the ceiling and the projector hangs from this on a home made mount. The cables are slung on a slider from the door kit so that no undue strain is put on the proj connectors.

Our proj is in the dining room and the screen is in the living room. So we can slide the connecting doors 'nearly' together and keep out the projector noise.

Hope this helps.
 
Just purchased an PT500 and also a HK31 - saw a demo with a HK25 and it looked the bee knees.

Not sure what cables are to get now? Have been recomended some QED ones - any suggestions? Woody?
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom