Gabe666

Thinking about picking up the new Malata, which I would be using as my sole player.
Besides the region-free capability, how is the actual quality of the player, and how does it compare to regular players in the same price-range?
I would be viewing it on a 32" Wega, so progressive scan doesn't mean anything to me.
Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks!

roseart

I use it as my primary player. I have only had it for a couple of months, and I love it. I think it is a great player, and have heard many great things. Allot of the bad things I have heard have been fixed by firmware upgrades, which is nice cause you would buy it with the latest firmware like me.

I really like the PAL to NTSC converter. There are allot of PAL discs I can enjoy now (HKL DVDs, UK, French).

The DTS and DD5.1 converters are nice too.

If you do a search for Malata, you should find threads that can answer more of you questions.

Hope this helps.

dyerjp

i also use it as my primary player now since i usually watch the dvds that aren't region 1 now

Doc Moonlight

I also have the N-966 and use it as my primary player. I'm very happy with the picture quality and features. I bought it intending to use it as a back-up player for the times when I wanted to play non region 1 DVDs, but have found that the picture is just as good as my Pioneer player, so I moved the Pioneer to the bedroom. I especially like the X-Y scaling which is great for letterboxed non-anamorphic releases.

kevin75

yup. it's my one and only player, well besides my computer that is.

ScreachingWeasel

I use it as my primary player, but I like my Pioneer better for NTSC titles. Unfortunately I don't have room in my current entertainment center for both players(or my record player ). I really don't like how you have to switch the setting every time there is a non anamorphic disc in use. Quality wise though it seems fine.

stingo

The Malata is my primary player too. I bought it as a stopgap while my Sony (DVP-530 I think) was to have the lip sync problem taken care of. Well, here we are a few months after, and the Malata is still the primary. The Sony plays discs a little better than the Malata, but of course it can only play Region 1. As it is now I scan the comparison sites to find the best DVD (from any region) of a movie and buy it. Not to mention the other region exclusives too. I am very happy with my purchase, and would buy another in a heartbeat.

deathboy

It's my primary DVD player and I couldn't be happier about that. This player has opened up all sorts of possibilities for me. A ton of stuff that I couldn't get before, is no problem now. Just the Futurama and Family Guy sets have amde the purchase worth it...

The Bus

Do any of you guys have HDTVs? How does the Malata playback seem on a bigger screen? Do the Malatas do progressive playback and do they have component out?

Matt Stevens

Yes. Yes. Yes and Yes.

ScreachingWeasel

I have a Panasonic 36 inch HD set, so it's not really that big. Like Matt said it does have component outs. As far as the progressive thing goes I usually only use it on discs that are mastered well. A lot of my HK dvds look really bad with the progressive mode in effect. They lack good color and seem really washed out. Maybe the problem is my tv though. Maybe the this doesn't happen on rptvs.

carnifern

I have a Panasonic 47" widescxreen HDTV and the Malata plays DVDs beautifully on it. I really don't feel the need for another player.

late_but_earnest

I was using my Malata as my primary player.

A couple of weeks after I purchased it, I noticed a faint set of vertical bars on the screen. After a while it became quite annoying.

When I replaced the player with a panasonic rp56, the artifact disappeared.

I called av deals and they suggested getting the firmware update.

I'll let you know how that turns out.

But to answer your question, I only use my malata for non r1 discs.

constantine

>>>I called av deals and they suggested getting the firmware update.


I notice that the new Malata player(520) has an upgrade switch for firmware updates.
How does one go about getting these updates?

Thanks,
Dave

Matt Stevens

The black bars do appear when a certain type of all black signal is received. No one knows why. It rarely happens, so it doesn't bother me (and I am picky).

late_but_earnest

>>> The black bars do appear when a certain type of all black signal is received. No one knows why. It rarely happens, so it doesn't bother me (and I am picky).


Well Matt, I knew I was obsessive/compulsive, but I think that you just handed me the ultimate compliment.

Did the fimware upgrade make it any better?

Since I am using my Malata as a second player are there any legitimate reasons to do the firmware upgrade?

Andras

Stingo: What sites do you use for this? The ones I use are Region 1 only.

stingo

the one I use most often is dvdcompare - have gotten a lot of good editions that way - like A League of their Own (more extras), Eyes Wide Shut (uncensored), Nosferatu (tinted version), Chariots of Fire (widescreen) among others...