DigitalDuck

OK, thanks for everyones feedback on the tv decision...I went with the Panny 50PX75U but now i need a new dvd player because mine is an old Sony model that was included in a lawsuit because it had manufac. problems and ive had it for a long time..Ill be getting it at 4 when I get off work..

I (think) I want to go with an upconverting player for obvous reasons, but since ill be buying it from BB and ive already bought an expesive TV (which I pricematched from Sears) thanks 6Shelby... so I dont need an expensive one..but a decent one..

ideas would very much be appreciated, thanks!!!!!!

Chew

Are things like PAL/NTSC, divx play, etc important? Or do you just want a good upconverting player that BB stocks?

DigitalDuck

Hmm..good point it would be nice if it played mp3 discs and -r, +r because thats something I have problems wiht with my current one.. NTSC of course, and divx would be cool..but not needed.

Chew

I would check out the Pioneer DV-400V-K, which is on sale for under $100. Until I bought my Oppo, the Pioneer I had was the best quality I've had on my players.

The Sony DVPNS77H is also supposed to be pretty good, but the feature list isn't nearly as long.

DigitalDuck

Awesome, thanks Chew..too bad the Pioneer doesnt include optical audio..that doesnt make sense.. I knew the Sony would, heck my old Sony even has it.

Chew

Do you have an HDMI receiver?

Otherwise, I guess it's just what's more important. The extra features of the Pioneer or optical on the Sony?

DigitalDuck

Nope..I have an ooold Pioneeer receiver that I bought along with my old KLH speakers (haha) so yeah, I was using dixigtal coax to the receiver until I got into optical (handfull of people who will say there's no difference, I know) so no HDMI on receiver, its anotehr purchase later... tv (got it) dvd player, speakers, receiver..

68ShelbyGT500KR

Philips DVP5982/37

It has USB, Plays DVD +-R. Divx, Coax, not optical. This one goes on sale alot. Was $50 during Thanksgiving.

EDIT: What DVD/CD Burining program do you use? When I have DVD +R Discs, I change the Bit setting in Nero to make the DVD Player "think" it is a DVD -R. I Alot of the older DVD Players didn't read DVD +R's. Plus, You want quality media. The Media (Blank discs) are more important for DVD's than CD's..

Congrats on your new Plasma. By the way, Make sure for each input you change the factory default "Vivid" to "standard" in the Picture settings.

Sdallnct

Unless you are trying to keep under $75 or so, my regular DVD player recommendation is the Toshibia HD A2/A3...Very good upconverting DVD player + HD. Which would look sweet on your new Plasma. At about $150, good value even if you are not looking for a HD player.

DigitalDuck

WooHoo!!! Got my Panny tonight and so far it looks great.... I watched the new Die hard on it tonight and that brings up a question...excuse me for being an upconverting newbie, but I have the option in the player menu to change the output video resolution.. do I leave it at 720 or change it to 1080 and that is what does the upconverting? It isnt somethign that just happens by itself correct?

Thanks!! by the way...input on this please... I got a Pioneer dvd player which model eludes me at the moment, but it was because the sony that I wanted didnt plya divx or wva or maybe even mp3's but it did have an optical out which i wanted....however the pioneer or panasonic both played all formats even though they only have digital coax audio.. oh well..it will have to due...too bad though because i was looking at the Sony...

These are the three that I looked at:

Panasonic
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1169857842857

Pioneer
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1172880153365

Sony
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1168044400579

I ended up with the Pioneer...but might get the panny

I do have a question about how I have everythign hooked up....

I have to use HDMI from dvd to tv but then digital coax from dvd to receiver..

Could I do something like HDMI from dvd to tv also and then do like an optical out to receiver? Would it send the info in and then out again? Im just trying to find an easier way for everything...

Chew

Regarding upconversion, and I'm hardly an expert, but can you set the player at 480p? IMO, the TV is going to do a better job of converting the signal to it's own native resolution. Otherwise, I would leave the player set as close to the TVs native resolution as possible, 720.

Is your intention of going HDMI to the TV and then optical out to the receiver only to avoid using the coax of your DVD player? I'm using coax on one of my changers and have no complaints. I guess from a psychological standpoint you're thinking optical > coax?

DigitalDuck

I guess since I cant go HDMI for audio also, I wanted to go optical to receiver but the only way to do that would be to go to HDMI to tv, then optical out from tv to receiver... now that i think about it..Im not sure if that would work, because its not the tv's signal (audo) that will be going to receiver it would be the dvd...so going through another channel im not sure..

Question about teh receiver... i have it in myh car right now in case I want to take it basck.. I wasnt aware that Panny had a Sync function that you could sync up other Panny (of course) components... and I cant take advantage of it since its a pioneer player.. but the panny is sleaker and still plays all the same things (I think) I cant remember why I went with the pioneer instead... oh I know..it was because it looked like they were tryint to split the dig. coax in two on the back, but it was just how things were layed out.. its still the same...

So take the pioneer back? Its only one component id be able to "control" but what the hey..

So set the player to its native (720) and it will upconvert? Will it just upconvert to the highest possible.. or do i have to tell it I want it to convert to 1080?

Chew

The "native" resolution I was talking about is the TV's resolution: 768p.

Regardless of the source material, the TV is going to convert the signal into 768p. Which means I wouldn't want my DVD player set to upconvert to 1080i only to have the TV convert that to 768p.

Set the DVD player to 480p and let the TV do the conversion. Or, if that's not a possible player setting, set the DVD player to 720p.

How about just getting a Harmony remote as well to have one remote control everything?

DigitalDuck

Haha...yeah, im going to (possibly) take the dvd back and get the panny after rerading the reviews.. it hasnt even been a day soo....

Ok, so set the dvd to 720 and not 1080 and let it "upconvert" and hope I notice a difference or anything...what about the way the cables are routed...will that even work how I described it? Or do I have to stick with coax...I guess Im not concerned that I cant use optical..im just wondering if that would work

Now I have a problem of what to do with my center speaker.. haha also I have to look for a thread of calibrating the tv...

Chew

It's questionable how important this is, but I'm doing it anyway: a break-in period. (and I have the exact same TV, just delivered Monday)

Read about it and download the break-in DVD here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=583089

I've never tried HDMI to a TV and then optical to a receiver, I have no clue on that plan.

DigitalDuck

Wow..I was just looking on avs forum and dl the breakin dvd... thanks for the link though.. ill see how it goes after work...looking forward to better settings...

68ShelbyGT500KR

Digital,

I have my Toshiba HD A3 hooked up this way:

Video=DVD>TV (HDMI)
Audio-DVD>Receiver (Optical)

I have my Panasonic Plasma Internal speakers turned off. If I am watching a DVD on the Toshiba and then switch inputs via the TV's remote, to say the TV as the source, I willl have NO sound. I will have to power-off the DVD player to hear the regular TV broadcast.

Check out some of these Picture Settings . Be easy the first 100 hrs and keep each input off the factory "vivid' mode!

Yo can check the amount of hours and Number of times the Plasma has been turned on, but I don't have the sequence for your Plasma available now.

Also, your Panny DVD can be region free via this link

68ShelbyGT500KR

Here is an AVS thread to get to know your Plasma during your spare time.

Chew

124 pages? Is there a highlights version?

DigitalDuck

Hey guys... here is my plasma so far...sorry about the pics, took them quick this morning while I was walking out the door.

Question:

I didnt want to make this a seperate thread since I have one at the top, but I dont know what to do at this point with my ceonter speaker.. I did want to mount the tv on the wall but I dont have the time for it right now and I just got it yesterday, so it can wait.

However, now im stuck with a cntr speaker that Im not sure where to put it.. having said this I know that the best place will probably be above the tv just slightly even though its a bigger center and I dont want to be hearing voices coming from the floor in front of the tv.. ill get new speakers but the tv and new dvd player was first..

Also, you know what... I was watching a movign last night and I dont know why, but the sounds (sounded) much more clear... i dont know if it was because I am using a new dvd player instead of my 8 yrd old sony, but even that was using dd and I was still using the dig coax, but I was having a lot of problems with it also..so maybe its just in my mind, but it sure sounded better.. I even noticed more sound coming from my rears where I didnt before.. who knows..

TV Pic 1 Tv Pic 2

Chew

This is the TV I replaced, I had my center just sitting on the top of it:



This is close to the stand I have now and the center is on the shelf in the middle.



So it's about 4-5ft lower and I honestly don't notice a difference.

DigitalDuck

Hmm... I guess I could put the speaker on top of the dvr and just leave the glass open when im using it (assuming there is enough clearance)... wow, i serously didnt even think of it.. that might be the way to go.. I thought on top of it mounted would be cool..but also an eyes sore since its a bigger center.. and it cant sit on top of the tv (i tried) unless I mount it

Spiky

Just hold the Down Arrow button down and learn to read fast.