5 Disc progressive as good or better than RP-56? RP-91? (1 Viewer)

[Chris PC]

Any 5 disc progressive DVD players on the horizon? I have a Panasonic CV51 right now I use with my 32" NTSC. If and when I switch to a 43-65" RP HDTV, I would like to have a 5 disc progressive scan DVD player to use with it. I could get the RP-91 or RP-56 as a functional player, but I'm stuck on the 5 disc carousel. NAD and Marantz? Any other suggestions for a good 5 disc progressive thats out now or will be in the next year or so?? Any ideas??

 

[Andrew_Ballew]

JVC makes a good 7-disc progressive changer. I own one- great picture. Decent functionality.

Kenwood makes a 5 disc progressive changer, and it has the Sage chip. Haven't seen it in action, though. It is supposed to be really good.

Andrew

 

[Michael Lee]

One obvious suggestion would be the Denon DVD-4800. It has the same innards as the RP-91 but is a five-disc changer. I think it has better audio and it provides bass enhancement for DVD-A.

 

[Chris PC]

Hmm A Denon with Panasonic inards? I guess you mean mainly the chip? Those are good suggestions. What about the NAD 5 disc progressive? Whats it like again? I believe some here said its ok but slow. How does it compare in output to the 91 and 56 etc?

 

[John Kotches]

I haven't seen/heard the Denon 4800, but the Kenwood DV-5700 is quite good for video, and very good, but not great for DVD-Audio.

The JVC is cheaply made IMO, but the picture is pretty good, especially when you consider the price. The Mediamatics Pantera isn't the best deinterlacing solution around, but it does a decent job.

Regards,

 

[Steve_Snodgrass]

I'm really hoping that the new Panasonic CP72 5 disc progressive changer will fill the bill, but I don't know when it's due out. What little info I can find is here:
http://www.smr-home-theatre.org/ces2.../page_03.shtml

 

[ManojM]

I agree with John Kotches on the Kenwood DV-5700. I have demoed it back to back with a Denon 4800 (progressive scan), and the Kenwood's video is signficiantly better. I would also add that it does a pretty good job as a CD transport or for redbook CD playback.

 

[Chris PC]

Cool. I'd like to hear more about the Panasonic 5 disc CP-72 also. I wonder when its coming out. How will the video compare to the RP-56 and RP-91? Hope its decent.

 

[Jeff D]

I find it tought to believe you are comparing the RP56 and the RP91. Only similarities are they are both Progressive DVD players with DVD-A. The RP56 uses Sage/Fajorda (sp?) and the RP91 Genesis chip. Each player is good but in different areas.

I really wish there was a great way to demo some of these players. I'd like to see the kenwood with some of my test discs but no retailers have them set up on progressive displays (what's the point of that?!?!)

 

[Chris PC]

Well no, I wasn't putting them together. In fact, I'm still a little confused with that. The RP-56 has the better de-interlacer and yet the RP-91 is still better in some cases? I guess the RP-91 is better with good dvd's? Not sure. I'd actually like to have the difference between them compared a little more, but I'll wait and compare the new players later this year. I'm more interested in a 5 disc progressive so now that the CP-72 is coming out, I'm going to wait and see how that one works because Panasonic is keeping the RP-91 with the Genesis chip. Weird. Same company using apples and oranges for de-interlacing re-interleaving. Oh well. I'll wait and see later this year

 

[peter_i]

I myself have my eye on the rp-82 that is coming out in aug2002, which is when the cp-72 coming out. Does anyone know if they're using the Genesis chip on the RP-82 or the Faroujda?

 

[Chris PC]

According to the CES 2002 link posted above, all Panasonic DVD players will use the "Sage/Faroudja" chip for de-interlacing (EXCEPT the RP-91). Here's a quote from the above link:
"Once-exotic progressive DVD playback is now standard throughout Panasonic's new slate of single-disc DVD players, which all now incorporate the Sage/Faroudja deinterlacing introduced in last year's DVD-RP56, to be replaced in May/June by the $229 DVD-RP62...
...and DVD-RP82 (which adds DVD-Audio playback for $279)."
and what I'm waiting for, the CP-72;
"Also due midyear is an entry-level 5-disc DVD changer, the DVD-CV52 ($229), which will be the only player in the Panasonic line with no progressive playback capability. For that, customers need to turn to the $349 DVD- CP72."
and;
"Speaking of the DVD-RP91, contrary to some online reports this venerable model remains in production. Incorporating superior video performance derived from the company's flagship H-2000, as well as video scaling for 4:3 material, DVD-Audio, and a host of picture customizing capabilities. The DVD-RP91 still uses the Genesis chip for its deinterlacing (which allows player-based scaling), rather than the more video-tolerant Sage/Faroudja chip in the new player line. Models manufactured since July/August also incorporate a firmware fix for a left image shift on some displays."
So there you go

 

[JohnnyG]

For the Canadians here, the progressive players that will be available in Canada are:

DVD-RP62 - May, approx. $349.

DVD-RP82(DVD-A) - No info at this time.

DVD-CP67 (5-disc) - June, approx. $399

DVD-RP91 (carry-over), no price change

What I'd really like to see (and own personally) is a reasonably priced 5-disc progressive scan and DVD-Audio player. Seems perfectly logical to me, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards for the brands I carry.

 

[peter_i]

Thanks for the quote, John and the phone quotes.

Does anyone know when the RP-82 will be released in Canada and for how much, Canadian?

 

[Chris PC]

Really eh? So the CP72 is not going to be in Canada? What about the CP67 you mention? Is that interlaced?

 

[John Kotches]

Chris,

I'm sure Don will step in here and straighten me out if I totally botch this one.

There are 3 major functional components to the digital video portion of a progressive DVD player.

1) MPEG decoder

Takes the MPEG data from the transport, and decodes it into fields.

2) Deinterlacing engine

Combines fields from MPEG decoder into progressive frames

3) Video DAC

Converts digital signals into analog (just like an Audio DAC).

The RP-56 and RP-91 share the same MPEG decoder, but utilize different deinterlacing engines (Sage/Faroudja and Genesis respectively).

I don't know about Video DACs between these two players.

There are a slew of other items involved in picture quality, so it isn't all about the MPEG decoder and deinterlacing engine.

Regards,

 

[JohnnyG]

Chris, those are all progressive scan players.

 

[Chris PC]

OK, so the DVD CP67 is a progressive scan 5 disc carousel? But no DVD audio? I'm not interested in DVD audio. Man, if that CP67 is in USD thats not a bad deal if its better than the RP56. My guess is it'll be pretty much the same quality? how do they compare? My $375.00 CAD CV51 will do for now I guess (bought last June 2001), until I go progressive display

 

[JohnnyG]

Those prices I indicated are in Canadian dollars! I also guessed at what a typical street price would be, so you may even find them for less.

 

[Chris PC]

Cool. I'll guess I'll wait and see.