Budget Progressive Player? (1 Viewer)

[Taka]

Hi all-

My Home Theater is slowly coming along, so I thought I'd get some input on something that I've been looking at casually for a while now.

How do the current crop of progressive scan DVD players in the sub $1000 range perform?

I've read reviews on the Sony NS-700P, the Panasonic RP-91 and the Denon 2800 and have not been able to figure out whether the Sony or the Panasonic measure up to the Denon or not. Also, I'm wondering if there are any other good alternatives.

The problem is, most stores do not carry all of these players (esp. the Denon), so it is hard to compare them side-by-side.

Are there any "giant killer" players in this price range? I have a Sony 530D right now, nothing special- connected to my Hitachi 32UDX10S HD capable TV w/ Monster M1000 component cables. I'd like to achieve a quantum leap in performance and am willing to wait for that killer player to show up on the market, if it's not there yet. I'm trying to keep the price reasonable, so if a Panasonic RP-56 can do the trick at only $230, that's what I'll get.

Thanks.

 

[Rob Robinson]

based on RonP's shoot out, and a couple other articles I found about the web, I picked up a JVC XGD65..it's just over $200, and the film quality is really top notch; no chroma bug. The only downside is that i've read that the progressive scan mode isn't top notch when handling video based materials- i've not noticed, as i watch film based materials (on a tosh 40H80, for what it's worth).

I suggest you check it out- the extra $600 can buy quite a few DVDs....

(btw- for film based material, numerous folks have commented that the jvc tops the highly prised panny)

 

[Taka]

Rob,

Thanks for the quick reply- do you have a link for this shootout? I'll search the web to see what I can find.

The JVC- are you saying it beats the RP-56 or the -91 or both? What about the Sony 700?

Thanks.

P.S. To follow up- I found an article on the web titled something like "Progressive DVD Shootout," with a 2nd shootout in August 2001. Is this the shootout that you speak of? In it, it looks like the Panasonic RP-56 is a true giant-killer of a player, blowing away lots of the competition at a very low price.

What about the Philips Q30? I've never even heard of this player, but it apparently is a very good player.

I may get the RP-56 (it's so cheap!) and then give my Sony 30D to my parents as they do not have a DVD player.

Taka