Panny CP72K vs. JVC XV-FA900BK (1 Viewer)

[dpippel]

Since 99% of the DVDs I own are sourced from film material, it's film mode deinterlacing that most interested me when I evaluated these players. Video mode deinterlacing capabilites weren't a deal breaker. Automatic mode detection can easily be overidden if it's a problem on an improperly flagged disc.

JasonLC - I'm glad you're happy with your RP82. My experience with it was different. I certainly didn't notice a "HUGE" difference between it and the JVC on "Monster's Inc." or "Toy Story 2" (both of which I tested). Now on supplemental DVD materials like making-of documentaries and TV-based sources like "Bablyon 5: The Complete First Season", the Panasonic definitely looked superior. However, I still preferred the film mode deinterlacing on the JVC and was willing to accept its shortcomings on video material to get it.

The other problem with the RP82 is that it's been discontinued and is almost impossible to find. It's essentially vaporware right now if you don't already own one, making its superiority pretty much a moot point.

 

[JasonLC]

There is always the CP72(Exact Same Video Section As RP82) though which is actually cheaper then the RP82 after Mail-In Rebate and is readily available.

 

[JoeKreidler]

Ed,

I am hoping you can help me here. I also have the 900 and am more than happy with it. Just sold my KP51hw40 to my father and upgraded to the Mits 65611. Film Pic on both sets is stunning to my eye. I upgraded to the 900 from a Sony 700P. What I need help with is this. I have the 5.1 analog outputs connected to the 5.1 inputs on my H/K AVR525, and I can't get the JVC to let me into the bass management menu, it just skips over the 'Speaker' selection tab in the menu. My H/K does have it's own Bass Management system and I do have that set to cross my rears at 100Hz, and I have large front, and centers set also. Were you able to set the bass management in your 900 and is your setup similar? This is frustrating, I have disconnected all other audio connections from the rear of the 900 except the analog 5.1 and tried the menu to no avail also. Also, do I even need to get into the Bass Management on the 900 since my rcvr has it's own?
Any help is appreciated,
JK

 

[EdD]

Joe,
Is there a reason you want to use 5.1 inputs to your H/K rather than use digital audio? The AVR525 has all of audio decoding you will probably need. There is an analog audio setup menu item which lets you select whether you want to use the analog audio connectores for 2ch or 5.1ch. Make sure that is set to 5.1ch. I have not connected using the analog 5.1 so I have not gone through all of the menus but if your analog output is not set to 5.1 then it might prevent bass management. Of course you probably would have noticed that you are not getting sound out of your surround channels. Another item to check is to make sure you have the subwoofer activated in the jvc setup. I'll take a look at the menus and let me know if I see anything.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Is there a reason you want to use 5.1 inputs to your H/K rather than use digital audio? The AVR525 has all of audio decoding you will probably need.

Maybe he is trying to do this for DVD-Audio output. AFAIK, the JVC and all other current players in this lower price range cannot do bass management for DVD-Audio. Well, ok, the Philips 963sa, which just came out here in the US, has bass management control although it costs a bit more at $400-500.
_Man_
PS: My bad! The Philips 963sa only does SACD, not DVD-A. Sorry, so none of them does it then...

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

JasonLC wrote:
There is always the CP72(Exact Same Video Section As RP82) though which is actually cheaper then the RP82 after Mail-In Rebate and is readily available.

For my money, a new player must have good scaling/aspect ratio control functionality. That's one important feature the CP72/RP82 do not have that the JVC's do.
IF as Doug says that one can force the JVC into film mode, then that's probably good enough for me since I have very few video-sourced DVDs beyond the extras content. I have plenty more non-16x9 film-sourced DVDs that could use good scaling, instead of TV zoom.
I was actually going to get the Philips 963sa to get the best of both worlds, but now, it sounds like it might have a problem doing the aspect ratio control I need. We shall see. If the problem is real for the US version, I guess I'm back to considering a modded JVC 600 player.
_Man_

 

[JoeKreidler]

Gents,

*This is in regards to DVD-A. I can hear DVD-A fine, and the receivers bass management works to keep my rears from exploding, so I porobably should leave well enough alone. I do have the digital coaxial cable hooked up to my H/K Rcvr for DD,DTS sources, but there is the option for Bass Management when listening to DVD-A on the JVC XV-FA900BK that I have, I just can't get into that menu. I think this is because my Rcvr has it's own Bass Management Circuitry built-in.

*You can force the 900 into one of three modes (Film, Video, or Auto). A co-hort of mine has the RP-82 hooked up to the Mits 65611(same set I own) and neither of us can tell a difference on Film sources. We have both used the Avia disk to calibrate our sets and fix the Red Push also. On Video sources there is a slight difference as previously stated by others. A key disc we found for this test is the Santana and Friends Live Concert. Track 3 with Sarah McLachlan on Piano has a scene that pans the keys on the piano and here you can see more stairstepping on the JVC than on the Panasonic, but it's is not very significant.

 

[dpippel]

There is always the CP72(Exact Same Video Section As RP82) though which is actually cheaper then the RP82 after Mail-In Rebate and is readily available.

The CP72 has some possible quality control issues - faulty input grounding on some units causing a flashing band problem in video playback. It also lacks a coaxial audio out - optical only.

 

[Adil M]

A quick ? aimed at Don or anyone willing to answer:

Why would I ever want to do the scaling from the TV rather than in the DVD player?

 

[Don Munsil]

As I mentioned above, the picture quality on properly flagged discs on the JVC is very good, really in the same ballpark as the RP82. However, forcing it into film mode doesn't really help with most of its deinterlacing issues. It will help with films encoded with the alternating progressive flag, like Monster's Inc and Beauty and the Beast, but that's about it. On other material that was shot on film but transferred to the disc as video, forced film mode will just cause constant combing. Try it on, say, Buffy or the X-Files, which are shot on film, and it's just unwatchable. An RP-82 (or other player with a good deinterlacer) will handle these great. Hence the difference in score.

Adil,

There's no special reason to do the scaling in the TV. If your TV's scaling is better or more convenient than the DVD player's, then use the TV. If the DVD player's is better, use the DVD player.

All TVs that take 480p input are supposed to have aspect ratio control. It's clearly stated in the HDTV table of formats. Scaling in the DVD player is a nice bonus, but it's not supposed to be necessary. Unfortunately, many HDTVs were sold with the aspect ratio controls disabled with 480p signals, thereby forcing people to limit their choice of progressive DVD player, or use the interlaced output for 4x3 and non-anamorphic letterboxed material.

All other things being equal, scaling the image in the DVD player is often more convenient because the DVD player has access to the disc flags and can make the correct aspect ratio decision automatically in many cases (when the flags are correct, anyway).

Don

 

[dpippel]

Don - The JVC can be forced into either film mode or video mode.

 

[Don Munsil]

Doug,

I'm aware of that. Neither helps, overall. In film mode, as I mentioned already, it combs on lots of material. In video mode, you lose vertical resolution. More to the point, why should you have to adjust the deinterlacing mode for every disc (or section of a disc), when a quality deinterlacer will handle all discs automatically?

Doug, the deinterlacing on the JVC is sub-par. This is not a controversial or new statement, and I can (and have) backed it up with actual testing of real discs. We at Secrets first looked at JVC dvd players more than 2 years ago, and pointed out all the deinterlacing quirks in abundant detail. They haven't changed substantially since then. I think you have every right to buy whatever DVD player meets your needs, but don't try to convince me that it's just as good as an RP-82, because it's not.

Don

 

[JasonLC]

AMEN!!!

 

[JoeKreidler]

Quick Poll:

Which Player is Prettier?

You know kind of like if you looked in the mirror and realized you weren't actually looking at yourself, but an image unlike someone else.

Is there any difference in the durability of the player's during action scene's, does one handle the explosions better than the other? One day while riding in my car I thought about how if I put the JVC underneath my rear end in the driver's seat I could actually see the road ahead better.

Thanks in advance for your replies.
Joe

 

[jeff lam]

Don,
When do you expect to have the CP72 fully tested and numbers up on the site?

Thanks!

 

[Don Munsil]

Joe,
I can't address your specific concerns, but I think the Pioneers have the best suitability for Feng Shui adjustments of your living space.
Jeff,
We need a CP-72. If someone in the greater Seattle area wants to lend us one, we'll measure it and put it up. An XP-50 would be great as well.
Don

 

[JoeKreidler]

Verdy Verdy Nice!!!!

Tanks for the reply and keep up the hard work on the reviews.
JK

 

[dpippel]

Don - I'm not trying to convince you of anything, really. What I was attempting to point out is that in my experience with the JVC, its deinterlacer works great on the MAJORITY of DVD software out there. When it's working great it looks just as good as the RP82. Perhaps you can point out some DVD titles that will display its shortcomings. I tested over 4 dozen discs on this player over a 3 day period and only noticed issues with a few video based titles, and of course most supplemental material.

 

[JoeKreidler]

Verdy Verdy Nice!!!!

Tanks for the reply and keep up the hard work on the reviews.
JK

 

[Don Munsil]

When it's working great, it does look essentially just as good as the RP-82. When it isn't, it doesn't look nearly as good. That's it - you hit the nail on the head.

It's worth noting that almost all DVDs, even top Hollywood titles, have at least a few flag issues over the running time of the disc. Did you look at our "Guide to the Progressive Scan Shootout?" We list a bunch of top discs and the number of times the disc varied from the standard 3-2 cadence. We picked the discs by looking at the top sellers list at Amazon, and all of them had issues. Not just a few; all of them.

Now, are you going to notice if your player drops to video mode for a few frames here and there during the course of a movie? Maybe, maybe not. On some scenes, it'll jump right out at you. On others, it will be too subtle to see. Personally, I want to buy a player where that isn't even an issue.

Don