Andrew_Ballew
Second Unit
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2002
- Messages
- 294
I still cannot get over the review of the Philips DVD Q50 in the latest copy of Sound and Vision. If I had known this kind of junk content was a trademark of this magazine, I would never have subscribed. Well, I do like to look at the pretty pictures.
Of course, the Q50 got an absolutely outstanding review. You would think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Perhaps the review unit was an updated model, but no mention was made for the need of a firmware update to make the progressive output on this player watchable. Without the firmware update, the image has a drastic vertical shift. To boot, this firmware update is not (or at least wasn't a few months ago) available from Philips USA- it was actually created by one of Philips overseas divisions. You had to find it yourself on the 'net using resourceful places like this forum, and you had to have a CD burner to transfer it to the player.
Once you had the firmware updated, you indeed were greeted by an outstanding picture, until the chroma bug reared its ugly head. Let me tell you, this is the worst case of the chroma bug I have ever seen! I dare to say that even those that claim the chroma bug to be a non-factor would be put off by this player. Very prominent stairstepping around red edges. The were so bad the image behind them was almost completely obscured.
The player also had a tendency to freeze in mid-stream occasionally, and many others have reported quality control problems.
In all fairness to S&V, though, Secrets gave this one a good review, too, allbeit not an indepth review. But they did say the chroma bug in progressive mode was a non-factor, leading me to purchase the unit in the first place. Boy, were they wrong....
Anyhow, maybe you have had a better experience with the Q50, but as far as I am concerned it is one of the biggest pieces of junk on the market.
Andrew B.
Of course, the Q50 got an absolutely outstanding review. You would think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Perhaps the review unit was an updated model, but no mention was made for the need of a firmware update to make the progressive output on this player watchable. Without the firmware update, the image has a drastic vertical shift. To boot, this firmware update is not (or at least wasn't a few months ago) available from Philips USA- it was actually created by one of Philips overseas divisions. You had to find it yourself on the 'net using resourceful places like this forum, and you had to have a CD burner to transfer it to the player.
Once you had the firmware updated, you indeed were greeted by an outstanding picture, until the chroma bug reared its ugly head. Let me tell you, this is the worst case of the chroma bug I have ever seen! I dare to say that even those that claim the chroma bug to be a non-factor would be put off by this player. Very prominent stairstepping around red edges. The were so bad the image behind them was almost completely obscured.
The player also had a tendency to freeze in mid-stream occasionally, and many others have reported quality control problems.
In all fairness to S&V, though, Secrets gave this one a good review, too, allbeit not an indepth review. But they did say the chroma bug in progressive mode was a non-factor, leading me to purchase the unit in the first place. Boy, were they wrong....
Anyhow, maybe you have had a better experience with the Q50, but as far as I am concerned it is one of the biggest pieces of junk on the market.
Andrew B.
