The RP82 is really good (1 Viewer)

[Josh Lowe]

I got one from Crutchfield to compare to my RP91. I've had the RP91 for just over a week. Over that time I pretty much figured out the tweaks to get the most out of it for a given disc.

The RP82 does not have a lot of the fine-tuning features of the RP91. No "High sharpness", "vertical sharpness" or "edge" controls. It has 3D/Block/Mosquito NR controls though. The RP82 does not have gamma control, either.

But the RP82 doesn't really need it. If you put set it to AUTO1 deinterlacing (AUTO1 = Sage deinterlacing, AUTO2 = cadence) and set the other display option to either N or C1, you're set. It doesn't require the amount of tweaking the RP91 does.

Of course, the RP82 lacks one big thing that the 91 has - scaling of non-anamorphic content. This isn't such a big deal if your TV does not lock into full mode when receiving a 480p input, though. But it's still nice to have.

I guess I would put it this way: If your TV does not lock into full mode, I would say get the RP82. If your TV locks into full OR you have a projector, get the RP91. The extra tweakability of the 91 I think lends itself more to projectors, especially if you use it in conjunction with a scaler..

Just my 2c. I'd rate them equally, they just fill different niches. But the deinterlacing of the 82 is definitely better, for what it's worth.

 

[nousername]

How is the picture quality compared to the RP91? They're both supposed to have the same MPEG decoder, but the RP91 edges the RP82 in the video D/A converter department:

RP91: 54MHz/12-bit video D/A converter
RP82: 54MHz/10-bit video D/A converter

I don't care about sound quality differences or zoom/scaling features, but I am interested in the picture quality differences (I already know the RP82 will have superior deinterlacing.)

If the RP82 is as good, it'll be at the top of my list...

 

[Josh Lowe]

On my 53" TV I see no discernable difference in image quality between the RP82 and RP91, -except- for moments where the RP91 would comb, the RP82 almost never does. They're very similar in terms of saturation.

Out of the box there's a lot less noise/artifacting with the RP82 - but that's stuff that can be tweaked out with the 91 so it's no matter.

The RP91 is definitely better built. The transport looks to to be the same but the 91's construction is sturdier, if that is an issue for you.

FWIW I am keeping my RP82 and selling my 91. The 91 is overkill for me and I prefer the Sage/DCDi deinterlacing of the 82.

I don't think the superior DAC of the 91 would show on anything short of a high end display, if at all.

 

[nousername]

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of information I was seeking.

I had the RP91 last summer and returned it because I found it combed too much. However, it did have a very good picture.

I, too, found it was overkill for me, especially with all the controls. I prefer something that doesn't require a lot of tweaking to get a decent picture. Also, I want something not as expensive as the RP91. Thus, my interest in the RP82.

One other thing I'd like to ask: does the RP82 have the dreaded flicker bug which apparently is caused by Sage's cross-color suppression filter being set too high?

 

[BobJ]

The RP-82 is a great player if you don't need scaling. Better picture than the 62, well worth the extra money over the 62.

 

[Jay_Leonard]

Are there differences between
the 62 and 82 other than DVD-A?

And (this will get things moving) Why should I want DVD-A?



J

 

[Josh Lowe]

yes, the 82 seems to have CCS turned off or at least turned way down.. there's no flicker like the RP56/62 would display. The 82 also uses the MPEG decoder found in the RP91. The 56/62 do not.

 

[KeithH]

Josh,

Have you compared sound quality of the 'RP91 and 'RP82 with CDs and DVD-Audio discs? I would be curious about the outcome there.


Jay,

DVD-Audio sounds better than CD and offers surround sound in addition to stereo.

 

[Josh Lowe]

Have you compared sound quality of the 'RP91 and 'RP82 with CDs and DVD-Audio discs? I would be curious about the outcome there.

I don't own any DVD-A material. I might buy one to try out, but it was not a factor in my purchase decision. The quality of dolby digital / DTS during movie playback sounds identical between the 82 and 91 to my ears, for what that is worth.

 

[KeithH]

Josh, thanks.

 

[Ron Alcasid]

The Panasonic and Crutchfield web sites specify the RP82 has both coax and optical out. Initial prototype photos shown the RP82 with only optical out. Does the production model get both?

 

[KeithH]

Ron, good question. Hopefully Crutchfield will add pictures of the back panel of the 'RP82 soon. From pictures on Crutchfield's web site, it appears that the 'RP62, like the 'RP56 before it, only has an optical digital output. Anyway, I'm sure Josh will chime in with the answer regarding the 'RP82.

 

[MikeSRC]

Yes, it has both. Also, DVD-A sounds great, but I don't have another player to compare it to.

 

[Thik Nongyow]

I did contact Crutchfield that the images of the Panasonic DVD-RP82 are misleading, and received a reply that its web development team will look at what the player actually look like. It seems that most online stores had not really seen what the RP82 looks like which surprised me.

 

[Brian D Scott]

Yeah, I noticed the Crutchfield picture error yesterday. They must've had a picture of a prototype because the jog dial is an actual round dial, not the horizontal wheel as shown. Also, big error on the page where the features for MP3 are described - the RP82 CAN random and program play MP3s, flawlessly I might add. I called them yesterday to alert them to these facts, just in case someone's doing a comparison. I was originally going to get the JVC DVD player that comes close to the RP82, but it wouldn't handle my MP3 discs. The JVC also will not random or program play MP3 discs, a deciding factor for me.

 

[KeithH]

Mike,

Thanks for the info. regarding the 'RP82. Glad to hear it has a coaxial digital output.


All,

Crutchfield does sometimes show pictures of prototypes. I suspect they get pictures of mock-ups from the manufacturers with permission to post them on the web site. This is most obvious at times with Sony receivers. I have seen pictures of Sony receivers in the past on Crutchfield's web site that have no grill on top for cooling. These are obviously mock-ups.

 

[Phil Nichols]

Josh Lowe,

Josh are you absolutely sure the RP82 doesn't have gamma control? It's spec sheet has stated for months that it does have gamma control. Perhaps this is buried in a menu somewhere.

Also, I wonder how it's interlaced output looks? My lock in full RPTV has excellent internal deinterlacing, so I'm willing to switch the RP82 over to interlaced for watching non-anamorphic's.

 

[jeff lam]

Are the layer changes the same on both units?

 

[Jay_Leonard]

Forgive my ignorance...

What is a CCS?

I want the De-interlace functionality of the s/f chip as my wife is a big Star Trek fan and the DVD's look terrible on our Samsung. The stars keep blinking and the hull of the ship is Jaggied all to hell.


If the CCS is something I want than I will spring for the extra buck over the 62.

Thanks

 

[MikeSRC]

CCS is Cross Color Suppression. It is a feature that is intended to reduce artifacts produced by improper Y/C separation in cheaper video decoders. DVD players like the RP82 and the Denon 1600 use the top Panasonic decoder, so this is not much of a problem. If CCS is set too high, it causes a visible "flicker" in highly saturated colors. this was a problem with the RP56, but it's been adjusted in the RP82 so it's no longer a concern.

Also, the RP82 does have a black level control with just two settings, one purportedly for an S-video connection and the other for a component video connection.