Samsung HD-931 DVI DVD Player

[pestario]

Does anyone have any experience with this DVD player? I'm wondering if it's worth the upgrade. I curently use a Toshiba td4700. $300 does not seem to bad for such a new technology.

I have a Toshiba 57HDX82 which has a DVI input.

[JimmyBond]

I tried this player about a month ago and was very disappointed.  I should have checked the avsforum before I was forced to return it.  I  have a Sony XBR800. (Yes, I know it is a CRT and I probably wouldn't see much difference, but I wanted to try it anyway)  I was only able to get 480p and 720p mode to work.  1080i just showed snow through DVI.  If you read the posts at avsforum.com, many people have had problem with some/all of the resolutions.

I can't say if the player will be good for you.  It does do wonders for some displays, but make sure you read up at avsforum first.  Also make sure wherever you buy it from has a decent return policy.

[jlegge]

We've discussed that topic here (at work) many times. The fact that the Sony was having problems with that unit. It is our understanding that the Sony's are only capable of 960i at best, thus their "Hi-Scan" namesake. They interoplate a 1080i picture, similar to what a plasma does. Nowhere in their literature could we find that their TV's will do 1080i, they use the term HDTV ready. They can do this because the TV will accept a 720p picture, one of the accepted formats of HDTV, and interpolate it to 1080i.

Yes, even the XBR's are "Hi-Scan"............

If I am wrong, please let me know!!!  Heh.....  :p

[davezen2]

I own a Hi-Scan 1080i  KP-57HW40. The only format it cannot display is a native 720p signal, which is converted into a 480p format signal.

[jlegge]

Or, in the case of the older Sony's, it does down convert to 480p. Bah, terrible, 720p is one of the best formats out there and so few TV's (relatively speaking) can produce it.....

Not that Samsung is a saint by any means. They actually do not play by the rules, changing standards and accepted formats willy nilly. Perfect example was the Sony and Zenith (Samsung in disguise) HDTV decoder boxes for this year. The protocol Samsung was using for the Digital PCM output was outside the guidelines of industry accepted norm. A lot of the higher end receivers were having problems with non-dolby digital signals from this box because of this.

I suppose this may be along the same lines. Maybe they are using a protocol that the Sony's weren't built to handle. Eh, what do I know? I just play with the toys, I don't build them.

[JimmyBond]

As far as the KV-34XBR800, none of what you said is "right".  The XBR800 will natively display 1080i and will upconvert 720p to 1080i.  It will upconvert 480i to 960i, but will display 480p from an external scaler as is.  "Hi-Scan" is a marketing ploy and should be disregarded.  The manual states that it will accept 480i/480p/720p/1080i all over the place but never uses the phrase "HDTV Ready".  Lastly, the problem with the HD-931 has nothing to do with whether or not the tv will convert the incoming signal for display.  The fact is that it will accept a 1080i signal.  (If it didn't I would be really mad since I wouldn't be able to watch HD cable or set my SIR-T165 to 1080i)  

Originally posted by jlegge
The fact that the Sony was having problems with that unit. It is our understanding that the Sony's are only capable of 960i at best, thus their "Hi-Scan" namesake. They interoplate a 1080i picture, similar to what a plasma does. Nowhere in their literature could we find that their TV's will do 1080i, they use the term HDTV ready. They can do this because the TV will accept a 720p picture, one of the accepted formats of HDTV, and interpolate it to 1080i.

Yes, even the XBR's are "Hi-Scan"............

If I am wrong, please let me know!!!  Heh.....  :p

[jlegge]

JimmyBond, you are probably correct. The only thing I know is, we've hooked that DVD player up to every TV here with a DVI input on it, and in 1080i mode it has worked. The exception being, of course, every Sony.

I remember hearing from one of my service guys a while ago that the DRC circuitry in the Sony is a native 960i resolution. Whenever the the TV recveives a 1080i signal it interpolates it (adds a pixel here, adds a pixel there). I have read the 34XBR800 manual, and it does state that it will accept a 1080i signal. The thing it doesn't do is give the native resolution. Not even in the specification section in the rear of the manual.

In Sony's defense though, I don't suppose many manufacturers do that anyhow..... I wonder why? Hmm......  
 :rolleyes:

[pestario]

Well I finally picked up the player over the weekend at Flanners, as I can return it if it dosen't work. The picture is beautiful, it works fine for me at 420 and 740, however at 1080I all I get is snow. I am still tempted to keep it, but wonder if something will become avauilable that is more compatible with my TV set.

My TV is a Toshiba 57HDX82