Video Asylum

Posted by Bob W (i) on October 14, 2000 at 13:58:21:

A more comprehensive review is forthcoming.

If you have a system capable of displaying a 480p signal, this player is a steal. It does true progressive scan for $775.00 list; discounts are available.

I've had this player in my system for a week or so, and have watched a couple movies in their entirety, as well as select scenes from a couple others.

Color saturation looks great: blacks and reds especially seem robust and vivid. Need to get my component 480p input recalibrated, as I'm seeing some blooming on blues. That will be rememdied in a week or so by my favorite ISF certified tech.

Scenes with complex geometry are rendered perfectly. There are no jaggies, no distortions. There is never any dot crawl. Comparing the S-video output with the 480p output, I've been surprised to see just how much dot crawl was present in some scenes with the S-video. This dot crawl led to a loss of focus and clarity.

Depth is incredible. In the scene where the 5th Element jumps, traffic is clearly visible and distinguishable at all depths and distances; the doubled S-video drops layers of details.

Super Speedway. Much more feeling of being there. Details grab the eye: the gas in the clear refueling hoses. Sponsor decals. The apparent weight of a wing as it is quickly bolted in place.

Great player. I think it qualifies as a giant killer, and will stand up to some of the top names at a fraction of the price.

The little voices told me to get back to work.