Mitsubishi HC1600 720p DLP Home Theater Projector Review

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(More customer reviews)Purchased this projector to be the focal point of my 13Ft x 20Ft "man-cave" in my basement-which has now turned into our favorite family room. Paid retail at a big box store to later have it price matched within 30 days for $760 to one of the Amazon sellers price that has a store in the area. With what i saved on the price match on the projector and an Onkyo HTS-5100B, i basically got a killer Bluray player for free. Its incredible what a serious beginner HD Home Theater/Projector rig you can put together under $1500 with products like the Mitsubishi HC1600 on the market.
It is projecting ~12ft onto a floor standing 80" 16:9 silver screen. System consists of an Xbox 360 w/ HD DVD player, a Panasonic DMP-BD55K Bluray player and HD Cable box(Optimum/Cablevision). The Xbox 360 and Bluray player both feed the picture via a 25Ft HDMI cable from an Onkyo HTR576 Receiver. Cable through Component.
Pros: The HC1600 delivered with its excellent brightness and superb image contrast. The picture is quite outstanding regardless of media, fast paced Xbox 360 games like Gears of War2 and NBA2k9 have great colors, sharp and solid contrast, and play without a hickup visually. No scaling lag notable, courtesy of DLP's superior response time. I am very happy with this projector's performance for gaming!
The same can be said of watching HD film Bluray or HD DVD's, the picture really pops for a 720p projector and i found the black levels to be surprisingly good(Go DarkChip2!). The picture puts up a fight against my Samsung 1080p 120hz 61" DLP. When the wife notices, it further cements ones judgement. When you take price/value into consideration, this Mitsubishi has made me a projector convert. Theres no better way to watch film on a large screen. HD Cable looks equally as vibrant via component, however cant say I've tested the VGA port as of yet.
HD cable sports look impressive, just like being at the game. This projector achieves a very bright picture in LOW LAMP mode, achieving a very close to Normal Lamp mode brightness by engaging the Sports Gamma Mode setting, of which sitting directly under the Projector the fan noise is super quiet. I cant say even in normal lamp mode the fan noise has become an issue either, never caught my attention and thats a good thing. I found color good out of the box, but it was not very far from the current sweet spot after a little tinkering with color and contrast settings. I found plenty of flexibility in framing the picture with its shutter functions,digital keystone, and vertical location options. It is currently custom shelf mounted. I have a dimmer switch and we can watch this thing with plenty of ambient light and be very satisfied with the picture. Remote is straight forward, nothing fancy but effective and is backlit.
Cons: If you are one who 'looks' for rainbows you may find'm on occasion.
For me its when I blink my eyes terribly fast or quickly pull your sight away from a moving image and back, its not some sort of 'ghost' that will haunt your viewing experience..lol. I dont suffer from eye fatigue/headaches watching this projector, nor have I had any of the dozen or so people that have auditioned or sat though a whole movie mention it or point it out. So i think the whole rainbows/DLP thing can be grossly taken out of context as most critical things one reads on the internet. I play lots of fast film content and video games through this thing and its not an issue for me.
My only other quirk is the lack of additional HDMI connections, but for a product in this price range I havent found another option that offers multiple HDMI.
Conclusion: I gave it 5 Stars because for the price it is not a pretender- it packs exceptional value and performance for an entry level rig, that is bright enough to use in non light controlled/ambient light filled environments and also serve well as a business projector. The color balance, solid contrast and brightness truly make the HC1600 a viable HDTV solution in the era of LCD and Plasma displays...only ala carte BIGGER picture!;-)

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Hc1600 Home Theater DLP Projector

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Sony KP-46WT520 46-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV Review

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(More customer reviews)Right off the bat I can, with a straight face and calm hands, say this is THE best television I have EVER owned! And probably one of the best I have ever seen! I have been in the A/V industry for a while and pretty much consider myself an A/V guru. I have been through and previewed countless televisions as I am constantly upgrading and none compare to this one. When I was shopping for an HD widescreen, as most do, I factored in price, features and most of all quality. I did NOT want to spend thousands of dollars on something that would not be worth the initial investment. That being said, I looked into the LCD and CRT rear projection market, with a strong lean towards CRT projection.
Now, I expected there to be a signifigant difference in picture between the CRT projectors and the LCD/DLP/LCOS units. I was wrong. Dead wrong. While some of the higher dollar sets apppeared to be a LITTLE sharper, the price to performance ratio was NOT justifiable and this set even bested a couple DLP units! Also the LCD units are basically charging more for a VERY similar picture! The only REAL benefit of the "other" formats is....weight! Honestly!
Bottom line: Super clear picture(ESPECIALLY with an HD source), great on features and the price is perfect. There is NO reason to spend more on a technology that is still getting the kinks out.

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Sony's 46-inch Hi-Scan 1080i KP-46WT520 is equipped to turn your living room or board room into a movie theater. The set uses Sony's HD Microfocus CRT and lens system, featuring smaller phosphor particles, thinner phosphor layers, and other improvements that give the set a beam spot 28-percent smaller than Sony's standard CRTs. And that means sharper focus, higher contrast, and brighter images. The screen features a wide, 16:9 aspect ratio that matches the dimension of most movies and HDTV broadcasts, and the KP-46WT520 is compatible with standard-definition 480i, enhanced-definition 480p, and high-definition 720p and 1080i sources.Auto 16:9 enhanced mode with auto ID1 detection automatically renders anamorphic DVD content in letterboxed widescreen, using all available display lines for the image and wasting none on the black bars that frame the image when a program's widescreen aspect ratio differs slightly from the set's.Digital Reality Creation (DRC) circuitry ensures high picture resolution, while proprietary Direct Digital Circuitry increases a video signal's signal-to-noise ratio before it reaches the DRC circuit, ensuring rich, natural-looking images from any sourceMID-X (Multi-Image Driver X) circuitry performs 2 major functions: it scales all incoming standard- and high-definition signals to the configuration of the panel without degrading signal quality, and it provides scalable, Twin-View 2-tuner picture-and-picture functionality. TwinView lets you view any 2 sources simultaneously--even 2 TV stations. Sony's MID-X (Multi Image Driver) maintains the integrity of a digital signal by minimizing image loss in the scaling process.Sony's CineMotion 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal is a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.The set offers an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), which permits a direct digital connection with a compatible DTV set-top box. Other connections include 2 component-video inputs, 4 composite-video inputs, 3 S-video inputs (with 1 each composite-/S-video on the front panel for ready connection to a camcorder or gaming console), and 2 RF coaxial inputs and 1 coaxial output for hookup with an older VCR, cable box, or antenna.What's in the Box TV, remote control, remote batteries (2 AA), a user's manual, and warranty information.

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Samsung DVD-P241 Progressive-Scan DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)i was looking for a good, but cheap DVD player that i could use in my young son's room. There are a lot of no-name DVD players out there for a bit cheaper price but I guess I am still leery of buying anything with a name I don't recognize.
This Samsung player seems to be just the ticket. It's got a few more bells and whistles than you'd think in a player for around $50 bucks indlucing the EZ view letter box eliminator for small screen TVs, distortion reduction, and can play MP3's and Kodak picture CDs.
But I mainly got it because it's easy to use and cheap so if my young one does anything to it it's easily replaceable. Not a machine for your high-end TV but certainly capable of doing the job.

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Samsung's DVD-P241 features high-end progressive-scan component-video outputs, built-in MP3 decoding for your home-brewed CD compilations, and even compatibility with JPEG image CDs and Kodak Picture CDs. Now you can enjoy a slideshow of your digital pictures right on your television.Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVD-P241 stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.The DVD-P241 also performs 3:2 pulldown. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24-frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. Another handy feature is the player's EZ View letterbox eliminator, which lets you enjoy full-screen pictures on 4:3 aspect-ratio TVs--even when you're watching widescreen DVDs.A set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio output for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.What's in the Box DVD player, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, and warranty information.

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JVC AV-36D302 36" TV Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this set after extensively researching and comparing it to non-1080i Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic 36" tvs, regular and flat screen. I am completely satisfied with the picture, sound, and features. The skin tones and blacks are outstanding, and the sound convincing. In the stores watching the high-definition sample programming, I slightly preferred the flat screens, but felt that they just weren't worth the considerable extra cost. Now that I have this tv at home, I find that I do not miss whatever it was that I thought I saw in the flat screens. The Sony name was not worth the extra cost, and this set offered slightly better features than the Hitachi and Panasonic. I thought hard about an hdtv but decided to wait until all format and broadcast issues were resolved and the price dropped below four figures.

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JVC's AV-36D302 delivers a superb video value built on quality hardware and a dark-tinted picture tube for minimizing glare during DVD playback--a use for which the set was designed.
Video Features This television features a three-line digital comb filter, which enhances resolution by removing the blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl. With compatible DVD players and satellite receivers, this set's component-video output provides 800 lines of resolution to maximize picture quality.
Audio Features The AV-36D302 features JVC's Hyper Surround effect, which simulates surround sound from the set's two 4-watt speakers. Multiple inputs accommodate everything from DVD player and VCR to camcorder and gaming console. Two composite-video inputs grace the front and rear panels (one input each), and a single component-video input is located at the rear. Three stereo analog audio inputs accompany the video inputs, and MTS stereo decoding is included.
Other Features The set also offers V-Chip parental control, multifunction and sleep timers, trilingual onscreen menus, and an illuminated, multibrand remote control compatible with most DVD players, VCRs, satellite receivers, and cable boxes.

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LG RC797T 1080i Upconverting DVD Recorder VCR Combo with Tuner Review

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(More customer reviews)In response to the other reviewer I wasn't lucky at all! I BOUGHT this receiver except with the tuner with hard earned cash on July 23, 2007 by the middle of October it had stopped playing DVD's completely although it would still record TV. I called LG at the end of October due to a busy schedule and asked if there was something they could do.
First things first...DON'T EVER CALL LG! Their product service sucks to put it lightly. I was told, "let me take your number and we'll call you back." That was at 9:00pm at night. Uhh...what time do they think I want to be up chatting with them anyway??? They finally sent me a shipping label and told me to pay them $69 and they would fix it. Gee thanks...So kind of you LG!
I searched on the net and there is a problem with this reciever reading bought DVD's. It's the number one complaint with this receiver. I urge anyone to look around before buying this receiver. This receiver should be on recall!!!!
If it stops on you after 90 days they're going to charge you $69 to fix it! That's unreasonable to say the least for something that cost this much. Worst part is that mine stopped on me before the 90 days was up and they STILL charged me! From the email:
"I apologize about the service charges on this matter. The request was plainly stated to our factory service division to waive the labor charge."
After one year it's $69 + parts + freight! I'm not even sure I want to pay them the lousy $69 dollars to fix it considering it only worked right for about three months to begin with.

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LG RC797T 1080i Upconverting DVD Recorder VCR Combo with Tuner

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Canon HV10 3.1MP High-Definition MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)Overview:
Running on the HDV MPEG-2 standard, the Canon HV10 allows many users of miniDV camcorders to continue using and playing their miniDV tapes they've recorded and have, while providing them with the added option of recording in either HD or regular mode onto MiniDV tapes. The HV10 has a slim, pocketable body, so it's very easy to take with you on long trips without feeling like you have a huge rock tied behind you to slow you down.
Minuses:
* No external light/mic jacks - buy the HV20 if you want these.
* No HDMI output - buy the HV20 if you want this.
* Can't change tapes if the camcorder is on a tripod - bottom load, again - buy the HV20 if you want this. But keep in mind that bottom load reduces the amount of dropout causing dust from falling into the tape transport bay (a good thing).
* Viewfinder is decent, but not the highest resolution viewfinder around - but I almost always use the LCD panel so it's not a big concern.
* No manual focus/aperture rings around the lens. You can adjust manual focus using the rear menu dial, but it's not the same as a 'professional' camcorder like the $5000+ Canon H1 series. (then again, almost no consumer level camcorder for

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Do you have or plan to have an HDTV at home? Now it's time to consider getting an HD camcorder. The stylish Canon HV10 gives you the ultimate in HD video and digital photo quality - in the world's smallest HDV camcorder. Its 10x optical zoom lens and 2.96 Megapixel CMOS image sensor ensure meticulous detail and superior color reproduction. And, with its HD and Standard Definition recording modes, you can make the move to HD without making your SD equipment obsolete. If you're an expecting parent or an avid traveller, this video camcorder gives you the opportunity to record images in both 4:3 standard and 16:9 widescreen modes from 480 to 1080p display. The small size makes it easy to carry from one place to another. This camcorder is engineered for you and discretning videographers. It is the first consumer-level camcorder that features Canon's Super-Range Optical Image Stabilization to help deliver smooth, steady video, even at longer focal lengths. The system uses two detection methods (gyro and vector) to sense the widest range of vibrations from hand-held shake, to vibration from a moving vehicle. By using optical stabilization, it can compensate for a greater degree of camera shake and avoid any loss in image quality, unlike electronic image stabilizers. CMOS sensor assures single sensor HD and longer battery life.Unit Dimensions - 2.2 x 4.1 x 4.2 inch / Weight (not including lens and battery pack) - 0.97 lb The HV10 is easy to use and delivers the high level of performance you've come to expect from Canon. It's the premium quality camcorder that sophisticated and discerning videographers have been waiting for.

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Sony DVP-NS700H/B 1080p Upscaling DVD Player, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Just hooked-up this player to my new Sony 40" LCD TV via HDMI cable and the results from standard DVDs is excellent. Not HDTV quality, but very, very close and an improvement from my older Panasonic player. By the way, the complaint about this unit not displaying older 4:3 aspect ratio films, ie older classic movies, is not correct. I just watched a portion of the Wizard of Oz and several other older movies in the correct OAR. The answer is on page 56 of the manual. I am always amazed at how people complain about products without reading the manual. After a 15 second click of several buttons on the remote, the player automatically shows both widescreen and old-style 4:3 format films in the correct aspect ratio.

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Breathe new life into your DVD collection with the DVP-NS700H in both black and silver. Enjoy your DVD collection now upscaled to 1080p via the HDMI connection. Plus with BRAVIA sync, you can easily power on and synch the inputs of compatible Sony AV devices connected to the players via HDMI for hassle-free enjoyment.

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Samsung DVD-VR357 Tunerless DVD Recorder and VCR Combo Review

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(More customer reviews)Having had three combos in the last 5 years I decided to try a number of them at the same time and then return the worst of them - because as many would agree, what I actually want is just not available.
In comparison to Toshiba 650, LG 797, Sony 555 (these are the ones I have tried so far), this one is the cheapest, by a significant amount of money and better than all of the others in one way or another. The LG797 is best but it is so sensitive to copyright there are TV shows (Mad Men on AMC), even cartoons (Stuart Little), Sometimes even Lifetime Movies that it will not record from a DVR or straight from Satellite. Samsung is not sensitive.
Samsung has three drawbacks that are almost dealbreakers - except that the other combos are so much worse in so many areas- not enough connections and it is slower than the others in editing features. It records RAM but not Double Layer discs. I have never had a combo that records RAM or DL until now so I would like it to record both like the LG does.
If you research all of your components and maybe even get an adapter when needed, the hookups is no problem. The speed for deleting a portion of a dvd or dividing, is slower than the others. Since I do lots of dividing and deleting on my +RW's, this would normally be enough to send it back. But it beats the others in so many other areas, it's still close to the best.
I have been transferring 24 hours a day from VHS to DVD or DVR to DVD and it has only frozen once (the others have several times). It is not sensitive to copyright so I can tape a movie and watch it later. I only make dvd's for myself to watch and I pay for the tv stations so I should be able to watch them and Samsung gives me that opportunity at my convenience.
The video quality from VHS to DVD or DVR to DVD is ridiculously better than the Toshiba and the Sony (Both over $240 each). It records every format it claims to record (unlike Panasonic which has great difficulty with +R and +RW). I am a +RW fan - if you haven't tried it because you think it is no different than -RW - you are sorely mistaken. Not having to finalize and "make compatible" or unfinalize to add something saves time and the discs still play on all of my DVD players. Not to mention more editing ability and reusing the beginning of the disc while there are shows still on the end (I have not figured this out on the Samsung yet - my previous LiteOn's did this quite easily and from all the features with +RW Samsung allows, I think it will do this also). I have used 8 different brands of DVD's (and have tried +R/+RW/-R/-RW/RAM and every single one has recorded and played back without a problem. From high end discs down to office depot generics. This is rare. In +RW mode it has the lovely feature called "Divide" also available on Sony and LG (not Toshiba). If you are transferring or recording and you let it run long or fall asleep you can divide at the end of your show and delete the part you don't want. You can do this with all the commercials also if you wanted to take the time. You get to use variable recording speed so if you are recording in SP but the last show you are adding to the disc is a bit longer, you can record the last show in LP so it fits. When you press Record mode to set SP SLP etc, it shows on the screen how much time you would have left on the disc for recording if you used that speed. So you don't have to open up the title list or figure it out yourself. There is much more and as I continue to use the Samsung, if there is anything important, I will add to my review. This combo is not perfect - there are more things I would change if the DVD makers would let me creat my own machine with every feature I want but so far this is surprisingly better than the Sony or Toshiba and beats the LG if you tend to record show or movies to watch on DVD later. I need two combos and this is good enough that if I can't find something that has the LG797 positives and the Samsung's positives - I will actually buy another one. I am very picky with my media and especially because the combos out there generally do not do what they say they do and that's heartbreaking when you are spending anywhere from $170 - $400. My three others were Liteon's and JVC and all three broke in less than 3 years.
IF you have right hookups and this combo has the features you are looking for, I can certainly say, it is excellent compared to the others I have tried.

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HDMI / Easy Record / Component Video / Composite

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Sylvania NB501SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the Rodney Dangerfield of Blu-Ray players: it gets little or no respect. Most people don't even know that this player exists. They would prefer to spend the extra money and buy a Sony/Panasonic/Samsung Blu-Ray player. But this player does a comparable job.
Set up was simple. I just connected a high powered Mediabridge HDMI cable (which I bought through Amazon) from my Sony Bravia Z series 40" HDTV to the Sylvania 501SL9 and then connected the Sylvania adapter from the back of the player to a wall outlet.
Initially, I had a problem getting the remote to respond. But once I put in the included Panasonic batteries properly, the remote responded well. Load times are quick (10 to 15 seconds). I pressed the set up button on the remote to configure the player properly for audio and HDMI resolution (1080p24). It is important to go into the settings and make this change as the default HDMI display resolution is 720p. I also changed the audio to deep surround sound, which I like better.
The only thing I did not like about the Sylvania remote was that I had to use my Sony remote to change the sound volume. I could not find that feature on the Sylvania remote.
It should be noted that this player does not have an ethernet or USB port so if you need to upgrade the software, you will have to call customer service at Sylvania to send an upgrade disc unless you already possess some advanced CD burning software for a bin file.
I've only had the Sylvania Blu-Ray player for 4 days, but I've already watched 2 blu-ray movies and loved it; it was a tremendous experience with no problems whatsoever.
So, if you want to pay considerably less than the name brands and get a great Blu-Ray player, consider the Sylvania 501SL9.
Update 5/19/09:
I've watched about 15 Blu-Ray movies over the past 3 months and this player has performed flawlessly. Moreover, I finally was able to update the firmware (1.108) for this unit. The program that allowed me to do this was gBurner. I downloaded the bin file from the Funai web site and burned it to Disc (DVD+R) and couldn't believe it when it worked. I followed the instructions from Funai (on the web site) very carefully. Prior to gBurner, I tried so many different programs, but just got error messages. Very few programs support burning bin files and the ones that do are so complicated. At one point I had given up. But I finally did it, thanks to gBurner.


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Blu-rayDVD player with HDMI outputFull 1080p resolution output with 24/60 fps 1.1 Profile picture-in-picture optionHDMI component and S-video outputs with digital and analog audio outputsDTS WMA MP3 Dolby True HD and Linear PCM audio optionsCEC Deep Color Control with advanced user interfaceDolby Digital PlusIncludes remote

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Samsung BD-P2500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very happy with this purchase! I'm glad to see Amazon has them back in stock. I have never had a problem with another seller - but I do prefer Amazon. I got my unit from a local retailer who I had a discount code for. With tax etc. I ended up paying what I would have paid on amazon. Unfortunately amazon now charges tax for us New York residents (not amazon's choice...)
I digress.
I was initially going to buy the BD-P1500 just for it's price point, but was drawn to this model when I found out about the Netflix feature.
The unit was well packed (nice to see manufacturers getting more conscious about being "green" with packing).
The unit is smaller than I expected and seems sturdy.
Box contained:
Player with permanently attached cord
Remote with batteries (aaa)
One AV cable (RCA red/yellow/white)
User guide
The anynet+ feature is nice if you have other Samsung components. I have a Samsung TV and because I used an HDMI cable to connect, the TV and Blu-ray player "talk" to each other. The player turns the TV on automatically and switches it to the correct input which is a nice convenience.
NETFLIX! This feature is so cool! The picture quality was amazing. I have the player connected to my linksys router with a cable using the net port on the back. I suppose you could do this wirelessly with some extra components. You have to log into netflix and cue movies on your PC, and then you can watch them on your TV through the player. It works really well. Note that this feature requires a firmware upgrade (see below for my complaint about this...)
Picture and sound quality seems wonderful!
Two small quirks/complaints:
1) Load time: It takes a good minute or so for a blu-ray disk to load initially. Once loaded response time is great, but that initial load time is long
2) Firmware upgrade: I connected the unit to my router and went to setup to have it check for an upgrade and was told that I already had the latest firmware, which I know I did not. If you turn the player on and don't see the Netflix logo on the home screen, you probably don't have the latest firmware. I went to the Samsung website, downloaded an update file which I then had to burn to a CD. Putting the CD in the player then sucessfully updated the firmware. I am not sure why the net upgrade option didn't work, but I have seen other users complain about this online. A mild annoyance. The CD upgrade took about 5 minutes. It is also upgradable by USB using a flash drive.
All in all, I am very happy with this!

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Samsung's BD-P2500 is BD-Live 2.0 Ready with an ethernet port so you can enjoy special interactive features, download extra content from the internet, and more. It has 1Gb of onboard memory and a USB port for memory expansion. You’ll enjoy bold color and crisp details with full 1080p resolution. The BD-P2500 also offers breakthrough enhancements such as Hollywood Quality Video (HQV) processing and 7.1-Channel analog audio outputs creating a powerful HD audio-visual experience. Plays Blu-ray discs, upscales standard DVDs, and is compatible with BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R (V mode only), DVD-RW (V/VR mode), Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and AVCHD discs. Movie night just got even more exciting - with the highest-quality audio and an incredible picture.
Key Features
Total BD Profile Compatibility right out of the box, lets you instantly enjoy the latest interactive features available, including BD Live (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile 1.1)
Lots of Memory and Easy Upgradeability: The BD-P2500 comes with a built-in, wired Ethernet connection, 1GB of internal flash memory, and a USB port for memory expansion
Full HD 1080p
HQV processing chip for the highest quality viewing of Blu-ray discs, upconversion of standard DVDs, and viewing of JPEG images
HDMI 1.3 output with xvYCC Deep Color support, and a 24fps film mode, exhibiting smoother, more natural playback of film-based material.
7.1-Channel Dolby TrueHD Sound and dts-HD Master Audio capable of decoding the latest high-resolution digital multichannel audio soundtracks
HQV Video Processor
In a perfect world, every disc’s image that passed through your Blu-ray disc player into your HDTV would offer immaculate 1080p video with flawless color, impeccable detail, and nary a bit of pesky video noise. In the real world, though, pristine source material isn’t available for every Blu-ray disc—due to age or neglect of the original elements—and there are plenty of movies and TV shows on DVD that you’ll still want to watch on your Blu-ray player. HQV video processing is a great way of elevating those less-than-perfect video sources to a new level, and ensuring that you’re getting the most out of your beautiful high-definition video display.
To do this, the HQV video processors built into better Blu-ray players employ sophisticated algorithms to alleviate the problems that often plague less-than-perfect video sources. HQV processors analyze multiple video fields at once to determine where frames match up and where they don’t, and even which objects are in motion within those frames. In analyzing the video signal over time, the processor also determines the proper frame rate or refresh rate of the original video signal—whether it’s a 24 fps film source or a 30 fps video source, for example—and makes sure that it is dealt with properly. HQV video processors are also great at minimizing video noise without scrubbing the image of all its fine detail, as well as restoring some of the detail that’s lost as a result of aggressive video filtering during the Blu-ray or DVD mastering process. And unlike some competing video processors, HQV processors boast enough processing power to keep up with the multiple video streams (picture-in-picture and split screen) found on many new Blu-ray discs.
Stream Netflix Movies Right Over Your Player


BD-Live

Bonus View
High Definition Soundtrack Support and Output

Providing a truly immersive HD home theater experience, Samsung's BD-P2500 is capable of decoding the latest high-resolution digital multichannel audio soundtracks available. Out of the box, the player can output Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and dts as an uncompressed PCM signal, as a bitstream, or via the 7.1 analog outputs for cinematic sound that is comparable with the latest movie theaters. Additionally, dts-HD HR (High Resolution) decoding will become available with a firmware upgrade in the fall. The BD-P2500 will also pass these and dts-HD MA (Master Audio) as a bitstream output to a separate, external surround sound decoder.


HDMI Features

x.v Color RGB Color Range

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Samsung HT-BD1250 Blu-ray Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)After deciding on a Samsung HTIB system to integrate with my 2-year-old Samsung 46" HDTV, I came across this HT-BD1250 system at Best Buy with all the features I wanted (Bluray, surround sound with wireless to the rear speakers, Anynet+ integration, iPod integration), plus a few that I decided were "nice-to-have" (wireless network integration/Pandora/Netflix). Once I realized I would need to add the Samsung SWA-4000 wireless speaker amplifier and additional HDMI and optical cables for integration with my TV and HD/DVR cable box, the total package through Amazon was by far the best deal and way to go.
First quick note: You DO NOT need anything other than BASIC HDMI cables, which when purchased as a package here with Amazon are 80+% cheaper (even with the shipping charge from the third-party vendors) than if you buy them at Best Buy or other brick/mortar. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE on so-called "higher end" HDMI cables.
As for the HTIB system itself, I found that the documentation guided me through most of my installation/cabliing scenarios, and everything worked pretty much the first time once I powered everything up. I needed to make a few calls to Samsung tech support to get everything configured the way I wanted (I had some specific questions about the video/resolution modes switching between HD and non-HD inputs), but the support was English-speaking and reasonably competent. (I only got one "bum steer" from their tech support when I was making what turned out to be a user error on my part with the iPod integration, but the tech also didn't identify it correctly and wanted me to send the unit in for service at my own expense...not an acceptable option. I later walked away from it for a few hours and then returned back to it with a clear head, and figured out my error in using the setup menus, and it turned out all was well after all.)
I should probably mention my wiring/integration setup: I have a Samsung LN-4661F HD TV, a Motorola HD/DVR cable box from my cable company, and now my Samsung HT-BD1250 HTIB. Cabling is as follows: HDMI Out from the Motorola HD/DVR cable box to HDMI In 1 on the TV (CATV audio and video are integrated on the HDMI), HDMI Out from the HD-BD1250 HTIB to HDMI In 2 on the TV (for DVD/BD video), and Optical Audio Out 1 from the TV to Optical Audio In 1 on the HD-BD1250 (to feed the CATV audio back from the TV to be reproduced through the HTIB's sound amplifier).
I attempted to use a "standard" USB wireless network adapter to integrate with my home wireless network and found that it was unable to detect it; I suspect I could have made it work with some additional initial configuration first on my laptop, but I ended up scrapping that idea and I simply ordered the Samsung Wireless adapter for this unit, and it integrated perfectly with my home network in minutes. If you're really tech-savvy and think you can get a "standard" USB wireless adapter configured to work with this, I suppose you could try to do so and save $30 or $40, but for $79.99 the Samsung WIS09ABGN adapter works right out of the box and is a supported solution.
As for the wireless network/Internet integration itself, I've tested Pandora and it works well; haven't tested Netflix on demand yet. I also have yet to be able to figure out how to get integration with my PC via wireless to work as a source input (like to access music/multimedia I have on my PC), but it's an advertised feature of this system and I'm confident I can hack my way through and make that work eventually...not a priority for me, though, just another "nice to have".
The iPod integration works fairly well, but I'm a little disappointed that I was not able to figure out how to make "Shuffle" functionality work...I seem to be stuck playing my music in the order it's stored in my playlists. Not sure yet if this is a limitation or if I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.
The wireless speaker connection to the rear speakers with the SWA-4000 configured well pretty much the first time (I just had to play with the power cycling upon initial configuration) and the sound has been loud and clear. I did experience exactly one sound dropout on it the first day which immediately resolved and has not recurred, but it got my attention and I'm concerned about it based on reviews I read of other Samsung HTIB systems with wireless rear speaker connections. We shall see.
Configured out of the box, sound to the rear speakers only comes out if the input source provides it (like from a Dolby 5.1-enhanced DVD or BD), but I found that by cycling through the Dolby Effect Modes on the remote to the "Matrix" setting, I can hear sound through all 5 speakers all the time...exactly what I want, and the sound is great.
Another quick item to mention: I tested a couple of "standard" DVDs and the "1080p upscaling" feature of the BD player works well. As a result of this, I plan to only choose the added expense of Bluray discs in cases when I know there will be real value added, either feature-wise or sound/picture-wise (example, I purposely chose The Dark Knight as my first Bluray disc purchase). For my 45-year-old eyes and ears, upscaled DVD will be more than adequate in most cases.
Finally, I found that even with Anynet+ capability, I still needed to access all 3 of my remotes (TV, HTIB, and CATV) to control all needed functionality. Samsung support informed me that Anynet+ capability would allow integrated power on/off and basic volume/channel control, but it would not allow advanced function control on my TV such as P.SIZE, etc. Keep your expectations realistic on what Anynet+ will and won't provide. I solved this by also purchasing a Logitech Harmony One universal remote (which I have reviewed separately), and this product, while expensive, is a true one-remote solution for my new home theater setup, and one I would recommend highly.
Bottom line (for this reviewer): For me, the HT-BD1250 HTIB was not a true one-box solution. However, after adding the SWA-4000 wireless speaker amplifier, 2 inexpensive HDMI cables and 1 inexpensive optical audio cable, the Samsung WIS09ABGN adapter for wireless network/Internet integration, and the Logitech Harmony One universal remote, I am now extremely pleased with the result, and I look forward to using my new Home Theater every day after work. I feel like I'm finally fulfilling to potential of the HD TV that I purchased 2 years ago...and I now know that was certainly NOT the case with my old setup of just the TV and my HD/DVR box with a 5-way component cable providing the connection.
The Samsung HT-BD1250 HTIB is a good solution if you do your research and you set your expectation levels properly.
= = = = =
Review update from author:
I spoke to Samsung Level II tech support, and they informed me that (a) PC integration is not available - the placard included with the system is "not exactly true", and (b) Shuffle functionality on iPod is not available, despite the fact that Level I support told me I should be able to "use any feature that I can use conventionally on an iPod". Again, "not exactly true".
These are not showstoppers, but I am disappointed in those 2 shortcomings. Not enough to return the unit, but enough to hold my rating at only 4 stars instead of 5.
= = = = =
Review update #2 from author:
Signed up for a trial subscription of Netflix, and tried the Instant Queue/Streaming to my HTIB. It works well, but we definitely found that the picture quality was not nearly DVD quality (let alone BD quality). We watched National Treasure 2. I'm sure this has to do with the speed of my Internet connection (

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Sony BDVE300 5.1-Channel High-Definition Blu-ray Disc Player/DVD Disc Home theater System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the BDVE300 to go with a Sony 52Z5100 HDTV that I also bought from Amazon. I bought it mainly because I wanted to match the two items for both esthetic and practical reasons. The black speakers match the TV perfectly. I can also control both with one controller and easily run the TV sound through the HTS.
I am not an audiophile. So I didn't try to compare technical specs. This review is strictly subjective (in part to counter the one above) and is based on what I have heard while using the system with the TV.
The room in which the TV is located in is a 20 X 20 den/family room with a connecting dining area and kitchen. The entire area is open. It has wooden floors with a single oval area rug in front of the fireplace and TV.
I found the sound to be exceptionally clear and clean, without distortion or unevenness. I can tell a definite difference between the TV speakers and the BDV300 speakers. The BDV300 sound seems more spacious. It fills the room without blowing you away. The sound has more fullness to it than the TV speakers.
I have not tried it at full volume. I have never felt the need to do so. I have watched two musical DVDs, a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert and the 10th anniversary recording of Les Miserables. In both cases the music sounded beautiful and clear. You could hear all of nuances of the voices and the words of the songs were distinct and clear.
If you want strong bass that shakes the room, I am not sure this is the system for you. The bass is there but it is blended in with the other sounds. I am sure I can adjust it for greater effect. However, I am currently running the system at default values.
As for the lack of an S-air wireless cartridge, as mentioned by the reviewer above. It is true you have to buy it separately. However, everything I read about the system stated this plainly up front. If you need this feature it is available as an option. In researching this system I found this individual posted the same opinion on every web site he could find. I don't think his opinion was a fair assessment of the system's capabilities.
I found the set up to be rather easy. The instructions show various options on installing it alone with the TV or with a cable/SAT box or with an external DVD, etc. With the external mic it took about one minute to calibrate and maybe 15 mins. to connect the wires.

Be aware that Sony uses a proprietary plug on the DVD/Radio/Amp end of the system. The speaker end is a simple pinch type terminal. There is a FM & AM receiver as part of the system. I have not tried them yet. The DVD/CD/Blue ray player worked fine.
The bottom line is: The BDVE300 does everything Sony says it does. If you are looking for something to enhance your TV experience and play CDs with good clear sound, this system will do it well. For the price, I think it is an excellent value. I found no "gotchas" or "I can't believe they did this". So I gave it a rating of 5. I am very pleased with my purchase.
John

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Pioneer KRP-500M 50-Inch Class High-Definition 1080p Flat Panel KURO Monitor, Gloss Black Review

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(More customer reviews)This Pioneer KRP 500m tv / monitor blows me away each time I turn it on. I have a mac G5 hooked up via the DVI cable and it fits the 1080p resolution perfectly. Cable looks so great in HD and older low res looks much better than on my old sony xbr 800 50 inch rear screen projection which is 4 years old. These plasmas are the last of their kind and from the coveted Pioneer Kuro line.
Pioneer is leaving the plasma tv business all together. It's really sad because they make the best plasmas. This tv was 4500 a year ago. I have never seen a better picture, the blacks are amazing, there are no viewing angle issues. The picture is the same whether your standing off to the extreme side of the TV or dead center.
The only negatives are the remote only works with Pioneer AV equipment and it does not have dvr cable box functionality, just regular cablebox function. Too bad because it is a cool looking remote with nice red back light. So I still have to use three remotes because none of them cover everything.
The other negatives are it has a very glossy screen. I usually only watch TV at night and there is no issue, but during the day it is reflective
because it is glass like the new mac books. There are only 3 digital inputs, one dvi which I like because there is no need for a dvi to hdmi adapter when hooking up a computer, and two hdmi 1.3 which is enough for me but people may want more hdm inputs. It has no spreakers but you can add them as extra but most people buying a monitir already have a surround av system and you can buy a stand for it it does not come with one. You can by the tv version that has speakers, stand, and more hdmi ins but no dvi input. There is also the latest elite models around and they are truly the best, but almost twice as much cash for almost the same thing. I say get one before there gone forever if your thinking about it.
It is truly awesome.

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Samsung DVD-1080P9 1080p Upconverting DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)For the price point, this is a feature rich player. What you get:
- a very sleek looking player that loads fast. Compared to the Phillips I bought at a big box store for the same price a year ago, it is greased lightning.
- a functional remote that is comfortable and easy to use.
- a USB port on the front of the player to play .mpg and picture files or to rip music to a flash drive or MP3 player from a CD or DVD.
- easy to navigate controls on the front panel. This is essential for me because my employees, who will not have the instruction manual available, will also be using the machine.
- an HDMI output, as well as the regular RCA type jacks.
- a ton of other features I will not use in my particular application.
Setup was a snap, even without so much as a glance at the instructions. I was even able to do a picture slide show from a flash drive without instructions, it is that intuitive. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars:
- If you want to connect an old school coaxial cable (the one that you screw on - with the little wire in the middle of the cable), you are out of luck
- I don't see any instructions on how to get it to control the volume on my TV (and it does not do it on it's own) even though the remote indicates it has the capability.

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Philips DVP5960 DVD Player with HDMI, 1080i Upscaling, DivX Ultra, USB direct Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this DVD player in mid May and 3 weeks later with very nominal usage my player just died in the middle of a movie. I had it connected to a top of the line surge protector so the problem was not a power surge. I could not even get the disc out. When I took it back to Circuit City they assured me it was probably just a bad one and gave me a new one. I could have got another brand but for the features and price I could not find one I liked in the store. The new player has worked ok for the last month but it shows some jitters while switching from one HDMI set up mode to another and causes a 'green' screen to display on my plasma. Once I switch it off and then on again it has worked fine but I am prepared to have it die on me in just a few months. I did not notice any substantial improvement in picture using the HDMI cable over the component connection. In fact, if you have a progressive DVD player I doubt that you would notice too much difference in the image quality using this upconverting DVD player. I had it set to the 1080i resolution and also to the 720p and 570p. On some DVDs the 1080i performed better than the other resoulutions but on some others it did not seem to make much of a difference which makes me think that the image quality is very DVD dependent.
The good:
Plays all discs - VCDs, CD-RWs, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, Div-X and just about anything that won't play on other DVD players.
It even has a USB connection in the front which you can use to directly plug in a zip drive or another device like a hard drive, although I have not used this feature yet.
The bad:
Remote is not at all user friendly. It is of cheap construction and buttons are not intuitive. I liked my Sony remote much better. Worse, the DVD player is VERY slow to respond to your pressing remote buttons. At times, I have to struggle to get it to respond.
While changing resolutions through DVD player set up it is better not to have a disk playing in the DVD player as that causes errors.
Finally, for the features and price this is a good buy if you have a lot of Div-X, VCD, DVD-RW discs and copies of original DVDs as this player plays them all. However, don't expect this player to be a life-long purchase and cross your fingers and hope you get a good piece when you buy one. In fact, I recommend buying it from a store close to you so that the return is easier.
11/06/06 Update: The player has worked just fine up till now but I hardly use it more than once a week.
11/16/08: This player is still working fine and plays all DVDs and home made movies without any problem. You can also make it region free if you like - just Google it. So I stand by my rating.

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Toshiba BDX2000 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the first blu ray player I have owned. Blu-rays are known to be slower than their DVD counterparts, and this player sticks to that fashion. It seems as it depends more on the blu ray itself though rather than the player. Some discs load extremely quick and some are slower.
Overall the player has a nice sleek design. It's easy to use, easy to navigate. It doesn't have some extras that other blu ray players have such as pandora or netflix, but honestly, how many devices do you need in your living room that have those capabilities?
I would give it five stars except I was hoping that this player wouldn't inherit the inability to remember where you left off in a movie. With a dvd you can hit stop once, if you hit play again it will pick up in the same spot and if you hit stop twice it will restart the DVD. To my knowledge no blu ray player does this.

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Philips BDP5010/F7 Blu-ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this BluRay player this morning at a local retail store. The price was reasonable and it had the Phillips name. At first I thought it may have been a Funai with Phillips branding, but after a little net research I have found it is an authentic Phillips manufactured BluRay player.
The player itself is smaller than the cheaper boxes by about 25%, which is nice as it fits snugly on my dresser with my flat screen HDTV. Out of box setup was a piece of cake, startup and BluRay setup was simple. Speaking of startup, it's quite sprightly, taking about 5 seconds to go from power on to BluRay ready mode. In other words, I can hit the power, take a BluRay disc from the case (in this instance it's "Wall-E"), and it's ready to go right in the tray. After that it's 2, maybe 3 seconds and we're off! I was impressed by it's response time right off the bat.
Now, as to the quality. Wow. BluRay really opens up the world of high definition and takes it to a totally different level. Before this player I had a DVD upconverter, and it looked fairly good on my HDTV. It of course plays at 1080p, but is perfect for any HDTV whether it be 720 or 1080. So back to the movie I used as an example: "Wall-E" on BluRay and in this player, was enough to take my breath away. Gorgeous colors, clear, crisp image and sharp, precision audio. To say I was impressed is an understatement.Everything just flowed together beautifully.
I removed Wall-E from the player and grabbed my "Finding Nemo" DVD. I wanted to see what it could do for regular DVDs. I put the disc in the drive and waited a few moments, and when the menu popped up, I was surprised. The quality was excellent. Obviously not BluRay quality, but far superior to my old DVD upconverter. Richer colors, great looking picture.
So, to sum it up:
* Smaller design than cheaper models
* Easy Setup
* Quick Startup and Load times
* Incredible picture quality
* Plays DVDs with far superior quality to DVD Upconverter
I give it 5 out of 5 stars, with a wholehearted recommendation.
This Phillips BluRay player gives you the most bang for your buck.~J.W.

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