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Samsung DVD-HD931 HDTV Converter Progressive-Scan DVD Player

Samsung DVD-HD931 HDTV Converter Progressive-Scan DVD Player

List Price: $349.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good DVD Player but not True HD 1080i
Review: The Samsung DVD 931 does not deliver true HD 1080i on my Mitsubishi 65 HD Rear Projection TV the face and skin seemed grainey. It may work better on a Plasma or LCD type tv. It is a good DVD player
but just not what I expected for the price of over [$]
My experience ordering through Amazon .com ...was a good one and I would not hesitate to order again from them.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Mediocre Player
Review: I saw no difference with this player compared to my JVC progressive scan dvd player. I have an hdtv ready tv and I used the DVI cables and I still saw no difference. I heard that the real DVDHD players will be comming out in 2007 and I would advise to wait. If you want to try this product I do not discourage it but you should make sure you buy it from a place where you can return it for all you money back. This player is just as good as any progressive scan player but with a heavy price tag.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: High Definition DVD Player - Is it worth the money?
Review: Samsung has been actively involved in providing people with home theatre components for many years. Today we will take a look at their latest DVD player which supports mp3 playback, a slideshow from .jpg files on CD, DVD playback and audio CD playback. Many DVD players are very similar to one another when it comes to comparing features. Naturally people wonder why they should be spending extra money to get a better looking unit. The HD931 sports something that is unique and a first for Samsung products; it supports high definition output. ...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Outstanding upscaling DVD player, INCLUDES DVI CABLE!
Review: THE DVI CABLE IS INCLUDED IN THE BOX! Samsung really dropped the ball in not noting this in their packaging and advertising materials, and the idea that you need to buy an extra, and usually way over priced cable, has probably put off a number of potential buyers.

The Samsung HD931 DVI compatible DVD player with 1080i up scaling and image refinement technology seems to have generated a wide range of reviews. On one hand, there seems to be an element in the A/V crowd that plugs something in, finds it to be not 100% integrated out the box or that it requires some adjustment and understanding on the part of the user, who immediately rush to web sites to write "This POS sucks!" type reviews. That is, as Rummy might say, "not helpful".

There are also many people who have high end system who understand the subtle interaction of program material, displays, room types and so forth, who are probably getting the best out of the player, who write reviews saying it's "STUNNING!"

A few observations:

I found the HD931 I purchased, made on 10/03, to be one of the best displaying DVD players I have owned, and that includes quite a few units over the years. The picture is outstanding and crisp, even with component output. Some have complained about the innovative menuing system, but it's a well thought out and very useful approach to controlling the unit. The integrated "disc menu" that condenses chapters and other disc options into a single pop over window is great, and saves the user from having to go through the elaborate, frequently slow and labor intensive menus used in many DVDs. They look great, but if you just want to change options, jump to a chapter, change audio and so forth the disc menu is great.

Some have complained about the remote. It's average, not great not awful, but easy to get used to once you work with it a day or two. It seemed to control the unit just fine from a distance of about ten feet with the unit in line of sight from the remote.

The DVI output is fantastic, but it can't improve on a mediocre transfer of the original DVD. However, if the DVD is well transferred and has detail, texture or subtleties in the transfer that might not have come out before with component output then you are going to see this additional detail via the up scaling enhancements, advanced deinterlacing, and DVI output and really be knocked out by the near HDTV quality of many DVD movies.

If the original DVD transfer was not very good, or was over compressed, or re-used an older transfer made for VHS or laserdisc, then using component video output might be better, as it will gloss over the faults a bit. Like anything that is "higher quality" the HD931 DVI output makes lower quality stand out more. Luckily, you can hook up both outputs from the HD931 to your display and select which signal type to use based on the quality of the DVD.

The only irritating flaw in the HD931 is the over bright neon blue light on the jog dial. SAMSUNG has issued a couple of firmware fixes for various glitches including a problem outputting the correct aspect ratio of 4:3 DVDs via DVI to certain SONY displays. SAMSUNG was very helpful when I contacted them, and sent me a disc right away to upgrade my firmware. A player with this technology would have cost $1,000.00 just a year ago, not it's under three hundred.

In short, this is a great player.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stunning 1080i; an editor's choice!
Review: The HD931 is packed full of the standard and not so standard features that cause it to stick out from all the rest. The first very obvious feature is the high definition output. The user gets to choose what format they want to output to their TV (as long as the high definition cable is used and is supported by the TV being used). They can choose from one of three modes to output; 480p, 720p or 1080i. The 480p is not an exceptional mode for output as it is slightly less quality than that of the analog signals, but for those who prefer digital signals at low resolutions, here it is...(more on this: @ bytesector.com)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 2 Thumbs Up
Review: I just purchased the DVD931 about 2 weeks ago, and I must say I've been very pleased with it.

Firstly, I've read some of the negative commments regarding this player, and some points have validity. The player doees have "slow" response at times and tends to not have that "pinpoint" remote control (i.e. fast forward, slow motion, etc) that one would expect from a top-line player. The remote is rather plain, but I've programmed my T.V. remote to perform most functions. This is not a real problem, more cosmetic. Also, the system works extremely well when combined with top-line compatible equipment (i.e. LCD TV, Monster DVI cable, etc), and slightly above average with standard displays, etc.

Now for the positives: I have my 931 attached to a 50" Panasonic LCD HDTV Monitor with Monster DVI cable (standard cable good- not GREAT) and digital optical output to a 7.1 Harman Kardon AVR525. Holy smoke- I've rented DVD after DVD to test both video and audio (from Nemo to T3 to Lords to Star Wars to Fast/Furious), and the system has not faltered once. Stunningly bright, clean video signal in 1080i output (can see individual spider hairs in Arachnophobia)- No breakdown in resolution or "lag" in display during high action scenes. If original film is somewhat grainy (i.e. Scarface, Godfather...), you will see subtle grain depending on how it was digitally remastered.

Overall- If you have a quality HDCP TV with DVI input, spend a little on higher quality connections and attach to a home theater system- you will smile at the results. If you don't, you may be disappointed and frustrated with the performance at this price. Hope this is helpful- Good Viewing to All....

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Output levels are inconsistent
Review: I've had this player for 3 months. The 1080i upconversion makes the scan lines disappear without the smeared look you get with the progressive output, but it also introduces artifacts on certain material. These artifacts appear as tiny mottled blocks on certain material. These are distracting enough that I don't use the DVI output anymore.

Another reason I don't use the DVI is that the output levels on this player are inconsistent. The ISF technician who calibrated my set told me that the DVI levels do not meet the standard levels. Furthermore the progressive output levels are noticeably off and the I also read that the S-Video and Composite levels are off too! From my experience, the DVI brightness level seems to be about 10% lower than the component interlaced levels and about 3% higher than the component progessive levels.

Having said that, the component interlaced outputs are actually quite good. When compared to my old Sony S7700, the picture seems much clearer. My set's (sony 34xbr910) upconversion is pretty good so it hasn't been an issue for me.

The remote is also pretty bad and the player responds to commands very slowly. The jog/shuttle dial also is surrounded by a bright blue light that can be distracting when watching a movie in the dark.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: BEAUTIFUL, STUNNING PICTURE.
Review: This is a terrific machine for those of us looking to upgrade the DVD experience. Despite the higher cost, it is well worth the investement. I have a samsung 65" rear projection television with the DVI input that is HDCP compatible. I cannot believe the difference this provides over progressive scan. To put it in prospective, watch a digital cable or satellite program, then watch a program broadcast in HDTV. Therein lies the difference. There are some quirks with the remote and set up features that are a bit tricky, but definately not anything to dissuade one from purchasing this machine. This is not true HDTV, but darn close. This player will go a long way in satisfying a video conniseur, until HD-DVD is released in 2007. A word to the wise. This unit comes with a DVI cable. Use this for some other purpose if you need it. This cable will not do the unit justice. You NEED to go get the Monster DVI cable, the 400 series is perfect for this application.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not up to the job
Review: I tried very hard to want this product to work. Afterall, HDTV quality from a DVD, who wouldn't want it, right? Well, this Samsung may have been well intentioned, but poorly implemented. The main issue is picture quality. It is not good. The image is shifted to the right when using the 720P format, and in all modes suffers from a loss of black scale in darker scenes. The image from the analog outputs are even worse, and the audio is only fair in the non-digital outputs. One can see where Samsung was trying to go with this, the problem is they should have waited and gotten this unit right, then released it to the public, not before. I am currently waiting for delivery of a Bravo D1 from V with a highly touted DVI implementation.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Overall Good
Review: Good Picture
Good Looking
Remote BAD!!!


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