Finally, Affordable Progressive Scan Technology for the Masses!
Written: Feb 19 '02 (Updated Feb 19 '02)
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Pros: Progressive Scan, great picture quality, MP3/CD-R/CD-RW/VCD, 16:9 aspect ratio, affordable
Cons: Standard features only, may not play future DVD-R/DVD-RW formats, cheap remote
The Bottom Line: If you have an HDTV and are looking for an affordable progressive scan DVD player with great picture quality and standard features, this is it!
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| span900's Full Review: Panasonic DVD-RP56 DVD Player |
INTRODUCTION
After I got my HDTV I needed a progressive scan DVD player. I heard so much about how a progressive scan DVD player is an absolute necessity for HDTVs. I already have an old Sony DVD player but I wanted to see what all the hype was about progressive scan technology. I figured I spent so much money on my HDTV that I might as well go for the progressive scan. I spent a few days researching on the web and I finally decided to get the Panasonic DVD-RP56U-K. The "U-K" refers to the fact that I got the black version. I bought it in early January 2002.
PICTURE QUALITY
Just as CNET.com stated, the picture quality is very good. While it is not as perfect ("reference level") as one of those progressive scan DVD players costing above $1000, it was well worth the money I spent. In simple non-technical terms, the difference between a normal DVD player and a progressive scan DVD player is that if you hook it up to a HDTV the picture quality is significantly improved. The prog scan DVD player gets rid of those visible scan lines that make up the picture on the screen (you can see them if you go up close to the screen). The prog scan DVD player's resolution is referred to as 480p, as opposed to 480i for normal DVD players.
I watched many DVD movies and found the picture quality to be as good as any other machine I've seen in the electronics stores. Of course, I did notice that some DVD movies were not encoded as well as others. That is, some movies seem to still show some hint of scan lines (such as End of Days). Movies like Jurassic Park, Predator, and Gladiator are near-perfect.
I was disappointed to find that the box in which it was packaged DID NOT include a set of component video cables. It only comes with composite (RCA-type) video/audio cables. What's the point of using a prog scan DVD player on a HDTV with composite video cables??? But then again, I was warned that this is a bare-bones prog scan DVD player. Anyhow, I had to buy a set of component video cables ($18) to insure I would get the best video connection possible. Make sure you get a set that is made up of thick, gold-plated wires. But don't overpay. There are lots of places selling it for over $40. It's not worth that much.
I initially did not want to buy the RP56 because CNET.com stated that it does not have aspect ratio control. That is, CNET.com's review said that you cannot choose if the RP56 will output the picture in an aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9. However, lucky for me this is not true. You CAN in fact select 4:3 Pan&Scan, 4:3 Letterbox, or 16:9. Perhaps they reviewed an earlier version of the RP56. Mine was manufactured in Oct 2001. This is an extremely important feature because my HDTV needs it to display the 16:9 aspect ratio properly. That is, both the RP56 and the HDTV have to both be set to 16:9.
One of the great features of this DVD player is that it DOES NOT have the chroma upsampling error bug that many progressive scan DVD players have (even ones costing over $1000). It uses the Sage/Faroudja chip for deinterlacing. This is one of the least expensive players you can possibly find that uses this advanced chip!
AUDIO
I found the audio to be as normal as any other DVD player. The RP56 has a built-in Dolby Digital decoder but not a DTS decoder. However, it does pass the DTS data to your receiver/amplifer. In my case, my receiver/amplifer has both a Dolby Digital and DTS decoder. Also note that it does not have coaxial output. But I don't need that because I always use an optical cable.
To ensure you get the best audio connection possible, buy an optical digital audio cable (less than $7 for 3ft) to connect it to your speaker system's receiver/amplifier. Again, don't overpay for it. If you don't have a speaker system then connect it directly to your HDTV's speakers with the composite video cables. But I think it's a big waste if you are not connecting the DVD player to a 5.1 Surround Sound speaker system. After all, a significant part of watching DVDs is the awesome 3D surround sound, especially DTS. You can't get the full experience if you're going to use your HDTV's speakers.
AudioCD/VCD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3
I've tried VCDs and CD-R music discs and they worked fine. I have not tried CD-RWs or MP3s. It's a great feature to be able to play MP3s. That's one of the reasons I chose this Panasonic over the Sony NS700P.
INCOMPATIBLE DISCS
I was never warned about this: the RP56 CANNOT play DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, nor DVD-RW discs! That's according to the instruction manual, but I wouldn't believe it 100%. It's not a big concern to me now because I don't have a DVD-RW drive in my computer anyway. Who knows, maybe it can play those DVD formats if they are burned with the right software.
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote leaves much to be desired. It feels cheap and has no backlight. I would have preferred the Sony-style joystick instead of the four arrow buttons for navigation. The remote has all the basic features you'll find on any DVD player's remote. However, there is no zoom feature.
FRONT PANEL BUTTONS
The (important) button to enable/disable progressive scanning is located on the front panel of the RP56. This would have been better if it was also available on the remote. But then again you'll probably leave the feature on all the time so you never need to use the button much anyway.
The front panel has four feature buttons: Advanced Surround, Bass Plus, Dialogue Enhancer, and Cinema (movie mode enhancement). They basically toggle the feature on or off. There's also a "One touch" memory button that will restore the on/off position of those four features. But I find this to be completely useless.
The front panel has a big dial button that can be used for fast forward/rewind. It is a great feature but it would be better if available on the remote.
ON-SCREEN MENU
You have to press the "Action" button on the remote to access the basic onscreen menu. The name "Action" doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Anyhow, the basic menu is sufficient for most of what you'd typically need to change (audio, video, display, etc. settings). The basic menu system is very easy to use.
What becomes a real pain is the advanced options menu system. It's a bunch of small icons that appear on the screen (no text)! And they all look alike! I can't tell what the heck I'm accessing. It's not user-friendly at all. Luckily you'll hardly ever need to access these options. I only used it once to adjust the horizontal position of the image. I had to carefully refer to the instruction manual.
COMPETITION
I considered buying the Sony DVP-NS700P, JVC XV-S60BK (aka XV-S65GD) and Samsung DVD-P701. They are all in a similar price range. I changed my mind about the DVP-NS700P because it costs about $30 more, has the chroma upsampling bug, and has no aspect ratio control (according to CNET.com). The JVC was very tempting, but I skipped it when I found out that its settings/options/menus have very nasty quirks. But the JVC is just as inexpensive as the Panasonic. Unfortunately I didn't find too many reviews about the Samsung to seriously consider it.
PRICE
I paid a final price of $210. This was a bargain considering all my local electronics stores are selling it for $230 (before tax). It should also be noted that just months ago I heard great things about prog scan DVD players but they cost around $500 to $3000 back then. To be able to buy a real prog scan DVD player at around $200 is amazing!
CONCLUSION
I must warn you that I only recommend the Panasonic DVD-RP56 if you are looking for an inexpensive, bare-bones progressive scan DVD player for your HDTV. It only has the most basic, simple features and it may not play many re-writable DVD disc formats. On the good side, the picture quality is great, it doesn't have the chroma upsampling error, it has aspect ratio control, and it plays audio CDs, VCDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3s.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 210 total
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Epinions.com ID:
span900
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Location: New York City, New York
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Avid home entertainment enthusiast living in NYC.
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