DVI, for better or worse? Samsung DVD Player

[palmetto]

i am planning a HT system with the Samsung 61" DLP, which has a DVI input. my sources will be DirecTv for HDTV and OTA broadcasts and an occasional DVD. i want to get the best, latest HDTV satellite receiver as cost for this line item is not much, comparatively, and i am willing to go with the branded (expensive) DVI cables for sake of a better picture.

DVI -- one salesperson said that its failing is how well it shows problems with the signal. others say that DVI only serves as a copywright protection scheme or that it is not getting the industry support it needs for longevity.

related thought -- what to make of the new samsung DVD player that claims to be the "first" HDTV compliant DVD player by upconverting signal to 720p and 1080i (Samsung HD HD931). i've read some user comments that are close to euphoric. you must use its DVI output.

if it is the case that a $299 list DVD player will yield a better picture than others on my samsung HDTV DLP, i then have to figure out how to manage a TV with only 1 DVI input and 2 sources (HDTV receiver and DVD player) outputting in DVI. as far as i know, there are no A/V receivers with even one DVI i/o for a pass thru. is there a DVI switcher?

thanks for your thoughts.

[Lex]

first, I would say this, your considering a rear projection DLP TV? 61" tells me it's a box TV. Yes? Have you considered going front projection? Would you be surprised to find that you can buy good front projection for less than the price of that TV likely?

As far as DVI, I don't think the industry has embraced it yet. You've got a few DVD players, and a few projectors with it, some manufacturers embracing it or pushing it more than others. It happens Samsung is one of them.

I personally am not a big DVI proponent because of a couple of reasons. 1. I won't obsolete my MC-12 processor. 2. I see component as a higher quality cable connection. I think DVI is just for the copy protection industry. But most all DVI cables are standard computer quality cables. Myself, I'd rather have a high quality silver coaxial connection.

Lex

[Chris D]

My $.02 here:

I use a DVD player with DVI output to my plasma TV in the bedroom, the Bravo D1. There are maybe 5 different players out there with DVI, and I think all of them upconvert to 720p/1080i. In short, the picture is very, very nice. The detail is very clean, and I've noticed that colors are very vivid. While the difference between component and DVI I think can be noticed, depending on your display unit, I'm not sure if I would say the jump is as big as say, composite connections to component.

The whole idea with DVI is to keep the signal digital going from the source all the way to the display without any analog conversions. This will benefit you with a digital television. If the onboard processor in the television is very, very good, though, you will see less of a benefit.

As for DVI in receivers and switchers, yes, there are a few receivers that I know of with DVI, maybe 4. Still very rare. Expect this to increase over the years, especially with the introduction of HDMI, which is DVI with added digital sound carried through the connection. Switchers are just starting to come to the market.

I also have a Zenith 520 HD satellite receiver and OTA HD tuner with DVI, but haven't hooked it up yet.




CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"

[Chris D]

DVI -- one salesperson said that its failing is how well it shows problems with the signal.

Oh, and this comment made me chuckle. Whether it's your display, speakers, processor, source equipment, or media type like cassette tapes or CD's, realize that the more you get into high end equipment with high fidelity, the more your are going to hear and see EVERY little nuance in your material. You'll hear the good stuff, like the detailed resonance of a violin, or true bass reproduction down to sub-sonic levels. But you'll also hear the slight pop and crackle of a poorly transfered CD version of an old music album. You'll see individual blades of grass in a meadow, but you'll also see the speck of dust that the remastering people didn't take off the film when transferring a movie to DVD. There's no getting around this--your equipment can only show what's in the source material. If there's defects in the source, they'll be shown too. Some people do what I consider "sticking their heads in the sand" and choose not to use high-end equipment because they don't want to see or hear the defects. But then they also miss out on so much audio and video detail.

The true answer is to buy high-fidelity equipment that CAN reproduce every little audible and visual detail, and then be picky about what source material you use and buy, only getting high quality material that won't disappoint you.




CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"

[Jeff Kowerchuk]

If you get the Samsung DLP, using the accompanying DVD player with DVI is essential. Plain and simple, running the DVD player at 720p with the DVI connection will give you the best DVD picture possible on this set. Even top-notch players with component outputs will not be able to compete.