Video Asylum

Posted by GPB (i) on August 10, 2001 at 06:42:33

In Reply to: Re: Has anyone auditioned this player? posted by Balsac on August 09, 2001 at 05:13:39:

I have the Pioneer Elite 610 - wonderful image. There is another plus with the Panasonic that I didn't mention (just now thought of it). For DVD, it can scale the image so you can always leave the RPTV in FULL mode (for anamorphic material). If you play a non-anamorphic movie, the player will "zoom" and make it look anamorphic to the RPTV. One benefit is that if you are going to have the TV calibrated, you don't need to calibrate the ZOOM mode...it's a decent advantage. Plus, the picture looks better letting the Panasonic do the zoom (or scaling) rather than having the TV do it. If you don't understand this or want more info, read here.

The Elite DVD series definitely has the chroma problem as well. It's commonly referred to as a "bug" because it is. The color decoder chip which is used in lots of players has the problem. Read more here.

To sum up, the Panasonic player is wonderful as a DVD player. I'm still stunned by the picture - it's simply amazing. I have tweaked the 610 with Duvatyne which helps color and contrast. I also use a couple power filters and Nordost component video cables between the DVD and 610. So short of a full ISF calibration, I've done what I can do to optimize the image. I just wish the RP91 worked better as a transport for CDs - and I haven't tried the internal DACs - yet. Plus, the price is right (not factored into my buying decision - well, maybe a little - the Nordost cables were about as much as the player).

-- Greg