Stampax
16-06-2005, 12:18 PM
Have decided to buy a new dvd player as mine is starting to argue with some of my discs (and is 5 years old now), and am also getting a new plasma soon with lots of fancy connections on the back (ie HI-DEF ready, prob the new Panasonic V500).
Having read through some threads it seems that one of the DVD players mentioned in the title are the ones to go for - however, despite being so readily recomended by people on here, and incredibly hard to actually get. One of the key problems seems to be that - and correct me if im wrong - the 945/845 are the UK models, whilst the '50 models are the USA ones- and the USA ones seem to be the only ones available.
I can find the HD850 available online for about 90 quid, and the 950 for an extra 20 quid - which is best togo for. Is right the only difference is one plays DVD Audio, and has both DVI and HDMI?
So is it a problem getting the USA models rather than the English ones? I don't really get it, seeing as home cinema review raved about (the 945 model) it in the March edition - have just read the review online....so where the hell is it, and why can i only get the 950?
zeropoint
16-06-2005, 12:47 PM
I may be wrong, but I think the 745/945 are UK/Europe, and the 841/941 are US, and the 850/950 are UK/US successors to the respective models of each region. The equivalent of the 745 is the 747 in Australia too, I think.
JimmyCobra
16-06-2005, 01:05 PM
This is my opinion on the new samsung HD range
i looked into buying one, and gave up.My reasons where that samsung seem
to have messed up their marketing, their players have different names for
obvious reasons like 950 has sacd and dvd-a it also has output for more audio
devices. None of these mattered to me, i was concerned about macroblocking,
samsung use two different chips the Faroudja which is supposed to have macro
blocking issues and the zoran, only trouble is that samsung advertise Faroudja
technology on a dvd player yet the chip could be zoran.it could all be down to date of manufacture.At first i wanted a Faroudja chip because samsung seem to praise it and give it a premium pricing in their players, but people reported issues with macroblocking and the cheaper zoran chips where better
P.Q
its a mine field at the moment, and a game of chance which chip you could get.
this is just my opinion based on things i have read in forums and reviews round the web, i cant be sure its all 100% accurate but it was enough to
leave my money in my pocket for now
Stampax
16-06-2005, 01:11 PM
Yeah, i'm about as confused as you then!
SO - what player should I get?????? What did you go for?
zeropoint
16-06-2005, 01:12 PM
The 745/841 uses Zoran Vaddis 7 for flag-based deinterlacing; the 945/941 supposedly uses Faroudja/Genesis FLI23xx, but some say they use Vaddis too - although maybe DCDi algorithm implemented in Vaddis 7(??); the 850/950 both use Vaddis 778, I think. All non-Genesis models use Zoran hdXtreme for scaling.
hamd01
16-06-2005, 01:42 PM
Sorry I dont speak Klingon.....what are you on about!??
zeropoint
16-06-2005, 02:02 PM
DaHjaj SuvwI'e' jiH. tIgwIj Sa'angNIS. Iw bIQtIq jIjaH :grin:
Idoexist
16-06-2005, 02:10 PM
Samsung seem to have dug themselves a very big hole to fall into with the 745/945 850/950 issue. You only have to look at all the threads with problems, confusion, bugs, what's in what and when.
That's partly why, and constant changes of the 950 delivery dates, I canceled mine.
It's just a mess.
PJTX100
16-06-2005, 02:12 PM
The Samsung players aren't the easiest to track down but they are available.
I don't think you'd go wrong with either the 850 (out now) or the 950 (not out yet).
That said, you may well get just as good quality (or better) with something like the Pio 575 via component... but unless you try them both, you'll not know which looks best to you.
HDMI/DVI/upscaling DVD players can be very attractive in concept but it's not a guarantee of the best pic quality vs a decent player running component.
..PJ :)
PJTX100
16-06-2005, 02:25 PM
Samsung seem to have dug themselves a very big hole to fall into with the 745/945 850/950 issue. You only have to look at all the threads with problems, confusion, bugs, what's in what and when.
That's partly why, and constant changes of the 950 delivery dates, I canceled mine.
It's just a mess.
Fully understand where you are coming from, perhaps Samsung have stretched themselves by trying to offer too much for too little.
For me the one thing which Stops the samsung being a very good machine is controllability - especially sharpness. The Pio offers great sharpness adjustment, the Samsung offers none. This may not be an issue for small(ish) screens but on an 83" pic the Samsung can look slightly soft - though I do like sharp pics!
However I do feel these are still very good machines for the money and many of the "bugs" could be viewed as features which many other DVD players probably also suffer from.
This is cutting edge stuff for the price of a decent meal out. Samsung should be applauded for at least letting us dabble without having to break the bank...PJ :thumbsup:
br14n
16-06-2005, 06:37 PM
:hiya:
I agree with PJ, these machines are excellent value for money if if they do have some annoying points. I have the 945 and dont regret buying it. With HD DVD and Blueray not that far away the sammys make good stop gap machines. PQ through HDMI on the 945 is superb and no macro blocking issues. :smashin:
JimmyCobra
17-06-2005, 12:23 AM
Yeah, i'm about as confused as you then!
SO - what player should I get?????? What did you go for?
i hooked up the computer through dvi to dvi to plasma. seems to be the way its going at the moment, picture quality is exellent.Its not the way i wanted to go, but a local store had the 850 and a pc with media center hooked up
to an hitachi plasma. I thought the picture from the pc was better.
Dont get me wrong the 850 picture blew my current dvd player away,but you do need either hdmi or dvi input telivision to get the best results from the upscaling samsungs.
but when a salesman talks you out of spending ?00+ and says get a dvi cable for ?0 you have to give it a go.
br14n
17-06-2005, 10:41 AM
:hiya:
Hi Jimmy,
Glad you got something sorted. I was toying with the pc idea but my laptop doesnt have a dvi so the sammy will have to do until until the next gen dvds come out. Like you said the PQ on the sammys is great, no doubt your pc has a better drive. :smashin:
hamd01
17-06-2005, 10:52 AM
Might be worth pointing out that pixmania can do the Sammy 850 for ?9 inc delivery at the moment, and they are in stock
Stampax
17-06-2005, 02:20 PM
Thanks hamd01 - very tempted to go for this. Seems about 50 quid cheaper than the s97.....
JimmyCobra
18-06-2005, 01:46 AM
:hiya:
Hi Jimmy,
Glad you got something sorted. I was toying with the pc idea but my laptop doesnt have a dvi so the sammy will have to do until until the next gen dvds come out. Like you said the PQ on the sammys is great, no doubt your pc has a better drive. :smashin:
Hi Brian
I have not gave up on the hd players, my ?0 cable has bought me some time.Reason is the PC is tied up when watching a DVD now,and with three
people here all fighting for a seat it feels crowded.And i cant go back to watching DVDS on the old player, its just not the same anymore.
peahead
19-06-2005, 03:20 PM
anybody have anymore info when the samsung hd-950 is due out ive heard 26 june.
JimmyCobra
19-06-2005, 10:14 PM
http://www.digiuk.com/productdetail.asp?id=4139&c=1113813&guid=&s=2&sm=1#
comes with cables
and they said in stock when i emailed them last week.
i have never bought from them.
peahead
19-06-2005, 10:48 PM
Well they must be telling porkies because i ordered one from them on the 1 may and have still not had mine.
drskhaled
20-06-2005, 11:02 AM
I dunno what samsung are playing at, theyve got a player which has so much for so little and loads of internet publicity and getting hold of it is a nightmare. I dont trust pixmania and digiuk dont have any in stock. The high street stores are awash with cheaper samsung players and even tottenham court road doesnt have any. Youd have thought with decent marketing they could put these in all high street stores and make a killing. Frankly i've given up on the 945/950 and will wait for bluray/hddvd
Stampax
20-06-2005, 12:05 PM
Why dont you trust pixmania - i was gonna order the 850 from them?
peahead
20-06-2005, 05:12 PM
If i dont get my samsung hd-950 soon from digiuk i gonna cancel my order.
peahead
20-06-2005, 05:27 PM
Just rang digiuk and they are saying the first stock of the hd-950 samsung will be bringing to the uk will be on july 18 so i canceled my order and am going to look for something else but for twice the price.
br14n
20-06-2005, 07:41 PM
Why dont you trust pixmania - i was gonna order the 850 from them?
:hiya:
Pixmania are very good at telling porkies on delivery dates, usually they dont even have them in stock. Do a search on them in the forums and you'll read more than a few reasons to be wary.
sdb123
20-06-2005, 08:26 PM
Hi there,
It's a question of personal experience really....I ordered a Samsung HD-945 from Pixmania and received four days later, good comms as well :)
Digital Point on the other hand were useless IMO :mad:
Just my two pennies worth....
Steve
sofasurfer
21-06-2005, 12:10 PM
My 850 turned up this morning from Empire direct.Just over ?00 including delivery and lightning fast delivery time.
I am spending Thursday hooking it all up to my system and cant wait to see the improvement over my ageing Sony 735.
gingerone
21-06-2005, 01:51 PM
My 850 turned up this morning from Empire direct.Just over ?00 including delivery and lightning fast delivery time.
I am spending Thursday hooking it all up to my system and cant wait to see the improvement over my ageing Sony 735.
You'll see an improvement picture wise but the dvd player will probably drive you mad after the user friendly sony.
Mine has.
hamd01
21-06-2005, 03:05 PM
I ordered my 850 from PixMania on Thursday night, and it arrived today, brilliant!! Have only tried it on a CRT so far, waiting for my Samsung 32" LCD to arrive from Empire.
Stampax
21-06-2005, 03:35 PM
Waiting anxiously for how annoying/bad you find all these software glitches ppl are moaning about?
sofasurfer
21-06-2005, 04:39 PM
You'll see an improvement picture wise but the dvd player will probably drive you mad after the user friendly sony.
Mine has.
Tell me what will drive me mad.
MAybe I shouldn't know.May get too stressed!
br14n
22-06-2005, 10:40 AM
:hiya:
If all you watch are region 2 discs then its easy enough to forget about the niggles with these machines as the PQ is brill. Changing to ntsc is a wee bit of a pain but for the money its still great value.
PJTX100
22-06-2005, 01:38 PM
Other than the sub channel on SACD not working (which is academic for me 'cause I use the 575), I wouldn't say the 745 has any niggles of note...PJ :)
sofasurfer
23-06-2005, 07:48 AM
:hiya:
If all you watch are region 2 discs then its easy enough to forget about the niggles with these machines as the PQ is brill. Changing to ntsc is a wee bit of a pain but for the money its still great value.
Thats good.I mainly watch R2 discs with only a few import discs in my collection.
:thumbsup:
br14n
23-06-2005, 05:16 PM
:hiya:
If you're going to watch via hdmi then you'll get a message on screen saying "hdmi audio not supported", only at the start of the film. I presume you're using an amp for your sound.
sofasurfer
23-06-2005, 06:20 PM
:hiya:
If you're going to watch via hdmi then you'll get a message on screen saying "hdmi audio not supported", only at the start of the film. I presume you're using an amp for your sound.
Yeah.Using a Denon amp for my sound.
Does it happen every time and is there not a way of turnng off the on-screen message?
br14n
23-06-2005, 08:09 PM
Yeah.Using a Denon amp for my sound.
Does it happen every time and is there not a way of turnng off the on-screen message?
You can turn the message off but once you power down the player it'll forget you've switched the messages off. :mad: A bit annoying at first but i dont even notice the messages now.
gingerone
24-06-2005, 10:25 AM
Tell me what will drive me mad.
MAybe I shouldn't know.May get too stressed!
The main things are the HDMI NOT SUPPORTED MESSAGE and the fact that you have to manually switch to NTSC every time you watch a R1 dvd.
And also the fact that it has no disc memory so you can't power off and then resume you're place on the disc.
It may not bother you at all though.
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