Where/When Did Sony Get a Bad Rap on DVD?

[Thai]

Hey all,

Almost universally, when i ask about Sony DVD players, almost everyone said that it's not good or that Brand X is better. Why is that? From my recent purchases/returns of various brands of DVD players, there is no doubt in my mind that my Sony DVP-NS90V is the best of the bunch.

Disclaimer: I am talking about under $250 DVD players here...not the fancy HDDVD or BD players. IMHO, if it's not HDDVD or BD player, then it's not worth it to spend over $250 for any DVD player.

Mind you, in all of these comparisons, i really really wanted someone to beat the Sony because i want a fancy DVD company (besides plain jane Sony) and an all-black look in my theater room and stereo room.

Opponent 1: Denon DVD-1930ci
Sound: Good
Picture: Excellent
Problems:
1. Lip synch problem big time!
2. Literally ate my "Saving Private Ryan" DVD!! Salesman has to disassemble the player to get it back! Rebooting it did not work.
3. Goes into stuck mode many times requiring unplud/plug reboot...before eating up DVD
4. Kinda noisy mechanism
5. Macroblocking
Results: exchange for Opponent 2

Opponent 2: Denon DVD-1930ci (another one)
Same as above for Sounds and Picture.
Problems:
1. Lip synch problem...same as above
2. Stuck mode also...but reboot OK
3. Kinda noisy mechanism
4. Macroblocking
Results: return to store due to lip synch problem

Opponent 3: Yamaha DVD-S659
Sound: OK
Picture: 1080i picture is full of jagged edges
Problems:
1. 1080i picture quality
2. Sound seemingly not as good as Sony (surprisingly!)
Results: pending...still undecided

Sony DVP-NS90V
Sound: Good
Picture: Good-excellent
Problems: Slow loading time, but otherwise, NONE

One salesman said that Sony DVD players have a lot of reliability issues. My brother has one for over 2 years now...not a single problem/hiccup/reboot...nothing. Since December 2006, my Sony has been damn reliable too! That cannot be said of my two Denons! Other salesmen said that Sony uses a cheap chip for video...well, in my eyes, whatever Sony is using should be copied by these more reputable companies! What good is Denon's famous picture quality when it has the (in)famous DCDi Faroudja chip which results in lip synch issue and macroblocking?!! What is weird is that the Sony sound on DVD via HDMI is great! Yamaha DVD could not match it.

So, what the hell are these people talking about?! Now, keep in mind that the Sony DVP-NS90V used to be Sony's top-of-the-line single disc DVD player a few years ago. So, my comparison above does not apply to the cheaper Sony DVD players.

 

[kcl]

Just out of curiosity, did you ever consider the Oppo 981 DVD player? It has an excellent reputation and you can pick one up for $239 on Amazon.

 

[Thai]

Just out of curiosity, did you ever consider the Oppo 981 DVD player? It has an excellent reputation and you can pick one up for $239 on Amazon.

Nope because it has the DCDi by Faroudja video processing technology which is known to cause lip synch issue (like the Denon 1930) and macroblocking. I had enough of that with the Denon. Upon reviewing the specs of the Oppo, it sure sounds like an identical twin to the Denon.

 

[Caerus]

Thai,

Nice reviews. I am very happy with my Sony DVD and it's 3 1/2 years old and not a single reliability issue. Mine is not as fancy as yours with no upscaling and just a progressive scan unit. I was going to replace it, but using it with the video upscaling of the Yamaha AVR resulted in great video at 1080i and great sound as well. Of course my 1080p Sony HDTV shows the 1080i picture very well. I wish The DVD had HDMI, but the component RGB into the AVR still has great video quality. The great video processing of the Yamaha AVR has allowed me to keep the older Sony DVD for awhile longer. I thought it was good enough to wait for HD units to become less expensive and when there is plenty of source material to rent/buy.

In general, I think Sony TVs and DVDs are pretty good.

 

[benleeys]

...........
Opponent 1: Denon DVD-1930ci
Sound: Good
Picture: Excellent
Problems:
1. Lip synch problem big time!

Opponent 2: Denon DVD-1930ci (another one)
Same as above for Sounds and Picture.
Problems:
1. Lip synch problem...same as above
............return to store due to lip synch problem

Thai,

Just wondering why you encountered lip synch problems with Denon units. I am using a Denon 5910 and find it a great player. There is a feature on my player which permits lip synch adjustments and I bet the ones you tried have this too. Also, if your units are capable of outputting progressive signals and is set thus, the "TV System" need to be set to progressive as well because this will synchronize the audio signals with the video output.

 

[Burke]

When my Sony DVD player quit after a couple of years of service. I got an Oppo OPDV971H for $199, less ($50) than I paid for the Sony it replaced. Better picture and sound. I too noticed the lip sync issue but audio delay is adjustable to compensate for all the video switching / processing.

The winter I replaced the perfectly working 971 (relegated to second TV) with the Oppo DV-981HD Same great picture but support for SACD and DVD-A with I really enjoy as well.

The Oppo 981 is $229 direct from Oppo Digital You should give it a look. You are correct in that it is very similar to the high end Denon players (except it works better and costs less).