Samsung DVD-HD960 Up-Converting DVD Player

Samsung DVD-HD960 Up-Converting DVD Player Review

Samsung DVD-HD960 Up-Converting DVD Player Feature

• Upconverting, mult-format progressive scan DVD player; measures 16.9 x 1.77 x 9.8 inches (WxHxD)
• Transforms standard DVD to near 1080p HD-quality video (as well as 720p, 1080i formats)
• Compatible with DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD, MP3, WMA, JPEG
• Outputs: 1 HDMI, 1 component, 1 S-Video, 1 composite, 1 coaxial audio, 1 optical audio
• Supports both Dolby Digital and DTS encoded DVDs

Enjoy your favorite DVD movies in high definition without having to wait for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players with the affordable Samsung DVD-HD960 single-disc, progressive scan DVD player--the perfect partner to your HD-capable LCD or plasma TV. Where standard DVD players (even progressive scan models) provide just 480 lines of resolution, the DVD-HD860 will "upconvert" the picture up to 1080p (as well as 720p and 1080i)--taking full advantage of your HD television's sparkling resolution. This elegantly slim unit can also play a wide range of disc and file formats and offers a number of playback convenience features, including bookmarking, multiple camera angles, and folder accessibility on MP3/WMA-formatted discs.

The DVD-HD960 upconverts a standard DVD's native resolution (480p) to output close to high-definition formats (720p/1080i/1080p). To achieve that higher resolution, the player fills in additional image data by assessing existing pixels and intelligently predicting what the surrounding pixels should look like. Because the upconversion process occurs in the digital domain, no data is lost (compared with analog conversion) and the resulting image is close to pristine. To produce an upconverted picture, your high-def TV must have an HDMI connection (and HDCP support)--the 720p/1080i/1080p choice is only available when using the HDMI cable (which is not included). Also note that the DVD-HD960 is not a high-definition DVD player (i.e., not to be confused with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players, which play specially formatted high definition discs), so it will work with your existing DVD library.

This player also features DCDi (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) upconversion via the Faroudja FLI-2310 chip, which substantially eliminates jagged edges that appear when standard interlaced video is viewed on progressive-scan displays.

This player is compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, and SVCD, as well as MP3, WMA, and JPEG file formats. Compression rates supported for MP3 are from 128-192 kbps and for WMA from 64-192 kbps. JPEG files can be seen in a slide show with intervals of 6, 12, or 18 seconds between images; and you can zoom in (2x or 4x) on an image or rotate it 90-degrees clockwise.

The bookmark function lets you mark and store up to three scenes at a time for easy recall. Instant replay shows you the previous 10 seconds of the movie again--in case you missed something important. Instant skip jumps ahead 10 seconds--in case you want to miss something. And parental control lets you set a password that must be given before a password-protected disc can be viewed.

It features the following video and audio connections:

• Composite AV Out (RCA): 1
• S-Video Out: 1
• Component video Out: 1
• HDMI AV Out: 1
• Coaxial digital audio Out: 1
• Optical digital audio Out: 1

Tech Talk
HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).

HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a system for protecting DVD content outputted via DVI/HDMI from being copied. It provides a secure digital link between a video source (PC, DVD. etc) and a display device (TV, projector, etc). Content is encrypted at the source device to prevent unauthorized copies from being made.

High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time. The 1080i format displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels, and the "i" means that it is interlaced (the old-school way of presenting video where the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines). The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 720 lines.

What's in the Box
Upconverting DVD player, remote control (with batteries), AV cable, printed operating instructions

Warranty
1 year parts, 90 days labor Samsung DVD-HD960 Up-converter DVD Player. This super slim Up-converter DVD Player ofer its consumers a simple, single-cable connection of uncompressed digital video, thanks to HDMI outputs. It also boasts of HD JPEG playback for viewing crystal clear photos in the comfort of your home theater. This DVD player fits the bill perfectly.With the Samsung DVD-HD960 Hi-Def Conversion DVD Player, you'll get the very best in Digital video. Get a better entertainment center experience, with its 720p/1080i conversion; you'll get incredible picture quality from your DVDs. The HDMI connection makes it easy to hook up your Samsung DVD-HD960 without facing a mess of tangled wires.Boast a natural, clear picture, upconverted by way of DCDi by Faroudja (Directional Correlation De-interlacing), which substantially eliminates jagged edges that appear when standard interlaced video is viewed on progressive-scan displays.