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I was not so long ago looking for the best marketing HD TV sets and was in truth amazed when my exploration led me to the Samsung LN40C630 LCD HD TV. Firstly I was amazed it was Samsung (big fan as I am) and secondly that it was a 40 Inch set and not something bigger. So, here am I, HD TV expert, and I am astonished at something like that!
I likewise thought it would be a LED or Plasma, but it was a mid-range LCD that came out on top. So, I had to find out more in regards to this HD TV that everyone throughout America is buying!
As I was in Vancouver at the time, I went down to the local Future Shop to see what I could find out. Arriving early on a Monday morning hoping the sales staff would have not one thing better to do and than give me a demo, the scheme proved good as I quickly found my new best friend Graham the TV salesman. To be fair, I did explain to him I had no intent of buying and would he mind, so a Starbucks Vanilla Latte later Graham was in full flow!
The basi thing Graham told me is that Samsung have only just gone to market with the C Series LCD’s. And, he was very quick to point out how much the price has fallen over former models. release. My guess is that economies of scale have kicked in as far as LCD TV create is concerned…that coupled with the evident increase in demand and hence numbers shipping and it’s a classic price reduction situation. So, I guess we have just reached the point where people begin to feel it is a veritably good buy to invest in HD TV.
That’s reasonable enough, but I still think any HD TV needs to “wow” the potential buyer to make them percentage with their hard earner money, even more so in the current economic conditions.
The most essential thing I wanted to recognise when it comes to was motion screen blur, a well known flaw in ealy LCD sets. Indeed it was why my firstborn HD set was a Plasma (being a sport fanatic and all). Of course, the old Plasma (now my second set) is suffering the curse of the Plasma – screenburn. Tough choice in the “olden” days!
Anyway, back to the story, Graham explained that because Samsung have made the 630 series with 120 Hz screen refresh and given it full 1080p HD capability that issue has been solved. The 80,000:1 screen contrast likewise helps keep the picture clean and crisp, even when the action reaches breakneck speed.
I guess with looking at sport being a high priority TV pastime for a great deal of millions of Americans overcoming this problem at the now lower price means the price objection barrier has been smashed which is why the Samsung LN40C630 is now proving so hugely ordinary and we are seeing huge sales numbers.
Certainly I love all sports and this was a major issue for me. But what I saw from the LN40C630 LCD TV in truth changed my view on LCDs.
So, we rigged up a true 1080p source and the picture is crystal clear. And, I am delighted to report altogether free of motion blur. We watched a “morning after” replay of a Canucks game in full 1080 HD. Ice Hockey is in all likelihood the most immediate sport available and the picture was stunning. The action was crisp and clear with the colors bright and vibrant and the blacks deep and dark.
Then we attached it to Blu Ray DVD player to see how the TV performed with HD DVD. Again the Samsung LN40C630 came up trumps. Brilliant, bright, solid colors with deep rich blacks showed off stunning contrasts and a picture that seemed like it was real life in bright sunshine.
Graham (we were now on primary name terms) explained this was due to the full 1080p and that contrast ratio. He also told me that early LCDs were only at 10,000:1. Most HD TVs are around 70,000 – 100,000 symmetry apparently, and this is what gives the latest sets such highly elaborate and crystal clear pictures, no matter how fast and frenetic the action might get.
It’s true better “definition” is available with a LED, but I am convinced (after watching) that this set is now so ordinary because it gives a veritably stunning observing experience at a VERY reasonable price. It’s also finelooking much “immediate” future proof with Graham reckoning it would be “good for at last 5-7 years”. I think that’s reasonable.
The Samsung UN40C630 likewise comes with reasonable jack pack (4 HDMI, 2 USB, PC Input), better is available, sure, but this is more than adequate for most other than the real geeks needs. Low energy consumption is another side benefit. It also uses Samsungs latest picture engineering (wide color enhancer pro). This is designed to give better color luminance throughout the spectrum resulting in more brilliant colors. I may vouch for this! (Can you tell I borrowed a heap of of the sales puff there!)
The one slight downside on the Samsung LN40C630 40 Inch Led TV is that the sound is not very good in all honesty. With just 2 x 10 watt speakers I guess it’s not surprising. And whilst the brochure says “offers multi channel sound”, well not really. But I think most humans buying an HD TV will probably buy at least a basic cinema surround system so it’s not genuinely an issue in my opinion.
The bottom line? This is an outstanding HD TV set in terms of performance, functionality and more significantly price! If you haven’t yet upgraded, this is the middle ground, safe option for your primary foray into HD TV. Solid technology providing outstanding picture quality for any sort of viewing. Having seen a demo courtesy of Graham I may now distinctly see why the Samsung LN40C630 LCD TV has become Americas most ordinary HD TV!
Improve the picture quality of DVD movies shown on your high-definition television with the versatile OPPO Digital OPDV971H DVD player, which provides 480p/540p/576p/720p/1080i resolutions and may upconvert 480i video from DVDs to the high definition 720p/1080i formats. Featuring a slim and graceful design, it featurs a sleek, silver design that will fit in nicely the rest of your home theater’s components. In addition to standard DVD move and CD audio discs, it’s also compatible with DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, (S)VCD, HDCD, and CD-R/RW discs as well as WMA and JPEG digital content. It likewise plays DivX 5, DivX 4, DivX 3, and DivX VOD video content (in compliance with DivX Certified technical requirements).
The OPDV971H features Faroudja’s Emmy award-winning DCDi deinterlacing and scaling engineering science to up-convert popular video in DVDs to HD resolutions. DCDi (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) engineering science does away with the jagginess that conventional upconverters introduced to diagonal edges in video. FaroudjaÕs distinctive DCDi algorithm identifies all the moving edges in a scene and adjusts the angle of interpolation at each pixel so that the interpolation always follows the edge rather of crossing it, eliminating staircasing or jagged edge artifacts.
Other features include a 108MHz/12bit video D/A converter, super error correction with twin laser and intellectual laser wavelength control, NTSC/PAL output (from both NTSC and PAL formatted discs), multi-angled view capability, virtual surround sound, and built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoders. Future upgrades to the firmware may be modified to the player by way of a CD-ROM disc. It offers the following connection options:
- DVI Out: 1 (480p, 576p, 540p, 720p, 1080i resolutions)
- S-Video Out: 1
- Composite AV Out: 1
- Component Out
- Subwoofer Out: 1
- Optical digital audio Out: 1
- Coaxial digital audio Out: 1
Tech Talk
DivX is a video codec (a piece of software encoding and decoding video) based on the MPEG-4 compression format, that mixes good quality video with a low bitrate. This translates to a littler file size (around 15 percent of a usual DVD’s video file), making it more comfortable to transfer to portable appliances as well as rapidly and without delay to fabricate (encode).
HDCD (High Definition Compatible Digital) is a disc encoding format for audio CDs and DVDs. It may encode 20 bits of audio data into a conventional CD 16-bit channel, yielding a more outstanding dynamic range and a more true-to-life sound when decoded. HDCD-equipped players will improve audio quality for even traditionally recorded CDs and DVDs. Conversely, because of the recording process, HDCD-encoded media will also sound better than traditionally CDs and DVDs on players that don’t have the HDCD chip.
DVI (Digital Video Interface) provides an uncompressed transfer of high definition video from a digital video source to a digital display device. HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) ensures copy shelter of the content. The DVI output is likewise necessary if you want to watch copyrighted DVDÕs at a higher, upconverted solution (other video connections do not provide upconversion).
What’s in the Box
DVD player, remote control (with batteries), video cable, RCA L/R audio cable, printed operating instructions
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Most helpful client reviews
425 of 442 people found the following review helpful.
 oppo dvi upconvertion
By E. Gutierrez
I just got this player by way of Amazon, and ran two region1 DVD disks: LOTR Return of the King Platinum and Dying Young. The short review: The wife is so impressed with the Oppo’s picture quality (that’s in all likelihood the most indispensable considerateness when buying anything like this). I was expecting the quality, since I was capable to demo a Samsung earlier that could do DCDI/Faroudja/upconvertion. ADDED: I likewise tried Star Wars DVD. WOW!! The picture quality in truth blew me away. I may see details in the movie I have never seen before on a TV.
Our Oppo/HT setup: Panasonic AE700 widescreen lcd projector hdmi, ht=61″ x wd=108″ diy “blackout” screen (viewing distance=3.5meters), Yamaha RXV2095 receiver, Pioneer DV515 (old non-progressive dvd player thru 12meter sVideo, 1.5meter fiber optic audio), Oppo DV971H (via dvi-to-hdmi adapter, 5meter hdmi cable, 3.7meter 75ohm element video cable, 10meter 75ohm coax audio), Speakers: Wharfedale Diamond 8.4 L/R/C and Bose AM10 L/R/C/Surr, Wiring AWG12. Home Theater PC setup (6meter VGA output, 1.5 meter fiber optic audio, Asus Pentium 4-2.67GHz notebook, ATI Radeon 9000-64MB, 512MB, 40GB HDD, ZoomPlayer, FFDShow, PowerStrip, WinDVD6, PowerDVD6). (1meter = 3.28ft)
I have observed a substantial video betterment over our old pioneer DVD player. I likewise tried a 1970′s movie (I won’t mention the title) that was so poorly transposed to DVD (region3), and I noticed a significant betterment in the video playback over the old player. The noise artifacts were minimized, and the sharpness had a substantial improvement. I guess that was the DCDI/Faroudja chip doing it is work.
I’ve tried the 480p,720p,1080i upconvertion using the “dvi” button on the remote and altho I couldn’t actually observe the divergence in quality among the three modes even on such a big screen, the lcd projector saw the divergence and reported the sameness “input source signal”. I may have to observe a great deal of more and change the projector’s picture mode, we ordinarily leave it at “Cinema1 mode”.
ADDED: okay, I’ve now looked A LOT closer using Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon region3 DVD. Basically, as I move up the DVI solution from 480p to 720p to 1080i, I did noticed that less and less horizontal lines were getting visible (a good thing).
BUT, since our projector uses hdmi, the picture does suffer from hdmi cropping issues (varies with the solution being used). Using component/analog gives the greatest picture that may occupy the screen (unfortunately there is no upconversion using component, only the Oppo’s DVI output has the upconversion). At the projector side: Using hdmi input, the picture appears cropped (black bars at the left and right, once in a while at the top and bottom, now and then a combining of both). I also can not alter aspect ratio using hdmi, while you may using component/analog inputs of the projector.
ADDED: The Oppo I have may play DVD-Audio, something not stated in the manuals or the unit’s array of logos. The DVD-Audio sampler disc I used came from Creative Lab’s Audigy 2 for the PC.
ADDED: I also compaired the Oppo’s element output vs. the dvi-to-hdmi output, basically, there’s a big divergence in the picture quality, you will have to connect using the dvi output if possible.
I likewise noticed that the subtitles on the movies are much more comfortable to read now when compaired to the old dvd player, but on one brief moment the subtitles on Dying Young were garbled -that’s never happened before on the Pioneer.
ADDED: Okay, this has now happened to a bunch of other DVDs, now and then it garbles one single line of subtitle per entire single dvd I watched. That is still an worthy of acceptance or satisfactory problem to me.
I likewise heard no apparent divergence in audio quality among the Oppo and the old Pioneer in spite of the length of the coax. Naturally I set all audio sound effects to off when compairing audio CDs.
I also compaired the Oppo to our HTPC. Basically, the HTPC could output better video than the old Pioneer, but when compairing with Oppo, I prefer the Oppo. I don’t want the hassle the HTPC is giving me. I saw no significant video quality divergence amidst the HTPC and the Oppo. So my take on this is if you’re happy with your HTPC, stick to it. If you want comfortableness then Oppo is something to look at. If you can’t demo an Oppo, try looking at anything with DCDI/Faroudja.
Bottom line: I am happy with the purchase. Good value for the money. It’s region free and may upconvert, and that’s what’s essential to me. I chose Oppo vs. Momitsu V880 because I prefer Faroudja over Sigma Designs. BUT, BUT, here are my Oppo gripes….
1. I don’t like the remote’s key layout, it also seems flimsy, it could use a backlight.
2. I don’t like the el-cheapo plastic disc tray. It looks like it will break easily. It’s weird having to insert a disc if the tray doesn’t comeout 100% all the way. I just hope this is the design, not a defect.
3. I don’t like the bright blue light which is distracting in a exclusively dark home theater room.
4. The player’s buttons are a little hard to press, well, possibly because it’s still new. As with other players, not all remote functions may be found on the unit itself. So take care of the remote.
5. I wish the unit was color black rather of silver.
6. I don’t like the OSD font, could use a better readable font.
7. The set up menu could be more descriptive, the manual helps but not enough…
8. I wish it was HDMI rather than DVI, but the adapter solved that issue.
ADDED: 9. Subtitle display is once in a while garbled (sometimes happens once on a single line per DVD watched).
ADDED 05/28: Okay, after 3 months and closely 200 hrs of use, I am still happy with this purchase. However, not all DVD titles appeared fantastic by way of the DVI upconversion output (hdmi input on our projector), such as Top Gun r1. I had to watch it thru the element output. It appeared too visually noisy thru DVI.
Eric Gutierrez
Manila, Philippines
238 of 245 people found the following review helpful.
 An magnificent multi region multi voltage main with a large total of fe
By ph
There is confusedness with regards to whether this player is multi region and multi voltage. The web internetlocation says 100-250V 50-60~. The player says 110v 60~, aid says multi voltage. The support team were so helpful I decisive to plug it in to a 250v supply. It is multi voltage.
There is likewise a multi region hack on videohelp which is:
Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page
* Enter 9210 on the remote
* A mystery menu will pop up
* Select 0 to 6 in region code. 0 is multi region
* Press Setup on remote again to exit
After setting region 0 I’ve tried region 1 and region 2 discs and both work.
It likewise pay DIVX and Xvids written to a DVD RW and is the only player I recognise which has smooth forward and reverse search for these. I strongly commend this player.
With all it is features, a goodprice and active support this is an splendid player for all including international travellers.
41 of 44 persons found the following review helpful.
The Ultimate DVD Player!!!
By Vladimir Ratner
I want to make an update to my review: After various months I am still recommending this player to all of my friends and other people I know that are looking for a good HD DVI Up-Converting DVD Player. I have a friend who purchased Samsung with HDMI, and the quality on that one is nowhere near of that of OPPO. It’s firmware upgradable, and OPPO constantly improves with new features and respective fixes/upgrades. It’s one of the best purchases that I’ve made in years. Highly Recommended!!!
I’ve had 4 dissimilar DVD players in a span of 5 years. The reason I started looking for another one was a new 32″ Kreisen HDTV LCD (model 321T) that I purchased in regards to a month ago. Since my TV has a DVI input, I actually wanted a DVD player with DVI output to maximize TV’s performance/capabilities and to get the best possible picture quality. However, DVI was not the only requirement. I likewise wanted aid of respective formats, including DIVX, as well as PAL/NTSC conversion capability since I have a lot of DVD’s from dissimilar regions. I started doing a lot of research, and that’s how I came all over this OPPO DVD Player. Imagine my surprise when I found out that not only it meets all of my requirements, but also uses Faroudja DCDi technology, which is the best on the market. That alone is worth more than $200 bucks. I did a little more digging and learned that this player was named the best DVD player of 2005. It did better in each category when equated to other leading DVD player manufacturers. The only one that came close to it was a $2,500 Denon unit. Hmm… Let me see. $200 vs $2,500. “Tough decision”. But let’s get back to Oppo. Here is my basi impression of it in a form of Pros and Cons:
PROS:
Price – One might genuinely think that $200 is a lot for a DVD player. My wife would fall into the category of those people. She asked me why can’t I just get another $30 dollar Cyberhome. She stopped complaining altho after I hooked it up to the TV and showed her how dramatic the divergence was in picture quality. I also told her if she doesn’t shut up, I’ll get a $2,500 Denon  .
Picture Quality – I’ve tried 3 dissimilar DVD players (Sampo DVE612, Cyberhome DVD500, and Philips DVP642) primary using respective connections to determine which one works the best, and then equated it to Oppo. Here are the results of my test: Sampo (no progressive scan output) worked best using S-Video connection. Cyberhome (with progressive scan) had the best picture quality using element connection with Progressive Scan turned off. Philips (with progressive scan) had the best result when using the same factor connection, but with Progressive Scan turned on. Then, I kept my breath and connected the newly acquired Oppo to my TV using the DVI connection. I put my daughter’s favored Lion King DVD in it, and pressed the Play button. I thought my eyes are going to pop out. The divergence was astonishing. It’s like looking at the same movie in a regular movie theater and then in IMAX with 3-D experience. Simply amazing.
Versatility – It handles everything I through at it. Burned DVD’s, MP3′s, JPEG’s, DIVX, VCD’s, etc. I haven’t had a simple hiccup yet. It didn’t come “region free” out of the box though, as other users cited in their reviews. But all you have to do is to implement a simple remote control hack. It’s funny, but Oppo help page itself genuinely mentions how to access the concealed menu. They tell you that for the intents of checking the firmware version, but you may likewise use it to your advantage. Here is the procedure: Press “Setup” button on your remote control. Then enter “9 2 1 0″ using the remote. The menu pops up and all you have to do is enter “0″ for “region free” playback. I played assorted dissimilar PAL DVD’s from dissimilar regions and it handled them very well. Also, it’s in all likelihood a good idea to switch the TV type to “Auto” in the set up menu. That way it recognizes the format automatically, and uses the rectify output.
Features – If you are the proprietor of HDTV LCD or Plasma with DVI and/or HDMI inputs, then I would highly commend you take vantage of it and buy this DVD player. There is not a lot of DVD players on the market these days that have DVI capabilities. There is even less that offer Faroudja chipset that makes the picture quality so exceptional. As far as I know Denon is pretty much the only one. Denon has assorted dissimilar models with DVI output, ranging from $700 to $3,500. But not one has as a heap of features as Oppo does. And why would you want to spend 10 times more cash on something that will in all likelihood be obsolete in a couple of years? I rest my case.
Support – Try to contact Cyberhome. I have… in regards to a month ago… still waiting for a response. Philips is the same way. Oppo, on the other hand, strives for perfection. I’ve already tried Oppo’s client service/support by phone and e-mail, and was enjoyably astonished by quickness and cognition of the staff. My questions were answered in professional and timely manner each time. Oppo’s website is likewise rather impressive. It provides tons of utile information. Keep up the good work, Oppo!
CONS:
Remote Control – Probably one of the worst remote control designs that I have ever seen. Button layout is perfectly horrible. Whenever I undertake to Stop, Pause, Forward, Rewind, modify a setting, or do anything else, it takes me a long time to find the right key on the remote control. Not user-friendly at all. Hopefully Oppo will address this issue with future models.
Tray – Maybe I’m been too picky here, but I don’t like when the DVD tray doesn’t open all the way. It makes it a little hard to insert the disc in it. Also, it’s somewhat on a cheap side – looks very flaky and without apparent effort breakable. You have to be very careful with it.
Summary:
Despite a few minor drawbacks, I still think I made the right choice with Oppo. The features, the performance, and the price make it a perfective buy. Highly recommended!
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