Samsung DVD Players

New features like HDMI upscaling are taking over Samsungs DVD Player line

Samsung brings affordable quality to any devices they manufacture. Todays most basic sub $100 single disc DVD players bearing the Samsung name are a solid buy. Todays HDMI output (hi-def ready) DVD players by Samsung are rated to give some of the best image quality of the current generation of upscaling DVD players. Samsung also makes convenient DVD recorders complete with built in VHS players so you can convert your home movies to rewritable optical media.
Of the current generation of upconverting DVD players, Samsung has produced some of the best results and garnered a lot of positive buzz about their HDMI/DVI video DVD players. This is basically a DVD player with a video output that uses one of the new digital standards, HDMI or DVI. A process within the DVD player itself is supposed to upconvert the video signal from your DVD movies to the native resolution of your HDTV. So, if you have a 720P capable LCD projector you can pump 720P directly to it with your upscaling (or upconverting, whichever you choose) DVD player.

Before you get carried away with delusions that youre somehow getting over on the status quo that says hi-def optical media isnt going to happen until you can get yourself into either HD DVD or Blu-Ray: Forget about it! Upscaling your DVDs 480P (maximum) to an HD resolution is a far cry from a true HD optical format. All upscaling DVD players do is upscale -- its not true HD and on the more affordable players you can see the results.

Many believe theyre getting true HD video quality but theyre not, at least not until they go buy one of the new blue laser optical formats (HD DVD or Blu-Ray). But among those DVD players that perform HD upconversion through an HDMI or DVI port, Samsungs are rated highly with fine video quality. This is likely due to good quality DACs (Digital Analogue Converters) used in the Samsung units. Good conversion means the video scaler (built into your DVD player) has a good picture quality to start with, and now all it has to do is scale it to fit the pixels on your 720P display (or scan lines on your 1080i whichever the case is).

Samsungs DVD-HD931 received universal high honors in online reviews. The new DVD player to replace the 931 is the HD950, still a DVD player capable of no more than 480P, but performing upscaling to your HDTV to fit its native resolution. The 950 includes an HDMI port on the unit rather than making you use only DVI, which is getting a little long on the tooth as HDMI has all but taken over as the digital connection of choice.

For a DVD player priced from $100 (or just under) for an inexpensive model to one that is capable of these upscaling feats that could run you over $200, youre in good hands with the Samsung name. For anything higher end you might want to consider some of the hi-fi brands that are liable to use better DACs than Samsung. Even if the DVD player doesnt perform this upscaling function a better DAC processing your video is always better than the best upscaling performed by a mediocre DAC.