NeuNeo HVD2085

[SONYMYGURL]

Any 1 Have This Dvd Player? $200 For A Hd Dvd Play Is Pretty Cheap!

Translation:

Does anyone have this DVD player? $200 for an upconverting DVD player seems very inexpensive!

[Ratman]

This DVD player is really an upscaling player. No different than most others. The exception with this player that it will play the "proprietary" 720p DVD's available from the company (slim choices and not the greatest titles IMO).
http://www.neodigits.com/body/product/dvdtitle/hvds.asp

This is not an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray compatible player.

Ref: previous discussion
http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=15939&highlight=NeuNeo

[DVdude]

This is an upscaling player, but it has another distinct feature that won't find on other upscaling players... the ability to play 1080p over component! Yes, you heard that right, resolutions including and up to 1080p can be output via HDMI or Component video cables with this unit. A great alternative for early HDTV adapters who do not have HDMI or DVI, but only have Component Video input.

If anyone has the NeuNeo Helios HVD2085, please respond with a review on the PQ of this unit.

Specs/Features: http://www.neodigits.com/new/body/products/HVD2085/feature.asp

[Ratman]

So?
What's so great about upscaling 480i encoded DVD's to 1080p? Especially when legacy HDTV's and/or many new 1080p capable TV's don't ACCEPT 1080p input.

Yes, you heard it right... it's not such a great deal.

[DVdude]

It's true, there's not that many sets on the market that support 1080p, so having this feature over analog component, although quite unique, is not going to be that popular. According to the ProjectorCentral article from Jan. 11, 2006 (link below), "As of this writing there were 11 projectors and 50 flat screens that support 1080p. More will follow."

But it does open other possibilities... if you do have a set that has 1080p support, you could hook this up-scaling DVD player to the analog component input and a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player to the HDMI input and watch everything at 1080p with no worries about copy-protected material from the DVD player being down-scaled (see info below).

Projector Central does rate the PQ as superb, even at 1080i, " With a recently mastered widescreen DVD like Star Wars Episode Three "The Revenge of the Sith" cued-up on the HVD2085, and the playback set to 1080i, the picture quality is simply breathtaking. There are no artifacts to give away the tremendous amount of signal processing being applied to upscale this 480p signal to 1080i. When switching between 480p and 1080i one immediately notices how much smoother and more film-like the presentation is. Very impressive."

Source: http://www.projectorcentral.com/neodigit_hvd2085.htm

Another unique feature, and a rarity to find is... "HDCP is not required for playing copyright DVD title in high definition mode."

Source: http://www.neodigits.com/new/body/products/HVD2085/specs.asp

Projector Central's conclusion, "At its advertised price of $225 (note: now $199), the NeoDigits NeuNeo HVD2085 is a bargain. With the current push toward copy protection, you might consider a non-copy-protected 1080i DVD player before they go the way of the dodo bird."

In another review from ***************, "I personally think the component looks better in almost all cases, because of the HDCP (copy protection) in the current devices. Even if it syncs up good, it can still flicker some especially when a scene on a DVD movie goes completely black in a flash."

Source: http://www.***************.com/htsthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/763844/an/0/page/0

And from AVS Forums, " If you buy an up-scaling DVD player then you will likely HAVE TO use the HDMI input to take advantage of it. With the exception of a couple very unusual players, all the upscaling players require a digital connection for their high-res signals (since that's how they enforce copy protection). That is, if you connect such a player via component, analog video cables it will only send at best a "progressive" 480p signal -- in which case why pay for the up-scaling feature?"

Source: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-477740.html

So, it may be the combination of 1080p support over component, along with the ability to up-convert copyrighted DVDs (to componet or HDMI), that give this player a unique advantage over most.

[Ratman]

Projector central is handing you a line of bull. Show us a list of the 11 projectors and 50 flat screens that support 1080p.

We all understand the implications of HDCP, upconversion, upscaling, yada, yada...

Believe what you like...