Zoran chip-set Information - Std Def

[SeeMoreDigital]

The idea behind this thread is to compile a list of all the stand-alone players known to use Zoran Vaddis chip-sets.

As you can see there's hardly any information here at all. But with your help... hopefully things will improve...

Please note:
The information listed below identifies the known "maximum" capabilities of the chip-set and has been compiled from various sources. It therefore does not necessarily mean that your player will be able to support all of them.


Chip-set Manufacturers Web Site
http://www.zoran.com/home


Here is what is known so far: -


ZORAN VADDIS 776 CHIP-SET

What it looks like

http://img223.exs.cx/img223/6023/zoran776chipset7oz.jpg


Chip-set Manufacturers Specification (Taken from their info)

http://img65.exs.cx/img65/7866/zoranvaddis7spec1pq.gif


Basic (Non MPEG-2/DVD) Player Functionality
Supports: -
Video Decs: MPEG-4 with B-VOP (with/without packed bit-stream) /
Qpel / 1 and *3 warp-point GMC
Audio Decs: MP3 / MPA (Layers 1, 2 and 3), AC3 (Dolby® Digital), WAV / AAC-LC / WMA
Containers: .AVI & .MP4 for video (.MP3, .WAV, .AC3, .WMA & .AAC for audio)

Does not support: -
Various: PAR or DAR signalling, encoded within the Mpeg4 bit-stream,
in either .AVI or .MP4 containers

Please Note
* 3 Warp-point GMC is not 100% fully implemented.
Seems to work better with NeroDigital GMC implementation rather than XviD.


Players/Model Numbers using this Chip-Set
Look here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=646043#post646043)




ZORAN VADDIS 778 CHIP-SET

What it looks like
TBA


Chip-set Manufacturers Specification (Taken from their info)
TBA


Basic (Non MPEG-2/DVD) Player Functionality
Supports: -
Video Decs: MPEG-4 with B-VOP (with/without packed bit-stream) / Qpel / 1 and *3 warp-point GMC
Audio Decs: MP3 / MPA (Layers 1, 2 and 3), AC3 (Dolby® Digital), WAV / AAC-LC / WMA
Containers: .AVI & .MP4 for video (.MP3, .WAV, .AC3, .WMA & .AAC for audio)

Does not support: -
TBA


Players/Model Numbers using this Chip-Set
TBA



ZORAN VADDIS 888 CHIP-SET

What it looks like
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7856/vaddis888chipset8yx.jpg


Chip-set Manufacturers Specification (Taken from their info)
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/788/vaddis8883vx.gif


Basic (Non MPEG-2/DVD) Player Functionality
Supports: -
Video Decs: MPEG-4 with B-VOP (with/without packed bit-stream) / Qpel / 1 and *3 warp-point GMC
Audio Decs: MP3 / MPA (Layers 1, 2 and 3), AC3 (Dolby® Digital), WAV / AAC-LC / WMA
Containers: .AVI & .MP4 for video (.MP3, .WAV, .AC3, .WMA & .AAC for audio)

Does not support: -
TBA

Please Note
*3 Warp-point GMC support is much improved.
Early reports suggest playback of XviD's 3-warp-point GMC implementation actually works better than NeroDigital's


Players/Model Numbers using this Chip-Set
TBA



Cheers

[jok11n]

Quite surprised to see the Rowa mentioned on here, we are working on a firmware update that will sort out a few niggles that the player has at the moment, I have another player based on the same chipset which is working much better so I think the potential is there with this chipset.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Thanks very much for the reply jok11n,

If you provide me with some Technical Support and Player Spec Information (for both players), I will add it to this thread.


Many thanks

[pirates]

@SeeMoreDigital

maybe you will find this interesting: Zoran Vaddis 7 Product Brief (http://phl.host.sk/orava504/VADDIS7.pdf)

also, i've got a better picture of the chip for you:

http://phl.host.sk/orava504/Zoran_Vaddis_776.gif

and finally, a player built around this chipset: Orava 504 (AFAIK available only in Slovakia, but I might be wrong)

http://www.orava.info/images/produkty/dvd504.jpg

Orava 504 Product Info (http://www.orava.info/produkty/dvd504.php) and Specifications (http://www.orava.info/produkty/dvd504_t.php) (both in slovak)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi pirates,

Thanks very much for the information update... very useful.

After reading the PDF file about the chip-set, one item was clearly missing from specification...

..."Where's... the AAC audio"!

http://img164.exs.cx/img164/6638/zoranvaddis7audio8wq.gif


Cheers

[pirates]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
[B]After reading the PDF file about the chip-set, one item was clearly missing from specification...

..."Where's... the AAC audio"!

you have to keep in mind, that the Zoran Vaddis 7 is a name for a whole range of chipsets.

for example, the chip on the picture I've given you, is a Vaddis 776 (ZR36776HQCG), and the chip described in that product brief is the Vaddis 778 (assuming that ZR36778HQC follows the same naming convention). notice both the DD and the DTS logo on the chip, an embedded DTS decoder might be one of the differences, too.

not to forget about the manufacturer's right to change anything without notice. so, if the AAC is implemented in the chip, it might be a matter of a different chip version, or the product brief has not been updated yet.

[SeeMoreDigital]

I wonder if it's possible to obtain more detailed specifications per chip-set model number?


Cheers

[pirates]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
I wonder if it's possible to obtain more detailed specifications per chip-set model number?
my guess is, that we can be lucky to have at least this one, even though I never quite understood, why are chipset specs (Zoran, MediaTek, ESS, etc.) confidential. don't get me wrong, I can understand it while the product is being designed. I just don't get, why shouldn't the potential customers have the right to know what exactly are they buying when those chipset are already on the market.

[alin.selicean]

Hi all

Searched the forum for Tevion, but didn't found an answer to my questions. Which is: I bought in Jan 2005 a Tevion DR2004 (Digital Receiver). It seems to be manufactured by Siemssen, although they deny it. The player was bought in Aldi Sud, in Germany by a friend of mine.

It works just fine, with one exception: don't know how to display DivX subs. I tried various standards: srt, sub, txt. Nothing worked.

I am willing to try the link provided by SMD in his post from 12th Febr, but I'm not sure if this also applies to my player. I couldn't see what chipset is it using, as it has a cooler stuck on it. I saw an ESS chip, a small one, but I presume that's for sound sys.

I also tried to find out what firmware my player is using, but dunno how.

Can someone help me out with these ?

Thanks, folks.

Cheers,
Alin

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi Alin... welcome to the forum.

According to some information posted on other web sites, the Tevion DR2004 does use the Zoran chip-set... Shame you can't see which version it is though.

I must admit I'm not all that up-to-speed with subtitling implementations, so I wonder whether some of our Siemssen SCO5000ND (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=88568) player owners can help you out.

You might also want to try sending some of them a Private Message (PM)....


Cheers

[alin.selicean]

Hey SMD

Thank you for tips.

I will try to contact the guys from the Siemssen forum.

Cheers,
Alin

[Jefferson Ryan]

Hi, SMD

I have another player for your list.

The Samsung DVD-P240K is based on the Zoran Vaddis 778 and is available only in Latin America

Oficial sites:
Spanish - has a link to the Spanish manual:
http://www.samsung.com/latin/products/dvd/dvdplayer/dvd_p240k.asp

Brazilian Portuguese:
http://www.samsung.com/br/products/dvd/player/dvd_p240k.asp

As of today, there is no English or Portuguese user manual for this player

And here:
http://ryan.com.br/prod_p240k.htm

You can find some photos from the screen, displaying subtitles, and inside the unit, showing the Zoran chipset. I will add some bigger internal images later this week


Jefferson Ryan
http://ryan.com.br

[galex]

I think that this Samsung player (Home Cinema) is with Zoran Chipset, but I don/t know the version (Vaddis 776 or 778). How can I get the version of the chipset?

Also, my player doesn't support romanian characters. Is there any clue about supporting romanian characters? (East Europe characters)?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by galex
How can I get the version of the chipset? Hi galex, welcome to the forum.

The only "sure-fire" way I know of, is to open up the player and look at the chip-set ;)

And hopefully your "Romanian character" recognition problem will be rectified soon... Have you informed Samsung about it?

If I remember correctly, Philips have only recently included this implement ion for their ESS chip-set based players!


Cheers

[galex]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
Hi galex, welcome to the forum.

The only "sure-fire" way I know of, is to open up the player and look at the chip-set ;)

And hopefully your "Romanian character" recognition problem will be rectified soon... Have you informed Samsung about it?

If I remember correctly, Philips have only recently included this implement ion for their ESS chip-set based players!


Cheers

Hello again.

I informed in several times Samsung about the problem with displaying "romanian characters" with Divx Subtitles, but with no effect. What a shame for Samsung!!! :(

[telemachus]

Hi all


It works just fine, with one exception: don't know how to display DivX subs. I tried various standards: srt, sub, txt. Nothing worked.

Alin

hello,
i have a siemssen which uses the same chip,
are you making 100% sure the filename of the sub and avi are identical except for the file extention, of course?

the siemssen, and maybe the zoran chip has some limitations...
often after FF or FRW it goes horribly out of sync.
also when dialogue is fast, entire subtitle lines disappear while others are just on for a flash... very irritating.
also you cannot see an image while playing mp3's which you can do with yamadas
also FF and FRW is very jerky, it leaps 30 or more seconds at a time rather than shuttle properly through the material.
they have ignored my repeated requests for a firmware upgrade., there has been nothing since early Feb.
mark

[freelock7]

Here a good link for all zoran 7 chipset based dvd players!
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=&Search=Search&chipset=Zoran+Vaddis+7&country=&orderby=Name&hits=25&Submit2=Search

[SeeMoreDigital]

Here a good link for all zoran 7 chipset based dvd players!
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=&Search=Search&chipset=Zoran+Vaddis+7&country=&orderby=Name&hits=25&Submit2=SearchAnd here's another: -

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=646043#post646043


Cheers

[ricardo.santos]

Hi all

It works just fine, with one exception: don't know how to display DivX subs. I tried various standards: srt, sub, txt. Nothing worked.

Alin

have you tried the xsub format?
it was developed by divx and it plays on every divx certified player

it works wonders for me better than the results with divxconverter

[Doom9]

Every player out there will at least need a firmware update to play xsub. Whether or not those will be available depends on your player manufacturer..

[ricardo.santos]

Every player out there will at least need a firmware update to play xsub. Whether or not those will be available depends on your player manufacturer..


u sure?, i read at divx.com the opposite.

ive been using them before divx6 with fuse and it has played in philips, samsung, yamada i tried them and had reports on the net on other players.

[zilog jones]

Basic (Non Mpeg2/DVD) Player Functionality
Supports: -
Video Decs: Mpeg4 with B-VOP (with/without packed bit-stream) /
Qpel / 1 and 3 warp-point GMC
Audio Decs: MP3 / MPA (Layers 1, 2 and 3), AC3 (Dolby® Digital), WAV / AAC-LC / WMA
Containers: .AVI & .MP4 for video (.MP3, .WAV, .AC3, .WMA & .AAC for audio)

Does not support: -
Various: PAR or DAR signalling, encoded within the Mpeg4 bit-stream,
in either .AVI or .MP4 containers


I just got a Yamada DVD-6500X a couple of days ago - it looks identical to that Orava DVD 504 someone else posted. Unfortunately, I can't get it to play any .MP4 files :(
I tried Bond's test CD, and some MP4s I muxed myself with MP4Box, but it just won't list them at all on its menu (it'll list any files it can play, e.g. AVI, MP3, MPEG, etc.).

Also, I can find very little information about this player - it doesn't seem to be listed on any Yamada websites (I tried the UK, German *and* Taiwanese sites!), for starters. And the manual says next to nothing about playing MPEG-4 video in general - all it says is about the MPEG4 subtitle language selection on the setup menu, and the word "MPEG4" on the cover... 0_o

I can get AVI files to work, with srt subtitles, but I haven't done too much testing yet (as I've been spending hours trying to get some working MP4 files!). And it seems to play region 1 DVDs OK ^_^

Does anyone know anything about this player? Are there firmware updates?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi zilog jones,

Are you able to remove the lid of your Yamada DVD-6500x player to double-check/confirm the chip-set type?


Cheers

[zilog jones]

I haven't tried yet, but I'm certain it's a Vaddis 776 - from looking at screenshots of other players the menu system looks identical (except for the background of course), this review here (http://www.movie-player.de/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=168) (in German, but with pictures of the internals), and the fact the method of getting the region selection/firmware version display (putting in "2812" while the disc tray is open) is the same as other Vaddis 776 players.

I also tried playing an XviD video with GMC... it was not pretty. It just continuously skipped in one place, record-style, though if I fast forward I can get past. Relatively still scenes were playable.

As other owners have said, subtitles only seem to work in SRT form, and only as separate files with the same name as the video filename - this also means you can only have one subtitle stream per video. I've only tried English subs so far (in UTF-8).

I'm downloading the DivXTestCD now, so I'll try that out when it finishes.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Thanks for providing a link to the German "Review" site... Very useful :)

I also tried playing an XviD video with GMC... it was not pretty. It just continuously skipped in one place, record-style, though if I fast forward I can get past. Relatively still scenes were playable. It's really quite pointless trying to play XviD or NeroDigital encodes containing 3 warp-point GMC on this player or any other. Currently, there's not a single chip-set that can fully support such an implementation.... and I doubt there ever will be!

With regard to playing MPEG-4 (SP/ASP) video in .MP4, have you tried any of the "video only" test samples I provided?

If not, here are some links to a couple of them: -

4:3 AR Signalling ITU601 Test Encodes in .MP4 and .AVI Containers (http://82.2.167.237/Uploaded_Files/Doom9_Forum_files/4.3_AR_Signalling_ITU601_Test_Encodes.zip).

16:9 AR Signalling ITU601 Test Encodes in .MP4 and .AVI Containers (http://82.2.167.237/Uploaded_Files/Doom9_Forum_files/16.9_AR_Signalling_ITU601_Test_Encodes.zip).


Cheers

[zilog jones]

I tried those videos - it wouldn't display the MP4 files (like it didn't with any other), and it said "cannot play this file" when I tried selecting the AVIs, which kinda sucks -_-

I was hoping there was a remote possibility that it would be able to play XviD GMC after reading this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=89861&page=1&pp=20), but I guess I was wrong.

Update: I tried some more test videos from this place (http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~fhoesli/video/). Three out of the four samples worked there - the one that didn't was of course XviD with GMC. But DivX with GMC, both DivX and XviD with 2BVOP, and AC-3 audio work OK.

[SeeMoreDigital]

I tried those videos - it wouldn't display the MP4 files (like it didn't with any other), and it said "cannot play this file" when I tried selecting the AVIs, which kinda sucks -_- Sadly, just because other players fitted with the Zoran chip-set can spin MPEG-4 within the .MP4 container, does not mean your player will be able to do the same!

You only have to look at posts submitted by some Philips DVP6xx owners to realise how the technical abilities of their players are lagging behind other players fitted with the same ESS Vibratto II chip-set :eek:

I was hoping there was a remote possibility that it would be able to play XviD GMC after reading this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=89861&page=1&pp=20), but I guess I was wrong.I'm afraid to say the results of the XviD 3WP GMC tests were inconclusive. More success was had with NeroDigital 3WP GMC... but not much more!

Personally speaking, I would not bother using GMC at all ;)


Cheers

[zilog jones]

I've done some more tests on my Yamada DVD-6500X, thanks to the DivXTest CD, and besides the apparent lack of MP4 files and AAC, things don't seem too bad:

All DivX 5 tests played fine (incl. QPel, GMC, etc.) with the exception of the OGM file which it did not recognise at all (like all other Ogg-based tests on the CD). 3Mb/s videos played fine (same for all other tests too).

XviD tests went OK too, except for videos using GMC - just like before, the picture quality was good (no crazy artefacts or anything), but it just skipped like crazy on any high movement or scene changes.

DivX 3.11 and 4 tests experienced poor audio sync with AC-3 and WMA audio.

It played the audio on the MPEG tests 2_12 (44kHz, VCD type MPEG-1) and 2_13 (32kHz audio, 640x338 video) wrong - it appears it played them as if they were at 48kHz, as they were respectively faster. The 640x388 MPEG video was in some screwy AR as well (the picture looked kinda square).

It seems to have no problem playing MP3, WMA and AC3 audio in AVIs, except on the "low-resolution" tests - they used 18kb/s MP3s, which sounded very funky. It can play MP3 and WMA files on their own too, but there's no shuffle option.

The subtitle tests were surprising. As already known, SRT files (not muxed) were supported, but multiple SRTs are actually allowed - test_9_08.avi was supplied with test_9_08.en.srt, test_9_08.fr.srt, and test_9_08.du.srt - on selecting the video, I was prompted with a subtitle selection menu (though unfortunately it didn't label them in any way - it just said "subtitle 1", "subtitle 2", etc.). You can't change between the SRT subtitles in playback though - you have to start again.
However, I also discovered it could read other subtitle formats - MicroDVD .SUB subtitles were displayed, as were SAMI .SMI subs... kinda. Test 9_05 (which had one SAMI subtitle) gave me the option to turn subs on/off on playback, but I couldn't see any subtitles, but test 9_06 (which had English and French subs in the one file) functioned perfectly - and unlike the SRT subs I was able to change between the two languages during playback. Subtitles appear to be limited to 2 lines and about 50 characters per line. Formatting doesn't seem to be recognised - italics are ignored; HTML-like font formatting in SRTs is displayed in the subtitles (i.e. in test 9_02 "<font color="#e8e8e8">Eens zal ik ridder worden.</font>" actually came up on the screen). It had a complete spaz attack when I played test 9_07 - the original DVD subs in a SUB file.
The format of the test CD was handled by the DVD player acceptably. It was able to read supported video (AVI/MPEG), audio (MP3/WMA) and picture (JPEG) files all on the one disc (I've found this on other discs too). Directories are navigated by pressing left and right on the remote control.

I'm going to try some testing of my own, especially regarding different resolutions and framerates - which the DivXTest CD is seriously lacking in (all the AVIs except for the "low resolution" ones were 640x338 @ 25fps). I especially want to see how it copes with high-quality, high-bitrate full D1 MPEG-4 video (I'm thinking 3Mb/s XviD with everything but GMC!), and if it'll play interlaced D1 size MPEG-4 properly.

UPDATE: I tried this with an interlaced D1 PAL source. First I tried it with QPel, BVOP and NVOP in XviD @ 3Mb/s (+MP3 audio), and it was a bit jerky - though it did keep in sync with the audio. I found out after doing some more encodes with different combinations of those three options that it was the packed bitstream that was slowing things down - it played OK with just BVOPs, and QPel + BVOP wasn't any worse - though there was some *slight* jerking, I can't remember if that's how the original video was - it was taken from a game. Putting these videos on a DVD+RW (instead of CD-RW) didn't make things any better or worse.

It plays 720x576 PAL D1 XviDs fine, in the right aspect ratio and everything. Unfortunately this isn't true for NTSC D1 - it plays them slightly letterboxed, even though it's outputting a 60Hz NTSC signal. Changing the display settings to 4:3 Pan & Scan gets rid of the letterboxing, but I'm still not sure if it's the right AR.

[joegamel]

I just bought Xoro HSD4000. (http://www.xoro.com/Product/DVD-Player/HSD4000.html)
It uses Zoran Vaddis 776.

It really plays 3WP GMC, QPel, ND...
Does not play OGM.

Secret menu looks like this (photographed):
http://pics.sendit.co.il/upserva/d599f285d8.jpg

Has an AWFUL audio/video sync bug with some DivX 3.11 files. I could not find any common denominator between the files that work fine and those that produce the 'out of sync'. Unpacking bitstream to the faulty files produces no change and even some of the buggy files aren't PB. Any idea how can I attack this problem? Are there any video samples that test a/v synchronization?
Siemssen 5000ND is an identical model (even has card reader too) and I heard Siemssen fixed some a/v sync problem in their latest firmware, I hope Xoro will do the same.

[telemachus]

Has an AWFUL audio/video sync bug with some DivX 3.11 files. I could not find any common denominator between the files that work fine and those that produce the 'out of sync'. Unpacking bitstream to the faulty files produces no change and even some of the buggy files aren't PB. Any idea how can I attack this problem? Are there any video samples that test a/v synchronization?
Siemssen 5000ND is an identical model (even has card reader too) and I heard Siemssen fixed some a/v sync problem in their latest firmware, I hope Xoro will do the same.

hello jogame and others,

i have not been on this forum for a looong time.
i have the siemssen player and it OFTEN has a sync problem, particularly if you scan forwards or backwards or search to a place in the middle of the movie. I have had the (only) firmware upgrade.

my other gripe is that I do not watch movies with subtiles on this machine, I have to use my laptop! Subs will interrupt one another if there is a fast conversation, and you sometimes see a sub for literally 1/25th of a second, sometimes not at all, so you miss parts of a conversation and other parts you cannot read.

my brother's cheap yamada 6700 plays a few files my siemssen will not play with audio (dont know why) but the seimssen plays mp4 (which I currently have zero use for anyway!) I would have saved 60pounds by buying the yamada. The only thing I prefer about siemssen is the detailed file info you can super on screen when playing back, it has codec, bitrate, time left, time passed, file number etc...

all the best
mark.

ps, bondcd is still on my site, but I think it has been linked to somewhere else.

[telemachus]

ooh, another thing,
the sync problem on siemssen is not limited to divx3, it happens on divx5 as well as xvid... but not on all files.

[SeeMoreDigital]

I just bought Xoro HSD4000. (http://www.xoro.com/Product/DVD-Player/HSD4000.html)
It uses Zoran Vaddis 776.

It really plays 3WP GMC, QPel, ND... As a matter of interest.... When you tested for playback of 3 warp-point GMC.... Which MPEG-4 codec did you try.... NroDigital or XviD?


Cheers

[max-pain]

Zoran Vaddis 888

http://www.zoran.com/Vaddis-R-888

http://www.zoran.com/IMG/pdf/Vaddis8.pdf

[alex_shkut]

What is the chip Zoran 862?
I have player based on this chip. DK-Digital DK-444.

[SeeMoreDigital]

There's a bit of information over on Zoran's web site about the 862: -

http://www.zoran.com/Zoran-s-Vaddis-8-DVD-Multimedia?

Essentially it's a year or so older than the 888...


There's also some information about their upcomming Vaddis 9 range: -

http://www.zoran.com/Zoran-Introduces-Vaddis-9-Family?


Cheers

[johnhamler1]

I can say my zoran778 plays more div x movies than my mediatek...
it seems it handles Qpel, packed stream much better.

[Fugdefino]

I've also got a Xoro HSD4000 (zoran778). Pretty decent player. Even plays 3 warp-point GMC, although not too well (picture breaks up often, especially in fast moving scenes). Scanning backwards sometimes causes a audio/video sync issue, although most of the time I don't get the problem.

Only bad thing about the player is the lack of firmware updates.

[DewAsmara]

I heard,
New ARCAM SOLO 5.1 all in one Home Theater will use Zoran Vardis 888 chipset. Together with their own chipset and tandem with some high end upscaler chipset.

[stekarN]

I bought a LimitedLabel DVDH800 with HDMI for about 55€ and it uses the Zoran Vaddis 888 :)

Plays everything I have tried so far :D But only aviable from Siba in Sweden :(

[jpasan]

Zoran Vaddis 888 is supposed to handle mpeg-4 asp standard definition at rates as high 10 mbps. Does anyone know if it can handle 720p at rates up to 4 mbps?
Or the 10 mbps is the peak in one second of video, instead of the average?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Zoran Vaddis 888 is supposed to handle mpeg-4 asp standard definition at rates as high 10 mbps. Does anyone know if it can handle 720p at rates up to 4 mbps?
Or the 10 mbps is the peak in one second of video, instead of the average?720p wont work at all. As the native resolution of such video streams contains too many pixels!

Currenty, all Vaddis chip-set's support standard-resolution video streams only, not exceeding 720x576 (non square) pixels.


Cheers

[jpasan]

What a shame. It would've been a good, and cheap, alternative.
The only HD players available where I live is the Kiss DP-600 and it costs 400€

[SeeMoreDigital]

What a shame. It would've been a good, and cheap, alternative.
The only HD players available where I live is the Kiss DP-600 and it costs 600€The Ziova CS505 is also now available in some parts of EU.


Cheers

[jpasan]

300€. It's better but still a bit steep.
Why can't someone simply just make an "el cheapo" HD player, without networking?
I don't mind going through the minor hassle of waisting 5 minutes to burn a CD or a DVD to watch things.
Just give me HDMI, digital outputs and firmware upgrade via CD and I'll be happy. The real basics for nowadays. That's what popularized mpeg-4 hardware players, not the Kiss way, although they must me thanked for breaking ground.

[SeeMoreDigital]

300€. It's better but still a bit steep.
Why can't someone simply just make an "el cheapo" HD player, without networking?Because many people capture MPEG-2 transport streams (broadcast via satellite) and need store them on HDD's, as DVD~R/RW disc's don't have the necessary storage capacity.

Nobody legally distributes high-def MPEG-4 (Part-2) anyway. Except for a few trailers!


That's what popularized mpeg-4 hardware players, not the Kiss way, although they must me thanked for breaking ground.Not really.... There were plenty of hardware players out-there before KiSS joined the party. And they were more than a year and a half behind other manufacturers with their network capable high-def player (ie: DP-600).


Cheers

[lithoc]

Anyone have info about Zoran Vaddis 962 (ZR36962). Just bought this player for less than USD$30 in Malaysia under brand Trix model dvd-u323.

http://bbs.designnews.com.cn/Upload/859c543a-feca-4a49-8b33-cbfa7f38def6.pdf
It has USB port. According to this PDF, it doesn't support USB.
No much info on the Zoran official website.

[zilog jones]

I finally got an HDTV this week (Toshiba 32C3500P) so finally got to test out the non-RGB component outputs and progressive scan on my DVD player (Vaddis 776, see above).

I'm a bit confused over what outputs it's doing though. There's "YUV" which seems to be interlaced. There's also "YPbPr", which is progressive - it seems to be outputting 576p when playing PAL DVDs anyway (no dodgy 480p conversion). Is this analogue though?

I assume YPbPr is supposed to be analogue and YUV is YCbCr, i.e. digital, but I don't really have any way of telling on my TV (it doesn't give any info like that). I thought progressive scan outputs would generally be digital but haven't really had any experience with this stuff up until now. Or are they both digital? Is there any way of knowing?

The picture looks quite good in both modes, but the DVD player is crap at de-interlacing 576/50i when outputting progressive scan - the TV does a much better job. 25p stuff looks pretty good. Haven't tried NTSC DVDs yet.

[SeeMoreDigital]

There's no need to worry about the labelling on the back of your DVD player or TV. The component connections are capable of supporting interlaced and progressive video signals.

So when you instruct your DVD player to output a progressive video signal, your TV will receive a progressive video signal.

With regard to playing pure-interlaced video sources, I personally prefer to set my player to output a "non progressive" video signal (and turn off any up-scaling).


Cheers

[zilog jones]

I'm just confused as to the difference between the "YUV" and "YPbPr" options on the DVD player. I don't understand why only the YPbPr mode outputs progressive video, and if they are analogue or digital or what.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Have a look here: -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YUV