Philips DVD724AT Progressive-Scan DVD Player
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Manufacturer: Philips
Price at amazon.com: $109.94This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.
- Plays DVD-Video, video CD, audio CD, JPEG image CD, HDCD-encoded CD
- Compatible with CD-Rs and CD-RWs loaded with MP3 files
- Includes progressive-scan compatibility with 3:2 pulldown for distortion-free viewing of 24 fps movies
- Optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs pass Dolby Digital and DTS surround signals
- PAL-to-NTSC format conversion--great for viewing non-region-encoded European discs
Product Description:
Philips's slim, affordable DVD724AT features high-end progressive-scan component-video outputs and built-in decoding for MP3 music files and HDCD-encoded discs, as well as JPEG image CD playback so you can enjoy digital slideshows right in the living room. It also converts non-region-encoded PAL-formatted discs (the standard in Europe) for viewing on standard NTSC televisions. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVD724AT stands ready to deliver the full potential of DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, providing higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. The DVD724AT also performs 3:2 pulldown. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. A set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. Playable on all CD and DVD players, discs encoded with HDCD (High-Definition Compatible Digital) technology have extended audio resolution appreciable only in HDCD-equipped devices such as the DVD724AT (be sure to use the analog outputs to appreciate this feature). Playback options include five-disc resume, which lets you pick-up where you left off on your five most recently viewed DVDs, enhanced parental control (with 120-disc lockout), and picture zoom for magnification of select images. What's in the Box DVD player, remote control, batteries, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.
Description from Manufacturer:Philips's slim, affordable DVD724AT features high-end progressive-scan component-video outputs and built-in decoding for MP3 music files and HDCD-encoded discs, as well as JPEG image CD playback so you can enjoy digital slideshows right in the living room. It also converts non-region-encoded PAL-formatted discs (the standard in Europe) for viewing on standard NTSC televisions.Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVD724AT stands ready to deliver the full potential of DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, providing higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. The DVD724AT also performs 3:2 pulldown. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.
A set of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. Playable on all CD and DVD players, discs encoded with HDCD (High-Definition Compatible Digital) technology have extended audio resolution appreciable only in HDCD-equipped devices such as the DVD724AT (be sure to use the analog outputs to appreciate this feature).
Playback options include five-disc resume, which lets you pick-up where you left off on your five most recently viewed DVDs, enhanced parental control (with 120-disc lockout), and picture zoom for magnification of select images.
What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control, batteries, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.Average Customer Rating: 
Comment: This baby does it all. Rating:
This DVD player is amazing.
Features
It has progressive scan, s-video, component video, coaxial and optical audio connections in addition to the RCA connection.
It plays different kinds of media. I tried regular DVD movies, an original VCD, a cheap VCD, a home made VCD (using Nero), a home made music CD (MP3 files), a CD that contain photos organized in different files (Jpeg files), I even tried a Mini CD filled with photos and a short movie (my digital camera saves directly to a mini CD), each and every one played flawlessly. I still want to try DVD+R and DVD+RW as soon as I do that I will post an update.
When using Jpeg CDs
-You can watch your photos as a slide show and change the transfer time between the photos with one push on the remote (very nice when you want to take your time watching photos you love or just want to go quickly on others).
-You can choose either that the player runs the all photos automatically or you choose which file contents to play (saves a lot of time when you want to watch a specific group of photos).
-You can rotate a photo (very important if you took the photo vertically and you didn't edit it).
-You can zoom in and out (it's beautiful to watch the face of my niece fill the screen).
-You can press next or previous to navigate (and you get a very fast respond).
-You can watch a thumbnail of all your photos by pressing preview on the remote control (although it takes a long time).
What I like about this player
The features I mentioned earlier.
The clean cut of the player and that it has the 4 most used buttons Play/Pause, Stop, Prev. und Next on the player itself just in case you can't find the remote.
When you turn this baby off, no lights remain on.
The feel of the remote control.
What I don't like
How slow it is when viewing thumbnails.
The player can't add effects between pictures when using the slide show (so if I want to watch a group of pictures with effects I make a slide show with my computer then burn it to a CD, but with the prices of the CD-R going down and the fact that with a slide show program you can make much better slide shows than any DVD player can and on top of that also add sounds the lack of the slide show is not a big deal, although it would've saved me time and effort if I can watch all the photos with effect just by using the DVD player).
I really recommend this player, if you just want a regular DVD Player you can't go wrong it plays movies beautifully with great sound for an amazing price.
If you have a top notch TV, stereo or surround sound, or might get one in the future it is important to have a DVD player that will take advantage of it.
If you don't use Jpeg CDs, it is also nice to have that feature especially that in these days a lot of people send each other photos on CDs, so if you have this player you can just pop the CD in and watch the photos on your TV no need to use the computer or be limited by your monitor size.
Comment: Great buy Rating:
Got more than I bargained for -- and no, that wasn't supposed to be sarcastic -- when the pimply guy at The Good Guys! tried to sell me this machine, which was more expensive than the model I wanted. Good thing I followed his advice. I've owned this DVD player for about 4 months now, and it is practically rock-solid.
Pros:
- Plays most anything I put inside: DVDs, CDs, CD-Rs full of mp3s, CD-Rs full of jpgs, CD-Rs full of mpgs (a little iffy, but that's fine).
- Chapter transitions are smooth, even on dual-layer DVDs.
- Picture and sound are nicely sharp.
- A directory shows titles of mp3s/jpgs, though unfortunately the names are in 8.3 format and are therefore truncated.
- Very easy to set up (both in terms of cables and the system menu), even for a beginner like me.
- Sleek silver body.
- A nice surprise: a built-in PAL to NTSC converter!
- There's also another (unlisted) surprise, but you'll have to look around the web to find it. =)
Cons:
- The remote is rather small.
- Stutters, but very rarely, between tracks on some music CDs.
Comment: Absolute Junk Rating:
Never buy Philips.
My Kids bought this for me last Father's day and now it won't load, the drawer pops open, closes at random. "One year limited warranty " tranlates to after 90 days I have to pay a "reduced fee" to replace one piece of junk with another. I also have a Toshiba DVD player that's 2 years older cost less and has never missed a beat. The lesson seems clear.
Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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