Product Features:

• Progressive-scan ColorStream component-video output for ultimate DVD picture quality (with an HD or HD-ready TV)
• High-res DVD-Audio compatibility with 6-channel analog output; choose analog or digital routing for Dolby Digital and DTS sources
• MP3- and WMA-CD playback; JPEG photo viewer displays digital photographs and slideshows on your television
• Offers 3:2 pulldown, black-level expansion, multiple picture settings, 16x picture zoom
• 3D-DNR (digital noise reduction) reduces random noise in video CDs, poorly mastered DVDs, and zoomed images

Product Description:

Get the most from DVDs and CDs with Toshiba's SD-4900 single-disc DVD player, whose ultimate progressive-scan Super ColorStream Pro component-video outputs produce seamless, flicker-free images with high-definition and HD-ready TVs. This is every bit as much an audio player as a video player, with DVD-Audio compatibility and MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) decoding from CD-R/CD-RW. You can also watch customized digital-picture slideshows using recordable CDs filled with JPEG image files. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the SD-4900 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, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. The SD-4900 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. Conventional composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. The "expanded" mode in the player's black-level setting produces richer, deeper black tones in every image. PLUGE (Picture Line Up Generation Equipment) delivers black as well as below-black signals to a television. DVD-Audio offers super high-fidelity (192 kHz/24-bit) sound. DVD-Audio discs provide multichannel and stereo sound, incredible storage capacity, and unique bonus materials not available on regular audio CDs. Because the DVD-Audio signal is too high-resolution for the digital-to-analog converters in current surround receivers (and also as an anti-piracy measure), the SD-4900 performs its own decoding of DVD-Audio signals, passing high-resolution analog, not digital, audio to your surround receiver. This means you'll need an audio/video receiver with multichannel analog-audio inputs to appreciate this feature. 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 coaxial and optical) for direct connection to a digital AV receiver, and with these formats the choice is yours: route the surround signal digitally or use the same analog outputs you use for the DVD-Audio signal. Playback options include 3-D DNR (digital noise reduction, which reduces random noise in DVD images by comparing each frame of information to the previous and succeeding frames), bookmarks, a powerful 16x picture zoom, and parental lock. EAM (Enhanced Audio Mode) offers three audio-enhancements: "normal" mode equalizes regular digital-audio signals; "3-D" provides virtual surround sound through Spatializer N-2-2 circuitry; and "Dialogue" enhances the center-channel frequencies when you're playing Dolby Digital-encoded discs via the D-R1's analog audio outputs. What's in the Box DVD player, remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, and a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.
From the Manufacturer With innovations that provide flawless picture performance, unequaled color detail, and studio-quality sound, Toshiba is your source for the very best in DVD, and the SD-4900 DVD player/recorder meets all your expectations and more. Features include: Super multi-drive recorder: DVD-RAM is a high-capacity, high-performance optical disk that allows data to be read, written, and erased more than 100,000 times. It is designed to work exactly like a floppy disk, allowing users to copy and delete... read more

Description from Manufacturer:Get the most from DVDs and CDs with Toshiba's SD-4900 single-disc DVD player, whose ultimate progressive-scan Super ColorStream Pro component-video outputs produce seamless, flicker-free images with high-definition and HD-ready TVs. This is every bit as much an audio player as a video player, with DVD-Audio compatibility and MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) decoding from CD-R/CD-RW. You can also watch customized digital-picture slideshows using recordable CDs filled with JPEG image files.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the SD-4900 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, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

The SD-4900 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. Conventional composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. The "expanded" mode in the player's black-level setting produces richer, deeper black tones in every image. PLUGE (Picture Line Up Generation Equipment) delivers black as well as below-black signals to a television.

DVD-Audio offers super high-fidelity (192 kHz/24-bit) sound. DVD-Audio discs provide multichannel and stereo sound, incredible storage capacity, and unique bonus materials not available on regular audio CDs. Because the DVD-Audio signal is too high-resolution for the digital-to-analog converters in current surround receivers (and also as an anti-piracy measure), the SD-4900 performs its own decoding of DVD-Audio signals, passing high-resolution analog, not digital, audio to your surround receiver. This means you'll need an audio/video receiver with multichannel analog-audio inputs to appreciate this feature.

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 coaxial and optical) for direct connection to a digital AV receiver, and with these formats the choice is yours: route the surround signal digitally or use the same analog outputs you use for the DVD-Audio signal.

Playback options include 3-D DNR (digital noise reduction, which reduces random noise in DVD images by comparing each frame of information to the previous and succeeding frames), bookmarks, a powerful 16x picture zoom, and parental lock.

EAM (Enhanced Audio Mode) offers three audio-enhancements: "normal" mode equalizes regular digital-audio signals; "3-D" provides virtual surround sound through Spatializer N-2-2 circuitry; and "Dialogue" enhances the center-channel frequencies when you're playing Dolby Digital-encoded discs via the D-R1's analog audio outputs.

What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, and a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Make It Region Free Rating:
First some generalities. The SD-4900 supports more disc formats than most players, including DVD, DVD-Audio, DVD-R, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, VCD, SVCD (see below), WMA, JPG. It will play both NTSC and PAL video, translating PAL for NTSC televisions. The picture and sound quality are clear. On the negative side, when playing CD-R media (but not CD, DVD-R or DVD), there is a low-level clicking sound; it sounds as though the laser reader is constantly tracking. Also, the player does not remember where you are in a movie when you switch it off (most DVD players do). Apart from these minor complaints, it's a good player.

Second, I come to the real reason for this review, which is that this is an easy machine to modify for region free playing and for SVCD viewing. You can find full instructions for these modifications at my home page www.math.uga.edu/~djb. As they come out of the box, most players bought in the USA are region crippled, which means that they will not play DVDs purchased in Europe, for example. I take a very dim view of people preventing me from viewing DVDs that I have purchased on a player that I have purchased. If you do not live in the USA, it is very likely that you can go into a shop and buy a DVD player that will play discs from all regions, so this does not apply to you.

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Comment: Amazing! Rating:
I just bought this DVD player, with plans to upgrade my TV to a Philips 30" widescreen. However, i am canceling those plans, as this DVD player has brought a whole new level of qulity to my TV (A 2 year old high-end Panasonic). The quality is amazing, watching Lord of the Rings, you can see every wisker on Aragon's face.
Not only that, but set the DVD player on 16:9 and the DVD will almost fill the screen. It works similar to Pan and Scan, except that it is a broader, and allows you to really enjoy widescreen movies!
Now i can hold off on the 1000 dollar TV!

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Comment: Great product, unfairly slandered by morons Rating:
I've had this player now for about 4 months, and it's been great so far. Very clear, accurate color, and fast response. Layout of the remote is a little wonky in some respects, but i've come to expect this as commonplace with most players.

Seeing the negatives some people are mentioning, however, I feel compelled to defend this player, as it's getting a lower rating than it truly deserves - largely due to ignorance.

First, concerning the "booby trap" issue. It's not a trap, it's progressive scan. If you don't have an HDTV, PS isn't going to do much for you anyway! If you try to set the player as PS, and your television can't handle it, of course your display is going to bug out for a bit. If you check the manual, however, this "trap" is mentioned, and it's resulting fix to reset the settings. People are saying "good luck" like Toshiba is to blame for this, when it's simply the result of people hitting buttons and selecting options that they don't know anything about.

As for the time/chapter display, this is shown on the front panel of the unit - just like virtually *any* player out there. The reason you can't simply pause the player for hours and leave it in the same spot is more a matter of liability control on the part of Toshiba - doing this is BAD FOR YOUR PLAYER. It's bad for any disc-based drive.

To finish this up, this is a great product that displays audiophile quality in *certain* areas. It has it's warts, such as the remote, but has been almost perfect throughout my experience with it. If you know how to operate a DVD player without selecting stupid options and mistreating the unit, this one is great for you.

If you're the type of fool who fries their previous DVD player, complains about not being able to read the front panel properly, or can't figure out how to display the remaining time on a disc, then by all means...stay far, far away. From all electronics.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)