| Reviews > Philips DVP-642K (5.1) DVD Player |
Model : DVP 642K
Manufacturer: Philips
First Impression
Philips DVP 642K is from Philips of Holland, the respected name in electronics for their innovative and compelling products. Philips has launched this slim style prosumer DVD player in India now. This is one of the slimmest DVD player around, distinguishing itself from the others with its unique front panel styling and sleek design.
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| Specs |
| Laser |
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Single Pickup |
| CD Media |
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CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW |
| DVD Media |
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DVD-R, DVD-RW |
| Video |
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VCD(MPEG1), DVD(MPEG2) and DivX(MPEG4) |
| Audio |
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CD Audio, MP3 |
| Sound Output |
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5.1 |
| Video Output |
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S-VHS, RCA, Component |
| Digital Out |
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Coaxial and Optical |
| Audio Codecs |
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Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 |
| Remote Control |
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Wireless |
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Moving towards features, this is one of the first DVD players to support the DivX (MPEG-4) video discs. It also plays standard DVDs, DVD-R, SVCD, VCD, Audio CD, CD-R, MP3 songs. The only media format that is not supported by this player is DVD+R/RW. This is also one of the first few branded DVD players in India to incorporate on-board sound decoders to decode 5.1 surround sound. There are 6 seperate connectors in the back panel to deliver 5.1 surround sound.
Build Quality and Connectors
The build quality is good. The cover is of sheet metal and the base is sturdy. The front panel is made of translucent plastic which is very stylish.
The Philips DVP 642K sports only 4 controls on the front panel. The Power/Standby, Eject, Stop and Play/Still buttons takes care of the basic operations. It also features a MIC input with level controller for those who prefer karaoke. You definitely need the help of remote control to operate the player effectively. Philips DVP642K supports both Dolby surround and DTS surround sound.
Philips DVP 642K features all video output from simple RCA Video-out to advanced Component Video-out (Y, Br, Cr). It also features an S-Video connector which may grab the attention of video professionals.
Along with video connectors, two additional connectors are provided. A Coaxial surround audio out external hi-fi surround amplifiers and an Optical out for Advanced surround amplifiers. Those who already have such amps (Onkyo, Nackamichi, Denon etc) can make use of these two digital connectors.
Onboard Surround Decoders
One of the first players to incorporate a 5.1 channel surround sound decoder on board. This nifty option (though comes with an additional price tag) enables the first timers to jump into setting up their first home theatre without buying expensive surround sound amplifiers. DVP 642K supports both Dolby and DTS surround sound. Competitors like Onida and Sansui are also marketing similar models with a on-board 5.1 decoder at a cheaper price tag.
If you already own a powerful surround amplifier, then you can plug in the Optical out from DVP-642K to your amps Optical in and enjoy the digital experience.
Playing Movies
Placed the Mission Impossible 2 DVD on the tray and pressed the Eject button. The tray slided in and the player detected it as DVD. On TV, you can see the player's textual responses.The navigation is quite easy. The four way navigation buttons help you to cruise over the options on-screen. The learning curve is simple and easy. Philips has made the DVD navigation quite simple. The playback is quite good and there is no artifiacts on screen. The error correction is pretty decent and I would say, it is above average. The forward and rewind is supported at four speed levels 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x. It also remembers the last played scene for 5 DVDs.
I dont have surround sound speakers fitted in my room. So I made a layman test with my stereo speakers. I disabled the DOWNMIX option in the menu, and thus 5.1 is automatically enabled. I tested the sound from FRONT LEFT and FRONT RIGHT. I listened for gun blasts, tyres screaming in the background. Then I connected the REAR LEFT and REAR RIGHT and I could hear the sounds only in certain scenes. The Subwoofer and Center are working too. I would not recommend this test to evaluate the surround quality. But this is a handy test to see the channels are working or not. :)
Playing MP3 and Audio CDs
Too bad that there is no volume control feature. You have to user your amp's remote control or move near the sound box to control the volume. THe player has 5 present sound modes like Dynamic, Natural etc. But there is no preset equivalizers available. You have to spend some time to listen to the various audio modes and choose the one you like. Since I use an Altec Lansing 2100, I disabled the advanced audio modes. ;-) If you have an Altec Lansing speakers, sure you dont need any additional amp at all!
The Audio CDs are played back at the mastered quality and the sound quality is above average. The MP3 cds are accessed through a navigable interface and you can use the remote control to select the folders and songs. There is no option available to store your preferred selections. Everytime time you have manually navigate to select your favorite songs.
Conclusion
A good DVD player from Philips with on-board 5.1 channel surround decoder and support for most popular video formats including DivX.
DVD hack for this player is available at www.dvdrhelp.com
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