Samsung DVD-HD931 HDTV Converter Progressive-Scan DVD Player
comes up short of being spectacular
Pros:<br />- Attractive slim silver chasis with front panel mirror design<BR>- DVI output <br />Cons:<br />- Image in 720p mode shifted to the right; Samsung has yet to release a fix <BR>- 1080i mode outputs snow on Sony and Toshiba DVI/HDCP   compatible t.v.'s; models affected were ones    <BR>  manufactured in March through mid May.  Samsung offers a fix.<BR>- Audio out of sync on some players; spoken words do not match up with lips<BR>- Awful virtual 3D surround.  Users with just 2 speakers such as their television's are not in for a treat<BR>- No onboard DTS decoding.  This would be ok if this model was a low end model but it suppose to be there top of<BR>  the line<BR>- Does not play DVD-Audio on models released in the U.S., Canada  <BR>- Only a 96kHz/24-bit audio D/A converter.  192kHz is available in other brand's DVD players<BR>- Low audio output.  Vocals are hard to hear even using Monster's top of the line THX cables.  Users without a home theatre receiver, surround speaker set-up will have to turn their televisions volume up very loud<BR>- Unresponsive remote control has to be pressed two or three times before the unit responds.  Remote has poor range and has to be pointed directly at the unit.  Buttons on the remote are tiny, cluttered and have an uncomfortable feel - especially the navigating ones for the menu selection<BR>- Same buttons for the slow motion/fast forward/rewind/search features which could cause skipping to the next chapter instead of slow-mo or fast playback<BR>- Eject has to be pressed twice to get the tray to open after powering the unit on  <BR>- Very slow scene selection.   Wait time can be up to 15 seconds<BR>-  Picture shakes erratically between new scenes.  This can get in the way of your viewing enjoyment<BR>-  Picture quality using component cables exceeds DVI on this unit.  From best to worst: 480i, 1080i, 720p, 480p<BR>-  1080i mode not available using component cables a long with  Faroudja DCDi de-interlacer/scaler <BR>-  Picture quality is still grainy in 1080i mode using Monster's top of the line DVI cable.   I assume it is not the fault of the cable but the player.  Guest's have commented that their progressive 480p picture is more clean, sharp, clear and colorful<BR>- Artifacts visible in all viewing mode's.  Stairs and pixelation very evident in 720p and 480p modes  <BR>- Screen fit that eliminates the black bars while viewing a widescreen 16x9 format introduces stairs.  Sides are also cut off to keep the picture proportional<br />I would not recommend this DVD player since it is plagued with design flaws and its non error free picture play back.  <BR>Diffinitely not reccommended for users who plan on using component cables.  There are players out there that are less than half the cost which will give you better quality audio and video.   If you are looking to make use of your DVI connection and don't mind the problems with the HD-931 then consider this model.  Also consider the one from V.  The Samsung HD-931 carries a hefty price tag for a unit that only benefits a user with its DVI ouput and comes up short on terms of quality and performance.  It would not be suprising to see a drastic price drop.