Toshiba SD-4990 Upconverting Progressive Scan DVD Player
Divx playback comments
Update - Currently using this with a 42 inch Sceptre X42GV Komodo HDTV hooked up via the supplied (free) HDMI cable. This DVD player cost as much as what is charged for an HDMI cable in some places. Using this setup, DVD picture quality is spectacular. Don't spend excess money on HDMI cables - the information is digital - the cables don't matter as long as the bits and bytes are not corrupted.    Currently using this with a high quality SDTV - and the model I have is a \\"costco special\\" SD-K860 which appears to be similar if not same as this unit.    I got this player primarily so I could play back conveniently all the Divx/Xvid material I've accumulated, especially TV shows. It has not dissapointed one bit. I might even dare say that it exceeded my expectations considering the low price.    It has played back every Divx or Xvid encoded material I've managed to throw at it, except for one disk. No problems with QPEL or GMC. The color is good and the picture is sharp. However, the postprocessing is not as good compared to that on a computer and macroblocks can creep in now and then. The same video, played back on a PC and connected to the TV via an 18 foot S-Video cable was noticeably less sharp but lacked the macroblocks. I don't know if the fuzzy pic was because of the 18 footer S-Video cable. I preferred the Toshiba Divx playback to the one I obtained from my PC (but viewed on the TV).  I tried Divx's with multiple audio tracks, surround sound, various bitrates, subtitles and chapter selections - all these features seem to work fine. However, search feature was too slow when tested using Divx's written on CD's. It seemed to work better with Divx's written on DVD's.    DVD only playback works fine - just like any other DVD player and therefore not discussed.  CDR's DVD+R and DVD-R were read properly. RW's were not tested by me.  HD outputs not tested.  When the player was first hooked up via component, something was wrong with the picture. Pressing the HD button onthe remote a few times gave me correct signals from the Component outputs - something to keep in mind when hooking up this player the first time. Divx playback might take 10 - 20 seconds to start up and the player makes a few whirring noises while it does so.  While the manual might state that it plays back only \\"avi\\" files - it also works if the extension is \\"divx\\". In addition the box states that it works with DVD-R. It works fine with DVD+R as well. VCD' snd home brewed SVCD's also worked fine. It can play back MP4 encoded audio and windowsmedia audio - but not video (thats one shortcoming).    My only beef is that the font on the button labeling is way too tiny and faint on the unit. The remote is well done. Very slim profile and looks decent.    There is no real time display in the front, but you can pull up an on-screen display that is lot more informative.    One player which should get so much use around the household, I may land up wearing this out prematurely!