Product Review -
Toshiba SD-3006 DVD Player - April, 1997
By Stacey Spears
Click to see larger photo |
Toshiba SD-3006 DVD Player; 1
Composite, 1 S-Video, and 1 Component (Color Difference) video
output; 1 Coax Digital, 2 sets (pairs) analog audio output;
Weight 7 pounds; $699; Toshiba America Consumer Products, Inc.,
82 Totowa Road, Wayne, New Jersey 07470; Phone 201-628-8000.
Introduction
This is a preliminary review of the Toshiba SD-3006; the final
review will be complete around the beginning of May (we will
indicate that this page has been updated). The reason the final
review will not be done until then is because I cannot take any
measurements until the release of Video Essentials DVD, which is
expected on April 23. I will have also spent some time using the
component outputs.
Toshiba was the first DVD player manufacturer to offer component
video outputs on their player (they are on the 3006 but not the
2006 which is $599). I applaud them for providing this on their
DVD player and the corresponding component video inputs on their
recent 16:9 TVs. I hope now that they will begin to offer it on
their DSS receivers as well. The big deal with the component
outputs on DVD is that it's not bandwidth limited like our NTSC
system. Rather, it has the capability to provide us with greater
color fidelity, (near) perfect color decoded picture, and more
resolution than the S-Video output.
S-Video and Composite have a bandwidth and amplitude restriction
on the Chroma channels. The 'Y' [Luminance]
on S-Video for DVD is approximately 6 MHz [Same as 'Y'
on component], and 5.3 to 5.6 MHz for LD. Before encoding to
MPEG-2, the Y-R and Y-B on DVD have a bandwidth of 3 MHz each. The exact
bandwidth after encoding is a gray area at this point in time;
some people are saying it is still 3 MHz, others are saying it
has been reduced to 1.5 MHz each. The 'C' [Chroma] of the S-Video is where you take the hit. Before
we can get 'C', we must do some more work. The first thing that
must happen is to reduce the bandwidth of the color difference
channels. Y-B is
limited to 0.5 MHz, Y-R is limited to 1.3 MHz. After this happens, their
amplitude must also be reduced, thus giving us two new channels, I and Q. I = 0.877(Y-R) and Q = 0.493(Y-B). Finally, they must be modulated onto two carriers
at 3.579545 MHz [wt] then phase shifted 90 degrees so that we have two
signals on the same frequency. The formula is as follows: [Q Sin(wt + 33) + I Cos(wt + 33)], and if you add this to 'Y'
you have a composite signal.
I have properly adjusted the front panel controls on my TV
(Pioneer Elite Pro-77) using Video Essentials (laserdisc). This
should get me extremely close, if not dead on, to properly
evaluate the capabilities of DVD. I have 11 DVDs on hand, 2
Lumivision, 1 MGM, 1 New Line, and 6 Warner Brothers titles to
help with the evaluation. I have to say now that I am blown away
at what I have seen so far!
Likes & Dislikes
Just as with everything else in life, there are things about DVD
that I like and things that I don't like. This is the first
generation of players, and I expect some vast improvements in
features to come in future generations. The following is a list
of things I would like to see changed about the Toshiba 3006:
Fluorescent Display - I would like the ability to turn
the display off. When watching a movie, I usually have the lights
off, and the display on the Toshiba is distracting.
Selector Switches on Back - What's with the Switches?
The 3006 (and 2006) does not allow the use of the Analog audio
outputs and AC-3 at the same time. You must flip a switch on the
back of the unit to select one or the other. Why does this
concern me? I have a pair of analog audio cables running from the
player straight to the TV, which will allow me to watch DVD
without the surround sound system on. I usually do this late at
night when I do not want to wake everyone up or when I am lazy. I
run the AC-3 cable straight to the surround processor. (I do this
most of the time) ***
Important Note *** AC-3 on DVD
is in the digital domain, so it does not require a demodulator
like LD. Do NOT use the RF input on your receiver or processor.
Use the digital one.
16:9 and 4:3 selection - This is only available when the
player is stopped. You must use the setup button and select
either 16:9 (Anamorphic) or 4:3 (Pan & Scan or Letterbox). I
would like to be able to select between the 'Anamorphic' and
'Letterbox' modes while watching the movie. I have already seen
several posts on Usenet groups saying that their movie is Pan
& Scan on both sides. The problem is that they did not choose
the proper TV type in setup.
DVD Features
DVD is loaded with some great new features. The 'Menu' system was
rarely ever talked about when DVD was being hyped, and this is a
really HOT item. All the current DVDs that I purchased include a
fancy menu built in, and you access it through the menu button on
the remote [click here to see menu from "The
Unforgiven"]. From here you
can choose to start from a particular scene in the film. This is
the index of the disc [click here to see index to "Twister"]. You can also look at some of the cast members' [click here to see
Bugs Bunny] information such as
their biographies. Subtitles and languages are also selected from
the menu [click
here to see "Batman"] or
just use the buttons on the remote. Other things that can be
found are Trailers. (((All screen-shot photos are copyright,
respective movie studios.)))
The current stock of
titles all vary in options. Most of the titles contain a Pan
& Scan version on one side and a Letterbox/Anamorphic on the
other. These discs have no logos on either side, but there is a
small inscription on the innermost part of the disc, near the
hole. On "GoldenEye", an MGM title, the film is on one
side, but but it looks like it is actually using a dual layer.
When the disc boots up, it asks if you want to watch Pan &
Scan or Letterbox/Anamorphic, and it also asks if you want the
AC-3 or Pro Logic soundtrack. And of course some discs are using
both sides, for example, "A Time to Kill." I am happy
to see that they did not cram most of this film on one side, and
then only have a few minutes on the other. It was split up pretty
evenly. Just like laserdisc, you must flip the disc halfway
through the film.
I have not encountered
any multi-angle discs yet, except for the "Chic" demo
from Japan. With the Toshiba, you will find it easy to switch
between multiple languages, subtitles, and angles all at the push
of a button.
The Player and
Remote
The remote is laid out pretty intuitively. There is a directional
pad in the middle (resembles a Nintendo or Genesis control pad),
and the buttons are easy to find [click here to
see photo]. I would like to see the
inclusion of illuminated buttons, because you can still end up
hitting the wrong buttons in the dark.
The front of the SD-3006 is very limited; only bare essentials
are there. These buttons include: Power, Open/Close, Stop, Play,
Pause, and Skip. If you want to access the menu, you must use the
remote. Upon inserting the disc and closing the door, the movie
automatically starts, and the subtitling feature is on.
*** VERY
IMPORTANT *** be sure to
choose what type of TV you have in the setup screen. There are
only two choices, 4:3 and 16:9. If 16:9 is selected, the aspect
ratio is altered. This is made for a 16:9 TV that has the ability
to unsqueeze the picture. The purpose of doing this is to occupy
as much of the TV screen as possible, so that the amount of dead
area (black bars at the top and bottom) is minimized.
If a feature, such as Multi-Angle, is not present on the disc,
and the Multi-Angle button on the remote is pressed, a little red
hand appears on screen telling you that the disc doesn't have
that option. Fast forward and reverse are available at either 2x
or 8x the film speed (very handy with lousy movies). During Pause
or Stepping, the freeze frames are stored in a RAM buffer, and
sometimes pixelation can be seen. This only happens in the pause
mode, and these artifacts are not apparent during the action of
the movie.
Performance
How did the Toshiba and DVD look? OUTSTANDING!
After watching the two Imax titles, I was a little worried about
the quality of DVD, but after seeing 9 other movies, I can say
that DVD ROCKS! In most cases, I think DVD outperforms laserdisc.
I can see more detail in the picture, much better color
saturation especially in the reds and blues, and deeper blacks.
The quality is more than I expected . . . a LOT more. However,
the quality does depend on the pressing. After viewing the Imax
titles, I am almost certain that they did not originate in the
component domain. Due to cross color artifacts,they look like the
master was in the composite format. I could see cross color on
"Africa: the Serengeti" where it was noticeable on
Zebras and Cheetahs.
One of the best looking titles is "Space Jam", although
they did not provide us with the letterbox version (Get with it
Warner!) The picture jumps out of the screen. Bugs and friends
are vibrant! Most animations look good, but this is AWESOME!
Another title that is breathtaking is "Eraser", and it
is easily superior to the laser. Warner has done some good work
on this. However, it must be kept in mind that direct comparisons
between DVD and the laserdisc counterpart are not valid unless
they come from the same master. A good example of what I mean by
this is on "The Abyss". The first pressing does not
even come close to the THX re-master. If the LD was a bad
transfer and they re-mastered it for DVD, it is just not a fair
comparison. Speaking of THX, "Twister" is a THX
certified DVD. While it looks VERY good, I feel it is a little
dark. I felt the same way about the LD version. During the
waterfall scene on "The Fugitive", I could see detail
in the cement that was not there on Laser.
I wish I could tell you how the AC-3 soundtrack was but my
Meridian processor needs an EPROM update to lock onto the AC-3.
It just arrived, but I have not had the time to install it before
press date for this article John will be telling you how they
sounded. I am stuck with the PCM channel for the next week or so.
Does DVD play CDs? It does, but not well! DVD is a new format,
and it should be treated as just that. Manufacturers have made
sure that they will play existing CDs, and I supose this is a
marketing decision. However, I have played several of my CDs on
the 3006, and they sound very flat and lifeless compared to my CD
transport. My CLD-97 (LD player) does a better job with the CDs
than the DVD player. The 3006 also does NOT play CD-Rs at all!
DVD requires a different kind of laser than CD. I have been able
to vastly improve the quality, I say again, vastly improve the
quality with a de-jittering device (I am using the Meridian 518)
Conclusion
At this point, I am concluding that I am not done with this
review. When I get Video Essentials I will see how it performs on
test patterns and also if the controls work well for setup, as
compared to LD. I will also evaluate the component video output
connection and the AC-3.
Currently the retailers who are displaying DVDs are doing a
terrible job. They need to get with the program. If they want
this new format to survive, they are going to have to show it off
properly! If you want to see what DVD can do, go to a specialty
dealer, and avoid the mass market establishment.
While I think DVD is incredible, I do not see it killing LD this
century. LD has a large following, and the special editions are
what really make it shine. As a matter of fact, I purchased 3
more LDs today. DVD has a lot of work ahead if it wants to make a
dent. I hope that it survives, because it has enormous potential.
Stacey Spears
{Notes from Editor (JEJ)}
I had the chance to test a Toshiba SD-2006, which is the same as
the 3006 but without component video outputs (component video is
Y'Cb'Cr' , or sometimes called Y, B-Y, and R-Y, while composite
video is Y/C together, and S-Video is Y and C separated), the RCA
jacks are not gold plated, the digital readout is LED, and there
is only one set of analog audio output jacks. The player handled
the DVDs flawlessly, although the unit in the store had some
problem with the display locking up. Image quality is comparable
to LD in sharpness, although DVD is probably a little sharper (I
just couldn't see it easily). Color saturation is definitely
better on DVD than LD. I could see some pixelation during action
scenes with DVD, but only if I stood very close to the 35"
monitor. On LD, I could see some horizontal line video noise that
was not present with DVD. With most video sources, the choice of
composite video (standard coax) or S-Video outputs depends on the
quality of the comb filter in the source compared to the TV. If
it is better in the source, then use S-Video. If the TV comb
fiter is better, then use the compositve video output from the
source. With DVD players, the video is already in component
format, so no comb filter is needed. Therefore, the DVD player
will perform better with the S-Video connection rather than the
composite, regardless of the TV. The component video outputs of
the 3006 should be used if you have a TV with component video
inputs because the component video signal is superior to both
composite video and S-Video (assuming that the component video
signal originates that way and is not a conversion from some
other type of signal).
Jumping from one chapter to the next on the Toshiba is very fast
(0.5 sec). I did not like having the movie automatically start
when the DVD was placed in the tray, nor did I like having to
turn off the subtitling feature each time I turned on the player
to watch a movie. The latter item can be changed by going to the
setup menu and turning off the default subtitle. The setup menu
is confusing, and it is easy to get a letterboxed movie mixed up
with the 16:9 setting. The menu should probably just say
"Normal", "Expand Vertically", "Unexpand
Vertically", etc., and should be available when the movie is
playing. The AC-3 sound was fabulous, as it is with laserdiscs.
Eventually, there are supposed to be some DVDs with DTS sound,
and I would assume the digital coax output for the sound will
work with DTS as it does with AC-3. I am very pleased with DVD as
it comes out of the starting gate. Even though the first players
and some of the movies will undoubtedly have some problems, we
have to remember that the first CD players and CDs were not very
good. This format has tremendous potential. I would be
comfortable with a complete switch to DVD now, and just keep my
LD player for my LD collection. It is sooooooo much easier to
handle the DVDs than it is for LDs [click here to see
DVD player next to LD player]. I
hope the movie producers will contract special editions of DVDs
with minimum compression (using both layers and both sides if
they have to, and even taking up more than one disc if
necessary). If the regular editions are $24.95, the SEs would
probably be around $40 (a guess). Eventually, I see this format
handling movies on High Definition TV (HDTV) without any problem.
I think we are all ready when they are.
John E. Johnson, Jr.
© Copyright 1995, 1996, 1997
Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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