The DivX Player Shootout

Philips has a large repertoire of DVD players in its portfolio, this one being perched somewhere in the middle. It is a simple, yet chic looking player, with a matte black finish all over the body, and a nice faux brush finished dark grey fa�ade. It looks the best out of all the players listed here. There is a small LED display on the right half of the front panel, along with a neat looking tray on the left end. Connectivity wise here too, an HDMI is missing, but all the necessary outputs are there, including 5.1 analog outs, component video and USB 2.0. This model comes with an FM radio, which is not present in other models being tested here. Also this model has a CD rip function, and a built in speaker.

Since there is no HDMI we used the component out for connection. The disc load time is 8 seconds, and the User Interface is very nice, at least with regard to design and response. The player passes all the dynamic range and color tests, with better than satisfactory results. Dark grayscale bars were visible, and not merging in, there was no clipping problems. Colors were visibly accurate, even in intricate sections. No pixelation, banding etc. was encountered. De-interlacing was also done very well, but not spectacularly perfect. Here too we found our edges getting a little toothy in fast scenes. Our DivX file played back very smoothly though, no hiccupping or framing. This is a winning strike for us, as video running should be smooth and clear, that’s the most important. The FM radio works just fine, with a strong and clear reception. The built in speaker is better left alone. Overall this player is a solid performer comparatively, except that there is no HDMI out.