Samsung DVD-HD860 review

Features
Unlike traditional DVD players, the HD860 features an integrated video scaler that is able to upscale ordinary DVD films to high-definition 720p and 1080i standards.

As mentioned, you will need an HD compatible display with digital connectivity -- you can't access upscaling options using component outputs. Most HD Ready flat screens feature typical 1,366x768 resolutions, which are ideal for displaying 720p images but mean that 1080i signals will be slightly downscaled to fit. You can buy screens with higher resolutions to overcome this problem, but they are still very expensive and the difference is negligible. Either way, both formats are supported by the player, which is impressive at this price.

The player will accept a variety of discs, including standard and recording formats encoded with MP3, WMA and JPEG files, which can even be organised into folders and played as a slideshow accompanied by music. Digital camera users will also be able to copy JPEG photos onto disc and then upscale them to view as high-definition quality images.

You can also play DivX encoded discs -- this is an advanced compression technology, typically used to copy video content from the Internet, that allows you to cram an entire film onto a single CD without losing too much quality. This feature is growing in popularity, but is still a rarity in most entry-level players.

The clear and concise menu system makes operation easy to use. You only need to initially apply several set-up options and the rest can be controlled from quick keys on the remote. Settings are fairly limited, but you can use the player to adjust picture elements such as colour, brightness, detail and black level, and there are several specific HDMI settings.

Performance
While performance using analogue connections is perfectly capable we'll cast our critical eye over the player's upscaled image quality. This is really what separates the HD860 from your average player, and ignoring video scaling options defeats the point of this player.

While picture quality isn't flawless it is outstanding for the price, which is similar to Toshiba's equally affordable SD-360E -- although Denon's slightly more expensive DVD-1730 remains the budget class leader.

The best picture is brought to you using an upscaled 720p signal. Deep black levels produce excellent detail and contrast while colours appear natural and evenly balanced without missing vitality. Movement is also smooth even with slow-panned movement, which is often more difficult to render than fast-paced action. Backgrounds and straight lines occasionally shimmer, though, and turning to 1080i only seems to emphasise these artefacts. Still, using a price-to-performance ratio, the HD860 is undoubtedly good value for money.

Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Kate Macefield