Other Source Component Reviews

The Snell & Wilcox Zone Test Plate on the Video Essentials disc shows a film-based source with its inherent 3:2-frame sequence, as well as two types of video sequences (one is 30 frames, the other is 60 fields). The DVB216 has five different progressive-scan modes to choose from, creatively named modes 1 through 5. Changing them is just as creative: You need to hold down the display button for at least 3 seconds to cycle through the modes. If you like a mode, you'll have to remember which one it is, as each time you shut the power off, the mode resets to 1. This information was buried in the last few pages of the manual under "Additional Information." Two of these modes created a fabulous image with film sources, picking up the 3:2 sequence almost instantly. Two others did a poor job, and one created an image that was almost unwatchable. This disparity between modes made me very curious to see how the player handled actual DVD material.

Beginning with the worst possible scenario, I used the third DTS demo disc, on which the Apollo 13 trailer has an incorrectly flagged 3:2 sequence. In the opening shot, the camera pans across a sign in front of a hotel. Instead of smooth diagonal lines on the sign and the railing behind it, the Zenith created jagged lines and a stair-step effect in each of the modes. So, while it picks up the 3:2 sequence very quickly, it's obvious that the player is only looking for the flags that announce the sequence. In an ideal world, this would be fine; however, thanks to cheap (OK, poor) DVD authoring, you can't put such trust in the studios. Many current players, like the Samsung DVD-P421, seem to ignore the flags and pass this torture test with minimal artifacts.

With correctly flagged material, the DVB216 looks a whole lot better. In chapter 10 of The Phantom Menace, a bunch of CG tanks descend a hill toward a CG town (I think the hill was real). The diagonal lines of the tank turrets can look jagged on players that don't deinterlace the image correctly. Picking up the 3:2 sequence very quickly, the DVB216 made the tanks look just as real as they were—er, weren't. The same is true of chapter 2 of Armageddon, in which the camera pans across a building. The DVB216 picked up the 3:2 sequence and deinterlaced the image without artifacts.

The last of our video tests concerns those of you who have a 4:3 TV that doesn't offer an anamorphic "squeeze" mode. In chapter 8 of Tomorrow Never Dies, the camera pans across an ornate English building. The Zenith downconverted the anamorphic image beautifully, without any of the stair-stepping, jagged lines, or shimmering artifacts that some players create during this test.

The DVB216 treats your ears well, too. It will play 24/96 DVDs and HDCD, but no DVD-Audio or SACD. Track one of the Chesky 24/96 test DVD is Sara K's cover of "Brick House." Her voice and the upper frequencies came through as clearly as they should on this bizarre but well-recorded cover. If your receiver can't process 96-kilohertz material, the DVB216's setup menu lets you downconvert the 96 to 48. Dolby and DTS passed through without any noticeable coloration.

Mirror, mirror, in my rack, is this writer a great big hack? (Fine, you come up with a better line that rhymes with "rack.") The Zenith DVB216 looks better than most players on the market, and the remote is top-notch. With DVDs that are flagged correctly (as most are), it has excellent picture quality (a true reflection of the original material—ha, ha). My only reservation is with DVDs that aren't flagged correctly, as this player's performance in that area is subpar. Lastly, if your theater room has lights behind you when you watch a movie, keep in mind that the front of the player is reflective. After all, that's what a mirror does: reflect an image. Much like a DVD.

Highlights

• Excellent remote
• Gorgeous
• Speedy 3:2 pickup