Sony DVP-NS725P DVD Player

After reading CNET's review about this DVD player, I am convinced that either they are unfairly biased, have a defective model, or simply have no idea what they're talking about most of the time. They note that this DVD player is good except the progressive video playback is poor and to consider alternatives like the Panasonic S55S if you want progressive.

Bogus! I already have a Panasonic S55S for my bedroom TV and the 725P is on par if not better than the Panasonic in terms of progressive video playback. I was shopping around for another player for my new living-room TV and wanted a different model preferrably a Sony to match my Sony TV and its remote functionality but I didn't want to spend big bucks for an audiophile ES model. I have no regrets at all with this DVD player. Playback on my KV-34HS510 is amazing in progressive mode. CNET's review stated that adjusting their test 34HS510's DRC modes with the 725P shows poor progressive playback due to slow 3-2 pulldown processing or what not. Their reviewer said that it was better to run the 725P in interlace mode. First of all, if you configure the 725P properly to run in progressive auto mode and have it connected to the 34HS510 with component cables, the TV's DRC function is supposed to be automatically disabled because the video-processing burden is reserved for the DVD player only. I'm not sure if this works the same for non Sony DVD players but it seems rather odd that CNET's test configuration (same TV and DVD player as mine) kept DRC active on the TV as well as the DVD player. Doesn't make sense. This leads me to believe that either they had a defective model, they weren't using component video cables, or they fudged the review for some reason unfair to the true capabilities of this DVD player. When playing the DVP-NS725P in progressive mode, my KV-34HS510's DRC is completely disabled leaving the video processing burden to the DVD player to eliminate video-processing redundancy. CNET's same DVD player and TV seems to behave differently -- I wonder why?? The DVD player connected to another HD-capable Sony TV at Tweeter behaves just like my setup. CNET's test model must be broke.

To those that have read the CNET review and are now unsure about the Sony, have no fear! Rest assured the Sony DVP-NS725P is an outstanding performer and every bit as good as the Panasonic S55S in terms of progressive video output. The only thing it can't do that he Panasonic can, is have a zoom function. Big deal. The Sony more than makes up for it with it's ultra-fast disc-access and spin-up (the disc menu comes up blazingly fast compared to the lag with my Panasonic) and of course its good looks.