Forward integration or backward integration? I can’t quite figure out. Optical storage giants Moser Baer released its first DVD player recently, and the brand’s immense popularity has ensured keen interest. As promised in our news on the release, we decided to review the MB-6988 as soon as we got our hands on it. After all, it’s a first from Moser Baer...
Form and Features
This is easily one of the best player designs I have seen in a long time. And probably the lightest too, as I thought they delivered me an empty box when I first held it. So that facilitates portability, and I’m sure it will attract the oohs and aahs. It certainly did so in our test studio.
The slim player sees the front panel sloping in seamlessly from the top panel. The sides are curved at the junction of the front panel; the edge resembling a quarter sine wave. Even the bottom panel is smooth edged. Four tiny conical stands elevate the player off the ground.
The color scheme is black and silver; the latter in the form of a thickish border running along the periphery of the top and front panel. Three tiny black buttons and a slim black tray adorn the front panel, which looks nice and uncluttered. Once ejected, the tray itself is made of ordinary translucent plastic, which jars with the elegant scheme – a cost-cutting means we presume.
The back has a single row of connectors, keeping it light and slim. But here's where I encountered the first screw-up. No HDMI out! I think that sucks; even though I’m not totally convinced of the upscaling capabilities of entry-level DVD players, it’s still better than analog video. The maximum resolution we could get was 576p. On the bright side, my Philips Cineos TV does quite a good job of internal upscaling, so I guess the component connection wouldn’t be bad.
The player does have a 5.1 decoder though, and the outputs for each channel are present in the rear, along with an optical and coaxial audio out. It reads SD cards and also sports a USB connection. Those are neat plus points. A mic output is provided, that too in ¼ inch jack form. Anyone in the mood for karaoke? I’m not.
Basic MPEG4 part 2 discs (DivX, Xvid) are supported. The video DAC is not stated, but I'm guessing at a 10-bit chip. Audio is at 96KHz/24bit. The menu and setup is laid out well, and to the point, with the AV setup comprising basic stuff like component on/off etc.
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