I'd like some help choosing a new DVD player to replace my 4 year old Pioneer DV-525. I need DVI-D and would like HDMI as well, and I haven't found a lot of players with one or both of these outputs. Denon, Marantz, Arcam and the V,Inc. Bravo D2 player are on my list. Any other suggestions?

What kind of price range are we talking about?

I just got the Denon 2910, and I believe that it has all of the features, plus it's a universal player (SACD, DVD-A). I know I did some complaining about it being different from my Pioneer in another forum, but it's growing on me now. It seems to be warming up, and not as bright as it was out of the box. I got it for $630 at Ultimate Electronics (after I got them to match the price at Crutchfield.com = $650). I can't attest to the video quality becuase I don't own a big screen TV. It looks a little better on my tube TV through S-Video...but the reviews that I have seen about it have mostly praised the video, and forgot to comment on the audio.

I'm probably going to replace my separate DVD-A & SACD players with a Yamaha DVD-S1500. Gonk's written up a nice review of it on his site:

Yamaha DVD-S1500 User Review

I've been pretty pleased with the S1500. It does not offer DVI or HDMI, however - the selection is still a bit thin in that regard. Denon does have three players to choose from with DVI (the 1910, 2910, and 3910) - the 2910 and 3910 also include HDMI. Aside from those three and the Bravo D2, there's one or two Samsung players with DVI and the Zenith DVB318 (which Pat has in his bedroom system, as a matter of fact). Panasonic's got some HDMI offerings, as well (the S97 has it, although I don't know if any others do).

I love my Zenith '318. The "problem" with the newer ones is that they caved in to the MPAA and no longer upconvert to 1080i or 720p over the components. I'm lucky in that I bought mine early enough in the production run to still have that benefit. The upconversion is really pretty on an HD display.

id go with a denon.

Can someone explain to me what DVI is? Sorry I am bad with TLA's (three letter acronyms)

Also does anyone have a feel on who is winning the format game- DVD-A or SACD?

DVI is Digital Video Interface. It and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface, if my memory is working today) are the two digital video signal formats available today. DVI (paired with the encryption scheme HDCP, or High Definition Copy Protection) was the first digital video format to show up in HDTV's, and it is also available on a few DVD players (many of which offer the ability to upconvert a progressive scan signal to HD resolution, although that upconversion is generally restricted to the DVI output only) and on some HDTV receivers, HD cable boxes, and HD satellite receivers. HDMI is similar (in fact, the two are to a great degree pin-to-pin compatible as far as video signal goes), but also allows for digital audio to pass through the same cable. EDIT: There's an article at Secrets that looks at both DVI and HDMI - you can find it here .

As for DVD-A and SACD, I'm not sure. Considering how slow their acceptance has been, it might be most accurate to say that they are both losing the way. Each catalog of titles has certain strengths - there's a lot more classical on SACD as well as a good number of older album re-issues, whereas DVD-A could be said to have an edge in newer material. I had been leaning toward DVD-A (the catalog tends to have more albums that interest me, and my current collection of DVD-A's is about twice as large as my SACD collection), but I'm unsure what impact DualDisc may have on the future growth of DVD-A's catalog.

sacd is a sony technology...
dvda is universal...
speaking of, has anyone seen a dvd/cd burner (or software, since i have a burner of both) that can record in dvda or sacd.

Boy, that article that Gonk links to sure makes it sound like DVI isn't the way to go. I'm guessing that the 1070 is too far down the road to change now though.

There is a bit of an issue with HDMI-to-DVI conversion and black levels, but otherwise DVI and HDMI are effectively interchangeable. DVI also has a larger installed base - DVI-equipped sets have been on the market in pretty significant numbers for a couple years.

I have used HD cable as long as it has been out in this area, not too long ago i got a box with dvi and component hd output. I have a/b compared the video quality of dvi and component watching HD and see no difference. I have a rear projection tv though, and dvi is alleged to make a larger difference on pixel based displays... I have also a/b these at other places on lcd projection and couldnt tell any difference either, but didnt have enough time to emphatically claim that dvi was no better.

Further, I have used/demoed "upconverting" dvi output dvd players and when compared to component, I always saw component as being better.

Right now I am using DVI from the cable box and component from my dvd. Mostly because using DVI frees up another component input on my tv.

I have top of the line monster cable.

Interestingly I also have the top of the line monster "hd" s-video that I use when watching regular tv from the hd box, and when I watch hd through the s-video the quality is 95% as good, except if the images are moving quickly or viewing something like grass.

I give dvi this though, it is an easier connection to secure and is only one cable. I have very limited experience with HDMI, but seems like its connection is inferior. Once every connection (a/v) is done through one cable, that technology will explode for better or worse.

HDMI is the future folks. It has already been adopted as an industry standard digital connection, carrying audio and video signals in the digital domain at 5gbps. It has a huge bandwidth advantage over analog interconnects, making it futureproof. HDMI and DVI-D are both superior to component/composite/S-video connections WHEN used on a digital display device (eg. plasma, LCD, DLP). If you are currently using a CRT based display device then a digital connection through DVI-D or HDMI will make no difference in picture quality as the CRT converts the digital signal back to analog before displaying it.

That said, back to DVD players. After doing a lot of research and reading reviews, I'm currently leaning towards the Pioneer Elite DV59-AVi. I was sort of set on one of the new Denon models until I read Incognito's review about the audio being "bright" on his 2910. I read other reviews that favored the Pioneer's audio over the new Denons. I'm probably going to wait until I'm back from CES 2005 before I make a purchase though. I want to see first hand what's in the pipeline for next year.

i used to be a big fan of p. elite, but they have slipped way down in recent years. got rid of my several thousand dollar elite dvd player, and got a denon for couple hundred, and i am as happy as a pig in poop.

curegeorg,
I'm basing my decision on a lot of research on both the Denon 3910 and Pioneer DV59. I'm aware that Denon builds outstanding quality products and that their players get high marks, but all the reviews I read, including some from those fanatical British AV mags, recommended the DV59.

Worldwide -
Incog has since decided to keep the Denon 2910.

And I would agree that in his house, the Denon 2910 is brighter than his Pioneer. I think both Incog and Neo would agree, however, when I say that the Pioneer doesn't have much detail at/around reference levels, due to what I consider roll-off at higher frequencies - (which I first attributed to his speakers, but in hindsight seems to be more dependent on his DVD player)

(BY THE WAY, I'm not talking about the DV59-AVi, I'm talking about his Pioneer player-and for the life of me I can't remember the model).

With all that being said, however, I can actually stand listening to the Pioneer at insane volumes (>90db) and not cringe at every high note. But at reference levels, his Denon beats the panny hands down.

---
Caveat: his house, his calibration, my ears, yadda yadda yadda

It's the Pioneer 563A (cheapy...but has served me quite well through it's life...)

And served me quite well when listening to Linkin Park DVD-A at your house. WOW!!!!!!!

So why dont you try a Denon vs a Pioneer and answer this question for yourself?