DVD Player took a dump...

Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne

Enthusiast
to fix...or not to fix...that is my question. I am getting an H01 error code on my DVD player and then it abruptly shuts off; an alignment issue if I am to believe my fellow Panasonic internet brothers. I paid $140 about 14 months ago and I think it will probably cost between 50 and 100 dollars to fix.

I am thinking about buying the Denon DVM-2815 or, after reading the review on this website, the Yamaha C750. I am leaning towards the Denon since that is the brand of my receiver.

From the F85 I have been mostly disappointed in the audio quality of "red book" cd's (if someone can give me a definition of this...), Movies are fantastic (audio and video) and DVD-Audios are better than I would have thought considering I have been running them thru the optical cable to the Denon receiver (I learned here you should use the 5.1 outputs...was this destructive to anything in my system?).

I would certainly appreciate anyones comments on anything I have been rambling about. I am happy to be here. I have been looking for a place like this for a long time.
 
M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
1. All audio CDs are 'Red Book' CDS - so named because the CD specifications are bound in a red binder. Other CD types are specified in books of a different color; eg. CD-R/RW is defined in the 'Orange Book', Enhanced CD in the 'Blue Book', etc.

2. Using the optical cables to hookup a DVD-A player will not damage the player, you just won't get the multi-channel or hi-res tracks, only the DD or PCM tracks. You must use the 5.1 analog connection to play the hi-res tracks.

3. I personally wouldn't spend the money to get the Panasonic DVD player fixed, considering it will cost almost as much as you paid for it when new. Add $50 to the $100 you would have paid to fix the panny and you could get a brand new Onkyo (or numerous other good brands).
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Arnold Layne said:
to fix...or not to fix...that is my question. I am getting an H01 error code on my DVD player and then it abruptly shuts off; an alignment issue if I am to believe my fellow Panasonic internet brothers. I paid $140 about 14 months ago and I think it will probably cost between 50 and 100 dollars to fix.

I am thinking about buying the Denon DVM-2815 or, after reading the review on this website, the Yamaha C750. I am leaning towards the Denon since that is the brand of my receiver.

From the F85 I have been mostly disappointed in the audio quality of "red book" cd's (if someone can give me a definition of this...), Movies are fantastic (audio and video) and DVD-Audios are better than I would have thought considering I have been running them thru the optical cable to the Denon receiver (I learned here you should use the 5.1 outputs...was this destructive to anything in my system?).

I would certainly appreciate anyones comments on anything I have been rambling about. I am happy to be here. I have been looking for a place like this for a long time.

Consumer Reports in the March issue rates DVD players. They are dirt cheap so it is not worth while to fix yours; kind of disposable components today.
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
I've heard some guys griping about the Q/C standards of the newer, Chinese made Denons. Now I've owned a lot of Denons, as have my family & friends, and no one has had a problem. But those are probably Japanese-made units, FWIW.

The Yammie might be a good one if you only need a DVD player. I think the AH staff said it sounded great with CDs, too, but I'd be leery of using it for DVD-A/SACD given it's rediculously high 120 hz X-over point.

I've found Pioneer to make good, solid, reliable players that deliver solid performance and reliability for the money. A big plus is that they seem very dependable with DVD-Rs, too.
 
Francious70

Francious70

Senior Audioholic
If your reciever took a dump, be sure to tell it to wipe and flush.

Paul
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Francious70 said:
If your reciever took a dump, be sure to tell it to wipe and flush.

Paul

Ah, you are killing me :D :D :D
 
Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne

Enthusiast
Well, I bought the Yamaha. If it wasn't for the review I probably would have never thought about it. My review after 2 days:

1. I don't think I have figured out the sub-woofer during DVD-Audio. It's working but not as loud or powerful, it seems, as the old panasonic. I'm running the multi channel out to my Denon and setting the recever (I can never remember where the "i" goes so i just leave it out...) to ext in. I have control of the sub-woofer thru the parameters section of the receiver (i was just kidding) via a attenuator on/off and also in the set-up section via a db selection of 0, +5, +10 & +15 (these have very little effect but according to the manual work during analog input). The only control in the Yamaha is either sub on or off. The sub-woofer is 100watts JBL and I have it connected from the reciever (****...) sub pre-out (a splitter plug takes the pre-out to 2 lines) and I use a dual line into the L & R LFE inputs on the sub. This is how I had it with the panasonic. I usually have the volume half way up for thunder boomness :) but it seems lacking. I do notice more presence but I guess its "noticeably different" and I'll leave it at that.

2. I still have some "redbook" CD's that really sound like crap but I am beginning to think it is maybe my taste in music. Jimmy Page needs to die so someone that knows what they're doing can "fix" his music...cause I am declaring it digitally BROKE!

3. I really haven't analyzed the video quality because I really don't care...

4. Brain Salad Surgery is just kick ***. My wifes (really) Fleetwood Mac - Rumors is very impressive stuff...I don't have any SACD's yet (Pink Floyd - Dark Side o' the Moon) but I'll be taking care of that this weekend for a much anticipated (hallucinagenic) review.

All in all I think it was a smart upgrade. i do notice a large difference in "most" of my redbook CD's and I like that...

comments welcome as always,

P.S. anyone that doesn't know what "H01" is want to by a panasonic DVD Player (before I flush it)?
 
Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne

Enthusiast
Well I bought the Yamaha...

Then in August 2006 the drawer stops opening and it is making a funny noise. I get the drawer open and a little, teeny, tiny pulley is melted. Damn. I call the Yamah dealer that sold it to me and they send me to the local docal yamaha certified service center. I take my $320 DVD player (warranty expired) to the local docal certified service center and after 2 freaking months of calling them (they never called me once) they finally tell me "sorry can't fix it...this is fried....that is fried...parts aren't available...come and pick it up".

What the FU*K!?

The whole time I had this unit the drawer shimmied open and the drawer shimmied close. The front panel said "open" when the drawer was closed, the front panel said "closed" when the drawer was open. What a piece of SHI*T.

The certified Yamaha dealer offered to sell me another DVD player at his cost. I don't know....is that nice?

I guess.

I currently have $460 dollars worth of DVD players less than 4 years old...BROKE. UNFIXABLE. NOT WORTH IT...

NOT WORTH IT TO WHO???!!!???

YAMAHA? WHY SHOULD I BUY ANOTHER DAM THING FROM THEM EVER AGAIN IF ITS NOT WORTH IT FOR THEM TO BACK IT UP AND BE ABLE FIX IT WHEN IT BREAKS AFTER I SPENT MY BACK BREAKING LABOR EARNED DOLLARS TO GIVE THEM FOR THEIR PIECE OF CRAP?

Its what's wrong with this world. People need to quit screwing people around and stand up and be someone and stop hiding and being a pathetic bunch of crooks.

GET WITH IT YAMAHA!!!!!!!!!!
 
M

Mort Corey

Senior Audioholic
Don't hold back Arnold, tell us how you REALLY feel ;)

Buy an Oppo for $150 and just plan on throwing it away if/when it breaks....I did and it was/is $ well spent.

Mort
 
Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne

Enthusiast
Thanks for the reply, Mort.

I did a little investigation and I think you are right. The Oppo DV-970HD sounds like it is for me. Unfortunately my 400$ Denon receiver does not have HDMI or DVI inputs or outputs. My Samsung Plasma (HP-R4252 with slight Fox World Series Game 1 Screen burn - slow *** game, man) only has one input so I need a new receiver as well. Anyways, to transfer the hi-res audio thru the HDMI it needs to go to my receiver

Any suggestions on a receiver with at least 110 watts per channel, 6:1 surround minimum, zone 2 feature (rock speakers out in the back yard), 2 HDMI/DVI inputs, 1 HDMI/DVI output, in the $500 to $700 range?

I will be playing HD DVD's, DVD-A and SACD's.
 
stratman

stratman

Audioholic Ninja
Hey Arnold, how 'bout a Yamaha receiver;) .....

Just Kidding!:D
 
A

aarond

Full Audioholic
You can get a Denon 2807 or 3806 for around $750.00 from dakmart
 
Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne

Enthusiast
now we're getting somewhere...

Well,

I bought a new DVD player (see my signature). It fried in 7 days. Actually, right out of the box I had to unplug the unit and plug it back in to get it to power up out of standby. After that it would work. The next day you would have to unplug it and then plug it back in to get it power up. I took it back to Classic Stereo and Video and they immediately handed me a new one. They don't know how lucky they are...

The jury is still out on the upconversion deal. I only have one HDMI input on my TV so for a while I was reaching behind and switching the DVD player and the satellite. So, I got down to the real dirty business (I'll save you the sloppy details) of buttering up my wife to now go and upgrade my receiver.

The 3806 was a smart upgrade. The extra wattage and the switchable EQ settings really make a difference when going from red book to DVD Audio/SACD and movies. The auto set-up is an interesting concept. I have performed it twice and the first time it set my crossover frequency to 40 hz and the second time it set it to 250 hz. Right now I set it at 100 hz and it seems to be okay for everything. I think this feature is really only accurate at setting distance and Db for each speaker. I haven't touched that since the auto set-up and it was very close each time I performed the routine.

Getting back to the upconversion, I now have my DVD player video connected to my TV with component cables and to my receiver with HDMI. While watching a movie I can change the source on the TV remote and compare the two connections. I'm not seeing the difference...The movie either looks great on both connections or jaggie on both (I'm assuming the source makes the difference here). Why, then do they make upconverting DVD players? Oh well...when this one burns up next year maybe HD DVD will be the standard. At least I have bragging rights...right?

Another downer, to get rid of the black bars in a movie (...plasma screen burn) I used to zoom the picture from the DVD player or my TV. The Denon DVD player goes from normal to waaaaaaaaay too close and unwatchably distorted in just one click. When I attempt to perform this plasma saving trick with my TV remote, it is disabled when watching thru HDMI. I get 16:9 or 4:3 and thats it. What the **** is the purpose here? I think we all just need to decide on a purpose and then proceed with technology. Please. I have a modest salary and I can only eat so much Pussy.

If anyone has any suggestions for setting up my equipment or questions as to performance, please feel free to comment. This is actually the best part about this hobby.
 
MACCA350

MACCA350

Audioholic Chief
Arnold Layne said:
I have a modest salary and I can only eat so much Pussy.
My vote for quote of the year:D (finding.....it...hard.....to...type while.....rolling....on the floor.......laughing)

cheers:)
 

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