Best inexpensive Universal player until blueray comes out???

[Paul F]

My Paradigm speakers are coming next week. My Harmon Kardon Citation 16 amp, Denon 3805 and HSU VTF3-mk2 sub all sit on the floor waiting to be hooked up. I am looking to buy a Mits 55-65" CRT in the next week or so. My only DVD and CD players are at least 4 years old and only of medium quality - not even progressive scan. Can you advise on a good quality, but relatively inexpensive universal player that I can show off my new system to the family and friends with?? I was going to buy a Denon 3910, but with the quality dacs on the 3805 and with BlueRay et all coming in the possibly very near future (Feb?) I think I might be better off spending $200 or so now and $1,000+ next year. What do ya think? The lower end (ws55513/515) Mits CRTs have DVI input and the 55613/615 and up have HDMI.

Thanks,
PF

 

[Rob Babcock]

The Samsung might do the trick. I know the Pioneer is a fine player for the money- that's what I'd recommend on a budget. Nothing seems as bulletproof as Pioneer, and my respect for their DVD players grows daily (I've got 4 or 5 Pioneers right now, with a Denon '2200 as my main player).

 

[Paul F]

Thanks Rob,
Which models would you suggest?

 

[rgriffin25]

I recently experienced your same dilema and decided to go cheap for now too. I bought the Pioneer DV-578A. For the money I am very happy with how it performs. It gives me the functionality I want until the newer formats are released.
For less than $150 it is a steal!

 

[Rob Babcock]

That's the very beast of which I speak. A killer value, and I'm bettin' it'll play discs that every player you've tried couldn't read.

 

[surveyor]

The Pioneer DV-578A offers a lot for not much money. I've got one and am happy with it.
I've only found one disk by Emerson Lake & Palmer (DVD A) that it would not play correctly so far. I've read in posts here that there are some problems playing some Neil Young stuff.
But, I think that some of the expensive universal players are also guilty of not being able to play certain disks.

Kelly

 

[Rob Babcock]

The more expensive ones often have the same faults. I think the DVD spec has a bit more "wiggle room" than people would like to think. Think about it: I've never seen a functional CD player that wouldn't play every CD. But it's very common for a DVD player to balk on a given DVD.

 

[MarkSJohnson]

578 also....

I also purchased a Pioneer 578 because I was in the same dilemma.

I purchased a Denon 3805 with full intentions of getting the Denon 3910 Universal Player not long after to match it. In the couple of months since the new receiver, though, I’ve decided that the roughly $1,000 price difference between the two made it a no-brainer to buy the Pioneer in the meantime. If it were the “last” purchase to finish my HT, I would have gone for the Denon, but it’s my intention to replace all of my system…speakers, monitor, receiver, player, even furniture.

I don’t have that “pride of ownership” with the Pioneer that I would have with the Denon, but it’s certainly getting the job done and buying me more flexibility with the other purchases. I couldn’t really make full use of the Denon right now anyway as my monitor is just a Sony 32” analog with a single Y/C input.

It’s still my intention to get the Denon, though. My thought is that as Hi-Def discs enter the market, the initial players are likely to be relatively expensive, discs few and far between and possibly the market will even have a “format war” situation. In other words, buying a really top-of-the-line hi-def player is probably several years away for me. If I have the Denon, I’m at least using a very, very nice player to get the most out of the existing technology for a few years in the meantime and after that, can serve as a top-flight audio disc player.

 

[Paul F]

Thanks all, sounds like the 578 is the hands down winner! I'll start checking into where I can get it locally. I can't wait to get this all together in the next few weeks and start having some fun! I'm sure that I will have a million more real-time/experience questions as I go through set-up and calibration etc., but I sure know where to come to get friendly,timely and informative help! (I never even go to the HTF forums where I first started to learn about this stuff 2 years ago because of the poor attitude)

Hey Mark, depending on how soon and what type of furniture you might be getting rid of in the future, I might be interested. As you might expect from all the stuff I've bought in the last month and the 55-65" TV I will be buying soon, I'm looking into nice stands, racks, low cabinets etc. to house it all.

Thanks,
PF

 

[Paul F]

Maybe I should also indicate that by inexpensive, anything under about half of what the 3910 was going to cost to tide me over for a year or two will be ok.

After reading some reviews of the 578, I'm not so sure. Any player that skips like a schoolgirl on SACD's and DVD-A's is going to blow the whole idea of showing off all my new gear - there goes the 'WOW' factor!

If I went with a better model in the $500 range would they at least be a little more likely to perfom better? One referreal was to the Denon 2900 for around $600.

Also, since the new TV will most likely have HDMI input, is that out of the question in this price range?

Any other ideas??

 

[JJNab]

Crutchfield's web site has the 578 on sale for $129.

 

[Immarocco]

Pioneer DV 563

Just another thought and idea about a good player to bridge the gap before you buy up again.

http://www.slottweak.com/DV_563A/563review.htm

Just an idea.
I picked mine up at on ebay for <$130 delivered and new.

Best, Rocco

 

[Rob Babcock]

Where have you seen negative reviews of the 578, Paul? Just curious. Everyone I know that uses them has liked it. There have been some issues with certain discs not working, but I've run into that even in more expensive players.

I still have a DV-563a, their original budget universal. It doesn't get much use since I have a Modwright Modded Pioneer & a Denon '2200, too, but the '563A has always been rock solid.

Given the amount of change in todays market, I sure can't fault anyone for wanting a cheapo model. I just wish there was more to recommend. The $650 I spent on my Denon is about the tops I could personally justify with DVI/HDMI/Blu-Ray/HD-DVD all on the horizon.

 

[rgriffin25]

I have had mine for a couple of months now and it has yet to skip. Buy it at BestBuy or somewhere that gives you 30 days to return it. It is a fool proof way for you to decide if you like it or not. I agree with one of the other comments.. That if it was the last DVD player I was going to buy I would have bought a Denon. But, I bought the 578 and I am satisfied with its performance so far.

I think that most critics are too hard on this DVD player because it does so much for so little.

 

[Paul F]

Hi Rob et all,

At another forum there are several comparo threads that include the 578, and most only talk about it having some problems with layer changes and disks skipping/not reading well. It seems that most that have had both, find that the 563 is actually better than the newer 578. I don't mean to knock this player in the least, and understand your comment that even some more expensive players have problems with some disks. I am just curious as to whether if I did spend closer to $600 or so for the 2900 or maybe a Maranz, would they play those same problematic disks any better? It may not matter with some of the disks having problems today - I probably will not run right out to buy the Neil Young disk anyway (ELP maybe though), but I would like to try to limit the problem for the future. Has anyone tried these problem disks with the 2900? Or even with the 3910 for that matter???

 

[Rob Babcock]

Mine is a '2200, so maybe this isn't relevant, but it will play every SACD & DVD-A I've tried. It's a little erratic with DVD-Rs, however. Oddly, the only disc I've had trouble with is my copy of The 13th Warrior. I've watched it half a dozen times in the past on the same player, and even after cleaning it the thing won't work. The disc looks perfect, no visible flaws. Very peculiar.

From what I've heard, the 563A didn't "downconvert" DSD to PCM, but unfortunately the new model does (so I've heard). There may not be any sonic diff, but in that sense I guess maybe the older version was better.

 

[surveyor]

Mine is a '2200, so maybe this isn't relevant, but it will play every SACD & DVD-A I've tried. It's a little erratic with DVD-Rs, however. Oddly, the only disc I've had trouble with is my copy of The 13th Warrior. I've watched it half a dozen times in the past on the same player, and even after cleaning it the thing won't work. The disc looks perfect, no visible flaws. Very peculiar.

From what I've heard, the 563A didn't "downconvert" DSD to PCM, but unfortunately the new model does (so I've heard). There may not be any sonic diff, but in that sense I guess maybe the older version was better.

Rob the Pioneer DV-578A Down Sample feature can be turned on or off. The how to is shown on page 36 of the Operating Instructions Manual. It is in the Linear PCM Out section.
I hope this answers some questions.

Kelly

 

[Rob Babcock]

I believe the Downconvert in the menu is to downconvert higher rez PCM, not DSD. I have a couple of Pioneer players that aren't SACD-capable and they also have this same menu setting. Setting them to downconvert definately does cause my player to downconvert 24 bit PCM on DVD-R down to 44.1 or 88.2. I don't this it applies to DSD at all.

 

[rgriffin25]

Maybe it is just me... But, I would love for someone to find a factual link discussing this "down conversion" that the pioneer dvd players use. Not a link to JimBob's review either. IT COSTS $150 OR LESS and it does what it says it does. Which is to play DVDs, DVD-A, SACD, ....

Has anyone here done a blind A/B comparison with each player calibrated the same to see if there is an audible difference? The only difference I noticed in my tests were that the multi channel out on the 578A was not as loud as my Sony SACD player when set to the 0db setting. I could not notice an audible difference between the to players once I compensated for the difference in the two players output.

I would like to state in closing that I do not have a Bias towards this DVD player. There where several things on my Sony DVD player that I liked alot more. Which was to be expected since I spent more than twice as much on it as I did the Pioneer. I decided to keep the Pioneer because it allowed me to build a good DVD-A collection while I am waiting for the next-gen (hd) DVD players to come out.

I really think that if most would set aside their knowledge about the price and these so-called problems with these players they might be suprised with what they get.

 

[Rob Babcock]

It's amazing what the Pioneer gives your $150. Prog scan, DVD-A, SACD, MP3 & WMA decoding, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+rw....It's got very little competition at the price.