Denon DVD 1920CI, 1930CI, 1940CI, 1940 - How do they differ?

[JK_Livin22]

I have given a fairly good effort to find the answer to this question by doing a Google search and have yet to find the answer. I am trying to help my parents finish out a HTS. I have purchased them a refurbished Marantz 4001 and have painstakingly considered a large number of different DVD/SACD players with the options that will benefit them most. Eventually I am going to add a carosel CD changer (Yamaha CDC-697, yeah I know what everyone thinks about carosels but it will fit their needs well); but for now the DVD/SACD player will also serve as their CD player.

Price range was about $175-$225.
Initially I narrowed my list down to 4: the OPPO DV-981HD, OPPO DV-980HD, Yamaha DVD-S659, and the Denon DVD 1930CI.

Some of the features that were most important (other than of course the DVD upconversion) were CD upsampling, and SACD playback. Some of the features that I was unable to determine the value of was whether the player was 5.1 or 7.1; given that the receiver is 7.1, does it matter what the DVD players is? And the same goes with Dolby and DTS encoding; if the receiver has more advanced Dolby and DTS capabilities than the DVD player, why does it matter what the DVD players’ are? And finally, given that the Marantz 4001 only has HDMI 1.1, it seems that buying a DVD player with anything higher is an inefficient use of resources.

After considering all of that I narrowed the field down to the OPPO DV-981HD and the Denon 1930CI. The OPPO got rave reviews from critics and consumers alike especially regarding the DVD upscaling/video quality. For fairly obvious reasons (along with a few reviews about the 1930CI) I feel that the Denon has far superior audio. Also, with both the Denon and the OPPO having the same Faroudja DCDi video chipset, I would think their DVD upscaling/video quality would be very very close.

So reasoning that the video quality of the two are essential equal, and that the Denon has much better audio (and also has CD upsampling), and that this will serve as their CD player for some time, I decided to go with the Denon. However, I have yet to find any differences in the Denon DVD 1920CI, 1930CI, 1940CI (is that the exact same as 1940 without the CI?). The reason I ask is the lower the model number obviously the less expensive.

If their is anything that I mentioned in drawing my conclusions (i.e the DVD upscaling/video quality being equal, my thoughts regarding HDMI 1.1, the benefits of CD upsampling, etc.) on this player that someone disagrees with please let me hear your perspective; I don't plan on making this purchase for about another month or so.

Apologies to everyone for being a little long-winded. Thanks in advance for your comments/feedback/replies.

Happy Holidays!

 

[j_garcia]

IMO, you would actually be better off with the Oppo 980, which has better audio than the 981 and it costs less. The 980 uses a different design than the 981 in construction internally, thus the difference; acknowledged by Oppo.

If you haven't heard the Oppo, how can you make the assumption that the Denon has "much better" audio? The 980 actually surprised me with its audio capabilities - SACD and DVD-A are quite good on it. In reality, IMO, you need to move up the food chain with Denon to beat the Oppos, and once you hit about the $250 price point it doesn't even make sense to get a SD DVD player anymore with the two HD formats available. I don't doubt that any of those Denons will be good, so that one is a toss up in my book - basically get the one that you can get for less. Better speakers would make a bigger difference at this price point than deciding between two players that are going to be fairly close.

Which HDMI version is equiped does matter if one is trying to do something specific that 1.1 on the receiver will not support, otherwise you are correct.

 

[shokhead]

Any thoughts on the Denon 2845ci?

 

[JK_Livin22]

Hi j_garcia, thanks for the feedback. It's probably the best one I've gotten on this topic on the several different forums I've posted to. You stated:

If you haven't heard the Oppo, how can you make the assumption that the Denon has "much better" audio? .

I don't necessarily feel that I was assuming so much as I was concluding based on the fact that Denon has been in the AUDIO business since the 1930's and manufactures some (relatively) hi-fi equipment upwards of $5K, whereas I have very little knowledge of OPPO and their history with audio equipment. My only knowledge of the company is their three sub $300 DVD players which have received some phenomenal reviews for their VIDEO quality). I'm not saying that my conclusions are correct, I am just saying that based on the backgrounds of the two companies, I think that without the opportunity to audition the different players, it is reasonable to think that the Denon would produce better audio.


Regarding my original question I actually found the answer from a review of the 1940 in WHAT HI-FI? SOUND AND VISION, as well as a reply directly from Denon.

According to the Denon rep, the 1920CI scales up to 1080i, the 1930CI scales up to 1080p with a Faroudja video chipset, and the 1940CI scales up to 1080p with a newer Faroudja chipset. At this point I am uncertain as to whether the OPPO 981 has the same Faroudja chipset as the 1930 or 1940.

According to the review in WHAT FI-FI SOUND AND VISION, the 1940 has "an advanced Faroudja FLI2301 DCDi chipset, a 12-bit video DAC (that's an extra 'bit' on the 1930) and a new 192kHz Burr-Brown DAC." However, this same review also comments that "While we can't ignore the drop of in sound quality, we welcome wholeheartedly the improvements to the already-excellent picture performance."

With the strong possibility of adding a Blu-ray or HD DVD player in the next two to three years (perhaps after more manufactures offer players with both technologies and at a more affordable price), and with the aforementioned review referring to the 1930 as having "already-excellent picture performance", it is quite clear to me that the better choice is to go with the player that has the better audio (again this will be the primary CD player for a while) and comes with a lower price tag.

Taking everything into consideration, I have made up my mind on the 1930, but am still curious if anyone happens to know which Faroudja chipset the OPPO 981 has?
Thanks again everyone.

Merry Christmas!

 

[shokhead]

DVM-2845CI (SRP: $499) Universal 5-Disc DVD Changer. Featuring Faroudja processing with upscaling to 1080p via HDMI output, RS-232 for integrated system control, MP3/WMA playback and more, the new model is the fourth entry in Denon’s “CI”

Denon's DVM-2845CI packs a one-two punch of solid audio/video performance and five-disc convenience. This sleek changer uses advanced Faroudja DCDi™ processing to remove the imperfections that can appear when film-based images are converted to digital video. The resulting picture is smoother, more natural-looking, and more filmlike. If you have an HDTV with a digital video input, the '2845CI can also upconvert regular DVDs to a higher resolution for an even better picture. It can even output video signals at 1080p — the highest TV resolution currently available. Just pop in five of your favorite DVDs for a marathon of crystal-clear, strikingly detailed movies.
Music fans won't be left out in the cold. High-quality digital-to-analog converters from Burr-Brown will give you the best sound from all of your music, including regular CDs and those loaded with MP3 and WMA files. This versatile DVD changer also allows you to enjoy the warm, full sound of high-resolution SACD and DVD-Audio discs.

Details:
digital video upconversion
selectable 480p/720p/1080i/1080p output via HDMI digital interface (separate adapter available for TVs with DVI input)
selectable progressive-scan mode for smoother video with HD-compatible TVs (via the component video output)
Faroudja DCDi™ de-interlacer with 3-2 pulldown processing
2MB buffer for quick layer change
Virtual Surround Sound for enhanced 2-speaker sound
Dolby® Digital and DTS® decoding with 5.1 analog audio output
HDMI version 1.1
optical and coaxial digital outputs for Dolby Digital/DTS/PCM
1 set of A/V outputs (composite, S-video, 480i/480p component video)
RS-232C port for third party controllers
plays DVD-Video, DVD-R & DVD-RW
plays SACD, DVD-Audio, CD, CD-R & CD-RW, and MP3 and WMA CD-R & CD-RW
plays digital picture CD (JPEG), Kodak Picture CD, and Fujifilm Fujicolor CD
remote control
216MHz/11-bit video DAC
Burr-Brown PCM-1738 192kHz/24-bit audio DAC
17-1/8"W x 4-1/16"H x 15-1/2"D
warranty: 1 year
Want more peace of mind? Extended Service Plans Available
designed for use with "Region 1" coded DVDs

 

[hifihawaii]

Denon 1930ci sucks

Have not been more disappointed with a electronic product in my life. $79 Sony has better picture and almost as high quality sound. Tried calling Denon Service and spent 1 hour a day for 2 weeks before anyone picked up the phone. After another 2 weeks of screwing around they authorized warranty coverage and told me where to take the player.

Warranty shop said there seems to be a problem with the laser. It's been there for 6 months now and no solution in sight.

Usually I spend more on electronics but got the 1930ci while waiting for format war to end. This experience has really disappointed me. Don't know if I'll spend a lot on an Arcam which I know will perform and I know the local dealer here will back it up or just spend another $79 and try to be happy.