Does DVD player matter?

[AcrylicAce]

Sorry this is such a stupid question. I am setting up a home theater system and am wondering if it matters what dvd player I get... i mean, i guess it makes a different for picture quality... does it matter as far as sound goes?

Thanks to some other members on the forum I have decided to go with a denon home theater system (onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=92822). Now i am just trying to figure out what DVD player to get. Does it really matter what one I get if I have the denon home theater system??

What should I be looking for in a dvd player?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Sorry this is such a stupid question. I am setting up a home theater system and am wondering if it matters what dvd player I get... i mean, i guess it makes a different for picture quality... does it matter as far as sound goes?

Thanks to some other members on the forum I have decided to go with a denon home theater system (onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=92822). Now i am just trying to figure out what DVD player to get. Does it really matter what one I get if I have the denon home theater system??

What should I be looking for in a dvd player?

Is this a standard DVD player or bluray DVD? Certainly some players do a better job on the video end than others do. This may not show up on smaller screens and can with larger ones. What else do you want your DVD player to do? Play SACD? DVD-A? Just movies? Will your Denon decode all the movie audio tracks?
Oppo is well regraded.

 

[murl]

This receiver does not decode the new audio formats, only dolby digital and dts. If you want to somewhat "future proof" it, and have a bit of extra cash I would buy a bluray player with a decoder. (will post a link to a good one at bottom) This would play blurays and dvds plus decode the new audio and send it over 5.1 analog. It will save you money later if you ever decide you want to watch bluray disc. Just something to think about.....


http://www.clubmac.com/clubmac/shop/detail.asp?Redir=1&description=Sony-1080p+Blu-ray+Disc+Player+with+Dolby+TrueHD,+BD-Live+compatibility+and+1GB+of+onboard+memory-Video&dpno=7648146

I think this is a great player at a great price, I am using it in my system right now. In my opinion, it does a pretty good job at video upconversion from what little I have watched on it.

 

[lsiberian]

But for your receiver you will want to use the 6 analog inputs. So if you get a blu-ray player look for one with analog outputs that decodes HD formats like the Sony BDP-S550. You can use any RCA cables to hook in between the player and the receiver to get the 5.1 PCM sound.

By the way I see you went with my recommendation. I think SQ will be very good with that setup. Much better than the other options of HTIB. You are getting a real receiver and speakers. This is a bundled system not just a HTIB. Which usually means better components.

 

[murl]

Another player with the analog outs is the samsung bd-p2550, and panasonic should be coming out with another in march. The one they have now is the panasonic dmp-bd55, the one in march will probably be the 60.

 

[lsiberian]

Sorry this is such a stupid question.

The only stupid question is the one not asked or the one intended to be stupid. Unknowns are what cause things to fail and lead to bad choices. We get asked the same questions all the time, but that doesn't mean we are annoyed answering it again every time. If I was I wouldn't answer and wouldn't come to or read this thread. I learn something new reading people's answers every time. Sometimes we get the input of a new member in a different re-hash that opens our eyes to new possibilities.

I came here seeking advice on a subwoofer and found a treasure trove of audio video knowledge with a strong sense of community. That's why I've never left it. I like the fact people here challenge my statements and offer other answers. Unlike Yahoo Answers where there is only one right answer. Here there are several answers allowing a person to come to a better solution.

Many of us our Engineers and are used to answering questions from those who don't know. We like it because it means people are getting smarter.

 

[AcrylicAce]

Thanks so much for your help... I might have to make a post here in a while asking about setup because this stuff is pretty confusing. I'll try to figure it out before I start bothering you fine people though.

I think i will go with that Sony BDP-S550... sounds like that will do just fine for me.

I'm a little disappointed that the denon HTIB system i ordered is on back order so I won't be able to get it for about a month

One other thing... do I need to get an HDMI cable?

Thanks again for being so nice and helping me out.

 

[murl]

Thanks so much for your help... I might have to make a post here in a while asking about setup because this stuff is pretty confusing. I'll try to figure it out before I start bothering you fine people though.

I think i will go with that Sony BDP-S550... sounds like that will do just fine for me.

I'm a little disappointed that the denon HTIB system i ordered is on back order so I won't be able to get it for about a month

One other thing... do I need to get an HDMI cable?

Thanks again for being so nice and helping me out.

That all really depends on what type of TV you have. I would say if your TV will accept an HDMI cable then yes I would use it. I would order it from monoprice.com, don't pay $50 for one. They are like 6 bucks on there, you can also get the other cables you will need to hook up your blu ray player.

We will be more than happy to help you set it up, if you have much trouble I will just pm you my phone number and I would be willing to talk you through it.

Let us know if you have more questions.

 

[AcrylicAce]

I am just plain awestruck with how great this community is. This is by far the best forum on the internet.

Here is the deal: I have a Panasonic 42'' plasma 1080p TV, I am getting the Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray player, and I am getting the Denon DHT-589BA HTIB system.

I am going to be moving soon and want to get everything together so I can just set it all up when I move in... what sorts of accessories do you think I will need to get to set this all up? Speaker wire? What cables? ect?

Thanks SO much... I just can't get over how awesome everyone is on these forums.!!

 

[just-some-guy]

i think your going to be wanting to upgrade the htib shortly after you set it up. unless you are NOT interested in "experiencing" action movies.

 

[AcrylicAce]

i think your going to be wanting to upgrade the htib shortly after you set it up. unless you are NOT interested in "experiencing" action movies.

Thats ok.... this is my first time with anything more than the speakers coming out of the TV so I think i can put up with it for a little while.... gotta start somewhere!

 

[murl]

Well if the bluray player is the onlything you are going to have hooked up you will need an HDMI cable:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=3661&seq=1&format=2

I would then choose 6 RCA cables or 3 sets of two (they usually come in pairs).

Here is a good page to figure out what gauge speaker wire you need for the load you are putting on it and the distance you are running it. You can just skip all of the technical stuff if you want and use the chart closer to the end, or if your interested you can also use this page as a learning tool.

http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/speaker-cable-gauge



Another thing I just bought that I can say 100% made my HT sound better was an spl meter. I used it to match my levels, and since your settings in your receiver won't apply to the bluray player because you are using the analog outs I would rec. one. It is also something you can keep to use down the road when you get a high dollar HT, if you so desire.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103667


I was trying to rec. some things that you can use down the road if you ever decide to upgrade. Then you don't have to go out and buy all new equipment. I'm sure I will think of more later, feel free to keep the questions coming.

 

[murl]

I would also rec. a good surge protector, not that it is really going to protect you from a direct lightning strike but just an extra bit of protection. It makes me sleep better at night You may want to ask some of the other members that are more knowledgeable on what to buy, I won't even pretend to know what I am talking about here.

 

[AcrylicAce]

I'm sure I will think of more later, feel free to keep the questions coming.

Well... if you say so.

I was wondering if you or anyone else knew anything about HD multimedia drives. I have a lot of dvds and it would be nice to have them all in one easy place and not scattered all over the place or taking up tons of space in my living room.

Do these HD multimedia drives work good with audio equipment? Are they as good of quality as a regular dvd player? Any thoughts on this type of equipment would be great!

EDIT: I am talking about something like this just in case i didn't make any sense. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-WD-Media-Player/dp/B001JZFQU4/ref=pd_cp_e_1?pf_rd_p=413863501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001MXP8C4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F2XX3P68J6KSP009RPD

 

[murl]

You may want to start a separate thread on another board about that. I know nothing about it, well I understand the concept, but can't give you the detail you are looking for.

 

[Fredhizzle]

i think your going to be wanting to upgrade the htib shortly after you set it up. unless you are NOT interested in "experiencing" action movies.

his right, If your really into movies you want better speakers that will enhance your home theater experience, thib is no thte way to go, Denon make great receivers from what I read but there speakers dont get much buzz around here because there not that great. Just make sure you know what your doing or more important what you want out of a sound sytem. If you never real ht speakers any of these brands will be a big jump in performance from thib
1.Klipsch
2.Swans
3.Polk
4.Infinity
5. TSC ( If your on a budget these are the best bang for the buck)
and many many more....

I'm in the process of completely renovating my hometheater from an onkyo thib to okay entry level speakers like TSC. My thib was a birthday present so I didnt have the option to buy seperates which I knew I would have to slowly upgrade everything to satisfy my theater experience. A really big factor in home theater is good lfe ither its a subwoofer or floorstanding with a built in subs; powerful bass wont be cheap especially on a budget, so thats something to consider