Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater What to look for when testing new DVD Player

Hey everyone -

I decided to jump on the up-converting bandwagon and upgrade my current Panny CP-72. I have narrowed my choices down to two players - the new Harman Kardon DVD47 and the famous Oppo Digital. I pretty much know that the Oppo will feature better video, but I also want DVD-A/SACD and analogue bass management. Only the HK does that at a sub $500 price. So I want to compare the picture and see how much better the Oppo is compared to the HK. If the difference is negligable, I will keep the HK.

Could anyone suggest some scenes from DVDs that I could use for comparison? What should I be looking for? Feel free to suggest any DVD - if I don't have it, I can always rent via Netflix or BB. I have all day tomorrow to comare the two players and would be happy to post my thoughts here afterwards.

So far, I must say the DVD-A/SACD on the HK 47 is excellent. I can cross my sub via analogue at 40-200 HZ at 20 Hz intervals and my current stash of DVD-As sound much more detailed and dynamic than on my old Panny/ICBM combo. I might just sell the ICBM and use the proceeds to keep both the Oppo (video) and HK (hi-res & redbook audio).

Since you are planning on updating, for video you may want to wait a couple months and go with HD.