Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Recommend a DVD player

Hey guys, audiophiles,
How about posting some DVD recommendations on this post?
I have come up to choosing between a pioneer 737 and HK 25, ofcourse also keeping a budget in mind.
I know how most of you feel about sony or other similar japanese "made in china" products, so how about sharing good dvd players.

Are you interested in DVD-Video only, or do you plan to invest in SACD and/or DVD-Audio? If you answered "yes" to SACD, then do you wish to be able to play SACDs mastered in 5.1 as well as 2.0?

Hey Rob,
I'm primarily choosing one for for DVD Video.

Well, that will spare you no end of purchasing headaches! At this point, I will turn the thread over to the more video-experienced members of the list. Happy shopping!

I would recommend finding a Panasonic Rp82 or Denon 1600. They both have DVD Audio, but they have what is widely considered the best progressive scan picture quality in almost any price range. They are amazing players that the companies no longer produce because they were better performers than their higher priced models. The Denon 1200 is almost as good, but not quite there. Same with the Denon DVD910, which has the same picture as 1200 but no DvD Audio. Those would be my recommendations.

I almost forgot, if you have a DVI input on your HDTV, than your best bet would be the Samsung HD391, which produces a 1080i or 720p image from a DVD instead of just a 480p or 480i image like all other progressive scan players. That would be your best bet if, and only if, you have a DVI capable HDTV or are planning on getting one soon.

Thanks to everyone who replied. But the fact that I received few replies, does it mean that for good quality in video and ofcourse sound I should rather depend on the reciever/amplifier and not on the DVD player? Anyway, which is better HDTV or gas plasma?

Clovis, there's still some video differences, but there's little reason to pay more than the $120-$130 you can get the Panasonic DVD F85 for. 5 disc changer with excellent picture and sound the same as the rest.