i was checking out universal dvd players (dvd-audio and sacd) and noticed they get pretty pricey... i came across the pioneer dv-563a that was around $150. anobody know anything about this player, its pros and cons? any other suggestions for universal players for a reasonable price would be appreciated.

cocheex,
you could try performing a search of old forum threads, that particular player has been discussed often. It is a good value although some have reported that it has issues with freeze up on discs that aren't perfectly clean/unblemished. Others have also reported that picture quality was not as good as some other models. Good luck.

yes, do a search and you will find some additional info. some here have had probs with that unit, some havent. i have had no probs with mine, but i have only had it hooked up for 5 days. i think my picture quality is better than my old sony, but that is just my opinion.

i think overall it is a good player, not great.. but for the money, it is the best thing going out there right now. and if you get one, just be sure to keep and fill out your warrenty info, so in case you have any probs, you are covered

bigjohn

Cocheex,

There are two intriguing players from Samsung soon to be released; the DVD HD841, and the DVD HD941. They are supposed to retail for $250 and $350, respectively, however, Amazon has pre-release order prices of $170, and $255. Both players will play SACDs and DVD-As.

In addition The 841 will have a DVI digital output for video, and the 941 will have a HDMI digital output that will be compatible with any TV's DVI input. If you have an HDTV with a DVI input, this feature is well worthwhile.

The down side to those lovely prices is that there is no guarantee when they will be shipped. I ordered the 941 and my order-confirming email has an estimated shipping date of July 13. Amazon is notorious for establishing conservative shipping dates, so it may ship before that, but there are no guarantees that will be the case.

If you're in a hurry, and on a budget, the Pioneer 563 is your best bet.

ive been reading up trying to figure out which type was "better", dvd-a or sacd. can anybody tell me which is suppose to be better, technically or from experience. i was guessing dvd-a would be better but from some reviews i read, they lean toward sacd. any help would be appreciated...

Coch, neither is better. What counts is the original recording process, mixing and mastering. It doesn't matter if the disc is CD, DVD-A or SACD, although other factors being equal(they rarely are)the latter two formats have a slight technical edge.