OK, I'm getting a nice little $500 gift from my company come November (for sticking it out for 5 years). I was thinking about getting a EOS Digital Rebel XT and making up the difference, but now's not a good time to spend money. So I was thinking... what else do I want for $500? And I landed on a universal changer. I was thinking about the Onkyo DVCP802B . Anyone have any opinions or other suggestions? Basically my requirements are: universal disc and multi disc. It must be $500 or less.

[spoilsport]
If now's not a good time to spend money, how about socking it away?
[/spoilsport]

But in all seriousness, that player seems to have everything you'd need for quite some time. The only thing I'd research more about it is how its video quality compares to other universals in the price range.

Because they're not going to hand me $500, they're going to get me a gift that costs as much as $500.

I'm not stressing about video quality. I've got a 27" CRT, after all... which only has an S-video in.

I am curious about the responsiveness of the player. My Toshiba SD1600 is very slow to respond to remote control commands. I don't know if this is just the way DVDs work, or whether other players are faster. Playing DVDs on the computer seems more responsive, but that could be just because DVDs are more suited to mice than directional pads.

I think it must be your DVD player. My "nothing special" Sony SACD/DVD player is quite responsive to remote commands.

My old Sony NS-315 was nice and fast... my new Pioneer 578 is very slow...

Huh... I guess this one is available at less than $500... Wonder if I can find one closer to $500. Just being greedy, I guess...

{edit}

OK, how about this Yamaha DVD-C590? Looks like it's got better video. I hate to give up the sixth disc, but that's pretty minor...

With better video (12bit/216MHz vs. 10bit/55Mhz), a lower profile (3" vs. 5.2"), and HDMI output (for your future-proofing needs), I'd say thay Yamaha trumps the Onkyo's 1-disc advantage. The Yammy also does 24bit/192kHz audio if that's of any concern.

Looks like you've got a winner.

Indeed. (especially since I bought the H/K specifically because it had 24/192 on all channels--a rarity at the time). But if anyone has any real world experience with these things, I'd be interested to hear it. I'm gonna keep looking around for stuff.

Arg, like Bridgeman said, reviews of other Yammies make it sound like they're pretty slow loading.

ya i cant stand my yamaha, its so unresponsive, especially the front buttons, i press on, it doesnt turn on for 5 seconds, same with the open/close button

Durn! And I can't find anyone who actually has or has tried the 950. Well, guess it's off to the store for me.

Ken, you may want to try going over to the Audioholics forum and see if you can gather up some info there, seems like quite a number of the folks run Yamaha equipment.

Edit: Actually Ken, here is a list of associated threads on the DVD-C950 from the Audioholics Forum search...

Yamaha DVD-C950 threads.

Yeah, I had a look at those--it seems mostly like one or two guys who's excited about it coming out or is going to buy it, not anyone who's used it. Plus they seem rather clueless... Thanks for the info, though!

However, the Audioholics review of the 750 was extremely positive. It's just the slow load times that scares me.

LOL, I didn't read through the replies until after I posted it here for you and then thought, well that wasn't much help!

I replaced my Sony NS-315 with the Denon and have noticed that the Denon is a little slower but it really isn't enough to bother me. Maybe the 315 is just a little speed demon.

I have the Integra version of that player. I’m pretty sure that they are identical, but some crafty bean counter just figured out how to sucker idiots into spending more money for the same thing (that would be me).

Other than getting suckered out of $800 for the Integra, I have had zero complaints with it. Right now I’ve got is spinning CD’s only, but I did use it for DVD’s for about two months. It’s not blazing fast, but not noticeable slow either. I don’t know what you’re expecting there??? I reckon I could time it for you?

It’s definitely clearer that my Toshiba 6200…..by a long shot. After a few martini’s and watching Starsky and Hutch, I thought I was drunk cause everything started looking blurry with the Toshiba (the Torino’s stripe, the stripes on their shirts, etc). So I staggered downstairs, unhooked the Integra from the stereo system, carried it back upstairs and hooked it up to the TV (47” Mitsubishi HD 1080). I re-played the movie and noticed a significant difference with picture quality. The Toshiba has a Genesis chip in it, if that means anything to you. The Integra is now back downstairs and I’m looking to either buy another CD changer for playing CD’s downstairs and use the Integra for DVD’s, or, I’m gunna pony up and buy the Dennon 3910. …..decisions, decisions…..

If you have any specific questions about the machine, I’d be glad to run it through some tests for you.

…..mike

In reply to:

---

I’m gunna pony up and buy the Dennon 3910. …..decisions, decisions…..

---

Mike, you may want to consider the 2910 with an ICBM, still cheaper than the 3910 and from what I understand the biggest difference between the 3910 and 2910 is the bass management.

Heh... well, the navigation on my Toshiba is what's slow (just translating the button presses into movement on the screen. )The chapter loads are pretty fast. So maybe the Yammie wouldn't drive me nuts. The other problem, I'm now discovering, is finding a b&m store that actually carries the thing. None of the major retailers do (surprise, surprise).

the control response on my yammie isnt that bad, pretty quick, but i hate how long it takes to turn on or open the tray, i dunno if it will be ditto with the 590, but it really sucks to stand there for 10 seconds before you can put the dvd in (5boot up, 5to open tray)

I'm gonna do some digging on the specs on those models. I've heard really good things about the Integra, but the Onkyo not so much. I know the Integra has more outputs, but since I only have one TV, that's not exactly a deal breaker.

Wow, that's pretty bad, especially since I'm used to a regular old CD changer (which doesn't exactly boot up at all). Hrm...

Thanks Rick. When it comes time to actually buy one, I’ll be picking your brain some more. I found a source for new 2900’s. Non-authorized of course, but I don’t really care about that anyway. There is no such thing as a repair shop in Alaska anyway, so everything gets sent off somewhere, or round filed.

K- the Integra has no hesitation loading or popping in and out of menu’s with the remote. Push the button and it does its thing. I am very impatient too ( I have A.D.D. ). Not real quick changing disks though. Kinda noisy too, now that I think about it. That sixth disk is nice when I’m puttering around the house. I load her up, point the line on the Rotel at about 10 o’clock and grab the tools. The sound quality is outstanding. I had a Kenwood, seven disk changer for CD’s. I noticed a big difference with the Integra over it. The Kenwood is about 6 years old. I don’t recall the model, but it was their top of the line back when I bought it.

Well, they're pretty much the same. Looks like the Integra may have a different video DAC. Neither says which type they have. I know the Yammie has Farouja for video (pretty good, I guess) and Burr-Browns for audio (so that's a plus, I suppose). Noisy changer doesn't really bother me a lot; it'll be in a closed cabinet, and my JVC is certainly noisy.

It's too bad you need a Universal player. I have the Cambridge Audio 540D and it is fantastic. Unfortunately it doesn't play SACD and it doesn't have DTS decoding (I use my Pioneer for that). Here's what it does offer:

Crystal CS4360 six-channel 24-bit/192kHz audio DAC
DVD-Audio capability
DVD+R, DVD+RW, MP3 and Kodak Picture playback
Built-in Dolby Digital decoding
6 - 12-bit/54MHz video DACs
PAL and NTSC compatible
Component (progressive), RGB (SCART), S-video, and composite video outputs
Low-resonance chassis and aluminum front panel
Removable IEC power cord
Progressive scan

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/cambridge_audio_azur_540d.htm

I own the C750, and overall it's not a bad universal player. The load times/disc changes are slow. The crossover can only be set to 100Hz, which is a little high for some.

I found the video to be much better than my old Sony, and better than an LG 7832 upconverting unit (which I returned after buying the Yammy). And the layer changes are very quick.

When I bought it last year, it was pretty much the only "budget" 5-disc universal player. The store I bought it from was clearing them out for $250 CDN, which included a set of AR cables for the analog audio ($100 retail).

I'm sure there are better out there these days. But if you can find one for a smokin' deal, it's not that bad.

Well, I've been looking around online, and still have found nothing on the DVD-C950. Also, the only shops that claim to have it are not authorized resellers... sigh. Guess it's not really out yet. Anyone else have any tips?

Well, I doubt anyone cares but me, but I finally found a long thread of customer reviews of the DVD-C950 on AVSForum that made me feel a bit better about it. The faults they cite don't really affect me, since I've got an iPod and no HDTV at the moment. Now to decide whether to get this or the camera...

I picked up a Yamaha DVD-C750 a week ago. It's not perfect, but I'm very pleased with it overall. My biggest complaint is how long it takes to power on the unit and open the tray from standby mode. Everything seems to run through the central processor, as a cost-cutting measure I guess, including the tray release mechanism. As a result, you have to wait for the unit to boot up from standby before the tray will open. Having said that, the load and tray opening times are reasonable once the unit is running.

I'm running it with an H/K AVR330, and the sound and video quality are great.

The good Yamaha multi-disc units not easy to find in Canada, but I think they're a good bang for the buck. Given the low price, my complaints are minor. From what I've heard, the build quality is pretty decent.

Finally got my hands on a 950. (at Good Guys, where the clearance is, um, crappy.) Boy, that thing is really slow to start up! I didn't have any discs on me (just stopped by after work) so I don't know about a lot of stuff on it, but it seemed to take 10 seconds per disc to tell it was empty.

Kevin, would you mind trying some stuff on your 750 forme? I'd like to know how fast it changes audio discs on random; ie if you've got a combo of say SACD, DVD-A, and redbook CD in there, how long does it take between tracks/discs on random play? Also, does yours have the 10 disc memory thing? If so, does it just do this automatically, or can you designate which discs you want to save the last bit played info on?

Mike, on your Integra--same questions. I know that the six disc memory thing is designatable on the Onkyo version, according to the manual. How's the disc change speed?

And if anyone has the Onkyo 802, I'd love to hear about it. How's the video quality? If the only difference between the Integra and the 802 (sorry, Mike!) is the amount of outputs, I don't really care. But if the video quality is better on the Integra, well... then I might care.

Thanks, all!

I haven't tried it in random mode across discs, but I suspect the C750 would be pretty slow in that mode. I can say that it will run faster fully loaded, with 5 discs in the tray, as it takes extra time to determine that there really is no disc in an empty slot. I'm out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday, but I can give it a try when I'm back on Monday.

I assume that by memory you mean the ability to save the playback point of DVD's before ejecting. If so, then yes the C750 can remember this for up to 10 discs. Normally, the playback point is saved automatically. However, if you hit the stop button twice before ejecting a disc, you can prevent the playback point from being saved into memory for that particular disc. Not sure if this answers your question.

For music playback I usually load 5 discs into the carousel and let them play sequentially, so for me the load time is a non-issue. I love the sound and video quality of this unit, and the price was right. If you're willing to spend more $$$, you can probably find a unit that loads faster though.

The upshot of slow load times is that you have time to really appreciate the process. Kinda like watching the roof of the Skydome in Toronto open reeeeaaaallly slowly...

- Kevin

Heh. If you wouldn't mind trying it out Monday, I'd be thrilled to know the results.

Yeah, you pretty much answered my quesiton on the memory. On the Onkyo units, you have to tell it that you want to save the playback point; it doesn't do it automatically from what I understand.

Actually, it's almost impossible to find universal changers. The Onkyos and the Yamahas are the only games in town, and the 950 is the only one with HDMI.

Yeah, I almost got hit in the head by the tray while I was waiting for it to open in the store... looked away, and then there's this thing coming at the side of my face!

I'll time it and post back when I get around to it this weekend. Off to get drunk and make an ass out of myself in a few........

It takes 14 seconds to change a disk while playing another. This is from the moment I push the button to the moment the other disk starts playing.

If I stop playing a disk, It'll start playing it again within 5 seconds (if the unit is on). If it's off, it takes 15 seconds to power up and start playing a disk after pushing the play button. It doesn’t take any longer switching back and forth between dvd or cd. It changes the disks pretty quick, 5 seconds; the rest of the time is loading time.

For more important news, I discovered a new mix last night. Don’t know what to call it yet, but it sure is tasty. Not so much at this moment, but it was good last night…..all of them.

2 Oz Capt Morgan spiced rum
1 Oz Orange Curacao
½ Oz Bombay Safire gin
1 Oz Dole orange/pineapple juice

Shake with ice until the shaker frosts over, then strain into a martini glass.

Cool. It's not quite what I hoped for, but it sounds like it's better than the Yammie. And since I have oh, what, 2 choices...

I'm leaning away from the Yammie; the only selling point is the video. And I don't have an HDTV. By the time I get one, I'll need new everything. Secrets just had a little article about the HDMI standard and plug changing again, too.

Sounds like a good drink, other than the gin.

I don't care for Gin either. I know it sounds odd, but just a splash of it really makes the drink.

Huh. Well, I've got some Sapphire, I'll have to try it.

Too bad there's not much choice in the way of universal DVD changers. I thought it was an obvious market niche that needed filling, but I guess I'm missing something.

I did some very quick and unscientific testing on disc change times in random (shuffle) mode for my Yamaha C750. When playing in random mode across discs, it takes about 15 seconds from the time the music stops on one disc, until you hear it on the next disc. The time is the same whether it's changing CD to CD, or CD to DVD-A. If you love playing in random mode, the Onkyo is probably a better bet.

I also started another experient a while back and it's still in progress, but so far the initial results are encouraging: it seems that consumption of sufficient quantities of Bombay Sapphire reduces the apparent load time of any multi-disc changer dramatically. What's amazing is that it seems to work regardless of the brand of disc changer. As you can imagine, something this interesting requires a great deal of further study.

Definitely. I'll have to see if this also holds true for sufficient mint juleps. I may expand the experiment to margaritas.

Don't forget Crown. Works wonderful. Try this...

fill a pint glass with ice.
fill it 5/8 full with crown royal
add a little amerato
top off with cranberry juice
give it a shake

enjoy.......it's my ol' stand by drink that never dissapoints me. I need to name it something as well.

might be time for a mix drink thread.........

If only I could find my margarita instructions. I made a list of ingredients up for my margaritas and a separate one up for my wife. Unfortunately, I have no idea what i did with it...

I have a few scratch margarita recipes that I screw around with. They’re actually just martini variations.

Here’s my favorite blended margarita mix….

Fill up blender with ice to the top.
Add ½ can of concentrated lime aid
Add ½ can of beer (any beer, but I prefer Guinness)
Fill it to the rim with any quality tequila you prefer ( for blended, I stick with Quervo gold and save the good stuff for the scratch drinks )
Blend it so the consistency will float a shot of Gran Marnee’ on the ice.

BTW….I can’t spell. ……….and I’m not an alcoholic….no really, I’m not.