|   DVD_A/SACD format wars maybe over for the consumer | 3db
Oct 24, 2002 5:30 AM | | thanks to companies like Apex, Pionner, and Onkyo wo all have released
the universal player all capable of playing the above mentioned formats while offering progressive scan with there DVD video. I hear Yamaha has something in the works as well. Can ayone else think of other manufacturers that are about to release the "universal" player. |
| Onkyo's universal player | 3db
Oct 24, 2002 5:31 AM | | |
| Pioneer's universal (from the elite seires) | 3db
Oct 24, 2002 5:33 AM | | |
| Pioneer's universal (from the elite seires) | tceverha
Oct 25, 2002 10:01 AM | | That appears to be the 47ai. It has a little brother called the 45a that also does DVD-A and SACD. |
| Problems... | Woochifer
Oct 25, 2002 6:15 PM | | From what I've been reading, those universal players convert the SACD's DSD stream into PCM before conversion to analog. This effectively negates any of SACD's supposed advantages over DVD-A. I know for sure that the Pioneer players do this, not sure about the Apex, Onkyo, and upcoming Yamaha players.
Another issue is that aside from Apex's $350 universal player, all of the ones currently on the market go for at least $700. At that price, you can get separate DVD-A and SACD players, and still have at least $200 left over.
And lastly, I think this format war will resolve itself if the record companies see the folly of not allowing for digital output of the DVD-A and SACD signals. If we finally get digital output, then the functionality can be incorporated into processors/receivers, and we won't have to fuss with six-channel analog cables and the insufficient bass management that we get with the current players.
I would love to see a universal player because there are plenty of SACDs and DVD-As that I would like to sample for myself, but the format war is making me reluctant to throw my money behind one format. As it stands, I'm more inclined to go with SACD because I cannot play those multichannel mixes. At least with DVD-A, you get a backup DD or DTS track that will work with any existing DVD player. |
| Pioneers <i>do not</i> convert DSD to PCM. | Slosh
Oct 26, 2002 4:06 PM | | I don't know where this misconception came from, but the DV-45 and 47 use a Sony DSD decoder and it stays DSD right through to the analog outputs.
The new Marantz, Onkyo, and Yamaha are based on the Elite DV-47 (I believe the Yamaha has a different video chip, however). If you go with Onkyo or Yamaha you get half the warranty. If you go Marantz you get an additional year but you're also paying quite a bit more (mostly for the THX certification). |
| |
