Introduction While DVD has been around for over five years, only recently, with the proliferation of digital displays (plasma, LCD, etc.), have home theater enthusiasts been able to appreciate the power of digital video. With the popular acceptance of a new industry digital video standard, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), it is now possible to watch DVDs while keeping the signal in the digital domain without ever having to convert the signal to analog. The conversion of digital video to analog video is undesirable for a digital display because the resulting picture usually contains annoying artifacts. V, Inc. is a relatively new entrant into the consumer electronics marketplace. They are most famous for making products like low-cost plasmas for other name brands, yet they also sell a growing line of high-value, performance-oriented video products like plasmas, LCDs, DVD players and HD tuners under their own brand V, Inc. Their products are sold direct at vinc.com, as ...

Introduction Marantz has long been a revered manufacturer of quality high-fidelity audio (and now video) equipment. Saul Marantz founded the company in 1953 and was responsible for the production of the Model 18 receiver. The Model 18 was the world’s first example of a receiver that combined a preamplifier, power amplifier and tuner all in one chassis. Marantz was owned by Philips (one of the pioneers of the compact disc) for some time and made the world's first CD player in 1982. Recently, Marantz merged with Denon and established a joint holding company, D & M Holdings, Inc. Needless to say, Marantz is a familiar name in the home theater industry and has a solid track record for its CD players, receivers, projectors, plasmas and more. The latest DVD player from Marantz, the DV8400, is no disappointment to their legacy of making quality CD players. The $1,699 DV8400 is a THX Select certified “universal” ...

Introduction In a world where you can pick up the Sunday newspaper and see full-feature, entry-level DVD players advertised for less than the price of a video game and DVD-Audio-capable players for about the same price as top of the line video game consoles, you may be asking yourself, do I really need a high-end DVD player? If you are one of the many millions of consumers with a TV, big screen, plasma or LCD that can take a progressive (480p) video input (which most if not all can do), then it might be time to consider the visual benefits that come from a more upmarket source component. At $1,000, the Adcom GDV-850 could be just the player you want. With its beautiful matte silver finish and a clean, simple layout, the front of the Adcom GDV-850 is not your run-of-the-mill DVD player. Featuring progressive scan video output with “field adaptive” deinterlacing, high-quality DACs for ...

Introduction Pioneer Elite, as its name indicates, is the premium audio/video line of Pioneer Electronics. Pioneer has come a long way from its origins as a Tokyo-based radio and speaker repair shop back in 1938. Pioneer has since expanded to become one of the more trusted names for home, professional and automotive electronics in the world. With all the latest 5.1 audio formats and ample connection options, the $1200 DV-47Ai is a “universal” player that is within reach for many listeners looking to upgrade their home theater systems. This progressive scan DVD player with multi-channel DVD-Audio and SACD playback is a formidable option to enjoy the most advanced audio and video formats with the ease of a single player.

Introduction Audio enthusiasts struggle to understand why every DVD player can’t always play every kind of disc. The answer is complicated and often has to do with nothing more than the raw cost of the universal drives. It is expensive, especially for a high-end audio/video company, to buy a transport from an OEM manufacturer and make it into a player that can play all of the new formats. Some of the early players that can play both DVD-Audio and SACD skimp on bass management for SACD and/or convert DSD (the technology that makes SACD sound its best) into PCM, which is the technology that is most associated with DVD and even CD. For an audio enthusiast, these compromises are wholly unacceptable, which presents a difficult challenge. In order to do DVD-Audio and SACD correctly, audiophiles needed separate players, as well as a receiver or a preamp with two sets of six-channel analog inputs. Up ...