DVD player - audio quality difference

thevortex:

Get your priorities right. Do you need a good DVD player with excellent video and audio or one with all 'goodies' added in??

Though I have used a Philips DVD player for over ten years (and Philips invented the DVD), that was a long time ago. Companies such as Pioneer, Samsung, Denon, Onkyo have long overtaken Philips in the market place in terms of features and specifications. Philips is trying to catch up, but is far behind.

I am surprised the Pioneer is around 4K. Here in Chennai you can get it for 2500. In any case look at it carefully as it has some excellent reviews. Take a look at these.

Pioneer Electronics - DV-400V DVD Player - DV400VK

Pioneer DV-400V Reviews

I also have a professional review somewhere. I will see if I can find it and send it to you.

Regarding connection, yes the component if best if you want to send both audio and video together to the AVR. But if it audio alone, optical is better in sending digital signals across. Of course HDMI is supposed to be the best, but that again carries audio and video together. For audio alone Optical is the best.

Venkat,

I do not need any goodies but will not look a gift horse in the mouth - if there is such a thing.

I did not know that the DVD was invented by Philips - thank you for the information.

However, I do not know where the Pioneer DV400VK is being sold at 2500. I am also in Chennai. The price that I got for this model was 5500. I have not looked in the grey market.

Please advice as to where I can get it for 2500.

I agree.

If you are in Chennai, check with Mercy Electronics. There is also a shop is Besant Nagar (near my house) that had offered that price.

If you go to justdial.com and search for Pioneer you will find a huge set of dealers. You may have to call a few, but I am sure one or two will be able to help you.

Cheers.

Thank you Venkat. I did not know Mercy Electronics dealt with DVD players. I recently heard that they are dealing with everything from iPods to XBOX game consoles! Is that true?

You name a thing in electronics and they will have it. Resistors, motherboards, CDs, CD covers, IPOD, XBOX..... the list goes on. I some time wonder where they store all the items they have.

It could be interesting to check if they also sell items such as amplifiers or even speakers

Don't expect any high end stuff from them in the areas of amplifiers and speakers. They sell branded stuff of items such as batteries, chips, CDs and similar items. Not amplifiers and speakers.

Hi,

Just wanted to remind you of your original objectives:

• Improve the sound
• Playback of Divx formats
• Not too bothered about HD video quality
• Could stretch the total budget for the source to Rs12K

Make sure you meet them, and do not end up with an upgrade for the heck of it.
I do not expect any improvement in the audio quality if you go ahead with the current options. You are still depending on the same AVR to do the same job. I don't think we are getting a big difference through the transport upgrade here.

Thank you for helping me refocus, Sharad!

Would a HTPC help in achieving the primary objective at a budget of 15K? But with this setup I would still be relying on the receiver's DAC for the sound. However it does provide other features such as file format independence and probably better video output. Does that make sense? Appreciate your thoughts.