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centralflorida
12-20-2005, 08:37 PM
I have had this since 2002, and it is a 1999 model. It is great when it works, but it started having problems with the picture while the sound continued to be great. The problem has gotten worse. I took this unit to the local stereo store to have it repaired and was told that this unit could be replaced with a unit of better quality for around $ 300. Is anybody familiar with the problems I have had with this unit, and is it worth fixing, and should I send this back to Denon or to local factory authorized service center? Is there some cleaning product that this unit may need for this picture problem?

edtyct
12-21-2005, 04:35 AM
You don't say what's wrong with the picture, but I suppose that any number of things could be wrong at this point, mechanical or otherwise. If you're lucky, the problem might just be a dirty lens. You can buy a disk-type lens cleaner, for about $10 to $20, and see if that helps. If you're intrepid, you can remove the player's cover and clean the lens yourself with a Q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. But you have to be very careful not to expose it to new contaminants and not to push the laser assembly too hard. Denon's lens may have protection around it, which you'd have to move, and the tray might be in the way as well. I don't really recommend the DIY route, but the lens cleaner might be worth a try if funds and general outlook warrant an attempt to resurrect this unit.

You could always send the player somewhere, but it would start costing you money the minute it got through the door. I'm inclined to agree with your local shop. The threshold of good performance has lowered easily to the $300 list-price point, which translates to much less money on the street, and players at this level provide more features than your Denon--notably SACD and DVD-A, as well as better routine video processing than was available in 1999. The choice for a new DVD deck would depend a little bit on what your listening/viewing situation is. You might check on some of the recent DVD threads or extend this one with more information and questions.

Ed

N. Abstentia
12-21-2005, 08:35 AM
Yep, just replace it. It's not worth fixing. Denon players from this era were not great in the first place (as you've found out), so espcially now you can get a far better unit.