Denon DVD-2910: Does it upconvert or upscale?

[BKSinAZ]

I can get this unit sealed in box for 600.00, but want to make sure that this is what will serve my needs. I keep reading about upconversion and stuff. Is this unit a good unit. Does it upscale or upconvert the single thru the HDMI? Sorry if my lingo is not correct.

Another thing...has anyone heard about Denon's new line coming out? The DVD-2930ci will replace the 2910. I cant find any additional info on this new unit. Do you know how it will compare performance wise against the 2910? I was wondering if I should just wait for that. Best Buy says I will be able to order it in 2 weeks. They wont carry it in stores and it is special order only. It will cost $850

[edtyct]

The 2910 does just about everything that a DVD player can do, for both audio and video, and a lot better than most. The new line, scheduled for July, will include its replacement the 2930-CI, which stands to be similar in most respects. However, its video processing will be courtesy of Silicon Optix instead of Faroudja. This new relationship was forged in Denon's current flagship 5910 model. I don't know whether this switch in allegiance is a reaction to a minor problem or two that Faroudja chips exhibited at times, like macroblocking, or simply a business decision. Faroudja is a well-respected name in deinterlacing, and much hype surrounded Denon's use of its DCDi video deinterlacing for its last generation of players. But Silicon Optix, which assumed the august Teranex name, is arguably the be-all and end-all of processing at this point. It's certainly the buzz. Whether the particular Silicon Optix chip that will inhabit the 2930 will make a significant visible difference to most people, however, remains a mystery, especially since in most respects, the 2910's performance is extremely good. I have no idea what changes Denon has planned for the 2930's audio, but the 2910 by no means came up short in this respect either. The new players might be Denon's attempt to squeeze one last statement into the "old" DVD-player technology before it is lost forever to its hi-def successor (whatever that might be).

You could certainly do a lot worse if your last universal, standard DVD player were to be the 2910. It's tried and true. Whether its slight macroblocking (patches of discoloration in solid backgrounds) would be evident on your display, or you would even notice it if it were, is an open question. Equally open is the question of whether the new chip will be without its own glitches, regardless of any new features that it offers. If you aren't afraid of a little mystery, and possibly dropping an extra $200-300 unncessarily on a product that may offer little visible or sonic improvement, a new Denon might be fun to own. Otherwise, you can buy the 2910 at a slight discount and save the extra cash for the hi-def player that may be in your future within a year or two.