new DVD player

[hillwalker]

Hello,

Looking for some advice on a new DVD player. I currently have a Toshiba SD-5700 which isn't working properly anymore and decided now is a good time to upgrade to something new. I will use it to play DVD's and listen to my CD's. I consider myself a basic user who is putting together a new system - details are below. The only thing I would like is to have is a 3 or 5-disc changer for when I play my CD's. I was looking at the Sony 5-Disc DVD/CD Changer (DVPNC85HB).

Price range - $150 - $300 although I would spend more (ie $400) if it's worth it.

Should I get something with the following:
- DVD-HD (not ready to switch to blu-ray)
- Progressive scan
- 5.1-channel sound
- DVD-RAM playback
- HDMI Interface
- Digital audio outputs

SONY KV-36XBR400 - television
SONY DA3ES - receiver
B&W LCR60 S3 - center
B&W DM300 S3 - fronts
B&W CWM500 - rears
???? - sub

Any feedback on a unit you would recommend would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

[bobsticks]

Good morning hillwalker,

With many people switching to media servers and dedicated hard drives, multi-disc dvd are becoming scarce--or at least there aren't alot of options. I am not aware of any HD-DVD multi-players. The Sony model you suggested should work fine although you might want to experiment with one of the ES models which would provide a bit sturdier build and may give give you a sonic improvement depending on your set-up.
Glancing at your set-up, I have reservations as to whether you will get the most out of your B&Ws with just the Sony receiver. Sony receivers are notorious for exaggerating their output, and while the B&Ws aren't too hard to drive they do come alive with more power behind them. Perhaps your rec has pre-outs with which you could send FL and FR to an outboard amp? Just something to keep in mind if you find yourself missing some "Ooomph".
Hey, welcome to the forum and good luck with your search.

Cheers

[Daedilus]

You could save a bundle by holding off on the HD-DVD till the prices come down, very few titles available for purchase as yet anyway.. I would suggest something middle of the road until HD-DVD comes into its own... perhaps a: http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3141.asp# ? not a bad unit for the money :p

[hillwalker]

Hello, thanks for the reply and the welsome. I will have to research the media servers setup since I've never thought about this before (shows my knowledge level in this area!). I'm sure I will end up upgrading my receiver in the future. I purchased it years ago without doing much research... I'm sure I would have found a better alternative if had known about resources such as this site.

[hillwalker]

You could save a bundle by holding off on the HD-DVD till the prices come down, very few titles available for purchase as yet anyway.. I would suggest something middle of the road until HD-DVD comes into its own... perhaps a: http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3141.asp# ? not a bad unit for the money :p

Thanks for the suggestion - this will help me greatly as I determine what to do. I agree it's probably best to wait on the HD-DVD until they come down in price.