To DVD, or Not to DVD... that is the question!

[the1sen]

Hello... I require some advice, and would be most appreciative of all your opinions.

I have just purchased my first home theater system, save one component, the DVD player. There are so many options, and so many different reasons to buy one over another that I just don't get... I will list the equipment I'm using, and perhaps from there, you might be able to make a few recommendations.

Fronts = Paradigm Studio 60's
Center = Paradigm CC-470
Rears = Paradigm Atoms
Sub = Paradigm PDR-12
AVR = Yamaha RX-V1500
TV = Hitachi 51" HDTV Projection TV

I was contemplating going with the Yamaha DVD-S1500 just to match my current equipment. Then again, I don't want to go with something where I could get more bang for the buck. This system will be primarily used for Movies, but we do listen to it for music also... our budget limits us to no more than $500.

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

[paul_pci]

Hello... I require some advice, and would be most appreciative of all your opinions.

I have just purchased my first home theater system, save one component, the DVD player. There are so many options, and so many different reasons to buy one over another that I just don't get... I will list the equipment I'm using, and perhaps from there, you might be able to make a few recommendations.

Fronts = Paradigm Studio 60's
Center = Paradigm CC-470
Rears = Paradigm Atoms
Sub = Paradigm PDR-12
AVR = Yamaha RX-V1500
TV = Hitachi 51" HDTV Projection TV

I was contemplating going with the Yamaha DVD-S1500 just to match my current equipment. Then again, I don't want to go with something where I could get more bang for the buck. This system will be primarily used for Movies, but we do listen to it for music also... our budget limits us to no more than $500.

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

There's no reason to "match" your DVD player to your equipment. Denon makes some solid DVD players, but $500 isn't enough for them. I believe Integra makes a solid DVD player for $500. Forget the model nuumber. Check the website and local dealers. Others will tell you not to go all out on a DVD player, unless you plan on using it also for DVD-A. Make sure you get one that has solid construction, all the features that you need and is a well known brand.

[the1sen]

Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it.

[kexodusc]

I have the Yamaha C750 5-disc DVD player. It plays DVD-A's and SACD's as well as standard DVD's and CD's.
I see it sold now for less than $300. It's a great working unit.

I also have a one-disc Toshiba SD-4960 that plays all the same formats. The picture quality is not quite as nice, but still excellent, but I see it selling for $70-$90.

I'd highly recommend both.
If you don't care for DVD-A or SACD multi-channel music formats, you can find models that trade those features for others in those price-ranges.
Buying a DVD player is easy these days.

If I were you, I might not drop $500 on a player just now. Sure it'll be a great unit, but in a year or so when Blu-Ray and HD-DVD hit the market, you might want to move over to one of those players (by all accounts they will be backward compatible with DVD). Just a suggestion. Good DVD players are quite inexpensive these days.

[the1sen]

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD ? will this be something like a plasma TV where it is simply ridiculously unaffordable, and then slowly decline in price?

wuold it be better to just get a decent unit in the now, and worry about the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD technological advances later?

I liked the build quality and sound from the Yamaha DVD-S1500 I demo'd. I also liked the Integra model I demo'd at the store, but it was not one that I would buy.

[recoveryone]

On the blue ray and other stuff, I would suggest a wait and see approach. It will come down to which one the studios will support more. Remember Beta vs. VHS, Beta much better picture, but did not get the wide support that VHS received. And like you said the first ones will be sky high in price. Hmmmm what happen to VHS HD. nice ideal, but way too late for the the market to change back to tape from disc. just my 2 cents

[the1sen]

well, thanks again for the info. I'm heading to pick up that Yamaha.

[edtyct]

If anyone's laboring under budget constraints, this is the perfect time to buy a DVD player; at this point, the distance between the expensive and inexpensive, at least in video quality, is as slim as it can get. That's part of the reason why the next big thing--HD quality DVD--is knocking at the door. ED DVD quality has little to prove and few novel selling points to drive much of a market anymore. The HD formats will represent a sea change, even though the current quality has few complaints. Few people who see HDTV remain totally impervious to it, regardless of the shameful fact that not enough people have seen it yet. I think that hi def DVD will have the same effect, if not greater, even if only a small minority at first is informed, motivated, and rich enough to adopt it early. This is a case of "if they build it, we will come." The complicating factor is the competing formats, which can cause buyer paralysis. Although the principals agreed to talk about pooling their interests, they appear to be agreeing to disagree once again. If HD-DVD arrives on the scene first, as projected, the goal is for the first players to cost $1,000 to $1,500. In the meantime, someone certainly might be convinced to spend $500 on a player if money were no object, but $200 to $300, or even less as Kexo said, will get you a pretty good piece of equipment whether or not you're waiting for hi def to arrive. Digital upconversion, which has its skeptics here and elsewhere, can help pass the time for those with microdisplays; it can add just a touch more sharpness under the right conditions than straight 480p. And it isn't expensive. Just make sure that it works correctly. Some of the iterations don't.

Ed

[Eric Z]

Good points, Ed! Interesting discussion.

Anyone who cares-

Now, with HD-DVD and BluRay, you obviously need a HDTV, right? I know prices have dropped a lot of HD sets over the past few years, but there still are tons of households with standard TV! I feel the prices aren't going to be low enough for the average Joe to buy HD-DVD/BluRay for quite some time- first, the prices of HDTVs must drop more (few more years) and then the HD-DVD/BluRay prices will start coming down (few more years). I don't know how much the general public will want to get rid of their DVDs they currently have- as I write that I'm thinking the HD-DVD players will probably support both formats- would be smart to do it that way.

Also, is there a date where the only signal sent is HD? I remember it set as 12/2006, but I know that's changed a few times.

Very interesting.
Eric

[edtyct]

Eric,

The HD players will be backward compatible, and it will be a long time before the library of HD titles catches up with the current DVDs, even longer when one of the competing formats falls by the wayside with its stable of films. Many of your favorites (I know mine) will have to wait forever.

I think we're still looking at 2006 for the transition to digital (not HD), but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Ed