Denons On Sale, help me choose one (1 Viewer)

[Steve>Smoker]

The local RC Willey store has DVD players on sale/closeout.

I know theyre the discontinued models, but I'm not a big 'must have the latest' fan and just wondered how much better the higher model is for the money.

They have a Denon DVD 900 for $200 or a DVD 1600 for $300.
Theres also a 5-disc DVM 1805 for $270.

Theyre all new but the 900 & 1805 are 'open box' models

Any help in choosing would be most appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Errol/s]

Hi Steve. I purchased the DVM 1805 at ecost.com about 6 weeks ago for about $140. I had checked into the unit beforehand on the net and discovered that there was a problem with some of the players in that the subtitles would pop up randomly. I checked and discovered ecost is an authorized dealer so Denon will cover the unit for 90 days. I decided to take a chance. Feature wise I wanted the player because it has the Faroujda chip and was progressive scan for my eventual purchase of a high definition TV. What also intrigued me was that the player was originally $420 MSRP and I knew some people who had Denon DVD players who loved the picture and sound. I figured that for the price that if it craps out after 90 days, I'll sell it to someone who could repair it or use it as a CD player in my system since it is a 5 disc unit. Well I got the unit and what do you know, I've had the problem on about 5 or 6 out of the 50 or so DVD's I've played so far. It is usually one line in the movie and it doesn't pop up again if you rewind to try to see it again. It has also happened to a friend of mine who bought his unit at the same time. I like the player so far but there is a chance that the unit may just play the subtitles constantly and I'll have to give up on it. Now from what I understand, the 900 is the 1 disc equivalent of the 1805 and there are reviews that states it has the same subtitle issue. So in essence my advice is to careful of these units and if you buy one, get it as cheap as possible. Check ecost to see if there are more. I don't have any experience with the 1600 but ecost may have those too. If you would rather go to a store check the return policy and see if they are authorized to sell Denon products. If so they may take the player back. Anyway, good luck and be careful.

 

[Steve>Smoker]

Anyone else got any views on these machines ?

 

[PeterCB]

Steve, out of the three players you mention, the 1600 is definitely the best. The 1805 is basically a changer version of the 900, which is not known for its great video quality. The 1600 on the other hand is currently one of the top rated players on the Secrets of Home Theater Shoot-Out. It is based on the top rated Panasonic player, and has a superior audio section (Burr Brown DACs, etc.). By the way, $300 is a great price for the 1600.

Hope this helps.

Peter

 

[Steve>Smoker]

Thanks, I'll prolly go buy it this weekend!

Im tired of my old one skipping.

 

[KeithH]

Steve, get the '1600. It's a first-rate machine in terms of video and audio. Also, it's the only one of the three you are considering that handles DVD-Audio, which is a major bonus in my opinion. The '1600 is the one to have in that group.

 

[DanaA]

I'd also agree with the 1600 out of that group, if only for the DVD-A capability. Own one. Love it, except for the few usual quibbles about not having things like a time remaining feature.