High End DVD Player or DVDR/Tivo? or is there a High End DVDR/Tivo? (1 Viewer)

[AndrewVital]

Hey Everyone,
I'm looking for a new DVD player but I kinda want a DVDR/Tivo too. So far I haven't found a really high end DVDR/Tivo, does one exist?

I "hate" to spend 800 or so bucks on a player that I feel i'm missing out on the Tivo expirence and DVD r ability, and I "hate" to spend 800 on a DVDR/Tivo unit and know that It's not the best DVD player out there for my HT.

I know people will say, Just buy one of each, but A- I think thats kinda stupid lol, and B- I dont' have the cash for both.

Thanks for your responses in advance.

- Andrew

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

The Pioneer/Pioneer Elite DVD-R/Tivo combo unit tested suprisingly well in the Secrets shoot-out (better than the Pioneer and Elite non-Tivo units) but it's not of the same quality as a something like a Denon 3910, 5900, or other $1000 player. What kind of display are you using? If it's a CRT (RP or Direct View) then it will probably do very well for you for DVD as well as TIVO. If you have a fixed pixel display (DLP, LCD, Plasma) then you may be better off with a up-converting DVI/HDMI player.

What TV source do you have? If you have cable than many cable providers in larger markets are offering DVRs for as little as $10 a month and most record HD as well (something standard tivo can't do). I get a Motorola 120gb HD DVR for $10 a month (only $5 more than w/out since it replaces my HD cabe box as well). This could possibly open up enough funds for you to get a great stand alone DVD player. Unfortunately you wouldn't have the ability to directly back up to DVD-R like w/ the DVD-R Tivos. I think the HD recording more than makes up for that though.

 

[AndrewVital]

Thanks for the reply!
I have an NEC HT1000 DLP projector. I have HD Cable from Cox but the DVI output on it isn't activated so i'm using component.( I have the cables wired to my projector for DVI and Component as I had to do it at the time i was building my theater)
I've thought of Cox's DVR but did want the ability to burn DVD's. My receiver(Pioneer Elite VSX-55TXi) has i.link (for 7.1 audio) so i'd like to use that,but not DVDR/Tivo has that. So i'm leaning towards the
Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai. I can get it for like 500 or so. (MSRP is 1200)

I'll probably end up waitin for DV-DVD or BlueRay to come out so i can record in top HD quality, instead of investing in a format that has its days numbered.

Thanks again for the reply.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

The 47Ai has very good audio quality but the video quality is not great at all. It has alot of chroma problems and a very soft picture. I would reccoment some sort of DVI player. If you use your whole budget you could swing a Denon 2910. You wouldn't have firewire for audio but you would have superb video and the 2910s DACs are pretty good for high-res audio.

 

[AndrewVital]

i've been looking at denons, and onkyos...I definately need i.link though, i didn't spend 6k on speakers and 1200 on a receiver for 7.1 to not use it with DVD's.
I know most dvd's aren't encoded for it (yet) but the amp up converts and i wanna future-proof this setup for as long as I can.

Any denon or onkyo's that are good with i.link?

thanks again
- Andrew

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

I don't quite think you understanding I.Link. It's a digital transfer method for high-res audio (DVD-A and SACD). Dolby Digital and DTS can be transfered digitaly over optical and coax which every DVD player can pass. You don't need i.link to get full Dolby Digital and DTS surround.

DVD-A and SACD players w/out i.link still give you full discrete 5.1 (there's no 6.1 or 7.1 format for DVD-A or SACD). What they do is decode the individual channels on the player end and then pass them to the receiver over 6 analog cables where they are then amplified w/out any extra processing.

You won't be any more "future proof" w/ i.link than w/ optical/coax for Dolby Digital and DTS and 5.1 analog for DVD-A and SACD. You'll still be getting the full compliment of surround channels for every format. You just lose the convinience of having it all over one cable.

Unfortunately Denon doesn't have I.Link until you get up to the 3910 which costs around $1000. The 3910 would be a very good match for your projector and if you (for what reason i'm unsure) can't live w/out i.link then it would be your best option. The Pioneer Elite 59AVi would also be a very good choice w/ the same features for about the same price.

 

[AndrewVital]

Hmmm... i guess your right. I probably won't be using SACD or DVD-A at all.. so whats a good DVD player in the sub 500 range.
I'd like it to upscall to 1080 is possible, and a DVI output would be anice too.

All this stuff is making my head spin. I've been looking at every model made by Pioneer, Denon and Onkyo lol. But its tuff to figure out pros and cons.

Any recomendations you can make would be great.

Thanks.

- Andrew

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

You'll still be able to listen to DVD-A and SACD in full 5.1, you just won't have a digital connection. There's really not much in terms of scaling players between $300 and $700. Around $300 there's the Denon 1910 (also sold as 755S), Panasonic S97, and Sony NS975V. When you jump up to around $700 you can move in to the Denon 2910 (also sold as 955S). The next step up is the Denon 3910 and Pioneer Elite 59AVi @ around $1000, both of which have i.link.