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Features
THX Ultra certified.
Dolby Digital
DTS Surround.
Full DVD-Audio compliance.
192kHz, 24-Bit Audio DAC.
Progressive scan.
IEEE 1394 upgradability.
Component video outputs.
RS-232C connection.
5 year warranty.
Pros
Everything!
Cons
Nothing ... okay, it is exdpensive.
Ratings
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Distributor
Amber Technology
Tel: 02 - 9975 1211
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Onkyo DV-S939
DVD THX Ultra Audio-Video player
Recommended retail price: $5999
(inc. GST)
REFERENCE PRODUCT
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Reviewer: Richard Morgan
The Onkyo DV-S939 is a top flight integrated DVD player. As far as I know one of the most expensive integrated DVD player's on the market - the major competition for the top spot appears to come from Onkyo's Integra Research line-up and the model RDV-1, which sells for a couple of grand more.
This is a no-apologies, no-compromise player designed to provide genuine top-flight performance for both DVD-Video and DVD-Audio. It features a healthy fistful of features that brand it as 'special' by any standards but, more importantly, incorporates facilities that guarantee that it will be compatible with future technologies, be upgradeable as new techniques are available, and will remain highly viable for a very long time to come.
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Six grand also gets you some of the best electronic and mechanical componentry that your money can buy, plus the latest high definition digital technology and techniques for audio and video processing. Also, the unit plays DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, Video CD, CD-R, CD-RW and audio CD discs. Replay of some re-writable formats is not possible, but I encountered no problems with any of the other formats.
Some up-market players require careful set-up to achieve their best performance, not so the DV-S939. Simply insert a disc, press the play button and you're away - after you've opened and closed the disc drawer a few times, just to appreciate its silence and smoothness, and to watch the disc slot covering panel glide in and out of place (dead sexy). The beauty of this design is that, armed with the remote, you can adjust myriad facets of the machine's operation as much as you want.
The unit's THX Ultra certification indicates this as a 'top end' player in every sense of the words. They don't give these things out until you've qualified in a number of stringent performance and quality compliance tests established by Lucasfilms (which almost guarantee that the unit is at the top of the pecking order).
In addition, Dolby Digital processing is on board (and it's highly likely to be better than all but the best AV-receivers out there), while the player is compatible with DTS Surround format and MPEG multi-channel.
You'll also find DVD-Audio on board, and with the current push behind the released of new titles this is likely to be a huge bonus, particularly with audio enthusiasts (who will doubtlessly also applaud the DV-S939's awesome capabilities as an audio CD player).
Assisting audio performance is the ability to switch the video circuit off when listening to music. This eliminates a large slab of sonic degradation from electronic interference and noise. Importantly, this can be done on the fly (with some players with the facility you will need to stop play before you can kill the video).
Progressive scan is also on-board and will be useful in high-end applications where the monitoring facilities (projectors and the like) and software (discs encoding) can combine with it to generate even high quality images free of interlace errors and adverse effects.
The unit is fitted with high-end high-resolution Analog Devices 192 kHz/24-bit DACs to reproduce 192-kHz 2-channel stereo, or loss-free 96-kHz 5.1-channel surround sound. A Genesis Video Microprocessor converts information to stable progressive scan output and there's so-called 3:2 pull-down technology to give progressive scan images enhanced sharpness without colour or motion artefacts.
Other features include advanced picture quality adjustment (sharpness, gamma, Y/C time, and the like) and enhanced black-level control. There's a 3-D Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) system that helps to remove artefacts and a front panel bit-rate meter keeps tally of what the machine.
Connection facilities are also very comprehensive with two optical digital outputs, two coaxial digital outputs, two analogue outputs, two S-Video outputs, two component video output sets; 6-channel multi-channel outputs, SCART facilities and a RS232C interface.
Play options include slow motion at 1/2,1/8, or 1/16th normal speed; fast forward/reverse (x2, x8, x30); last memory play; resume play at stop point; 4-mode repeat (title chapter, track, A-B block); programmed memory playback; random memory playback; 6-mode zoom function; strobe viewer (up to six frames displayed at once; 3-mode preview (title, chapter, interval); and there's a 4-mode display dimmer.
The unit rests on large non-resonant feet to act as a barrier to mechanical interference, the disc tray system uses a mechanical dual-airlock system to help provide an isolated, stable playing environment for the disc. The chassis is made from anti-resonant material, including and high-grade gold plated A/V cables are supplied.
Overall, this is quite simply the best integrated DVD-Video and DVD-audio and CD player I have auditioned to date. Benchmark performance for most players on the market. Its operation is flawless, its picture quality is outstanding on good viewing systems (and can be breathtaking on the right television) and it looks every bit the exotic DVD player. Mind you I would expect such from a player of this calibre and particularly from Onkyo.
The DV-S939 has everything you will need is easy to upgrade via RS232C, supports all surround sound formats, plays all relevant disc formats, features high resolution video and audio processing and does a lot more besides. Its video image is exemplary in every sense as is the audio processing … and the player is just really beautiful to use. If there's a better integrated DVD player it'll probably come from the same stable.
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