I'm using a Sim2 HT300 projector. It is a DLP projector.
So I guess the upscaling abilities are about the same in my projector and DVD player.

Thanks for the explanation.


That is one certainly one possibility. At any rate, the differences are not large enough for you to see on your screen.

How big is your screen?

Allen

That is one certainly one possibility. At any rate, the differences are not large enough for you to see on your screen.

How big is your screen?

Allen

Believe 110 inches.

Hello,
Out of curiosity, would anyone with a black 3910 want to trade for a silver one? My player is mint with the latest firmware. Due to a change of processor and amplifier, my 3910 stands out in a sea of black.
Cheers,
AD

Is there a way to get the Denon 3910 to playback DVD-video chapters in the order that you want them to be played back (i.e. programmed playback)? I know you can do this with audio playback but it does not seem to work for video. Also, I know that you can set markers in the video so that you can jump to that spot/scene but if you set 5 markers is there a way to make the 3910 play those 5 clips or scenes automatically without you having to select each marked scene manually? Again, I want programmed play.

Thanks.

I have owned my 3910 for a little over 3 years now. Best dvd player I ever had. :D

I am finally going to hook it up with HDMI, will be getting a new 58" Panasonic 850U hopefully this week.
I have pulled out the manual and see that I need to turn on the hdmi output. Then the manual says I need to choose wheter the output is component output or rgb. Which one do I want?
Resolution wise, I figure on trying 720p and 1080i, see which one looks better.

Next dumb question. My receiver does not have hdmi inputs. I feed the digital signal from the dvd player via coax and the video goes to the tv alone. In this kind of setup, I DO NOT WANT sound from my tv when watching dvds. I get the surround from the A/V receiver. Is there a way to setup the hdmi connection so I will get NO SOUND from the tv when dvds are played?

Thanks for the help.

Steve,
I have a Panny plasma, too. (and a 3910)(and a 2500)
Re HDMI: on the 3910, choose HDMI Y Cb Cr and 1080i (top left 2 buttons on 3910 remote). No need to muck around with 720p.

Re Sound: Your plasma will have a menu item to turn yours speakers on or off. Choose OFF :). Or press the "Mute" button on the remote when you turn on the TV.

--Ernie

Thanks, Ernie.

I'm dying to get the Panny in the house and get it going. I had a Pioneer Elite 610 (rptv) that quit a week ago. I got a pretty good deal on the 850, but the bad news is they are waiting on stock.

Appreciate the help.

Some time ago, I downloaded the firmware update from the Denon site, but never did anything with it. I read the instructions that came in the file and found that the Roxio version 7 that I have did not have the EXACT options that were called out in the instructions (Level 1 ROM disc). It does have the ISO format called out. Not wanting to risk damage to the machine, I never updated.

Now that I will finally be using the hdmi, I figured time to get it done. I sent email to Denon explaining as I just did here and asked if they could send me discs. To my surprise (and disappointment) the reply came "if you can burn a data disc, no problem". If this is the case, what was up with the detailed instructions? :confused: Beyond that, Denon can't afford to send a couple bucks worth of disc out to a customer?

In any case, does it sound safe to do what they now say is okay?

Thanks.

I originally had some issues burning the CD correctly, but finally made it.
The issue you might be facing has to do with how you do the upgrade
It is required to press some keys prior to inserting the CD or at the time you insert it, I really don't remember.
Also, the key sequence for european models was different than US models.
Denon, should have a document describing the process and that was important to follow to the letter.
I found my relevant document as one of the files that I had to download along with the firmware update

Steve5520, check this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12477267#post12477267)

Some time ago, I downloaded the firmware update from the Denon site, but never did anything with it. I read the instructions that came in the file and found that the Roxio version 7 that I have did not have the EXACT options that were called out in the instructions (Level 1 ROM disc). It does have the ISO format called out. Not wanting to risk damage to the machine, I never updated.

In any case, does it sound safe to do what they now say is okay?

Thanks.

Back when I did the update I downloaded a free trial copy of Nero, burned the CDs updated the player and removed the trial version of Nero.

Back when I did the update I downloaded a free trial copy of Nero, burned the CDs updated the player and removed the trial version of Nero.

Several years ago I used Roxio Easy CD Creator version 5 and was able to upgrade the firmware. I wish I could help you but honestly I don't think I've used the software ever since. I vaguely remember finding what I was looking for in kind of small print on the bottom, in kind of a hidden option (ISO burn?). WAY back in this thread there were detailed instructions and I just followed them. Anyway it worked and I've been able to enjoy DVD-A's and SACD's via Denon Link 3 ever since.

Mine is Roxio version 7. I've looked and looked and can't find everything called out in the instructions. Somehow I just can't get in the mood of adding and removing software just so I can burn 3 discs. Then too, Nero might be different now than when lots of you folks did the upgrade. They are up to version 8.

I find it a bit disgusting to get a stupid reply like I did yesterday from Denon. The instructions very clearly state "burn the discs THIS way, or the upgrade will fail". Then yesterday the email says "No, just burn discs any old way, as long as they are data discs". How can they be so cheap and uncooperative in not just mailing me the discs?

Let me ask another question. I guess I am just now coming out of the "dark ages". My previous rptv did not have hdmi. My Denon receiver (AVR3800) does not have hdmi OR Denon Link. As soon as I get my new Panny 58" 850u (any day now), the only thing I want to do is feed the VIDEO to the tv via hdmi so I can use the upconverting capability of the 3910 (FINALLY, after 3 years!).

Should I even care about the firmware update? I feed the digital via coax from the 3910 to the AVR3800 for DD and DTS. I use the analog outs for DVD-A and SACD. Does the firmware do anything for the VIDEO end of things? I don't own Raging Bull, so I don't care about that either. I've never had one hiccup with a dvd since I bought the machine.
Even though my receiver is getting older, it still works and sounds great. I know sooner or later I'll get a new one, but not in the forseeable near future.

Leave well enough alone?

Thanks to all that are trying to help me out.

I find it a bit disgusting to get a stupid reply like I did yesterday from Denon. The instructions very clearly state "burn the discs THIS way, or the upgrade will fail". Then yesterday the email says "No, just burn discs any old way, as long as they are data discs". How can they be so cheap and uncooperative in not just mailing me the discs?

Not to sound like a Denon fan boy but this DVD player is 4 years old, which is a relic in the electronic world. There are probably some discs in a file cabinet in a basement somewhere, along with the customer service answer sheet that was published with the discs, but know one at the factory wants to draw straws to see who gets to schlep down there to try and find a set to mail to you. :D

I guess you're right, John. I didn't think of it that way.

Just because it still works really well, has great PQ and sounds wonderful, it's old. Time to replace it. :D

I think I make just disengage this whole train of thought and wait for the Panny to get here. Hook it up as is and see what I have then.

I guess you're right, John. I didn't think of it that way.

Just because it still works really well, has great PQ and sounds wonderful, it's old. Time to replace it. :D

I think I make just disengage this whole train of thought and wait for the Panny to get here. Hook it up as is and see what I have then.

Steve, did you try the upgrade process as suggested above?

My Denon receiver (AVR3800) does not have hdmi OR Denon Link. As soon as I get my new Panny 58" 850u (any day now), the only thing I want to do is feed the VIDEO to the tv via hdmi so I can use the upconverting capability of the 3910 (FINALLY, after 3 years!).

Should I even care about the firmware update? I feed the digital via coax from the 3910 to the AVR3800 for DD and DTS. I use the analog outs for DVD-A and SACD. Does the firmware do anything for the VIDEO end of things?...

Leave well enough alone?

My recolletion is that the latest firmware only addresses Denon Link III and does not do anything for HDMI/picture quality or anything video. So if you continue to use the analog outs for DVD-A and SACD and you like the way it sounds, then I see no reason to worry about anything.

Thank you. I appreciate that. From everything I could find about the update, it had to do with DVD-A over hdmi (I don't care) and SACD over Denon Link (my receiver doesn't have Denon Link.)

I will leave it alone. Found out today my Panny should be here Saturday. I should know soon how well it works the way it is.

ezervoud,

No I never tried. I was looking today and found that I actually downloaded the update from Denon nearly TWO YEARS ago! But as I said, number 1 it didn't seem to update anything I NEEDED. And second, I couldn't burn the disc properly. The pdf in the download file is very specific. Words are "if you don't do this, IT WILL FAIL." So I figured not worth the risk.

I can understand Denon not being overly excited about me asking for discs for a 4 year old machine. What I can't understand is how they could be irresponsible and give out info contrary to what came with the download.

On the other hand, I'll bet anyone a dollar that if I needed a $200 replacement laser for the 3910, they'd find one REAL QUICK.

Thanks to all that responded.

I probably should have related this effort to many PC upgrades I have done and then had to UNDO over the years. Sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it still makes sense.

When the instructions say if you don't do this it will fail, it meant that the upgrade will fail not your player. If I recall correctly you said that you had some HDMI locking issues?
I had handshake issues between my 3910 and my HD LCD. The upgrade fixed it, even though there was no specific mention about handshake issues

I haven't used my 3910 for awhile (~6 months). Yesterday, I watched a few hours of a DVD. It worked great. Then I started listening to SACD (multichannel). I started hearing pauses in the songs. I started to watch the display and saw that the time readout was either skipping or stopping.

I cleaned the disk and tried again. The same problem. I tried a few other discs with similar results. I popped in a regular CD and had no more problems. This morning I popped in a few DVDs and had display problems. Red streaks become prominant in the picture, pixel blocking etc. The problem is also seen on the Denon splash screen as well (red tinges/outlines) on what should be a normal blue screen.

The problem occurs via DVI and Component cables. The same cables do NOT reproduce the problem with my Toshiba Xa1. This rules out the cables and the projector leaving the problem with the Denon unit. I purchased a cleaning disk and it did not solve the picture problems or the SACD problems.

Any ideas? I'm guessing maybe the laser/assembly is going bad? How do I get this diagnosed and fixed as quickly as possible? Or is this a more expensive and extensive problem than I think? I'm really not looking to buy a new premier player after just 4 years. Any advice/help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everybody, I have the Denon 3910 & have been using it for music - SACD/DVD-A/CD's & just lately it is starting to not read the disks sometimes. Just comes up with 0's on the display. Is it just an easy fix with a cd cleaner thing or does it have to be sent it to be repaired?

Thanks

Hi everybody, I have the Denon 3910 & have been using it for music - SACD/DVD-A/CD's & just lately it is starting to not read the disks sometimes. Just comes up with 0's on the display. Is it just an easy fix with a cd cleaner thing or does it have to be sent it to be repaired?

Thanks

Seems like the cheapest option is a CD lens cleaner, and if that doesn't work you have to get it repaired.

Thanks Pbarach, I'll have to look for my lens cleaner tomorrow & give it a shot.

Seems like the cheapest option is a CD lens cleaner, and if that doesn't work you have to get it repaired.

is there a recommended type of lens cleaner? the ones i've seen from memorex or whatever i'd be hesitant to put in my player, unless you guys have tried it.

sorry for reviving this thread, but I did some reconfiguring in my setup (new Pre/Pro), and I just happened to try a DVD (connected HDMI to pre/pro), and I cannot get the 3910 to bitstream the DD or DTS tracks to the Pre/pro via HDMI.....it shows up as Multi-channel only!

is this the case? Cannot be! Surely the 3910 can bitstream regular ol' DD and DTS on HDMI, no?

I've made sure the menu is in HDMI (multi) and Video mode

sorry for reviving this thread, but I did some reconfiguring in my setup (new Pre/Pro), and I just happened to try a DVD (connected HDMI to pre/pro), and I cannot get the 3910 to bitstream the DD or DTS tracks to the Pre/pro via HDMI.....it shows up as Multi-channel only!

is this the case? Cannot be! Surely the 3910 can bitstream regular ol' DD and DTS on HDMI, no?

I've made sure the menu is in HDMI (multi) and Video mode

I could be wrong but here is my two cents
I believe you should connect the 3910 to your pre/pro through Denon link to get what you are looking for. If your pre/pro doesn't support the propriatary DLINK it you may want to try the IEEE 1394 connection which is a standard

I could be wrong but here is my two cents
I believe you should connect the 3910 to your pre/pro through Denon link to get what you are looking for. If your pre/pro doesn't support the propriatary DLINK it you may want to try the IEEE 1394 connection which is a standard
after searching some more, looks like indeed the 3910 cannot bitstream DD or DTS via hdmi! christ, that is sad!:mad:

oh well, I just hooked up digiCoax and is fine now, but having the extra wire is just redundant.

ps- no, I dont have a Denon AVP so Dlink is no good for me, and the Onkyo 886 does not have 1394. Digicoax is fine for now. the Denon BDCI3800 will be the main video player, while the 3910 will be doing audio duties (SACD/DVD/CD)

after searching some more, looks like indeed the 3910 cannot bitstream DD or DTS via hdmi! christ, that is sad!:mad:

oh well, I just hooked up digiCoax and is fine now, but having the extra wire is just redundant.

ps- no, I dont have a Denon AVP so Dlink is no good for me, and the Onkyo 886 does not have 1394. Digicoax is fine for now. the Denon BDCI3800 will be the main video player, while the 3910 will be doing audio duties (SACD/DVD/CD)Not via digital coax, it won't. You need to use Dlink, Ilink or analog for those formats.

Not via digital coax, it won't. You need to use Dlink, Ilink or analog for those formats.
huh? . I'm using digicoax, and have been for the past 4 years I've had the 3910, and Dolby Digital and DTS have been working flawlessly on the 3910.

are you referring to something else?

ps- yes, for SACD/DVDA I am using analog, if that's what you were referring to.

huh? . I'm using digicoax, and have been for the past 4 years I've had the 3910, and Dolby Digital and DTS have been working flawlessly on the 3910.

are you referring to something else?

ps- yes, for SACD/DVDA I am using analog, if that's what you were referring to.Exactly. How else does one interpret the following sentence? "Digicoax is fine for now. the Denon BDCI3800 will be the main video player, while the 3910 will be doing audio duties (SACD/DVD/CD)" ;)

Exactly. How else does one interpret the following sentence? "Digicoax is fine for now. the Denon BDCI3800 will be the main video player, while the 3910 will be doing audio duties (SACD/DVD/CD)" ;)

ah, I see the your confusion...i should have been more clear;)

I was referencing the original post, which was "no DD or DTS bitstreaming over HDMI on the 3910"

after searching some more, looks like indeed the 3910 cannot bitstream DD or DTS via hdmi! christ, that is sad!:mad:

oh well, I just hooked up digiCoax and is fine now, but having the extra wire is just redundant.

ps- no, I dont have a Denon AVP so Dlink is no good for me, and the Onkyo 886 does not have 1394. Digicoax is fine for now. the Denon BDCI3800 will be the main video player, while the 3910 will be doing audio duties (SACD/DVD/CD)

I own the 3910. It is indeed capable of bitstreaming DD or DTS via HDMI. Look at the manual, page 19.

Setup->
DIGITAL INTERFACE SETUP->
HDMI AUDIO SETUP->
MULTI(NORMAL)

24bit 96K DVD-V playback
I have the new Neil Young CD/DVD-V release Live from Canturbury. It will not playback higher than 48K. Even when I use the 2 channel analog out's, my Sony AV menu option for source indicates I pushing the 48K signal.
Is my AV reciever the reason I cannot access the 96K signal ?
Is the Denon 3910 the reason - copy protection compliance ?

I have tried a myriad of menu combinations on both the 3910 and the Sony DA3000ES, but none have led to 96K being displayed as source output.

If the answer is copy protection related, is there a tweak to defeat the CP ?

I have several DVD-A's that push 96K or even 192K via the multi-channel analog feed. But do not know if selecting this choice gets the 96K source from the DVD-V because when the Sony is in the Multi-channel selection, the menu for Source does not display bits or sample rate.

I have searched this forum for this topic, your patience if directing me to the specific thread would be more appreciated than I can express.

Thank you

I've had so many e mails on this in the last few years, which I could not reply to because I could not find the file but here it is finally!
Enjoy! :)

I found a remote hack that bypasses the need for a firmware change. It works perfectly and can be undone by repeating the steps (I don't know if I'll need to switch back to play the new safety encoded discs). Here it is

To make the Denon DVD-2910, 3910 and A1XV play DVDs from all regions:

1. Ensure there is no disc in the player.
2. Power off using the front panel On/Off button (not standby).
3. Press and hold Open/Close, Play and Skip Reverse (I<<).
4. Keep the above buttons held and Power-up the player using the On/Off button, holding the above buttons until the player's name disappears from the front panel.
5. Wait until the player finishes LOADING and the front panel of the player shows 0:00:00.
6. On the remote handset, press in sequence; 7 3 1 9 4 6 2 8
7. The unit should enter standby mode. On the front panel of the player, press the Standby button to turn the player back on.
8. To confirm the update, press on the front panel Stop and Skip Forward (>>I). The front panel should briefly display “Region_A2”. If not, then repeat the process 1-7 above.

This hack needs no firmware upgrade

What settings do you use on the 3910 to output a DSD signal from an SACD without having it converted to PCM? My 3910 is connected to a Denon 3805, so I can use DenonLink 3, optical or digital coax connection (no Firewire).

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that if I am outputting a DSD signal, I can't use the 3910's bass management features, right?

What settings do you use on the 3910 to output a DSD signal from an SACD without having it converted to PCM? My 3910 is connected to a Denon 3805, so I can use DenonLink 3, optical or digital coax connection (no Firewire).

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that if I am outputting a DSD signal, I can't use the 3910's bass management features, right?

Connect the 3910 to the 3805 using the supplied DENON LINK cable.

On the 3910:

MENU->DIGITAL INTERFACE SETUP->DENON LINK->3rd

If the "3rd" menu item is not present, you will need to download from Denon the latest 3910 FW and apply the FW update to the 3910.

You will also need to configure the 3805 to use DENON LINK for the input assigned to the 3910.

Connect the 3910 to the 3805 using the supplied DENON LINK cable.

On the 3910:

MENU->DIGITAL INTERFACE SETUP->DENON LINK->3rd

If the "3rd" menu item is not present, you will need to download from Denon the latest 3910 FW and apply the FW update to the 3910.

You will also need to configure the 3805 to use DENON LINK for the input assigned to the 3910.

I have all of this set up as you have described. So what's different about this setup than about using SOURCE DIRECT (which I really don't understand) on the 3910?

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum, and hope someone here can help with ideas why my Denon DVD 3910 is misreading CDs. When placing a CD into the tray, it will not recognize the CD and thinks its a DVD registering 00h 00m 00s. It does not do this with DVD-A or SACD discs. Further, the problem is less prevalent when the DVD player warms up. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. The player was manufactured in March 2006, and works well except for this glitch. Thank you in advance for any thoughts you may have on a cause.

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum, and hope someone here can help with ideas why my Denon DVD 3910 is misreading CDs. When placing a CD into the tray, it will not recognize the CD and thinks its a DVD registering 00h 00m 00s. It does not do this with DVD-A or SACD discs. Further, the problem is less prevalent when the DVD player warms up. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. The player was manufactured in March 2006, and works well except for this glitch. Thank you in advance for any thoughts you may have on a cause.

I'm not a technician, but my guess would be that the machine needs repair to its laser assembly; if that's what is wrong with it, the repair isn't cheap.

thanks pbarach, that seems to be the common thought from the threads I've read without the added factor of the warm up thrown in. Luckily, I have about two months of manufacturers warranty left, and can get the problem fixed. I hope these newer players dont go out on a routine basis like that after such a short period of time or this might be my last Denon CD player. I had a Denon DCD-2560 (circa early 1990s CD player) for 15 years and it never failed me. Thank you again for your help.

I have all of this set up as you have described. So what's different about this setup than about using SOURCE DIRECT (which I really don't understand) on the 3910?

DL3 is a method by which multi-channel digital DSD & DVD-A bitstreams and LPCM are transmitted from the 3910 to a compatible receiver using the Denon Link cable. This is a high-bandwidth low-jitter connection which will yield the ultimate audio quality.

SOURCE DIRECT is a 3910 setting which permits it to output the audio without adding speaker settings or channel level processing to the audio signals of DVD-Audio or SACD. Using Denon Link disables SOURCE DIRECT. This is because when you use Denon Link, your receiver manages all of your speaker settings (i.e., delays, levels, bass management). That's the nice thing about Denon Link, you don't have to redundantly make your speaker settings in both your receiver and your DVD player. See the manual for further detail.

thanks pbarach, that seems to be the common thought from the threads I've read without the added factor of the warm up thrown in. Luckily, I have about two months of manufacturers warranty left, and can get the problem fixed. I hope these newer players dont go out on a routine basis like that after such a short period of time or this might be my last Denon CD player. I had a Denon DCD-2560 (circa early 1990s CD player) for 15 years and it never failed me. Thank you again for your help.

Well I hope your experience with this Denon model is more pleasant than mine. After 10 months of initial use I had to have the laser assembly replaced because of CD's not loading and giving the dreaded 00 00 00 upon disc insertion. Well that was repaired under warranty, and now another 10 months later I am getting the same thing. What a POS. I will NEVER buy a supposed high end piece of equipment from Denon again. I say high end because this laser assembly is the same that they used in the 5910 model.

Well I hope your experience with this Denon model is more pleasant than mine.

I've had zero trouble with it in 3 years, and in fact it does a better job with scratched-up DVD's and CD's from the library than the other 3 DVD and CD players I have in the house (Early-model Toshiba DVD player, Sony SACD/DVD cheapie, Marantz CD67SE). Sorry you got a Denonish lemon...

I've had zero trouble with it in 3 years, and in fact it does a better job with scratched-up DVD's and CD's from the library than the other 3 DVD and CD players I have in the house (Early-model Toshiba DVD player, Sony SACD/DVD cheapie, Marantz CD67SE). Sorry you got a Denonish lemon...

+1. No problems.

I've had zero trouble with it in 3 years, and in fact it does a better job with scratched-up DVD's and CD's from the library than the other 3 DVD and CD players I have in the house (Early-model Toshiba DVD player, Sony SACD/DVD cheapie, Marantz CD67SE). Sorry you got a Denonish lemon...

ditto. my only problem is remembering the settings for dvd, sacd, and dvd-a. other than that trouble free operation from day one.

My hope is that the repair will take, and I'm able to use the player for years to come. It certainly does a good job with SACDs and DVD-As. I may purchase Emotiva's upcoming ERC-1, which is a being released later this spring. It is advertised as a 24 bit - 384 khz upsampling player for redbook CDs (no SACD/DVDs).

Luckily, when I bought my player from 6th Avenue Electronics, I bought a 4 year MACK repair warranty for my Denon DVD-3910 - so if it fails again after the manufactuer's warranty is up, MACK will be on the hook to fix it again. They made tons of these players, so hopefully the failure rate is low even considering the number of reported failures. Has anyone by chance had experience with mack-camera warranties. Thank you.

My hope is that the repair will take, and I'm able to use the player for years to come. It certainly does a good job with SACDs and DVD-As. I may purchase Emotiva's upcoming ERC-1, which is a being released later this spring. It is advertised as a 24 bit - 384 khz upsampling player for redbook CDs (no SACD/DVDs).

Luckily, when I bought my player from 6th Avenue Electronics, I bought a 4 year MACK repair warranty for my Denon DVD-3910 - so if it fails again after the manufactuer's warranty is up, MACK will be on the hook to fix it again. They made tons of these players, so hopefully the failure rate is low even considering the number of reported failures. Has anyone by chance had experience with mack-camera warranties. Thank you.

Hope it does work out for u and it will be a quick fix. It is a great player even if it is getting a little dated.

I received my player back today from the repair center and it was the traverse unit, cable, and loading sub assembly which has been discussed on the page previously.

I received my player back today from the repair center and it was the traverse unit, cable, and loading sub assembly which has been discussed on the page previously.

Yep same problem with mine. JUNK.I wish I could say it has been a isolated problem.

Perch, I hope I don't have a second failure like you have had. That really sucks. Does your player show any improvement if you warm it up for a half hour or so.

That aftermarket warranty may come in handy after all.

I own the 3910. It is indeed capable of bitstreaming DD or DTS via HDMI. Look at the manual, page 19.

Setup->
DIGITAL INTERFACE SETUP->
HDMI AUDIO SETUP->
MULTI(NORMAL)

Even if I set this, my 3910 will still output PCM over HDMI to my receiver. In fact, MULTI(NORMAL) and MULTI(LPCM) seem to do exactly the same thing in my setup.

Are there any other settings that need to be changed?

For those that have had the tranverse fail, did anybody try to open the case and clean the optics? I am on my second tranverse and really dont want to send it back for Denon repair, but really dont want to purchase anything new just yet. I love the audio capabilities of this player when it works. It does not load ANY redbook CD. Plays DVD fine. If anybody has had success with a good cleaning, what did you use?

ditto. my only problem is remembering the settings for dvd, sacd, and dvd-a. other than that trouble free operation from day one.
Which settings do you mean? I guess I've gone the easy way by using Denon Link III for everything. The only settings that need to be changed for audio are stereo SACD versus multichannel SACD. But boy am I sick of going through the menus to switch back and forth from 16:9 to "squeeze mode"!

Anyone know of a way to get the OSD off like the "Play" that comes up?

Thanks

Which settings do you mean? I guess I've gone the easy way by using Denon Link III for everything. The only settings that need to be changed for audio are stereo SACD versus multichannel SACD. But boy am I sick of going through the menus to switch back and forth from 16:9 to "squeeze mode"!

I'm having problems playing my multi channel SACDs, the stereo SACDs play fine. I haven't fooled around with it in awhile but I think I need to change the setting in the etc. menu from video to audio or vice versa. The 3910 will show it is outputting 5.1 but the 4806 say's it's not receiving a signal at all. Only happens on 5.1 SACDs, DVDs and DVD audio disc play fine.

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know if the 3910 can transmit SACD over HDMI?

I used denon link before for everything but recently changed my AVR to HK354 and cant get SACD to work except by analogue. Im guessing it dont work over HDMI.

Regards,

Easy.

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know if the 3910 can transmit SACD over HDMI?

I used denon link before for everything but recently changed my AVR to HK354 and cant get SACD to work except by analogue. Im guessing it dont work over HDMI.

Regards,

Easy.

Easy, you can get SACD over DL3 not HDMI

Easy, you can get SACD over DL3 not HDMI

Hi,

Yes Im aware that SACD is ok over DL3, as I said before but why not HDMI?

easy.

It is not supported by DENON, period :-). I am not sure if it is not technically feasible since it supports version 1.1 of HDMI or just because they don't want to implement it over HDMI

Roger that, back to good old analogue then!

Easy.

Roger that, back to good old analogue then!

Easy. The 3910 has an excellent DAC, so "going back to analog" may be a good thing in many systems.

What I despise the most is that you get hooked to one manufacturer.
I want to change my old Denon AVR to a newer Onkyo but DL kind of holds me back

What I despise the most is that you get hooked to one manufacturer.
I want to change my old Denon AVR to a newer Onkyo but DL kind of holds me back

I don't know what Denon AVR you have, but I have a 3805 and I find that the DAC's in my 3910 are better--so I stopped using DL3 and now use only analog, so the 3910 DACs do the conversion.

I don't know what Denon AVR you have, but I have a 3805 and I find that the DAC's in my 3910 are better--so I stopped using DL3 and now use only analog, so the 3910 DACs do the conversion.

I have this same combination, but I'm thinking about adding a BD player to the mix. If so, I would choose a model that decodes all of the newer lossless audio formats and use the 7.1 analog connections with the 3805. I would then keep the 3805 to just play SACD's and DVD-A's using DL3. Has anyone here done likewise and if so which BD player did you choose and why? I would be looking for a BD player with good bass management flexibility because my listening room is not ideal.

So I sent my 3910 to United Radio to be fixed. I was having weird video noise, stoppage of SACD halfway through. You can see my earlier post a few pages back. They replaced the laser assembly. I got it back and it would not recognize DVD's until warming up and then sometimes still not recognizing them (00:00:00) on the display with no disc type identified. It happened with CD, SACD, DVD-A as well. I sent it back as my warrantly from JUST getting fixed covered it.

I got a call today that they cannot reproduce the problem, so they may just replace the laser assembly again to be safe? Any thoughts, ideas, other things it could be?

Thanks!

And to the post above me. I use the analog ins for my HD DVD player (also have the 3805 AVR) and use the DL for my 3910. Works great for me. If I ever do get a BD player I'll just continue to use the analog ins with the hi-def players.

I'm ashamed to ask such a simple question but I can't find the volume control for the 3910 I just picked up. Where's the volume control?

I'm ashamed to ask such a simple question but I can't find the volume control for the 3910 I just picked up. Where's the volume control?What volume control?

Exactly. I hook my analog outs to my power amps and think "that's loud". Where is the volume control for the analog outs? I got this for the analog outs. How the hell do people use the analog outs if there isn't any volume control? If I have to hook this up to my receiver, that completely, totally and utterly defeats the purpose of quality analog outs!

Exactly. I hook my analog outs to my power amps and think "that's loud". Where is the volume control for the analog outs? I got this for the analog outs. How the hell do people use the analog outs if there isn't any volume control? If I have to hook this up to my receiver, that completely, totally and utterly defeats the purpose of quality analog outs!

No, it doesn't. The receiver amplifies the analog signal in order to power your speakers, whether the 3910's output gets converted to analog inside the player or goes digitally to the receiver and gets decoded there. The analog outs have two purposes: (1) They let you use the 3910's DAC's, which are better than those in many receivers; and (2) the 5-channel analog outs let you playback DVD-A and SACD's if you don't have a Denon receiver with DenonLink.

So the volume control you're looking for is on your receiver, integrated amp, or preamp. You can't connect the 3910 directly to a power amp because IT'S TOO LOUD.

Exactly. I hook my analog outs to my power amps and think "that's loud". Where is the volume control for the analog outs? Not expected. The analog outputs are intended to feed the analog inputs of a preamp, prepro or AVR..........or a passive VC.

I got this for the analog outs. With misplaced expectations.

How the hell do people use the analog outs if there isn't any volume control?See above.

If I have to hook this up to my receiver, that completely, totally and utterly defeats the purpose of quality analog outs!No, that is not their purpose.

Thanks all for the quick replies.
I can't believe ANYONE would make a player w/o volume controls or anyone would allow them to. I read a ton of stuff about this player before purchase and never gave any thought to the lack of discussion regarding volume control because I thought this was a given on every player ever made. I could have just gotten the cheapest player with denon link if I wanted to go through a cheap ass receiver volume control. My Panasonic DVD player from 8 years ago has volume control.

Thanks all for the quick replies.
I can't believe ANYONE would make a player w/o volume controls or anyone would allow them to. I read a ton of stuff about this player before purchase and never gave any thought to the lack of discussion regarding volume control because I thought this was a given on every player ever made. I could have just gotten the cheapest player with denon link if I wanted to go through a cheap ass receiver volume control. My Panasonic DVD player from 8 years ago has volume control.

You may want to go back to the drawing board and research high end audio all over again. I think you are way out in left field with your expectations and knowledge of DVD players

Thanks all for the quick replies.
I can't believe ANYONE would make a player w/o volume controls or anyone would allow them to. I read a ton of stuff about this player before purchase and never gave any thought to the lack of discussion regarding volume control because I thought this was a given on every player ever made. I could have just gotten the cheapest player with denon link if I wanted to go through a cheap ass receiver volume control. You'd rather send it through a cheap ass volume control in a CD player? Clean and quiet volume controls cost real money regardless of the component in which they are installed.

EDIT: Typically, the volume controls in players are simple digital attenuators which sacrifice resolution for attenuation. Typically, that is inferior to the simple analog potentiometer in preamps or the IC equivalent in most AVRs.

Why would somebody buy this relatively expensive player without a clue as to its advantages over machines you can get for $80?

This is very odd, and I can't figure out if something on my 3910 is broken or if there is a setting I have somehow changed. When I use either the coax or DL3 output from this player into my Denon 3805 receiver, I'm getting normal sound from all channels. In the receiver, the sub is set to ON and the crossover is 80 Hz.

I also get normal sound from all five channels when I use the 5.1 analog outputs--but only when DL3 is turned off in the 3910. When DL3 is turned on, EVEN THOUGH I am using the analog connections, nothing comes out of the subwoofer analog connection.

FYI, the speaker settings on the 3910 for analog have the SW as ON, the crossover as 80 Hz, Bass Enhancer as ON, and the +10dB subwoofer setting as ON.

Any suggestions? I did try a couple of different interconnects for the subwoofer on the off-chance that one of them was faulty, but this was not the problem.

Does anybody know if denon 3910 upscales vob files?
Thanks.

Denon customer service responded that the situation I described is normal functioning.

It's been quite a while since my last post in the thread, but I've encountered a strange thing with my 3910. Quite frequently, when I put in a CD (which is all we use the 3910 for), there is a loud rattling sound as it loads the disc. Sometimes it will successfully load the disc and at other times I'll get the 00h 00m 00s readout. Also, I frequently get the 00h 00m 00s readout after trying to load discs. I reload them a couple of times and usually the 3910 will pick them up, but sometimes it's a bust. I've tried cleaning the lens and blowing out the drawer, but haven't had a lot of luck maintaining a good streak...

Jason

It's been quite a while since my last post in the thread, but I've encountered a strange thing with my 3910. Quite frequently, when I put in a CD (which is all we use the 3910 for), there is a loud rattling sound as it loads the disc. Sometimes it will successfully load the disc and at other times I'll get the 00h 00m 00s readout. Also, I frequently get the 00h 00m 00s readout after trying to load discs. I reload them a couple of times and usually the 3910 will pick them up, but sometimes it's a bust. I've tried cleaning the lens and blowing out the drawer, but haven't had a lot of luck maintaining a good streak...

Jason

Sounds like you are a victim of the dreaded transverse unit failure. This is a $300 repair. The tranverse unit is the laser assy basically. This failure is not strange at all unfortunately. Many owners of the 29/39/5910 and 2930/3930 players have experiened this. Twice for me. Each time I had it repaired the new transverse unit lasted about 1 year.

Sounds like you are a victim of the dreaded transverse unit failure. This is a $300 repair. The tranverse unit is the laser assy basically. This failure is not strange at all unfortunately. Many owners of the 29/39/5910 and 2930/3930 players have experiened this. Twice for me. Each time I had it repaired the new transverse unit lasted about 1 year.

Well... Assuming the user have the tranverse unit failure, what would be the best thing to do? Getting the player to repair and paying the 300$ at the risk of encounting the same failure in a short time OR get rid of this player and getting something like an Oppo player?
Does the user will have some sort of ''downgrade'' about audio/video quality switching from the Denon to the Oppo?

Well... Assuming the user have the tranverse unit failure, what would be the best thing to do? Getting the player to repair and paying the 300$ at the risk of encounting the same failure in a short time OR get rid of this player and getting something like an Oppo player?
Does the user will have some sort of ''downgrade'' about audio/video quality switching from the Denon to the Oppo?

i think the the oppo 83 is a slight downgrade audio wise from the 3910 with the analog outputs, but dvd performance is a slightly bigger upgrade (but not huge) from the 3910. plus it's a fantastic blu ray player, it's not 5 years old, and oppo provides better support.

it was an easy decision for me to switch.

It's been quite a while since my last post in the thread, but I've encountered a strange thing with my 3910. Quite frequently, when I put in a CD (which is all we use the 3910 for), there is a loud rattling sound as it loads the disc. Sometimes it will successfully load the disc and at other times I'll get the 00h 00m 00s readout. Also, I frequently get the 00h 00m 00s readout after trying to load discs. I reload them a couple of times and usually the 3910 will pick them up, but sometimes it's a bust. I've tried cleaning the lens and blowing out the drawer, but haven't had a lot of luck maintaining a good streak...

Jason
I have had my DVD-3910 for almost 5 years and use it usually 3 to 5 hours on most days listening to Multichannel music and every once in a while will play a CD on it; however 3 months ago I started to have the same problem on playing CDs (sometimes), but it doesn't do it on any other material and not on every cd.

I keep anticipating that it will eventually go out and I have become accustomed to using DenonLink to my AVR-4806, which converts multichannel music to 7.1 nicely. :D

I am contemplating buying one of those Oppo BD-83 players however there are a number of people reporting problems with multichannel music and I am tempted to buy either a B-stock DVD-3910 (or possibly a DVD-3930 if it comes down another couple hundred) and a separate player for Blu Ray.

Are there any other Multichannel music folks that are experience the same dilemma?

I have had my DVD-3910 for almost 5 years and use it usually 3 to 5 hours on most days listening to Multichannel music and every once in a while will play a CD on it; however 3 months ago I started to have the same problem on playing CDs (sometimes), but it doesn't do it on any other material and not on every cd.

I keep anticipating that it will eventually go out and I have become accustomed to using DenonLink to my AVR-4806, which converts multichannel music to 7.1 nicely. :D

I am contemplating buying one of those Oppo BD-83 players however there are a number of people reporting problems with multichannel music and I am tempted to buy either a B-stock DVD-3910 (or possibly a DVD-3930 if it comes down another couple hundred) and a separate player for Blu Ray.

Are there any other Multichannel music folks that are experience the same dilemma?

I've also had my 3910 for 5-6 years and have used it mostly to watch DVD concerts and listen to DVD-A's and SACD's. It has not had nearly the playing time as yours and I've never had a problem with it. After adding a cheaper BD player to our bedroom last year I just connected an Oppo BDP-83 to our main system the other day. Have watched two blu-ray movies so far and have experimented a little bit, including doing some calibrating of the EXT-IN channel levels using a sound meter. My impressions so far:

1. The Oppo is excellent as far as video is concerned, including upscaling regular DVD's.

2. The multichannel sound using the 7.1 analog EXT-IN sounds very good, but in my less-than-ideal listening room it definitely lags behind the 3910 using D-Link which allows for room and EQ correction. However the same would apply when I listened to the 3910 using EXT-IN. It just makes a big difference in my particular room, which I confirmed when running some audio tests (frequency sweeps) on a set-up disk yesterday - there are some frequency issues that the processing in the receiver helps correct if D-Link is used that cannot be addressed using EXT-IN. That said, the lossless audio tracks on BD movies do sound great.

3. For now I plan to keep both players in the system, and will use the 3910 for just critical audio listening, including CD's, DVD-Audio and SACD's. I figure this will help extend its life and hopefully I'll be able to avoid the issues that others here have experienced after many hours of use <knock on wood>

4. Next purchase will be a new receiver to replace my 3805 so I'll be able to use HDMI audio and EQ processing with the Oppo. I will not need lots of power as I use a separate 3 channel amp for the front speakers and so will mainly be looking at the latest mid-priced Denon's that have very capable processing and room adjustments.

How does the Oppo compare to the 3910 when you use analog (EXT IN) connections for both?

How does the Oppo compare to the 3910 when you use analog (EXT IN) connections for both?

When setting up the Oppo I immediately disconnected the analog connections on the 3910, and therefore did not do an A-B (D-O) comparison. However this afternoon (when my wife was out of the house!) I did have a chance to play a DVD-A disk very loud on the Oppo using EXT-IN and it sounded superb - very powerful with a great soundstage. This was after I carefully balanced all of the EXT-IN channel levels yesterday using an analog Radio Shack sound meter.

I then played the same track on the Denon using D-Link. I actually had to turn it up a couple of notches to play at the same volume, probably because when setting up the Oppo I needed to add several db's to my front speakers to balance them with the center and surrounds. But to my ears the Denon sounded better balanced throughout the frequency range, with better extension in the upper frequencies. It also provided the benefit of being able to hear the rear surrounds (7.1 system) which you don't get using EXT-IN, for just about everything, including movies.

I realize, however, that this better frequency balance is probably purely a function of the room eq adjustments made in the receiver, which in my room make a big difference for a critical ear. Honestly, when I used the Denon playing through the EXT-IN's, I probably would be hard pressed to tell the difference, but again this was not an A-B comparision, more just from memory as I almost always used D-Link before getting the Oppo.

Your results would probably be very different if you had more of a perfect listening room. Same could be said if your room was less than ideal while using a receiver with HDMI/lossless decoding capability where room eq could be properly adjusted. If that's the case, I doubt you would be giving up much by substituting the Oppo for the 3910. At least for now, until I buy a new receiver, I plan to keep my 3910.

[quote=J I did have a chance to play a DVD-A disk very loud on the Oppo using EXT-IN and it sounded superb - very powerful with a great soundstage. This was after I carefully balanced all of the EXT-IN channel levels yesterday using an analog Radio Shack sound meter.

I then played the same track on the Denon using D-Link. I actually had to turn it up a couple of notches to play at the same volume[/quote]

I have found with my 3910 that there is an overall volume difference of several decibels in the level of the EXT IN signal than through D-Link or the other digital audio connections to my 3805. This difference was measurable using the Radio Shack meter, and it was there even when the AutoEQ feature (affecting only the digital inputs, of course) was turned off...

I have had my DVD-3910 for almost 5 years and use it usually 3 to 5 hours on most days listening to Multichannel music and every once in a while will play a CD on it; however 3 months ago I started to have the same problem on playing CDs (sometimes), but it doesn't do it on any other material and not on every cd.

I keep anticipating that it will eventually go out and I have become accustomed to using DenonLink to my AVR-4806, which converts multichannel music to 7.1 nicely. :D

I am contemplating buying one of those Oppo BD-83 players however there are a number of people reporting problems with multichannel music and I am tempted to buy either a B-stock DVD-3910 (or possibly a DVD-3930 if it comes down another couple hundred) and a separate player for Blu Ray.

Are there any other Multichannel music folks that are experience the same dilemma?

I've had my 3910 for about 4 or 5 years, and have suffered for at least 3 years with disc playing issues. For me, it's DVDs that sometimes won't play and get stuck on 0:00:00. Also, multichannel SACD's will skip when playing at around 1 hour into them, when the player is warm.

The DVD issue doesn't bother me so much, since stopping and pressing play again usually works. But the SACD problem is annoying.

I believe I actually fixed both problems for a while, once. I opened the player up, and removed the enclosure covering the laser assembly. I noticed that when the disk tray closes, a round weighted "clamp" comes down onto the disc, holding it in place. That thing can move around a bit, and doesn't always clamp down in the center. If it's way off, it causes the dreaded v-i-b-r-a-t-i-o-n that the Denon 3910's are known for. If I positioned it so that it came right down in the center, the SACD issue went away. I closed it up, and it seemed to fix things for a while, but the problems eventually came back. I may open it up and try again, and see if I can make the problem go away again for awhile.

I've had my 3910 for about 4 or 5 years, and have suffered for at least 3 years with disc playing issues. For me, it's DVDs that sometimes won't play and get stuck on 0:00:00. Also, multichannel SACD's will skip when playing at around 1 hour into them, when the player is warm.

The DVD issue doesn't bother me so much, since stopping and pressing play again usually works. But the SACD problem is annoying.

I believe I actually fixed both problems for a while, once. I opened the player up, and removed the enclosure covering the laser assembly. I noticed that when the disk tray closes, a round weighted "clamp" comes down onto the disc, holding it in place. That thing can move around a bit, and doesn't always clamp down in the center. If it's way off, it causes the dreaded v-i-b-r-a-t-i-o-n that the Denon 3910's are known for. If I positioned it so that it came right down in the center, the SACD issue went away. I closed it up, and it seemed to fix things for a while, but the problems eventually came back. I may open it up and try again, and see if I can make the problem go away again for awhile.

Interesting info.

I can't play SACDs on mine anymore but I think it is settings related bewteen the 3910 and my 4806. Everything else DVDs CDs and DVD-As all play with no problems. When I put a SACD in it is being read by the 3910 and shows all 5 channels but I get no input on the 4806 and no sound.

New to this...I have loaded ess8280-1 to my US 3910

Is this the latest version I can use????

I have done the region change and get a region-a1....I presume this is multi

I get sound only when I play UK dvd,s

I am contemplating buying one of those Oppo BD-83 players however there are a number of people reporting problems with multichannel music and I am tempted to buy either a B-stock DVD-3910 (or possibly a DVD-3930 if it comes down another couple hundred) and a separate player for Blu Ray.

Are there any other Multichannel music folks that are experience the same dilemma?

I was going to buy a new Denon Blu Ray and keep my DVD-3910. Then I heard about the Oppo BD-83 and bought that instead. The Oppo was so nice, and works with all my multi-channel DVDs, that I ditched the 3910. The Oppo is so fast, that I bought a second for my upstairs day to day rig. life it too short to be waiting for a DVD door to open. On both rigs I use the analog outs.

I was going to buy a new Denon Blu Ray and keep my DVD-3910. Then I heard about the Oppo BD-83 and bought that instead. The Oppo was so nice, and works with all my multi-channel DVDs, that I ditched the 3910. The Oppo is so fast, that I bought a second for my upstairs day to day rig. life it too short to be waiting for a DVD door to open. On both rigs I use the analog outs.

How do the analog outs compare? I have a 3910, too.

I was going to buy a new Denon Blu Ray and keep my DVD-3910. Then I heard about the Oppo BD-83 and bought that instead. The Oppo was so nice, and works with all my multi-channel DVDs, that I ditched the 3910. The Oppo is so fast, that I bought a second for my upstairs day to day rig. life it too short to be waiting for a DVD door to open. On both rigs I use the analog outs.

Thanks. I don't use this unit for CDs anymore and it still plays multichannel disks perfectly and I can use my Denon-Link to convert 5.1 to 7.1 (which I couldn't if I used the analog connection). I keep waiting for the DVD-3910 to breakdown, but it's not doing it. :D

How do the analog outs compare? I have a 3910, too.

I think the Oppo is just as good, if not better, and has more control. With the 3910 my Pre-Pro had trouble getting a level on the sub high enough to turn the sub on when using the analog route with some discs. The Oppo handles that better. Before the Oppo, I was actually upgrading my pre-pro to something with HDMI support for the new formats, but there were other problems with that upgrade. Once I had the Oppo, the analog works well enough that I sent the new pre/pro back. For movies in DTS HD Master Audio, the analog is the same as the HDMI.

Thanks. I don't use this unit for CDs anymore and it still plays multichannel disks perfectly and I can use my Denon-Link to convert 5.1 to 7.1 (which I couldn't if I used the analog connection). I keep waiting for the DVD-3910 to breakdown, but it's not doing it. :D

I'm wondering, what happens with a true 5.1 SACD, like Dark Side of the Moon. With my pre/pro with 5.1 inputs (a B&K Reference 30, upgraded to a Reference 31), the pre-pro adds the rear channels (with matrixing I think). With the new pre-pro I tried out, but returned, with the 7.1 inputs connected to the 7.1 outputs of the Oppo, I got nothing on the rears. I figured it was because there wasn't a true 7.1 worth of music on the disc, but it seemed goofy.

I didn't think using the analog cable allowed anything but the separate discrete channels to come through unmolested/unchanged, whereas if it comes through one of the digital connections it goes through the AVR's (or in your case the pre-pro) processing and allows some manipulation (i.e., EQ and AVR's surround processing).
{EDIT: meaning, if the disk is 5.1 as the one you mentioned, it won't add rear channels on SACD/DVD-A thorugh analog.}

This seems odd to just drop the rear channels. I'm glad the B&K adds these. I verified that is does.

I didn't think using the analog cable allowed anything but the separate discrete channels to come through unmolested/unchanged, whereas if it comes through one of the digital connections it goes through the AVR's (or in your case the pre-pro) processing and allows some manipulation (i.e., EQ and AVR's surround processing).
{EDIT: meaning, if the disk is 5.1 as the one you mentioned, it won't add rear channels on SACD/DVD-A thorugh analog.}

I have both the Oppo and the 3910 in my system. The Oppo is connected via analog 7.1 and the 3910 using Denon Link 3. I use the 3910 for SACD's and DVD-A's to get full use out of my rear speakers and also frequency and room eq. To my ears it sounds better than the Oppo which of course is the important factor when playing these disks.

For all movies I use the Oppo, which to my eyes has better upconversion than the 3910 and of course for blu-rays it's as good or better than any other BD player. I figure using both will extend the life of the 3910 which I will continue to use at least until I get a new AVR to replace my 3805, which I am in no rush to do (also use a separate 3 channel amp for the front speakers which really helps also).

If you are going digital to the receiver, that is the sound of the receiver more than the players. If you have a rig that works, then stick with it for sure.

I have both the Oppo and the 3910 in my system. The Oppo is connected via analog 7.1 and the 3910 using Denon Link 3. I use the 3910 for SACD's and DVD-A's to get full use out of my rear speakers and also frequency and room eq. To my ears it sounds better than the Oppo which of course is the important factor when playing these disks.

This might sound really stupid to you guys but I need help. I picked up 3910 a few months ago so far have only been using it as DVD player. I wanted to venture in SACD so I got one and played but I could not hear anything! I have the 3910 hooked up to a Denon 2809 via HDMI. I can see the player recognize the sacd and starts playing but I get NO sound..is there I setting that I need to change? DVD Audio plays fine...please help because I really want to untilize the player's potential!

This might sound really stupid to you guys but I need help. I picked up 3910 a few months ago so far have only been using it as DVD player. I wanted to venture in SACD so I got one and played but I could not hear anything! I have the 3910 hooked up to a Denon 2809 via HDMI. I can see the player recognize the sacd and starts playing but I get NO sound..is there I setting that I need to change? DVD Audio plays fine...please help because I really want to untilize the player's potential!

The 3910 does not play SACD over HDMI. DVD-A does, however, play over HDMI.

To get SACD out of the 3910 and into your receiver, you have to connect the 3910 to your receiver either with DenonLink III, with the 5.1 analog outputs, or with IEEE1394 (aka Firewire).

If you go with the DenonLink (which requires a cheap Ethernet cable), first you have to turn on DLIII in the 3910's setup screens. Then you go into the receiver's setup screens and assign DLIII as the digital audio input for your 3910. This kind of connection allows you to use the Auto Eq built into your receiver--Auto Eq is not used if you use the 5.1 analog connections. I have the 3910 connected to my receiver with both analog and DLIII, so I can compare. But you only need one of these.

I haven't used IEEE1394, so I won't comment on it.

If you bought an older 3910 that didn't come with DLIII and has only DLII (you'll see in the audio setup screens), there is a firmware upgrade on the Denon website that will upgrade the player to DLIII.

Thanks..pbarach I assume that any ethernet cable should work for Denon link?

Thanks..pbarach I assume that any ethernet cable should work for Denon link? Yes, any old Ethernet cable will work--or I think Denon will sell you one for $500<grin>. And there are some HILARIOUS fake reviews of this cable on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AKDL1-Dedicated-Link-Cable/dp/B000I1X6PM


I had a cheap Ethernet cable sitting around the house and it works fine.

LOL yes I have seen your posts about Denon link being a regular ethernet cable!

I was looking at my Denon 2809 and I did not see a conection for Denon Link. Is it possible that my AVR does not have Denon link? If that is the case how do i go about setting this up? Here is the link for 2809. Thanks for your help

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1057392

I was looking at my Denon 2809 and I did not see a conection for Denon Link. Is it possible that my AVR does not have Denon link? If that is the case how do i go about setting this up?

Denon's website says it does have a DLInk III connection:
http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/4484.asp (look at Specifications tab).

However, when I looked at a picture of the back of the unit, I didn't see a DLink input. If you don't have this input, you cannot use Dlink or add it to the 2809. You would have to use one of the digital connections to the 3910 (which allows you to use the room correction features on this input), or the analog connections (no Audyssey room correction, but it is the only way to play SACD and DVD through your receiver).

Has anyone repaired the "traverse unit" themselves on the 3910? After reading this thread - and not noticing any problems for years on my 3910, I tried some CDs and.. guess what: 00 00 00.

I really have no desire to ship this thing to New Jersey and back, nor do I want to get rid of it.

The laser head seems to be obtainable for $49 on ebay... but I've got my doubts...

pacparts.com has the transverse assembly here (9KA2A708) (including spindle and laser) for $126.61.

http://www.pacparts.com/model.cfm?mfg=DENON&model_id=DVD3910&back=0&action=list_part&CFID=3635968&CFTOKEN=41970390

TigerDirect Parts has it for $117

http://tigerdirect.partsearch.com/Part/Denon+Electronics/Denon/9KA2A708/New.aspx


Local service centers have quoted $500 to repair.

My worry of course is some kind of crazy service mode and alignment discs needed to do this. I usually feel a lot more comfortable doing this kind of thing myself, but, from what I've heard people here have had this unit fixed and had it go out shortly thereafter.

There is an alignment procedure, which "requires the remote" -- I guess I should be looking for the service manual, too -- which apparently is impossible to find, even if you're willing to pay for it.


... P.S.: If I can figure this out (and I've certainly done stuff like this before, like on my XA777ES) - I'd have no problem at all performing these repairs for other 3910 owners for cost-of-parts/shipping only; and sharing the procedure.

Okay, excellent news - this looks good - for anyone who may want to replace the traverse unit on their 3910 themselves.

I'll document this as much as I can, hopefully to a successful end:

I got a hold of the service manual; and it:

1) States the procedure to test for a failed traverse unit, using a simple multimeter, by measuring DVD voltage (div. 14 for mA) across two test points; and by measuring CD voltage (div. 12 for mA) across two test points. No special test CDs are needed.

Opening up my DVD-3910 today, I noticed, on the back of the DVD mechanism, two numbers: CD - 2.19 mA / DVD - 2.19 mA

There is a section in the service manual: "Judging for Traverse Unit Replacement":

"NO DISC indicated, etc. Check Iop according to the measuring method described in step 2 below. If the checked value is 1.5 times or more than the initial Iop indicaated on the rear of the mechanism unit, the traverse unit should be replaced."

There are two points on the DVD board: "DVD Laser Drive Measuring Point", "CD Laser Drive Measuring Point". -- "DVD Laser Drive current is calculated by Measured Voltage Value / 14; CD Laser Drive current is calculated by Measured Voltage Value / 12".

"Playback the title-1 of (test disc) or commercially available DVD disc."
"Playback the track-1 of (test disc) or commercially available CD disc."

"If the present value of the laser drive current is 150% up to initial value, it is the point of the pickup replacement."

So..there's where those original values came in. Handy that they wrote them on there in the factory. (Every 3910 should have this.)

This is where I'm having trouble - I can only assume this means "above 150% of initial value". Nothing else would make sense...

But,

2) here's the good part:

"No mechanism adjustment is required as the whole unit is replaced with a new one."

and

"In the case of the pickup replacement, replace the Traverse Unit with no adjustment."

Just in case you didn't hear it the first time.

This is good indeed, and means this might be a success and an easy repalcement for 3910 owners; bringing the repair cost down from $300-$500 to around $120.

Also, it seems that this newer traverse unit might be improved. There was a 'technical bulletin' saying that the "9KA-2A-506B" has been replaced with the currently orderable part, "9KA-2A-708". Maybe Denon was made aware of these reliability issues and the -708 part may be a later revision.

We shall see! I couldn't find anyone else doing this on the 'net, and, FYI I have a 2910 and 5910CI as well, from what I can tell the part numbers are different, but the procedure should be identical.

So, there's an update on this and we'll see how it goes.

-Michi

I'll measure my Iop values tomorrow and let everyone know how it goes.

Thank you Michi,
I had mine replaced a year ago here at a local shop, IIRC it was around $300. Going forward it would be nice to be able to do it myself in the future (if needed). The 3910 is way to nice a player to get rid of.

IwantmyTHX,

I haven't measured my Iop values yet because I ordered the mechanism ($117 shipped,
http://www.partstore.com/Part/Denon+Electronics/Denon/9KA2A708/New.aspx ) - and have decided I want to open the 3910 just once, if at all possible. But all behavor points to a prediction that i'm going to get a bad Iop reading, so i'll just make note of it in the process for academic reasons. :)

They've shipped it and I have a tracking number, so hopefully Monday or so.

But I will document this as much as possible as soon as the mechanism arrives and I replace it.

I'm pretty confident, looking at the inside of the machine and the service manual.

Biggest risk is ESD, I think.

But if this goes smoothly, yes, $117 to keep the 3910 at full functionality is a lot better than some of the quotes and repair prices I've seen.

After this is done (and hopefully successful!) I'd have no problems at all doing this for folks at cost only, or helping others through it.

Thanks,
Michi

The plot thickens.

I got a second 3910 unit this weekend, that i'm going to try to do different surgery on after this: (It has the exact same trouble.)

It seems, somewhere, somehow, we should be able to get -just the laser unit- for this player from anywhere from $10-$50.

The issue is: I cannot find the part number. It is likely Hitachi or Sanyo.

The DVD-3930 uses Sanyo SF-HD65. I've heard some rumors that the 3910 may use Sanyo HF-HD62; but I cannot find this substantiated anywhere.

The first unit will get the complete traverse mechanism replacement; the second, hopefully, I can figure out what the laser head alone is. We'll see.

If anyone can provide this info, please do... It is whatever this item is, most likely:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230375193529

Looks like Hitachi HOP-1200S, around $15. Got one, took the risk ( :) ) will report back as well.

EDIT: May also be the HOP-1200R. But also, the HOP-1200S may be a replacement for the HOP-1200R. Will do some further investigation.

Progress...

Verified: Laser head for the DVD-3910 is the Hitachi HOP-1200R.

UPDATE: The HOP-1200S is a replacement for the HOP-1200R and can be used in place of it.

HOP-1200R: $25.00 on eBay, shipped.
HOP-1200S: $17.00 on eBay, shipped.

So I ordered one each of these;

Tonight I also did a 'dry run' on the replacement:

-Removed the Traverse mechanism and put it back.
-Removed the Laser Head (alone) and put it back.

Both were fairly straightforward. It seems to me the laser head -only- (read:cheaper) replacement may be the EASIER replacement! (Less ribbon cables to worry about.)

After complete disassembly and reassembly, I'm listening to Alison Krauss+Union Station Live on SACD right now as I type this on the unit that was in pieces, down to the laser.

For anyone who may be reading, I found this in my research:

Laser Pickup for Denon units:

Denon DVD-2900: Hitachi HOP-1000 or Hitachi HOP-1120 ~($40)
Denon DVD-2910: Hitachi HOP-1200R (~$25) or Hitachi HOP-1200S (~$17) or Hitachi HOP-1200W (~$15)
Denon DVD-3910: Hitachi HOP-1200R (~$25) or Hitachi HOP-1200S (~$17) or Hitachi HOP-1200W (~$15)
Denon DVD-2930: Sanyo SF-HD65 (~$8)
Denon DVD-3930: Sanyo SF-HD65 (~$8)

(The Hitachi HOP-1000 may work in the 2910 and 3910 also but I can't find one; it's more robust, made of metal, more solid. )

-Replacing these should not require any realignment.

-You MUST remove the grounding solder points on the laser heads before they'll work; I've done this on other machines before (such as my XA777ES) - this is an ESD protection mechanism, it's best to use a 'solder sucker' sort of solder remover rather than a wick. This is probably the toughest part of the entire procedure.

... So, we may be down to $17 on the fix for this. More to come.

Traverse mechanism arrived today. Laser head is HOP-1200W.

From what I can tell, all of the following are compatible:

HOP-1200R
HOP-1200S
HOP-1200W

In order of recency. Will update shortly on success or no-success.

Well, good news is: the $117 fix was a success.

The bad news? - I really think I could have done this faster, and easier, for $15.

Pulling apart the entire DVD mechanism and replacing the entire traverse mechanism, was, it seems to me, unneccessary.

The HOP-1200* laser head seems to be easily mounted on the traverse mechanism in-situ.

The good part is, I get to try the $15 fix on my other 3910 later this week.

So, $117 later and about an hour of work later, my original 3910 can play CDs again. And still plays SACDs and DVDs.

The hardest parts were these:

A) Desoldering the grounding/shorting blob on the laser head,
B) Being careful with the ribbon cables.

So in other words -- not that tough.

I'd actually at this point recommend people hold off and wait for the verdict on the $15 fix (laser head only) - because it probably will take half the time, half the screw removal, and 1/4 of the thin cable removal. Not to mention the cost.

But, anyone who has an hour, and feels comfortable doing it, at least $300-$500 for fixing these units should now be out of the question for everone :)

Thank you michidragon,
Great description, and let us know on the $15. Might be a good idea to get someone to record it, or at least take some pics.

I've got step by step pictures of the traverse mechanism replacement. Really wasn't very hard. I could downsize them and post them here, but I don't know how long they'd stay here. So I may do it that way, or I may put it into a downloadable PDF or something... If anyone needs any help (with pictures), please PM me here, or flag me down on audioasylum or sa-cd.net.

The laser heads haven't arrived yet, but as soon as they do, I've got the second 3910 waiting to be fixed, and will document that as well.

Have purchased a complete replacement laser transport for DVD-3910 but can you please confirm the position of the solder points on laser head that need de-soldering. I have fairly good idea from original unit but want to be sure! A picture would be very gratefully recieved!

I certainly can help with this -- but, I need to know the following - which replacement head do you have?

HOP-1000
HOP-1120
HOP-1200R
HOP-1200S
HOP-1200W

Reason being, the design on them did change (they're different revisions but -all will work-, it seems) -- but the solder points are different on them.

I've got them all as of today and can post a pic of where the solder points are.

For example, the 1200S has two solder points on the side, one for CD and one for DVD; the 1200W has one smaller solder point on the rear that is easy to miss, that handles shorting for both DVD and CD.

Okay, excellent news - this looks good - for anyone who may want to replace the traverse unit on their 3910 themselves.

I'll document this as much as I can, hopefully to a successful end:

I got a hold of the service manual; and it:

1) States the procedure to test for a failed traverse unit, using a simple multimeter, by measuring DVD voltage (div. 14 for mA) across two test points; and by measuring CD voltage (div. 12 for mA) across two test points. No special test CDs are needed.

Opening up my DVD-3910 today, I noticed, on the back of the DVD mechanism, two numbers: CD - 2.19 mA / DVD - 2.19 mA

There is a section in the service manual: "Judging for Traverse Unit Replacement":

"NO DISC indicated, etc. Check Iop according to the measuring method described in step 2 below. If the checked value is 1.5 times or more than the initial Iop indicaated on the rear of the mechanism unit, the traverse unit should be replaced."

There are two points on the DVD board: "DVD Laser Drive Measuring Point", "CD Laser Drive Measuring Point". -- "DVD Laser Drive current is calculated by Measured Voltage Value / 14; CD Laser Drive current is calculated by Measured Voltage Value / 12".

"Playback the title-1 of (test disc) or commercially available DVD disc."
"Playback the track-1 of (test disc) or commercially available CD disc."

"If the present value of the laser drive current is 150% up to initial value, it is the point of the pickup replacement."

So..there's where those original values came in. Handy that they wrote them on there in the factory. (Every 3910 should have this.)

This is where I'm having trouble - I can only assume this means "above 150% of initial value". Nothing else would make sense...

But,

2) here's the good part:

"No mechanism adjustment is required as the whole unit is replaced with a new one."

and

"In the case of the pickup replacement, replace the Traverse Unit with no adjustment."

Just in case you didn't hear it the first time.

This is good indeed, and means this might be a success and an easy repalcement for 3910 owners; bringing the repair cost down from $300-$500 to around $120.

Also, it seems that this newer traverse unit might be improved. There was a 'technical bulletin' saying that the "9KA-2A-506B" has been replaced with the currently orderable part, "9KA-2A-708". Maybe Denon was made aware of these reliability issues and the -708 part may be a later revision.

We shall see! I couldn't find anyone else doing this on the 'net, and, FYI I have a 2910 and 5910CI as well, from what I can tell the part numbers are different, but the procedure should be identical.

So, there's an update on this and we'll see how it goes.

-Michi

I'll measure my Iop values tomorrow and let everyone know how it goes.

I am curious if you checked your voltage test points before and after replacing the traverse unit? Also if you did check it and results said to replace traverse unit, did you try to just replace the laser only? What was the result? I am curious as I am going on my third traverse unit. First was replaced by Denon under warranty, I think they used the traverse unit ending in ...506B.

DVD value was OK, CD value was marginal. 145%; it says to replace at 150%. My unit was giving the 00h00m00s display on about 30% of CDs, but was reading DVDs and SACDs fine.

I replaced the entire traverse mech on the first 3910, but really, it seems that is NOT neccessary.

I finally got the HOP-1200S/W/R units this week (took longer than expected to get here from Asia), but these heads were about $15 each.

I have a second 3910 i'm about to replace the head *only* on. Sorry it took longer than expected, the shipping took longer than expected on this end.

I see absolutely no reason to replace anything more than the laser head alone.

I am looking forward to hearing about the outcome of this experiment....I can't help but wonder if replacing the entire assembly is the best route if it has been improved...

Michidragon. You are the greatest. I have a Denon 2910 that needs a new laser. How do I get ahold of your picture by picture instruction on the Assembly replacement that you describe?

Thanks a million!

Michidragon. You are the greatest. I have a Denon 2910 that needs a new laser. How do I get ahold of your picture by picture instruction on the Assembly replacement that you describe?

Thanks a million!



Jaws,

The 2910 procedure should be identical to the 3910 -- I can send you the pictures, or, pretty soon i can trim them / annotate them / put them up here (if they'll stay up). It's not very difficult.

However: Good news...

The $15 method *DOES WORK*. I replaced a bad HOP-1200R in the second DVD-3910 with a HOP-1120, and tried a HOP-1200S, as well. Both worked..

Total procedure time was fifteen minutes. Simply:

-Remove the unit cover
-Eject the disc tray and turn power off
-Remove the top of the transport box
-Undo the rail securing plate (two screws) at the rear of the laser slide mechanism
-Lift the lock for the ribbon cable to the laser head and remove it from the laser head.
-Lift both rails (tilting them upwards) and slide the laser head (including the white gear rack) off - DO NOT LOSE ANY SPRINGS!
-While holding the white gear rack - DO NOT LOSE THE SPRING! - to the NEW laser head, slide the laser head back on the rails.
-Screw down the rails under the rail securing plate again,
-Plug the ribbon cable back into the laser mechanism and lock it
-Using solder wick, and a 15w soldering iron, desolder the two (or one in the case of HOP-1200W) solder blobs towards the rear right of the laser head (a gentle touch works fine)
-Screw the top of the transport box back on
-Put the cover of the 3910 back on
-Plug in, power on, go.


The caveats:

-DO NOT LOSE ANY SPRINGS!!!! There are three of them: One under each rail under the rail securing plate, and one under the laser head itself, between the laser head and the white gear rack. Just be careful.

-If you have a HOP-1120/1200R/1200S traverse mechanism, you can't use a HOP-1200W laser head. The reason is, there's a little white tab of plastic that gets in the way. (Electrically they're the same. If you're replacing the entire traverse mechanism, it does NOT matter if your old traverse CONTAINED a 1120/1200R/1200S and the new one has a 1200W) - This is purely a physical 'will it fit' issue.

Pictures as soon as I get things more organized.

Note: The traverse mechanism is simply: the rails, the metal frame, the gear motor, and the spindle motor. I don't feel that replacing the entire traverse is neccessary. You can go your own way on this, $115 or $15, but at least its not a choice of $500 to get repaired or $1500 for a new/equivalent unit anymore.

SO: Denon DVD-3910 with 00h00m00s problem FIXED, for $15, in 15 minutes.


... Now, does anyone have a non-working DVD-3930 they're willing to part with? :)

Thanks for the write up michidragon

... Now, does anyone have a non-working DVD-3930 they're willing to part with? :)
That is a good idea. I don't remember if the 5910 had the same ailment.