Any news on DL3 for the 5910? I sent an e-mail to Denon, but they have not responded. I want to buy one, but I want to make sure it has DL3.

I just received a 5910 with DL3 activated. The serial number starts with 506 indicating a June (06) 2005 (5) build date. So it appears that if the serial number starts with 506 you're golden for DL3. If it starts with 501 (January 2005), the unit doesn't have DL3 unless it has been upgraded by DENON.

Just my observations - your milage may vary.

Andy, Any chance that you or anyone else that has a June build could check to see what firmware your 5910 has? I have not done the latest firmware because I didn't see where any of the changes would be a benefit, but I would like to know if the June builds with DL3 have a newer firmware. My 5910 with a Dec 04 build has this listed:

ESS 6780-1
Make Day C20
DRV 030825
SYS 6867-1
Scaler 0A 02
DSP 6790
C 20041028

I don't know if it helps but my A1XV (Same as 5910) also has a built date of DEC 04 (S/N 41284001**) and the firmware is:

ESS 6780-3
Makeday 413D
DRV 030825
System 6867-1
Scaler 0A 02
DSP 6790
C 20041028

I don't know if it helps but my A1XV (Same as 5910) also has a built date of DEC 04 (S/N 41284001**) and the firmware is: ...
PedroV, how exactly did you get it to display the firmware version? I have tried the usual Denon method, which works on the 3910, but it doesn't seem to work for my A1XV!

:confused:

awhb,

The firmware display instructions for the 5910/A1XV are:

1. Power off the player
2. While holding the PLAY and OPEN/CLOSE buttons, power the player on using the main front panel power button then hit POWER ON on the remote control
3. When the display indicates the play and pause icons enter 3, 2, 6 and then 5 in order then use the MENU button to toggle through the firmware settings

FYI, my 5910, also with a December 2004 build date, has the same firmware as Clark Burk. Does anyone know what the March 2005 update (ESS 6780-2) fixed or updated? Having gone through the hassle of sending my previous 5900 back to Denon twice before I am in no hurry for the DL3 update - can't use it anyway.

awhb,

The firmware display instructions for the 5910/A1XV are:

1. Power off the player
2. While holding the PLAY and OPEN/CLOSE buttons, power the player on using the main front panel power button then hit POWER ON on the remote control
3. When the display indicates the play and pause icons enter 3, 2, 6 and then 5 in order then use the MENU button to toggle through the firmware settings


Very odd! I get the pause and play icons okay but when I press 3,2,6,5 MENU on the remote, nothing happens at all!

:(

My June O5 build is:

ESS 6780-6
MAKE DAY 609D
DRV 030825
SYSTEM 6867-2
SCALER 0A04
DSP 6790
C 20041028

Interesting mikel51.

That would seem to mean that the DL3 update info that I just received does not show the latest ESS (6780-3), MAKEDAY (413D) or SCALER (0A 02) firmware available. The DL3 update I have is dated May 05 so perhaps there is another firmware update beyond the DL3 update that corresponds to the 5910 June builds now in the pipeline from Denon. One that would bring ESS to 6780-6 from 6780-3 and MAKEDAY to 609D from 413D. Also the SCALER firmware is not even mentioned in the update I have. I'll have to follow up on Monday with Denon to see if there is an additional ESS and SCALER update to yet ship.

Thanks for the info.

Awhb,
Very odd! I get the pause and play icons okay but when I press 3,2,6,5 MENU on the remote, nothing happens at all! I think something strange is happening regarding firmware versions and the procedure to display it. This is my second player. With the first one, also with a DEC 04 built date, I couldn't get it to show up the firmware although I followed exactly the same method as in this one, and I tried it many times to no avail. The only difference I can find is that this one came with the latest available multiregion firmware (upgraded by the dealer).

I will try to find out if the ESS to 6780-6 is already available to upgrade mine. I suppose that if I want DL3 (with DEC 04 built date) I will have to send it to Denon :(

The scaler update was hardware, not firmware. Evidently players built after January 05 have it. It is just a faster FPGA used for the DVDO solution. What this will offer in terms of features is unknown at this point. It may make it easier for Denon to incorporate different resolutions, but I don't know if that will happen or not. The performance scaling wise is the same though as it uses the same code.

Thanks for the insight Kris. Any idea what the pre DL3 update from March 2005 (ESS 6780-2) update addressed for those of us with December builds and original firmware? What level of firmware do you have?

Do you know if the FPGA is the one on the underside of the main board that has been updated? If so, I don't see an easy way for older machines to be updated for this : (

It would make sense that if the DVDO hardware was upgraded it would be to possibly enable output of other resolutions as Kris stated,especially the 1080p denon has offered if you send them your player for upgrade.

It would make sense that if the DVDO hardware was upgraded it would be to possibly enable output of other resolutions as Kris stated,especially the 1080p denon has offered if you send them your player for upgrade.
When did Denon start offering a 1080p upgrade? I must have missed that somehow..

Thanks for the insight Kris. Any idea what the pre DL3 update from March 2005 (ESS 6780-2) update addressed for those of us with December builds and original firmware? What level of firmware do you have?

Do you know if the FPGA is the one on the underside of the main board that has been updated? If so, I don't see an easy way for older machines to be updated for this : (

The DL3 update for any 5910 is just firmware and should be very easy.

I've been told from Denon that pre-January build 5910's can be updated to the new FPGA but it requires sending the player in. But it can be done.

After watching several dvd's there have been times when it appears that the picture seems to pause and shift slightly. also, I thought I picked out a few points in time when I saw what appeared to be some macroblocking. Mind y'all, I'm no expert on these issues. The MB appearing thing only happened when watching a cheezy dvd rental and when I rewound and replayed it didn't happen--I have only noticed it with the DNR at 3). The pause-shift effect (looks almost like a layer change on a less formidable machine but does not come when you would expect it (like in the first 20 min of a movie)) has happened maybe three times, even with the dnr set at 1.

Has anyone else noticed anything like this? I thought I heard that the 5910 was devoid of MB issues--could it have just been a dirty disk, or could it have been a result of the high DNR setting?

Thanks for the info Kris.

Seeing as how I'm going to have to send my 5910 in anyway for the DL3 update I might as well go for the "full meal deal".

How sure are we that 1080P is a reality for this player. I have the latest hardware and firmware (June 2005 build date). The documentation for my player does describe the DL3 update, but no 1080P. Until I see some official news from Denon, I will consider this vaporware.

How sure are we that 1080P is a reality for this player. I have the latest hardware and firmware (June 2005 build date). The documentation for my player does describe the DL3 update, but no 1080P. Until I see some official news from Denon, I will consider this vaporware.


And just what the heck are people sending 1080p via HDMI to anyways? I think we're about 2 years too early for 1080p.

I am looking into getting the Denon 5910 and will be hooking this up to my Marantz VP-12S3 via HDMI-DVI as I will be going through a Denon AVR-4806 and wanted to know if it passes the pluge signal or does it have the same problem as some DVD-3910?

I am looking into getting the Denon 5910 and will be hooking this up to my Marantz VP-12S3 via HDMI-DVI as I will be going through a Denon AVR-4806 and wanted to know if it passes the pluge signal or does it have the same problem as some DVD-3910?


no pluge problems here (personally) or anywhere else I have read. Looks like there are some hardware differences between build dates so you might want to look for one with a june build date (serial number ((on outside of box)) starting 506 or greater)

Looks like there are some hardware differences between build dates so you might want to look for one with a june build date

Yeah saw that a few posts back and that will be what I am aiming for.

And just what the heck are people sending 1080p via HDMI to anyways? I think we're about 2 years too early for 1080p.


I think part of the problem is that there is now another player that scales to 1080p (the new classe player (which does not appear to play sacd's (they have a separate source component for that although it is touted as a "universal player"). This makes the denon look like it is using "older" technology, whereas it has been billed somewhat as THE state of the art player--the fact that someone else (and probably soon to be other manufacturers) have units for sale that scale to 1080P is a bit of a narcissistic insult to denon, who appear to relish their technology leadership role in the dvd player industry...

I also think that there is a market of early adopters who always want to be ahead of the game and 1080p sets are coming out (although apparently not all of them actually can accept a 1080p signal)--these are also likely to be the people buying 5910's, as it is expensive and truly has technology that no other player has--also a hallmark of an early adopter buying.

no mention of hqv processing in the classe though...the front panel LCD is mighty cool but not worth an extra 3 grand imho...

It remains to bee seen how the new Classe does 1080p.
It it uses one of those cheap all in one chip (MPEG decoder, deinterlacer, scaler) the results will not be that good, just a marketing feature.

Does anybody know what kind of solution (HQV, GENNUM,Faroudja) Classe chose to implement 1080p?

A bit off topic for this thread but the new Classe CDP 300 will use a new chipset from National Semiconductor called the AVC2510 to convert video to 1080P. For those interested, Secrets had a news article a while back on this. Here's a link.

http://hometheaterhifi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2552

It is indeed the National Semiconducter chipset. It was designed by one of the guys who used to be at Faroudja. Should be interesting.

AV Avatar and Kris,

thanks for the info, link and sorry for the OT. :)

I guess we will have to wait and see but I prefer the HQV in the 5910, knowing they used knowledge gained with Terranex to design it. The 5910 scales only up to 1080i although the HQV chip itself does 1080P. Maybe it's because they are using the DVDO chip as scaler.

It was interesting to read that the National Semiconductor chip used in the Classe costs only $45 (price for 1000 units).

AV Avatar and Kris,


It was interesting to read that the National Semiconductor chip used in the Classe costs only $45 (price for 1000 units).


yes, leaving $6455 to buy 2, count them 2(almost anyway), 5910's! I can't wait for an a-b video and audio comparison!

AV Avatar and Kris,

thanks for the info, link and sorry for the OT. :)

I guess we will have to wait and see but I prefer the HQV in the 5910, knowing they used knowledge gained with Terranex to design it. The 5910 scales only up to 1080i although the HQV chip itself does 1080P. Maybe it's because they are using the DVDO chip as scaler..

The DVDO chip can scale to 1080p, or any custom resolution. It is jut not enabled to do so. I too am interested to know when (and how) the 5910 is going to be modified. Is changing the FPGA mandatory for those pre Jan players in order to enable 1080p/custom res?

Also, Jeff Talmadge was unequivocal in an email to me that Denon will not be providing custom res capability on the 5910, now or in the future (the email was from early April). When did this policy change, Kris? Do you have any more info on this you can share?

Moory

Moory,
The DVDO chip can scale to 1080p, or any custom resolution Thanks for clearing that up.
Denon may not want to enable custom res but they could (should) add more pre defined resolutions in a future firmware.
There are a lot of display devices out there like plasmas that have different native resolutions from those basic 3 provided by Denon.

There are a lot of display devices out there like plasmas that have different native resolutions from those basic 3 provided by Denon.

Yeah, don't I know it, Pedro! :) I remember having a heated discussion pre-launch of the 5910 on the short-sightedness on Denon's part in equipping the player with a versatile chip, and hampering the output.

I guess they hesitate to implement more pre-defined resolutions (like the ever popular 768p) because there are so many variations of this on the one hand (1024X768, 1280X768, 1366X768 etc) and even within these, not all panels will resolve them (such as Panasonic and Fujitsu 50" PDP's, both nominally rated @ 1366X768, but each having different front-and back-porch settings and so on).

Even then, I think they can at the least provide the set resolutions found on DVDO's own HD scalers, as I and others argued back then.

Unitl I hear something concrete from a dependable source, though, I'm not holding my breath. Kris? :confused:

Moory

changing the FPGA mandatory for those pre Jan players in order to enable 1080p/custom res?

Could someone please explain to stupid me what FPGA is and means?

Does the 5910/A1XV have a built-in Closed Captions Decoder?

Can any of you who own the 5910/A1XV please tell me if it has a built-in Closed Captions Decoder or not.

From the Owners Manual, I see that under OTHER-SETUP there is a menu item CAPTIONS which can be set to one of the values ON or OFF.

But from the manual I cannot ascertain if setting the menu item CAPTIONS to ON actually decode captions and place them as part of the video or only embed the captions on the DVD into the data stream from the player, so that an external decoder or TV can decode the captions.

steviec,

A field-programmable gate array or FPGA is a semiconductor device used to process digital information, similar to a microprocessor. It utilizes gate array technology that can be reprogrammed after it is manufactured, rather than having its programming fixed during the manufacturing — a programmable logic device.

FPGAs are generally slower than their application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) counterparts, and draw more power. However, they have several advantages such as a shorter time-to-market, and lower development costs (for quantities fewer than 10k). Certain FPGA vendors offer an ASIC made as a so-called hard copy of an FPGA — that is, an integrated circuit with the same functionality as the FPGA, but faster and consuming less power.

Many modern FPGAs have the ability to be reprogrammed at "run time," and this is leading to the idea of reconfigurable computing or reconfigurable systems — CPUs that reconfigure themselves to suit the task at hand. Software-configurable microprocessors such as the Stretch S5000 adopt a hybrid approach by providing a processor core and an FPGA core on the same chip.

Hope that helps.

Thanks AV Avatar.
Now I see why many may be excited about this upgrade to the 5910.

When did this policy change, Kris? Do you have any more info on this you can share?


I didn't say it changed. I just said that players after the January build date have a different version of the DVDO scaler that is faster. I did not say anything about custom resolution support.

I did not say anything about custom resolution support.

Kris, I wasn't implying that you did. I was asking if you have any information you can share on whether Denon have softened their hardline policy on the issue, and were looking to provide more such options, in light of the earlier suggestion that 1080p might be supported (in line with their sister company, Marantz).

I've been hoping against hope that they would, ever since I got the definitive word from Jeff.. :(

Moory

Ah,

I haven't heard anything, but I'm sure if they have any plans they will talk about it at CEDIA this year, which is only two weeks away.

Also, Jeff Talmadge was unequivocal in an email to me that Denon will not be providing custom res capability on the 5910, now or in the future (the email was from early April). When did this policy change, Kris? Do you have any more info on this you can share?

Moory

They were also unequivocal with me when they told me "the 5910 is not ready yet for DL3" and there were no definite plans to make it so and there was no information yet if it were going to get it whether it would be a hardware or software upgrade. The one I had ordered three weeks BEFORE this conversation (yes, well into the month of june, 6/24/05 to be exact) shipped with DL3 active.

I am not sure how much I trust what they are emailing out to the public. Either they are clueless or they are at least occasionally deliberately deceptive (which could be understandable I guess for the purposes of protecting your technology). Then again, maybe he was just trying to set me up for a pleasant surprise. It seems with denon you just have to wait and hope for the best--they dole out secrets when they feel like it. Fortunately the end products seem to be well worth the wait!

I posted this question on the 3910 thread as well. Could someone please describe what gamma correction (settings) the 5910 has and does it allow one to adjust gamma at different points along the gamma curve? I am interested since this is crucial for calibrating a CRT display and retaining the best black level.

Thanks,

Grant

There are 5 memories, and each one allows you to set 10 points on the gamma curve.

Thanks for the information. What I find interesting (after checking the 5910's manual) is that gamma is active over HDMI and DVI, but not on the 3910. This comprehensive gamma correction, IMO, sets the 5910 apart from just about every other DVD player on the market and one I am interested in.

Cheers,

Grant

I was playing around with the settings tonight on my 5910 and thought i would check out why Kris Deering stated that the contrast ( white level) has to be adjusted to-2 to be correct.
I put on the Avia dvd Gamma chart and sure enough,with the player contrast at -2 the gamma comes in as it should at 2.2.
When you raise up the contrast to 0 the gamma changes to 2.0.This apparently emphasis mid tones.
The funny thing is sometimes it looks great with the contrast set at 0 as it seems to bring out more detail.
Just goes to show that what is correct doesn't always look the best.

I would just like to say that an upgraded version of the 5910 will be launched at IFA with 1080p output.
Owners of the 5910will be able to upgrade.

Please see my thread about it at:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=574962

Sorry if it is O.T. but I think it's important news.

Yes Pedro it is very important even if nothing accepts 1080p yet.
What it means is that the 5910 will be around for along time.Why even fool with any other resolution when you can own the new 5910 now and in a short time run it into a 1080p display when they become available which will be alot sooner than you think!
I wonder what would look best? the new HD-DVD at 1080i or standard dvd on the 5910 at 1080P?
Should be interesting! :)

From an email from Denon service:
"The 1080p upgrade will come in the future but it is not ready"

Robert,

according to the German site for which I posted a link on the other thread, Denon will be showing it at IFA in Berlin (2-7 Sept).

Assuming we get some reports from the show, we won't have to wait much longer to find out.

I was playing around with the settings tonight on my 5910 and thought i would check out why Kris Deering stated that the contrast ( white level) has to be adjusted to-2 to be correct.
I put on the Avia dvd Gamma chart and sure enough,with the player contrast at -2 the gamma comes in as it should at 2.2.
When you raise up the contrast to 0 the gamma changes to 2.0.This apparently emphasis mid tones.
The funny thing is sometimes it looks great with the contrast set at 0 as it seems to bring out more detail.
Just goes to show that what is correct doesn't always look the best.

It required this adjustment to properly display above white and below black information using a reverse ramp.

well Kris my player will show both above white and below black if the contrast is at 0 or -2.
but like I stated at the 0 setting gamma is 2.0 and at -2 it is 2.2.
Could someone else please check their 5910 using the Avia gamma chart and see what you come up with?

According to the German site for which I posted a link on the other thread, Denon will be showing it at IFA in Berlin (2-7 Sept).

Assuming we get some reports from the show, we won't have to wait much longer to find out.I will be visiting the IFA on Sep. 5+6, so I will definitely take a look. Especially since I am pretty sure my new player will be the A1XV(A).

3 weeks ago I talked with Denon in Germany and they told me that they at the IFA would not have displays or beamers hooked up to any of their DVD players. Hopefully they have changed their mind.

If anyone has questions they would like me to ask, please let me know. I will certainly ask about custom resolutions. Personally I will hook up my player to a 1080p LCD or plasma display. Very likely the new Panny 65”. www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569102

BY THE WAY:
I would be extremely grateful if anyone can tell me what happens when setting CAPTIONS to ON in the OTHER-SETUP menu. Is an internal Closed Captions Decoder activated or are only the captions on the DVD forwarded onto the output?
Thank you very much in advance. :)

I have of course asked Denon customer support in Germany, the UK and US about this using my firstname@lastname.org email address. I only got an answer from Denon in Germany, and that was that they were not sure, but thought that the captions on the DVD were forwarded on the output.

I must to say that I am really disappointed with the UK and US Denon customer support.

Captain Pike,

Looking forward to read your extensive report about IFA and the new Denon. :) :)
I would be extremely grateful if anyone can tell me what happens when setting CAPTIONS to ON in the OTHER-SETUP menu. Is an internal Closed Captions Decoder activated or are only the captions on the DVD forwarded onto the output?
I'll be happy to look up the captions option in the menu for you, but you must give me more detail about what you want me to look for, for instance how do I know if an internal decoder is activated? Sorry but I never really paid attention to CC, just subtitles on/off.

I'll be happy to look up the captions option in the menu for you, but you must give me more detail about what you want me to look for, for instance how do I know if an internal decoder is activated? Sorry but I never really paid attention to CC, just subtitles on/off.Thanks a lot for the offer :) :) :)
Is it OK if I we take this by email since it is somewhat OT? If yes, I will send you an email tomorrow Wednesday.

Captain Pike,

You' re right about the OT.
My mail address is in my profile.

Contacted Denon in California today after receiving an email from Denon Technical Support in IL. directing me to call the closest location. The person I talked to had no idea what I was talking about concerning the DenonLink3 upgrade for my 5910 :confused:
Anyway she did finally give me a return authorization number for my unit but now I'm wondering if it's such a good idea sending my treasured 5910 to them if they have no idea that the upgrade is available :(

dc

Contacted Denon in California today after receiving an email from Denon Technical Support in IL. directing me to call the closest location. The person I talked to had no idea what I was talking about concerning the DenonLink3 upgrade for my 5910 :confused:
Anyway she did finally give me a return authorization number for my unit but now I'm wondering if it's such a good idea sending my treasured 5910 to them if they have no idea that the upgrade is available :(

dc

If I were you and you really needed the DL3 I would send it to the New Jersey location, thats where they are doing the DL3 upgrade, spoke with Denon today at their Illinois office and asked about the DL3 and they said its not done at their Illinois facility, if the location youre talking to has no idea what youre talking about that means that they will eventually send your unit to New Jersey anyway so why not save yourself some time and get an authorization # (SRA) and send it there and while its there they should do any software updates.

I just got a Firmware upgrade from Denon which does nothing more than correct some problems playing 3 DVDs, one of which is PAL. I own none of the 3 and do not intend to ever buy them. Why should I bother with the upgrade?

I have a B&K rec'r which obviously does not have Denon Link. Why should I send my player into Denon for the Denon Link III upgrade?

I do not want to start a debate about the pros and cons of 1080p display devices, but based on Pete Putnam's articles, I have serious reservations about the value them, at least for now.. Further, according to his calculations, at my viewing distance, I would see no difference between the 720p I have and a 1080p projector. So I have no intention of getting a 1080p for now or the foreseeable future. Why should I send my Denon in to upgrade it to 1080p output?

Quick question for 5910 owners: what is the length of the included IEEE1394 and Denon Link 3 cables? Is it 1M (3 feet) or 2M (6 feet)?

The reason I ask is that I'll need to get a HDMI to HDMI cable to connect the 5910 to 5805 and there is no sense in getting a 2M cable if the others are only 1M.

Thanks!

Quick question for 5910 owners: what is the length of the included IEEE1394 and Denon Link 3 cables? Is it 1M (3 feet) or 2M (6 feet)?

The reason I ask is that I'll need to get a HDMI to HDMI cable to connect the 5910 to 5805 and there is no sense in getting a 2M cable if the others are only 1M.

Thanks!
You will not need the IEEE1394 cable since you can and should use the Denon link cable. I do not remember but I think the IEEE1394 looked rather short, so my guess it is 3 feet. The Denon link cable I believe is 6 feet but I did not measure them so might be mistaken.

Thanks sergiohm. If the Denon Link is about 6 feet (your guess), then I'll order a 2M HDMI to HDMI, just in case I ever need the extra length. Chances are I'll never need more than 3 feet but you never know. If the Denon Link was only 3 feet, there would be no sense in getting a longer HDMI to HDMI cable because the shortest cable is what restricts the rack placement.

Now that I've spent well over $7k for the 5805 and 5910, it won't hurt too bad to spend another $7 to get the longer HDMI to HDMI cable from RAM...

"Now that I've spent well over $7k for the 5805 and 5910, it won't hurt too bad to spend another $7 to get the longer HDMI to HDMI cable from RAM... "

I don't know, dude...there's always that straw/camel's back thing.....:D

Now that I've spent well over $7k for the 5805 and 5910, it won't hurt too bad to spend another $7 to get the longer HDMI to HDMI cable from RAM...

My advice is to get two. Then when one of the cables fails, you can immediately make sure that it is the cable and not your $7K worth of equipment. Otherwise you will have to wait a week or more to get a new cable mail order.

Hi gents,

I've red a lot in this thread but still wonder myself about wich setup will output the best PQ :D ?
Supposing we have a 576i DVD Source upscaled to 720p !

DVD-5910-->HDMI/YUV Signal-->Plasma Pany TH-42PV500 (Latest 42" EU reference, 1024x768 native resolution)
Or
DVD-3910-->HDMI/YUV Signal-->DVDO Iscan VP30(10bits)/HD+-->Plasma Pany TH-42PV500.

Do you think Denon will provide a firmware upgrade allowing custom resolution on the 5910 for the near future ?

As the 5910 use PCM1792 (PCM17296 for 3910) Burr-Brown DAC, is there any significant (noticable for the untrained ear) sonic improvement compared to the 3910 ?

What is the real benefit of BNC Connectors out of the RCA ones for Component interconect ?

I want a source that my HD-650/RP5.1 deserve :p !!

Thanks for your comments !

I spent most of today trying to hook up my new 5910 to denon 4806. The 5910 doesn't recognize the denon link and ieee 1394. :confused: On the digital interface setup i can not highlight/choose denon link or ieee 1394. But the 5.1 coaxial output works. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions.

I spent most of today trying to hook up my new 5910 to denon 4806. The 5910 doesn't recognize the denon link and ieee 1394. :confused: On the digital interface setup i can not highlight/choose denon link or ieee 1394. But the 5.1 coaxial output works. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions.

I am lookiing at getting this exact combination so I am interested in how you go. I have the Denon 4608/A11XV coming and want to order the 5910/A1XV.

Do you have Denon Link 3 enabled on the 5910? If not then this is may be your problem. Do you have to switch them on on the 5910? Let us know how you go.

Yes I do have denon link 3rd generation. According to the instructions you have to choose the d link from the digital interface menu.

I spent most of today trying to hook up my new 5910 to denon 4806. The 5910 doesn't recognize the denon link and ieee 1394. :confused: On the digital interface setup i can not highlight/choose denon link or ieee 1394. But the 5.1 coaxial output works. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions.


I had some trouble getting DL3 to work on my 5910/3805--I have also read other people have as well. The trick was REALLY making sure the DL3 cord was pushed in ALL THe WAY (a seemingly large amount of force was required to get it to set right in the plug) on both units--that solved the problem for at least 2 of us. As for the firewire connection, I can't explain that but you could try the same tactic. Then again, it could be a settings issue too...

I tried to push the d link all the way in. D link appears to click in to position fairly easily, but it (clear plastic portion) sticks out 1/4 inch. Does it have to be pushed in more? IEEE cord is pushed in all the way, but on the digital interface d link and ieee choices are inactive. ie i cannot high light or select either one.

I tried to push the d link all the way in. D link appears to click in to position fairly easily, but it (clear plastic portion) sticks out 1/4 inch. Does it have to be pushed in more? IEEE cord is pushed in all the way, but on the digital interface d link and ieee choices are inactive. ie i cannot high light or select either one.

I can also emember having to play with the settings a bit--I think that the receiver has to recognize the input (perhaps the term "unlock" applies) before the 5910 can recognize it as an output option--I do not own a 4806 but if it is like the 3805, there is a setting within the digital inputs settings--for the input you are using (ie dvd probably) you need to set it to d-link or 1394 status before the 5910 will recognize DL3 as an output option I think. Have you set the RECEIVER dig input setting to 1394 or d-link yet? If not that would probably be the next best step--after you do that power down the 5910 and turn it back on and see if dl/1394 becomes an available option.

lechuakka- Gotten any further?

lechuakka- Gotten any further?
Despite spending hours with the 5910 and 4806 I am unable to get dlink or ieee activated. I can get the audio for the dvd player using the ext in 5.1 connection. The 5910 picture quality without tweeking is poor. Much worse than the 3910 that i previously had. I am going to see if denon customer support can help me. If not I am tempted to send the 5910 and possibly 4806 back.

The 5910 picture quality without tweeking is poor. Much worse than the 3910 that i previously had.

Yikes that doesn't sound right. Did you try Kris settings?

[quote]I am going to see if denon customer support can help me.

Let us know how you go.

Despite spending hours with the 5910 and 4806 I am unable to get dlink or ieee activated. I can get the audio for the dvd player using the ext in 5.1 connection. The 5910 picture quality without tweeking is poor. Much worse than the 3910 that i previously had. I am going to see if denon customer support can help me. If not I am tempted to send the 5910 and possibly 4806 back.
I don't remember which one I did first but you have to:

1)Make sure both DVD and Receiver are turned off.
2)Turn on the receiver.
3)Go in the 4806 settings and select the "Denon link" for the source you want (I assume it is DVD, check page 90 of the manual US version) - the receiver is going to say "No signal" but that is fine because the DVD is turned off.
4)Turn on the DVD and go into the Setup menu. Go into the "digital interface setup", select the Denon link and press enter. If the 5910 has already been upgraded to DLink 3rd Edition, select that. Otherwise, select 2nd Edition (IEEE1394) option.

I have the same exact setup and it works perfectly. I do remember that I had some trouble selecting Denon link but I think it was because I had forgotten to set it up in the receiver. If you cannot select it, try turning the DVD off and then on and go into Setup to select "Denon link".

I don't know what you say about the picture, it looks awesome in my setup (both to a Mitsu TV and a Sony projector-HDMI) and I made no tweaks yet (and I had a Pio DV59AVi hooked up to the 4806 before).

Thanks Sergiohm for your suggestion. I am able to get audio via dlink. :D

lechuakka- Good to hear :) Pun intended. One down only your picture quality of the DVD-5910 to go.

I talked toa denon trainer today and I was able to get some suggestions on tweeking the pq. The pq is markedly improved. :) PQ is better than 3910 for sure. You just have to know how to set the picture adjustments

Lechuakka ,Could you fill us in on what suggestions the trainer made? thanks!

Lechuakka ,Could you fill us in on what suggestions the trainer made? thanks!

Beat me to it :)

Read thru all the threads and cant find anything

What output will the 5910 do over component (1080i/1080p) ??? I have a 9" CRT that takes RGB only (RGBHV) Does the unit force HDCP over DVI as well??

I know I can convert DVI-RGB if it doesnt output HDCP

Thx!

Jamsys, The 5910 like all Denon DVD players will only output 480P or 480i from component outputs. All outputs from HDMI and DVI are HDCP.

Awhb,
I think something strange is happening regarding firmware versions and the procedure to display it. This is my second player. With the first one, also with a DEC 04 built date, I couldn't get it to show up the firmware although I followed exactly the same method as in this one, and I tried it many times to no avail. The only difference I can find is that this one came with the latest available multiregion firmware (upgraded by the dealer).

I will try to find out if the ESS to 6780-6 is already available to upgrade mine. I suppose that if I want DL3 (with DEC 04 built date) I will have to send it to Denon :(
Well, I sent mine off for the upgrade today; I'll let you know how it goes!

-awhb

Hi everyone
Just upgraded to a 5910 from the 3910 and am having problems connecting via the HDMI input. The TV is a Samsung 5685. No prior connectivity issues with the 3910. The 5685 now states "mode not supported" when starting a dvd in the upsampled mode of 720 or 1080i. Might it have somthing to do with the fact that the 5910 now uses HDMI 1.1 and the 5685 accecpts HDMI 1.0

Captain Pike,

Looking forward to read your extensive report about IFA and the new Denon. :) :)I went to the IFA mainly for looking at big flat panels (mostly PDPs). My two reports are here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569102&page=12&pp=30
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569102&page=13&pp=30

I also spent some time at the Denon booth and spoke with a Denon representative that IMHO really knew what he was talking about.

1) The 1080p HDMI output upgrade was confirmed, but not shown.

2) Custom resolutions are not planned and highly unlikely since the current licence agreement with DVDO does not allow this.

The Denon representative also knew exactly what happens when setting CAPTIONS to ON in the OTHER-SETUP menu. Then are the captions on the DVD forwarded as part of the output stream, but of course only on the analogue outputs, i.e. a Closed Caption Decoder is not part of the player.

Just got my 5910 - setup using Kris' settings and watched a film - oh what a glorious picture and a marked improvement on the 5900 but when I put on video material (Larry David season 3) it is worse than the predecessor - nasty jaggies and slightly unrealistic colours - what should I do? Is there an alternative setting I should be using?

The HQV isn't quite on par with the Faroudja in terms of jaggies with some material. It is actually hard to test for unless you have very aggressive material. With some stuff they look identical and with some stuff the Faroudja does a lot better. Colors shouldn't change at all though with video material except that the HQV doesn't truncate the vertical chroma resolution like Faroudja, so if anything it should look better.

Beat me to it :)
Sorry about the delay. Here are the suggestions that the denon trainer made.
On the picture adjust mode go to the right most and set the IRE to 0 (this made the biggest difference). Set the enhancer to +3 or 4. Set the rest using THX optimizer from Finding nemo. In my experience setting the black level to -5 gives me the best black. PQ, and detail is improved when compared to 3910. But the 3910 is a very good machine. I am sure that the image can be tweaked even more, but the pq with all the simple adjustments that i made is greatly improved when compared to the factory settings. If anyone is interested I can post the adjustments that I made with the thx optimizer. :)

If anyone is interested I can post the adjustments that I made with the thx optimizer. :)YES, please.

Hello, thinking about buying the 5910, although I do not have an HDMI nor DVi cmpatible TV.
I have the 55in WS Diamond Mitsu, (dammit) bought just before the DVI fun stiff came out.

HOw does the 5910 perform over component?
Also, on the back of my TV there is a "digital" input with 5 rca's. 3 look like standard component but there are 2 others, one labeled H and one labeled V??? Any suggestions?
I forgot what they wer for and can't find my manual?

I've installed an A1XV; can someone tell me what the white level and black level controls do and how they are different from brightness and contrast.

Also I'm having problems with the DVI output. Hard reset the machine and it shows a flawless 480p/576p image. But if I change this to 720p or 1080i I get sparklies (even if I then set it back to 480p/576p). The only way to get rid of them is hard reset the machine again (which then goes back to 480p/576p). This is using three known good DVI cables into either a Sharp 11k DLP projector or a Benq LCD TV (which both want 720p). The HDMI output (via a HDMI->DVI) adapter works flawlessly at all resolutions.

I returned the A1XV because of its DVI behaviour but a second sample (last 3 digits of serial # separated by about 300) behaved identically so I'm using the original with a HDMI->DVI adapter. For me its not a deal breaker but I am interested to know if its an acknowledged problem.

BTW this is a region 2 A1XV but has been flashed/modded/hacked to multi region.

Quote:On the picture adjust mode go to the right most and set the IRE to 0 (this made the biggest difference). Set the enhancer to +3 or 4. Set the rest using THX optimizer from Finding nemo. In my experience setting the black level to -5 gives me the best black. PQ, and detail is improved when compared to 3910.

Yes, I can see setting the black IRE to "0" as opposed to 7.5 .
And, I can see the enhancer set as high as +3 and no higher, but black level set to -5 is disturbing unless you are setting it up with a 7.5 IRE.
I would first check using DVE to see if the player clips the white level still as Kris Deering has stated. If not, you can leave the contrast at 0 and not have to lower it to -2.
My player(June 2005) does not clip the white level so I leave it at 0.
The black level is highly display dependent and if possible I would leave the player at standard 0 brightness and adjust the display to the proper black level using DVE.
Note: Even leaving my 5910 set at standard, 0 everything gives a better picture than I have ever had from a Panny Rp82, Denon 1600, Denon 9000, Oppo, Momitsu V880, Panny rp62, Panny XP30 , Pioneer 38a, Pioneer 59avi, Denon 3910 SDI into a IscanHD+.

Hello, thinking about buying the 5910, although I do not have an HDMI nor DVi cmpatible TV.
I have the 55in WS Diamond Mitsu, (dammit) bought just before the DVI fun stiff came out.

HOw does the 5910 perform over component?
Also, on the back of my TV there is a "digital" input with 5 rca's. 3 look like standard component but there are 2 others, one labeled H and one labeled V??? Any suggestions?
I forgot what they wer for and can't find my manual?

Those are for RGBHV 1080i component video. Old HD boxes used this kind of output.

You probably have a WS-55907, right? Great set. The 5910 is probably the best ever player for 480p component. I'd say get it, and get your set ISF calibrated for a world-class picture.

Just got my 5910 - setup using Kris' settings and watched a film - oh what a glorious picture and a marked improvement on the 5900 but when I put on video material (Larry David season 3) it is worse than the predecessor - nasty jaggies and slightly unrealistic colours - what should I do? Is there an alternative setting I should be using?
I have not used Kris' settings yet. I have been watching 24hours and the image is superb, no jaggies, no unrealistic colours. Don't know what to tell you :(

I just installed my DVD-5910 (and love it so far...) and need a question answered or a point in the right direction where I can find the answer to the question.

When playing in stereo mode the system uses two of the burr-browns in dual differential mode. Does this mean it only goes into dual differential mode when you set the Audio Channel to stereo in the Audio Settings menu? Or do those two DACs dedicated to the left and right stereo channels always output stereo even when playing in multichannel mode?

The reason I ask is because when I have the DVD-5910 set to multichannel mode and I can switch to 2 channel analog bypass on my preamp/processor and it plays in stereo (so a signal is coming through the two channel outputs even though I am in multi-channel mode). Is this stereo signal going through the two dedicated burr/browns in differential mode or are they just the multichannel signal condensed to two channels?

I can't find information on exactly how this is implemented in their hardware. Knowing the answer could mean a lot less hassle when I want to switch between stereo and multichannel modes (since I wouldn't have to go into the menu and switch the audio channel back and forth). I am concerned simply because I would like to be certain I am getting the best quality sound out of my stereo mode when I use it for high resolution media.

Thanks! :D

I just have to make a comment about how great the 5910 really is:
Over on the video processor forum it has been brought up that the majority of all the new scalers coming that use the HQV chip are not using the noise reduction and enhancement features of the chip.
Well the 5910 does !

I just bought the DVD-5910, and it keeps freezing at the same point in the movie Lords of Dogtown (where they have the skate competition and Alva gets in a fight). It won't play anything after that till the very last chapter.

The disc plays all the way through on my Sony DVD player upstairs. Anyone else having this problem with the chapters in the mid to high 20s (below 28) on this DVD?

Thank you.

QueueCumber, I didn't have any problems with my disc(Lords Of Dogtown). All chapters, even the 20-28, seemed to play fine. You might want to try another copy and see if it works any better. You may have a substandard copy that may play OK in the Sony but has problems being read by your 5910. The disc is made by Sony Pictures isn't it?? :)

I exchanged the disc, same problem with a new disc. I'm returning the Denon...

I'll try one more thing, I'll buy one from another store. Spending 20 dollars to find out if it is my player or not is worth it...

QueueCumber, I didn't have any problems with my disc(Lords Of Dogtown). All chapters, even the 20-28, seemed to play fine. You might want to try another copy and see if it works any better. You may have a substandard copy that may play OK in the Sony but has problems being read by your 5910. The disc is made by Sony Pictures isn't it?? :)

Are you using a Denon DVD-5910 to play it?

I just have to make a comment about how great the 5910 really is:
Over on the video processor forum it has been brought up that the majority of all the new scalers coming that use the HQV chip are not using the noise reduction and enhancement features of the chip.
Well the 5910 does ! Well, of course, Algolith wouldn't. They have a whole separate processor (box) for NR. :)

larry

i just got my 5910 two weeks ago. and have been getting the same massage on the screen every now and again it says ( frequency out of range) and the player wont play a disk until i shut it down and restart it several times. does anyone have a clue to what this my mean. i am running 40' dvi to hdmi to sony front projector. running same line to sat box with no problems.

QueueCumber, It's a 5910 with a Dec 04 build date. I returned the movie already to Blockbuster as I only rented it. I was the first I believe to rent that copy as I rented it on Tuesday the day it was released.

That is definitely a wierd problem. I would have thought a different copy would have possibly fixed the problem. I would suggest you take the disc into the store where you intend on exchanging your 5910 and test it on another 5910 if they have one available. If it works on that one you know there's something abnormal with yours. Try renting another copy of the movie if you can, it will save you some $$ and you won't be stuck with two copies(not one of the movies I would want to own :) ).

I just bought the DVD-5910, and it keeps freezing at the same point in the movie Lords of Dogtown (where they have the skate competition and Alva gets in a fight). It won't play anything after that till the very last chapter.

The disc plays all the way through on my Sony DVD player upstairs. Anyone else having this problem with the chapters in the mid to high 20s (below 28) on this DVD?

Thank you.
I saw the movie today and had the same problem. It froze on chapter 21. I took it out and inserted the disc on my Panny DVD-R recorder and it played till the end, there were some drops and it looked like it would freeze but it did not. This is an old Panny. I'm quite surprised. The Realta chip may be responsible, who knows ?
So score is 2 x 1. Any more takers ?

I've seen it reported that this DVD has a very aggressive copy protection. This could be causing some of the problems.

What is very agressive copy protection??

larry

What is very agressive copy protection??

larry
The buzz is all over, SONY has used a new protection scheme which of course has already been overriden. But Denon was certainly not prepared for it :(
Do a google on "Lords of Dogtown dvd issues".
Take care.

Thanks. It's funny how the rippers already have circumvented it. Although I don't see how it affects DVD playback - I don't know enough about how just "playing" the DVD works compared to "ripping" the DVD wrt ARCCOS. "Copy protection" should be invisible to "players".

larry

The buzz is all over, SONY has used a new protection scheme which of course has already been overriden. But Denon was certainly not prepared for it :(
Do a google on "Lords of Dogtown dvd issues".
Take care.
Are Denon aware of it? And more importantly, are they going to fix it?

It seems my player with a Dec 04(no firmware update) build got through it OK but Queuecumber with a Jun 05 build had more problems. I may have to go rent this again and recheck it. I watched it but was very bored so I might have got a case of heavy eyelids and missed a freeze or two :p . If anyone else has this movie and has a late or early version firmware of the player perhaps you could check this out.

Checked it out again and it played through without a hitch. It's possible there is a difference in firmwares between the Dec 04 build and the Jun 05 builds that affects the playback of this disc. It could also be a difference in DVD versions. The Blockbuster DVD says unrated extended cut and includes a 2nd bonus DVD of 10 behind the scenes webisodes. Perhaps they get different discs than the ones the public is offered for sale. Let's just hope the studios don't keep pushing these new protection schemes on us as it seems they end up hurting the occasional DVD buyer more then the DVD pirate.

Checked it out again and it played through without a hitch. It's possible there is a difference in firmwares between the Dec 04 build and the Jun 05 builds that affects the playback of this disc. It could also be a difference in DVD versions. The Blockbuster DVD says unrated extended cut and includes a 2nd bonus DVD of 10 behind the scenes webisodes. Perhaps they get different discs than the ones the public is offered for sale. Let's just hope the studios don't keep pushing these new protection schemes on us as it seems they end up hurting the occasional DVD buyer more then the DVD pirate.
I rented mine at Blockbuster :(
I saw in imdb that at least another person had the same problem (but did not say what brand of DVD player).
My Denon is 2005 build but I do not remember which month.

Is it really worth it? I mean I would throw out lords of dogtown rather than screw with the player if it works perfectly on everything else.
If the studios are putting out dvds with a new copy scheme that some players can't handle don't buy dvds that have the new protection.

Is it really worth it? I mean I would throw out lords of dogtown rather than screw with the player if it works perfectly on everything else.
If the studios are putting out dvds with a new copy scheme that some players can't handle don't buy dvds that have the new protection.What happens when every new DVD has this? :) (I'm not saying they will).

larry

Tower records in Stamford CT had a bad batch of Lords of Dogtown. Tried three times on three copies from the same store. I finally got my money back and bought one at a different store. The copy from the other store works fine. I could actually see a problem on the surface of the disk. It looked discolored in a certain area, the discoloration had an uncircular pattern and was on all the discs from that one store. The new copy from another store works fine...

I do seem to be having problems with DVD-A discs in stereo bypass mode (when I turn everything but the DVD-A player off - i.e. the video and display panel), it seems to freeze up on all albums I play with these settings for a second, occasionally, but randomly. It doesn't appear to happen with 5.1 sound on DVD-A. I will be testing SACD in stereo later. I've also had problems playing some SACD in 5.1, sometimes it won't switch and only stays in stereo, and with the Eagles Hotel California DVD-A, I can't get it to play stereo tracks at all.

I'm glad it isn't a problem with your 5910. I wonder how many other stores got a bad batch of discs. It would be nice if Sony made public the batch numbers of the defective discs so buyers could exchange bad copies for known good ones.

I'm glad it isn't a problem with your 5910. I wonder how many other stores got a bad batch of discs. It would be nice if Sony made public the batch numbers of the defective discs so buyers could exchange bad copies for known good ones.


I'm guessing that Sony would rather you own a defective disc, if your player does not encounter this problem, than return it. For two reasons... One because they don't lose the money on the first disc, and two, when you upgrade later on to a better DVD player, you might have to re-buy the disc again, which means even more income for Sony. Just a guess/opinion.

Can anyone confirm that the 5910 will work properly HDMI into DVI of Marantz S3?

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a solution?


My Digital Video Essentials disc refuses to play on the 5910. The disc is fine; it works properly on 3 or 4 other players including the Marantz 9500 and the Samsung 931 (except the Sammy won't display BTB).

The 5910 is set up properly and plays every other disc/format I throw at it: CD, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, MP3, JPG, etc.

My local Denon dealer just received word that in a month Denon will be offering a $200 optional upgrade for the DVD-5910 that will enable the player to output 1080p through the HDMI ouput. This could be nice if and when I get a projector with 1080p resolution.

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a solution?


My Digital Video Essentials disc refuses to play on the 5910. The disc is fine; it works properly on 3 or 4 other players including the Marantz 9500 and the Samsung 931 (except the Sammy won't display BTB).

The 5910 is set up properly and plays every other disc/format I throw at it: CD, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, MP3, JPG, etc.

I use DVE all the time with my 5910 and I've never had any issues. Sorry.

I have had my 5910 for a month now and I am officially in love - after I finally got it set-up right. It is a huge improvement over any other DVD player I have ever owned (including the 5900).

I have had my 5910 for a month now and I am officially in love - after I finally got it set-up right. It is a huge improvement over any other DVD player I have ever owned (including the 5900).


Settings, please?

My local Denon dealer just received word that in a month Denon will be offering a $200 optional upgrade for the DVD-5910 that will enable the player to output 1080p through the HDMI ouput. This could be nice if and when I get a projector with 1080p resolution.
Did your dealer say how the upgrade would be offered? Will it need to be special ordered through the dealer and be installed by Denon at the factory prior to shipping or will it be a software upgrade that could be installed by the dealer at the point of sale for the additional $200?

I tried to play the movie Dominion last night and the screen went white just as the movie part started playing (but the audio kept playing). I skipped through the chapters but the white stayed (but the audio continued) on and even after I took the movie out and put another one in, the white stayed on the screen--I had to turn it off and back on again (but then it played the other movie just fine). I at first thought it was the movie and returned it for another one. The second one did the same thing in the same exact place. Anyone else have this problem or willing to check this out? Would this be a player issue or a bad movie/batch issue--I currently have no other dvd player to see if it would work on another player. Any idea what could be causing this?

That is weird, I watched Dominion last week with a friend of mine and had no issues at all. I've also use DVE all the time with no issues (both the NTSC and PAL editions). You may want to see about swapping the player out with your dealer if the warranty supports it.

Any new word on the 1080P output option?

A couple questions:
#1
Has denon fixed the contrast issue identified by Kris that requires you to adjust the contrast to -2 to avoid white crush?

#2
And Has anyone had any other problems with their 5910? One person stated to me that the player appeared to generate noise.Could it be this player is so good it is just displaying what is actually encoded on the dvd? Thanks!

1. As far as I know, no. I have the latest firmware that I am aware of and I still have to set contrast to -2 for correct video levels and no clipping.

2. So far the 5910 has been the most problem free player I've ever owned. I think the only issue I've had was a DVD-A from Chicago that wouldn't play. Otherwise it has performed great with DVD, DVD-Rs, Dualdiscs, DVD-As, SA-CDs and CDs.

Kris I had to send my player back to Denon in Illinois a couple of months back, it would freeze in different parts of different dvds, they said that they could not duplicate the problem but did say that there was dust inside so they cleaned it out and I havent had that problem since, keeping my fingers crossed, the latest starwars looked excellent!!!

Hey, Kris or anyone...

How do I tell if my 5910 has D-link 3 and/or if it will play SACD through a 4806 that I will be auditioning...?

(I don't want to bring it or some other components home till I know I can try everything)

Thanks

That is weird, I watched Dominion last week with a friend of mine and had no issues at all. I've also use DVE all the time with no issues (both the NTSC and PAL editions). You may want to see about swapping the player out with your dealer if the warranty supports it.

Me too :)

Hey, Kris or anyone...

How do I tell if my 5910 has D-link 3 and/or if it will play SACD through a 4806 that I will be auditioning...?

(I don't want to bring it or some other components home till I know I can try everything)

Thanks

In the Denonlink setup menu it should say something about SACD or DL3 if I remember. I don't use Denonlink so I am not sure exactly. Regardless you can listen to SACD digitally into the 4806 via the firewire output as well. Just FYI.

Thanks, Kris...

I was able to determine it's not active on my player, but for several reasons--that being one of them-- I've decided to go with Arcam separates and forego the 4806.



Therefore D-link is a moot point.

Hey, Kris or anyone...

How do I tell if my 5910 has D-link 3 and/or if it will play SACD through a 4806 that I will be auditioning...?

(I don't want to bring it or some other components home till I know I can try everything)

Thanks
On the back, the Denon Link socket will either say "DL3" or "S.E."; the latter is Denon Link 2 and will need to be upgraded by Denon.

From the on-screen menu's "Second" means DL2 also.

-awhb

Thanks, awhb...

Still probably going the Arcam route...the Demo I went to last night with the Arcam rep just blew me away....

Any update on when Denon will offer the update for 1080p on this unit? I don't see why it would matter much I guess, considering the 1080p TVs seem to all upconvert lower resolution signals to 1080p anyway. At least that is what the SONY SXRDs appear to do.

Thanks.

Just bought a second 5910 and it seems to have a problem maybe someone can help me identify.
I hook it up with either dvi to dvi or hdmi to dvi to my 1080i hitachi 51gwx20b tv(with dvi input).
If I set it to auto using the format button on the remote it locks in great everytime at 480p.
when I use the format button to change the resolution to 720p or 1080i all I get is slow scrolling blue noise.
My other 5910 does not do this.
I have tried unpluging each end of the cable and replugging it it,turning the set off or the player first and then turning them on,also did a reintialization with no success.
Is this the scaler part of the player refusing to recognize the hdcp? or what?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

I don't know if it's is related but I had to return two A1XV's (aka 5910) already, because of problems with DVI output.
At 480p all is fine but at 720p and 1090i I get what seems like a terrible shimmering effect around objects. Funny thing is, if I switch back to 480p the effect remains. Only at turn on with 480p the picture is o.k.
When I use hdmi w/ an adapter to DVI on my PJ or plasma I don't have problems.

It seems there is a problem with a batch of players since I've heard there are more from this batch showing this problem.

I don't know if its hardware or firmware related.
My S/N's were 50684103/4** and firmware on both was ESS 6780-3, MAKE DAY 413D, DRV 030825, SYSTEM 6867-2, SCALER 0A04.

Denon's quality control doesn't seem to be working very well. I don't understand how Denon can release such an expensive player with such an obvious problem apparently on a whole series of players.

I don't know if it's is related but I had to return two A1XV's (aka 5910) already, because of problems with DVI output.
At 480p all is fine but at 720p and 1090i I get what seems like a terrible shimmering effect around objects. Funny thing is, if I switch back to 480p the effect remains. Only at turn on with 480p the picture is o.k.
When I use hdmi w/ an adapter to DVI on my PJ or plasma I don't have problems.

It seems there is a problem with a batch of players since I've heard there are more from this batch showing this problem.

I don't know if its hardware or firmware related.
My S/N's were 50684103/4** and firmware on both was ESS 6780-3, MAKE DAY 413D, DRV 030825, SYSTEM 6867-2, SCALER 0A04.

Denon's quality control doesn't seem to be working very well. I don't understand how Denon can release such an expensive player with such an obvious problem apparently on a whole series of players.


what's the procedure for getting the unit to display all the firmware info again--I have a similar build date and have had a quirk here and there...haven't noticed the problem you mentioned, though (yet anyway!). thus far mine looks great through DVI at 1080i

what's the procedure for getting the unit to display all the firmware info
1. With no disc in the player, drawer closed, turn the main power OFF with the "On/Off" button.

2. Press and hold the Play and Open/Close buttons (player) at the same time.

3. While holding the buttons in 2 above, turn the main power ON with the "On/Off" button and release the two buttons after three seconds.

4. On the remote control, press the numeric buttons "3" "2" "6" "5"

5. Press the Menu button on the remote control repeatedly until you have checked that the two version numbers above for your model have
shown in the display.


I'm still waiting for my dealer to get me a player with problem free DVI output.
If it's hardware related (it seems so) I will have to wait for a new batch of players to come in.

FYI: current firmware levels from a 5910 unit sent to be by Denon a couple of weeks ago... June manufacture.

ESS 6780-6
Make Day 609D
DRV 030825
System 6867-2
Scaler 0A 04
DSP 6790
C 2004 1028

Any news on the proposed 1080p upgrade? That would be sweet.

1. With no disc in the player, drawer closed, turn the main power OFF with the "On/Off" button.

2. Press and hold the Play and Open/Close buttons (player) at the same time.

3. While holding the buttons in 2 above, turn the main power ON with the "On/Off" button and release the two buttons after three seconds.

4. On the remote control, press the numeric buttons "3" "2" "6" "5"

5. Press the Menu button on the remote control repeatedly until you have checked that the two version numbers above for your model have
shown in the display.

Note the firmware display instructions don't work on the early models; it didn't on my A1XV until I had it upgraded for DL3 by Denon. Now it does display the firmware details too.

- awhb

Hi all,
Forgive the intrusion, but I'm trying to drum up entries into the new sticky thread I created the other day: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=611824

It's a thread intented for people looking for a new player (or help with an existing one) to quickly find other people using a DVD player with the same TV/display/PJ they are using. The format is quite simple and only takes a couple of minutes to enter your info. "templates" are there to copy/quote. Thanks for taking the time.

larry

I started to read through this thread about 40 minutes ago, and had to give up half way through the raging DVHS vs DVD vs Table Saw debate. I've come across this in other AV arenas, where Denons seem to set the hackles rising.

Anyhow - wanted to add my tuppence worth, and ask a question. In the following post, please bear with me if my level of technical expertise seems on the low side. It is - but I'm learning. :)

I am upgrading to a new DVD player at the moment, and spent a couple of hours last week doing a back-to-back pre-purchase test involving the 3910, the A1XV (5910), and the A11(5900 - the player I was using at the time). I brought my own DVD material, and the three players were viewed on an Infocus 7205 projector, a Sanyo PLV-Z3, and a Pioneer 50" plasma display. All three were demonstrated to me using component and both DVi and HDMI where applicable. I also fiddled around with outputs of 720p/1080i on all 3. Compared to the 3910 and 5910, the A11 was a huge disappointment. There was a lot of pausing, judder, noise in areas of uniform colour and so on, that just wasn't there during the playback of the other two. When it was running OK, the picture itself wasn't particularly poor in comparison, but viewing was too regularly spoiled by imperfections. I thought the 3910 was fantastic, but I felt strongly that the 5910 was superior. Not infinitely so, but noticeably. Smoother playback, more detailed pictures - somehow, just more cinematic. Determined not to be biased, I spent most of the demo comparing the 3910 to the 5910 to make sure the extra outlay was justified. In the end, I decided it was, and decided to order a 5910.

I have a question, if anyone would be so kind as to give an opinion. (BTW -The player will be used exclusively to run a Sony VPL-VW100 (Ruby) that I am ordering).

On another forum, as soon as I mentioned that I was buying a 5910, I got bombarded with very helpful, well meaning and informed suggestions to buy absolutely anything and everything other than a Denon - especially a 5910. The Pioneer 989, the Integra Research 1.1, Linn Unidisc 1.1, Meridian G98, Arcam DV29, M55, Marantz 9600, external scalers - you name it. If it isn't a 5910, it's what I should be looking at. And to be fair, I am trying now to have a look at a few more players - particularly the Arcam (which, incidentally, I have been told I will have to SDI mod).

I thought the 5910 was pretty perfect. If I order now, I'll even get one of the updated machines putting out 1080p which may suit the Sony Ruby particularly well. To anyone that has, or has considered a 5910, can I knock some of the players above off my list? Please? Presumably, most of you in this thread have a 5910 already, so may be biased. I'm biased myself, having seen it play. But I'd love a bit of reassurance, or a bit of a steer before I go in to purchase something that so many in the AV community (reviewersw notwithstanding) seem to rate so poorly.

The 5910 costs $4,700 here, so nothing that costs much more than this will be considered. I'd buy one in the 'States, except that I think I'd have all sorts of problems with the warranty, voltage, and region compatibility. :(

Motleyorc - news from my Denon dealer last week, is that all 5910s shipping as of now, will carry the 1080p update. Denon here are charging an extra $400 or so for the new machine (5920?), which I think is a bit bloody much when at over $4000 you'd expect Denon to keep their flagship abreast of the competition as a matter of course.

I doubt those other players do as MANY things as WELL as the 5910 does them...

The Arcams for instance (And I just bought Arcam separates) don't do SACD.

The 5910 is truly a one of a kind Universal player ---IMHO.

I don't know if you want to use it much for music, but for someone who wants one box to play all kinds of discs, the 5910 is the one to beat.

I don't know if you want to use it much for music
Not sure I get what you're getting at with this :confused:
If there's a better sounding player, of any kind, out there I haven't heard it!
That goes for hi-rez multichannel material as well as Redbook CDs, analog outputs or as a transport using DenonLink, iLink or coax/optical.
Of course it's analog output sounds best if your processor isn't up to it.

dc

It will hardly get used for music at all. I'm trying to get the best picture up there that I can. I've been told repeatedly, that Arcam and Linn give a better picture, though I've been told that both machines need SDI modding (presumably in order to beat the Denon).

Can the 5910 be tweaked for video? If, for nothing else, to silence any argument?

Two items have not been clear to me regarding Kris's preferred settings for the 5910. One is whether to set the contrast to -2 when using component video outputs. Kris's review back in April said to set contrast to -2 for both DVI/HDMI and component outputs. But some posts to this thread have said this applies only to DVI/HDMI. Kris, any thoughts? Also, I don't recall any firm recommendation from Kris on whether to use 0 or 7.5 IRE. Again, any thoughts Kris? I just installed my new (June 2005 build date) 5910 yesterday, and, using the Sound and Vision calibration disc, have been surprised at how different the video calibration settings have been, at least preliminarily, from the Sony DVP-S7000 it replaced. My television is a Pioneer PRO-700HD CRT rear projection unit that I bought in early 1999.

Motleyorc - news from my Denon dealer last week, is that all 5910s shipping as of now, will carry the 1080p update. Denon here are charging an extra $400 or so for the new machine (5920?), which I think is a bit bloody much when at over $4000 you'd expect Denon to keep their flagship abreast of the competition as a matter of course.


What are they charging $400 for? A firmware update, a hardware update? Do you have to send the unit in for the update? Is there anything on their website that discusses the update?

I'm surprised more people aren't jazzed about this, given the slew of new 1080p sets coming out.

I've been told repeatedly, that Arcam and Linn give a better picture, though I've been told that both machines need SDI modding (presumably in order to beat the Denon).

If the Arcam and Linn need an SDI mod to "beat" the Denon, that means that you are essentially being told that if you want to get the best picture from the Arcam and Linn, you need to pay extra money for a modification that allows you to by-pass the video processing built into the DVD player itself. And, the SDI mod is only the first step. You'll also need to feed that SDI output into an external video processor, at least if you want anything other than 480i.

If you are going to use the Denon with a Ruby, that sounds like a pretty killer setup to me, especially if you are able to use 1080p. No SDI mod (and external scaler) needed.

Not sure I get what you're getting at with this :confused:
If there's a better sounding player, of any kind, out there I haven't heard it!
That goes for hi-rez multichannel material as well as Redbook CDs, analog outputs or as a transport using DenonLink, iLink or coax/optical.
Of course it's analog output sounds best if your processor isn't up to it.

dc

I was only saying that it's a killer music player as well as a killer video player...I just wasn't sure if he cared about the music side...apparently he does not.

As far as anyone saying that some other players look better--with or without very expensive mods--I'll believe it when I see it. The picture on my 56 inch Sammy DLP is absolutely stunning....nearly impossible to differentiate from true HD.

But test any others you like, and let us know what YOU think....:)

Thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to try out the Arcam DV29 tomorrow to see what all the fuss is about, so I'll let you know what I think. :cool:

I've been fielding opinion in another AV forum. My appearance here to double-check, and to get a second opinion in no way negates my appreciation for the efforts have been put in to answering my queries elsewhere. But to date, not one person in the other forum has said "Wow - you're getting a 5910? Great player - you'll be really happy with that - it's pretty much the best out there in terms of PQ."

Instead, the focus has been on what I should be buying instead of the Denon. I thought it a bit annoying that in conjunction with raving about the Arcam DV29, I was told that an SDI mod would be needed. I got in touch with a reputable and very helpful crowd in the UK that was recommended to me, and do a lot of high-end AV custom installing. I was told that picture perfection would come with a Linn Unidisc ($10,000) or an Arcam DV29 ($2800) - but that both machines would need SDI modification (a further $750) to give me the picture I was looking for. I asked about the 5910 in comparison, but it was dismissed as a relative lightweight in the high-end stakes versus Linn or Arcam. I got told about the silver disc engine, proprietary hardware, non-reliance on outside components, etc etc. This dealer sells Denon as well as Linn and Arcam. He didn't have any in stock, as he explained that at this level, no-one was really interested in the 5910 versus what a similar outlay would give on modified cheaper equipment. The typical customer in the 5910 spend-bracket would go for a SDI modded Arcam/Linn and/or a Lumagen external scaler, I was told. Particularly after a demo. Though given that there is no 5910 to demo against, I'm not sure what is meant here.

The external scaler argument intrigued me, and though I haven't had the chance to demo one, I looked for a bit of feedback on this as well. In no uncertain terms, I was told that no one makes a DVD player that can put an image to a display better than an image dealt with by a seperate/external scaler/video processor. Is this the case? And if so, why doesn't everyone have an external scaler? Why hasn't it become a standard item of must-have kit along with the DVD player, VCR and display device? What are we all doing with expensive DVD players to start with, if they are all merely fighting amongst themselves to produce at best, a second rate image?

These aren't rhetorical questions, btw. I actually would love to know why, if I absolutely have to have the best image possible from my projector (without spending over $10,000 or something daft), the unanimous view is that a 5910 is a waste of money? Arcam DV29 (or Linn, or Pioneer 898, or something else) hooked up to a video processor is the way to go. Or so it seems.

I won't need to hook up to any additional display devices, so that an external scaler may be able to feed a TV, or give me better pictures from my cable-TV or my playstation is largely irrelevant. But I DO want the best possible pictures out of my 3000+ DVDs. There really is no love for Denon out there, and it's making me a bit antsy about the $4500.



PS - Motleyorc....I was told by my Denon dealer, that a 5910 would cost me $4100. I asked him about availability and what have you, so he called Denon to find out about ordering for me. I had already been notified about the 1080p update, so I asked him about this. Now, I'm not sure what the update involves - whather it is hardware or software related. All I know, is that my dealer came back to me and explained that if I wanted to order a 5910, it would come with the update as standard, but that the player would now cost $4500. This is in Germany, btw. I note that in the US, the same mod seems to be costing $200. Denon doesn't seem to be as keen on keeping us quite so happy on this side of the Atlantic. :(

Chayes

It is funny that this dealer is insisting that you need to get the Arcam or Linn SDI modded. Which means he intends for you to feed it to an outboard video processor. This essentially means that the video processing of these players isn't to snuf. And I would love to find a video processor out there right now that can do 720P or 1080i from a DVD as good as the internal processing in the 5910. Maybe the $60K Teranex. Your dealer recommended the Lumagen, which is a great unit, but even Lumagen is releasing a new flagship processor in 06 and guess what!, it is going to use the HQV chip that the Denon has in it already. Imagine that.

If you want the best image DVD is capable of right now at standard resolutions of 480P, 720P or 1080i (or 1080P shortly), the 5910 is it. If you need an odd resolution that doesn't fit those then I would consider an outboard video processor. But even in that case I would suggest getting one with an HDMI input and feeding it a 480P signal from the 5910 to take advantage of the HQV de-interlacing. The DVDO VP-30 would be a good bet.

PS - Motleyorc....I was told by my Denon dealer, that a 5910 would cost me $4100. I asked him about availability and what have you, so he called Denon to find out about ordering for me. I had already been notified about the 1080p update, so I asked him about this. Now, I'm not sure what the update involves - whather it is hardware or software related. All I know, is that my dealer came back to me and explained that if I wanted to order a 5910, it would come with the update as standard, but that the player would now cost $4500. This is in Germany, btw. I note that in the US, the same mod seems to be costing $200. Denon doesn't seem to be as keen on keeping us quite so happy on this side of the Atlantic. :(


Thanks for the update (no pun intended). Hopefully someone from Denon will make an announcement about it soon. My guess is that it is going to require us sending the unit into the factory.

1080p though. That makes this player VERY relevant for quite a while.

You have some very silly friends on that "other forum."

I've seen the Arcam...no big deal. If you really want to spend 10k for a Linn, knock yourself out...It might make you feel better, but I doubt it'll give you a better picture.

My Arcam dealer tries to dis Denon as well, And I love my Arcam stuff, but I would NOT trade my 5910 for any player Arcam makes.

Period.

Great. Thanks, guys. I'm feling a bit better about it now. I've wanted an A1 for ages, and now that the time has come to get a new player, it was my first port of call. A thorough test didn't leave me disappointed. However, after to listening to and reading all the criticism, actually investing in one became a more difficult proposition than I thought. It was sort of like hearing that the Porsche 911 you had been saving for for years, wa a piece of junk.

I'll go test the Arcam DV29 today anyway, and will post my views. The Linn Unidisc was never really a proposition, as it's both too expensive, and to my eyes, looks and feels like a Korean games console.

Given the collective 5910 experience here, does anyone care to give me a steer on what will give me the best picture on a 42" Philips LCD (42PF9830 - to be used whilst I'm waiting for my Ruby), and a Sony Ruby projector - HDMI, DVI and Component, or Component audio and video?

All going well, I'll order my 5910 this week. Finally. Hurray. :)

Question:

What displays, plasma ,DLP, projectors, LCD sets,etc. will accept and continue the 10 bit signal the 5910 puts out over HDMI without turning it back into an 8 bit signal ?
Could we start a list of these displays here ?

Sony Qualia O4, Sony VPL-HS51, VPL-HS60

Panasonic AE-900

Sanyo Z4

Those are the only 10 bit + drivers that I know of that accept HDMI in. I am sure there are other LCD based pj's that do it though. I don't know of any DLP's with 10 bit or higher panel drivers. (most new LCD PJs are 12 bit including the ones I mentioned above).

Thanks Kris!
Wow! That Panasonic AE-900 projector looks to be a hot item!

Kris,

What about the HP MD5880n?

Haven't seen or heard of it.

Sony Qualia O4, Sony VPL-HS51, VPL-HS60

Panasonic AE-900

Sanyo Z4

Those are the only 10 bit + drivers that I know of that accept HDMI in. I am sure there are other LCD based pj's that do it though. I don't know of any DLP's with 10 bit or higher panel drivers. (most new LCD PJs are 12 bit including the ones I mentioned above).

Kris , How about Marantz s4 ,Sim2 and BenQ 7700/8720 dlp pj ? They are all having the hdmi input .

I just got a 5910 for a GREAT price - something, I wasn't originally considering given that I have a Mitz Diamond Series RPCRT (can't remember the model number), with only component video inputs.

I would like to do upscaling but obviously can't since the 5910 will only do it for HDMI o/p (DVI too?).

So, what's the most cost effective way to do this while reaping a decent benefit PQ-wise from doing the upscaling?

I am really pleased with even the 480p improvement of the 5910 over my 2910 - just wondering if there is anything else I can do to improve things further, short of replacing my HDTV, which isn't happening anytime soon.

Thanks for the help.

Kris , How about Marantz s4 ,Sim2 and BenQ 7700/8720 dlp pj ? They are all having the hdmi input .

I understand that but if the panel drivers are 8 bit, it doesn't matter. I am just not sure so I didn't mention them. You would have to ask the manufacturers.

Ordered my A1XV today. Deposit down, deal done. I hope it doesn't disappoint. :cool:

Went to look at the Arcams, but initial impressions were negative - it really does look like it came from a pound shop. Equally, though I wanted to look at offerings from NAD, Integra, Marantz and so on - almost no-one bothers to stock the high end hardware and life is short. I could spend the rest of my life waiting for gear to arrive in stock for me to view. So tough titties to Denon's competitors - they should make sure their distributors are both up to speed on the latest models, and keep at least one of every model in stock. Apart from Denon, I came across nobody in Hamburg even remotely up to speed in either area.

To those wondering about the 1080p update, I was told it involves new hardware - and is not just a software mod. The updated A1XV apparently comes with new video bits. Don't ask me to be more specific. ;)

Here's a question (probably a stupid one). I have my 5910 hooked up to my AVR-4806. The 4806 is hooked up to a Sony XBR via component (no HDMI or DVI unfortunately).

Since the 5910 does the upsampling and sends the upped output to the receiver via HDMI, can I benefit from the upsampling even though I'm connected to the CRT via component?

I'm sure most people hook the 5910 directly to their display via HDMI, but I'm using the 4806 for video switching.

Regarding music playback through the Denon 5910, I am very pleased with the results, especially when one shuts off the video circuitry.

My test recordings include the original 96/24 digital file masters behind CD, DVD-A and SACD releases, and there is very little difference between the files and what the Denon produces from the discs (this on a mid-fi system, Prima Luma P5 amp, Paradigm Studio 100 speakers, high-end AudioQuest cables).

In general, for a given title, the DVD-A often sounds better than the SACD, although this may be due more to mastering techniques for the SACD than to any difference in playback quality DVD-A versus SACD on the 5910. I have heard some stereo SACDs for which I do not have masters that sounded very well indeed.

I have been exceptionally pleased with the audio capabilities of the 5910, and I use it exclusively for audio playback, as it is better than my stand-alone CD source that lists at $2400.

You have some very silly friends on that "other forum."Hi Folks,

I am one of Colin's very silly friends on that other forum. (though he has always been much more polite than that)

I don't think anyone has ever suggested that there was a better stand-alone DVD player than the 5910 / A1XV.

It's just that when it's immaculately de-interlaced and scaled and filtered video output is fed into any display, that video will most likely be processed again by the display to fit, with the inevitable consequences to PQ. It’s not the player’s fault; none other would be better.

The issue is that picture quality has to be considered from a system viewpoint, and multiple video signal processing is always worth avoiding. This can be best achieved by feeding the display with native digital video, generated in one stage from the player. The best solution is usually to use a high quality external VP to do as much of the processing as possible. That is not cheap, nor convenient, but an expensive DVDP is not necessarily part of that solution

However, if you can feed 1080p from a 5910 into a 1080p projector and avoid any re-scaling by the projector, then you will probably achieve the same thing. Only thing is, I think you will be one of the first people to find out, Colin. If it works out, you will have one of the best home cinemas in the World.

Best regards, Nick

Ps. Colin, do you remember what I said about finding other people to agree with your prospective buying decisions? You certainly found the right place!

Well, welwynnick....

I must have been in an extremely bad mood to be so horribly rude as to call someone "very silly..."

Please accept my humble and hearfelt apologies....:)

From my point of view, having a DLP RPTV that accepts 720p at it's native input, I prefer to let the Denon do the de-interlacing and scaling, which is clearly better than that in the Samsung.

In the best of all worlds, a pure digital transport would be ideal, though I'm not sure that's going to happen anytime soon, at least not at the price point a mortal like myself would have to pay.

I agree that much of the effort (and expense!) of the 5910 would be wasted if if my Samsung were to re process the video signal, but I think that is not the case.

For me the appeal is also the quality of audio, both for music and movies, 2 channel and multi-channel, that the 5910 is exemplary at...I realize that for Colin, music and audio are not the issue. But for me, the convenience and extremely high quality of this all-in-one box can't be beat at any price.

YMMV....:)

I was curious what people know about the Sony 60 inch SXRD XBR. I am considering getting one next month for my Denon DVD-5910. My requirements for my new TV or projector are 60+ inches of screen real estate, HDMI inputs, Component inputs, ability to hook my PC up to it for browsing and video games (DVI - not sure which kind). Does anyone know of any projectors that fit this bill that aren't in the 20k+ price range (like the Sony Qualia 04).

The other issue I am concerned with is the DVD-5910 being 1080i and not 1080p. Would I need to update my Denon DVD-5910 for 1080p or will the Sony DLP upconvert the 1080i signal to 1080p? And, if it does upconvert it, would it be better to still update the 5910 to do the 1080p upconversions because the quality will be better than the TV doing it?

Thank you for any responses,

Jeff

I was curious what people know about the Sony 60 inch SXRD XBR. I am considering getting one next month for my Denon DVD-5910. My requirements for my new TV or projector are 60+ inches of screen real estate, HDMI inputs, Component inputs, ability to hook my PC up to it for browsing and video games (DVI - not sure which kind). Does anyone know of any projectors that fit this bill that aren't in the 20k+ price range (like the Sony Qualia 04).

The other issue I am concerned with is the DVD-5910 being 1080i and not 1080p. Would I need to update my Denon DVD-5910 for 1080p or will the Sony DLP upconvert the 1080i signal to 1080p? And, if it does upconvert it, would it be better to still update the 5910 to do the 1080p upconversions because the quality will be better than the TV doing it?

Thank you for any responses,

Jeff

My Sony HS-51 projector will do everything you just asked for with no problems at all. And it cost me just under $3K.

I would send your 5910 in for the 1080P update if you do indeed buy a true 1080P display that accepts a true 1080P input. The DVDO solution in the 5910 will probably do a better job than the Sony's Pixelworks scaler.

Welwynnick did raise a point that is sort of giving me nightmares, though. What will happen when I hook up my 5910 to a Sony Ruby? Is the Ruby going to accept 1080p from the 5910? I should know this, but am not going to demo the Ruby for another 2 weeks, as there simply aren't any units yet available over here (in Europe) for me to demo. I have a tentative appointment for the 20th December - provided the Ruby is available in time - an order will follow shortly afterwards. I can still delay my Denon - that's not even available for despatch to me until the 20th, when Denon Germany get batches in from Japan.

Will I be OK? Or does anyone know if the Ruby only takes 1080i and then does its own progressive processing? This would be a bit pants, and Welwynnick would probably be right insofar as I'm just throwing money away for processing I can't use.

The Ruby will be the only display device. I'll just go off now and hyperventilate for a bit.

My local Denon Dealer says that existing DVD-5910's can be upgraded to 1080p starting in January for a cost of $300. Units with serial numbers ending in 500 or less will have to be sent to Denon for hardware and firmware modification. Units with serial numbers ending in 501 and above will be upgradable with just firmware which can be purchased through Denon's web site. He said that new DVD-5910's from January onward will be shipped with 1080p enabled, but they will be $300 more than the current DVD-5910.

I was curious what people know about the Sony 60 inch SXRD XBR. I am considering getting one next month for my Denon DVD-5910.

Would I need to update my Denon DVD-5910 for 1080p or will the Sony DLP upconvert the 1080i signal to 1080p? And, if it does upconvert it, would it be better to still update the 5910 to do the 1080p upconversions because the quality will be better than the TV doing it?

JeffJeff,

I haven't seen one yet, but the Sony SXRD RPTVs are generally reckoned to be one of the two best TVs ever made. However, they do not accept 1080p inputs over HDMI - only 1080i. If you have a 5910 that can be cheaply and easily upgraded to 1080p, that is a great disadvantage.

If you tried to feed 1080p to the TV, you would get a blank screen. You could feed 1080i and it would work well, but the TV would be doing the de-interlacing. Not only that, it would be doing it at full resolution, which is the most - er - challenging option possible.

The virtue of the 5910 is in it's de-interlacing performance, so you would want to use a progressive HDMI feed. For an XBR1, teh best option would probably be 480p! Up-scaling 480p to 1080p is much easier and more effective for the TV than de-interlacing 1080i. I believe that would give you the best picture.

There are two other options. Get an HP 6580 DLP RPTV. 65", 1080p resolution, but the difference is that it accepts 1080p over HDMI. The 5910 can do all the processing then. Unless you are very susceptible to rainbows, that should give a really excellent picture.

the other option is to wait until Sony (and the rest) add 1080p to the HDMI capability - probably next year (?). Or buy a Ruby, of course.

BR, Nick

The Ruby WILL accept 1080P over HDMI, so no worries there. I am not sure on their RPTV's though. But no worries on the Ruby. Greg Rogers confirmed this as well in his recent review for Widescreen Review.

My Sony HS-51 projector will do everything you just asked for with no problems at all. And it cost me just under $3K.

The specifications for the Sony HS-51 lists its resolution at 1280x720. I'm sorry I was not more specific. I am looking for TV/Projector that has 1920x1080, for full 1080i resolution.

Thanks, Kris. :)

Here's a question (probably a stupid one). I have my 5910 hooked up to my AVR-4806. The 4806 is hooked up to a Sony XBR via component (no HDMI or DVI unfortunately).

Since the 5910 does the upsampling and sends the upped output to the receiver via HDMI, can I benefit from the upsampling even though I'm connected to the CRT via component?

I'm sure most people hook the 5910 directly to their display via HDMI, but I'm using the 4806 for video switching.


Can somebody please answer this question?

Sure, you can't take advantage of upsampling via component. The best you'll get to your display is 480P.

The specifications for the Sony HS-51 lists its resolution at 1280x720. I'm sorry I was not more specific. I am looking for TV/Projector that has 1920x1080, for full 1080i resolution.

The Sony Ruby is the only one that I know of right now. I am sure you'll have more options come CES.

Does anybody know when Denon will start shipping the 1080p enabled version?

So far it only appears on the Denon Japan site.

http://denon.jp/company/release/dvda1xva.html

Thanks

They're shipping it already in Germany. If you order one now, it should come with the 1080p modification as far as I know. Well, in any event - I ordered one, and it is coming with thae 1080p mod.

Does anybody know when Denon will start shipping the 1080p enabled version?

So far it only appears on the Denon Japan site.

http://denon.jp/company/release/dvda1xva.html

Thanks

My dealer says January.

But if you buy a non-1080p enabled unit now, you can enable it next month. It will cost $300 for the firmware that does it. The already enabled units that ship in January will cost $300 more, so there's a zero sum gain unless you can talk a dealer into "closing out" his "old inventory".

The rumor I heard is that units manufactured after about June 2005 have the appropriate hardware for 1080P and will only need a firmware upgrade. I expected a firmware upgrade to be free.

What does anyone know/speculate for those of us with older units. Will upgrade be offered????????????

I believe it was stated earlier that the older units need to be sent in...

IIRC, post Jan 2005 build dates need a firmware upgrade and before that units need to be send in. Do a search in this thread.

larry

I think the change-over was during Jan 2005. I had a 5910 with a Jan 2005 build date that had to go back for the upgrade.

Kal

I think the change-over was during Jan 2005. I had a 5910 with a Jan 2005 build date that had to go back for the upgrade.

Kal

So, is it safe to assume that ordering a 5910 NOW (say direct from Denon, through a dealer) would get the latest version that would need NO upgrades?

So, is it safe to assume that ordering a 5910 NOW (say direct from Denon, through a dealer) would get the latest version that would need NO upgrades? This is something Denon support or the Denon dealer should know. We used to have a Denon rep frequent here but he got driven off by people who didn't understand that he was just the messenger. (At least that's my take on it).

larry

So, is it safe to assume that ordering a 5910 NOW (say direct from Denon, through a dealer) would get the latest version that would need NO upgrades?

If by "NOW" you mean today, the answer is no...you would need to purchase the firmware upgrade (CD Rom loaded in via the DVD tray) sometime in January when it becomes available. Presumably units shipped in January would already have the upgrade implemented, but they'll cost $300 more than the ones available now.

One thing that may cause confusion...many of the display devices that boast 1080p resolution fail to mention that they are not able to pass a 1080p input signal. They only scale lower res signals up to 1080p.

Which, of course, is exactly what the upgraded 5910 will do...only--hopefuly--much better.

Help.

My new 5910 stops after 5-8 mins and reloads AVIA dvd. I tried another dvd to see if it was the media. "Finding Nemo" has large annoying squares (is this macroblocking?) and reloads.

It is a refurbished model built Dec 2004. I was told it would have the latest firmware and also be Denon 3 link capable, but had to use Toslink for audio to work as no sound came across the DenonLink. Of course, I expected it to work and be better than sex.

Do you think it is 1080p capable?

I am still awaiting an authorization to return to Denon and/or Dakmart.

It appears they want to repair this one. I believe it never worked, and thus is a sales issue (bad unit) and not a warranty issue for which I'll have to wait longer.

I ordered it Nov 27, and it arrived bad out of the box!!! BTW my 4806 AVR seems to be fine (same order).

I am doing something wrong?

Thanks

I bought a AVR-5805 from Dakmart. I had made arrangements for a professional calibrator to come in a set up the system. After two weeks of emails I came to find that they didn't actually have any 5805s in stock and were waiting on one to come in. It took 2 months to get a refund.

When I spoke to a Denon rep he told me that Dakmart was an authorized reseller, but that they only (meaning Denon) have 2-3 B-stock 5805s a year.

Bottom line, I don't trust Dakmart at all. I did not have a good experience with them. Your 5910 probably does need repair.

Well I have to add my 2 cents worth.
I ordered a b stock 5910 from dakmart.
It arrived and works perfectly, june 2005 build date and i could not be happier!
everything works perfectly and it passes all the HQV tests with flying colors .
Also locks on to 1080i HDCP to my display immediately!

Still waiting for return auth. from Denon.

Last PM watched "Pirates of the Carribean" and it worked very well until 1 hr and 5 min in, and then reset every 5-15 min. It was unbearable.

This variability in time to failure must have been the cause of it getting "passed" during testing.

I was watching Dirty Love (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327643/) and I was surprised that some parts of the movie were almost unwatchable (no pun intended) on the 5910. Try chapter 3 from 18:36 to 19:16, in this scene the character is doing an audition for a part, I could barely see her, the image blurred by vertical lines. This was watching in a projector through HDMI (the projector is LCD, progressive 480p resolution). When I tried the component out through the TV the image was better but a little out of focus.
This is the first movie which does not fare well on the 5910, I wonder if it is bad mastering (the image is not that great in this movie) or something else.
Anyone watch it and had the same experience ?
Tks!

Could be a PJ issue. Some DVDs have certain scenes that can aggravate digital displays. If you were using 480p out, the PJ had to scale to native res. I don't know of any PJs that are 720x480. Once in a while I have an issue with my plasma and I take it to my PC to see what it looks like on a CRT.

larry

Does anyone have any firsthand experience with a modified, (upgrade components{?}), 5910? I am aware of two sources that do modification work on the 5910, Hot Rod Audio Mods, and Underwood HiFi. For starters, both of these companies claim to have a master clock upgrade that they say provides a marked improvement in both audio and video reproduction. Each offer a multitude of additional upgrades which can push the price of the unit past $6500. With everything there is a point of diminishing return but is it possible that the stock unit is already there?

I was lucky enough to be given, YES, GIVEN a Japan model DVD-A1XV by DENON after nearly two years of fighting and five returns of a much beloved but hopelessly chroma bugged DVD-A1.

My previous player was said DVD-A1 (DVD-9000 in the US, I think...) And during the multiple returns, I was loaned a DVD-3910, so this is my third Denon.

I can safely say that this player trounces the A1 and even more so the 3910 in nearly every fashion and so far, I haven't even tried the HDMI/DVI connection because I'm waiting for cables to drop below $300 for a 12m job.

First and foremost PQ.

I was never satisfied with my loaner and refused their offer to keep it instead of my A1.

The resolution is much higher than the 3910 and somewhat higher than the A1. I found that the A1 was much clearer and sharper than my loaned 3910 even taking into consideration the definition sapping chroma bug on the former. But both look like paled dwarfs in comparison to the 5910.

To my layman's eyes, it's sharper, without over-emphasis and clearer without added noise.

Amazingly, the S video terminal gives an image on par with the 3910's components in my current system (Sanyo Z4). No, seriously, it does.

Also, there are virtually no MPEG artifacts, neither blocking nor mosquitos visible to my eyes through my Sanyo.

I haven't calibrated it yet, so I can't comment on colour fidelity. But it passed the girlfriend test in less than 5 minutes. Her response: "Wow! It's so clear! What have you done to your projector?"

Even the educational VCDs I make for our board of education here look much sharper with less MPEG-1 macroblocking, which is a top achievement in my book.

At present I've been playing back using DL2 through an upgraded A1SEA (5803) so I can't comment on audio quality.

There are only two areas where the DVD-5910 is a let down compared to my retired A1.
Menu speed: The A1 was the fastest navigator of DVDs (short of a HTPC) that I ever used.
Design: Where the A1 was sleek, minimalist and almost slimline, this thing is a beast tank (build and size) /racecar (more logos and buttons than you can shake a stick at) that required me to add an extra 4cm to my rack! Of course, this is personal taste...

My PQ results:

1st DVD-A1XV (5910) .. 10/10
2nd DVD-A1 (9000) .... 8/10
3rd DVD-3910 ......... 7/10


HOWEVER

There's always a caveat, isn't there...

Well, the player's been out for over a year now, but still no sign of any MR firmware, much to my distress...

In fact, I didn't even consider the fact that my new A1XV would be locked to R2 (Europe and Japan) until I put my new US Star Wars disc in and got the dreaded, Wrong Region message. :eek:

I've contacted DENON but they have a very strict regioning policy here in Japan.

So, now I'm stuck with a $4500 paperweight that only plays rentals (because nearly all my DVDs are R1!) Hollywood really annoys me sometimes. :rolleyes:

Anybody want to swap it for an Oppo :D ;)

Sigh.

Craig.

That is interesting as overseas the DVD-A1XV is region free.

That is interesting as overseas the DVD-A1XV is region free.

Lucky you,

But I think it's the dealers who install the firmware, isn't it. This came directly from Denon, who just point blank refuse to install it...

It was the same when I sent my A1 to them for repair. It used MR firmware which I'd downloaded. But when I sent it to them for repair, they phoned me to tell them that they would have to install R2 firmware before they could give it back to me.

They also said that they had no idea where the firmware had come from, as they didn't recognise the version numbers.

Does anybody know of any A1XV multi region / region free firmware in the wild?

Does anybody know how many different versions of this player there are out there?

The Japanese version (A1XV) is R2 locked with NO SCART but instead has a "D Tanshi" or "D-connector" that I'm currently using with a Japanese Sanyo Z4. The D-Tanshi is effectively a miniature component output, just a little larger than an HDMI connector.

For those who don't know, the "D-Tanshi" includes analogue RGB and comes in 4 flavours, physically identical, but supporting different resolutions.
D1 = 480i
D2 = 480p
D3 = 720p
D4 = 1080i+ (IIRC)

The D Tanshi on the A1XV is a D2, which is consistent with it's non-encrypted analogue output limit through the regular component outs.

The connector is small, firm, easy to use, long lasting and the cable is identical at both ends, making wiring a doddle. It's also by far the most popular connection in Japan now, after composite, of course.

What other combinations are there, I wonder? Does the UK version have a SCART socket? Are there any other versions, such as a SECAM supporting Euro version...?

I'm also wondering how compatible the different firmwares might be. Obviously, if the players have different physical configurations they may have problems using the same firmware.

Also, all versions in the various stores around Akihabara in Tokyo now sport an enormous (removable) 1080p sticker and are a tad more expensive than their predecessors.

Cheers

Craig

Lucky you,

But I think it's the dealers who install the firmware, isn't it. This came directly from Denon, who just point blank refuse to install it...

It was the same when I sent my A1 to them for repair. It used MR firmware which I'd downloaded. But when I sent it to them for repair, they phoned me to tell them that they would have to install R2 firmware before they could give it back to me.

They also said that they had no idea where the firmware had come from, as they didn't recognise the version numbers.

Does anybody know of any A1XV multi region / region free firmware in the wild?
My A1XV was "multi-regioned" by the dealer (condition of sale for most people). When it went for its DL3 upgrade, I made it clear it should come back the same way...and it did (even though the f/w had been updated)!

My A1XV was "multi-regioned" by the dealer (condition of sale for most people). When it went for its DL3 upgrade, I made it clear it should come back the same way...and it did (even though the f/w had been updated)!

It would have been a bit cheeky to ask for an MR upgrade to my player, after being given it... Gift horses and mouths etc. :)

Still, I now have a player that is markedly less useful than my bugged A1.

I've tried on some Japanese forums, but the A1XV doesn't seem to be as popular here as I thought it would be. Either that, or the people who are into hifi aren't so into blogging or forums, etc. After all, I've discovered that the demographic for hifi AV in Japan is markedly older (50s and 60s) than in the west. And not too many youngers (me included) can afford an A1XV.


Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers. :p So, I gues I'm right in thinking that nobody has a copy of the firmware this time round. :(

Cheers.

Craig.

My 5910 clicks everytime I select a chapter or change any settings, basically any operatiion. It is a short click. Is that common or is this unit silent when changing chapters ? It also clicks when a movie starts and changes from the FBI warning screen to the menu for example.

I would have to say the clicking is normal, mine does it also, I dont mind it at all it lets me know its working

I noticed some clicks too. Didn't know what they were for. They don't bother me, but it is weird that they happen?

What's the reason?

They are using a relay that has a click to it, that is all. It is normal.

To GraXXoR and all who would like to make their 5910/A1xv region free:

I just saw a hack posted on the AVforums (UK) that supposedly makes all 2910, 3910 and A1XV (same as 5910) codefree.
It doesn't involve firmware changes.

Link: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279656

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.

Note: I don't know if it applies to the 5910 but in theory it should work since the players are the same but for a scart socket at the rear.

To GraXXoR and all who would like to make their 5910/A1xv region free:

I just saw a hack posted on the AVforums (UK) that supposedly makes all 2910, 3910 and A1XV (same as 5910) codefree.
It doesn't involve firmware changes.

Link: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279656

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.

Note: I don't know if it applies to the 5910 but in theory it should work since the players are the same but for a scart socket at the rear.
Pedro,
That was one of the best Christmas gift this year! Tks!
Worked like a charm!

I'm glad it worked. :)

Is your player a 5910 or a A1XV?

I'm glad it worked. :)

Is your player a 5910 or a A1XV?
5910

To GraXXoR and all who would like to make their 5910/A1xv region free:

I just saw a hack posted on the AVforums (UK) that supposedly makes all 2910, 3910 and A1XV (same as 5910) codefree.
It doesn't involve firmware changes.

Link: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279656

<snipplet>



I can't believe my luck, weeks of frantic hair-pulling and two replies for Christmas.

If this works, I'm set. If not, I'd like to thank my Secret Santa for his much appreciated pressy! (Of course, I'm going to thank the Santa anyway because such thoughtfulness should not go unrecognised.)

p.s.

Someone said that the different versions of the A1Xvs only differ in their presence/lack of a SCART...

What about the D-Tanshi? Do any non Japanese players (5910 / A1XV included) have one? I thought I saw a review that mentioned a redundant connection.


Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays!

Craig Lloyd

Craig,

Pls let us know if the hack works for your version of the 5910/A1xv.

Craig,

Pls let us know if the hack works for your version of the 5910/A1xv.

PedroV,

Cheers for the link / hack.

I can confirm that the method mentioned here
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279656

Multi Region Remote Hack works for the Region 2 Japanese DENON DVD-A1XV (D-tanshi instead of SCART).

I now have a DVD player that's more than just an expensive novelty.

What a Christmas gift!

Craig.

Hiya,

Have any A1XV (5910) users owned an A1 (9000) If so, have any of you noticed that although layer change is seamless :cool:, there is a distinct slowdown in response speed :(?

The A1XV is faster than the 3910 by quite some margin, but I still feel that it's a lot slower than my venerable (but buggy) A1 :( . I know that navigation is only a really small part of DVD playback, but still, you'd think modern CPUs would be powerful enough to navigate their way through a DVD menu without breaking a sweat. :rolleyes:

I never owned an A11 (5900) so I can't comment... Anyone?
Grax.

Never used a 9000, but had a 5900...

The 5910 is WAY faster.

Kris;

I noticed you compared the Escoteric UX-01 to the Denon 5910... I have the Escoteric DV-50s that replace my Denon 3910. I actually think the picture quality isn't as good with the DV-50s vs the 3910. What was your take on PQ and sound quality of the 5910 to the UX-01? Have you compared the DV-50s to the 5910 for PQ and audio? Anyone else compare the 5910 to the DV-50s?

Hiya,

Have any A1XV (5910) users owned an A1 (9000) If so, have any of you noticed that although layer change is seamless :cool:, there is a distinct slowdown in response speed :(?

The A1XV is faster than the 3910 by quite some margin, but I still feel that it's a lot slower than my venerable (but buggy) A1 :( . I know that navigation is only a really small part of DVD playback, but still, you'd think modern CPUs would be powerful enough to navigate their way through a DVD menu without breaking a sweat. :rolleyes:

I never owned an A11 (5900) so I can't comment... Anyone?
Grax.

Craig,

The 9000/A1 is from the Sil504 generation of players - these were the fastest (non-HTPC) high-end players I have ever seen. The A1XV/5910 is way slower, as was (is) the A11/5900 - in fact the speed freefall seems to have gone hand in hand with the shift of DVD manufacture from Japan to China - probably due to a new generation of mainboards, as the drive mechanisms in the new players are just as fast as the ones in the preceding one.

But, yes, the A1XV is significantly slower than the near-instantaneous action of the A1. The A1XV is the better machine, no question, but I still believe the A1(9000) had a slight edge in construction, and the slower speed is annoying (if you're used to the A1), as is the loss of digital inputs.

Moory :)

Denon Germany has posted official info about the new 1080p upgraded unit and the upgrade procedure.
The new upgraded unit will cost 300 EUR more then the old version and the ugrade procedure will cost 299 EUR. It will be a hardware upgrade and the player will have to be sent to Denon and will supposedly take a week to make.
It will include a new 10bit DVDO scaler and Denon lind 3th edition.
Availability from the end of january

Here is a picture of the new unit:


http://www.denon.de/site/datadir/gr/1_gr_av_DVDA1XVA_PSilver.jpg

Denon Germany has posted official info about the new 1080p upgraded unit and the upgrade procedure.
The new upgraded unit will cost 300 EUR more then the old version and the ugrade procedure will cost 299 EUR. It will be a hardware upgrade and the player will have to be sent to Denon and will supposedly take a week to make.
It will include a new 10bit DVDO scaler and Denon lind 3th edition.
...
This is interesting but what is the point ? Is it a true 1080p (1080p@60fps) output ? The only TV which accepts 1080p is the HP-DLP and even that one only displays 1080p at 30fps so it is not a true 1080p signal. I've also read that even Blue-Ray will not output 1080p at 60fps but at 24 fps (go figure why).

Wouldn't the Ruby be able to take advantage of 1080p@60/50?
Since they are using a new scaler board, maybe (let's hope) it's an improved version which will also benefit the other output resolutions.

I'm considering the HP-DLP and was also wondering how the upgraded 5910 will work with the display.

Why does the HP set only display 1080p at 30fps? Is it a bandwidth issue with the HDMI cable?

I just saw this on the HP site:

Future-proof" your purchase: this 1080p resolution TV can accept native and compressed 1080p through HDMI at 24/30/60 frames per second.

So, does it or does it not display at 60fps?

I don't understand your question? The HP site clearly states that it accepts 1080P at 60 fps, which is what the 5910 will output.

I've never heard of ANY display accepting 24 or 30fps. I've seen 48Hz, 60Hz, and 72Hz and 1080P24SF (essentially 1080i@48hz), but there is absolutely no need for 24 or 30fps support. Nothing even outputs that.

I don't have a 1080P display yet, but I wonder if the new DVDO scaler will be an improvement on my current picture on my 720p Samsung?...I doubt it will take advantage of the 10 bits either, judging from Kris' earlier postings. (And, I can't imagine it getting much better than it is.)

Seems like a no-brainer to go ahead and do it, however, whether you plan to keep the unit for a long time, or for future resale.

Can't wait to hear how this works with the new sets....

I don't understand your question? The HP site clearly states that it accepts 1080P at 60 fps, which is what the 5910 will output.

I've never heard of ANY display accepting 24 or 30fps. I've seen 48Hz, 60Hz, and 72Hz and 1080P24SF (essentially 1080i@48hz), but there is absolutely no need for 24 or 30fps support. Nothing even outputs that.


Kris,

My question above was related to Sergiohm's earlier post. He made the statement about the set only handling 1080p at 30fps.

Have you seen the HP sets in person? Are they as good as everybody is claiming they are?

If so, it seems like perfect match for the upgraded 5910.

Kris,

My question above was related to Sergiohm's earlier post. He made the statement about the set only handling 1080p at 30fps.

Have you seen the HP sets in person? Are they as good as everybody is claiming they are?

If so, it seems like perfect match for the upgraded 5910.
I did and thought the image was pretty good. In this article (http://reviews.cnet.com/HP_MD6580n/4505-6484_7-31484737-5.html?tag=txt) they state that the TV does not achieve full 1080p resolution (and there is a comment by a user - which may not valid - states that it does not output 1080p at 60 fps).

Kris,
Here is the thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=610872&highlight=1080p) where I read about the 1080p/24 stuff.

To GraXXoR and all who would like to make their 5910/A1xv region free:

I just saw a hack posted on the AVforums (UK) that supposedly makes all 2910, 3910 and A1XV (same as 5910) codefree.
It doesn't involve firmware changes.

Link: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279656

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.

Note: I don't know if it applies to the 5910 but in theory it should work since the players are the same but for a scart socket at the rear.

Anyone else try this with a 5910?? Results??

Hiya,

Have any A1XV (5910) users owned an A1 (9000) If so, have any of you noticed that although layer change is seamless :cool:, there is a distinct slowdown in response speed :(?

The A1XV is faster than the 3910 by quite some margin, but I still feel that it's a lot slower than my venerable (but buggy) A1 :( . I know that navigation is only a really small part of DVD playback, but still, you'd think modern CPUs would be powerful enough to navigate their way through a DVD menu without breaking a sweat. :rolleyes:

I never owned an A11 (5900) so I can't comment... Anyone?
Grax.

I briefly owned a 5900 (not quite 30 days...), and up until the other day the 5910 seemed quite responsive in comparison. But I've only had the 5910 a couple of weeks, and the sluggishness seems to depend on the DVD, maybe?? It seemed pretty sluggish on some of the menus for Criterion's "Heaven Can Wait" (I think it was), for example.

The 5900 I had (I recall there might have been a firmware fix for it (which I didn't wait around for)), was way too slow. One of two deciding factors for me to send it back.

The other being....

Some DVDs would make a lot of noise in the 5900 unit I had. Wobbly type noise.

Thought the 5910 was going to be better, but last night I tried playing the B&W (speakers) freebie "A Sound Experience" that I got a few months back and the thing wobbled and made noise like crazy, and wouldn't play. Sounded like a motorboat. The second copy (magazine insert?) played fine.

(Just tried it again and same thing; at least my Malata player made some noises too, but ultimately it plays it. The Denon just gave up. (sigh) Chalk this one up to normal response to warped DVD... Wonder what DVD I used to make the 5900 wobble...)

Makes me wonder what else is going to cause the 5910 to act up (it's been fine otherwise). Works sweet in conjunction with the 5805 via Denon Link. (The 5900 was almost unusable to me via analog connection, seemed like I had to reset it every time I wanted to play a different media (SACD, DVD-A, DVD); with the 5910 I just pop whatever in and it does the right thing (far as I can tell)).

Anyone else try this with a 5910?? Results??

Curious as to whether it's totally region free? (i.e., what do you suppose "Region_A2" means?) Does it still play R1 DVDs okay? (Probably...)

More importantly to me, will it play anamorphic PAL R2/R4 DVDs properly on my NTSC-only 16:9 set?

Hope so, but really would like to know for sure before I change something that I won't be able to change back...

Curious as to whether it's totally region free? (i.e., what do you suppose "Region_A2" means?) Does it still play R1 DVDs okay? (Probably...)

More importantly to me, will it play anamorphic PAL R2/R4 DVDs properly on my NTSC-only 16:9 set?

Hope so, but really would like to know for sure before I change something that I won't be able to change back...
It plays R1 DVDs fine after the "hack". I don't know what you mean by PAL DVDs. I'm not sure the 5910 converts PAL to NTSC, I know it plays PAL DVDs fine on my projector which accepts PAL signals.
Take care

Curious as to whether it's totally region free? (i.e., what do you suppose "Region_A2" means?) Does it still play R1 DVDs okay? (Probably...)

More importantly to me, will it play anamorphic PAL R2/R4 DVDs properly on my NTSC-only 16:9 set?

Hope so, but really would like to know for sure before I change something that I won't be able to change back...

Good questions... Kris, are you out there, do you have thoughts about this?

It plays R1 DVDs fine after the "hack". I don't know what you mean by PAL DVDs. I'm not sure the 5910 converts PAL to NTSC, I know it plays PAL DVDs fine on my projector which accepts PAL signals.
Take care

Sergiohm et. al.

Japan is R2 NTSC, Britain is R2 PAL.

My recently MR'd Japanese player plays discs from both countries without problem. There is an option in the setup menu to tell the 5910 what kind of display you have:

Display Type:
PAL
NTSC
Multi System


If you select PAL, the 5910 will convert the output to PAL before playing it back.
If you select NTSC, all discs are converted to NTSC before playback.
These two options allow you to play back NTSC and PAL discs on regular single system TV sets, although of course, there will be a slight PQ hit (fuzziness, to use a technical term ;) ) when playing back discs in the other format.

When I press the signal info button on my projector, it comes up with "PAL" and "NTSC" respectively, so I think you're safe.

I also played a PAL DVD back on my tiny little 7" NTSC monitor.

As far as I can tell, it handles PAL playback in progressive and also accepts and scales PAL 16:9 (anamorphic) titles without any problems when you output them to NTSC.
I don't know/haven't measured whether or how it handles the 4% speed difference between NTSC/PAL titles', but you can at least be certain of being able to watch the discs.

If you select multi, discs play back without conversion, this gives the best PQ for all discs but requires a multisystem setup, naturally.

As an aside, my old A1 also used to say Region_A2 after the MR firware was applied. It's multi region enough to play every disc I have (all R1 and R2), though I can't confirm whether it's truly, truly, totally Multi Region. :)

Hope this helps.

Looks like I'll be doing some experimenting PDQ. Think I'll start with that R2 PAL Polanski box I keep meaning to crack open. (Who knows, if my Malata becomes OBE, may even manage to free up enough space on my rack again for the cassette deck.)

Good questions... Kris, are you out there, do you have thoughts about this?

I have no idea as I am not going to try and hack my player. It is already region free. And no, I can't help make yours that way, sorry.

Just tried it. Works fairly well, except doesn't seem do a very good job in dealing with jaggies (via component out, anyway -- tried all the variations on the main setup screens to no avail); this on a PAL 16:9 DVD being converted to NTSC 16:9 screen. Malata deals with this just fine. (Seems a bit less sharp too, but I don't think I've got everything tweeked well enough yet for that to be a final answer.)

Oh yeah, will the 1080p upgrade cost extra for US Denon DVD 5910 units? If so, then how much? I probably will buy it my December 2006 so will the 1080p become a part of the features list by then? Crystal ball guesses anyone? Thanks. This is a huge but fun thread (and expensive too)!

Recently purchased Denon 5910, with July mfg date, from Hot Rod Audio Modifications. Mike, (owner, manager?), called the regional rep for me to verify the 'upgradability' of my unit to 1080p output. Clear response was that the unit is hardware ready and only needs software/firmware upgrade which can by done by the user with a CD/DVD. The cost for the software/firmware will be $300 US. The upgrade disk is supposed to be available sometime in early 2006, (but I know how those promises go!).

Recently purchased Denon 5910, with July mfg date, from Hot Rod Audio Modifications. Mike, (owner, manager?), called the regional rep for me to verify the 'upgradability' of my unit to 1080p output. Clear response was that the unit is hardware ready and only needs software/firmware upgrade which can by done by the user with a CD/DVD. The cost for the software/firmware will be $300 US. The upgrade disk is supposed to be available sometime in early 2006, (but I know how those promises go!).

Anyone know why they would charge $300 for a firmware upgrade? All previous firmware upgrades have been gratis.

Anyone know why they would charge $300 for a firmware upgrade? All previous firmware upgrades have been gratis.

Because they can!?!? ;)

Now, these are going to be firmware updates that are definitely going to be covered by the DMCA!

They only "can" if there will be people willing to pay for it.

I, for one, don't think I will be willing to pay if it's just a firmware upgrade.
Marantz has released a player with 1080p capability from the start (DV9600) and they are using the same scaler by DVDO/ABT.

Just to put things in perspective for that money I can buy an Oppo and $100 worth in DVDs to watch.

On the german Denon website they state clearly that the player will have to be sent to Denon service to perform the upgrade. They say there will be a scaler board upgrade and update to DL3.

Here are some loosely translated parts:

"- Neu entwickelter 10-Bit DVDO-Scaler mit 1.080p-Ausgabe über HDMI" = Newly developed 10bit DVDO scaler w/1080p output through HDMI.

"schickt das Gerät dann zu einer speziell ausgebildeten DENON-Service-Werkstatt, da nur hier der Umbau gemacht werden kann."= The player will have to be sent to a specially trained Denon service repair center because only there it will be possible to make the "upgrade".

http://www.denon.de/site/frames_main.php?main=prod&ver=&MID=3&sub=1&action=detail&Pid=265

They even state turnaround will be a week, so maybe there is more involved then just a firmware upgrade.

Also, charging $300 more for the new upgraded version if only a firmware upgrade is involved is IMHO unacceptable.

On the other hand, if there is a hardware change involved, then Denon is beeing more then fair to its customers allowing them to pay just the price difference to get their players to the latest spec. (Just my 2 EUR).

hi all, i've just bought the A1XV (5910)! Firmware is:

ESS 6780-6
Make Day 609D (i presume build date is june 05?)
DRV 030825
System 6867-2
Scaler 0A 04
DSP 6790
C 2004 1028

Based on Secrets review, Kris recommended setting contrast to -2 and DNR to +1. Question is shld i still set the DNR to +1 coz my panny ae900 also has noise reduction? Problem is, i can't turn off the NR in ae900 when using HDMI (option is grayed off in the menu)

Only use the DNR with movies that you think you should. It doesn't need to be on all the time.

The change to the 5910 is not just for firmware. It required an entirely different chip for the scaler. The newer units are getting that chip installed in them now but Denon must have felt that they will only charge more for it if the customer wants to take advantage of it and use 1080P. But the FPGA is more expensive than the old one.

Only use the DNR with movies that you think you should. It doesn't need to be on all the time.

The change to the 5910 is not just for firmware. It required an entirely different chip for the scaler. The newer units are getting that chip installed in them now but Denon must have felt that they will only charge more for it if the customer wants to take advantage of it and use 1080P. But the FPGA is more expensive than the old one.

Kris.. do you have any indication how long they have been mfg with the new chips? Any specific build dates? Ready to order, my Ruby needs a new friend :)

Do you think that this will be a large improcement with the Ruby over the 3910? And does it make a difference if I use DVI or HDMI to my receiver, and then DVI to the projector?

It will be an improvement over the 3910. The Realta is a more capable chip than the Faroudja, and the player is better in just about every other regard too.

I haven't been told a firm build date for incorporation of the new FPGA, but I am sure Denon customer service could tell you.

Also, you should be going straight HDMI the entire time from the 5910 to the Ruby. That way you can get the full 10 bit video without any conversions. Set the player to HDMI and YCbCr out at 1080P, or 1080i for now until you get the update. I don't recommend using DVI with the Ruby.

It will be an improvement over the 3910. The Realta is a more capable chip than the Faroudja, and the player is better in just about every other regard too.

I haven't been told a firm build date for incorporation of the new FPGA, but I am sure Denon customer service could tell you.

Also, you should be going straight HDMI the entire time from the 5910 to the Ruby. That way you can get the full 10 bit video without any conversions. Set the player to HDMI and YCbCr out at 1080P, or 1080i for now until you get the update. I don't recommend using DVI with the Ruby.

Kris.. thanks for the reply..... Guess I'll be busting out the wall again, as the Ruby replaced an older install that only has a DVI run :)

As I was writing this, another question, OT, occured.... will I lose the 10bit signal if I use 2 DVI-HDMI cable converters on both ends, or will that be ok?

That would work okay I think. As long as it is HDMI on both ends.