Denon DVD-1920 - Page 9

I don't want to pay for a component cable of 18 m just for the fun of it, but is there a major improvement from composite/s-video to component? My current, cheap player does not have seperate component output. It's a cheap supermarket-kinda-player (about USD60), so I guess an expensive cable can't be justified anyhow, before I get a better player (like the Denon ).

Jennice

Regarding the redbook playback:
My current CD player is the Onkyo Integra DX-706 (about 12 years old). They just don't build them like this anymore (mechanically). It's old, but seemingly still popular in the diyaudio-forum. It's just that it's LASER is slowly dying on me I think. If anyone of you know this player: Has technology advanced to produce much better D/A conversion in, say, the 1920, or will I still have to spend considerably more to get similar CD sound?

Jennice

Yes indeed, there are six channels for the 5.1 discrete outputs, and another pair for the Ledft/Right Stero downmix, for a total of eight audio DACs.

I plan to use just the digital outputs, but still not quite enough of those. For example, would be nice to run a DVI direct to a display, and use the HDMI into a receiver for the audio, but there is no separate DVI output on the 1920. So I need to either run the HDMI into a receiver and then another HDMI cable from the receiver to the display, or else ignore the HDMI audio, use S/PDIF from the player to receiver, and then SIX analog cabcles for SACD (do not have any of those yet, but that was part of the attraction of this player).

Tired of waiting for HDMI 1.2 to get digital SACD! Aren't we all glad that digital audio is "simplifying" cabling?

I have a question on Black Level setting. This can be accessed when a DVD is playing by using the Mode button (second from top right) on the remote. By default it is set to on, making the picture a little brighter but hazy. When I turn it off, the haziness is gone, but the picture does become a bit dark. What is the best way to adjust this setting?

There is also a Gamma setting. What exactly does this do?

Oh yeah!

Check out MonoPrice for affordable Component and HDMI/DVI cables.

Thanks! Great link! I just found a 50 ft HDMI- DVI cable... in back-order without E.T.A.!

Jennice

When the black level is on, it the color black is represented by 53.6mV (7.5 IRE) and when it is off the color black is represent by OmV (0.0 IRE). Black areas are "blanked".

NTSC standard is 7.5 IRE for black, ATSC (HD) is 0. If you use the same input on your set for both cable (NTSC) and DVD, use the 7.5 IRE (or "on") setting so your blacks during DVD playback will match the blacks during cable viewing. Use a DVD with the THX Optimizer to correctly set brightness on the set.

If you use different inputs for cable and DVD, turn the black level off so your blacks are at 0 IRE during DVD playback (not hazy - looks better). Use a DVD with the THX Optimizer to correctly set brightness on the set for the DVD input.
The cable input you will have to adjust brighness by eye. When something with lots of black is being shown (black suits are good), reduce the brightness just until black detail begins to be lost in shadow.

The gamma setting is the same as brightness. I would leave all those alone and make those adjustments on your set, not in the DVD player.

Just read through all 248 posts on this thread and didn't see anyone asking if this player can upconvert through component or if there is a hack? Problem is I have my DVI cable hooked up to my HD cable and DVI switchers are pretty expensive.

Also, I have a Denon AVR-3805 with a Denon Link. Would I somehow (maybe through the HDMI cable) be able to get digital SACD?

AFAIK, no, since it's only HDMI 1.1 which does not support SACD.

Hi Huskerfan,

Cool dedicated home theatre you got there! I'm (almost) not jealous!

Match the 3805 with a 3910 and use DenonLink (DL3) - that way one cable will do your 2ch CD, DVD-V (DD/DTS), DVD-A and SACD. The upsideof this is that you don't have to ue the speakers settings in the player as the 3805 will do that for you via DL.

[quote=Huskerfan]Just read through all 248 posts on this thread and didn't see anyone asking if this player can upconvert through component or if there is a hack? Problem is I have my DVI cable hooked up to my HD cable and DVI switchers are pretty expensive.

I am also wondering about this, can anybody confirm???????

Thanks Jennice. I did most of it myself. It was a lot of hard work. I was thinkin the 3910 cost quite a bit more. The money tree burned down after I was done with the HT!!! How bout my 1st question?

Husker,

I wouldn't know about your first question. I'm still hoping someone reads this thread, who owns or knows the old Onkyo CD player, and give a comment on a comparison...

Meanwhile I have finished my subs. My spuse has one primary requirement: It's supposed to be kept a livingroom with a home theatre in it, and not a home theatre with a livingroom.
However, I have managed to get my PLV-Z2 just above the sofa (couch?), and the DIY subs behind it. Each sub has a Peerless SLS-12 woofer and 70 liters. They're powered (like my main speakers, B&W 630), from a 4 channel DIY amp. My DD/DTS decoder is a smaller Denon receiver, which only has to handle the center and rear speakers in my 5.1 setup. The receiver has no line-out, so the front channels are taken from the speaker terminals via a voltage divider, and fed to my stereo pre-amp. (works surprisingly well, actually, and literally takes the heat off the receivers heat sink, when it only has to power 3 speakers). It was a requirement for both me and my spouse that there would still be ordinary stereo available.

Jennice

Winiwicki - I noticed the following when using the Denon dvd player with the Yamaha Receiver: As long as any device in your HDMI chain is DVI, the receiver will not play the HDMI audio signal. As soon as you remove the DVI device, the receiver will play the HDMI audio. In my case I was connecting a Optoma DLP projector which has a DVI input to the HDMI monitor output of the Receiver.

This may be of intrest of other readers.

Thanks

i just read through this thread and didn't see anything about Black Crush - before i pick one of these up tomorrow i just wnated to make sure that no one had any problems with Black Crush on their displays/projectors using the Denon 1920 (i will be using a hdmi-to-dvi cord). thanks!!!

Hi oleus,

How long will your cable be? I'm considering the 1920 myself (it's not available in Denmark yet - but soon). However, I wonder if I can get away with a 20 meter HDMI - DVI cable...

No black crush on my Pioneer 5050 through HDMI->HDMI. I have not seen any macroblocking yet either. Of course, HDMI->DVI will compress color depth, so black crush may or may not be an issue in that setup.

Uhhmm.... *feeling dumb*

Now what's "black crush"? Gee.. I keep learning stuff in here.

Jennice

Basically, all dark-gray to black tones being displayed as black -- loss of tonal range on the extreme dark end.

The answer to "what is white crush" is left to the reader as an exercise

Ican almost guess it.

Jennice

Found the answer to this on another thread: NO

I have been following this thread, comparing the Panasonic S97S with the Denon 1920, but something puzzles me. Is the Denon 1920 the same unit as the Denon 756? I printed out their spec sheets off of the Denon website, and they both look identical except for one thing. The 1920 literature states in two different places that it has 12-bit, 108 MHz Video D/A Converters, while the 756 literature states in two different places that it has 11-bit, 216 MHz Video D/A Converters, as does the S97S. Is this a typo, or is the 756 superior to the 1920. I have seen a 756S for $349, and would we consider the S97S a Best Buy at $269 including the HDMI cable?

I just reviewed the hometheaterhifi DVD shootout benchmark, and based on video performance the S97S was ranked just under the 5910 and 3910, and ahead of nearly everything else. What does anyone make of this benchmark?

Here's the link

I found a different area on Denon's website that states the same for both the 1920 and 756 models.

"Powered with DCDi by Faroudja FLI-2301 Decoding Engine Discrete 216 MHz, 11 bit Video D/A Conversion system for Progressive output and 108MHz, 10 bit for Interlaced outputs."

This explains their literature mistakes, but why... two exact models... is beyond me.

I also noticed both the 1920 and 756 still use the FLI-2301, while the 5900, 3910, Oppo and S97S use the FLI-2310. The digital only 2310, dropped 525p Macrovision, CGMS-A, and analog RGB, YPrPb, output support. But, I wonder if the FLI-2310, which was developed for flat-panel and LCOS/DLP/Digital projection, has any advantages over the 2301. It just seems the top rated players in the DVD shootout benchmark have the FLI-2310. Probably just a coincidence....

The Denon 1910 and 755 were the exact same DVD player except the 755 was silver. I assume the same can be said of the 1920 and 756.

The players are the same. Denon uses different model #'s to allow for different sales channels. Just like the receivers.

Got one from crutchfield. One I receved seemed like a defect as I could hear disk spinning from 6' away. PQ was good, but not exceptional. Overall build quality of the player seemed sort of cheap for something that costs as much as it does. After a week, I returned it. Frankly, I just don't see much difference in PQ between these up-converting players from ordinary players.

What's your remaining setup (screen, video connectio etc.)?

Jennice