ONKYO DV CP704 FAQ / Brain dump

SACDs... sigh... sad but true.

Look at the front panel display of the player, there are the numbers 1-6. The number of the disk loaded will have a circle around it's number.

17" was a bit of an issue for me, I had to cut out a section of my backing board to make it fit into my 16 inch deep cabinet. (No big deal though, the cabinet was originally open on the front and back, I added the backing board after the fact a few years ago to hide all my cables and I cut the hole to fit the player perfectly, you can't even tell it's been cut.) I use HDMI for my connections.

I love this DVD player (got it for Christmas) We watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2 last weekend, and the picture looked great (only 720p for me). New Years Eve we plugged in 6 CDs and hit the "Party Mode" button and we had music from all six disks all night.

I also like the Onkyo "Remote Interactive" feature that lets my reciever and player become more integrated with each other.

I still need to try it with some MP3 disks....

The 'Remote Interactive' feature uses it's own 1/8 inch plug and cable connected to the "RI" jacks on the back of the AVR and the DVD player. I've not noticed any performance altering isses with this.

I just got the 674 about a month ago (so I'm still learning it), and I have the 6412 connected via component and optical cables to the 674 (because of HDCP issue in my firmware, discussed at great lengths in other threads). I set the 6412 to convert to 720p. From what I understand in my reading other threads, the 674 only upconverts from 480i to 480p. Everything else is just a pass-through. But it will route inputs from component, composite and s-video to the HDMI output allowing you only to run one cable to the display. I think it's better to let the DVD and the STB do the upconverting, IMO.

Apparently, SACD format restrictions don't allow SACDs to be output via digital outs ... SOO, you're stuck with the DAC on the player.

$200 players probably aren't going to have good DACs (or good transports either).

YMMV

Can this player play PAL dvd's?
regards
Karen

I just got this DVD changer as part of the 907 package. It is hooked up to my Panasonic TH-42PX60U plasma. It seems to me that the picture is noticeably grainier than the old Toshiba 480P progressive DVD player it is replacing, regardless of whether I choose the 480P, 720p or 1080i settings (it's hooked up through HDMI). After calibrating it with DVE I noticed that the picture this player passes a much darker image than the Toshiba. In its setup menu, the Onkyo has Sharpness and Brightness settings, both defaulted to 4. I find that any setting other than 4 for sharpness results in an almost unwatchable, fuzzy image with lots of artifacting. After changing the brightness to 6 and recalibrating the TV with DVE the picture is much improved, but still slightly grainy. Since the plasma resolution is 768p it seems that the Panny has to convert the incoming image regardless of the resolution, so I would think the less conversions to the image the better, and that I may as well leave the Onkyo output to 480p, so that it is being converted once rather than twice. Does that logic seem reasonable? Also, I am curious if anyone else finds the image grainy, and what settings are you using in the Onkyo setup for sharpness and brightness?

Watching a DVD @ 720p upped on a Sharp 1080p looks fantastic. 1080i from the DVD actually looks worse. I keep the sharpness on the tv in the middle, but have never played w/ the Onkyo's video settings.

i ordered this dvd changer. I was able to get it for $92.00 shipped from shoponkyo.com, 'cause they had a new year's 10% discount and i had $20 worth of shoponkyo bonus points as a member.
This will be doing mostly CD duty until i get a HDTV in about 6 months, then i will use it as an upconverting dvd player too...

so right now i only have a 480i TV, and i have the follwoing questions:
1) until I get the HDTV, I will use component outs for video and ANALOG RCA outs for audio for playing CDs and also when i watch dvds.
in order to do this, do i need to set hdmi to off ? are there separate options to turn hdmi video and audio off or just "hdmi on/off" which turns off BOTH video/audio?

2) when the HDTV comes, I will want to use HDMI for video, and still ANALOG OUTS for audio. is this possible? will using the HDMI jack for the TV stop analog out from going out?

3) did anyone ever make this player region-free?

thanks.
I will review/update as soon as i get the player set up.

I recently hooked up my new DVCP704 via HDMI (video) and DIGI COAX (audio) to my TXSR605 and then outputting HDMI to my Sony KDL-S2010 (720p/1080i). When i play a CD and the TV is not on, I get a HDMI error listed (005). I realize the player wants the TV on due to its connections, but is there a way to acknowledge the error so it won't keep flashing on the display during playback? (It also interrupts the audio while flashing on the 704's display). The only way i've found to work around is to set the 605's connection to direct, however doing so switches the audio to be transferred via the RCA (analog) inputs which are connected due to RI.

When i turn on the TV to watch DVD's everything is fine and also if i have the TV on at first and then switch off, the 704 doesn't seem to mind.

Any suggestions?

I got this because the cdp(changer) section of my mini Onkyo setup giving up the ghost last week...
I've never been a big fan of changers but I must admit I realized I have become quite fond of the CD changer we had, my wife especially.

So in order to resolve that problem AND to cover the need for an upconverting dvdp (for the HDTV that i expect to get in 6 mo. or so), I decided on going with a refurb Onkyo DV-CP704 dvd/cd changer...The main use I wanted is a good quality cd changer, and that this is one of the few affordable dvd changers that actually upconverts upto 1080i (HDMI)...I saw the added benefit that this would be compatible with my mini Onkyo amp's remote also...

with the Onkyo points I had and shoponkyo's special new yr price, I was able to get it for $92.00 shipped! I was pretty happy with that

So I got it today, and it looks and feels brand new, not a single thing to show that its a refurb, with all the accessories, depsite onkyo stating that refurbs may not have cables, manuals etc...the unit feels very well built; solid, and tough to the touch; front panel buttons operate smoothly.

The pics are not that great...sorry about the ghetto set up, and wires/cds mess, due to the thing not fitting in the entertainment center:
this thing is DEEP, I mean, it's 17" deep , and doesn't fit in the rack, so for testing i set it up ghetto like on the box, and put 6 cds in (orginal and burned CDRs)...and hit play..

it's so deep, looks like a perfect square! :


The mini cdp i had was a 1bit and this is a 24 bit, and probably has different/better DACs etc, but I didn't think it would make much difference, but man it does! first thing i noticed was that the output level is higher and that the music had so much more depth...it sounded more..."massive" is the term i think, and at the same time, I felt that the music is more clearer than I remember from the mini cd changer..absolutely wonderful vocals...and pretty much everything...This may be mainly a dvdp, but the Audio CD quality it truly superb. I guess I can see why there are hi-end cd players out there!
The 6-disc carousel is pretty smooth, and changes discs quickly with a bit of noise (only during the change); probably normal. The load times for CDs was pretty short, but I will have to see how it does with dvds...



this changer plays tracks in random mode across ALL 6 discs...(I've heard many cd/dvd changers doing the random mode only within the current disc, which people have complained about a lot in reviews of other dvd/cd changers)... I know that this unit has some kind of bass management too...but i don't know if it works with CDs or not...haven't played around much...
There's a "party mode" button, haven't used it yet...have to go thru the manual to see what that does..



I have not played any dvds yet...our entertainment ctr is such a PITA to work with, I will have to connect this later to the TV, and see how it compares to the Pioneer dvdp we normally use...if there's a difference in PQ etc...How good the upconverting of this dvdp is, i will have to wait to see when we get the LCD...(From what I've read on AVS, and 1 member from here, it does a great job of upconverting.)

I like that the blue light above the tray that provides illumination when changing discs, etc...that blue light can be turned off and the whole display can be dimmed 2 steps. The display is green, not blue like my receiver, but at least it is not a whole lot different.

Anyway, main thing right now is: we're happy we have a CD changer which looks like it's pretty solid and dependable, and has excellent SQ. Considering it was $92.00 shipped, and gain of another $15 in shoponkyo points for buying it, I think I can be happy.
~Thanks for reading.
(will update how its dvd performance after watching a dvd in a day or two)

can someone tell me if this dvd changer has last position memory? (in my bottom of line pioneer player, if i stop a dvd, turn power off, and later power on, the disc plays from the position i stopped at. it does this even if i take the dvd out of the player and put back in. (up to 5 disc memory)

I would like to know if this player also does this without reading tthrough the whole manual

thx.

UPDATE:
set up to watch a dvd last night (only 480i over component; i only have a CRT tv right now, but it is pretty amazing for a CRT; will have to wait for the LCD tv to evaluate the upconverted PQ on dvds)
I compared to the single disc pioneer dv-393s dvdp we used so far, a great entry level player.

what i like:
*"view mode" button with 4 different view modes: = on the fly screen size/type changing to get a full screen from any widescreen dvd...this is not the initial TV screen type set up, which some dvds don't obey when u do "pan and scan"; this control fits ANY dvd to fill the 4:3 screen withOUT losing the correct aspect ratio (pioneer dvdp that i have had to be stopped to do that; and didn't have this zoom/override function to fill the screen with any disc)
*amazing, very "film like" PQ: can't quite describe this, but it has a very natural "film like" quality to the pic. the pioneer has great PQ, but this "film" look was lacking
*adjustable black level: with black level on "dark" the picture is absolutely gorgeous...stunning, dark, but vibrant at the same time.
*zoom PQ = normal PQ : (pioneer's zoomed PQ was grainy...not here...there's NO loss of PQ)
*ability to fast forward thru some "warning" messages at start. (not all discs though; pio didn't do it on any)
* of course the ability to have a bunch of CDs/dvds and play them change them at will...with one remote...and FF cue on CD...and all other advantages of a changer withOUT loss of CD audio quality.
* load time: is clearly quicker to load than the pioneer, and to power up, too.

don't like/lacks: (comp. to pio):
* no dialog enhancer...so far the lack of this feature didn't give me any trouble, but i like this on pio.
* no audio EQ (pio has)
* only contrast/bright/sharp adjust (not that it needs any, but pio had color and hue/gamma adjust...to be honest never used any of those: i just adjust all that on TV)
* dvd sound level seems to be lacking compared to its CD audio sound level, and quality...it is equal to pio (perhaps the pio had a BIT more punch? difficult to say without watching the same movie back to back on both players)...

all in all, I'm really happy; esp for $92.00 total cost....the PQ on dvds is great; the SQ on CDs is great...and the convenience of operating all that with one changer/remote withOUT losing any SQ/PQ is great.
If the component 480i PQ is this good, i can't wait to see how good this would do dvds upconverted with an HDTV This will remain our main dvdp with the upcoming HDTV, until we decide to get a BD/HD player someday.
-----------------------------------------------
("?": i tried to take a pic of a still dvd screen shot from the TV screen w/ my digi camera, but the camera pic has weird lines on it (which are NOT on the actual TV screen), like a pattern...i can see it thru the screen of the camera too, and shows on the pic also..is this something normal when photographing CRT TV screens?),

following is from the manual of my onki dvd changer: and I use 2-ch stereo out put for audio (my only choice right now)

first of all:
does this even apply if i'm using 2-ch ANALOG audio out?

Dynamic Range Control (Dolby Digital
only)
With the Dynamic Range Control function you can
reduce the dynamic range of Dolby Digital material so
that you can still hear quiet parts even when listening at
low volume levels—ideal for watching movies late at
night when you don’t want to disturb anyone.
Off (default): The full dynamic range is preserved.
On: The dynamic range of Dolby Digital material is
compressed.
Notes:
• The impact of the Dynamic Range Control function
depends on the Dolby Digital material that you are
playing and with some material there will be little or
no effect.

so, if this does apply to me when using analog outs, according to the 2nd part in bold text, if i need to hear dialogs/quieter passages best, I need to set the DRC to "OFF"? is that right?

or is it "ON" because it says REDUCING the dynamic range helps to hear quieter passages (see 1st bold part)?
I'm confused!

Thanks a lot.