Audio Video News

Denon has introduced a new series of DVD players that ought to be taken seriously by all home theater fans. The model 9000, due in March at $3500 retail, is certain to cause a stir.

The THX Ultra-certified player should offer superb video performance. At its heart is the latest Silicon Image/"DVDO PureProgressive" (SiI504) decoding engine, capable of high speed ultra-resolution digital signal processing at 6 billion operations per second (6 GOPS). The Sil504 is said to be the highest quality progressive decoding engine available, and is buffered by 64Mb external SDRAM.

In the 9000, motion artifacts are kept to an absolute minimum by "four fields" digital video processing for optimum motion detection and compensation. The player is claimed to offer "accurate 2:3 pulldown detection and reconstruction, even with inaccurately flagged content," and optimum processing for content regardless of its origin. Analog Devices' new 108 MHz, 4:4:4, 14-bit video D/A conversion system features "noise shaped video processing" for both progressive and interlace outputs. All video outputs are switched via wideband relays for minimum signal loss. A variable black level allows compensation for variations in display characteristics or ambient light. There is no chroma up-sampling error thanks to Denon's "SuperSub" alias filtering.

Video outputs include two composite and two "S" video outs. Novel features include 4:3 shrink/zoom controls, JPEG photo file viewer and Kodak PhotoCD compatibility, and optical and coax digital inputs that allow the player to be used as an outboard D/A converter. The 9000 uses internal copper construction with multi-layered top and bottom plates, and a six-block isolated layout to minimize interference between the analog, digital and video circuits.

Audio performance is something special, the result of eight Burr-Brown 24-bit/192-kHz PCM 1704 audio DACs, and a new ESS "Vibrato" ES6038F MPEG/DVD-Audio decoder. An Analog Devices 32-bit processor offers full digital bass management for DVD-A, with time delay variable up to 15ms, an 80Hz crossover point, and 12dB high pass and 24dB low pass slopes.

The 9000 decodes HDCD recordings, and plays back MP3's, as well as standard audio CD's, CD-R's, CD-RW's. For audiophile applications, you can engage the "pure direct mode" that defeats the player's unused circuitry "for the ultimate in audio performance." Denon claims the 9000 offers unencumbered 24/96 digital output, both optical and coaxial.

For owners of the Denon AVR-5803, the 9000 also has the Denon Digital Link. A backlit remote control is a standard accessory.