Audio Video News

Want to get the maximum from movies and music? Check out Onkyo's top-of-the-line DV-S939, the company's first DVD player with progressive scan video, and its first with the coveted THX Ultra certification. The new single-disc machine plays DVD video and DVD audio discs, as well as standard audio CDs, video CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs.

The DV-S939 has premium, 192 kHz/24-bit Digital-to-Analog converters for accurate reproduction of 192 kHz 2-channel stereo, or 96 kHz 5.1-channel surround sound, inboard decoders for Dolby Digital and DTS, and "Direct Digital Path" outputs for external decoders. The datastream appearing at the DV-S939's output is the raw signal from the optical pickup circuits, according to a company press release. No data reduction or bandwidth limiting is applied to the signal. Dual transformers and separate power supplies for the analog and digital circuits keep internally generated noise at a minimum.

Unlike most "progressive-scan" players that apply line doubling after the NTSC modulator, Onkyo employs a 3:2 pull-down technology to generate 30 completely individual frames every second, a technique said to greatly increase resolution and eliminate visible flicker. The DV-S939 features multiple professional-grade 54 MHz/10-bit video DACs; the back panel sports two component-video outputs, optical and coaxial digital outs, two S-Video outs, DB-25 and RCA 5.1-channel audio outputs and one stereo output. An RS-232 port allows integration with home control systems and software upgrades to the machine's main processor. There is also a provision for an open IEEE-1394 buss once it becomes available for audio/video use.

Priced at $1799.95, the Onkyo DV-S939 should arrive at dealers in late September.