Just came back from visiting a Best Buy...first time since buying my 578 two
months ago.

On the shelves:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) - $129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129
* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

If the music companies would get their heads out from behind their keisters,
this could be audio heaven.

Certainly there is no excuse at these prices for not experimenting. And
likewise not much need to agonize over format choices.

Harry Lavo
Retro Sound
Holyoke, MA 01040

"It don't mean a thing if it aint got that swing" - Duke Ellington

Harry Lavo wrote:
Just came back from visiting a Best Buy...first time since buying my 578 two
months ago.

On the shelves:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) - $129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129
* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

If the music companies would get their heads out from behind their keisters,
this could be audio heaven.

Certainly there is no excuse at these prices for not experimenting. And
likewise not much need to agonize over format choices.

Harry Lavo
Retro Sound
Holyoke, MA 01040

"It don't mean a thing if it aint got that swing" - Duke Ellington

Add to that a little gem of a DVD player that I bought for a bedroom:
Yamakawa DVD-238. Plays DVD-Audio, mp3, mpeg's,jpeg's and is
region-free. Built-in DD decoder. Progressive scan, too. On sale at the
Good Guys last week for $25 after rebate. It has excellent interlaced
video performance, with a large number of video adjustments (gamma,
contrast, brightness, hue, luminance delay, etc.) available. Perfectly
displays the PAL anamorphic DVD's that so many players have trouble
doing correctly. I have not listened to DVD-A on this player, but
reviews have been very positive.

Do any of these players have bass management for those of us with
Sub-Sat systems?

WVK
Harry Lavo wrote:

Just came back from visiting a Best Buy...first time since buying my 578 two
months ago.

On the shelves:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) - $129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129
* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

If the music companies would get their heads out from behind their keisters,
this could be audio heaven.

Certainly there is no excuse at these prices for not experimenting. And
likewise not much need to agonize over format choices.

Harry Lavo
Retro Sound
Holyoke, MA 01040

"It don't mean a thing if it aint got that swing" - Duke Ellington

chung wrote:
Harry Lavo wrote:
Just came back from visiting a Best Buy...first time since buying my 578 two
months ago.

On the shelves:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) - $129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129
* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

If the music companies would get their heads out from behind their keisters,
this could be audio heaven.

Certainly there is no excuse at these prices for not experimenting. And
likewise not much need to agonize over format choices.

Harry Lavo
Retro Sound
Holyoke, MA 01040

"It don't mean a thing if it aint got that swing" - Duke Ellington

Add to that a little gem of a DVD player that I bought for a bedroom:
Yamakawa DVD-238. Plays DVD-Audio, mp3, mpeg's,jpeg's and is
region-free. Built-in DD decoder. Progressive scan, too. On sale at the
Good Guys last week for $25 after rebate. It has excellent interlaced
video performance, with a large number of video adjustments (gamma,
contrast, brightness, hue, luminance delay, etc.) available. Perfectly
displays the PAL anamorphic DVD's that so many players have trouble
doing correctly. I have not listened to DVD-A on this player, but
reviews have been very positive.

Correction: the DVD-238 does not play the high-rez DVD-A tracks. Its
bigger brother, the 288KVGA, which costs $60 and adds VGA connectivity,
apparently does.

WVK wrote:
Harry Lavo wrote:
On the shelves [of Best Buy]:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) - $129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129

Are you sure about this one ? I see that it is available on-line at $ 64.95
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ist&sku=323671
but doesn't seem to have DVD-Audio or SACD.

The SD-4960 ($ 139.95 at B&H) does have:
"DVD-Audio Multi-Channel Playback
Super Audio CD Multi-Channel Playback
5.1 Channel Output with Bass Management"
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/prod...?model=SD-4960
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont....x=0&image.y=0

* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

I didn't find any model number starting with 65 (maybe it was a discontinued model ?).
The current changer with DVD-A and SACD is the SD-6915 ($ 169.95 at B&H)
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/prod...?model=SD-6915
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=323677&is=REG

Although not as cheap, there is also the Samsung DVD-HD841 (List
Price: $199.99 $179.94 at amazon):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001H4BMU/
http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/na...VD-HD841%2fXAA
http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/co...8_HD841XAA.pdf

Do any of these players have bass management for those of us with
Sub-Sat systems?

At least the Pioneer * the Samsung and the Toshibas have . For the
others check the manual at the manufacturer's web page.

* the previous version of the Pioneer (DV-565A) had a bug (?) in which
the crossover for the subwoofer was at 200 Hz for DVD-Audio instead of
100 Hz or 120 Hz for the other formats.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/ass...2003135639.pdf
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/art...age_numbe r=1

--
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/

..pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC)
Europe | Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94

My error. It was the 4960 I was referring to.

"Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro" wrote in message
...
WVK wrote:
Harry Lavo wrote:
On the shelves [of Best Buy]:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the
S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) -
$129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129

Are you sure about this one ? I see that it is available on-line at $
64.95

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ist&sku=323671
but doesn't seem to have DVD-Audio or SACD.

The SD-4960 ($ 139.95 at B&H) does have:
"DVD-Audio Multi-Channel Playback
Super Audio CD Multi-Channel Playback
5.1 Channel Output with Bass Management"
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/prod...?model=SD-4960

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont....x=0&image.y=0

* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

I didn't find any model number starting with 65 (maybe it was a
discontinued model ?).
The current changer with DVD-A and SACD is the SD-6915 ($ 169.95 at B&H)
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvd/prod...?model=SD-6915

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=323677&is=REG

Although not as cheap, there is also the Samsung DVD-HD841 (List
Price: $199.99 $179.94 at amazon):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001H4BMU/

http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/na...VD-HD841%2fXAA

http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/co...8_HD841XAA.pdf

Do any of these players have bass management for those of us with
Sub-Sat systems?

At least the Pioneer * the Samsung and the Toshibas have . For the
others check the manual at the manufacturer's web page.

* the previous version of the Pioneer (DV-565A) had a bug (?) in which
the crossover for the subwoofer was at 200 Hz for DVD-Audio instead of
100 Hz or 120 Hz for the other formats.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/ass...2003135639.pdf

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/art...age_numbe r=1

--
http://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/

.pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC)
Europe | Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94

"WVK" wrote in message
...
Do any of these players have bass management for those of us with
Sub-Sat systems?

The only one I have first hand experience with is the Panasonic DVD-A, which
does. I believe in a reveiw of the Sony, that it stated that the Sony used
Sony's new bass management system, but don't hold me to it. The Toshiba's I
don't know much about, but if you visit the DVD-A forum on Audio Asylum
their is a rabid group of Toshiba loyalist and lots of posts...the info is
proably in there somewhere if you search the archives. Or just ask the
question there.

Harry Lavo wrote:

Just came back from visiting a Best Buy...first time since buying my 578
two
months ago.

On the shelves:

* A Panasonic single-disk S47 DVD, CD, DVD-A player (successor to the
S55) -
$129.
* A Sony single-disk DVD, CD, SACD player (can't recall model num) -
$129
* The Pioneer DV-578 universal player - on sale at $129
* The Toshiba 3960 universal single-disk player - $129
* The Toshiba 65?? universal changer - $149

If the music companies would get their heads out from behind their
keisters,
this could be audio heaven.

Certainly there is no excuse at these prices for not experimenting. And
likewise not much need to agonize over format choices.

Harry Lavo
Retro Sound
Holyoke, MA 01040

"It don't mean a thing if it aint got that swing" - Duke Ellington