One more low-cost universal player. Yamaha has a new model, the Yamaha
DVD-S 657, with DVD-Audio and SACD compatibility (around 180 euros
online). The equivalent american model seems to not exist yet.

Compared with the Pioneer DV-575 it is slightly more expensive,
but it should be easier to unlock to play other regions DVDs
(assuming it works like the other Yamahas).

I have not yet found its manual, so I am not sure if it has
bass management, and distance compensation like the Pioneer.

It lacks DVI or HDMI output, unlike the Samsungs.

http://yamaha-hifi.de/products.php?lang=e&idprod=1225

BTW, there are also new AV receivers: RX-V357, RX-V457, RX-V557,
RX-V657, RX-V757. The differences compared with the older models
seem few.

--
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

Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:
One more low-cost universal player. Yamaha has a new model, the Yamaha
DVD-S 657, with DVD-Audio and SACD compatibility (around 180 euros
online). The equivalent american model seems to not exist yet.

I've read online in the alst few days taht teh S2500 has become available
in Europe --- not sure if you're talking about the same model.



Compared with the Pioneer DV-575 it is slightly more expensive, but it
should be easier to unlock to play other regions DVDs (assuming it works
like the other Yamahas).

I have not yet found its manual, so I am not sure if it has
bass management, and distance compensation like the Pioneer.


It lacks DVI or HDMI output, unlike the Samsungs.

THe S2500 supposedly features ilink, though. At US $700 (the original
announced MSRP, though apparentlyu the European version comes it at more
like $800) that would make it the least expensive ilink-compatible
universal player out there.


--

-S
It's not my business to do intelligent work. -- D. Rumsfeld, testifying
before the House Armed Services Committee

Steven Sullivan wrote:
Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:
One more low-cost universal player. Yamaha has a new model, the Yamaha
DVD-S 657, with DVD-Audio and SACD compatibility (around 180 euros
online). The equivalent american model seems to not exist yet.

I've read online in the [last few days that the] S2500 has become available
in Europe --- not sure if you're talking about the same model.

No. The 2500 costs 700 euros (at www.technikdirekt.de), so it is not in
the same range as the DVD-S 657.

http://www.yamaha-online.de/products...hp?idprod=1181

http://www.hifi-edition.de/de/pro.php?id=2388

It lacks DVI or HDMI output, unlike the Samsungs.

THe S2500 supposedly features ilink, though. At US $700 (the original
announced MSRP, though apparentlyu the European version comes it at more
like $800) that would make it the least expensive ilink-compatible
universal player out there.

I think a Pioneer DV-757 Ai is cheaper. I found it online for 479 euros,
although I don't know the retailer:

http://www.mistergooddeal.com/v2/V2_...ib=touslesprix

BTW, the only Yamaha receiver with ilink is the very expensive
DSP-Z9 or RX-Z9.

--
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

Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:
Steven Sullivan wrote:
Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:
One more low-cost universal player. Yamaha has a new model, the Yamaha
DVD-S 657, with DVD-Audio and SACD compatibility (around 180 euros
online). The equivalent american model seems to not exist yet.

I've read online in the [last few days that the] S2500 has become available
in Europe --- not sure if you're talking about the same model.

No. The 2500 costs 700 euros (at www.technikdirekt.de), so it is not in
the same range as the DVD-S 657.

http://www.yamaha-online.de/products...hp?idprod=1181

http://www.hifi-edition.de/de/pro.php?id=2388

It lacks DVI or HDMI output, unlike the Samsungs.

THe S2500 supposedly features ilink, though. At US $700 (the original
announced MSRP, though apparentlyu the European version comes it at more
like $800) that would make it the least expensive ilink-compatible
universal player out there.

I think a Pioneer DV-757 Ai is cheaper. I found it online for 479 euros,
although I don't know the retailer:

http://www.mistergooddeal.com/v2/V2_...ib=touslesprix

BTW, the only Yamaha receiver with ilink is the very expensive
DSP-Z9 or RX-Z9.


True, but so far reports of ilink interoperability between brands have
been encouraging. I expect the Yamaha would work perfectly well with
a Pioneer ilink AVR.

Steven Sullivan wrote:
Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:
Steven Sullivan wrote:
Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:

THe S2500 supposedly features ilink, though. At US $700 (the original
announced MSRP, though apparentlyu the European version comes it at more
like $800) that would make it the least expensive ilink-compatible
universal player out there.

BTW, the only Yamaha receiver with ilink is the very expensive
DSP-Z9 or RX-Z9.

This has changed. There is now (since April, in fact) a Yamaha RX-V4600
with both ilink and HDMI. At $1900 (online) it is still much more
expensive than the cheaper Pioneers. Maybe the RX-V2600 and RX-V1600
will also have ilink and HDMI but those models are still months away
(Christmas 2005 or later).

http://www.yamaha.ca/av/Receivers/RXV4600B.jsp
http://www.yamaha.ca/av/Images/recei...V4600/rear.jpg

True, but so far reports of ilink interoperability between brands have
been encouraging. I expect the Yamaha would work perfectly well with
a Pioneer ilink AVR.

I think I have read somewhere that such a connection (Pioneer-Yamaha)
worked without problems.

--
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

Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:
Steven Sullivan wrote:

True, but so far reports of ilink interoperability between brands have
been encouraging. I expect the Yamaha would work perfectly well with
a Pioneer ilink AVR.

I think I have read somewhere that such a connection (Pioneer-Yamaha)
worked without problems.

With the online price of the Pioneer 59AVi having come down so much , the
Yamaha S2500 is no longer a clear price leader for ilink players.


--

-S
It's not my business to do intelligent work. -- D. Rumsfeld, testifying
before the House Armed Services Committee