Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)PROS: Superb CD over analog, excellent bass management, beautiful BD/DVD picture with Realta, decoding of ALL codecs, solid construction
CONS: Sluggish in response, expensive, not BD-Live 2.0 although some would call this a plus!
I've owned this player for nearly a year now and have watched a lot of the bugs get fixed through firmware. UPDATE: Decoding of DTS-HD HR (as of 1.115 firmware 11/24/08) is now included. Owners in forums were slow to pick up on this due to HR being the "forgotten codec." It decodes ALL now!!! The 3800 also does bitstream all codecs if you are so inclined. This player is really targeted to the analog crowd as it's got AL24 processing and great Burr Brown DAC's. If you own an HDMI capable receiver, then the purchase is more questionable as you are paying for an analog section you may never use. The Realta keeps the video reference quality so no need to keep the DVD player.
Summary:
Targeted to owners of non-HDMI receivers who want extensive bass management and listen to CD's and play both DVD's and BD's in one player. I suggest you purchase an extended warranty or get the Marantz BD8002 since it has 3 yr warranty and is a clone.
Similar players:
Sony BDP-S5000ES - a fine player but lacks the bass management that the 3800 has for the analog output (ie. fixed crossover).
Pioneer Elite BD-09FD - another fine player but will not have DTS-HD MA decoding until future firmware. It is also rumored to have variable crossover through future firmware but the manual currently implies fixed crossover. I personally would never buy a product based on "future functionality."
Marantz BD8002 - a clone of the Denon 3800 with a different power supply, faceplate, and Marantz's own upsampling instead of Denon's AL24. Otherwise almost everything is the same as the Denon.

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Experience high definition the way only Denon can deliver it. This advanced Blu-ray/DVD/CD player features the Realta sxT2 HQV processor and HDMI v1.3a for exceptional video quality and Deep Color support, and the Denon D.D.S.C.-HD circuitry for the highest level of audio decoding so you get master-quality sound with exceptional dynamic range.

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