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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Sony STR-DG500 6.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)This 6.1 reciever offers 110 w/channel with subwoofer output. Sony has clearly worked to make the receiver smarter to provide the best audio experience with minimal intervention from the user: a microphone input (mic provided) automatically locates each speaker attached and balances all outputs.
If you're interested in simply having great home theater experience, without excessive tweaking, this is the reciever for you.
Pros - multiple a/v inputs, with support for component video and and optical connections for dvd audio.
Cons - no upsampling video sources (component output from component input only), no optical connection for cd players.

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The STR-DG500 Home A/V Receiver delivers the digital world to your living room and beyond. Designed as Sony's entry level surround sound receiver performance and simplicity are the key. With 110 Watts X 6 this receiver is truly a powerhouse and coupled with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration setup is a simple as connecting the supplied microphone and pressing a button.

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Sony HT-DDW660 Home Theater System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I will just say a few words that have not already been said about the system:
- This unit does not come with a digital optical cable so if your player needs one make sure to buy one.
- The provided coax cable is only 3feet long. So if you need a longer one, plan to buy one.
- I bought the Sanus HTB2 floor stands for it and it works very well.
- The remote has buttons for selecting between Video-audio and DVD-audio. This was kind of confusing at first since the audio from my digital optical cable comes through by selecting Video-audio. But at the same time the diagram in the manual suggests that you can plug another source into the analog Video-audio input. Turns out, if you read further into the manual, the system detects for signals on the digital input and analog input and prioritizes digital over analog. So if a digital signal is present, it will select digital. If it is absent it will select analog automatically.
- I like the fact that the satellite speakers all look exactly the same. The unit as a whole is well styled compared to the equivalent Panasonic system (SC-HT05), which looks cheap and gaudy. I originally wanted to buy the Panasonic to match all my other Panasonic components but after reading about the problems other reviewers were having with it, and after seeing how fragile it looked in the store, I decided otherwise. At the local store I noticed one of the legs on the Panasonic's subwoofer had broken off.
- It would have been nice to have a second digital optical input. Unfortunately the only way to get a Sony system with 2 digital optical inputs is to buy the receiver separately and the speakers separately, which would give you a 7.1 sound system but would also require an investment at 3 times the cost of this unit.
I looked at other competing systems (the Panasonic SC-HT05 and the Yamaha YHT-150) that had this capability at a small price increase. But online reviews indicated that some of the Panasonic units had a random squeeking problem with the digital audio input. The Yamaha looked very promising since it also had video inputs which would mean that it would be convenient to switch both the video and audio signals on the same remote. However the Yamaha only supports RCA composite video inputs, NO S-Video and NO Component inputs. Also the reviewers said it was difficult to install.
So weighing all those factors I eventually decided on the Sony. A simple, entry-level, no fuss unit that sounded great! I tested it on the Empire Strikes Back and it was awesome to hear the Star Destroyers rumble and the Snow speeders zip by around me. I had never realized until now just how many tiny little nuances of audio there were in the film....

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Sony's HTD-DW660 Home Theater in a Box System offers you the ultimate entertainment at home. Allow this 420 Watt Home Theater System to surround you with sound that is astounding.

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ONKYO SKS-HT240 Home Theater Speaker System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I spent a great deal of time researching a home theater system that fit my requirements. Online reviews were the single largest source of information and the biggest input to my decision. I'm hoping this review will aid someone in the same manner in the future.
First, a few words about my situation - we have a largish (20 X 20 X 25) family room with a 50 inch DLP (a Samsung HL-R5067W) in a corner. The room has large floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the right side, solid walls on two sides, and an open back, which overlooks the kitchen area. In short, a difficult acoustic situation. I needed a system that could fill this large space with sound, yet be crisp enough for dialogues. Plus, this was going to be our main music system as well, so it had to do a good job with music CDs and MP3s, with a large mix of genres and styles.
Since this is the family room (roamed by our curious 2 yr old, with spillover noise from the kitchen etc), we didn't want to spend the world either. The understanding was that we'd budget about $1000 for this system, reserving the future 'media room' for the _really_ good system.
Other requirements were: speakers should be medium sized (not as small as bose, but not large either), preferably in silver.
As mentioned earlier, I looked at many systems online, ranging from HTIB systems (Home Theater in a Box) to separate speakers that ran to hundreds of dollars each. We went to Best Buy, Flanners, American etc to listen to some setups, comparing Denon, Yamaha, Sonys and eventually this Onkyo set.
This Onkyo set has almost a 'perfect' review everyplace you see them online. That's what really made me take notice. And when I actually listened to them at American TV, they beat everything comparable, and then some. So we bought them online (from Vanns.com, actually), and haven't regretted them for a moment.
They do have a couple issues - one, and this is highly subjective, is that I don't care for the stainless steel top, bottom and linings (a little too flashy for our taste). They are a little on the large side, with the subwoofer being pretty big. Also, more importantly, you'll need a few tweaks to get them to play up to their full potential. But that's about it.
As many others have attested before me, the sound from movies will change your movie reviews, and to really top it all, Dave Matthews sounds like he's pretty much sitting in my family room (well, I'm exaggerating, but only a little). The subwoofer is beyond good - it produces a low rumble that's almost visceral.
I paired these speakers with an Onkyo TX-SR574S receiver, and the results are delightful. You will need a good receiver so that you can change the sound levels and distance to different speakers individually. I needed to do that before they started sounding really good. You also will need good, thick speaker cables. Not Monster cable - they are a waste of money - but good (16 gauge at least) speaker wire and a better subwoofer cable than what comes with the set.
The entire set cost me about $700, including $100 for good cables. So we have $300 left over for a HTPC I'm building.
And now for the most important measure of all - my wife, who hates sci-fi movies, sat through 'The Fifth Element' from the beginning to the end, including the credits. This one's a keeper.

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If you're serious about home-theater sound, a home-theater surround sound receiver is about your best choice for broad connectivity and high quality performance. Perhaps the most daunting task is finding and connecting the right speaker system. Onkyo has assembled quite a great speaker system for you and, with included color-coded cables, installation into your receiver is relatively simple. After all, its all about home entertainment and you deserve an easy routs to achieving pleasure that you can continually appreciate. That's where this Onkyo SKS-HT240 comes into the picture and the sound field. It looks good too! Frequency Response -27 Hz - 150 Hz (Subwoofer) Includes connecting cable Onkyo USA 2 Years Parts and Labor Warranty

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