Grouptest...DVD players

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10/10/05
12:46 pm
Page 92
Grouptest... DVD players
PIONEER DV-585A-K
£120 (approx) 01753 789789 www.pioneer.co.uk Overall rating ⁄
1
2
ioneer’s latest entry-level DVD
P
politics hands it, in my eyes,
deck puts a smile on my face
a clear advantage over many
typically -1.2dB at 5.8MHz, which is
by letting me play both DVD-
rivals in this group.
good, and signal to noise is excellent.
players were so accommodating…
the 585A is more run-of-the-mill.
not the most vibrant I’ve seen, but still
Design and construction
Picture adjustments are good, and
expressive and full of subtle gradations.
Aesthetically, this Pioneer is one of the
include sharpness, brightness,
most desirable players featured here.
gamma, chroma level and block noise
It’s a touch chubbier than some, but
reduction. Otherwise the only
the fascia looks refined and the build
noteworthy thing is a bitrate meter.
that motion-intensive scenes, such as
quality feels superior. Note that it’s
While this is far from the most
the chase through the rainstorm in
also available in silver.
extensive picture features collection
Se7en, can look fractionally smeary.
Connections
in this group, though, there’s some
But this is but a minor complaint on an
Hookup is largely identical to
compensation in the fact that the
otherwise accomplished £120 deck.
the Panasonic reviewed earlier,
Pioneer’s operating system is
and includes progressive scan-ready
exceptionally straightforward.
585A is a typically polished effort.
components, an RGB Scart, and
Picture and sound
When it comes to CD replay avoid the
5.1-channel outputs for
The 585A’s picture quality is clearly
analogue outputs. Its audio jitter is a
delivering decoded multichannel
a step above the vast majority of its
less than impressive 694.5ps.
high-resolution audio.
rivals at this price level. For starters,
Multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD also
Features
unlike the Panasonic DVD-S49,
counts as first-rate.
Without doubt the 585A’s standout
the Pioneer’s progressive scan
Conclusion
feature is its ability to handle Super
processing actually improves the
This player is a class act. In fact, it’s so
Audio CD as well as DVD-Audio.
picture rather than detracting from
good that it’s probably single-handedly
Even though these advanced music
it, delivering greater definition and
knocked half a mark off all the other
formats remain niche, Pioneer’s
depth, smoother edges and, seemingly,
decks in this test. In terms of
refusal to pander to the industry
more fluid motion.
performance and usability, it’s a steal.
The remote is functional, if not
overly pretty
COMPATIBILITY
DVD-V
DVD-A
SACD
CD
MP3
WMA
JPEG
CD-R
CD-RW
Video CD
Super Video CD
DiVX
DVD+R
DVD-R
DVD+RW
DVD-RW (Video)
DVD-RW (VR)
DVD-RAM
SPECIFICATIONS
The DV-585a is compatible with
DivX homebrew discs
92 H O M E C I N E M A C H O I C E
Colour fidelity is good too – perhaps
When it comes to other features
ITEM
SUPPORT
Video upscaling
Progressive Scan
Multiregion
Composite video
Phono stereo audio S-Video
Scart
Component
i.Link output
Digital Audio
Dimensions
Weight
Also featuring
Black levels are profound, with a
good deal of shadow detail.
My only complaint, really, would be
In terms of audio performance, the
DETAILS
Not available
Supports 480p and 576p
Region 2 out of the box
1 output
1 stereo pair provided
1 output
1 input (RGB)
1 output
Not available
1 optical, 1 electrical
420(w) x 50(h) x 215(d)mm
1.7kg
Sharpness, brightness, gamma, chroma level and block noise reduction picture
adjustments; bitrate meter.
DECEMBER
Audio and Super Audio CDs. If only all
Video frequency response is
2005
HCC123.grouptest_dvd
10/10/05
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Tried&Tested...
CONCLUSION
T
he overall standard of the decks in this ‘step up’ group test is very pleasing
– as is the sometimes remarkable amount of features available for what’s
still relatively puny money.
The bottom place belongs to the Relisys RDVP1000. Performance-wise, it’s fairly
run-of-the-mill, something even its truly exceptional features count for a £99 DVD
deck can’t overcome. That said, its HD JPEG feature, which works well, could make it a
hit with digital photographers.
Fifth spot goes to the usually redoubtable Denon, with its 1720. Its DVD pictures
fall short of the best rivals, and the price seems a bit high for a player without either
upscaling or high-resolution music compatibility. Audio performance is lacking too.
Third place is a tie between Panasonic’s DVD-S49 and the Toshiba SD-350E
Although Tosh is to be congratulated for bringing video upscaling to the
sub-£100 mark, there’s no getting around the fact that the relative low quality
of its upscaling is sufficient to make us question whether you’d actually ever
want to use it. Which in turn arguably invalidates the 350E’s position in the
otherwise impeccable current Toshiba range. The Panasonic is a perfectly
solid performer, but in a roundup as competitive as this, it could have done
with either having more features or a better performance if it really wanted to
compete harder.
Picking between the top two was the most
TOP 6 RANKING
difficult decision of all. On the one hand you’ve
got the Yamaha S657’s high-quality pictures,
1. PIONEER DV-585A-K
sound and design. On the other hand you’ve got
2. YAMAHA DVD-S657
the Pioneer’s £40 cheaper price tag for what
3. TOSHIBA SD-350E
amounts to pretty much the same features, and
3. PANASONIC DVD-S49
a still excellent all-round performance.
5. DENON 1720
A tough call, then, but in the end the excellent
6. RELISYS RDVP1000
Pioneer DV-585A-K takes top spot RATINGS
PIONEER DV-585A-K
£120 (approx)
Highs: Picture and sound performance
Lows: Very occasional and slight blurring when there’s lots of motion to deal with
Picture
⁄
1
Sound
2
Features
YAMAHA DVD-S567
OVERALL
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2
£160 (approx)
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Highs: Picture, sound, design, SACD/DVD-A compatible
Lows: No video upscaling
Picture
⁄
1
Sound
⁄
1
2
2
Features
TOSHIBA SD-350E
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OVERALL
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£100 (approx)
Highs: Standard-def pictures look good; sound quality; tiny chassis; HDMI output
Lows: HD upscaling not great; not a significant improvement over cheaper Tosh models
Picture
⁄
1
Sound
2
Features
PANASONIC DVD-S49
OVERALL
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2
£120 (approx)
Highs: Features count; format compatibility; good connectivity; solid pictures and sound
Lows: Progressive scan processing; video adjustments complex; no SACD playback
Picture
⁄
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Sound
2
Features
DENON 1720
OVERALL
⁄
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2
£130 (approx)
Highs: Sharp pictures, especially via component
Lows: No DVD-A/SACD; no upscaling; gentle dot crawl with tricky discs
Picture
Sound
Features
⁄
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2
RELISYS RDVP1000
OVERALL
⁄
1
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£100 (approx)
Highs: Staggering feature count for the money; allows upscaled HD output via component
Lows: MPEG noise in pictures; muddy sound
Picture
⁄
1
2
DECEMBER
Sound
2005
Features
⁄
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2
OVERALL
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