On test

DVD player Approx price: 2,700
720p/1080i/1080p upscaling SACD/DVD-A playback

Denon DVD-A1XVA

Test Data
TEST Video jitter Audio jitter S/N ratio Chroma AM Chroma PM READING 3ns 340.8ps 66.6dB -75.0dB -68.3dB RATING Very good Good Average Excellent Excellent FREQUENCY RESPONSE AT 5.8MHZ S-video -0.0dB Very good Composite -0.9dB Excellent Component -0.3dB Excellent
For a full explanation of test data, please see page 114
DenonLink audio connectivity THX Ultra specication Two digital outputs

Details

FEATURES
HDMI/DVI output: Yes/Yes Prog scan output: PAL/NTSC DVD-A/SACD: Yes/Yes Multiregion from box: No Dimensions: 434(w) x 170(h) x 432(d)mm Weight: 19kg Other features: THX Ultra specied; 720p/1080i/1080p Realta with HQV decoding engine; Advanced proprietary AL24 processing

WHAT IT PLAYS

DVD-V; DVD-A; SACD; CD; CD-RW; CD-R; DVD-R; DVD-RW; DVD+RW; MP3; JPEG; WMA; SVCD and VCD (though possibly limited); Kodak Picture CD; Fujicolour CD

SOCKETS

RGB Scart; RCA component video; BNC component video; six-channel audio line outs; optical digital audio output; coaxial digital audio output; Denon Link jack; two Firewire outputs; stereo audio output; two S-video outputs; two composite video outputs; DVI and HDMI outputs; RS-232C control jack; room to room in/out

CONTACT

www.denon.co.uk
ack in issue 303 we almost wet ourselves with excitement over Denons awesome DVD-A1XV DVD player. This astoundingly well specied machine had both the processing power and performance guts to make its 2,500 asking price look like a steal. Somehow, since that review, Denon reckons its actually made the A1XV even better. So it appears we might soon be able to answer that age-old question of exactly how you improve on perfection Actually, the answer is pretty simple: you put 1080p upscaling on it! For while the original A1XV did a sublime job of upscaling standard DVDs to 720p or 1080i, that was where it stopped. The A1XVA, on the other hand, can turn your DVDs into the latest all-singing, all-dancing 1080p format currently causing such a stir among the AV cognoscenti. As their name implies, 1080p pictures contain 1,080 lines of picture shown progressively; an approach that for the rst time combines the motion stability of 720p with the extra resolution of 1080i. Sort of a high denition plus. We should say here that currently only a handful of high-end TVs and projectors can show 1080p. We used Sonys RubyVPL-VW100 projector, for this test. But more, premium 1080p-capable displays are imminent, and if youre even considering shelling out 2,700 on a DVD player (for yes, adding 1080p upscaling has added 200 to the Denons asking price) then you probably wont mind also forking out the extra dosh such screens are likely to cost. Back to the A1XVA, and a timely reminder of just how well built it is. Its quite probably the most solid, uncompromisingly built deck weve ever seen, hinting at all manner of
dreamily high-end innards and uncompromising video and audio interference-busting measures. Connectivity, lest youve forgotten, includes separate DVI and HDMI digital outputs. Plus there are the usual component and RGB Scart non-scaling options, together with two i.Link outputs and Denons own DenonLink 3 port for shipping digital audio from the DVD deck to a suitably talented/equipped amp. We wont trawl through all the A1XVAs features, since aside from the 1080p addition everything else is the same as the A1XV. But it is worth saying a little more about the A1XVAs upscaling engine. The thing is, there are upscaling engines and there are upscaling engines. And the one Denon uses here is the crme de la crme, combining a specially developed single-chip version of Silicon Optixs hugely respected Realta Hollywood Quality Video processing system with Anchor Bay/ DVDOs 10-bit Precision Video Scaling processing.

Also Consider >>

MARANTZ DV9600 Not as well built, and its upscaling performance isnt quite as good but its ne value at 1,500 Reviewed: Not yet reviewed PIONEER DV-989AVI A superb audio and video allrounder that does mighty well for a deck costing 800. Reviewed: Issue 303 certainly there and it becomes more apparent the bigger the screen size you try it on. Plus, of course, if youve only seen a normal, low-cost upscaling deck in action prior to checking out the A1XVA, the level of leap up to the Denons 1080p stratosphere will blow your mind. Couple the A1XVAs new industry pinnacle of picture performance with an audio performance thats every bit as high-end hi- as it was on the earlier version of the deck, and theres nothing left to say except that the best really has got even better. John Archer

performance

Without further ado, lets nd out what joys Denons new 1080p trick can deliver And the answer is that it delivers the best picture quality weve yet seen from a non-HD DVD deck. Wed thought that the older versions 1080i picture was pretty much as good as our current-generation DVDs were ever going to look. But the A1XVAs 1080p mode goes to 11, adding a whole new level of stability, noiselessness and even, it seems, clarity to its already amazingly good 1080i offering. OK, yes, the extent of the step-up is perhaps only marginal if youre already lucky enough to have experienced the A1XVs 1080i performance. But the step-up is

Ratings

WHATS GOOD
Build quality; upscaled pictures; exibility; connectivity; sound

WHATS BAD

Not small or cheap (but still great value)
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value

VERDICT

If youve enough money and a 1080p-capable display, this DVD player is an AV dream come true.
056 I Issue 308 I What Video and High-Denition TV

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Denon DVD-A1XVA 2,700 (approx) www.denon.co.uk
Making the best even better
The DVD deck we once described as having no equal is back only now its even better, as a mesmerised John Archer discovers
ack in issue #115 Home Cinema Choice was lucky enough to spend some quality time
The unit also has the latest iteration of DenonLink3; a proprietary Denon interface able to transfer audio data between high-level Denon kit at lower than normal voltages, making it less susceptible to jitter. Its this connection which should be used for audio if youre lucky enough to partner the A1XVA and a suitably equipped amplier/receiver like the brands own AVR-A1XV. On top of all this, of course, you get the normal attributes like digital and coaxial digital audio connections, an RGB Scart output, and analogue line-outs for six-channel mixes. Dig inside the A1XVA and youll nd the true heart of the beast: its advanced picture scaling system. Of course, there are decks costing under 100 that now boast HD upscaling. But the quality of Denons proposal frankly eats the budget brigade for breakfast Its based around two core components: a single-chip version of
Silicon Optixs hugely acclaimed Realta Hollywood Quality Video picture processing; and Anchor Bay/DVDOs 10-bit Precision Video Scaling system. Denons marketeers love to remind us that a full version of the Realta system, as used by numerous Hollywood movie studios in Silicon Optixs Teranex processor, would set you back $60k so getting a version of it on a 2,600 DVD deck rather seems like a bargain. The new 1080p element of the A1XVAs processing actually comes from DVDO,
with Denons agship DVD player, the DVD-A1XV. What we discovered was a deck that set wholly new standards of video and audio performance. So forgive us for being ridiculously excited by the arrival of a souped-up version called the A1XVA. So whats new? Well, Denon has added a 1080p output to the decks upscaling talents. But, before I get into whether the addition of 1080p really adds anything to the exceptional video quality that this deck already delivers with its 1080i/720p upscaled options, its worth recapping on why the A1XV sits at the top of the DVD tree.

SPECIFICATIONS

ITEM SUPPORT Video upscaling Progressive scan Multiregion Composite video Phono stereo audio S-video HDMI/DVI Scart Component DV (i.Link) input Digital Audio DETAILS Upscales to 720p/1080i/1080p Compatible with 480p with 576p Region 2 out of the box 2 phono outputs Plus 5.1 line outs 2 outputs 1 HDMI, 1 DVI 1 RGB 1 output For digital multichannel audio Electrical, optical and Denon Link 3

Build and connections

For starters, its built like the proverbial brick outhouse; its so outrageously solid and robust that some might be put off by its considerable bulk. Connectivity is outstanding. For instance, while most upscaling DVD decks only provide one digital video option, the A1XVA has two: one HDMI and one DVI. Other notable connections include a duo of component video outputs for progressive scan duties, and twin i.link/ IEEE1394 ports capable of piping full high-resolution multichannel audio streams (from DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD discs).

RATINGS

Highs: 1080p performance; general excellence; awesome build quality Lows: No DivX support and its very big!
Picture Sound Features OVERALL
Dimensions: 434(w) x 170(h) x 432(d)mm; Weight: 19kg Also featuring THX Ultra specified, HDCD decoder; Anti-vibration mechanism and four layer chassis base; Dolby Digital and DTS decoders; 10-bit Denon pixel image correction; Dual 216MHz 14-bit video DAC; four Burr Brown 14-bit 192kHz PCM-1792, with no cross conversion of DSD and PCM signals; Advanced proprietary AL24 processing; Bass management for HDMI; Pure Direct mode; SRS TruSurround; Source Direct mode for PCM and SACD/DSD bypasses bass management but permits channel level and delay time adjust without conversion of DSD to PCM; simultaneous video out from component (progressive), DVI, HDMI as well as composite and S-video

50 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

JUNE 2006

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Tried&Tested. DVD Player

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with the whole processing kit and caboodle
for this, but the most telling is the way the scaling engine does its thing without any of the customary noiserelated disadvantages. The A1XVA adds a level of texture and detail to a standard-denition picture that, while often subtle, is undeniably effective.
Also, the A1XVAs motion-handling seems to be marginally improved in 1080p mode. Theres no need for me to dwell on the A1XVAs outstanding audio capabilities again here; theyre unchanged from the decks earlier incarnation, so all I need do is reiterate that its performance is of audiophile grade, particularly if you take advantage of the brands proprietary DenonLink audio interface.

COMPATIBILITY

DVD-V DVD-A SACD CD MP3 WMA JPEG MPEG4 CD-R CD-RW Video CD SVCD DualDisc (CD) DualDisc (DVD) DivX DVD+R DVD-R DVD+RW DVD-RW (Video) DVD-RW (VR) DVD-RAM
further backed up by Denons own Pixel Image Correction algorithms for processing colour and brightness improvements at a per pixel level. More prosaic but no less useful features at your disposal include a life-sappingly long list of manual picture tweaks, playback of both Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio formats, and Denons AL24 processing for injecting

New Years Resolution

And so onto 1080p. Can this Full HD output really eek any more from a standard-denition DVD source? Well, Ill argue that it can. Video displays able to show 1080p feeds in their native format remain in short supply but nd one and youll see. I managed to borrow the 1080p-capable Sony VPL-VW100 Ruby projector (an HCC award-winner) as a source and noted several renements. Pictures appear to have at least an enhanced sense of texture, if not more actual detail. The result is a more threedimensional viewing experience. Images have a lmic solidity that gets closer to recreating the sort of experience youd enjoy in a real cinema than on any other DVD deck Ive ever seen.

Excellent

LAB REPORT
PLAYBACK Video jitter (3ns) Signal-to-noise ratio: Composite (66.6dB) S-video (72.3dB) Component (68.2dB) Chroma AM/PM AM (-75.0dB) PM (-68.3dB) Chroma crosstalk (-58.2dB) Freq response @5.8 MHz Composite (-0.9dB) S-video (-0.0dB) Component Y (-0.3dB) Audio jitter (195.3ps)

Average

more life into the digital-to-the-analogue audio conversion process. The only signicant feature absent from this stunningly specied machine, in fact, is DivX playback support.

Conclusion

Even without 1080p, Denons A1XVA is without peer when it comes to DVD delivery. This latest iteration is just the icing on the cake. Perhaps the bigger question is whether a buyer can justify its cost, with true HD hardware drifting onto the global stage. I would advocate you can. This is not an either or situation. With most enthusiasts owning a substantial library of DVDs, and the format unlikely to fade as the defacto standard for video, theres every incentive to squeeze the most from the format. And squeeze the A1XVA does, in a deliciously vicious way

Finally getting to the decks playing capabilities, I decided to remind myself of the quality of its 1080i/720p performance before examing the new 1080p output. Has the passage of time diminished the impact of decks 720p/1080i delivery? Nope. Its images still stand above anything else in town, even Marantzs impressive 1,500 DV9600 reviewed in issue #128. There are various reasons
Check out those logos. Apart from DivX the Denon has a complete set
The remote is ordinary except for its back-lit buttons
The A1XVA is about thrice the size of a regular DVD deck

52 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

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