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In Reply to: Pioneer DV-414. Is this a good DVD Player? posted by Dave Z on July 29, 1999 at 09:52:09:
The Pioneer DV-414 is on the entry level end of DVD players. It is a good player given its competition at that price point. I would say the price you got is fair, not great. With your system, a better DVD player is just a waste of money. If you are using it for music, that could be improved with a better CD player or an outboard DAC like the MSB link. The 5.1 you refer to specifies how many discrete channels of sound you are hearing. In the case of Dolby Digital, 5.1 channels (5 full range, 1 sub which is 1/10th of an octave) is one of the supported formats. Dolby Digital also supports 2.0 channels which is really just Pro-Logic. DTS also uses 5.1 channels of information. So the answer is no, they are not the same, Dolby Digital is the sound encoding format, 5.1 is how many channels of sound are encoded.
About the s-video. If you are using the RCA composite video input you are losing video quality. The video is stored on the DVD in component form (3 signals) and can be down mixed to s-video (2 signals) or composite (1 signal) and then reconstructed at the TV with a comb filter. The more downmixing you do, the more info you lose. Go to s-video ASAP and you will get a much better picture. To get the best video performance out of your DVD, rent or buy the DVD video essentials, that will help you optimize your video picture. Also, try turning your "sharpness" adjustment down. Sharpness adjustment is really for fixing ugly NTSC signals like VCR pictures. For DVD signals, it does more harm than help in most cases.Hope this helps
-Darren
Thanks very much for the info Darrin. You answered my questions, but also illicited a few more. When you were talking about 5.1, the format I understood. I guess my main question is this: I know my Denon 1700 has 5.1 capability, and I had assumed that all DVD's were recorded with this audio format in mind. Yet, when I was watching a movie last night, my audio settings were saying Dolby Digital, 2 channels. I also have the option for Dolby Digital ---> PCM. I also have 3 other audio format settings, Linear PCM, MPEG and DTS. I don't see a setting anywhere for 5.1 .One of the main reasons I went to DVD was to get 5.1 sound, rather than Dolby Pro Logic, which I already had. I am suffering a 25" TV at present, so it certainly wasn't for the picture, although improvement is always nice. I have the feeling that I already am getting 5.1, through Dolby Digital, but I was just hoping for some more info on it. I hate not understanding things.
So, when my audio is saying 2 channels, am I missing out on performance? I'd like to know now, so I can re-adjust my system if necessary, while it's still a returnable/exchangable purchase.
Thanks very much for your help.
Dave Z
Quick run-down on my system:
Denon AVR-1700
NHT VT-1.2's, right and left
NHT VS-1.2 Center
JBL-2500 rears, old but adequate for now
Pioneer DV-414 DVD Player
Panasonic PV-4551 Hi-Fi VCROh, lastly, I do have a question concerning my picture quality. You were saying that my current single video out is inadequate. Is that why my picture hesitates from time to time? I also notice this with my digital cable system, and it's quite annoying. I am afraid I might be limited by my television in this case, as the only video inputs it has are the straight RCA composite and coax for cable. Is there a way to get around this shortcoming? Again, thanks!
...this has nothing to do with your equipment. If only two channels are present on the disc, that's all you're going to get.
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