Denon DVD-1940CI Universal Scaling DVD/DVDA/SACD Player w/ DCDi by Faroudja

This is a report/comparison of the CD and SACD (2 channel only) features and capabilities of the ONKYO DV-SP502B, SONY DVP-NS90V, and DENON 1930CI. Before moving on, please note that I will not comment on the video and multi-channel qualities of these universal players. This review concerns the AUDIO stereo features only, tested with the ONKYO TX 8222 receiver and two pairs of good speakers (JBL and Panasonic). As far as myself, I am a professional musician with a PhD in the field and extensive performing and sound editing experience.

The DENON is quite expensive for the features it offers, but overall is a well-built unit with superior sound. Its motor is a bit noisier than SONY's, but definitely bearable. The setup requires a TV, but you can do more with the display than with the ONKYO. Also, it has a "pure sound" feature that turns off HDMI output and the display. Of these three players, this DENON has the best sound quality. Lows and highs are crisp, the sound is not...Read more

Bought this after upgrading our TV this X-mas to a 42" Pioneer plasma. The upgrading (only) via HDMI is very nice. Black levels were a huge improvement over the non-upscaling Denon DVD player we replaced. Colors are great, as well. Running video to TV via HDMI and audio via coax to Denon 3805 AVR, no lip-synching issues. Runs DVD-Rs with no problem. Have yet to try SACD. Noticed artifacts on extended Lord of the Rings DVD, but much less than previous DVD player generated. Remastered DVDs (Star Wars, Underworld: Evo) look great and much better than non-upscaling DVD player. Also tested some old DVD's (Bladerunner for example), and they looked much better than on the old DVD player. Black levels in the opening scene were much greater than anticipated. Our choice was between the 1930CI and an upscaling Pioneer Elite DVD player, my eye could not tell the difference so I went with what I knew. We've been very happy with the unit over the last month. No issues so far. I read...Read more

DVDs upconverted to 1080p look unbelievable on my Sharp LCD TV. My wife and I continually remark on details in movies we've seen many times that we missed when watching in standard definition. I have found the picture to be detailed, sharp and vivid through HDMI. Hard to imagine that such a picture is available at this price. CDs sound great when played with this unit, the sound much fuller than on my old JVC DVD player.

While the unit felt light out of the box, build quality is evident in every other way and the unit is attractive. I like that it has the essential functions on the unit face, as so many components these days make you use the remote for every little thing. I/O in the back of the unit is clearly labeled and logically spaced to increase ease of hook-up.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the look and performance of this unit.