Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray Disc DVD/CD Player

I got this player a week ago and I am totally blown away, and my TV is only capable of 1080i! (I won't be able to replace my TV until next year.) Two things struck me immediately, aside from the incredible detail, which beats the 1080i broadcasts that I am getting. The first was the colors. They are just dazzling! But it isn't because they're over-saturated or anything like that. It's like I'm seeing a variety of pastels that I've never seen before from my TV. So far I've looked mainly at nature films (like the complete Planet Earth) and I seem to be seeing a wider gamut of colors than I've ever seen before from my TV. I watched a regular DVD on it and the colors are "back to normal". So it is the high definition processing of the Denon that seems to be capturing the richness of the colors.

The second thing I noticed is the quality of the sound. I've never heard such magnificent sound from my system. I thought it sounded great before (and others have remarked how...Read more

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...Read more

I purchased the Denon 3800BDCI as I was looking for a "high end" Blu-Ray player that was also capable of playing SD DVD's and CD's. Having a Denon 4308CI as an AV processor also made this player an optimal choice for my system. Blu-Ray discs used in connection with the review included Home Video Essentials HD Basics, The Golden Compass, 2001, 10,000 B.C., Blade Runner (5 disc), Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Celine Dion's A New Day. Various SD DVD's and CD's were also used.

The following equipment was used in connection with the review of the 3800BDCI:

Panasonic TH-50PZ750U (Monitor)
Denon 4308CI (AV Processor)
Denon 3800BDCI (DVD) (Manufacture date May 2008)
Artcoustic DF-65's (Front speakers)
Artcoustic DF-Multi (Center speaker)
Monster AVS 2000 Signature Series (Power regulator)
Monster HTPS 7000 Signature Series (Power filter/surge protector)
Monster 1000 HDMI interconnects

Intangibles:...Read more