Okay, I am purchasing the panasonic TH-42PX60B for my lounge to go alongside my denon 1905 AV receiver and wharfdale diamond 9.1 surround package. My final decision is the dvd player and i am thinking about getting the sony hxd 710 as it integrates digital tuner with hard disc recording facility (I like the minimal look - So does my wife!). I have decided on component connection over the hdmi/ upscaling route as I am satisfied that i will get decent pq and i feel i will get more for my money. Therefore the big question is will I get decent pq off a machine that isn't dedicated to solely that function? for £500 am I getting a machine that will give me pq akin to a £200 or £300 model, taking into consideration that i am happy to stick with component connections?
I've got a Sony RDRHX900 DVD recorder, which was the models before the 710 & 910. The playback on my 28" CRT is just as satisfying as my Arcam DV29, which is £1600 new. However, the difference is huge when I compare them on my 88" diagonal screen with my projector.
I think the Sony's have pretty good DVD playback for a DVD recorder. My HX900 had much better playback than an £85 stand alone Sony DVD player I had. I would imagine that you would probably have to spend in the region of £300-£350 on a stand alone player to get a marked improvement. There probably wouldn't be much difference to a £200 player. Also, upscaling players around the £200 mark are rubbish. It is a wise choice by you to go with component & use your displays scaler.
HI. I have a rdr-hx710, which is the same dvd recorder, but without the dvb-t tuner (I'm from Italy). At present it's also the only dvd player I connected to my Hitachi 42pd7200 and I have to say it's quite good. Obviously, you'd better connect it through component. Its 12 bit, 108Mhz DA converters do a very good job. The image is stable and clear. If it only had an HDMI output it would be simply great! But in component i can advice it without reserve.
Thanks alot for your thoughts. I won't be going any bigger than a 42" any time soon. I hope that this machine will give the picture performance I am this screen size. I think i'm waiting for a few weeks at least until more stock of this the 710 comes into stock so if ahyone has any further thoughts then that would be great
The player is on it's way. 121 elec were out of stock, but after 2 months delay amazon have sent the goods. ACE. It's great getting new kit. Makes me feel all fuzzy! Thanks everyone