Denon launches world's first universal Blu-ray player

[Phil Hinton]

Denon launches world's first universal Blu-ray player

Originally Posted by Denon Press Release

December 2008 – Denon, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment products, is planning to release its long-awaited top-of-the-line universal Blu-ray player, the DVD-A1UD, in March 2009. It joins the award-winning reference class AVP-A1HDA pre-amplifier and the POA-A1HD 10-channel power amplifier in the company’s flagship HD home entertainment system.

The DVD-A1UD lets users enjoy not only Blu-ray discs at the very highest level but also Super Audio CD (SACD), DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and CDs in the impeccable picture and sound quality that is expected from a Denon player. With the combination of the newly developed, proprietary 4th generation Denon Link in conjunction with HDMI transmission technology, digital signals from discs can be transmitted with negligible jitter to produce a pure, high-quality sound, and the world's first fully-balanced two channel transmission in a Universal Player has been made possible for analogue signals.

Hirofumi Ichikawa, president of Denon said: "Further advances in digital signal processing technology have been improving the quality of pictures and sound played from packaged media. As the industry's first universal player with Blu-ray, the DVD-A1UD is the successor model for the Denon DVD-A1XV universal DVD player that featured a newly-developed, high-accuracy mechanism based on a wealth of expertise in digital playback technology that Denon has accumulated since the advent of PCM recording. Such advances have come not only as a result of improved chip performance but also serious manufacturing demanded by systems delivering Hi-fi picture and sound quality. Denon has combined its analogue and digital signal processing technology and precision mechanism engineering to reproduce the delicate aesthetic details of video and sound recorded on the disc. The DVD-A1UD universal player with Blu-ray embodies not only new concepts that have been applied to Denon’s wealth of technology and expertise, but it has been completed with considerable passion. We urge all devotees of home entertainment systems to experience the best that Blu-ray as well as DVD-Video/Audio, Super Audio CD, and CD can offer."

Denon is planning to release the new DVD-A1UD across Europe in March 2009 at a suggested retail price of £3,299. It will be available in a premium silver and a black colour finish to add perfectly to either existing Denon AVP-/POA- or AVC-A1HD A/V components, or other manufacturers’ home theatre systems.

Main Features:

The world’s first high-end universal player with Blu-ray that also plays Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio

The DVD-A1UD delivers unparalleled picture and sound quality from multiple formats including Blu-ray discs, Super Audio CD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and CDs. It is also equipped with the Neo:6, Dolby Pro Logic IIx and other decoders that reproduce surround sound with the best possible quality for the disc's content.


Use of Denon Link to achieve the world's first jitter-free transmission of digital audio via HDMI

Denon Link is a proprietary high-quality digital audio transmission technology that utilizes a real-time balanced transmission system to protect the signal from external noise. Denon Link 3 achieved DSD transmission of Super Audio CD signals, earning high praise for the superior quality of digital signal transmission. With the more advanced Denon Link 4 used in conjunction with an HDMI connection, for HD audio read from Blu-ray disc as well, the master clock that operates the D/A converters of the A/V surround amp is transmitted to the player, enabling the circuitry to be operated while sharing the same clock in order to achieve digital audio transmission with negligible jitter. Sound localization becomes more precise, and a greater sense of space is produced in the sound images. When combined with a Denon A/V surround amplifier that supports Denon Link 4(*), users will be able to enjoy the level of sonic quality that is expected from HD audio.

(*) Denon is planning upgrades to Denon Link 4 for the AVP-A1HD and AVC-A1HD A/V surround Pre-amplifier or amplifier that have already been released. Denon is also planning to include Denon Link 4 in high-end Denon A/V surround receivers slated for future release.


The world's first fully balanced transmission of two-channel analogue sound in a universal player with Blu-ray

Fully balanced transmission circuitry for the entire signal path to the output port has been adopted for the DVD-A1UD's dedicated 2-channel analogue circuit. When combined with the AVP-A1HD and POA-A1HD, fully balanced transmission is possible from the D/A converter of the player to amplification of the power amp. The balanced circuit is resistant to noise, as the plus and minus sides of the music signal are transmitted separately. Noise theoretically flowing to the ground can be ignored. If external noise occurs and disturbs the mutual waveform, the disturbance is canceled out at the end of the transmission when the plus and minus sides are combined, enabling the original music signal to be output free of noise. Superior-quality sound expected of a flagship system is produced.

Construction:

• Direct Mechanical Ground Construction, embodying concepts for thorough vibration resistance
• Denon’s original Advanced S.V.H. mechanism, newly developed for low specific gravity, vibration resistance, quiet operation, and high precision.
• Seven block structure, to thoroughly prevent mutual interference caused by electrical and magnetic factors; 18.9 kg weight

Audio Quality:

• Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit-HD (DDSC-HD), achieving high-quality sound
• Denon Link 4th to achieve the world’s first jitter-free transmission
of digital audio via HDMI
• Advanced AL32 Processing Multi Channel, Denon’s proprietary technology that optimizes audio performance, used for the first time in the DVD-A1UD
• Discrete 192-kHz, 32-bit D/A converters for all channels
• Multi-channel support from Denon’s proprietary Compressed Audio Restorer function (2 Channel for MP3/WMA, Mutli Channel for Dolby Digital/DTS)
• A/V Pure Direct (two HDMI output ports)
• Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS Neo:6 decoding, in addition to Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
• Support for SACD, DVD-Audio and HDCD

Video Quality:

• Denon’s video circuitry for high picture quality, to produce a richer video image from DVD [REALTA, highly acclaimed Silicon Optix video processor]
• Digital Noise Reduction, effective for both HD content from BD media and SD content from DVD media
• 1080/24p output, for maximum enhancement of film texture
• Denon Pixel Image Correction (D.P.I.C.), for more natural curvature correction
• Dual HD video processing to individually select HD resolutions for HDMI & Component out
• Vertical Stretch (supporting the CinemaScope aspect ratio for anamorphic lense),
a world's first in a universal player with Blu-ray
• Source Direct, to output disc content in its original resolution
• HDMI (ver. 1.3a, supporting Deep Colour, High Bit Rate Audio output), for transmission of high-definition video and audio signals

User Friendliness:

• Easy-to-read and easy-to-operate G.U.I. (Graphical User Interface)
• Support “BONUSVIEW” functions
• “BD-Live” ready
• Support for HDMI Control (Consumer Electronics Control)

[Kenny Glasgow]

now you're talking

[brownieeyes]

oh..how beautiful..but a little out of my price range..never mind!..we can all but dream!!!

[marty2005]

Might as well buy a seperate sacd, blueray, dvd audio, dvd player and cd player and still have change to buy a 52" tv, av amp and a set of speakers.

[Kenny Glasgow]

Originally Posted by marty2005

Might as well buy a seperate sacd, blueray, dvd audio, dvd player and cd player and still have change to buy a 52" tv, av amp and a set of speakers.

Yes it is expensive but I'm sure the technology will trickle down in to "lesser" machines.

The appeal for me is the chance to have one player instead of three in this case (CD, DVD-V/DVD-A/SACD and BD). Mind you if they could also combine HD DVD and DVD+R then I would be happy

[Dutch]

Use of Denon Link to achieve the world's first jitter-free transmission of digital audio via HDMI

Maybe they missed Pioneer's use of PQLS on their latest Blu-ray players HDMI outputs.

Steve

[Manxstar]

Jeez, that's big for a dvd/BD player!

[ahin4114]

Bit rich for my blood, but it's sure to signal the start of more all in one machines, and probably at more competitive prices too.

[bosque]

Wonder if it has that Denon DVD picture quality special look - macro-blocking in Hi-Definition !

[trueblue1872]

Nice, shame it costs a bomb :P

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by bosque

Wonder if it has that Denon DVD picture quality special look - macro-blocking in Hi-Definition !

Oooh, harsh.

Steve

[Manxstar]

Originally Posted by bosque

Wonder if it has that Denon DVD picture quality special look - macro-blocking in Hi-Definition !

[shakespeare,]

Nice

[Pecker]

What, no HD DVD playback?



Steve W

[lostinspace]

I would have thought multi region playback, even if only on SD discs, would have been essential at that price

Another toy for the overpaid