Arcam DV88+ PAL Prog Offical

[Chimp]

New Arcam DVD player - DV88 Plus with WORLD FIRST "PAL" progressive scan

Dear Dealer,

Following on from the success of the Arcam DiVA DV88 DVD-Video player, Arcam is delighted to announce news of its next generation successor, the DV88 Plus.

Just like the DV88 it replaces, the DV88 Plus has been wholly designed "in-house" by Arcam. Rather than taking the route adopted by most "specialist" companies, who modify existing mass market designs, Arcam has worked closely with the world's leading DVD chip supplier, the Zoran Corporation, to incorporate its latest and most powerful DVD processing engine, the Zoran Vaddis V, into the DV88 Plus. This means that the DV88 Plus has better performance, smoother user interfaces and an increased feature set than the original DV88.

As proof of Arcam's continuing committment to the highest performance video, the new DV88 Plus comes with progressive scan component video outputs as standard, in addition to the normal interlaced ones. IN A WORLD FIRST, not only is 525p (the US standard) provided but also, for the first time on any DVD player, Macrovision certified 625p or "PAL Progressive" video.

Sound quality is also markedly improved over the already very good DV88 and offers outstanding CD replay performance, in my opinion midway between Arcam's Award winning CD72T and CD82 CD players.

Internally the player is much more than a "tweaked" upgrade. It has a new drive, a new DSP board and a heavily revised AV board - it is also ready to be upgraded to DVD Audio in the near future.

And just in case you were wondering, the price remains the same (£999.90 retail in the UK). The DV88 Plus is available in black or silver and will ship from late September.

 

[ian_guinan]

Now we're rolling!!!!
Very good news....shame they haven't got the DVD-Audio sorted out too.
Regards,
Ian Guinan

 

So does the dv88 + include the progressive scan for £999?

And does the new chips mean No chroma bug?

cheers

Gary

 

arcams response last week to the question about a new dvd player:-

Q. any plans soon to update the dvd range?

A) We currently have no plan's what so ever.

 

[dts_boy]

Chimp, who do you work for then, seeing as that looks like its for dealers only!

Dear Dealer,

looks like a worthwhile upgrade to a machine that was about to be bettered at that price point. i think that the arcam av empire is gonna be the one to beaten when it comes to 2 channel companies moving into the av market (Oh no, what have i started wioth a comment like that!)

 

I'm sure JD will clear this up 4 u

Adzman

 

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

I believe Chimp works for AVLAND. He should put it in his sig or profile though.

Gordon

 

[TheNightFly]

Is anything happening with the DV27 then ?

Allan

 

[Jenz]

I would expect that the DV27 would have to go back to the dealer for the official PAL Upgrade

i.e. they switch the toggle

 

[TheNightFly]

What about an upgrade to incorporate the "most powerful DVD processing engine, the Zoran Vaddis V". If the DV88+ is chroma bug-free (?) will the DV27 get the same treatment ?

 

[ricdiggle]

I had a mail from Arcam this morning and they said it would be 2 - 3 months away but possibly longer.
I have just purchased a DV88 and am a bit unhappy about this upgrade to say the least.

Am I destined never to be happy with my AV kit?

To cap it all off, I got Heat (R2) last night and the thing stopped playing at chapter 21. Don't you hate it when that happens?

Richard.

 

[harry_thx]

HI,

as a DV27 owner, I would also be interrested in such an upgrade.

But based on some feedback I have got in the past to such an inquiry to Arcam, I doubt that an upgrade will be possible.

Yesterday I had a "China"-PLayer with PAL-PS for testing here. It is really not funny to see, that this cheap device has less ghosting and is chroma bug free.....

Greetings

Harry

 

According to arcam today, the dv88+should be out in about 4 weeks approx. and confirmed the £1000 price and with NTSC/PAL prog scan. But no real straight forward answer to the chroma bug issue just that the new player has been completely designed rather than mods to existing.

Gary

 

[MartinCo]

I thought the zoran vaddis range was used by toshiba in nearly all their DVD players, and doesn't have the chroma bug?

pretty sure this was even mention in the original chroma bug article on the home theater site.

 

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

I'm not sure if the Vddis is bug free. I can tell you that the progressive scan on this unit is an integrated Zoran solution not the Sil503chipped board found in FMJ27. We'll have to wait and see how close it gets to Sil performance.....

You will still be able to add the prog scan SIL chipped board to the new DV88plus should you feel it better solution or you want two sets of progressive scan outputs. I hope to get my hands on an early model and you can bet I'll tell you all about it when I do.

Gordon

 

[MartinCo]

gordon, is that confirmed that there is no sil in the new arcam then?

and I wondered why it was cheaper.

they might just using the zoran as the mpeg decoder/ chipset and something else for the progressive scan.

 

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

I'll wait till I've spoken with ARCAM before saying anymore about this. You guys here already know more than many/most dealers and I think that really, the dealers ought to be allowed to get info first....I'm sure JohnD would prefer it that way!

I'll let you know more when I'm sure it's OK...if that's OK?

Gordon

 

[nigel_williams]

I hope there's an upgrade path for the FMJ too as this will solve the only problem with the player.

 

[dealmaker]

I'd certainly be one user who would be voting with my feet if Arcam don't offer an upgrade solution for existing DV27 users.

At that price point built in upgradeability is derigeur.

 

[Stewart C]

What are the implications for the certification of PAL Progressive Scan devices.

Does this mean that manufacturers can now implement true progressive scan decoders in normal CRT TV systems or is it still going to be a Plasma or Projector market.

Regards

 

[patmyhead]

Hi
I read with intrest that the new super dooper diva 88 will have dvd audio IN THE NEAR FUTURE
Dont hold your breath 2 years ago i read that either dvd audio or sacd would be availible in the near future
I am still waiting for upgrade to my 88
P@t

 

[harry_thx]

Hi,

now I must aks myself, if I have bought the right Arcam. Obviously the DV88 is easier to upgrade than the DV27.

Greetings

Harry

 

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Don;t understand why you think DV88 is easier to update than FMJ27

StewartC: There is absolutley no reason why TV manufacturers couldn;t have previously made units with superior picture that could de-interlace PAL signals accurately. The only issue has been with the manufacture of DVD players which would output an already progressive signal.

Gordon

 

[Reiner]

Does this mean that manufacturers can now implement true progressive scan decoders in normal CRT TV systems ...

You don't need any kind of decoder in the TV if the output of the player is already PS, just a matching input and some electronics to convert the YUV PS signal to RGBHV.
PS sets (with PS input) are already available in the US and Asia (i.e. all HDTV sets should be PS capable).

But if they will offer it for the European market is of course another question ....

 

[Matt Horne]

Hi...

Ok .. I am a bit confused....

I have been a long time owner of the DV88.. will I be able to get this player upgraded to DV88 Plus standard.. or am I going to be stuffed in this respect..

(I only ask as it sounds like if they are improving the sound quality of the player then its not going to be as simple as the prog upgrade one was ??)

Cheers

Matt