DVD Player

(1) Onkyo DV-SP404

With the Pioneer V7400 moving out of the home theater setup and into the hi-fi section as CD player, I had to source a replacement DVD player. I located an Onkyo DV-SP404 for $118 in Johannesburg and the seller had it sent to me with a colleague on a business trip to Cape Town. How light these machines are! Of course this makes perfect sense when shipping from Point A to B, but sitting on the table or hi-fi rack it can really be the cause of a little nervousness – thankfully there’s some cables keeping it in place!

As far as performance was concerned, I was a bit indifferent as to how the unit fitted into my setup. There were one or two niggling issues like a “slow” remote and picture quality which kept me from giving it more points than the Pioneer, but then I didn’t spend any time on fine tuning the set, so maybe it had more to offer than what I was getting out of it in the initial stages.

(2) Denon DVD-1940

So Onkyo had to move over for something new. Having experienced the outstanding qualities of the Denon AV amplifier, I started reading up on the brand’s DVD players. Admittedly it was also a cosmetic thing seeing that the Onkyo didn’t particularly stir any artistic emotions, and the characteristic Denon layout of smooth lines and corners did not take long to become a pleasing sight in the component rack. Apart from the consideration to import from the United States, I was also watching all used markets in all corners of the globe for a good pre-owned model. As it turned out, it was a period for Denon DVD machines going at very very reasonable prices on the local used market. I ended up buying a year-old DVD-1940 for a very commendable $145. Considering the fact that I could import a new DVD-1740 for the same price (excluding shipping and taxes), it was a good deal. In fact, very soon after the transaction the seller, who was in the process of buying an Onkyo (!), confessed that it was a mistake to sell the Denon.

I suppose that being a higher priced item in this case really meant better product as well, because the Denon was filling in all the gaps left in the performance of the Onkyo. No more dragging pictures or slow switching. As for picture quality I still had to make up my mind after a three month stint, but at the worst it was on par with the Denon. Superficially it was bigger, heavier and sturdier looking than the old player, fitting in well with the AV amplifier sitting one shelf higher. Specification wise it had more formats and bells and whistles than I am able to remember, so for the time being I am extremely happy with this acquisition.