DVD upgrade

Angela: I went through the same thought process when upgrading my digital front end and just decided that most of my source material is in standard format and that this format will still hold the biggest market share for many years to come. Other than SACD (with has very few titles that interest me - though I would love to have the option to play them as more come out which the 9000 and others would provide) I also suspect that there will be no leaps and bounds in this technology anytime soon. I don't know if my Bel Canto DAC can receive format updates in the future, but it sure sounds good at the present. I also figure the less cables the less confusion, though I can also see them (more cabes) being used to tailor a system's sound. The whole debate does really just go round and round and I decided to first focus on my present needs with my glimpse of the future coming in second. I love to plan ahead (to a fault) but for right now feel more comfortable living and listening in the present.

Dekay- My HT and 2 channel are separate in space and function. The DVD would be used with a Loewe Planus 16:9 which is VERY source dependent. Other components in HT in a small room (11x11) are Yamaha RVX 995, Sony A55 DSS, 5 NHT superzeros and 2 NHT Sub1P (one as bottom for L,C&R, one on the LFE channel). My 2 channel front end is CAL CL-10 (HDCD). I don't see combining them in the near future, but if I did, I would probably get a CL-25 and set up some kind of a pass thru using my BAT 3i pre, if feasible. So right now, I just want to improve the video quality as the Loewe shows every defect in the source.

I needed to upgrade my Sony DV-300. I also did not need progressive video and wanted to spend less than $600. I listened/watched everything I could find in the DC area. I took 3 units home. I ended up buying a $1300 Sony S9000ES with progressive video. It's audio and video was superior to everything I could find. After using the S9000ES, everything in the $600 range sounded flat. They did not have the dynamics.

Other than the 9000ES, I recommend the Technics A-10 or the Sony 7000 for the $500-$600 range. In the $800-$1000 range, I recommend the Pioneer DV-37.

Tmartin- I am not really concerned about using this as a CD player. Have you seen the video quality of the Sony 7000 on a good video display? As I mentioned, the progressive scan would be overkill and probably a step down unless I went with an ultra-high end unit.

For many the Sony 7000 has been the standard to measure everything by--video and audio. Yes, I've seen it--many times. Most highend stores had it: both to sell but also to show off their other items (projection TVs, etc.) Note that in most magazines, it is the most used DVD player that is used to test TVs, projectors, etc. It has excellent video. It used to cost about $1,000 as well. So you found it for a very good price. The negatives would be no DTS or 96/24 support--again on the audio side. The 7700 corrected this, but many felt that the 7700 did not have the build quality of the 7000. The 9000ES has it all, including better audio, video, and a 5 year warranty, but it lists for $1,500.

Be aware that you may not be concerned about CD audio, but audio from DVD-Video is important as well. In comparision, with the Panasonic A7 ($500) and JVC723GS ($600), the audio while playing DVD's was so much more dynamic and clean with the S9000ES. The 7000 would be superior to the A7 and 723 as well, but doesn't equal the 9000. Because the 9000 is so good, is why you can now get a good deal on the 7000.