DVD-5910CI Build Quality and Remote Control
We decided to take a peek under the hood of the Denon DVD player dream machines to make sure some marketing clown at Denon didn't stuff a few 10lb weights in the chassis to give them their heft. Don't laugh, I am waiting for the day some esoteric manufacturer does this. Many already do this with amps and processors via an ultra thick front faceplate and chassis. Open some of these products up and you will find mostly air. This was NOT the case with either of these DVD players however.
Denon DVD-3930CI (left pic) & Denon DVD-5910CI (right pic)
As you can see in the pics above, both of Denon' s newest DVD players are superbly constructed. Both machines utilize E-core transformers and switching power supplies, though the power supply section of the DVD-5910CI looks roughly double the size with a higher component count, particularly regulators and power supply capacitors. The DVD-5910CI also has a more robust transport, and according to Denon contains a special protein coating and damping materials that suppress vibrations from disc spinning.
The DVD-5910CI utilizes 4 block discrete construction to eliminate mutual interference
between circuit boards and incorporates a four layer chassis base to dampen external vibrations.
This is the type of construction and materials that puts the "high-end"
in true high-end
components such as this player.
The transport is also built of sterner stuff. It's typical to find a flimsy plastic drawer on most DVD players out there but the DVD-5910CI once again sets the bar in rugged build quality and choice selection of the best parts to show of its high-end stature.
Denon DVD-5910CI Features
Denon significantly raised the bar
in DVD video and audio performance with the introduction of this new flagship player. The DVD-5910CI
brings several significant
technologies to the consumer home entertainment arena. Most notably,
because it was the world's first consumer product to incorporate the Realta/HQV chip from Silicon
Optix.
The chip performs over 1-trillion video processing operations per
second,
significantly improving
standard definition video.
This technology was
previously only used by broadcasters for video processing but is now at the fingertips of
discriminating A/V enthusiasts who flip the bill for this dream machine.
The DVD-5910CI is also the world's first DVD player to feature the critically acclaimed DVDO 10-bit Precision Video Scaling technology from Anchor Bay Technologies, a critical video processing step. The Precision Video Scaling circuitry is very impressive and does a tremendous job at digital video upconversion, cross-conversion, and downconversion as we discovered in our viewing evaluations.
The DVD-5910CI also features Denon Pixel Image Correction (DPIC), exclusive 10-bit correction circuitry that samples a total of nine pixels to detect the impact of a "target" pixel, then process in vertical, horizontal and diagonal parameters and separates algorithms for brightness and color. DPIC not only features per-pixel motion and noise adaptive processing but also per-pixel detail enhancement.
DVD-5910CI A/V Block Diagram
In the video block, we see ESS Vibrato MPEG / DVD-Audio Decoder interfaced with the REALTA HQV 10-bit processor at the heart of the video core. The HQV processor feeds the Analog Devices dual discrete 216 MHz/14-bit video ADV7314 DACs which allow for 480i or 480p resolution via component video outputs and sends 480i to the s-video and composite video outputs. The Anchor Bay DVDO scalar is connected in parallel to HQV and utilized to scale all the common resolutions (480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p) to HDMI and DVI simultaneously for digital transmission to your display device.
The ESS processor also handles DVD-Audio and interfaces directly with the AD Melody 100 SHARC processing for bass management and PHY for digital transmission of DVD-Audio via HDMI, IEEE1394 and Denon Link. Should you go the analogue route, Denon employs its AL24 bit processing before doing the D/A conversion via the PCM-1792 DACs. Note the independent DACs for mixed Front Left and Right channels for second source audio applications. The DVD-5910CI also has an independent SACD decoding circuit to keep it in its native DSD format should you decide to bypass bass management. Denon gives the option of outputting DSD over its PHY digital connections to IEEE1394 and Denon Link3 or you can employ bass management, AL24 processing and D/A conversion for discrete analogue outputs. You can also transmit two channel 44kHz / 16bit PCM converted SACD via the HDMI output, but I would advise against it if you desire the best possible sound reproduction of this high resolution format.
Some of the key features:
- DVI-D (HDCP) and HDMI digital video outputs (simultaneous with 480p component video and other outputs!)
- Two component video outputs (BNC and RCA)
- S-video and two composite video outputs
- Denon Link 3 for DVD-A & SACD pass thru
- HDMI Ver. 1.1 with 1080p video support, DVD-A and SACD
- Two active IEEE 1394 ports
- Coaxial and optical digital outputs
- Multi-channel analog audio outputs
- DVD-Audio/SACD support with discrete circuitry
- Realta/HQV chip from Silicon Optix
- 10-bit Precision Video Scaling technology from DVDO
Denon DVD-5910CI Back Panel
The DVD-5910CI back panel resembles that of a sophisticated AV Receiver, nevermind a DVD player. It sports 6CH analogue outputs, independent 2CH analog outputs, 2 sets of component video outputs (BNC and RCA), 2 composite video, 2 S-video, DVI, HDMI, IEEE1394, Denon Link 3, Toslink and Digital Coax. Best of all, all outputs are active SIMULTANEOUSLY!
Remote Control
Denon'
s DVD player remote controls have
always been pretty ordinary but functional.
The DVD-5910's remote is definitely improved
upon from their status quo.
Finally they incorporated a backlight feature but the button is in an
awkward location that I found myself mistakenly hitting the Top Menu button slightly below it in my
dark theater room.
I would have liked to see the backlight button side mounted for easy and
unmistaken access.
The remote is a rather bulky 9"
x 2 ¼"
but has pretty good tactile
response and can easily be operated by one free hand.
It"s nice to see an open/close
feature along with a power on/off feature incorporated into the remote.
Best of all if you
accidentally power down the unit with the tray out, it retracts the tray before turning off.
This
has been a welcomed new feature for Denon players in the last couple years.
Let"s face it,
with the price tag on this player, you will likely program a universal type remote and pull out the
original on the infrequent occasion when specific player tweaks need to be made.
