Denon DVD Players
Denon's new DVD players look like they are really agressively targeting the competition. The biggest thing we noticed were the new DVD-1920 and DVD 756S which provide a Faroudja FLi2301 chip along with HDMI 1.1 with digital bass management. An aluminum front panel and parallel 480i video output (concurrent with HDMI) make these very impressive players for only $349. Here is the full comparison chart of Denon's new entry-level DVD players.
| Feature/Specification | 
 
 
 DVD 556S 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 DVD 1720 
 
 
 | 
 DVD 756S  | 
 
 
 DVD 1920 
 
 
 | 
| 
 Availability  | 
 Now  | 
 Now  | 
 Now  | 
 Now  | 
| 
 SRP  | 
 $149  | 
 $149  | 
 $349  | 
 $349  | 
| 
 Cosmetic Finish  | 
 Silver  | 
 Black  | 
 Silver  | 
 Black  | 
| 
 D.D.V.C. -Dual Discrete Video Circuit  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 DVD-Video  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 DVD-Audio  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Super Audio CD  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Music/Video CD/CD-R/CD-RW Playback  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 DVD-R/RW Video - Conditional  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 DVD+R/RW Video - Conditional  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Kodak Picture CD Compatible  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Fujifilm Fujicolor CD Compatible  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 JPEG Photo-File Viewer  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 WMA 9 (Audio only), MP3 Audio Decoder for CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW Discs  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Single Disc Play  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Progressive Scan (By Matsushita)  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 | 
 | 
| 
 DCDi™ by Faroudja Progressive Scan Decoding Engine  | 
 | 
 | 
 FLi2301  | 
 FLi2301  | 
| 
 3:2 Pull down Detection  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 10-bit, 54-MHz Video DAC 480i/480p ((Integrated I/P Converter/Video DAC)  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 | 
 | 
| 
 Discrete 10-bit, 108-MHz Video DAC - 480i (Integrated I/P Converter/Video DAC)  | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Discrete 11-bit, 216-MHz Analog Devices Video DAC (ADV-7322) 480p  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 | 
| 
 Super Sub Alias Digital Filter  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Buffer Memory to decrease Layer change  | 
2MB | 
2MB | 
2MB | 
2MB | 
| 
 Multi-speed DVD-ROM Drive -2X for DVD, 4X for CD  | 
 1.5x/4x  | 
 1.5x/4x  | 
 1.5x/4x  | 
 1.5x/4x  | 
| 
 Burr-Brown 24/192 Audio DACs (DSD/PCM Discrete)  | 
 PCM-1756  | 
 PCM-1756  | 
 PCM-1738  | 
 PCM-1738  | 
| 
 Digital Bass Management for DVD-Audio/MLP/SACD, High (12dB) and Low Pass (24dB) with Speaker Configuration/Level Control and Delay Time Control *Crossover Slopes: DVD-A/V, 12dB High and 24dB Low -SACD, 6dB/12dB  | 
 | 
 | 
 80Hz* No Delay for SACD  | 
 80Hz* 
 
 No Delay 
  | 
| 
 Built-In Dolby Digital, dts, DVD-Audio, SACD Decoders with 5.1 outputs  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 4:3 Aspect Ratio Squeeze and Zoom Adjustments - *Available on HDMI  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes*  | 
 Yes*  | 
| 
 Pure Direct Modes (User Selectable - Video/Digital/Display Off)  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Composite Video Output  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 S-Video Output  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Component Video Output  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Coaxial and Optical Digital Outputs  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Parallel Digital/Analog Audio Outputs  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Parallel Video Outputs-*With HDMI: 480i Component/S and Composite  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes*  | 
 Yes*  | 
| 
 True 24-bit/96kHz Digital PCM 2-Ch. Output *24/192 on HDMI  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes*  | 
 Yes*  | 
| 
 HDMI 1.1 (HDCP Compatible -SiL9030) - With Selectable Scaling -480p/720p/1080i  | 
 | 
 | 
 
 
 Multi 
  | 
 
 
 Multi 
  | 
| 
 HDMI Bass Management  | 
 | 
 | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Black Level Adjustment, including HDMI  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Passes Below Black for Monitor Calibration  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
| 
 Discrete Power On/Off  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
 Yes  | 
Here are some pics of the new line-up: