Newbee q's : DVD player - do i need separate reciever for 5.1 sound? What else?

[andru123]

Hi,

Please advise. I'd like to buy a complete DVD set with 5.1 speakers and stuff. And

1. Do I need to buy separate DVD player + separate reciever/amplifier for sound + separate speakers?

2. Some systems have all-in-one : Dvd player which is also a reciever which has 5 speakers already included with it. Are such systems better than buying 3 components separately?

3. IF i buy separate components do they need to be from a single brand? So if i get philips speakers, will they work "good" with, let's say, jvc reciever/dvd player?

4. How important are digital in/out -s for video/audio?

5. I want to buy now an all-in-one (philips LX3600), it's quite cheap on sale (~300 euros), but probably in the future I'd want to upgrade the "dvd player" part to the latest model and use only speakers/reciever part of the "all-in-one". So what are the requirements for all-in-one solution : to have digital in/out or smth. or it's not important? What else?

[Doom9]

1) No. As you mentioned there are all-in-one solutions.
2) Complete sets are mostly in the middle class so the equipment isn't too shabby, but the better middle class and upper class is the separate solution's domain.
3) No. Just make sure that the speaker impendance matches the output of your receiver (ask a salesman about that.. if they have no clue, go to another store).
4) If you have separate devices, very important. Most DVD players don't decode Dolby Digital 5.1 sound so you can either transfer the 5.1 audio digitally to a receiver which has the decoder, or you'll have to settle for the 2 channel analogue output that every DVD player has, and then you're really sacrifying audio quality. If you have an integrated solution, the digital output would only be useful if you have say a digital audio recoder and want to make digital copies (for instance from an audio CD to a minidisc.. you'd connect the digital output of your cd/dvd player to the digital input of your md player for the best recording quality).
5) You need a digital input that is dolby digital capable so that you can connect your new player to your solution. But I think that is a requirement that is not easily satisfied.. most complete solutions I have seen did only have a 2ch analogue input.

[andru123]

Thanks a lot! :)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Last week me and the missus went out and bought an 'all-in-one' device for the breakfast room (yes, we have one of these).

Anyway, we ended up getting an LG FFH-DV25AD. Which is (and I quote here) a "DVD Micro Home Cinema System"

It can spin DVD's (DolbyDigital & DTS), VCD's, MP3's, CD's etc. It also has a cassette player and RDS radio!

Connection to your TV is either by composite or S-VHS.
5No speakers are also included. 16W (at 8 ohms)

Price in the UK £168.00

Cheers

[echooff]

I bought a Pioneer all in one. 600 watts output with 6 speakers. A5 disc changer, plus AM/FM radio. Has inputs for additional modular units. I'm happy with it. It only cost $300.00.

[sillKotscha]

as we're on the subject...

I think I'll get a seperate DVD-Player for X-mas -> so, no all-in-one solution for me ;(

... what kind of DD/DTS reciever would you recommend in the lower/ middle class price segment.

thanks in advance

cheers Sill

[echooff]

Do some research prior to purchasing. Several of the players I looked at appeared to claim they decoded DTS. Once you open the box and get a good look at the manual you find out it just feeds it to a DTS capable receiver. The point being you had to actually read the manual before you could be sure. I am not a fan of the all in one systems but I must say I am very pleased with mine.

[sillKotscha]

nonono... you missunderstood me ;)

I'll get one DVD-Player as a present for X-mas by my girlfriend - so I'm in the need for a good DD/DTS reciever but as I said in the lower/ middle class price segment...

that's why I was asking if someone could recommend one reciever and/or just a decoder in this price segment

thanks in advance

[echooff]

Naw. I understood you, I just ramble sometimes. Sorry.

[jojo15]

Andru

TIP: je kan het volgende keer ook op het forum van doom9.nl vragen,
dan krijg je antwoorden in euro's en sets die er bij ons zijn

Maar dit is niet fout ofzow
:D
Deze gasten weten denk ik nog wel meer dan die Nederlanders..

[Doom9]

@sill: it's been a couple of years since I've been reading mags in that area, but at that time, Yamaha had a pretty good price/performance relation and we're still happy with your Yamaha receiver at home. Though it dependson your definition of middle class... Yamaha doesn't make cheap receivers (their cheap ones are middle class for me, and then they also make ultra expensive upper class models).

[SeeMoreDigital]

>sillKotscha,

There are many things to consider before buying an DSS amp.

One main thing about any DSS amp is it's ability to accept more than 1No audio/video input. So in reality you will end up connecting more than just your DVD player to it. So work out what other equipment you have and how it might connect to your proposed amp.

For instance, many people in Germany watch TV via cable, which is often pumped directly to the TV (ie no set top box). So getting the audio from such signals is not always easy.

With this in mind, you may also find, the way you interface with your TV becomes quite different.

For example, most of the TV I watch comes via a set top box, which is fed directly to my DSS amp. So my TV is now just a monitor. Meaning I don't use the TV speakers at all. In fact, because my DSS amp also has a AC power output, which is directly connected to my TV. Therefor I'm unable to watch TV without switching on the amp!

Some may consider this idea a bit daft. But for all those people who don't own a DSS amp or use one to it's fullest potential... they won't understand (plus it's one less remote control).

So on to the amps.... Check out the Yamaha RX-V440RDS. Very nice and only around £300.00 in the UK. The Pioneer VSX-D812 is also very good at around the same price as is the Sony STR-DB790.

Don't forget. Once you've bought your amp, you'll then need speakers (7No in some cases), maybe and even a sub woofer. Plus quite a few metres of speaker cable. Some new inter-connect leads (I make my own). And a 'learning remote control'.

Anyway. That should keep you thinking for a while. Good luck in your quest.

Cheers


EDIT: Doom9. When are you going to get some mods for this section of the forum?

[sillKotscha]

thanks guys,

yesterday I've bought a A/V - related journal to gather some infos and for one point a big thanks...


For example, most of the TV I watch comes via a set top box, which is fed directly to my DSS amp. So my TV is now just a monitor. Meaning I don't use the TV speakers at all. In fact, because my DSS amp also has a AC power output, which is directly connected to my TV. Therefor I'm unable to watch TV without switching on the amp!


that one is for me very important as well - nice one :)

thanks again

[sillKotscha]

hey folks,

well x-mas is over (yeah, sad I know ;) and btw... happy new year) and concerning this thread I like to thank you again and report my new attainments...

as I said my girly wanted to donate me a DVDplayer... and so she did:

- http://www.dk-digital.com/us-version/indexprodukte311.html

nothing sensational but it does what it should do - play DVDs :) and this one does it well!! I'm really happy!!

and because of the fact that I was such a lovely boy last year :) santa was really generous to me... my parents donated me a voucher as the "biggest gift"

and the voucher went straight to "makromarkt" to buy this nice 'baby':

- have a look @ "makromarkt" (http://www.makromarkt.de/online/catalog/p_detail.asp?sid=%7B79B77421%2DE5AC%2D4086%2DAE03%2DFBCED5856D99%7D&gid=56B62EA0%2DBA2C%2D4E40%2D9F51%2DB6051F2A99A6&mscssid=%7BD6FDA32F%2D0147%2D4CA6%2DA408%2DD824A45070A2%7D)

because of the fact that "makromarkt" bought "promarkt" (at least in germany) but the "promarkt"-homepage is still online (same product here @ "promarkt" (http://www.promarkt.de/online/catalog/p_detail.asp?sid=%7B79B77421%2DE5AC%2D4086%2DAE03%2DFBCED5856D99%7D&partner_id=1029&partner_sub=&partner_image=) ) I could convince the seller to do me a little favour - reduce the price!!!... hehe - I saved 80 Euros and was twice as happy :)

well, I'm more than happy... next thing to buy is a nice dvd-burner and I'm done !!

cheers Sill