19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Universal DVD player? Onkyo DV-SP1000 is the way to go!
I always think spending 2 grands on a dvd player is outright ridiculous. After researching and drooling over the specs of this Onkyo reference dvd player, I decided to jump into the bandwagon. I placed an order online and spent one sleepless night, "Do I really need to spend this much on a dvd player?"
Got it from Onecall for $1499 (gave me free shipping to keep...
Great sound / poor support
purchased this unit sometime back and to the credit of Onkyo, it is the best sounding DVD/SACD player I have ever heard. The picture is near perfect too. I have read where others have had lip sync isssues but I have not encountered this problem. My problem is getting the HDMI to talk to my brand new Sony ES receiver, but the connection will not work. I can connect any...
I always think spending 2 grands on a dvd player is outright ridiculous. After researching and drooling over the specs of this Onkyo reference dvd player, I decided to jump into the bandwagon. I placed an order online and spent one sleepless night, "Do I really need to spend this much on a dvd player?"
Got it from Onecall for $1499 (gave me free shipping to keep me from cancelling the order the next day.
All that feeling went away as soon as I received and opened the box. I thought I was picking up a high-end receiver. Dont even try to lift it if you have existing back problem, it weighs a ton. Faceplate is simple yet very attractive. Side panel has bar type stabilizer that'll remind you of a bodybuilders ribcage.
It has an extremely solid construction. You gotta see it in person to appreciate.
Setting up is a breeze. It must have been engineered with end-users in mind. OSD menu is simple and easy to navigate. It comes with an intuitive backlit remote ..sturdy & classy too. This is where Denon could learn a few lessons (they make such a cheap-looking remote controls).
DVD-Audio and SACD performance is mind-blowing using 5.1 channel analog audio. This player even has an extra pair of surround channels for 7.1 set-up. I took the following for a spin: Eagles' Hotel California(DVD-A), Grover Washington's Winelight(DVD-A), Roxy Music Avalon(SACD), and Beck Sea Change(SACD). They all sound very clean, smooth and crystal.
On the video side this baby did not disappoint. I connected the player to my fairly old Sony RP HDTV using HDMI-to-DVI Monster cable( I got it for half price in ebay). Setting the resolution to 1920x1080i 16:9 60Hz, the picture is nothing short of amazing. And this is on default picture settings. I tested the following DVD-Video: Desperado Superbit, North By Northwest and Disney's Jungle Book 2. Colors are vibrant and images are life-like. No jagged edges seen. The player uses O-plus Flexscale video scaling. (Denon 3910 uses Faroudja video scaler but picture quality looks washed out). This unit even features a dedicated connections for your interlaced and progressive scan outputs.
Bonus features (that you always enjoy from cheapo dvd players but missing in high-end units) includes ability to remember point of last disc played, a screen saver and the ability to handle virtually any disc format. I threw in my backup movies recorded in DVD-+R/RW. They all played perfect. And finally it's THX certified if that matters to you.
I called customer support once for some technical question and I was very pleased with their response. Warranty is 1 year parts / 1 year labor -in home service if bought from an authorized dealer.
I rate Onkyo DV-SP1000 5 out of 5 stars for its superb and unsurpassed video and audio performance.
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The Onkyo is VERY nicely made. A solid piece of equipment with a very nice back-lit learning remote. It's an elegant machine which has "class" stamped all over it. The loader is smooth, quiet, and well-built. And it's not made of cheap plastic--instead it is covered in a rubbery material which makes the operation of the player "whisper" quiet.
When I first got the player, I took my "old" (but still excellent) Panasonic RP-82 out of my home theater system and just connected the Onkyo in it's place. After starting up the machine, I was greeted by an classy splash screen and then a short set-up screen. I'm connecting this player to a RPTV through component connections. (My RPTV was professionaly calibrated last year.)
Lots of options and things that can be tweaked as I went through the different menus available. (I didn't even bother to open the manual. I usually like to figure things out for myself before delving into the printed literature, and this player was super-easy to configure without using the manual.)
I didn't bother recalibrating the set from my Panasonic settings, just went with what I had for the moment. Threw in "The Hulk" dvd and watched. WOW! Smooth and film-like. No artifacts or blotchiness. And very crisp and sharp with very deep, "inky' blacks. Even without a recalibration the Onkyo's colors seemed more vibrant and alive than the Panasonic's. Overall, a very impressive picture. The sound of the movie was also very detailed and full.
Next, I tried out a SACD of Snow Patrol's "Final Straw." No problems. Sounded fine. Then, I tried out the DVD-Audio disc of Todd Rundgren's "Liars." It sounded considerably better than my Panasonic RP-82 for DVD-Audio-- fuller sound with a good kick in the bass.
Lots of information on-screen information can be displayed when pressing the "Display" button: elapsed time, remaining time, total time of disc, selected soundtrack, bit rate, remaining chapter time, elapsed chapter time, etc. (Seems to be no shortage of information available.)
ADDED INFORMATION:
After having this player for a month and throwing all sorts of DVDs into it (anamorphic, full screen, black and white, foreign, video-based, etc.), I'm extremely happy I bought this player. It handles them all and puts out a beautiful picture. AND the player is very capable in the audio department. Playing regular redbook CDs, SACDs, and DVD-As, I was delighted that they all sounded fantastic.
The price may seem steep, but actually it's a bargain. Think about it--you're getting a top-notch DVD/CD/SACD/DVD-A player all in one which operates smoothly and effortlessy. It's the best player I've ever owned and I've gone through many players--from the early days of my Panasonic A-110 up to the current Denon 3910. The Onkyo SP-1000 beats them all very easily!
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purchased this unit sometime back and to the credit of Onkyo, it is the best sounding DVD/SACD player I have ever heard. The picture is near perfect too. I have read where others have had lip sync isssues but I have not encountered this problem. My problem is getting the HDMI to talk to my brand new Sony ES receiver, but the connection will not work. I can connect any other cheap HDMI player to the receiver with no HDMI issues.
I have to connect the Onkyo DV-SP1000 directly to my tv via HDMI.
With that said, I have tried to get support from Onkyo by phone and email. I couldn't even get them to respond to my emails until I sent a nasty message. Finally, they responded to me. I told them my issue and they said they would get back with but never did. All I really wanted was a firmware update that is available for my player. When I called, the support person said that there was no firmware update as far as he could tell. My player has firmware version 1.1 and other people have version 1.2. So how can they say that there is no firmware update? How can you pay $2000 for a DVD player and get absolutley ZERO support? The customer support of Onkyo is by far one of the worst I have ever encountered. If you actually get to talk to someone, they act as though you are bugging them. It is just a nightmare. If you expect customer service, don't buy an Onkyo.
I would actually rate this product a 4 and the customer service a ZERO.
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If you are an action movie nutcase then this is a fantastic DVD player. It is able to handle the fast paced action sequences with ease and the HD detail is beyond fantastic in terms of details, colors, crispness, etc. I'll let the other reviews tell you all of the hardware that allows this DVD player to do what it does, but you will definitely love the movie-like feel of action movies.
If you are not an action movie person, but rather just like good movies, I am not sure this DVD player is necessary for you. After all, action is about the picture, while drama is often times about the dialogue. While this DVD player will also make the dialogue sound great, who really needs great sound quality to this level in order to enjoy movies of great dialogue?
I have watched a variety of movies on this player since recently getting it, and the difference in picture and sound is definitely noticable on movies like "I Robot", "Galdiator", etc., while movies like "Family Man" and "Groundhog's Day", may not warrant the cost. I'll leave it up to you as to what type of a movie lover you are, but if you love action movies, you have not really seen them at home until you watch them on a DVD player of this exceptional quality. It is FUNtastik!
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As soon I connected it, I played one of my Jamiroquai CDs in my old CD player and then immediately switched to the Onkyo. The difference was huge. Warm, deep, crisp. All of the musicians were playing now. I loved it. A real audiphile component. Loved it. The delivery from One Call was flawless.
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With a little help from the internet, the US-model can easily be made region free and you can find the latest firmware without bothering the service offices. US-model plays both NTSC and PAL without any problems. With a step down to 120 watt you can use the US-model in Europe. The 60 Hz makes no problems.
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