El Perfecto, May 5, 2008
I got this player a week ago and I am totally blown away, and my TV is only capable of 1080i! (I won't be able to replace my TV until next year.) Two things struck me immediately, aside from the incredible detail, which beats the 1080i broadcasts that I am getting. The first was the colors. They are just dazzling! But it isn't because they're...read full review
I got this player a week ago and I am totally blown away, and my TV is only capable of 1080i! (I won't be able to replace my TV until next year.) Two things struck me immediately, aside from the incredible detail, which beats the 1080i broadcasts that I am getting. The first was the colors. They are just dazzling! But it isn't because they're over-saturated or anything like that. It's like I'm seeing a variety of pastels that I've never seen before from my TV. So far I've looked mainly at nature films (like the complete Planet Earth) and I seem to be seeing a wider gamut of colors than I've ever seen before from my TV. I watched a regular DVD on it and the colors are "back to normal". So it is the high definition processing of the Denon that seems to be capturing the richness of the colors.
The second thing I noticed is the quality of the sound. I've never heard such magnificent sound from my system. I thought it sounded great before (and others have remarked how wonderful my system sounds), but there is a noticeable improvement with this Denon, and that improvement is also noticeable on regular DVD's.
This unit has already ruined it for me for watching regular DVD's and 480i broadcasts, and I OWN about 250 DVDs! I used to think that regular DVD's looked pretty good, but it is in reality the difference between night and day. I don't know how I'm going to be able to tolerate regular DVDs anymore. I can't imagine that when I get 1080p next year it is going to make much of an improvement over what I currently have, but I've read that there is a noticeable difference that I'll see that has nothing to do with this particular Denon.
Then there's the manual...sigh... This is a manual seemingly written BY engineers FOR engineers. There are so many undefined acroynms and buzz words that it will make you dizzy. Better have Wikipedia handy, that's all I can say. I looked through the entire manual and could not figure out how to set it up from the default 4:3 aspect ratio at 480i to what I wanted, 16:10 aspect ratio at 1080i (the best my TV will give me). I had to call the dealer and HE had to consult with his tech department! Once he explained it, it was obvious how I'd have to change it the next time I wanted to (if ever -- since the unit automatically upsamples), and then when the excitement was beginning to wear off, I looked through the manual more carefully and saw where it was documented, in the middle of the 30 page or so manual! Something so obvious, so deeply buried, because that's how the engineers that designed this thing thought about it! God help me if there's other things I need to adjust. That's mainly why I paid full price for this thing from a local dealer so I'd be able to get phone help anytime I wanted it. At current prices you don't pay that much more for it now full price anyhow. We'll see where the prices are six months from now.
Fortunately, the above was the only adjustment I had to make. There are tons of things that can be adjusted with this unit, but one thing that appealed to me about it was reports I've read: normally you won't have to adjust anything aside from the aspect ratio and scan rate, as I had to. Default color adjustments, brightness, and contrast are just faultless.
Speaking of the manual, it warns you (relatively up-front) about setting up the 3800 in a confined place. My dealer told me (incorrectly, it turns out)that was nonsense, so I installed it inside my hi fi cabinet, which is closed at the back and has a glass door on the front. Below it was a tuner and a pre-amp, below them was one of those ancient Laser Disk players (that still works -- a Marantz), and below that a truly ancient transistor 105 watt/ch Crown power amplifier (39 years old and going as strong as ever). Anyhow, I played one disk and felt the chasis and it was so hot I could barely touch it so I immediately took it out of its confined space and placed it on an open shelf just above the TV and it has been running at a much more comfortable temperature ever since. So believe the manual! It needs plenty of ventilization. These high frequency electronic devices really burn the calories, just like those old 3 GHz PCs (before the multi-core jobs came out that run at a much cooler 2.4 GHz but still allow you to get tons of work done much faster).
Why did I spend so much for a Blu-ray player? Insanity maybe, but the build quality is far beyond the $500 units and this thing is not about to wear out or deteriorate with age. It also has superb built-in isolation from vibrations and magnetic fields. Even though it is sitting about 6" above my TV, it is completely free from visible noise that might be caused by stray magnetic fields from the TV tube (a 36" CRT Panasonic) and the picture is rock steady. I also noticed in the shop where I auditioned it that other Blu-Ray players take forever to load a disk. This takes about 15 seconds. So you get quite a bit for what you pay for. If you've got the money, spring for it. There's satisfaction in knowing that you've got something that is uncompromising in image, sound, and build quality. minimize
Reference player geared towards analog audio users, December 2, 2008
PROS: Superb CD over analog, excellent bass management, beautiful BD/DVD picture with Realta, decoding of ALL codecs, solid construction
CONS: Sluggish in response, expensive, not BD-Live 2.0 although some would call this a plus!
I've owned this player for nearly a year now and have watched a lot of the bugs get fixed...read full review
PROS: Superb CD over analog, excellent bass management, beautiful BD/DVD picture with Realta, decoding of ALL codecs, solid construction
CONS: Sluggish in response, expensive, not BD-Live 2.0 although some would call this a plus!
I've owned this player for nearly a year now and have watched a lot of the bugs get fixed through firmware. UPDATE: Decoding of DTS-HD HR (as of 1.115 firmware 11/24/08) is now included. Owners in forums were slow to pick up on this due to HR being the "forgotten codec." It decodes ALL now!!! The 3800 also does bitstream all codecs if you are so inclined. This player is really targeted to the analog crowd as it's got AL24 processing and great Burr Brown DAC's. If you own an HDMI capable receiver, then the purchase is more questionable as you are paying for an analog section you may never use. The Realta keeps the video reference quality so no need to keep the DVD player.
Summary:
Targeted to owners of non-HDMI receivers who want extensive bass management and listen to CD's and play both DVD's and BD's in one player. I suggest you purchase an extended warranty or get the Marantz BD8002 since it has 3 yr warranty and is a clone.
Similar players:
Sony BDP-S5000ES - a fine player but lacks the bass management that the 3800 has for the analog output (ie. fixed crossover).
Pioneer Elite BD-09FD - another fine player but will not have DTS-HD MA decoding until future firmware. It is also rumored to have variable crossover through future firmware but the manual currently implies fixed crossover. I personally would never buy a product based on "future functionality."
Marantz BD8002 - a clone of the Denon 3800 with a different power supply, faceplate, and Marantz's own upsampling instead of Denon's AL24. Otherwise almost everything is the same as the Denon. minimize
Outstanding Blu-Ray and CD player , July 3, 2008
I purchased the Denon 3800BDCI as I was looking for a "high end" Blu-Ray player that was also capable of playing SD DVD's and CD's. Having a Denon 4308CI as an AV processor also made this player an optimal choice for my system. Blu-Ray discs used in connection with the review included Home Video Essentials HD Basics, The Golden Compass, 2001,...read full review
I purchased the Denon 3800BDCI as I was looking for a "high end" Blu-Ray player that was also capable of playing SD DVD's and CD's. Having a Denon 4308CI as an AV processor also made this player an optimal choice for my system. Blu-Ray discs used in connection with the review included Home Video Essentials HD Basics, The Golden Compass, 2001, 10,000 B.C., Blade Runner (5 disc), Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Celine Dion's A New Day. Various SD DVD's and CD's were also used.
The following equipment was used in connection with the review of the 3800BDCI:
Panasonic TH-50PZ750U (Monitor)
Denon 4308CI (AV Processor)
Denon 3800BDCI (DVD) (Manufacture date May 2008)
Artcoustic DF-65's (Front speakers)
Artcoustic DF-Multi (Center speaker)
Monster AVS 2000 Signature Series (Power regulator)
Monster HTPS 7000 Signature Series (Power filter/surge protector)
Monster 1000 HDMI interconnects
Intangibles: Average viewing distance: 8-9 feet
Price paid: $1620 (New unit from reputable NYC retail store [please don't ask which one as it was an insider's price])
Unit heat generation (enclosed): Moderate
Overall Impression: 5/5 Stars
Strengths: Amazing picture and sound
Excellent build quality
Negative considerations: Cost
BD 1.1 (Bonus View) vs. BD 2.0 (Live)
(Please note that AV forum users have reported technical problems with lasers, firmware, and timing issues on earlier manufactured units. This appears be limited to serial numbers <1502 or less (3/08 build). Potential buyers may wish to review online forums for recent owner feedback. This reviewer has after 3 weeks of use had no problems.)
Having watched the above source material I was blown away by the picture and will never purchase another standard DVD disc again if available in Blu-ray. The difference in quality between the Blu-ray discs and SD DVD's is astounding. This player comes with the Silicon Optix Realta HQV chip and it does not disappoint. I never observed any loss of picture quality or signal while viewing any source material. Edging was also outstanding even when observed up close at a distance of <6 inches. It should also be noted that an outstanding picture was obtained despite the output being 1080P/60 as the Panasonic TV is a 2007 model that does not display 1080P/24.
Upconversion with SD DVD's was excellent but did not compare with BD material. Audio quality is excellent and this unit also decodes the most recent Dolby formats. As the 3800BDCI and 4308CI were enclosed in a closed audio rack and closet I was initially concerned with the heat alleged to have been reported by an earlier reviewer. Although BD discs did get "warm" the unit never got hot and the 4308CI (which runs cooler than some other AV processors) ran much warmer.
The only unusual observations were an "image stabilization" problem noted on the Blu-Ray 2001 Space Odyssey Disc. During viewing the total viewing image would shift about 1-2 pixels. In order to see the movement one had to view the 50" screen at a distance of <3 feet. I only observed the movement as I had moved close to observe some writing. I do not believe that it is a jitter problem as it appeared to be limited to 2001 on BD and was not present on the other discs even when viewed up close at a distance <1 foot. It is possible that this could be a consequence of the 1080P/60 processing or defective clock timing reported by AV forum users. Absent a direct player to player comparison I am unable to determine if it's a disc or player related issue. In any event it does not warrant any reduction in the reviewer's analysis of picture quality and display by the 3800BDCI.
3800BDCI vs. other Blu-Ray players? I felt that waiting for profile 2.0 made little sense to me as I am primarily interested in the movie itself vs. online add-ons. Playstation 3 is profile 2.0 compliant but does not support the full audio processing capability of the 3800BDCI. The Optix Realta processing chip is generally considered by professional reviewers to the best video processing solution out there. Marantz has a similar unit to the 3800BDCI also scheduled for release and is a sister company of Denon. The Marantz BD8002 may contain the same processing solution/similar features and offer a longer warranty. So it might warrant a look as well. Build quality of the 3800BDCI is far superior to that of cheaper players. If you are looking for a quality HD Blu-ray video/audio player and can live with the price, the 3800BDCI should not disappoint.
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Top of the line dissapointment, July 6, 2008
After spending 2K for Denon's DVD 3800 BDCI the trouble began. I watched my first movie (SpiderMan 3 Blu-Ray) all went well. A week or two later I tried to watch Cloverfeild and 2001 A Space Od. NO GOOD.
Both movies started to stop and play at random, not a good thing. Went to Denon website, there may be a fix, upgrading the...read full review
After spending 2K for Denon's DVD 3800 BDCI the trouble began. I watched my first movie (SpiderMan 3 Blu-Ray) all went well. A week or two later I tried to watch Cloverfeild and 2001 A Space Od. NO GOOD.
Both movies started to stop and play at random, not a good thing. Went to Denon website, there may be a fix, upgrading the firmware. However I must ship the unit to Denon in NJ, worse yet I'll have to pickup the shipping both ways ($45.00 each way). Unit should have an ethernet connection so updates can be done off the web (like my Toshiba HD DVD)..
Must admit however when playing Blu-Ray disc quality of the pix is outstanding (but so was my HD DVD)... minimize
Great Performance - Easy to Use, January 19, 2009
This has been an awesome purchase! Fantastic picture quality, and easy to use. I had a Sony Blu-ray player (and I typically love Sony products), but this Denon is far superior. The load times for movies is significantly faster as well.
