Denon DVD-1600 DVD Players

Denon DVD-1600 DVD Players 

DESCRIPTION

DVD-Audio/Video Progressive Scan Player • Progressive Scan featuring DCDi by Faroudja decoding engine • DVD-Audio with Bass Management, 100Hz crossover point • Plays CD/VCD/CD-R/CD-RW Discs, *DVD-R Conditionally • MP3 Decoder for encoded CD-R/RW Discs • 10-bit, 54-MHz Video DAC • Burr-Brown 24-bit, 192-kHz Audio DACs • 3MB Memory Buffer to decrease layer change pauses or pickup dropouts • Selectable 24 bit, 96 kHz PCM output pass-through capability • Built-in Dolby Digital, dts and DVD-Audio decoders with 5.1 analog outputs • PCM, DD, dts compatible Optical Digital Output • Component, S-Video and Composite(2) video outputs • Passes Below Black(Pluge) for proper Monitor Calibration • Dimensions: 17.1"w x 3.2"h x 9.9" d

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 30  
[Mar 22, 2006]
boxand1
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Video Quality, ease of use, appearance is nice and polished.

Weakness:

Layer change and the unit is kind of light weight.

This is my second review of this player. My first was early in my ownership and use. I have now had this for 3 or 4 years and, aside from the layer change problem (noted below), the unit perform quite well! I didn't buy this for perfect layer changes... in fact, I went in knowing it was a problem. I purchased the unit in response to reviews on this site, and a professional review on http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_9_2/denon-dvd-1600-6-2002.html

They noticed the layer change issue as well, and it is rather annoying. However, the image quality is excellent and, at least for me, makes up for the layer change (occurs once per disc). The DVD-Audio is a nice feature, but there aren't too many discs out there, so I wouldn't buy it for this feature alone.

I know the Denon 3910 is supposed to be superior--so if you are looking at this for advice and have money to spend, that's the place to look next. If you are on a budget, you can't beat the Oppo http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=124#Oppo%20DigitalOPDV971H%20(DVI)

So that's my 2 cents after 3-4 years. If you're looking for a new DVD player the Denon 3910 (if you have a room full of money), or the Oppo (if you're budget-minded and want price-performance and options). If you currently own the DVD 1600, I would suggest keeping it until HD DVD/ Blue Ray is solidified and the prices drop.

Cheers--

boxand1

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba, Denon, Panasonic, Sony, etc.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 28, 2004]
rcpmax
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Handsome looks. Also plays a couple of DVDs that my older players wouldn't.

Weakness:

See my main comments. Good thing it was lower-priced because of being a refurb unit. This is my first Denon piece of equipment and, given my first impression, will be my last. Time to go back to Yamaha I guess.

I purchased the unit in part because of Denon's reputation. I have to say that that reputation - in my eyes - is somewhat diminished after having used this product for 11 months. I though that the 3MB buffer would eliminate the interruption as the laser switches layers but I have found that that is simply not true. I still see and hear a noticable delay. This is not because of a cheap disc either. For example, this delay shows up on the Star Wars II DVD - about as high quality as you can get - ya' know, it being THX certified and all that stuff. The laser pickup takes too long to access even the very next track - all accompanied by the short 'whirring' and 'clunking' noises. The spindle motor also 'clicks' along as it plays the disc. These noises are unsatisfactory, especially given the fact that I have never heard them on any of my previous three DVD players - all Yamaha units. I do not like the fact that this unit will not display the Album and Song Titles that are on the mp3 discs. The Sony unit in my car does this and allows you to scroll to the Album, then the Song that you want. This Denon unit requires you "to just know" that the song you want is number 62, or 98, or 104, etc. Nit-picking: I think that the little red LED that tells you that the unit is in Standby when the unit is off is just an annoying waste of time and engineering effort. I know when the unit is off because the fluorescent diplay is blank when the unit is off! Also, the LEDs for progressive scan & audio only are too bright. I have toned them down by painting them with a black Sharpie.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha DVD-S700, Yamaha DVD-1000, Yamaha DVD-S795.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Jan 13, 2004]
Greg
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great video when you have one that doesn't break but better can be had even cheaper.

Weakness:

Lack of adjustments,ic's and in my case, not very reliable.

I think the little 1600 does offer very nice video and audio for the price but found the fact that there are basically no video adjustments in progressive mode and no coaxial digital out to be rediculous for a 550.00 list player. The first 1600 I bought worked fine for a month and then it failed to read any discs. The second 1600 I bought seem to play fine for a few days and then it read H02 error on the display and refused to work. I did get the second player to work again whithout the H02 code after unplugging the player for 10 minutes. The H02 code, along whith the first units refusal to play any disc made me search for another dvd player and finnally I found a Phillips 963sa had even better video and audio performance than the 1600. I did try 5 other players before finding one that was good enough to replace the 1600 though. I am going to have to take away 1 star for dependebility and 1 for not having any video adjustments in progressive mode or coaxial digital out. I will also have to take away another star for finding a player that lists for 50.00 less that outperforms the 1600 and has lots of adjustments and a dgital coaxial out.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 7700,Sony 9000es,Samsung hd931,JVC xa700,Philips 963sa,Arcam dv27,Denon 5900,Philips sacd 1000

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Aug 22, 2003]
Ron Kellog
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great picture/sound Nice look.

Weakness:

Minor gripes: Loads slow No MP3 text and TV screen browsing of files. (Didn't buy for MP3s anyway) The green prog light is intense. No screen saver

Got the refurb and lovin it! I agree with all the positives regarding picture and sound quality. I will add that my MP3s sound great even when I listen via the optical to my technics SHAC500D....I know this player has great DACs...but I use all seperates...and my fronts run off an old Luxman M02/C02...No remote volume ;o) I've used it quite a bit on many DVDs and and no gliches...any layer change pauses were very few and hardly noticed.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP 500S

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 14, 2003]
gblunk
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Awesome picture -- great sound.

Weakness:

None that I can see yet.

I got this unit on clearance, minus remote. I replaced a Sony DVP-NS715 progressive scan player. The difference was noticeable and not subtle immediately. The picture in progressive mode is very clear and crisp. Audio is much clearer as well.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVPNS-715

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 25, 2003]
philip shelly
AudioPhile

Strength:

THE PICTURE - I'LL SPARE YOU THE THOUSAND WORDS.

Weakness:

SACD WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO? SLOW LOADING, BUT I'VE GOT THE TIME. WEIGHT MAKES YOU QUESTION BUILD, BUT NO PROBLEMS SO FAR. REMOTE UGLY, BUT I DON'T WATCH THE REMOTE. NO REMOTE PRO SCAN ON/OFF - AS WAS SAID BEFORE BY A PREVIOUS REVIEWER, I CAN WALK THE 10 FEET. IN ANY CASE, IF YOU'RE WATCHING FILMS ON DVD, YOU SHOULDN'T NEED TO PLAY WITH THIS BUTTON THAT MUCH. IF YOU'RE NOT WATCHING FILMS, IS THERE ANY POINT TO ANY OF THIS?

AFTER MY WIFE GOT A 55 INCH MITSUBISHI REAR PROJECTION TV, I COULD NOT ABIDE THE PICTURE GIVEN BY OUR SONY DVD PLAYER. AFTER A FEW DVDS, I DECIDED THAT I WOULDN'T WATCH ANOTHER ON THIS PLAYER. RESEARCH, HERE AND HOMETHEATERHIFI.COM, EXPLAINED WHY, AND INDICATED THE DENON DVD 1600, ESPECIALLY AFTER I GAVE UP TRYING TO LOCATE THE LESS EXPENSIVE PANASONICS WITH THE SAME GENESIS SAGE FAROUDJA CHIPSET AND COULDN'T BECOME CERTAIN THAT THE DENON 2900 HAD SOLVED THE CHROMA BUG AND THAT ITS SILICONE GRAPHICS CHIP COULD DELIVER AS WARM A PICTURE WITH AS SMOOTH EDGES AS THE FAROUDJA DCDI IN THE 1600 (I'M NOT SAYING THE 2900 COULDN'T, I JUST COULDN'T BE MADE CERTAIN IN TIME) PLUGGED IT INTO A MONSTER 5000, AND CONNECTED IT TO THE MITSUBISHI MEDALLION WITH RADIO SHACK'S! BEST CABLES. THE PICTURE IS ALMOST FILM LIKE, AND HAS AN EFFORTLESS LOOK TO IT. DETAILS OF THE ROCKS, DUNES, CAMEL HARNESSES, AND CLOTHES, IN LAWRENCE OF ARABIA JUMP OUT. SHADES OF BROWN, BLUES AND REDS, LIKE I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE ON A TV AS WELL AS CHIARASCHURO. MONSTER'S INC., - I SAW, FOR THE FIRST TIME THE LITTLE RED ARTERIES IN (THE ONE EYED GUY)'S EYE. YOU COULD FEEL THE COOLNESS IN THE MORNING SCENES IN "THE HEAT OF NIGHT." EDGES ARE VERY SMOOTH. SHADES, SHADOWS, DETAIL AND MOVEMENT ARE BEAUTIFULLY DEPICTED. I HONESTLY FEEL THAT THIS MACHINE'S PICTURE IS AS GOOD AS THE DVD THAT IS IN IT. THIN HORIZONTAL IMAGES FLICKER ALONG THE LINES OF RESOLUTION, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE FAULT OF THE LOW LINES OF RESOLUTION OF THE FORMAT, TV ETC. I LISTEN TO MUSIC ON A CAL ICON II PB, WITH AUDIO RESEARCH LS7, AND A RESTORED/REDESIGNED (BY CHARLES RENE JAEGER) HK CITATION II, AND DAHLQUIST 20s - MY THOUGHTS ON THE DENON DVD 1600'S SOUND ARE THEREFOR SKEWED. HOWEVER, I REALLY LIKE THE MOVIE SOUND THROUGH AN HK AVR 520 AND 2 LATER DAHLQUIST PROFILES WITH LAMP WIRE SPEAKER CABLES! THE DVD-A SOUND THROUGH THE HK 520 AND DAHLQUIST PROFILES WAS ASTONISHING - ITS THAT MUCH BETTER A FORMAT THAN CD. I WILL BE CONNECTING THE DENON DVD PLAYER TO MY TUBE STEREO FOR THE DVD-A. DOES THE SLOW LAYER CHANGE MATTER IF YOU'RE WATCHING FILMS ON DVD? NOT YET. I WISH THE 1600 WAS LESS EXPENSIVE. I HOPE THT ITS LACK OF HEFT IS NOT INDICATIVE OF A LACK OF DURABILITY. I IMAGINE THAT FURTHER SHIELDING, CIRCUIT SEPARATION, SEPARATION AND STABILIZATION OF POWER SUPPLIES, AND DAMPING (SEE THE CAL ICON II POWER BOSS) WHICH IS WHAT BOOSTS THE COSTS OF MACHINES LIKE THIS, WOULD PROBABLY MAKE THIS AN EVEN BETTER PLAYER. HOWEVER, JUST AS IT IS, THIS MACHINE DOES EVERYTHING THAT I HOPED FOR. IT BRINGS VERY ACCURATE AND VIVID IMAGES FROM DISC TO YOUR SCREEN. I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN - ONLY SOONER. I THANK THE REVIEWERS HERE AND HOMETHEATERHIFI.COM FOR THEIR HELP IN MY DECISION.

Similar Products Used:

NONDESCRIPT SONY DVD PLAYERS WHICH WERE FINE FOR SMALLER SCREEN (I GUESS). HOWEVER, MY VISION IS BETTER THAN 20/20, AND I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF TVS AND PLAYERS IN STORES. ALSO, I WISH I HAD MORE MONEY F

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
3
[Jun 12, 2003]
ged2
AudioPhile

Strength:

DCDI progressive scan DVD-Audio

Weakness:

If the machine is not congigured to have subwoofer in the system some DVD-Audio discs will not play in high resolution surround. Fleetwood Mac "Say You Will" is an example. No coaxial digital audio output

This is truly a great viewing, great sounding unit. It is one of the few DVD-Audio players with bass management and this may be it's only real weakness.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD 6200 Pioneer DVL 919 Sony DVP NS755V

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Apr 28, 2003]
Dave
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Audio,Video

Weakness:

Remote looks like somethin from an apex player,not a 799 denon.

Well thx to all on this site,based on your reviews i purchased this unit and could'nt be more happy.

Similar Products Used:

Sony

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 14, 2003]
Mark H
Casual Listener

Strength:

Picture Sound Capabilities Size

Weakness:

About the only thing that bugs me is that you can't switch to progressive from the remote. Sometimes I forget when I put a DVD in. No big deal though, for this picture quality I guess I can move 10 feet.

Truly an awesome player for the price. Bought it to eliminate many of the motion artifacts present with my old player and to have cd-r and mp3 capabilities. Cost $$$ less than my old player does much, much more, and about 1/3 the size and weight. After reading a review on DVD players (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_4/dvd-benchmark-part-5-progressive-10-2000.html) I started to notice all the problem my old player had in interpreting and displaying data from many of my DVD's. Once you know what problems to look for you start to see them everywhere. Well not with the 1600. The Super Speedway test was the first one I tested and the 1600 was tons better. It also did a great job with my cd-r's and mp3 CD's. Worth every penny. When ClubMac gets them in stock again I'll probably get one for the rec room as well. At $250 you can't miss.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 1800

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 12, 2003]
danbry39
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Audio/visual performance. Audio only feature.

Weakness:

Only optical connect option. No zoom Could use a bette laid out remote.

I'll try to be short and sweet here. This is my fourth DVD player and easily bests the other three. The three dimensionality, nicely defined picture, and wonderfully true colors make for a great visual presentation. With regards to audio, the CD can't match my $900 CD player, but it easily bests my other DVD players CD play, and holds its own with other CD players I have from Harman Kardon, Adcom, and Onkyo. Dolby digital really somes through smoothly and seamlessly and makes my Rotel 1066 pre-pro/Parasound 1205A amp combo sound all the better. Really a nice player for the money. Only wishes would be for a digital coax connect (still sounds great though), a more nicely laid out remote, and a zoom feature, but given its performance otherwise, I'll easily live with - and love - this piece of equipment.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 30  

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