This posting is in addition to my lengthy review on the SD 9000 posted previously.
I bought the service manual for the SD 9000 and compared it with the service manual for the SD 2108. I will now classify the SD 9000 as a full 4th generation unit rather than the 3.5 generation previously related. While there are many circuits that are the same, there are significant differences.

The power supply has a more sophisticated input regulator which should better isolate the SD 9000 from power line variations. It also has an extra 12-volt output-reason unknown.

There is a headphone amp board and a completely separate sub-video processing board to handle all of the extra video processing and controls.

Most importantly, the service manual shows an internal RS232 input for updating the software/firmware! Now all we have to do is find out when new software is available and how to get the update. I'll bet Toshiba won't tell us.

There are no secret hand shakes revealed in the service manual so at this point, it appears that there are no on-screen service menus available.

Still a five star product.

sharp

not many

Just a great dvd player, by far the sharpest with great picture quality. I am using a Tara RSC-75 digital coax and a Tara Prism SV- 3 as inter-connects both work great with the 9000. They are running into a Denon AVR4800 and then on to
B&W CDM 7SE fronts, B&W CDM CSE center, B&W CDM 1SE surrounds and a Sunfire subwoofer. Right now I am using a 35" Mitsubishi until I buy a digital format set. Overall I am very happy with this setup.

Sound and Picture

None

May I congratulate Toshiba on an excellent product.

I love music and video, but am not a rocket scientist when it comes to setting things up, but this was so simple to set-up and use.

Picture and sound are second to none and I am now very glad I chose to spend that little extra.

Well done Toshiba and thanks for giving me the home cinema I wanted.

Sharron
Surrey - England

Similar Products Used:

Sharp L70

Toshiba’s Best Kept Secret-The SD 9000 DVD Player
This may be the sleeper DVD player of the year! Here is the bottom line. The Toshiba SD 9000 player (a member of Toshiba’s Deluxe Cinema Line) provides the best sound and picture that I have ever had on my home theater/music system. This statement is based on my subjective evaluations using a direct view 35" Toshiba monitor set up with the Video Essentials DVD to standards established by the Imaging Science Foundation. A Sony TAE 9000 ES pre/processor amplifier, 1500 watts of Carver THX power amplifiers feeding multiple (seven for now) Polk Audio speakers and a HSU 12Va subwoofer provide the sound. Comparative evaluations were made against a Toshiba SD 2108 DVD Player, a Pioneer CLD D704 Laser Disc player, and the new RCA 5451 DSS receiver with digital audio outputs. About 15 DVDs have been viewed (including releases of both new and older movies) and a dozen or so CDs.

Sorry, I cannot comment on comparisons with the Sony 7700 or any other sources. On larger screens and with different sound systems, you might come to different conclusions. However on my system, with my 56 year-old eyes and ears, the picture is razor sharp (with no increased sharpness added), the colors are vivid and well saturated, there are no digital artifacts, and there is no digital noise. The audio on DVDs and CDs is the best that I have heard on my system. There have been no dropouts and all well-recorded voices are in sync with the video. Music DVDs (one is supplied with the SD 9000) are usually dubbed and the SD 9000 plays it like it was recorded. The same goes for movies where automatic dialog replacement (ADR) has been used. On dual-layer DVDs, the change to the second layer is very smooth. I have used the digital (coaxial and TOSlink/optical) and analog (stereo) audio outputs with equal success. I have not used the built-in Dolby Digital decoder because I do not have provisions in my system for connecting those six channels. I will cover the features of the internal DD processor below.

Now that you have the bottom line, here are some of the features. I list them from the owner’s manual, the Toshiba CES press release, and e-mail from Toshiba, as well as from my experiences operating the unit.

The SD 9000 is what I would call a very mature 3.5+ generation unit. It does not have the 2-disc play feature that is supposed to come out later this year on the 4th generation SD 2109/SD 3109 series. Also it does not include HDCD decoding—a feature that I, for one, would not want. However, it is available now—not months from now. The list price is about $1100 with a street price of less than $790.00 that depends on the shipping method. One Call (800-340-4770) has them in stock with Fed Ex delivery.

Features? Let me count the ways that I love this machine. It is twice as heavy as the standard Toshiba machines at nearly 15 pounds. This is due to a resin casting in the base, heavy front panel (solid metal according to the Toshiba press release-ha ha), and extra external and internal vibration damping and shock absorbing systems. These premium features are great for home theaters where everything is rocking and rolling with the high-level subwoofer outputs. The SD 9000 maintains an indifference to such vibrations. The mechanical operation is as smooth as silk.

The SD 9000 uses three parallel DACs for the analog stereo outputs to get over 110 db of signal to noise ratio and dynamic range for those 96kHz/24 bit audio DVDs. I mostly use the digital outputs since my Sony TAE 9000 ES redigitizes any analog input. In any mode when there is no recorded signal, the audio outputs are virtually silent—even at full volume. The unit also is supposed to have film capacitors in the audio signal circuits rather than those nasty electrolytic capacitors, but I am not one to open it up and check. Besides, you would need a schematic/service manual to find them and Toshiba wants $48+ for that.

The on-screen display is new and easy to use given the normal problems associated with the varying menu system on DVDs. I usually just hit "Play", but some DVDs default to stereo outputs and the SD 9000 makes it easy to get to the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. The easy-to-hold remote has a light button and most of the buttons have the symbols printed on them so they show when lit. The SD 9000 also beeps to indicate that the remote command was received, but this beep can be turned off as can the front panel display. The remote also has a jog/shuttle wheel for those special affects and is preprogrammed to operate various TVs and cable boxes.

The SD 9000 has all of the usual controls plus a power zoom that can enlarge any of 25 sections of the screen. Most of the defaults are user settable. The SD 9000, like other Toshiba DVD players has a stop function that includes a memory feature that will resume play where you left off.

For the videophiles, the SD 9000 passes the PLUGE signal and in fact comes with a copy of the Video Essentials (VE) DVD for set up. The six-minute montage on VE represents some of the highest quality video available on DVD. The SD 9000 does not have a two-step (0 IRE/7.5 IRE) black level adjustment. Instead, there are three video memories that allow full adjustment of black-level (brightness), contrast, color and tint over a numeric range of –7 units to + 7 units. When the brightness is set to the zero point on the scale, the actual black level is set to +7.5 IRE. With a setting of –7 on the scale, the black level can be set all the way down to –7 IRE, which is below 0 IRE.

Now you can set your monitor up with Video Essentials on your the non-adjustable laser disc player. Then you can use the VE DVD on the SD 9000 and tweak the SD 9000 picture controls for an outstanding DVD picture also.

The SD 9000 has an adjustable digital noise reduction filter (3D DNR) for those less-than pristine DVDs or video CDs. I use it in the normal position or turn it off. There does not seem to be much difference on the DVDs that I have.

There are component video outputs for the big-screen videophile, one SVHS output (that I use), a composite video output, six Dolby Digital outputs, a set of stereo analog outputs, and coaxial and optical (TOSlink) digital outputs which output DTS, DD, or PCM digital bitstreams as selected and determined by the source. All outputs as far as I am able to determine are active at all times and there is no need for selection. The Sony TAE 9000 ES can switch between the digital coaxial, digital optical, and analog outputs and this allows fast comparisons. All outputs provide top-notch sound. In accordance with the DVD standard, the SD 9000 converts 96kHz/24bit signals to 48kHz/16 bit signals before sending them out in digital format. The full 96kHz/24 bit sound is only available at the stereo analog outputs.

The internal Dolby Digital decoder has adjustable time delays for center and surround speakers, built-in test tones, and a limited bass management function with a 120Hz crossover for small speakers.

For late-night viewing, there is a headphone jack and dynamic range control. Selectable Spatializer N-3-2 ® sound field generation is available on the headphone and stereo outputs.

Included in the SD 9000 deal are various freebies and discount coupons plus Toshiba/Warner will send you five DVDs (their choice- Lost in Space, City of Angels, Eraser, US Marshals, and Sphere) in about 10-12 weeks. They also throw in a few cables but Radio Shack probably sells better ones.

The Toshiba SD 9000 DVD player is, in my subjective opinion, right up there with all of the other top-quality DVD players and it may exceed the performance of some of them. Would I pay thousands more for a "high-end" machine? No sir! Not with the DVD quality what it is and with the pending high definition blue laser DVD technology due sometime in the next year or so. The Toshiba SD 9000 represents a significant improvement in performance and features over lesser machines. I am satisfied and happy. For me it is two "thumbs up". Since my wife and the dogs like it too, make that four "thumbs up" plus eight "paws up".

The only other thing I'd like to emphasize in addition to the two other excellent reviews, is that the SD9000 is an audiophile quality unit. Previous Toshiba players do not come close to the build quality, features, or performance of the SD9000. Preview one for yourself, and you'll see what I mean. This is a Sony 7700 killer. How Sony allowed Toshiba to invent a player with more versatility, programability, and performance is beyond me. At a far more affordable price too I might ad. IMHO, this product should become home theater product of the year...An easy 5 + rating.
Enjoy!

Picture Quality, Sound, Overall Build Quality

Remote is large

This unit is awesome!!!! I paid less that $400 through ubid.com and am 100% satisfied. This DVD player rocks--if you can find one, buy it. I set this unit up side by side with the Sony 7000 and found no comparison. The Toshiba's video quality is superior (better blacks and better image detail--the Sony has a "softer" picture). The sound on both are very good, but I'll give the nod to the Toshiba due its "warmer" sound. The remote is a bit on the large side, but I love the dial!!! The sound on CDs isn't as good as the 7000, but I have another CD player...

My system:

Denon 3200 Receiver
Toshiba 9000 DVD
Yamaha 905 CD
JBL HLS 620
JBL HLS Center
JBL HLS 615 (rear)
Acoustic Research S112PS Sub
Acoustic Research Cabling all around

Similar Products Used:

Sony 7000, Samsung 709 (crap)