There are DVD players costing Ј6,000 that do less than this machine and deliver worse pictures. There are players costing more that use entry-level DVD transports and there are specialist players costing Ј2,000 to Ј3,000 based on two-year-old old Ј800 mass market players fitted in a nice box.

This Ј899.99 Denon is the real thing. Bleeding edge technology, heavyweight audiophile/videophile construction and all at a sensible price.

Plays anydisc: DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD, MP3, WMA, JPEG, PHOTO CD plus all varieties of DVD / CD -R +R…

The DVD-3910 has everydigital and analogue audio/video output; HDMI, DVI, FireWire, component, composite and S-Video.

Specifications as follows:

Video

• HDMI final spec with multi-channel audio (First with HDMI multichannel. Will connect to the forthcoming generation of HDMI switching AV receivers)
• DVI with HDCP (Note DVD and HDMI are switchable. Use one for the plasma and the other for a projector).
• Very fancy digital video-scaling
• Latest Faroujda DCDi PAL progressive scan – the high-end version of this system
• Dual Discrete Video Circuit – Dual 12-bit 216MHz video DACS (Separate video DACs for progressive scan and interlaced)
• Exclusive Denon Picture Image Correction (Custom Denon IC for Mad Japanese Professor algorithm for new type of video enhancer. Can be programmed into memories so ON for cheap projectors and OFF off for high-definition displays).

Audio

• 2 × FireWire IEEE.1394 digital audio out – Denon Clock Synchronized System (DCSS)
• Gigabit Denon Link 3 digital audio out
• Hard-wired stereo path for CD
• Pure Direct switching on front panel
• HDCD for CD replay
• Latest Denon AL24 Processing Plus on all 6 channels
• Twin Hammerhead SHARC processors just for bass management
• Silmic audiophile-grade capacitors
• Other audiophile parts fitted to enhance sound quality

Physical

• Complete audiophile construction
• Discrete circuit boards, shielding etc etc
• Five power supply circuits
• Shielded 3-box chassis
• Twin layer base plate
• Same SVH high-end DVD transport as DVD-A11

Horrendous Detail (courtesy of Denon USA)

• Powered by the latest DCDi by Faroudja FLI-2310 Decoding Engine
• Finest available processing for film, video, graphics or mixed-mode content
• Adjustable Chroma Delay and Level, White/Black Levels, CCS On/Off controls
• Exclusive Denon Picture Image Correction – provides for Vertical and Horizontal pixel enhancement
• New ESS Vibrato “Chroma Bug Free” MPEG/DVD-Audio Decoder
• CXD-2753 Second Generation DSD Decoder
• Dual, discrete, Analog Devices ADV-7310 – 216 MHz, 4:4:4, 12 bit Video D/A Conversion system featuring Noise Shaped Video processing (1 chip each Progressive and Interlace)
• 8× Oversampling Progressive and 16x Interlace output
• Wideband relay switched component video outputs
• Variable Black Level (Setup): 0 and 7.5 IRE
• Passes below-black (PLUGE) on progressive and interlace outputs
• (1) DVI-D (HDCP) and (1) HDMI Multi-Channel Audio Compatible, outputs with selectable 480p/720p/1080i output
• (1) each – Component Video, Composite and S outputs
• 2× DVD read speed; 4× CD/CD-R/CD-RW read speed; with 8Mb drive buffer memory
• Built-in Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD-Audio and SACD decoders with 5.1 analog outputs
• Burr-Brown 24-bit, 192kHz DSD-1796 Audio DACs that decode PCM and DSD signals discretely with no cross-conversion of DSD
• Full Digital Bass Management for DVD-Audio/SACD (optional), featuring dual Analog Devices Melody 100 ‘HammerHead’ processors (DSD signals are converted to PCM)
• 40/60/80/100/120Hz crossover points with 12dB high and 24dB low pass slopes; Adjustable delay time and Channel Levels
• Source Direct Mode for PCM or SACD, bypasses Bass Management Speaker Configuration, but permits Channel Level and Delay Time adjustments (No conversion of DSD signals to PCM)
• MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA 9) Playback
• Plays Audio/Video CDs; DVD-Audio/Video; Super Audio CD; DVD +/-R/RW (conditional); Audio CD-R; Audio CD-RW; Decoders for MP3 (128kbps or greater recommended) and WMA-8 (64 ~ 160kbps) CD-R/RW & DVD +/-R/RW discs
• JPEG photo file viewer, Kodak Picture and Fujicolor CD compatible
• HDCD decoding
• New AL24 Processing Plus for all 6 Channels
• 24/96 compatible digital outputs – optical and coaxial
• Denon Link for connection to AVC-A1SRA /AVR-3805 etc
• PCM and DSD Compatible FireWire IEEE-1394 Outputs, featuring exclusive Denon Clock Synchronized System (DCSS), a proprietary and defeatable system
• Anamorphic Scaling for 4:3/16:9 Sets
• 4:3 Squeeze and Zoom Controls
• Pure Direct Modes to defeat unneeded portions of player for the ultimate in audio performance
• 3 box, 3 block internal layout to isolate analog, digital and video circuits
• SRS TruSurround
• RS-232C and Remote in/out ports –
• Backlit remote control
• Dimensions: 17.1″w × 5.2″h × 13″d