CES 2004: New from Swedish manufacturer Primare is the DVD30 universal player. Released in Europe in December 2003, it is scheduled to become available in the U.S. some time in mid-2004.
The Primare DVD30 supports the full slate of current optical disc formats: DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD-R, DVD-RW, Video-CD, Super-Video-CD, SACD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 on CD-ROM. On the video processing side the DVD30 features PureCinema Progressive Scan (3:2 pulldown), interlaced video output with a 108Mhz/12-bit video DAC and 6Mhz bandwidth and a Super-Fine Focus filter with 4:4:4 video upsampling. The user is able to control 16 different processing parameters, with three memory presets to store user settings.
To those of you with a Pioneer ‘universal’ player, or if you’re the owner of a Pioneer OEM, then these features will sound awfully familiar…
For video, the rear panel boasts two sets of component outputs, a SCART output (only for European territories) one S-Video output and one composite output. A digital output, either via DVI or HDMI is currently absent, however…
The designers have endeavoured to make the DVD30 as “future-proof” as possible. There is the facility for firmware upgrades as well as a unique removable video output circuit card, accessible from the rear panel, that can be removed and replaced to accommodate changes in video output formats. The manufacturers expect to make optional video cards available.
Audiophiles will not be disappointed: a trio of wide bandwidth 192kHz/24-bit DACs and balanced outputs for the front left and right channels (together with a compliment of six single-ended RCA terminals); full bass management for SACD and DVD-Audio also feature, but there is no high-resolution digital interface, just S/P-DIF via optical and coaxial, plus an AES-EBU balanced (XLR) output.
The DVD30 is available in either black or ‘titan’ (silver) finishes, but an MSRP has not yet been set for the American market. The European model, easily spotted due to the inclusion of a SCART terminal, has an MSRP of Euro 2,750.