Onkyo - DV-SP1000

MPEG Maker: unknown MPEG Model: unknown Deinterlacer Maker: Silicon Image Deinterlacer Model: SIL-504     MSRP: $2000.00 Website: http://www.onkyousa.com

The Onkyo DV-SP1000 is a player I have been trying to get hold of for quite some time now. As most readers of the Benchmark know, I have not been a big fan of Onkyo’s previous DVD players and their reliance on all-in-one MPEG decoder/de-interlacers. The SP-1000 changed that stance and incorporates the popular and very capable Silicon Image SIL504 video processing chip.

This switch-out made a huge difference in performance for Onkyo and puts the SP-1000 in the category of being one of the best DVD players on the market today. The SIL504’s abilities with film based de-interlacing have been heralded time and again at Secrets, and its performance in the DV-SP1000 is no exception. The SP1000 delivered a very clean image devoid of the issues we were seeing with their older players.

The chip passed all of our de-interlacing tests including those for 2-2 material. This chip has a faster recovery time than the Genesis FLI-2310 and doesn’t suffer from any of the macroblocking issues that have been so common on most upscaling DVD players. But that doesn’t mean that this chip doesn’t have its limitations and clear weaknesses.

Currently there are two chipsets on the market that are incorporating advanced diagonal line processing. Those are the FLI series chips from Genesis/Faroudja and the HQV chip from Silicon Optix. Unfortunately, the Silicon Image chip just cannot compete with these solutions in terms of video-based material, and more specifically, diagonal line processing. This is extremely evident with video-based material such as DVDs of TV programs and a lot of Anime or animated features.

A great test for diagonal line processing is found on Silicon Optix’s new Benchmark DVD. Using the three angles test resulted in some pretty horrible jaggies along the edges of all three angles. I also looked at some older Sage-produced test clips that showed obvious jaggies.

Another downside of the SIL504 chip is the 8 bit video processing. Despite the HDMI output of the SP-1000, banding was still evident in gray scale ramps. This is not as much of an issue right now since most digital displays still have 8 bit internal processing, but it will become an issue as these displays start incorporating higher bit processing. The Genesis and Silicon Optix solutions do all of their processing at the 10 bit level. Having the higher resolution processing eliminates artifacts such as banding and gradiations that are pretty common with DVD and digital displays.

Of course there is more to a DVD player than de-interlacing. Great de-interlacing will not make up for a sub-par DVD player in the core performance department. Onkyo has been hit or miss in this department in the past, but this time around they got all their ducks in line.

The SP1000 has absolutely no Y/C delay via component or HDMI. This lends to a cleaner image devoid of the ghosting effect that Y/C delay will bring to an image from misalignment.

The analog frequency response is quite respectable but a tad down in the upper frequencies. This may lead to a slightly softer image than some players, but this is a non-issue if you use the preferred HDMI output. Pixel cropping was a tad excessive, with 4 pixels cropped from the bottom of the image and a combined 6 pixels from the left and right sides.

For our chroma tests, the SP1000 did modestly. This player has no chroma issues with traditional film based 3-2 material and 2-2 material. But flickering and some banding was noticed with 3-2 material with alternating progressive flags. This will cause some artifacts with some of the popular Disney animated DVDs on the market including Monsters INC and Finding Nemo. One of the plus sides of the Silicon Image chip is its full retention of the chroma resolution. This player's vertical chroma resolution was excellent.

The SP-1000 passes a below black pluge via both component and HDMI. It has a selection range for HDMI that will also allow for PC RGB levels if necessary. The default white level for the component output was a very respectable 99 IRE.

Overall, the user interface is excellent, with clean, easy to navigate menus that are very responsive. Access times for the player were quick, and menu navigation and chapter skips were almost instantaneous. Using our full bit rate layer change test, the SP-1000 measured in at a quick one second.

Some of the other highlights of this player include full support of both DVD-Audio and SACD. The player not only features the typical analog multi-channel RCA outputs but also a Firewire output compatible with both high resolution formats. This makes the SP1000 one of the few players offering a complete digital transport solution for both video and audio. Unfortunately it does not support the newest version of HDMI though, i.e., the 1.1 spec. This would allow for transmission of high resolution PCM audio like that found on DVD-Audio discs. The SP1000 is limited to Dolby Digital, DTS, and standard resolution PCM via the HDMI output.

Summary: Not since the Pioneer Elite 59AVi have I seen such a huge turnaround from one of the bigger electronics companies. The DV-SP1000 is a great step in the right direction for Onkyo and I hope a sign of things to come on this front. The SP1000 joins the ranks of my highest recommended players on the market today and is an excellent value.

Video Frequency Response
Onkyo

Onkyo - DV-SP502 Universal DVD Player

MPEG Maker: Mediatek MPEG Model: MT1389EE Deinterlacer Maker: Mediatek Deinterlacer Model: MT1389EE     MSRP: $300.00 Website: http://www.onkyousa.com

If there is one thing that has become increasingly popular in the DVD player market, it is rebadging. When you go into a store and look at the selection of DVD players on the shelf, you’d probably be surprised to know that most of them have basically the same electronics. The problem is that it's very expensive to design a player from the ground up and to recover the research and development costs. But if a larger outfit can come up with a good design that is well implemented, it can sell that design to other manufacturers and recover those costs.

The most popular example of this has to be Pioneer. In my experience, there isn’t a design that's copied more than theirs, from their Elite models to their bargain line. So, Pioneer has the market corned in terms of replicas, and the copies span the entire price range. Some of them are exactly the same as the Pioneer model, with the exception of the outer shells, but that sell for considerably more than the platform they are based on.

The SP-502 is a rebadged Pioneer player, but thankfully it does not fall into the category of duping its customer base. The 502 is a replica of the popular DV-588a, which is one of the best low priced universal players on the market today. The 502 does come in at a higher premium though. It is listed at $100 more then its Pioneer counterpart, but Onkyo has made improvements in the build and look of the player. Whether this is important to you or not is the question. Personally I liked the look of the Onkyo far more then the Pioneer and appreciated its spit and polish in comparison.

De-interlacing

Conclusions

So, if you had to choose between the Onkyo and Pioneer, they are so similar it really won’t matter from a performance standpoint. The question really comes down to what you want to spend and what you want to look at on your A/V stand. Personally I prefer the looks of the Onkyo and the features on the front panel, but those can be easily overlooked by the savings you get with the Pioneer.

Onkyo - DVS-939

MPEG Maker: Zoran MPEG Model: Vaddis IV Deinterlacer Maker: Genesis Deinterlacer Model: gmVLX1A and gmAMFC     MSRP: $1799.95 Website: http://www.onkyousa.com

These are all essentially the same, except that the 9200 and the Onkyo are heavier, and play DVD-Audio discs. Since we didn’t test DVD-Audio in this showdown, we’ll cover all three together. The 9200 and 939 had slightly different results on the de-interlacing tests, so it may be that Toshiba has tweaked the Genesis chip to optimize for different performance.

Onkyo - DV-SP800

MPEG Maker: Mitsubishi MPEG Model: Unknown Deinterlacer Maker: Pioneer Deinterlacer Model: Unknown     MSRP: $1000.00 Website: http://www.onkyousa.com

This is another player based on a Pioneer design similar to the 45A and 47A, though not exactly the same as either one. Like both of those players, it can play SACD and DVD-A as well as DVD-Video.

Video Frequency Response
Onkyo

Onkyo - DV-CP802

MPEG Maker: Mitsubishi MPEG Model: unknown Deinterlacer Maker: Mitsubishi Deinterlacer Model: unknown     MSRP: $500.00 Website: http://www.onkyousa.com

As most of you probably know, Onkyo, Integra, and Integra Research are all made by the same company. Each line usually expands in features and refinements, and at times the differences can be drastic. This is similar to the model you see with cars nowadays. Companies like Toyota. The offer their entry line, the Scion, then come in with their normal line, Toyota, then move up to their premiere line, Lexus. Most of these are built on the same platform, that platform is just tweaked or expanded on.

The Onkyo DV-CP802 is the same platform as the Integra DPC-8.5. The video side is almost identical with the only real standout difference being the frequency response. Everything else down to the menus is almost identical.

Like the Integra, the Onkyo is based on a Mitsubishi MPEG decoder and de-interlacing solution. This chip's all in one performance isn’t very good and reminds me more of an entry level player rather than something you’ll see from a respected brand like Onkyo or Integra. I think as a minimum, progressive DVD players should be motion adaptive at this price point.

The video frequency response of this player is a bit better then the Integra version, which I found surprising. But this player does have a pretty steady roll-off through its entire spectrum. This contributes to a softer image like the Integra. Y/C delay is still greater than 1 pixel, and this player did not pass a below-black signal.

Considering Onkyo’s reputation in the video and audio world, I was hoping for a better entry than this. Whatever chip they are using clearly doesn’t cut it, especially at this price point. Manufacturers need to start paying attention to the components they choose and what else is out there at a given price point. While I would recommend this one over the previously reviewed Toshiba changer, it wasn’t much of an improvement in the video department.

Video Frequency Response
Onkyo