DVD Player Feature Comparison Chart

Panasonic DVD-A310
Last Updated 4/10/2006

The chart below is intended to be a general feature comparison between a number of DVD players currently on the market, ranging from entry-level players to progressive-scan players and DVD-Audio/SACD players. After the Pre/Pro Chart was created out of a discussion in the Outlaw Forum), I created this chart of some of the more prominent players in the market today (along with the aging Panasonic A310 that was using at the time). The Pre/Pro Chart was based on comparing the Model 950 -- at the time in beta testing and only a month or so away from shipping -- to some comparable products on the market; this chart looks at a broader range of products (it would be like adding Sony and Pioneer receivers in the $300 price range to the Pre/Pro Chart). This chart was a look at some of the players currently available in several categories -- interlaced, progressive scan, and DVD-Audio/SACD players. As with the Pre/Pro Chart, this chart does not offer any insight into performance -- it is only a list of features, and so cannot tell the entire story. Also like the other chart, the information here is gathered largely from online sources, and may have errors and omissions (for example, nobody lists "chroma bug" in their specs and DVD-R compatibility is rarely noted). Unlike the Pre/Pro chart, the list and street prices listed here are very subject to change, since there tends to be a lot of variance in typical retail prices for DVD players (particularly low-end and mid-level players) over the course of their manufacturing life.

Update, 4/10/2006: I've updated this chart as part of a large-scale home theater site update. The units now included have been updated to reflect the current models and several features have been added to the chart.

Other Reference Sources:

FEATURES Panasonic DVD-S97 Panasonic DVD-S29 Pioneer DV-588A Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi Toshiba SD-5980 NeuNeo HVD-2085 Samsung DVD-HD950 OPPO OPDV-971H Yamaha DVD-S1500 Yamaha DVD-S2500 Denon DVD-1920 Denon DVD-3910 Denon DVD-5910
Outputs/Inputs
Composite Video Outputs 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
S-Video Outputs 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Component Video Outputs 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
DVI Video Outputs . . . . . . . 1 . . . 1 1
HDMI Video Outputs 1 . . 1 1 1 1 . . 1 1 1 1
Coaxial Digital Output x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Optical Digital Output . x x x . x x x x x x x
VGA Video Output . . . . . x . . . . . . .
IEEE-1594 Output . . . 2 . . . . . 2 . . 2
Stereo Analog Outputs 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
5.1 Analog Outputs x . x x . x x x x x x x x
RS-232 . . . . . . . . . x . x x
Features                          
# of discs 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Dolby Digital Decoder x . x x . x x x x x x x x
DTS Decoder x . x x . x x x x x x x x
Dolby Digital Compatible x x x x x x x x x x x x x
DTS Compatible x x x x x x x x x x x x x
DVD-Audio x . x x . . x x x x x x x
DVD-A Bass Man. x . x x . . x x x x x x x
SACD . . x x . . x . x x x x x
Multi-Channel SACD . . x x . . x . x x x x x
SACD Bass Management . . x x . . x . x x x x x
DVD-A/SACD Digital Out . . . x 1 . . . . . x . x x
Progressive Scan x x x x x x x x 2 x x x x x
Upsampling to 720p/1080i x . . x x x x x . x x x x
Upsampling at component output . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3:2 Pulldown x x x x x x x x x x x x x
"Chroma Bug" 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CD-R/RW x x x x x x x x x x x x x
DVD-R (read-only) x x x x x x x x x x x x x
DVD-RW (read-only) x x x x x x x x x x x x x
DVD-RAM (read-only) x x . . . . . . . . . . .
MP3 Playback x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Video CD x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Zoom x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Video DAC 11-bit
216MHz		 10-bit
54MHz		 12-bit
108MHz		 14-bit
216MHz		 10-bit
54MHz		 16-bit
149MHz		 10-bit
54MHz		 12-bit
108MHz		 12-bit
108MHz		 12-bit
216MHz		 11-bit
216MHz		 12-bit
216MHz		 14-bit
216MHz
Audio DAC 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24 192/24
HDCD Support . . . . . . . . . . . x x
THX Ultra . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PAL/NTSC Conversion . . . . . x . x x . . . .
Manual Online x x x x . x x x x x x x x
Secrets Shootout Score (%) 91 64 75 88 78 51 . 98 63 91 . 93 97
Dimensions (WxDxH) 17x
9 7/8x
2 3/8		 17x
9 3/4x
1 3/4		 16.6x
8.9x
2.0		 16.6x
11x
4.3		 17x
8.1x
1.85		 17x
10.5x
1.7		 16.9x
9.8x
1.9		 16.6x
10.6x
1.9		 16 1/4x
12 3/4x
2 9/16		 17x
12.4x
3.9		 17.1x
12.2x
3		 17.1x
15.9x
5.4		 17.1x
17.1x
6.7
Weight (lbs.) 5.6 4.7 4.0 12.2 4.4 ? 5.1 5.5 7.1 12.3 5.72 20.5 41.8
Price                            
List Price ($) 250 70 130 1000 150 200 200 200 400 750 370 1500 3500
Street Price ($) 240 60 110 970 70 200 200 200 400 750 350 1300 3500
AudioReview                          
Rating 4.67 5.0 2.67 4.86 5.0 - 5.0 - 3.14 4.5 4.4 0 5.0
# of Reviews 3 1 3 7 1 - 2 - 7 2 5 0 1

1 The Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai replaced the DV-47A and added an i-Link output for DVD-Audio and SACD digital output.
 2 The OPPO Digital OPDV971H's component video output is not progressive scan; it outputs video at 480i. The DVI output supports progressive scan (480p) and upsampling to HD resolutions.
 3 The "chroma bug" (also called the chroma upsampling error) is an undesirable MPEG decoding defect described here; it is a chroma upsampling error that generates horizontal streaks on brightly colored objects and is present in many DVD player MPEG decoder chips. See this page (maintained by Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity) listing some players and whether they have the chroma upsampling bug or not. Some people are more affected by (and concerned with) this bug than others.



Home | Home Theater and DVD | Home Theater Equipment Charts

[an error occurred while processing this directive] hits since March 20, 2002