Rotel DVD/SACD/DVD-A wishlist

[aarsoe]

Gents

Seems to me like the current wishlist's we have going are all concerning pre-amplification. So here are a couple of points I would like to include in a "source" wishlist.

1: Guess one of the first things people would ask for is a multi format player. However in my oppinion this should only be done when sound quality will not suffer.. Ie. no DSD to PCM conversion but two true DA sections.

2: All format Digital out. Pref in 1394/i.Link format.
The standard is, as I recall, now official so go ahead and use it.

3: One additional stereo output on all DVD/SACD/DVD-A players.
This way you dont have to use the 5.1 inputs for CD playing, but can actually connect it to the CD-input.

4: 3 selection swicth for DVD players. Currently we have NTSC or PAL selection on the back of all DVD players - but what we should also have is a naitive switch. This would allow, especially non-us/canada, users to play region 1 movies in the format they look best. Most TV's/Flatpanels/projectors support both.
And YES there is a difference - especially when it comes to things likes subtitles..

5: DCI/Genesis chip from Fararudja on DVD players. It does make a GREAT difference. And if not then something that equals the quality. Makes my heart blead that a relative low cost product like the Philips 963SA can beat the crap out of my RDV1080 when it comes to the video quality.

6: BNC digital output. Just so much better than RCA.

7: A drive unit only for the next version of the 1098 processor. If request nr 2 becomes a reality, then why pay for DA conversion twice?

8: Until a multiplayer of high quality becomes availeble, then please, please make a very good CD player. I must admit that I feel the current models basicly are crap..
All based on CD-rom drives - so please make one more with a real cd drive unit.

Guess that it my 2 cents worth - and please remember this is in no specific order.

Oh - almost forgot - make better remotes!! But that goes for all products..

[aarsoe]

Forgot one other thing.

Two digital outputs that are not optical. For all the people with an external dac without a digital output or for connection to preamp and dac.

[Aussie Geoff]

aarsoe,

Great idea.

How about a 7.1 output with built in Dolby ProLogic IIx to derive the extra 2 channels from the 5.1 sources in their raw digital form....

Geoff

[aarsoe]

Geoff

Nahh - would kill the idea of having all processing done in the pre-amp. But, by all means its everybody's wishlist. Not just mine...

[Aussie Geoff]

aarso,

Let me explain - for DVD-A and SACD the signals are sent ONLY via the analog inpts and Dolby IIx preocessing requires a digital source - so on those few processors that can do it, they have to then redigitise the 5.1 analog source (loss of quality to then create the 7 channels. This would create it at source with no loss of quality (hence the reason that Rotel now have 7.1 inputs on their processors.

Geoff

[aarsoe]

Geoff

I claerly see your point, however giving development cycle and pre production, the products are bound to be at least 18 months away - and that if is I dont take previous differences between announcement and GA into account. Otherwise we are talking 24 months..
Dont you think that we will have it in a digital format at that time in answer to request nr. 2.???

[Aussie Geoff]

Aarso,

Dont you think that we will have it in a digital format at that time in answer to request nr. 2.???

I recognise that a digital link would potentially allow the Processor to handle the Dolby ProLogic IIx to create 7.1 - but many current generation processors either / both don't have the digital link but do have the 7.1 inputs OR have the digital link but (say) can't decode native SACD etc...

This would just give more flexibility - justify the 7.1 inputs manufacturers like Rotel have been adding. If you had the digital link on your processor then you'd be happy - if you didn't then you could still get the benefits

Geoff

[Claude D D]

I heard from a very reliable source(don't ask.I could tell ya but I would have to kill ya!) that Rotel has a DVD-A/SACD player in the works and it should make it's debut at CES in 2005. :T

[aud19]

Don't toy with us Claude, that's not very nice 8O

:B

Well if it turns out to be true... it's about time!

Jason

[greggz]

I believe, and correct me if anyone has any better info, that Rotel uses Pioneer engines in their DVD players. If I had to guess, should a Rotel DVD-V/DVD-A/SACD player materialize it would probably have a feature set comparable to one of the Pioneer models. That feature set would depend on the price point.

That would mean that 1394 is possible, but I wonder if Rotel would release a player with a connection scheme not supported by any of their pre/pros. Then again, by 2005, maybe they will have a pre/pro that supports 1394.

I think you are probably stuck with the DVD-V performance you get now from Rotel. There are 2 primary things that influence video playback: the MPEG decoder and the deinterlacer. Panasonic has a killer MPEG decoder. And many of the Panasonics have the DCI/Faroujda de-interlacer. Its a crime that mfgs get away with putting out $1000+ DVD players with video performance inferior to the legendary $199 Panasonic RP-82. Its also a crime that Panasonic yanked the RP-82 so quickly.

Almost all universal players I have seen below $2000 convert DSD to PCM. They do this for a couple reasons; so that they only have to implement bass management in the one 'environment', they can use cheaper D/A converters that only handle PCM, and, of course, they don’t have to license the SACD decoding chipset from Sony. If this rumored Rotel player is based on the same technology like in the Pioneer DV-S733A player, then your wishes will come true. If not, they you may again see another universal player that first converts DSD to PCM. :x

[aarsoe]

Greggz

I am sure a call from Rotel to Faroudja would give them the ability to use the Genesis chip - or similar future versions. So I dont see any reason why "we" would be stuck on the current quality level. Unless this is what Rotel wants.....

Should the Rotel people be to shy to make the call, then I will be happy to do it for them.. :lol: Would not be the first time I negotiate with a subcontractor.

[Aussie Geoff]

Claude,

I heard a very similar rumour, including serious consideration of 1394 and HDMI interface to be decided shortly ...

Let's hope it is true..

Geoff