Denon DVD-2910

John Falcone Senior Editorial Director, Shopping

John P. Falcone is the senior director of commerce content at CNET, where he coordinates coverage of the site's buying recommendations alongside the CNET Advice team (where he previously headed the consumer electronics reviews section). He's been a CNET editor since 2003.

Expertise Over 20 years experience in electronics and gadget reviews and analysis, and consumer shopping advice Credentials

Self-taught tinkerer, informal IT and gadget consultant to friends and family (with several self-built gaming PCs under his belt)

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John Falcone

July 13, 2004 4:22 a.m. PT

2 min read

The DVD-2910 is one of four new single-disc DVD players from Denon. This full-feature model is brimming with the latest digital connections, HD video capabilities, and high-end audio compatibility. It will be available in September for a list price of $729.
Upside: The DVD-2910 has all the audio and video bases covered. Audiophiles will appreciate that the DVD-2910 is a universal player, so it's equally adept at playing DVD-Audio and SACD discs. On the video side, the DVD-2910 can upscale video output to HD-friendly 720p and 1080i resolutions via its onboard DVI and HDMI connections (most players have only one or the other).
Downside: With its ability to pass high-definition video and multichannel DVD sound through just one cable, the HDMI connection shows a lot of promise. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to wait until 2005 to find an HDMI-equipped receiver to take advantage of that single-cable connectivity. Meanwhile, SACD fans will still need to run the six 5.1-channel analog cables (an issue due more to political decisions made by SACD godfathers at Sony, rather than any technical shortfall at Denon). Another knock: Neither the DVD-2910 nor its $1,299 step-up, the DVD-3910, feature even the most basic network media capabilities that we're now seeing in bargain DVD players, such as the GoVideo D2730.
Outlook: Denon products have a well-deserved reputation for quality, so the prospect of a reference-level universal player that adds HD video upscaling is an enticing one. But the DVD-2910 is going to face some stiff competition: Samsung's forthcoming DVD-HD941 has nearly the same specs but will retail for a considerably more affordable $349. We'll let you know how these players perform once they become available and we can do hands-on evaluations of each.