Denon DBP2010 Blu-ray/DVD/CD Player (Black) Review
If you're looking for a Blu-ray player packed with networking and internet streaming features, or one that loads discs blindingly fast, then move along. But if you're a reasonably patient person and are looking for high performance audio and video, then you'll find a lot to like in the Denon DBP-2010CI.
Blu-ray Disc has "come a long way, baby." Gone are the ultra-long wait times, poor SD upconversion, frequent disc compatibility issues and lack of internet connectivity that plagued the first and second generation players. Denon's DBP-2010CI features excellent audio and video performance, including solid DVD upconversion, Bonus View and BD-Live capabilities and stable performance with even the most recent cutting edge BD Java-based Blu-ray Disc titles. By the way, as you may have seen in earlier reviews, the Denon player was previously plagued with the "random Blu-ray freeze" issue that also affected Panasonic's 2009 players (which share many parts with the Denon) but this issue was fixed in both the Panasonic and Denon players in separate firmware upgrades delivered last year. If you buy one, you should update the firmware to make sure you have the latest version.
Sure the Denon may not be the fastest player to load discs (in fact, it's one of the slowest of the current players), and it may lack any internet streaming features like Netflix or Pandora, but if those things are not important to you, and the price tag doesn't make you shudder, then you should seriously consider the DBP-2010.
Load times are probably the major annoyance here. Initial boot-up takes about 18 seconds, which isn't too bad. But after that, loading a standard DVD takes another 22 seconds, a standard Blu-ray loads in about 48 seconds and a BD-Java Blu-ray ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl") loads in about 60 seconds. Compared to the OPPO BDP-83, the Denon player takes about twice as long to load standard DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, and is about 70% slower loading a BD-Java Blu-ray title.
The player does do well on upconversion and HD deinterlacing torture tests such as the HQV Benchmark DVD and the Spears and Munsil Blu-ray test disc. Its handling of difficult diagonal lines is excellent and its detection of the 3:2 film cadence on DVDs is almost immediate, which prevents the tell-tale moire patterns that can be found on lesser players. 1080i de-interlacing (on 1080i Blu-ray Discs) is also pretty solid wityh just a slight shudder in a film-based 1080i moving test pattern. It's important to note that 1080i represents a fairly small sample of Blu-ray Discs (mostly nature documentaries and concert titles) so it's not too likely you'll notice this shortcoming on most program material. Where the player actually does very well is in noise reduction - it can clean up less-than-stellar Blu-ray and DVD masters without making them look overly processed or removing too much authentic film grain from the image. If you decide you'd prefer to bypass the player's on-board video processing, then simply switch over to "Source Direct" mode which will output DVDs at 480i, and Blu-ray Discs at 1080i or 1080p, allowing an outboard video processor, or the display itself, to do the upconversion and de-interlacing.
In addition to its standard HDMI output (with support for bitstream and PCM), the player also features a set of multi-channel (up to 7.1) analog outputs. These will come in handy if you want to use the player with an older A/V receiver or preamp/processor that lacks HDMI audio decoding. Like most players, the DBP-2010CI allows adjustment of number of channels, gain of each channel, size of each speaker (for bass management) and delay times for each channel. Also, like most players, the subwoofer level can only be decreased (not increased) so you'll want to make sure your receiver has an option to boost the subwoofer level input (10 to 15 dB) if you intend to use the multi-channel analog outputs. We tested these outputs with a number of music-oriented and action-packed Blu-ray titles ("Drum Line," "Hellboy II," "Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds at Radio City") and found that the player offered excellent dynamics and a smooth, balanced sonic presentation.
The player is BD-ROM Profile 2.0-compliant which means it can do BonusView (PiP commentary) and BD-Live Network access, but it has no on-board storage so you'll need to insert an SD card of at least 1 GB in order for BD-Live to work. It also lacks built-in WiFi support so you'll either need a hard-wired network connection or an aftermarket wireless bridge or wireless gaming adapter. Also, as a "Custom Install" product, the rear panel features a standard RS-232C output for integration with an automated home theater system such as a Crestron.
The DBP-2010CI isn't for the casual Blu-ray consumer. The long wait times and lack of internet streaming as well as the relatively high price tag may put these people off. But those who appreciate a finely built and elegant performance piece will value what the DBP-2010CI has to offer.
Our complete review is available at Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).
Denon DBP2010 Blu-ray/DVD/CD Player (Black) Feature
- BD Profile 2.0, BD-Live enabled via Ethernet
- ABT VRS advanced video processing and scaling up to 1080p
- Wide range of picture adjustments for optimum player/HDTV matching
- Analog Devices 12 bit Noise Shaped Video processing and D/A conversion with Burr-Brown PCM-1782 24-bit/192-kHz DACs
- Exclusive Denon Separated Unit Structure chassis architecture and Parallel HDMI and analog video outputs
Denon DBP2010 Blu-ray/DVD/CD Player (Black) Overview
Able to play a broad range of audio and video disc types, Denon’s DBP-2010CI includes advanced design features such as our exclusive Separated Unit Structure chassis architecture, which divides critical processing stages to prevent mutual interference, providing superior audio and video signal-to-noise performance. The center-mounted advanced drive mechanism features a low center of gravity for optimum stability, and the chassis features multi-layer construction for the utmost rigidity and freedom from vibration-induced distortion. Equipped with an Ethernet port, the DBP-2010CI features Profile 2.0 BD-Live functionality with separate video and audio processors for picture-in-picture content, along with an SD card slot for memory expansion and playback of downloaded web content. For optimum video quality, the advanced ABT VRS video upconversion and scaling processor provides motion adaptive SD de-interlacing as well as digital video noise reduction functions. Disc playback options include Blu-ray, DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, as well as Kodak and Fuji picture discs and DivxHD videos. For full system compatibility, the DBP-2010CI features HDMI output as well as component and composite video outputs, along with coaxial digital audio output.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 04, 2010 06:44:27
