Progressive Scan DVD and SACD Player
Sony
has traditionally introduced new technology with a bang. Their first DVD player,
the DVP-S7000, was considerably better than the competition with its smooth scan
capability, excellent down-conversion for 4:3 displays and component video outputs.
Having been an owner of this DVD player, my expectations were high when Sony announced
the introduction of their new DVP-S9000ES DVD/SACD player. The performance on
the earlier DVP-S7000 was clearly ahead of its time as was the DVP-S7700. This
along with the acceptance of the first and second-generation Super-Audio CD players
by audiophiles, made the DVP-S9000ES one of the most anticipated DVD player to
hit the market. We were curious to check out the first ES designated DVD player
offered by Sony.
Build Quality
The construction of the DVP-S9000ES is well above
average with a heavy build and solid feel. At over 27 pounds, the unit is one
of the best-built DVD players we've seen. It reminded me of the Panasonic DVD-H1000
we looked at several months ago. The face is made from a solid piece of aluminum
giving it a high quality look. The rear panel is firmly in place making connections
easy with no flexing of the back panel unlike many currently available mainstream
units. The transport is quite and smooth and the tray is very thin. The aesthetic
value of this DVD/SACD player is quite evident with the blue diamond-shaped LED
at the top center of the unit. However, the blue is quite noticeable and is best
turned off while watching movies. Yes, they do allow you to do this. The buttons
on the front panel are not the tactile style, but rather capacitive sensing type
switches. This take some getting use to since they don't actually move when touched.
There is visual feedback provided by the illumination up the perimeter of the
pressed button.
The
rear panel of the DVP-S9000ES has two sets of audio outputs with the left and
right connectors spaced apart to allow room for high-end cables. Both optical
(toslink) and coaxial digital outputs are provided. The component video output
format is configurable (interlaced, progressive, or selectable) with the 3-position
switch on the rear of the unit. A pair of composite video outputs as well as a
single s-video output is provided. As with pretty much all Sony products, an S-Link
jack is designed into the unit.
The
Guts
Sony uses R-core transformers to help minimize hum and noise in the
DVP-S9000ES. Audiophile grade parts are used throughout the unit to maximize sound
quality. Sony has incorporated what they call Precision Cinema Detection in the
DVP-S9000ES. This includes several processing features. The first is a very accurate
film detection circuit that works in conjunction with the First Field Repeat Flags
(FFRFs). Sony put a dedicated processor in the DVP-S9000ES for motion detection
in the event the FFRFs are irregular or missing. This is critical in maintaining
a good stable picture at all times even when the FFRF become unreliable, as we
have seen on some DVDs. The 3-2 reverse telecine capability of this machine ensures
the best reproduction of film-based material on a 480p display. As with most high-end
progressive scan players, the DVP-S9000ES uses different algorithms for video
and film based material. Utilizing the Genesis Microchip for de-interlacing, the
DVP-S9000ES shares many attributes (good and bad) with other DVD players utilizing
this chipset. They do appear to have tweaked the parameters to get the best performance.
Several motion adaptive processing techniques take place in this unit. The field
noise reduction, block noise reduction and clear frame still images all take advantage
of this motion sensitive processing. The DVP-S9000ES incorporates some pretty
sophisticated still frame processing. Rather than showing a single field with
interpolation during a pause or alternatively a full frame with possible motion
artifacts from the two fields taken at different times, the DVP-S9000ES combines
the best of both techniques. By taking the parts of the image that are not changing
between the two fields and interpolating the parts that do have motion, the best
still picture can be produced. Sony refers to this technology as the Clear
Frame system.
A gamma correction menu is available to re-map the gray levels of the video. While most users will probably not use this feature, it does provide a way to change the gamma to match the characteristics of different displays. Layer switching on dual-layer discs did not appear any faster than what we have seen on most DVD players currently available. Progressive video is processed by the latest Analog Devices ADV7196 video encoder. This new device is capable of running at 2 times over-sampling or 54MHz. According to Sony, the progressive processing in this unit utilizes a 12-bit DAC for the luminance (Y) signal while the color components use 11-bit DACs. However, I could not confirm that a 12-bit DAC used for the Y component actually exists in the ADV7196. Interlaced video is processed by the Analog Devices ADV7190 video encoder, which uses six 10-bit video DACs. Three DACs are used by the interlaced component video output and the remaining three DACs are used for the s-video and composite video outputs.
Performance
First we started with the SACD performance using a couple of sample discs Sony
provided us. The ultra smooth and detailed quality of the SACD format came to
life with the DVP-S9000ES. To minimize low-level noise in a product that combines
video with high resolution audio, Sony gives the user the option of turning the
video circuitry off to further lower the noise floor. We listened to Rebecca Pidgeon's
SACD from Chesky Records and found Spanish Harlem to exhibit the incredibly
clean and detailed sound this format is known for. Bass was tight and articulate,
midrange was slightly forward, but amazingly warm and the highs were detailed
and free of any harshness. Unfortunately, the DVP-S9000ES is not capable of decoding
the more recent multi-channel SACD discs that are currently available in limited
releases.
Video was very sharp with the resolution patterns we used on this player, revealing the best detail DVD has to offer consumers. Colors looked accurate and motion artifacts were minimal thanks to the 3-2 pull-down processing performed on film-based material. Video noise was low and revealed excellent picture quality even during dark scenes. Even the interlaced output looked impressive on this unit, though using it defeats the purpose of having a progressive scan player.
Sony has
achieved new reference levels with the DVP-S9000ES. While both the DVP-S7000 and
DVP-S7700 were considered excellent players, the DVP-S9000ES has raised the bar
once again with the addition of SACD compatibility. The SACD audio performance
as well as the progressive scan capabilities of this machine is truly reference
quality. Construction is excellent and better than their previous reference DVD
players. The picture was as sharp as we have seen from any progressive DVD player.
Although the price may seem a little steep for a DVD player, you'll not find a
higher quality unit with SACD capabilities in this price range. Furthermore, both
the audio and video performance of the DVP-S9000ES is far from mainstream.
- Kevin Nakano