Pioneer CLD-704 vs. Panasonic LX-900, which should I buy?
B.J. Guillot
should I buy?
I've been looking at articles in this group, and at some of the laserdisc
web sites, and I've seemed to come to the following conclusions:
1. Pioneer quality control is very bad. If you get one, you'll either
get one of the best laser disc players ever made, but, more than likely
you'll get a dud. The reviews I read were for the CLD-703, not the
CLD-704, though.
2. The Panasonic LX-900 seems to be many people's choice, and it looks
like I am leaning towards it, however, I read that a new model may
be coming out very soon. (Should I wait?)
Both the CLD-704 and LX-900 are supposed to have good digitial effects
and S-Video out (even though many seem to say that doesn't do much good
with laserdiscs).
However, I haven't seen anything to indicate that either of these players
have the AC-3 audio output, something that seems to be a very big deal in
the group. I find it strange that one of Pioneer's less expensive players
(CLD-604) has the AC-3, but that the top of the line 704 doesn't. Maybe
it does have AC-3?
About all the details I can get on these players comes from the mail
order store Computability. Here's what they say:
Pioneer CLD-704:
Digital Video Processing (DVP)
Variable Digital Noise Reduction (V-DNR)
DVP and V-DNR "together ensure jitter-free images" and perfect pictures
2 S-Video outputs with three line digital comb filter (why need 2??)
Twin 1-bit D/A converters (what is this?)
Direct CD with independent CD tray (sounds nice)
does it have AC-3 out?
Panasonic LX-900
Karaoke (like I really want to let people stand 3 feet in front of my
TV and sing in my room sending spit everywhere)
"advanced digital technology" (is this similar to DVP and V-DNR above?)
Advanced Digital TBC--includes special error compensation system
used in professional broadcast video equipment (what's this?)
Dual Magnet Clamp (huh?)
does it have S-video out?
does it have AC-3 out?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards,
B.J. Guillot ... Houston, Texas USA I don't believe in coffee
B.J. Guillot
>I'm in the same position... the Pioneer 704's digital memory problem,
>the Panasonic's lack of AC-3.....
What is the "704 digital memory problem" ? I haven't ran across this yet
in my "research" on which player I should buy.
0080C7...@innet.be
version of my 900 into production. It seems that they have the better player
but miss one crucial feature.
Rob
Aaron Lung
I thought the LX-900 was discontinued about a year ago. That
was when it was head up against the Pioneer 703.
aaron
Urd-sama's Desk
If I was marketing Panasonic I would take notice of European customers
buying stuff in the States. Pioneer and Sony give service if not full
guarantee on their products imported from USA to Europe. Panasonic Europe
simply does not know you when you need service on a non European model.
AC3 I can live without...
BTW Rob, there's a company in Aachen that does conversions of all kinds of
players to AC3. Guess LX900 might be one of them too.
mata ne!
Jeroen
Erik Olson
: Okay, out of the Pinoneer CLD-704 and the Panasonic LX-900, which one
: should I buy?
: Panasonic LX-900
: Karaoke (like I really want to let people stand 3 feet in front of my
: TV and sing in my room sending spit everywhere)
: "advanced digital technology" (is this similar to DVP and V-DNR above?)
: Advanced Digital TBC--includes special error compensation system
: used in professional broadcast video equipment (what's this?)
: Dual Magnet Clamp (huh?)
: does it have S-video out?
: does it have AC-3 out?
I own a Panasonic LX-900 and it doesn't have any Karaoke features.
I like my Panasonic LX-900 but I would not buy a new laserdisc
player that doesn't have an AC3 output. I personally DON'T believe
AC3 is going to rock!, but buying a high-end LD player with out the
AC3 port seems foolish.
The Panasonic LX-900 has superior CLV digital freeze frame effects than
the high-end Pioneers. The Panasonic LX-900 freeze picture is crisper
and the shuttle/jog knobs are snappier. The Pioneers feel like you are
driving a Greyhound bus while being blind folded, gagged, and forced to
wear mittens. The Pioneer Elite laserdisc players are as unresponsive
as the CLD-704's, but the freeze frame picture quality is a completely
different story. The Elite SLD-9??? has the most incredible freeze
frame picture I have ever seen.
Runco uses the Panasonic LX-900 mechanical assembly for its
$5000 THX Laserdisc player, so its got to be awesome.
Check out the remotes, they are identical.
The problems with the Panasonic LX-900 is that it is louder than the
Pioneers and that it is not as robust when it comes to dealing with
flawed/scratched/trashed discs. The Pioneer players can play
through stuff that would make the Panasonic LX-900 skip and stutter.
I believe the picture on the Panasonic LX-900 is superior to the
picture on the Pioneer CLD-704. The store I rent laserdiscs from
used to have the Pinoneer CLD-704 on the floor and the picture
sucked, but it could of been their 45" Pioneer projection TV.
The Sony XBR projection TVs stand levels above the competition!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Erik Olson er...@appsig.com
Dennis L
>1. Pioneer quality control is very bad. If you get one, you'll either
> get one of the best laser disc players ever made, but, more than likely
> you'll get a dud. The reviews I read were for the CLD-703, not the
> CLD-704, though.
>2. The Panasonic LX-900 seems to be many people's choice, and it looks
> like I am leaning towards it, however, I read that a new model may
> be coming out very soon. (Should I wait?)
>Both the CLD-704 and LX-900 are supposed to have good digitial effects
>and S-Video out (even though many seem to say that doesn't do much good
>with laserdiscs).
I'm in the same position... the Pioneer 704's digital memory problem,
the Panasonic's lack of AC-3.....
i am waiting.
Urd-sama's Desk
No way!
Considering every single model of LD player of every brand coming out in
the past years was of worse technical quality than the previous model, I'd
say get a decent LD player while you can!
Having gone through Pioneer, Sony and Panasonic, Inow have an LX900 and it
is definitely the best of the bunch...
Mata ne!
Jeroen
PS: if AC3 really takes of (which I doubt - I buy import Japanese LDs and
they are bilingual usually - or the Pioneer US anime discs, which have to
be bilingual) I can have my LX900 converted....
Kosala Wickramasiwghe
: Okay, out of the Pinoneer CLD-704 and the Panasonic LX-900, which one
: should I buy?
: I've been looking at articles in this group, and at some of the laserdisc
: web sites, and I've seemed to come to the following conclusions:
: 1. Pioneer quality control is very bad. If you get one, you'll either
: get one of the best laser disc players ever made, but, more than likely
: you'll get a dud. The reviews I read were for the CLD-703, not the
: CLD-704, though.
: 2. The Panasonic LX-900 seems to be many people's choice, and it looks
: like I am leaning towards it, however, I read that a new model may
: be coming out very soon. (Should I wait?)
: Both the CLD-704 and LX-900 are supposed to have good digitial effects
: and S-Video out (even though many seem to say that doesn't do much good
: with laserdiscs).
: However, I haven't seen anything to indicate that either of these players
: have the AC-3 audio output, something that seems to be a very big deal in
: the group. I find it strange that one of Pioneer's less expensive players
: (CLD-604) has the AC-3, but that the top of the line 704 doesn't. Maybe
: it does have AC-3?
: About all the details I can get on these players comes from the mail
: order store Computability. Here's what they say:
: Pioneer CLD-704:
: Digital Video Processing (DVP)
: Variable Digital Noise Reduction (V-DNR)
: DVP and V-DNR "together ensure jitter-free images" and perfect pictures
: 2 S-Video outputs with three line digital comb filter (why need 2??)
: Twin 1-bit D/A converters (what is this?)
: Direct CD with independent CD tray (sounds nice)
: does it have AC-3 out?
: Panasonic LX-900
: Karaoke (like I really want to let people stand 3 feet in front of my
: TV and sing in my room sending spit everywhere)
: "advanced digital technology" (is this similar to DVP and V-DNR above?)
: Advanced Digital TBC--includes special error compensation system
: used in professional broadcast video equipment (what's this?)
: Dual Magnet Clamp (huh?)
: does it have S-video out?
: does it have AC-3 out?
: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
: Regards,
: B.J. Guillot ... Houston, Texas USA I don't believe in coffee
Where does the new Elite CLD-59 fit into all of this? I believe its
priced at around $700-$800.
Kosala
John Steinbock
on 19 Jul 1995 14:34 CDT,
B.J. Guillot <bjg9...@elroy.uh.edu> writes:
>Both the CLD-704 and LX-900 are supposed to have good digitial effects
>and S-Video out (even though many seem to say that doesn't do much good
>with laserdiscs).
Well, actually that depends on the quality of comb filter in your TV vs.
the one in your LD player. In my case the LX-900 (and probably the D704,
but I haven't tested that one) have a better comb filter than either of
my TVs. Since my LD player has a better Y/C separator than my TVs, it
benefits me to use the S-Video out from the player.
>(CLD-604) has the AC-3, but that the top of the line 704 doesn't. Maybe
>it does have AC-3?
The CLD-D704 _does_ have AC-3 RF-out. I think the only X04 series
Pioneer LD player that _doesn't_ have an AC-3 output is the CLD-S104.
>Panasonic LX-900
>Dual Magnet Clamp (huh?)
Holds the disc steadier.
>does it have S-video out?
Yes. 2 of them.
>does it have AC-3 out?
No.
John Steinbock
Yui-Tak Lee
On Sat, 22 Jul 1995, William Kucharski wrote:
> While reading article <19JUL199...@elroy.uh.edu>, I noticed that
> bjg9...@elroy.uh.edu (B.J. Guillot) said the following:
> >What is the "704 digital memory problem" ? I haven't ran across this yet
> >in my "research" on which player I should buy.
>
> Pioneer put a digital field memory on the 703 and 704 to allow users to have
> special effects like freeze frame while playing CLV discs.
>
[stuff killed...]
is this just on the 70X and can it be by-passed?
PREGENTS_PC
>B.J. Guillot (bjg9...@elroy.uh.edu) wrote:
>: Okay, out of the Pinoneer CLD-704 and the Panasonic LX-900, which one
>: should I buy?
>
Doesn't Pionner make the internals for 95% of laserdisc players, other
companies just build the casing and put their names on it? (read that
in home theatre technology)
André Prégent
Earth Sciences Data Manager
Geological Survey of Canada
pre...@gsc.emr.ca
Windows: Just another pane in the glass
LUCKY GEO
AC3 version of my 900 into production. <<
Well, the LX-900 has been in production for at least a couple of years now
so AC-3 was not a consideration at that time. I'm sure Panasonic a new
top-end model to replace the LX-900 (with AC-3) soon.
George
LUCK...@aol.com
William Kucharski
bjg9...@elroy.uh.edu (B.J. Guillot) said the following:
>What is the "704 digital memory problem" ? I haven't ran across this yet
>in my "research" on which player I should buy.
Pioneer put a digital field memory on the 703 and 704 to allow users to have
special effects like freeze frame while playing CLV discs.
However, CAV discs offer special effects features like still frame by design,
but Pioneer still runs them through the digital field memory. The net result
is a loss in resolution and still frames from CAV discs look better on a lower
end player (coming straight off the disc) than on the top of the line players
(where the image goes through the digital memory first).
--
| William Kucharski, contractor, AT&T Bell Labs | Opinions expressed herein
| Work Internet: kuch...@drmail.dr.att.com | are MINE alone, NOT those
| Fun Internet: kuch...@netcom.com Ham: N0OKQ | of AT&T Bell Laboratories.
| President, "Just the Ten of Us" Fan Club | "Dittos from Denver, CO"
Jay Barnes
: Pioneer CLD-704:
: Digital Video Processing (DVP)
: Variable Digital Noise Reduction (V-DNR)
: DVP and V-DNR "together ensure jitter-free images" and perfect pictures
: 2 S-Video outputs with three line digital comb filter (why need 2??)
: Twin 1-bit D/A converters (what is this?)
: Direct CD with independent CD tray (sounds nice)
2 Video outputs, 1 goes to your TV/Monitor, the other to a
recording device. At least thats what I use mine for. My 504 has 1
S-Video and two composite video, and 2 pair of audio outputs. To my
knowledge, all of the x04 series have AC-3 output. I know that the 304,
504, 604 and 704 do. For the money, I couldn't be happier with my 504.
MSRP for the 504 is half of the 704; I only paid $400 for the 504.
During comparison I couldn't find any difference in audio or video
between the 504 and 704, and I am VERY picky; to quote my wife, the words
'anal' and 'obsessive' come to mind.
Federal Filings
: Pioneer put a digital field memory on the 703 and 704 to allow users to have
: special effects like freeze frame while playing CLV discs.
: However, CAV discs offer special effects features like still frame by design,
: but Pioneer still runs them through the digital field memory. The net result
: is a loss in resolution and still frames from CAV discs look better on a lower
: end player (coming straight off the disc) than on the top of the line players
: (where the image goes through the digital memory first).
On my (old) 702, the digital memory is on (of course) for CLV discs when you
press 'step', but on CAV discs it defaults to 'off' so it uses the standard
CAV method (straight off the disc). Or, you can press the digital memory
on a CAV disc and use that (if you really want to for some strange reason).
Have they changed this default behaviour for CAV discs in the 703/4? Or
are you just making an assumption about the digital memory function?
-----------------+-------------------------------------------------------------
Glenn Wallace | Don't turn your back on the world. Turning your back is what
gl...@fedfil.com | happens when you're busy looking the other way.
fed...@digex.net| - Ron Nasty (the Rutles)
Dennis L
>AC3 I can live without...
>BTW Rob, there's a company in Aachen that does conversions of all kinds of
>players to AC3. Guess LX900 might be one of them too.
Why buy a player for $700 and then pay $500 to add AC-3 though????
Dennis L
>In article <3uki00$7...@nnrp4.primenet.com>, dl...@primenet.com (Dennis L) writes...
>>I'm in the same position... the Pioneer 704's digital memory problem,
>>the Panasonic's lack of AC-3.....
>What is the "704 digital memory problem" ? I haven't ran across this yet
>in my "research" on which player I should buy.
It's been discussed alot in this newsgroup. The fact you cannot shut
off freeze memory on a CAV disc, thus the 'digitized' look.
Federal Filings
: Does someone have real confirmation of this? I have a brand-new 704, and
: I'd swear that when I pause a CAV disc, I'm not getting a
: digital-field-memory picture. I get a perfect, non-8bit still that is
: *markedly* different from the still I get on a CLV disc. There are no
: buttons for turning digital field memory on or off as far as I know... I
: believe the player automatically turns off digital effects for CAV discs.
: If someone knows *for a fact* that this is not the case, then please say
: so... otherwise, everyone should stop griping about it, and stop using it as
: a reason to not buy a 704.
I haven't looked closely on a 704, but on my (old) 702 you get a
red "digital memory" indicator up if it is using the memory.
Maybe I should keep my 702? :-)
Sean Hogarty
>bjg9...@elroy.uh.edu (B.J. Guillot) wrote:
>
>>>I'm in the same position... the Pioneer 704's digital memory problem,
>>>the Panasonic's lack of AC-3.....
>
>>What is the "704 digital memory problem" ? I haven't ran across this yet
>>in my "research" on which player I should buy.
>
>It's been discussed alot in this newsgroup. The fact you cannot shut
>off freeze memory on a CAV disc, thus the 'digitized' look.
>
>
Does someone have real confirmation of this? I have a brand-new 704, and
I'd swear that when I pause a CAV disc, I'm not getting a
digital-field-memory picture. I get a perfect, non-8bit still that is
*markedly* different from the still I get on a CLV disc. There are no
buttons for turning digital field memory on or off as far as I know... I
believe the player automatically turns off digital effects for CAV discs.
If someone knows *for a fact* that this is not the case, then please say
so... otherwise, everyone should stop griping about it, and stop using it as
a reason to not buy a 704.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sean Hogarty, Engineering Project Leader, The NetMarket Company
http://www.netmarket.com
These are my opinions, and don't represent those of The NetMarket Company
kemyers@deltanet.com@deltanet.com
>: Digital Video Processing (DVP)
>: Variable Digital Noise Reduction (V-DNR)
>: DVP and V-DNR "together ensure jitter-free images" and perfect pictures
>: 2 S-Video outputs with three line digital comb filter (why need 2??)
>: Twin 1-bit D/A converters (what is this?)
>: Direct CD with independent CD tray (sounds nice)
>: does it have AC-3 out?
>
>: Karaoke (like I really want to let people stand 3 feet in front of my
>: TV and sing in my room sending spit everywhere)
>: "advanced digital technology" (is this similar to DVP and V-DNR above?)
>: Advanced Digital TBC--includes special error compensation system
>: used in professional broadcast video equipment (what's this?)
>: Dual Magnet Clamp (huh?)
>: does it have AC-3 out?
>
>: Regards,
>: B.J. Guillot ... Houston, Texas USA I don't believe in coffee
>
>Where does the new Elite CLD-59 fit into all of this? I believe its
>priced at around $700-$800.
>
>
>Kosala
>
>
by Computabililty. It does have a great picture and it does not cost $2000.
Keith Myers Warping along....
Mike Seid
:
: The Pioneer 704 doesn't suffer from this. i checked at a local retailer.
:
: to run it through the digital memory. there's a front-panel button that
: defeats this and still frames are again picture perfect. i'm wondering
: if the older 701/702/703 models have a similar button to get around
: this "defect" and if it's buried in the manual under some heading
: like "film mode" or some such thing. perhaps an owner of one of these
: players could tell us.
I own a 701, and yes, it has a similar button, called "digital memory."
It's clearly labelled on the front panel.
Mike
Bill Davidson
>i'm wondering if the older 701/702/703 models have a similar button to
>get around this "defect" and if it's buried in the manual under some
>heading like "film mode" or some such thing. perhaps an owner of one of
>these players could tell us.
In article <1995Jul26....@news.cs.indiana.edu>, Steven Miale <smi...@cs.indiana.edu> wrote:
>My 702 has a button that does this. It has nothing to do with film mode;
>I believe the button is labeled "digital memory."
What's a "film mode"?
Does it have something to do with movies that have been subjected to the
2-3 pull-down used to convert 24frame/sec film to 60field/sec NTSC or is
it something else?
--Bill Davidson
Federal Filings
: What's a "film mode"?
Film mode (on my Pioneer 702) turns off most the flourescent display,
and skips reading the TOC for the B side (I think) to increase the side
turn speed. You would turn it on if you were watching a movie straight
through with the lights off and didn't want to be bothered by bright yellow
displays and slow A-B turn times.
Federal Filings
loss of resolution, no frame 'jump' like my 702 when you still frame
CLV using the digital memory.
Maybe they just deleted the digital memory button because you always want
it on for CLV and off for CAV? The still frame looked like a regular CAV
still to me. Maybe I need new glasses?
Does anyone who actually OWNS a 704 wanna throw your $0.02 in?
Alan Batongbacal
Federal Filings <fed...@access4.digex.net> wrote:
>Does anyone who actually OWNS a 704 wanna throw your $0.02 in?
Well, I own a 704 and one time while I was watching my CAV copy of
The Little Mermaid I stopped on a frame and stared at my TV screen
from one foot away. I restarted and stopped play several times,
and I could have sworn the frozen frame looked fuzzier than
it should have. Then again, my eyes may be going bad...
alan
--
Alan L. Batongbacal Recognition Research, Inc.
ala...@rrinc.com 1872 Pratt Drive, Suite 1200
(540) 231-6700 (v) / (540) 231-3568 (f) Blacksburg, VA 24060-6363
Jeffrey M Scoville
: What's a "film mode"?
: Does it have something to do with movies that have been subjected to the
: 2-3 pull-down used to convert 24frame/sec film to 60field/sec NTSC or is
: it something else?
: --Bill Davidson
The film mode switch makes the transition from one side to the other
faster by disabling the table of contents data that is normally read at
the beginning of each side (or something along those lines). It saves a
couple of seconds and totally blacks out the screen while the player is
changing sides.
--
Jeffrey Scoville 103 Graham St.
sco...@river.biddeford.com Biddeford, Maine (ME) 04005-3107
laurie higgins
Filings) writes:
>
>Sean Hogarty (se...@netmarket.com) wrote:
>: Does someone have real confirmation of this? I have a brand-new
704, and
>: I'd swear that when I pause a CAV disc, I'm not getting a
>: digital-field-memory picture. I get a perfect, non-8bit still that
is
>: *markedly* different from the still I get on a CLV disc. There are
no
>: buttons for turning digital field memory on or off as far as I
know... I
>: believe the player automatically turns off digital effects for CAV
discs.
>
>: If someone knows *for a fact* that this is not the case, then please
say
>: so... otherwise, everyone should stop griping about it, and stop
using it as
>: a reason to not buy a 704.
>
>red "digital memory" indicator up if it is using the memory.
>
>Maybe I should keep my 702? :-)
Might as well. You'll need a new player soon enough when it dies
horribly.
Geena P.
svio...@tmewarp.atl.ga.us
Dennis L
>What's a "film mode"?
>Does it have something to do with movies that have been subjected to the
>2-3 pull-down used to convert 24frame/sec film to 60field/sec NTSC or is
>it something else?
It means you won't get onscreen messages, so if you're dubbing it,
between sides you get a black screen... Nothing else.
Kenta Suzue
>Bill Davidson (bi...@cray.com) wrote:
>: What's a "film mode"?
>: Does it have something to do with movies that have been subjected to the
>: 2-3 pull-down used to convert 24frame/sec film to 60field/sec NTSC or is
>: it something else?
>: --Bill Davidson
>The film mode switch makes the transition from one side to the other
>faster by disabling the table of contents data that is normally read at
>the beginning of each side (or something along those lines). It saves a
>couple of seconds and totally blacks out the screen while the player is
>changing sides.
IMHO, saving a couple of seconds and shutting off the yellow display panel
aren't important. I do think it's good to shut off the totally stupid
screen that the player would otherwise show during side changes, namely some
random picture from a few minutes BEFORE the end of the disc. I hate this
less than those stupid "End of Side 1" messages because I can't shut the
"End of Side 1" message off automatically. Both the "End of Side 1" message
and the stupid random picture are jarring and ruin the `continuity' feeling
of watching a movie lots more than blacking out the screen.
Web World
Panasonic has some impressive ones, too.
Denon's LA-3500 uses the Panasonic LX-900 transport.
The Runco also uses the Panasonic LX-900 transport.
Any others? Maybe the new Mitsubishis and Marantz units?
I have never seen a table of features that lists in a column the source of
the transport. Is it a secret?
-WW
David Laird
|> Regards transports, Pioneer seems to have the largets number of OEMs but
|> Panasonic has some impressive ones, too.
|>
|> Denon's LA-3500 uses the Panasonic LX-900 transport.
|>
|> The Runco also uses the Panasonic LX-900 transport.
|>
|> Any others? Maybe the new Mitsubishis and Marantz units?
I recently bought a Marantz LV500 -- the dealer said it has a Pioneer transport
DL
--
===========================================================================
David Laird Silicon Graphics
dav...@mfg.sgi.com 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd.
(415) 390-3324 MS 12L-857
(415) 962-0494 (fax) Mountain View, CA 94043
===========================================================================
Dennis L
>IMHO, saving a couple of seconds and shutting off the yellow display panel
>aren't important. I do think it's good to shut off the totally stupid
>screen that the player would otherwise show during side changes, namely some
>random picture from a few minutes BEFORE the end of the disc. I hate this
>less than those stupid "End of Side 1" messages because I can't shut the
>"End of Side 1" message off automatically. Both the "End of Side 1" message
>and the stupid random picture are jarring and ruin the `continuity' feeling
>of watching a movie lots more than blacking out the screen.
As far as I know, you can have the player do a random screen shot,
hold the last frame, or do a black screen on side changes.
Web World
I think thats the model which is gold in color? I remember seeing that and
noting its remote was the same as the Pioneer 70x. Marantz has a newer
model coming out soon, it should be interesting if they stayed with
Pioneer. I have been told that marantz has better audio quality than its
sibling Pioneer model.
Dennis L
>In article <3vjid6$2...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, webw...@aol.com (Web World) writes:
>|> Regards transports, Pioneer seems to have the largets number of OEMs but
>|> Panasonic has some impressive ones, too.
>|>
>|> Denon's LA-3500 uses the Panasonic LX-900 transport.
>|>
>|> The Runco also uses the Panasonic LX-900 transport.
>|>
>|> Any others? Maybe the new Mitsubishis and Marantz units?
>I recently bought a Marantz LV500 -- the dealer said it has a Pioneer transport
What about the laser? The motor? Power Supply? Audio or video
circuitry. I guess transports are very small parts of a player.
David Laird
|> >>I recently bought a Marantz LV500 -- the dealer said it has a Pioneer
|>
|> I think thats the model which is gold in color? I remember seeing that and
|> noting its remote was the same as the Pioneer 70x. Marantz has a newer
|> model coming out soon, it should be interesting if they stayed with
|> Pioneer. I have been told that marantz has better audio quality than its
|> sibling Pioneer model.
|>
these days).
My dealer said that my Marantz uses a Pioneer transport with upgraded DACs
etc. so it should have better audio than your average (Pioneer) laserdisk
player.
I don't know anything about the newer Marantz laserdisk players. Mine does
not have AC3 outputs, so I'll have to upgrade in a year or two if I want
to play AC3 laserdisks.
Wade Wilson
> Okay, out of the Pinoneer CLD-704 and the Panasonic LX-900, which one
> should I buy?
> web sites, and I've seemed to come to the following conclusions:
> 1. Pioneer quality control is very bad. If you get one, you'll either
> get one of the best laser disc players ever made, but, more than likely
> you'll get a dud. The reviews I read were for the CLD-703, not the
> CLD-704, though.
> 2. The Panasonic LX-900 seems to be many people's choice, and it looks
> like I am leaning towards it, however, I read that a new model may
> be coming out very soon. (Should I wait?)
> Both the CLD-704 and LX-900 are supposed to have good digitial effects
> and S-Video out (even though many seem to say that doesn't do much good
> with laserdiscs).
> However, I haven't seen anything to indicate that either of these players
> have the AC-3 audio output, something that seems to be a very big deal in
> the group. I find it strange that one of Pioneer's less expensive players
> (CLD-604) has the AC-3, but that the top of the line 704 doesn't. Maybe
> it does have AC-3?
> About all the details I can get on these players comes from the mail
> order store Computability. Here's what they say:
> Digital Video Processing (DVP)
> Variable Digital Noise Reduction (V-DNR)
> DVP and V-DNR "together ensure jitter-free images" and perfect pictures
> 2 S-Video outputs with three line digital comb filter (why need 2??)
> Twin 1-bit D/A converters (what is this?)
> Direct CD with independent CD tray (sounds nice)
> does it have AC-3 out?
> Panasonic LX-900
> Karaoke (like I really want to let people stand 3 feet in front of my
> TV and sing in my room sending spit everywhere)
> "advanced digital technology" (is this similar to DVP and V-DNR above?)
> Advanced Digital TBC--includes special error compensation system
> used in professional broadcast video equipment (what's this?)
> Dual Magnet Clamp (huh?)
> does it have S-video out?
> does it have AC-3 out?
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Regards,
> B.J. Guillot ... Houston, Texas USA I don't believe in coffee
