Onkyo DV-SP406

Not ready to jump on the Blu-Ray train just yet, but I wanted to upgrade my DVD player to one with HDMI so I could take advantage of my Onkyo 507 receiver. I was looking at the 706 changer from Onkyo but… there were several reviews all citing problems with reading discs, so I decided on a single tray unit. Their SP506 looked impressive and got great reviews but I wasn't sure that I wanted to spend that much, as was also the case with the Yamaha S-1800. The Yamaha, Oppo (also pretty pricey) and Onkyo were the only ones I found without a single negative review - Toshiba, Samsung, Sony and Pioneer all seem to have their various issues. In the end, I went with the Onkyo because it was cheaper than the Yamaha and would fit perfectly with the receiver. So far it has been impressive. The picture is very crisp and the resolution button on the remote makes it simple to switch between 480/720/1080i/1080p if needed. The audio is excellent as well - I couldn't believe how great DTS soundtracks sounded. So far it has loaded/played DVDs, CDs, CD-Rs, MP3s and DVD-Rs without problem or hesitation. Just as a test, I put in an old scratched-up CD, and it played the entire way through. If you have a recent HDMI Onkyo receiver, I'd highly recommend this unit - the DVD remote works seamlessly with the receiver functions (and the receiver remote with the DVD functions too) right through the HDMI connection - no need for an RI cable and no coding necessary. It's face is sleek and the depth is compact - might be tough to stack certain compnents on top of it. I have not experienced any extended load times with any format yet, and the operation is quite quiet. One minor con I would mention if I needed to come up with one is that the display is completely different in size and color than that of the receiver, which I found strange - you'd think they would match them purposely. Also, I think I would prefer to have a few additional controls on the face of the player, like the resolution button and maybe a random play for CDs - it appears that you can take care of just about anything of the front panel of the SP506, but you'll need to do it all through the remote with the 406. All things considered, though, this is a solid player from a company with a great reputation.

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