are two-channel analog outputs for a standard audio hookup to a CD player input and a separate six-jack bank of connectors for multi-channel audio outputs. These output left, center, right, left-surround, right- surround, and subwoofer signals.
The latter should be hooked up to the six-jack analog inputs of a suitable processor or receiver and normally they would carry the player’s decoded-to- analog SACD or DVD-A program material. These six jacks can also output player-decoded-to-analog Dolby Digital, DTS, and even MPEG signals, mostly from movies. And very interesting indeed, they also are able to output Dolby Pro Logic II decoded signals derived from two-channel programs, at least if the sampling frequency of any SACD or PCM sources is below 88.2 kHz.
This is something to take seriously if one has a DVD-S1500, because it allows those with older processors or receivers that lack DPL II decoding, but which still have six-channel analog inputs, to now have DPL II playback decoding from their CD and other two-channel source materials.
The Yamaha DSP-A1 processor/ amp I reviewed in issue 72, and which I still have installed in my middle system is this way, as are a number of other receivers and processors I have reviewed. I consider this feature the DVD- S1500 offers to be a fairly big deal.
Yep, why opt for two- channels only with CD sources
when you can get surround sound from them this easy? DPL II surround synthesizing is nearly always superior to standard two-channel playback, unless the center-channel speaker quality or the position of that center speaker stinks. With a player like this, one would hook up the device thusly to get optimum flexibility:
1)Connect the player’s two-channel analog outputs to the CD input of their receiver for “pure” two-channel playback from compact discs. One could also use any DSP surround-synthesis modes their receiver offers for a faux surround effect.
2)Connect the optical- or coaxial-digital output to the receiver’s digital input, primarily for DD or DTS playback. This would mostly be used for movie sound, although nearly all DVD-A music discs also have DD and DTS alternate sound tracks. This hookup could also be used for CD sources, of course.
3)Connect the six-channel analog outputs to the
5.1analog inputs of the receiver for SACD, DVD-A, and DPL II playback, or for DD and DTS playback if an older receiver does not have those decoding functions via a digital input.
It is hard to imagine a better hookup arrangement, particularly if that older-model receiver lacks on-board
DPL II decoding. The only fly in the ointment is that the DVD-S1500’s on-board DPL II processing is factory set and does not offer the fine tuning the technology included in some upscale receivers. Still, it works well and was superior to standard two-channel playback with all of the source material I tried.
The DVD-S1500’s remote is pretty basic. It includes some cool special-function buttons: audio direct, page turning for DVD-A still pictures, subtitle, angle, zoom, on-screen and front-panel status, shuffle, and an auto- scan feature to check out the first ten seconds of each track. And of course it offers the usual group of standard controls that must be included for decent control of the player: play, pause, skip, menu, etc.
However, there is one exception: there are no slow or fast “scan” buttons on the remote. Instead, if one wants to scan forward or backward they have to hold down the “skip” button for two seconds and then the skip feature is bypassed and scanning takes place. (The manual mentions this fast-scan feature on the remote control’s description page, but indicated that it only
works in the forward direction. Nope, it can work backwards, too.) Hitting “play” stops the scanning and returns the speed to normal. Unfortunately, there is no way to easily control the scanning speed. To do this one has to access the on- screen menu and awkwardly make the changes.
The minimalist front-panel readout is one of two things that bothered me about the player. For example, if one plays a compact disc the player’s readout will briefly indicate which track is playing right after it is selected and then delete that information and present
acontinuous time-play readout. To check the track being played one has to press the “status” button on the remote. If one wants a continuous view of what is going on with any kind of source material (track that is playing, track-time readout, and total time of the disc) they have to turn on the TV set and read the information on the screen. The menu was at first awkward to navigate (the way the icons shift around is odd), no matter what kind of source material was involved, although after a while I got the hang of it. Still, it was anything but intuitive.
The second sore spot with me involved the player’s cue-up time. No matter the source material, it took the device quite some time to access the data and begin playing.
One is normally used to this with movies and SACD and DVD-A sources, but the player was also very slow when initially dealing with compact discs. I mean, when typically accessing a CD after closing the tray the unit whirred and clicked and went on and on
