Blu-ray…and then some.

Denon’s CES showpiece is the new DVD-A1UDCI ($3800). Not only is this Denon’s first Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, but it’s also a “universal” player that supports playback of SACD and DVD-Audio. Ah, remember those?

This player is loaded with high-end goodies. It features the 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta video processing chip, with dual HD scalers that allow you to output HD resolution via the HDMI and component outputs simultaneously. It also sports dual, assignable HDMI outputs -- you can send audio and video over both or designate one for audio and one for video.

The new Vertical Stretch mode eliminates black bars at the top and bottom of films shot in the 2.35:1 format without adding distortion on a typical HD display; but, as Denon puts it, “it’s most beneficial for those users of CinemaScope screens and projectors with anamorphoric lenses, as the processing is done in the digital domain.”

Of course, the DVD-A1UDCI also utilizes all of Denon’s top-shelf audio technologies. It features the new DenonLink 4th Edition, which works over HDMI to transmit digital signals from optical discs virtually jitter-free. It’s the first Blu-ray player to offer fully balanced two-channel transmission for analog signals, when mated with Denon’s flagship AVP-A1HDCI preamp and POA-A1HDCI amp.

The player offers full onboard HD audio decoding and will pass high-resolution formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bitstream form over HDMI. Gold-plated brass 7.1-channel analog audio outputs are included, as is an RS-232C control port, an Ethernet port for BD-Live and firmware updates, and a front-panel SD card slot.

The DVD-A1UDCI will be available in February.

PRICE:
Denon DVD-A1UDCI, $3800

CONTACT:
(201) 762-6500, denon.com