Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

Is it even worth it for me to buy one? A player that plays, BD, DVD, DVD-A, and SACD? I have about 15 discs combined between DVDA and SACD. It seems the formats are dead. I really love the Flaming Lips DVD-A and the Zappa DVD-As but if I'm never going to buy them again, is it worth it or should I abandon the formats?

From what I can tell there are only two players. Oppo and Denon. Both at a premium. If I buy a Sony BD player, I can at least salvage my SACDs.

I have a universal Pioneer player but it's not HDMI and my new receiver doesn't have analog inputs. I suppose I can continue to listen to the DVDA through this setup.

It'd be nice if these BD players just supported DVD-A. Is it really that much more circuitry?

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

I imagine it has more to do with the royalties that would have to be paid than it does the electronics. They're willing to do it for DVD movies because that's a common use of the players, DVD-A and SACD not so much. Sony even took out SACD from the PS3 before too long, and they were the company behind the format in the first place.

I guess all you can do is hold out hope that the albums will be released on BD.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

Sony still puts SACD support on their BD players. Just not the cheapo ones. I could buy one of those and still have Dark Side of the Moon in 5.1. :)

I suppose I could cut my losses and sell what I have. It's a shame. Multi-channel music was very interesting during it's short life. (5.1 specifically.)

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

You can still listen to your DVD-A's multichannel soundracks in lossy Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 on any DVD/BD player. Sure it's not uncompressesd but it still sounds a lot better than a redbook CD. I think all DVD-A's carried one or the other. At least all the ones I have. The format was so finicky that's the only way I've been able to listen to some of my titles (despite having three DVD-A capable players at one point).

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

Let me try that tonight. I'm really interested in mainly the surround mixes. I can just buy a higher end Sony BD player then that has SACD support and problem solved.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

I love SACD (and DVD-A) and, of course, this had to be the one format Sony releases that they give up without a fight. Every other format of theirs and they'll go on for years pushing it.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

If you spring for a modified Oppo, it has the added benefit of being region free for both DVD and Blu-Ray, if you're into that sort of thing.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

Even the discs that were hybrid (like the Bob Dylan discs) are now back to just being regular CDs.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

It's not worth it unless it also plays vinyl, 8-track, cassette, reel to reel, and laserdisc.

I too love multi-channel/lossless audio, which is why I'm holding on to my 60 GB PS3 for dear life.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

Agreed, or better yet buy a regular Oppo and make the mod yourself for $40.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

I am physically unable to spend $500 on a BD player. $400 for the Denon was a stretch.

I've decided to buy one of the new Sony models that play SACD and use the $200 savings for something else.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

I'm ordering the Oppo pretty soon; I paid $500 for my first DVD player in 1998, and that was a low-end player. I have no problem paying that much nearly 13 years later for a player as loaded as the Oppo.

Re: Universal audio player - Abandon?
 

$300 doesn't seem worth it to me just to play the 7 or 8 DVD-A discs I own. Now if the medium was still alive and vibrant, I'd definitely do it.