Denon DVM-1835 Multi-disc DVD Player

What can you say when the picture, features, and unit are superb but have had some problems finding a reliable unit? When you find a working unit the picture is sharp, clear, noise free, and the sound is spectacular.

BTW - a DVM-1835 is the same unit as the DVM-725 - at least that is what a Denon service representative told me.

I really wanted a changer and liked the Denon features. I had to keep at it. The first stopped spinning discs. The second would not read a double sided DVD and would occasionally "stutter". The third time seems to be the charm and (crossed fingers) this one is perfect!

Evidently a weak point on this series of changers is in the laser and drive motor. There are a few units listed on eBay that are being sold "as is" and show a Disc Error for any type of media. It is very possible that the problem is in the laser or drive.

Like I said up front - the video and sound quality is great - the durability - at least in my experience - might not be great. Maybe I got a lemon or one that had reached the end of it's life cycle. Was it worth it to keep searching? I think so.

How does it compare to some other changers? It has the option to go directly to a given disc. Not all changers can do that. Push the front panel or remote disc button and off it goes. An on-screen display tells you where you are in the process. Okay so it goes in ascending order even if the desired disc is right next to where you are at the time. To go from disc 4 to disc 3 it goes from 4 to 5 to 1 to 2 to 3. You even have the option to replace discs that are not playing with the "exchange" feature.

Set-up is virtually non-existent - connect the video, connect the audio, set the progressive switch and the rest is through an on-screen interface. All of the options are easy to follow and simple. To borrow from an insurance advertisement - the proverbial "caveman could do it"

The unit outputs composite, S-video, and component signals with the option to do progressive. While I do not have an HD TV I can attest that the composite and S-video is rock solid and very crisp with good color tones.

The sound through the digital optical connection can literally blow you away. Digital Dolby and DTS come through my Denon AVR system with exceptional clarity (even my neighbor thinks so and has told me more than once). Just as there are three video options there are three audio outputs - the traditional RCA two chanel, a digital coaxial, the previously mentioned optical.

It seems that all of the changers make some noise when moving from one disc to another. Some reviews make a big point of how slow or loud a unit is in the process. With this device it seems that the time spent loading and recognizing the disc is about the same as the transition time between adjacent discs. As each disc is recognized the on-screen list of discs will update with the type. So far the only types I have seen are CD (when I ran a cleaner disc) and DVD.

Most any DVD player will give a good picture and sound and may even play some other formats. The added convenience of having five of your favorite shows available makes entertaining a bit easier. There are a bunch more features that I have not used - a number of audio options and probably some other video stuff. You can go over to the Denon web site and download the product sheet and owners manual.

These Denon changer units are "two thumbs up" in my book. Get your popcorn, sit back, relax, and watch the movies!