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Onkyo DV-BD507: Review

Posted to Video Components 2009-11-29

The Onkyo DV-BD507 Blu-ray disc player is Onkyo's top of the line Blu-ray product. It features playback of BD-Video, BD-R/RE, BD-Rom, DVD video, DVD+-R/RW, Audio CD and CD-R/RW. The unit has 1080p output to an HDMI 1.3a connection. In addition, it upscales all existing DVD formats (1080i, 720p and 480P) to 1080p HD output.

The unit also features a BD-Live Ethernet connection for real-time content for Blu-ray discs available from the Internet. The player has HDMI and component video outputs, which can be used simultaneously. The DV-BD507 can also play AVCHD video clips stored on SD/SDHC cards from many digital cameras and camcorders. Also included is lossless Dolby and DTS 5.1 channel surround sound. The unit comes with a small, easy to use remote control unit that is dedicated - it is not a universal remote.

Rating:

3.6 out of 5

Value

The DV-BD507 is considerably more expensive than most of the competition with similar features. In fact, some competitors offer quite a few more features (such as 7.1 channel surround) at a lower price. Blu-ray is going to have to come down in price to make it as a viable format, and this unit doesn't help the situation. I don't think the quality is not up to Onkyo's usual standard, either, making one wonder who manufacturers the unit. The remote is small and rather cheap looking, and is not compatible with other devices.

Performance

Even though the price is high, the DV-BD507 delivers better than average performance. Blu-ray load times are quite good (this is a real problem with some Blu-ray players) as is the load time for DVDs and CDs. The unit produces sharp 1080p output with little pixellation, and the 5.1 channel sound is excellent. The remote is rather small, but the menus are well thought out and easy to navigate. The BD-Live feature is an added plus.

Summary

At its current price, I can't think of a lot of reasons to recommend this unit. If it were priced about $100 less on the street, it would be a fairly good value. All that aside, if you're familiar with Onkyo's reputation, you might want to buy it for the quality that goes along with the name - the build quality doesn't seem to be all that good but it's hard to tell how long something is going to last.

Pros

Blu-ray disc player with HDMI and 5.1 surround sound output
Support for numerous formats
1080p upscaling of existing content

Cons

Expensive
Build quality seems poor, remote is cheap

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Monster Cable MP HTFS 1000 : 2-Outlets Surge Suppressor with Exclusive Tri-Mode Plus circuitry