NEWS: Three new Denon Blu-ray players due from July
Denon has confirmed UK specifications and release dates for its Blu-ray line-up, which includes the DVD-3800BD (£1600; due November; shown above), DVD-2500BT transport (£800; July), and entry-level DVD-1800BD (price TBC; November).
Denon claims the players will be great all-rounders, offering excellent DVD upscaling and CD replay, as well as superlative Blu-ray playback.
The four pictures featured in this story are of the black US models. The UK designs will be available in black, silver (more of a gun-metal finish) and premium silver, so users can find the ideal colour-match for both existing and new Denon components.
First into shops, then, will be the £800 Denon DVD-2500BT (below). This is a Blu-ray transport, designed to be the perfect partner for receivers that feature HD audio decoding and video processing - "so the customer just pays for what they need." 
Denon believes HD audio decoding is ideally done in a suitably equipped AV receiver, rather than Blu-ray player, as there's a shorter signal path involved.
Accordingly, the DVD-2500BT sends HD audio via bitstream for a receiver to decode. You can see the simplicity of its connectivity in the back shot below.
The DVD-2500BT will upscale DVDs to 1080p, but unlike its DVD-3800BD sibling does not apply additional, high-end video processing for Blu-ray or DVD playback - again, it's leaving that to suitably equipped receivers.
Both the DVD-2500BT and DVD-3800BD are impressively well-built machines, inside and out. They feature multi-layered construction; anti-electric and mechanical noise shielding; a separated block layout (to isolate video and audio circuitry); and a 'SVH' (Suppress Vibration Hybrid) mechanism, designed to provide more stable, accurate disc reading. 
Directly above is a backshot of the Denon DVD-3800BD - due in November, priced £1600. As you can probably tell, this is a fully loaded player, complete with HD audio decoding and advanced video processing, plus a full suite of analogue outputs - making it an ideal companion for AV amps and receivers without HD audio decoding or picture processing.
Whereas the DVD-3500BT uses a standard 10-bit video chipset, the DVD-3800BD uses a 10-bit REALTA HQV design, which Denon claims can boost even 1080p Blu-ray pictures still further.
The manufacturer says the DVD-3800BD's performance with DVDs is equal to that of its dedicated DVD-3930 DVD player, while stereo performance is comparable to "a high-end CD player".
Few details, meanwhile, are yet available for Denon's DVD-1800BD Blu-ray player. Due in November, the company claims this entry-level design "will look more like a Sony or Panasonic player, with, say, a 4Kg build rather than the 10Kg chassis of our higher-end models".
Intriguingly, all Denon's 2008 Blu-ray players are Profile 1.1 specification, as they do not feature Ethernet ports. Firmware upgrades will be available via disc.
Denon insists the lack of Profile 2.0 support will not diminish users' Blu-ray experience, and suggests the 2.0 spec is a film-studio-driven feature rather than a performance issue.
You'll be able to read reviews of all the new Denon Blu-ray players here as soon as test samples become available.
- Clare Newsome's blog
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Comments
Looks like its about to be released in the US. Any news from Denon UK
http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/4675.asp
No dvd-a or sacd??? id buy one if they did.
They're working on a truly universal player - Blu-ray plus SACD/DVD-A - for 2009, but no more details than that yet....
Just what I was going to ask!
Great news. Thats the one I'll be waiting for!
When do you expect to review them. I am thinking of picking up another player but don't know whether to go for the new Pioneer or Denon.
As we say above, Bullseye, we'll get reviews to you as soon as we get test samples - which should be around the same time the units are getting into shops (hopefully slightly before!)
By that stage we'll have all our reviews online, so you shouldn't have long to wait to read our verdicts.
So we're expected to buy what is in my opinion outdated technology in the form of profile 1.1 instead of profile 2.0.
Thas a bad move Denon in my opinion.
Personally I'm waiting for a good sub £100 profile 2.0 player because then I know that spending £150-200 will get a really good budget player.
Problem again with Blu Ray seems to be price.
Before HD DVD died we saw player prices for both formats falling.
Now that appears to have stalled and prices remain above what is in my opinion, true mass market appeal thus preventing widespread acceptance. I'm afraid thats its an apparent desire of firms to recover development costs up front thats killing this format in my opinion. Whats needed is the good sub £100 player to get this format flying off the shelves. well that and cheaper discs!
How much difference will profile 2.0 make to 1.1? Serious question - I've no idea and was previously looking at buying the 2500BT. Does seem an odd omission on Denon's part - also, the lack of SACD.
Plus, look at the size of em, can't see any one in the mainstream buying one of those. Even the so called entry level is going to be, what? around £400 and not even 2.0.
I could live with that as most manufacturers probably see 2.0 a bit of a red herring, but no ethernet for updates at that price is unforgivable.
Profile 2.0 is only applicable if you want to access additional data online. It is not necessary for the enjoyment of the movie or the ondisc data. While I have two profile 2.0 machines I have no real interest in accessing those additional programs which might be available online.