Classé's $6500 CDP-300 1080p-upscaling DVD player

Our $50 DVD player from Radio Shack isn't really gonna cut it when our new big-screen gets installed, so we're looking at Montreal-based Classé's new $6500 CDP-300 slot-loading model as a possible replacement. As the first model in the Delta series, the CDP-300 hints at good things to come from this lineup, with 1080p upconverting via HDMI, XLR balanced outputs, component RGBHV, a touchscreen display, and the usual assortment of regular component video, S-video, composite, digital coax, and optical hookups. One nice feature of the touchscreen is that it also serves as a video preview monitor, so you can view and control DVD-Audio discs without powering-up your main display. Unfortunately, as HDBeat points out, buying one of these now means we'll have to drop at least another $13,000 next year to pick up one for our Blu-ray discs and still another for our HD-DVD titles (and heck, maybe even one more that we can hack to spin our waning collection of DIVX classics).

[Via HDBeat]

[boe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I think you'd be much better off - buying new HD/BR DVDs and a cheap player than spending the money at this point on a $6K or $4K 1080p standard DVD player. I'm sure it is much better than my old Sony 9000es DVD player but with the other two technologies so close, this seems to be a steep price to pay for what IMHO is obsolete technology since you can't take 480 media and compare it to 1080 media no matter how much upscaling you do.

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

this is overkill... your new big screen only has a 2,112 x 736 resolution. :)

[boe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

What is the res on a 1080p vs. 1080i screen? My mits is a few years old so it only does 1080i. I'm waiting for one that does 1080p at 60fps before I make my next investment.

Thanks

[boe @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

These are some numbers I found on CNET

1080p and 1080i 1,920 x 1,080
720p 1,280 x 720
480p WS 852 x 480 Regular TV Up regular TV 480 lines

[Chris Jones @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

$1,300 for Blue ray and digital out? Uh, try $499 or whatever the PS3 costs. Oh, you can also play these really cool games, at least that is the rumor.

The PS3 will even have a digital out to plug into your processor.

[jap @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

"What is the res on a 1080p vs. 1080i screen? My mits is a few years old so it only does 1080i. I'm waiting for one that does 1080p at 60fps before I make my next investment."

Why would you bother blowing money on a tv just to do 1080p?

I doubt you would notice any difference, and it will be years before 1080p is common.

[Supperconductor @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Um, last I heard HDMI only allowed up to 1080i, did they update the spec yet?

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Component video allows 1080i. My XBox with HD pack only has component out and it outputs 720p and 1080i. Same goes with my HD cable box. Well, I *could* use component, but I'm currently using DVI.

[Sean @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

couldn't a nice computer do this already? much cheaper too...

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Right that, Sean. My $1000 media PC outputs native 720p to my plasma, though it could do 1080i or 1080p just as easily. Running the free ffdshow filters allows me to upsample the image and apply a number of postprocessing effects (sharpen, noise reduction, etc.) for an absolutely outstanding picture. And why bother with the format wars; with a media PC, just buy another fairly inexpensive optical drive to support HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, or both, if you want.

[Nicholas Gallegos @ Dec 25th 2005 1:06AM]

I think you guys are all missing the point here. Sure, you can output a lot of these formats (and very soon, even HD-DVD/Blu-Ray) from a PC to a display - and relatively cheaply.



But 1080p output capability isn't necessarily what makes a Classe transport so outstanding. Rather, it's the design and engineering that goes into it. And you probably won't understand that until you actually see some Classe gear in action. But of course, top-notch quality always comes at a price. What I'm getting at is that you'd be completely nuts to purchase a CDP-300 solely based on its ability to output true 1080p. NONE of Classe's gear is cheap. They cater to the most demanding audio/videophiles.



I'd wait stop scoffing at the CDP-300 and just wait until next year. Believe me, 1080P DVD players will become a lot more mainstream. Remember when the first SACD player (the Sony SCD-1) cost $5000? Now you can get players that read multichannel SACD for under $200. Food for thought....