Yamaha 5 disc DVD changer...
TAKE THE YAMAHA CHALLENGE!
What exactly would you do with a 5-disc DVD changer?
by David J. Elrich
LAS VEGAS, January 10, 1998 -- Yamaha is one of the first companies to introduce five-disc DVD players (Sony also announced one at the show). The new Yamaha piece (DVD-C900) is due in May with a price to be announced. We have a question for our readers: How would you use a 5-disc DVD player? To watch concerts, naughty videos or do aerobics for 13 hours straight? Technology is a wonderful thing. Please let us know your thoughts.
The DVD-C900 has a built-in Dolby Digital decoder and can pass DTS signals to the appropriate electronics. It also has a new 10-bit video DAC. In April, the company will release the single-play DVD-S7000 ($799). It's DTS compatible, has a DD decoder, and both optical/coax digital audio outputs. The video connections include component, S and composite. There are 10-bit video DACs here as well.
On the a/v receiver front, Yamaha unveiled a pair of DD-ready receivers for $299 and $399, respectively. The RX-V393 is rated 50 times 3 front, 20 times 2 rear while the V493 pumps out 70 times 3, 20 times 2. The higher priced receiver has a universal remote with a subwoofer level control. Both have eight DSP settings. Almost every Yamaha receiver is now DD-ready or a full-blown Dolby Digital model.
Yamaha is moving heavily into the Home Theater In A Box arena and is planning a 110-disc CD changer for the summer. The DSP-A1 integrated amp, due in April, is now $2599 compared to the $2799 announced at an earlier press conference. The Yamaha folks were testing the waters with a prototype "gold" colored version for another $200. It looked pretty slick -- if they want our opinion.
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