NESAVISION DVD PLAYERS > Which DVD Player for me?

All NESA DVD players have an auxiliary audio/video RCA input for games consoles, cameras, TV tuners etc. This is particularly handy if the screen only has 1 video source input.

The DVD-566R has a built in amplifier & AM/FM radio tuner. It can be used as a direct replacement for your original or aftermarket stereo as it plays CD's, DVD's, Radio, MP3 etc etc. You can mount it in the same location easily & not lose any features. 

The DVD-8000 is a din sized unit & can be mounted in the dash where there is a spare pocket. They can also be remote mounted if required (in the boot, under a seat etc) They all have a slot drive like a car cd player, as opposed to tray type players (DVD-22, DVD-4000) These are all stand alone players as they do not have a radio tuner built in.
 
All models come with a remote eye, are multi-region & play MP3/DVD/VCD/S-VCD & audio CD's etc. 

Various formats such as DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW etc may play however as there are so many software, firmware, hardware & media combinations that it is almost impossible to guarantee. If you have specific requirements please contact Neltronics & we can test a format for you. 

POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN BUYING A MID-TO HIGH-END HEAD UNIT.


Where are you going to buy from?
Stick to the stores that specialise in mobile entertainment, as specialist stores really do offer a level of service that is hard to place a value on. The knowledge and expertise that these people rely on to maintain their edge in business translates into good advice, and good advice will help you make your choices you’ll be happy with for years to come.

If you know more about what you want to buy then the person you’re buying from, you’re probably in the wrong place. Unless you have a good relationship with a particular store or salesperson, do the rounds. Find someone you’re comfortable with, who you feel you can trust – someone who is more interested in helping you buy something rather than trying to sell you something. It shouldn’t be too hard to pick the difference.

Know What you Want
Don’t just rely on sales people to tell you what they think you should buy. Have a firm idea of what you want before you set out, and don’t be afraid to tell the sales person. If they should suggest something that you may not have considered, and they seem genuinely concerned about your needs, pay attention. The permutations and combinations of head units available these days are extreme to say the least. Think about what you need your unit to be able to do. Do you need a screen in the dash (for NAV of course)? Will a more traditional style CD/Receiver fulfill your needs?

Audio Performance
If you’re in the market for a mid to high-end, you might assume that good performance is a given – and in most cases you’d probably be right. However, I’d still be inclined to compare manufacturers’ specs and do as much critical listening in showrooms as possible.

For CD and FM radio, check to frequency response. This is the players ability to reproduce all frequencies at the level they were recorded at. It should be quoted as “(X)Hz-(Y)kHz±(Z)dB”. For CD you should get at least 20Hz-20kHz (human hearing range between the lowest and highest frequency) and ±3dB variation or less (lower number here is better).

FM figures aren’t likely to be as good but the same rules apply – that is, widest frequency range with the smallest dB variation is what to look for.
Next, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. S/N tells you the difference in the level of the music signal versus background noise introduced by the player. The higher the number in dB, the lower the level of the unwanted noise.

Dynamic range measures the difference in level between the loudest and softest musical signal that a player will reproduce – again, this is measured in dB and a higher number is better. Good dynamic range means more lifelike, “real” sounding music.

Compare channel separation futures, which are about stereo. This spec is a measurement of how well a signal source, processor or amplifier (your head-unit will include on or more of these) can keep signals that were recorded in one channel, out of the other channel during playback. In simple terms, if a signal that was recorded at 100dB in the left channel only, when played back, is also present in the right channel at say 35dB, the channel separation would be represented as the difference, 65dB.
Obviously, a higher number in dB is better, and more channel separation will generally translate into a wider possible sound stage. Sound state also depends a great deal on speaker placement, but without adequate channel separation you’ve lost the battle before it begins.

There are a great many more audio specs you could compare if you were inclined, but these four are the most important for sound quality. If you can’t split candidates based on the above, it may be wise to move on to the next criteria.

In terms of listening demonstration, it is prudent to take a few examples of your preferred driving tunes on your shopping mission. Don’t handicap yourself, us full CD Audio quality recordings – you cannot adequately judge a head-unit’s sound quality by doing listening tests with compressed audio formats like mp3 and WMA. Use some female vocal, some male vocal and a selection of all the different styles of music you would normally play on the move. Also, include some examples of music containing real instruments, as sounds system’s ability to recreate a well-recorded acoustic performance with a convincing level of realism is what it’s all about. Even if you don’t listen to a lot of acoustic music as a rule, this is a great test of how well a system performs.

If at all possible, listen to each of the different head-units you’re considering through the same set of speakers, otherwise you’re not comparing apples to apples. Be critical, and take notes if you have to. Always remember, your ears are far the best tool to help you make the right choice when it comes to any audio equipment. It is, after all, your ears that will be subjected to your purchase decision for some time to come. That means your ears matter more than anyone else’s. By all means listen to other opinions, but don’t let them influence your decision if your ears don’t share the same point of view. Don’t just listen for things that stand out, listen for things that are missing (they’re a bit harder to identify). Listen for as long as it takes to make the decision that you’re comfortable with.

Features
Here’s where you’ll need to put some thought. Which features are vital and which do you simply want? Here are a few features that I think are worth considering for the “vital” side of the ledger. We’ll start with some that have genuine impact on the sound quality.

Power Output
Not just to make the music loader – in fact, more power means more clarity. As long as all the equipment is operating within specified limits, the more power telling the speakers what to do means the more inclined they will be to do it, meaning greater accuracy and clarity.

Many of today’s mid to high-end head-units have DC to DC converters in the power supply stage of their in-built amplifiers (this allows the amplifier to operate with a much higher supply voltage than the vehicles standard 12-14 volts). And, combined with high quality transistors in the out-put stages, it’s normal to get 25 watts RMS (approximately 50w max) or more per channel. If you don’t have an amplifier for your full range speakers, or don’t plan on adding one to your system for some time, the amount of on board power will be an issue to consider. Obviously more is better, just be sure that you’re comparing ratings that are qualified the same way.

Pre-outs
These are the low-level (un-amplified) signal out-puts that make it easy to add dedicated amplifiers to the system now or later. In the league we’re talking about, don’t settle for less than three (front, rear and sub). High voltage pre-outs are also highly advantageous, and the more volts the better – as long as there’s no distortion.

As with amplifier power, this isn’t about being louder. Here’s the quick version of why high voltage pre-outs are good… Any device in the signal path of an audio system. Sad but true. A high voltage pre-out signal keeps the level of music further above the unwanted noise than it would normally be. The biggest culprits for introducing noise are amplifiers and signal processors. If you can provide an amplifier with a higher voltage signal at the input, you can turn the input gain (voltage/noise multiplier) down.

You’ll still wind up with the amplifiers rated power at the output but you will have introduced less noise by not amplifying as heavily. That’s as close to a win-win as you can get in audio.

Time correction
One of the biggest handicaps of quality audio reproduction in the mobile environment is caused by a combination of a poorly located listening position and limited options for speaker placement. Next time you sit in the driver’s seat, pay attention to the different distances from each speaker to your ears. Almost guaranteed, no two distances will be the same and to make things worse, there’s a good chance that there’ll be less difference in distance between the front and rear speakers that between the left and right. That’s a recipe for a staging and imaging disaster.
Formerly only available on expensive outboard signal processors, a considerable number of top shelf head-units now include time correction. Nothing will totally compensate for poor speaker positioning, but in my opinion, properly set up time correction goes as close as you can go to rectifying the problems by using delays to individual channels or speakers to “correct” the difference in distance.
There’s only one drawback – to get a half-decent result with time correction, you need to consider a single listening position. In my car, that means everyone but me misses out. Oh well, my car, my head-unit, my time-correction, my stereo image. If you’re luck, I’ll program a preset for the passenger’s seat – you can have a listen to that every once in a while.

Equalisation
I’ve never heard of a car audio system that didn’t need some equalization to tame a few ugly bits in the frequency response curve. A motorcar is way to hostile an acoustic environment to allow us to get away with not have EQ – it could be a graphic, it could be parametric. On top notch produces there’ll be a separate group of adjustments for the front speakers, the back speakers and the sub outputs.

Mp3, WMA playback
As I mention earlier, compressed audio formats are far from capable of highlighting the potential of high spec high-units. That said, the benefits of having a juke box worth of music on a disc or portable player and being able to play that in the car has appeal. So, if that’s your bag, check for compatibility (usually via a separate adaptor) with portable players. Also check for easy to use search functions for track name, artist, album etc. As for a demo too, as some units have quicker or easier to use search facilities than others.
There are literally hundreds of different features available on different brands of products, so assess the value of the features that are important to you and factor it in your decision.

Upgradeability
Being able to add a changer or other sources goes without saying, but can you add a signal processor one of the previously mentioned interfaces for a portable music player. How about a Bluetooth phone adaptor?

Ergonomics
This is probably one of the last things considered by most of us when shopping for a head-unit – perhaps we should place a bit more importance on it. You should at least try the following.

Spend a few minutes learning your way around the controls on one of the units on your short list. Then, without looking directly at the unit, try accessing a few different functions, that it, the ones that you would likely use on a regular basis. Pay attention to which units would be easier to operate while driving. What about the display? Can you read it easily in daylight? Will it be over bright and distracting at night? It might be hard to tell in a showroom but use your best judgment.

Aesthetics
This will be more important to some than others. Are you happy with the way the unit looks? Can you change to colour of the back lighting to match the dash illumination? You’ll likely be looking the unit for a long time to come so give its appearance a little consideration at least.

Installation
You’ve probably heard it before and even read it in this magazine – poor installation can make a great system sound ordinary. The technology in top end products these days requires a high level of knowledge to set up properly. Not to mention some high-tech equipment.

You can’t expect to accurately EQ a system without a real time analyzer (RTA. Setting delays for time correction is an art in itself. If you want maximum value from your head-unit, don’t scrimp on the install. A quality installation is another great reason to may your purchase from a specialist.

Price
This should really be the last consideration when making your decision. Value for money is something I consider to be much more important than price. I don’t know about you, but I spend more time listening to music in the car than anywhere else. I’m also more frequently by myself in the car. The car is where I get to listen to my choice of music I think it’s fair to indulge yourself a little bit.

By Mick Rigney - In Car Entertainment, Buyers Guide