Well, Naim seemingly has always been able to upgrade all their gear to achieve better performances. So what I would like to know is, will the AV2 be upgradable to implement PLIIx or are there plans on building a new AV3 or something like that?

And what about the DVD5? Is the scaler card and the multichannel decoder card actually available already or not? And, should it be technically possible, might the DVD5 actually later be upgradable to, in addition of the 1080 scaler card, actually be able to read HD-DVDs? As HD-DVDs will be using the same laser, might there be a chance of the DVD5 being turned into a HDplayer as well as a great CD and DVD player? Maybe Mr Meredith knows something about this. HD-DVD is still a bit to go yet, but maybe the R&D people are actually already working on something or have had some contact or interest in it. Maybe you are all bored with all the new cr*p technology being released, but it would kind of be something worth thinking about and I would be quite willing to rethink my upgrade path.
For instance, if I knew, that in a years or so time I could upgrade my DVD5 with a scaler card and a HD feature, then why wait for an expensive HDPlayer if I could buy a DVD5 now, enjoy music and DVDs and then spend a few quid and upgrade it.

Maybe you think that's stupid or maybe it's simply not doable and would mean to many sacrifices to the sound quality, but maybe not.

Hmmm

Well, it might come down to which HD format wins out. As I understand it, Blue-ray means just that, a different laser, as the pits in the HD-DVD are much smaller, hence the much greater capacity of the disks.

On the other hand, MAYBE HD-DVD will be achievable via some sort of software upgrade, as what little I know about it, I believe it still uses a 'red' laser. However others will be much better informed than I to comment.

The tricky part of course, is does one go now, for an expensive and no-doubt excellent player, but with the possibility of it having a relatively short life before becoming 'obsolete' re not being able to play the forthcoming media, OR does one go for cheap and cheerful now, but put up with inferior performance.

Ugh, the compromises of life, and the inexorable march forward of technology...

I'd love a DVD5, but in practical terms it is financially too steep a climb for me, given what the cost of it will purchase re other interests, and with balance and quality of life in mind.

Still, there'd be an argument for it if it was upgradeable etc - no doubt it's an exceptional machine.

Cheers

John...

This is my last upgrade.... after this my system will be finished...:-)

Yeah, well, my next upgrade was going to be a projector, now that I had decided not to upgrade any 2channel anymore. But I want to wait for either a 720 or 1080 DLP or a 1080 LCD projector. Why buy a pj now that will be underspecd in a years time once HD really kicks in. So then I was thinking, well, spend the money on a LCD as soon as my TV dies. An LCD would look nice and could replace my dying TV, but prices are really high, especially with the available quality at the moment. A 42" would be minimum IMO, and 50" are only "affordable" as Plasmas, which still are too expensive for what they produce PQ-wise. 3000€ for a poor picture is too much.
But if the DVD5 were capable of producing best quality DVDs, great CD sound and being upgradable to play HD-DVD, then that would be the way to go. I actually expect BluRay to win the race as they have the better cards so far and I reckon the Playstation 3 will finally kill of all hopes for HD-DVD. But I could imagine HD-DVD staying on the market for at least two-three years and with falling prices just to keep in the market, might be a great alternative. And if supported by the DVDP I would then already have (DVD5), everything would be set and I could then simply buy a projector to get the full monty from the DVD5.

You know what I mean? Why think about what will win, if I could use one of them anyway. That way, I could use HD from the start and once the clear winner is through, I could still change horses with small funds. By then the DVD5 will have long paid for itself...but only if it were to support HD-DVD more or less from the start...not after a year or two....

I don't believe that HD-DVD will be possible by a software upgrade alone!
CD uses a laser with 780 nanometers wavelength. DVD uses 650nm, HD-DVD 405 nm.
Sanyo and NEC developped a pickup last december to read all 3 formats. But I think you can't yet buy it as a final product...

happy listening

Adrian

Well, I guess if CD and DVD use different wavelengths, then why shouldn't it be possible to make the same laser do them all. I reckon it would be possible.
It needn't be a simple software update. The scaler is a hardwareupdate to if you want to call it that.
I wouldn't mind sending the DVD5 to Salisbury to have it recalibrated or whatever necessary to upgrade it. So whether it's an updtae or an upgrade would be up to Naim's R&D. As long as the price for it is lower than a new HD-DVDP

Alex - stop upgrading the DVD5 you haven't got.

Although there will, no doubt, be a lot of interesting developments in the future some of us would like to take a reasoned choice about what to buy at the moment.

quote:

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Well, I guess if CD and DVD use different wavelengths, then why shouldn't it be possible to make the same laser do them all

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While it is possible to make lasers that can be tuned to different wavelengths they are generally large and expensive.


Then again perhaps the CD555 will have a lasercap option