Like sister company Integra, Onkyo originally chose to back the HD DVD format, so the company is just now entering the Blu-ray marketplace. Its first entry is the $550 DV-BD606, which you may notice is very similar to the Integra DBS-6.9. While Integra products are geared more toward the specialty retail market, Onkyo products are sold primarily through general retail channels. The DV-BD606 is a Profile 1.1/BonusView player, which means it contains the necessary audio and video decoders for picture-in-picture content, but it lacks the BD-Live Web functionality you get when you move up to Profile 2.0.
We have not performed a hands-on review of the DV-BD606, but here's an overview of the player's features. In terms of connectivity, the DV-BD606 covers the basics but lacks some higher-end options. On the video side, you get HDMI 1.3a, component video, and composite video outputs (no S-video). For HDMI, the output-resolution options are Auto, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, and 1080p/24. While many players must be set up to output either 1080p/60 or 1080p/24, the DV-BD606 offers separate 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 modes, so you can easily switch between the two for comparison. For component video, output-resolution options are 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The player doesn't include some of the advanced image adjustments found in other players, but it does offer basic black-level adjustment (not available for HDMI), as well as MPEG and 3D noise reduction for DVD. As for audio connections, the DV-BD606 offers HDMI, optical and coaxial digital audio, and 2-channel analog audio outputs, but it does not have 7.1-channel analog audio outputs. The player can pass the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats in their native bitstream form over HDMI, for your A/V receiver to decode; however, it lacks internal decoders for these high-resolution audio formats. The DV-BD606 can pass 7.1-channel PCM audio over HDMI, and the setup menu includes speaker settings to adjust size, channel, and delay for a 7.1-channel setup.
The DV-BD606's disc drive supports Blu-ray, DVD, CD audio, and MP3 playback; there's also an SD card slot on the front panel that supports MP3 playback. It does not support JPEG, WMA, or the Divx formats. Because this is not a Profile 2.0 player, it lacks an Ethernet port for quick firmware updates and BD-Live Web access. It also lacks advanced control ports like IR and RS-232.
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High Points
• The DV-BD606 supports 1080p/24 playback of Blu-ray discs.
• The player can pass Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bitstream form over HDMI, so it's best mated with a receiver that has its own high-resolution audio decoders.
• It can play picture-in-picture bonus content.
• It includes an SD card slot for MP3 playback.
Low Points
• It lacks internal Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoders and 7.1-channel analog audio outputs, so it's not the best choice for someone who owns an older, non-HDMI A/V receiver.
• It is not a Profile 2.0 player and lacks an Ethernet port.
• It does handle as many diverse digital-media formats (WMA, JPEG, and Divx) as many other Blu-ray players.
Conclusion
Given the current Blu-ray landscape, the Onkyo DV-BD606 is a bit pricey for a model that lacks Profile 2.0 support. At the least, we feel the DV-BD606 should offer internal high-resolution audio decoding. You can definitely get more features for less money if you look elsewhere. But, if you're an Onkyo fan who already owns an Onkyo receiver with high-resolution audio decoding, then the DV-BD606 would make a fine counterpart.
