Hi,
I like to connect my Pioneer DVL 909 (european model) to a new Denon AVR 4300. What are the best connections (video and audio quality)?

I don´t want to use Scart (has no RGB) and Video out chinch (lowest quality).

I could connect S-Video with a converter to HDMI and both got optical plug ins.

What do you think?

Manual

Denon AVR 4300

I would recommend composite out from the player, leave the video processing to the modern equipment, I wouldnt bother with Svideo out because probably you'll have better comb filter elsewhere. Does your Denon have upscaling?

Just try different things and see what you like best.

Yes, it has upscalling. Works very good on DVD.

I'd say then composite LD > Denon > Hdmi is first thing to try especially if you like dvds that way, might not be the same result but maybe close.
Very few LD players have good s-video out.

Composite out (chinch) from the DVL to composite in from the Denon. That's the way to go. If you do not like the result, you must get an external video processor/upscaler. E.g. the ones from Lumagen. Do NOT use the S-Video out.

Thanks!

And for audio I should use optical?

For audio I say whatever you prefer, keep in mind though:

Analog only discs output thro L R analog only

DTS discs are optical only

AC3 discs need seperate coax + demod

PCM outputs optical or coax

personally for PCM I prefer coax

About the video connection for the playback of Laserdiscs also me I recommend to use the composite video connection and to forget about the S-video connection.
For the playback of DVDs on this player however the S-Video connection would be presumably better - because Laserdisc content is primarily composite video, but DVD content is primarily Y/C. But your Denon does not have S-Video IN, so you would have to use an external device like an upscaler to achieve this - I don't think it would be worth the effort.

But maybe your TV/monitor has got S-Video IN? Then you could also bypass the Denon and connect the S-Video signal directly into your TV/monitor, for the best picture in case of DVD playback. Comparing the different ways of connecting and to see by your own eyes the (foreseeable) effect on Laserdisc picture quality and DVD picture quality could be instructional though ...

Just to show that it actually works you may play back a DVD on your Laserdisc player, why not? But in any other case, if you want to enjoy the picture of a DVD you should play it back on a Blu-ray disc player - this will result in a better picture than playing it back on a Laserdisc player or on a DVD player. The reason behind this is the substantially increased digital processing power and the advanced algorithms that are built into modern BD players, resulting in a better picture, even in the case of a DVD.

But let us go back to your Laserdisc player question: when connecting the audio of your DVL-909 to the Denon keep in mind that you have to use three connections in parallel:
1. you need to connect the digital sound (PCM 2.0 with stereo or Dolby Surround) using either the optical or coaxial connection from the player.
2. you need to connect also the analog audio red/white to your Denon (analog HiFi with stereo or Dolby Surround).
3. DD 5.1 from the DVD comes through the optical and coaxial connection in the same way as PCM 2.0, but DD 5.1 from the Laserdisc comes only through the AC-3 RF plug. But since your Denon has no AC-3 RF IN, you would need an external "AC-3 RF demodulator" for the connection, if you want to enjoy DD 5.1 from Laserdiscs with AC-3 (=DD 5.1) sound.
4. I heard that getting a DTS signal from a Laserdisc with DTS sound out of your player is not possible because of a technical restriction in this player model: a DVL-919E would be able to do it - through the digital connectors.
4. The DVL-909 has a problem with the playback of DTS DVDs, but this does not concern the playback of DTS Laserdiscs. Therefore DTS sound from Laserdiscs with DTS can be enjoyed through the normal digital connection (optical or coaxial), because on laserdiscs with DTS the digital PCM bitstream is replaced by a digital DTS 5.1 bitstream.

Some people tend to forget the analog audio connection because they think that the digital connection is "better" and "enough" - this is true for the playback of DVDs, but in case of some Laserdiscs the output you get on analog may be different (e.g. another language, or a vocal guidance singer, or ...) from what you can get through the digital connection. In case of an older Laserdisc with "analog sound only" you will get even no sound at all through the digital connection, because no Laserdisc player converts analog sound into digital sound ... switching the sound of the player from analog to digital effects only the output on the analog red/white connectors, not on the digital optical or coaxial connectors.

Wasn't it a restriction on DTS DVD only from 909 to 919?

I think DTS LD over the coax should be just fine.

Julien

Thanks for your help!

I did not express myself well concerning the build in DVD player: I am not using the DVD player from that unit, only the LD player.
For DVD and Blu Ray playback I am using the Denon DBT-3313UD.

Oh I think you are right - I mixed up that information. Thank you very much for this correction!
I never had a DVL-909 so I never saw this problem by myself. I am using a DVL-919 that does not have this problem. I correct my posting. Sorry for this.

It was discussed here:

Pioneer DVL-909 and DTS laserdiscs

Julien

I had always thought that DTS will only output through optical, but as suppose it makes sense it would output through either.
I don't have any DTS LDs so haven't had a chance to try myself.

I did have an issue with my DVL-90, when I watched a DVD with a dolby digital track it would not play the DD, only PCM, I
had used the coax out for DVD, perhaps I needed to use optical? not sure.

Most DVD players have a menu option to output AC3 as bitstream or as downmixed (matrixed surround) PCM for older receivers which could not decode AC3. DTS would only be passed as bitstream.

Is your DVL-90 problem with the missing DD output from DVD now solved?

Was it a problem with the digital output setting in the player setup menu, or did you use the wrong Coaxial RCA connector?
As far as I know the DVL-90 has two of them: one is for output of PCM or AC-3 (DD), the other is for output of PCM only.

I have actually not had a chance to look at this as the player is downstairs at the moment and currently hooked up for LDs only.
Sometime soon when I have it in my main setup I will look into the menu, I am pretty certain I used the DVD AC3 jack though.