Cambridge Audio dons new DVD upscaler

Blu-Ray and HD DVD may be scrapping it out but it seems there's still a demand for high-end DVD players in the nation's living rooms.Take this understated black box from high-spec, low-budget specialists Cambridge Audio.Delivering maximum performance for minimum price ticket it promises to upscale lowly DVDs to 'unsurpassed' levels of 1080i brilliance on any screen under 50-inches. Take it above that level and even the best upscaling will wear thin but it should still be an improvement on a standard DVD spinner.The front panel’s solid aluminium with an acoustically dampened chassis behind for minimising and troublesome rattles.Like most Cambridge kit, the audio side of things hasn't been allowed to slip. It uses the same, excellent Cirrus Logic CS4382 digital to analogue converter as found on the majority of Creative's high-end SoundBlaster X-Fi sound cards.It'll output in Dolby Digital 5.1, Pro Logic II and DTS 5.1 and as an extra bonus it'll handle your DivX and MPEG 4 discs. Catch it in your local hi-fi shack from next month.EssentialsCambridge Audio Azur 540D V2Price: £250On sale: July/AugustContact: AppleRelated stories:Onkyo's tiny home cinemaOnkyo HD player has designs on DVDsReviewed: Cambridge AudioAzur 540A