DESCRIPTION

Sherwood's "Newcastle" nameplate denotes the company's higher-end line of products, and the V-756 falls under that umbrella. This DVD player is designed for 6.1-channel audio, where an extra center rear speaker is added to the standard 5.1-channel surround setup. The V-756 can not only decode 6.1-channel DVDs it plays itself, it can also decode other 6.1-channel sources connected to its digital inputs. This is the first DVD player to offer these capabilities. For those of you keeping track, the V-765 doesn't decode the official "Surround EX" 6.1-channel format from Dolby and Lucasfilm. It can deliver an unofficial version of that decoding, which may be just as good as "official" EX. Regardless, it can decode 6.1-channel material from such DVDs as "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and "The Haunting". The soundtracks of DVDs played on the V-756 are automatically output to the player's analog outputs, for connection to your Dolby Digital-ready A/V receiver or preamp. You can also connect external devices, like a satellite dish, to the V-756 via its digital audio inputs. The player will decode 5.1 or 6.1-channel audio, in Dolby Digital or DTS, from those external sources as well (video inputs are also provided for switching purposes).Otherwise, the V-756 is a typical DVD player. It can produce two types of simulated surround sound (Dolby Virtual Surround and Circle Surround) for use with a stereo-only system. The front panel has a jog/shuttle dial, but the remote doesn't.