xpguy

help me find a good DVD player under $165.
I am gonna buy my mother in law a DVD player for x-mas and don't want to buy her a crap one for $70, something decent.
I am not sure what brand to look for.

If anyone has bought a DVD player recently for around $165 or less and highly recommend it, please post, thanks for all your help!

Pointyskull

I know this will incur the wrath of some videophile, but I picked up an Aiwa DVD player at CC last year for $180...

Works fine....

John-In-VA

The basic Samsung and Toshiba DVD players are selling for well under $165. I'm sure they are perfectly acceptable for you mudder in law.

Jose Perez

I just posted this a few minutes ago. I picked up a Jvc xvs40 dvd player for $149 at 6ave.com. I was told it was new in the box, so let's wait and see what happens.

Master J

Not too bad of a choice. Personally I perfer Pioneer first and then Sony, but JVC is also up near the top of my list. You made the right decision not going for a 70 dollar player such as a Mintron, Oritron or Daewoo. The money saved is not worth te headaches many times.

J

photo_guy

Watch out for Sony DVD players. I had one ($300) that has gone south and won't play dual layer DVD's without freezing and skipping. I was amazed to find that this problem is not a rare one, many people are reporting the same issues. Check other online rating sites like audioreview.com or epinions.com before you buy one. Sony makes some good products. I have a bunch. But DVD players do not seem to be one of them.

Mr. Salty

You should be able to find the entry-level players from Sony and Panasonic for $169 without any trouble. Several chains in my area are carrying them for that price, and you really can't go wrong with either choice.

I give the edge to the Sony for two reasons: First, the remote is much nicer and will also control your TV, regardless of brand, and second, the icon-based user interface of the Panasonic seems more confusing to navigate than Sony's.

svadas

That's a good thing to keep in mind. Most of us use our receiver remote, or universal type, so we don't think much of the unit's remote. Most likely the receiver of the gift will be using the supplied remote. Stay away from Apex based on that fact. My parents bought one and I can't figure out the mass of poorly laid out buttons very easily at all. The more expensive panasonics have a really nice remote in my opinion. Sony normally does make a very user friendly remote on all its models.

nekobus

Pioneer makes some nice models at that price point. Easy to setup and use with good build quality.

Master J

Thats the main reason I perfer Pioneer. They seem to have the least amount of compatibility issues. I have a couple Pioneer DV-525s that have yet to have a hiccup on a single disc in a couple of years of use. Pioneer also uses dual laser pick-ups allowing the playing of burnt CDs/VCDs.

J

nekobus

Yep. Left all that good stuff out. They handle CD-R/CD-RW/VCD/DVD-R without a hitch. The really nice thing is they play beatup rental discs without any trouble.

My parents were serious newbies and we bought them a Pioneer DV-343. They love it. It was very easy for them to setup and use.