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DVD Newbie

Old 04-10-00, 10:22 PM
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Well, I am sick of the inconvience of watching DVDs on my ROM, so I decided it is time to bite the bullet and get a real player. Howerver, I really don't know where to start. Are their any good sites that compare the different players? What features should I look for? Any recomendations? Thanks for any input.
Old 04-11-00, 10:26 AM
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i am in the same boat!
waiting for the masters to speak!
Old 04-11-00, 10:41 AM
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Terry & ea - I am by no means a master, I am in the same boat as you guys. So far the sites I have been recommended are

www.audioreview.com

www.hometheaterforum.com

Hope these are helpful. You also may want to search the DVDTalk site. There are numerous threads that can provide insight.
Old 04-11-00, 11:01 AM
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You can also try Cnet. It's a good place to get general price ranges and user reviews. You also might learn a lot about which players are "buggy".
Old 04-11-00, 06:20 PM
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Here's some basic info on what to look for:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000722.html

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Old 04-12-00, 01:35 AM
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Fortunately, DVD players are getting to be like CD players: even the most low-end ones sound/look pretty good. I wouldn't worry too much about what player to get, at least not more so than worrying about a CD Player or VCR purchase.
Old 04-12-00, 03:48 AM
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Want some safe bets? Look into these two models:

Pioneer dv-525
Toshiba SD2109

Can't go wrong for the price. Good luck and enjoy

--HN
Old 04-12-00, 10:04 AM
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I second the Toshiba - a great Newbie player, and I should know.
Old 04-12-00, 12:36 PM
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Just my opinion, but Sonys are not all that great.
Old 04-12-00, 01:31 PM
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quote:<HR>Originally posted by Chaka:
Just my opinion, but Sonys are not all that great.<HR>


Finally a wise voice among the masses....

..and you cant go wrong with the Toshiba 2109/1200 or the Pioneer 525 best bang for the buck on the market...
Old 04-12-00, 01:32 PM
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quote:<HR>Originally posted by Chaka:
Just my opinion, but Sonys are not all that great.<HR>


Finally a wise voice among the masses....

..and you cant go wrong with the Toshiba 2109/1200 or the Pioneer 525 best bang for the buck on the market...

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A free Tibet - Keep Hope alive...
Old 04-12-00, 02:23 PM
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Thanks for the links!

I have everything Technics and trust their remotes to work with other Technics and Panasonic units and they look WOW stacked together (same dim.) but everywhere I ahve heard negatives about Panasonic x1x series - are the x2x like c220 or 320 dvd players also bad? there are very few reviews - all i find is either 110 or 120.

Can anyone tell me about panasonic dvdc220?
Old 07-01-00, 01:13 PM
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It didn't take long for this blissful state to end, eh?

quote:<HR>Originally posted by eauctiontrust:
i am in the same boat!
waiting for the masters to speak!
<HR>


Old 07-01-00, 03:29 PM
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Toshiba SD2109!!! DD/DTS output, great player for great price!!! No doubt about it!

------------------
Toshiba SD-2109, Luxman Amp. NEC Pro-Logic Processor... I want 5.1!!!
HELP! I'M TRAPPED IN A 14 YR. OLDS' BODY!!!!!!
Old 07-03-00, 01:40 PM
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etown recently reviewed the new zenith DVC-2200 (replacing the DVD-2200) and gave it a great review - ranking it above the Toshiba 1200 as the best low priced player on the market (it has a list of $179) Does anybody have any thoughts on this? Any experience with the Zenith?
Old 07-04-00, 11:48 PM
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I would also chime in that the Toshiba SD-2109 is a great unit. It has been replaced by the SD-1200, but almost identical specs.

One thing I did come across though was when I moved to get a DTS receiver. If youre hooking a DVD player to a basic stereo, no problem, as plain RCA audio outs (on any DVD player) will do fine. If you intend to hook up to a Dolby Digital or DTS receiver, you have to use the digital outputs on the DVD player.

All that said, many low end players (sub $300) only have coaxial digital outs like my SD2109, as opposed to optical. I ALMOST got caught when purchasing a Technics DTS receiver, and discovered last minute it didnt have the coaxial input I needed. I finally decided on a Pioneer model with both coaxial and optical inputs, and am very happy with it.

Long story short, consider what kind of audio setup you might want to hook the DVD player into, so that you are certain to determine if you have the right connectors on both ends. While optical is the rage, many experts I spoke to said coaxial was fine, with minimal noticeable difference unless you have a majorly high end system.

Hope this helps you in your quest, and future considerations

Old 07-05-00, 04:25 PM
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I purchased the Sony DAV-S300 system recently. It is a great mid-level system. It includes a DVD player with many features as well as a DTS/Dolby Digital decoder WITH speakers (5 surrounds and a subwoofer) for about $600. Check it out!

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