After using my DVDRom for so long, it has come to my birthday and my family will buy me a DVD player. However I don't know what to get. There are players that go for under $100 and some for over $800. What features should I get? I want DTS capabilities but I don't think I'll get a home theater anytime soon. Progressive scan is no use to me, I have a 27' interlaced TV which is fine with me. What other differences are there between the expensive and the cheap player?

Ask this question over in the Hardware forum and you'll probably get better results... At any rate, I always recommend the Sony... Solid machine for around $250 at most major electronics stores.

If you can deal with an unintuitive movie interface, get a Playstation 2. On a normal TV, the video will be more than adequate, and it's got all the audio gizmos you could want. And it plays video games too.

I recommend the APEX 660. Not only can it play DVD, CD, VideoCD, SVCD, and MP3 CDs.... but it supports CDR AND CDRW media as well! No Sony player can do all this, and the PS2 has problems playing quite a few DVD titles.

Obviously, YMMV.

Keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Most of the cheaper dvd players have known problems. I bought a Toshiba SD1600 for $199 and have been extremely happy with it, but it doesn't have DTS.

Do your research. Amazon has a nice comparison feature where you can look at dvd players' features side-by-side. Also check out http://www.epinions.com for owner testimonials.

Any Sony DVD Player

....moving to DVD Hardware Forum

Uhhh, isn't this the movies forum?

Billy....go with a Sony...you won't be disappointed.

The 360 is a great machine.

I've got two Sony's, the 300 and the S7700 and haven't had any problems with either.


Mark

I've got a Toshiba 1200 (great) and I bought its predecessor whose number I don't know. The earlier machine is in my boudoir, the main one is in my family room. Great machines, no problems, never failed in 2 years with lots of usage.

The latest, the 1600 is the 1200 updated. Sure winner.

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. Or the Hardware forum, from the way I look at it....

I have purchased several different Toshibas for myself and family and have never been let down. They have models for every budget and typically conform to most if not all standards for media. Sony is typically more expensive but then of course there is always that myth that Sony is better.

Check out the DVD Players reviewed at http://www.audioreview.com

If you don't have a High Definition TV then don't waste your money on an expensive Progressive Scan player. If you don't have a receiver that can handle DTS and don't plan on purchasing one anytime soon then don't make that a priority either. Most new players support DTS so that usually isn't a problem anyway. I would recommend getting a player with DTS support if possible. DTS "Compatible" is going to be your best bet, "DTS Decoder" will be much more expensive.

In my experience Toshiba and Pioneer have made very good players.

You might also want to test the player out to ensure it plays all media you wish to play.... DVD, VCD, S-VCD, CD, HDCD, CD-R, CD-RW, etc. It all depends on your needs.

My latest DVD Player purchase was a Toshiba SD-4205. It is a 5 Disc Changer and plays all formats listed above and then some. I feel it was a great purchase since it replaced my main DVD Player and 5 Disc CD Changer.

Again though... check out AudioReview.com and do some comparison shopping.

Here, in my honest opinion, are the players you should look at first.

Pioneer DV-333 or 343
Panasonic RV-30 or the new 31
The above-mentioned Sony 360

Do not by an Apex.

I'll throw my hat into the Apex ring. I've had 0 problems with mine. The earlier ones had a lot of problems, but they've been fixed.

It plays CD/CD-R/VCD/DVD, you can burn MP3's onto a CD-R and it will play them. I haven't come across any of the problems other people have reported with the older ones.

Very satisfied with my low-end ($200) Toshiba - about ten months of solid use and never a problem!

My DVD List at DVD Aficionado

Thanks for all those that replied. So from what I'm getting the Sony 360 is very good. I've had many experiences with Sony products, and although they're expensive they are very good. I will also look into Toshiba as well. I don't have too much confidence in Apex but it does seem like they can do a lot of stuff. Thanks.

Just to clarify, I own an Apex AD-600A, one of the original ones with the Region/Macrovision hack, and it has worked flawlessly since day one. However, it is well known fact that many of the people that bought these players have had to return them one or more times to find one that works flawlessly. I have friends that this has happened to. Also, from what I have heard, there quality problems are not entirely a thing of the past.

Regardless, the picture output from the 600A (at least) is far inferior to one of the players I listed in my first post. I have zero experience with the 600B or whatever model they are selling now but I tend to doubt that they have improved things much.

I forgot to mention that region free players also interests me, however I've heard complaints that Columbia are doing something to their discs so it won't play on these drives, does anyone have anything about that?

I have watched the same DVD on my player and other players belonging to friends; and I've had 3 or 4 different players hooked up to the same TV at one time or another, and I'll tell you, there is no difference.

If you had an old 600a with the loophole, yeah, you probably had a pretty poor picture. But, there's been about 8 upgrades to the 600a since then. Most of them dealt with picture quality in some way. The last one took place 5/00, if yours dated before that, you probably did have a lesser quality pic then 1 after that.

BTW there is no 600b

Do yourself a favor and get a Toshiba SD-2300. You will be amazed at the quality and features this DVD player provides. I got mine for $260 shipped from J&R Music World online.

Here is a link to some information.

Here is the J&R Music World link to it.

And don't let anyone tell you that it's not as good as a PS2. The PS2 is obviously better as a Video Game system, but the SD2300 is head and shoulders above it as a DVD player. It's easliy the best player in it's price range.

Get a TOSHIBA

Thanks for all the responses. I went into CC today to just look at all the models mentioned, I did a preliminary price search so I know the general price of every player and every salesman seem to own the Sony DVPS360, and I saw the price was only $200, so I just bought it right away. Took it home and it looks great. I was surprised that my DVDRom had real problems with the Metallica music video in MI2 (fast movements), but was flawless with the Sony. Thanks again.