In the market for a new DVD player

[Wrathchild]

I've had my current Panasonic RV-40 for five years and it's high time for an upgrade. This thing throws a fit with most of my home made discs (thus defeating the purpose of having a DVD burner on my computer) and will only play Region 4 stuff. Can anyone recommend a more recent Panasonic model that's multizone compatible (so I can buy Lord of Illusions and the Nowhere Man box set for starters) and doesn't mind DVD-R, +R or RW?

W

 

[Sydo]

Um.. pretty much any player, from anywhere, for under $60, will play any disc you put in it these days.

 

[Wrathchild]

That's what I've been hearing. I think I'll stick with Panasonic though, as one tends to get to get what one pays for . The only time they've ever steered me wrong is when they started building tape decks upside down back in the late 80s and a large chunk of my collection got chewed.

W

 

[Sydo]

Fair enough!

Then my suggestion would be to simply get the cheapest multi-region Panasonic you can find. Unless you have an expensive TV and sound-system to match it to, most DVD players are pretty much the same and it's unlikely a normal person would notice any difference in picture or sound quality.

np: Always check out the design and layout of the remote before making a decision.

 

[phlogiston]

Last weekend we borrowed a DVD from Blockbuster and it was pretty banged up as rental DVDs tend to be. I've got a fairly fancy Pioneer DVD player on my "main" system and it stuttered and jerked and skipped like nobody's business. I hooked up the cheapy DVD player (I can't remember the brand) instead and it played like a charm.

While you do get what you pay for, sometimes being cheap is better. My theory is that the cheap parts have a higher tolerance for error than the strictly "quality checking" expensive do-dads.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Indeed. Buying a cheapy isn't a bad idea, it will either serve all your needs, or for around $50, will be a good back up if you decide you want something better afterwards.

 

[Shannow]

"getting what you pay for" doesn't work with DVD players.

They are a DVD just like on your computer, a vidieo card and a remote interface thing. There is litereally almost nothing too them.

Cheap is best, and as others have said, the cheapies are multi-region to boot.

A VCR on the other hand, with rollers and reels and heads and stuff...quality costs.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I do think there is a place for quality DVD players though...my girlfriend had a $60 one that died within a year (I'm sure it was only a fuse, but who can be bothered getting those things fixed), and it did have trouble playing a couple of things. Her new one is a Sony one that came as part of a home theatre package, and is one of the best DVD players I have used. It's retail is only about $150 seperately as well which isn't too bad.

Still, I know most cheap ones are fine, especially if you are not a spec head when it comes to picture and sound quality etc, and as I said earlier, you can always upgrade and use it as a spare.

 

[Shannow]

Our $500 DVD died at 13 months, and they reckoned that we could stick it (pay for a look, then pay for repairs). That's when I pulled it apart, then was shocked at how little was in it.

Pretty much the same as a $40 one.

 

[Southy]

You pay for the name, so hopefully quality follows, I have had cheap ones until about this time last year when I bought a DivX playing Pioneer one, well worth the $100 we paid for it

 

[Winmar]

My LG one doesn't play a lot of copied DVDs very well, so I stick them in my cheaper player and they work fine.

 

[Wrathchild]

I know several people who've had nothing but trouble with LG appliances. Get rid of it and buy yourself a more co-operative one. What brand is your cheaper player?

Are most models multizone straight away these days or will I still have to fiddle about with software hacks and such?

W

 

[phlogiston]

Most a multizone out of the box. If the one you want isn't, get a different one. It's all pretty easy now-a-days.

 

[Wrathchild]

It's amazing how much more straightforward this appliance buying lark has become in the last few years. Connecting them is still no picnic though.

"Insert plug A into outlet B while standing on one leg with your eyes closed and whistling a Strauss waltz backwards. You should now see nothing but static on the playback channel you have selected. Please check that your speakers are properly connected by inserting your favourite movie and pressing play. Do not be alarmed if you hear a Norwegian shipping forecast instead of the soundtrack you expected. You can correct this problem by wrenching the plug from the wall, dropping the player on your foot and swearing as loudly as possible."

W