A Low-Cost Player That Will Give You Great DVD Quality And Expandability
Aug 31 '01
The Bottom Line Read my review.
For a long time before I bought my DVD players, I was researching different brands. Obviously, I was looking at Sony. The Sony DVD players seemed nearly perfect until I noticed one thing. These days, I burn a lot of VCD and S-VCD discs with Nero Burning ROM. This means that I go onto programs like Kazaa, and I download videos. I convert them into VCD format, and then burn them onto CD-Rs. This way, I am capable of getting a lot of my own videos that I make myself onto my DVD player. However, the Sony DVD players I looked and most other DVD players on the market had a flaw... Here I will explain it.
-The Laser-
*What part of the DVD player makes everything possible? The laser does. The laser takes the data off the disc. There are a couple of different types of DVD players on the market that are in the low-range to mid-range prices. They are single and dual laser players. What's the main difference? I dual-laser DVD player can read CD-Rs and other types of CDs. A single laser unit can't.
-So What's The Problem?-
*Many people go out into stores, and they buy a DVD player. They then try popping in a CD-R with VCD videos. Then they realize that their player can't read the disc. They get very frusterated because their friend's DVD player was able to read that very same disc. The reason that their player doesn't read it is because it is a single laser device. However, people with dual-laser devices shouldn't suffer this kind of problem.
-What Should You Look For?-
*When you buy a DVD player, you want it to say this: DVD/CD/VCD. This means that it can read video CDs and CDs. Then you want to check out the specifications on the player before you go to the store or buy it off the internet. You want it to either say that the player is a dual-laser player, or it may say that it has CD-R and CD-RW playback. If it says either one of those things along with the DVD/CD/VCD phrase, then you'll be safe.
-Upper End Players-
*Even cheap DVD players have component video out, but upper end players obviously do to. Upper end DVD players should also have CD-R and CD-RW playback. I currently own a Toshiba SD9200 and Marantz DV-18MkII as my two top DVD players. My favorite is the Marantz though... I have also looked at other Marantz players on the market, and they do have CD-R and CD-RW playback. So when you're gonna spend over $500 or especially $1,000+ for a DVD player, you would want it to have CD-R and CD-RW playback.
-Sorry... No VCD Quality Change-
*You can run a CD-R VCD disc on a $300 Yamaha DV-S5350, or you can run that same disc on a Marantz DV-18MkII. If you're using the same video cables, there will be no difference in the disc quality. S-VCDs are better quality, and you'll have more luck with them... But anyhow, the VCD quality is not determined by the player quality. VCD discs will always be pixelated and somewhat distorted. That's just for your information; so if you're running a VCD on a $2,000 player, you won't freak out.
-In Conclusion-
*A dual-laser DVD player will give you the best expandability and function. DVD discs today are very expensive. Bad movies go for $9.99, but good movies can run as much as $30+! So with a dual-laser player, you can burn your own videos onto CDs, and watch them on your DVD player. These movies can also be downloaded free off programs like Kazaa and iMesh for free. You may be thinking that a dual-laser player costs a fortune... But the Yamaha DV-S5350 can be found for $250, and it is PERFECT. Easy to use, component video out, S-Video out, TOSLINK out, nice remote, and everything else. Remember, before you buy a DVD player, look for this: DVD/CD/VCD. Then see if it has CD-R and CD-RW playback, because if it does, you're all set.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
soupcraze
|
 - Top 50 |
|
Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Reviews written: 488
Trusted by: 185 members
About Me:
I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.