The Sony DVP-NS300S is Sony's new entry level DVD player for 2001. The model it's replacing, the DVP-S360, is still on the market, and selling for about the same price, $200. The NS300S is silver, matching the color of Sony's line of Wega (pronounced vega) televisions. This DVD player is also available in an identical black model, the DVP-NS300B.


Permanent Trend, or a Silver Flash-in-the-Pan?

It's hard to tell if Sony's silver color scheme for their Wega TV's, DVD players, and VCR's will catch on, but so far the sets have received an enthusiastic response from the TV-buying public. Another sign of the popularity of the silver scheme is that other companies, such as Panasonic and Philips, have adopted it for their sets. The silver color is quite a departure since, for the last ten years and more, 99.99% of TV's have been black. The silver Wega video gear might be the beginning of a long-term trend, or it might give a lot of people TV's that, a few years from now, will look very late-90's (or maybe early 00's).


Playback Capabilities

The NS300S plays DVD-Videos, Video-CD's (VCD's), and Audio-CD's. Some people have succeeded in playing certain CD-RW discs with this machine. If you want that feature you might as well go with a player that can handle CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 playback, as well as DVD-Video, VCD's, and CD's, such as the Samsung DVD-M301, the JVC XV-S45GD, or the Panasonic DVD-RV31 (reviewed at the following URL):

http://www.epinions.com/content_16158723716



Standard Interlaced NTSC-Analog Output Only

The NS300S is a standard, interlaced-output DVD player with 480-interlaced resolution, meaning each of its video frames is projected as two consecutive 1/60th-of-a-second fields, the first containing the even-numbered scan lines, the second the odd-numbered scan lines. The 480i output is compatible with analog, NTSC-standard televisions, though you can also use it with most of the EDTV and H/DTV-ready sets which have internal line doublers that will bring the player's output up to 480p.


Progressive-Scan Alternatives

On the other hand, as progressive-scan DVD players (480p output) are now starting at about $50 more than this player, a prog-scan player would be an attractive alternative if you have an H/DTV-ready set or are thinking of buying one in the next few years. There are certain advantages to progressive-scan DVD players, as opposed to line-doubling the output from an interlaced-scan DVD player. These issues are discussed in depth in my review of the Pioneer DV-434:

http://www.epinions.com/content_8202784388



Technical Specifications

Like all interlaced-output DVD players, this one has a 27mHz/10-bit video digital-to-analog converter. The audio DAC is 96kHz/24-bit. The digital audio outputs will feed the PCM, Dolby Digital (DD), or Digital Theater Sound (DTS) decoder in an appropriately-equipped A/V receiver or preamp.


Outputs

Outputs on the NS300S include coaxial digital audio, optical digital audio, two audio L/R, two composite video, one S-Video and one set of component (Y-Pb-Pr) outputs. You should use the corresponding, highest-quality input on your TV for connection to the NS300S (in order of ascending quality, this would be composite, S-Video, or component).


Remote

The RMT-D126A remote will control not just this DVD player, but also some TV's.


Misc.

The NS300S is covered by a 90-day labor, one-year parts warranty.


Conclusion

With its street price of about $200, Sony's NS300S DVD player is priced similarly to other entry-level players from the more well-known manufacturers (Panasonic, Toshiba, Philips, JVC, and Sony). If you're adventurous, you can find full-featured basic units from companies such as Samsung for around $150 and even Apex and Oritron for about $100. Picture quality from these very-inexpensive units probably won't quite match that of machines from the major players, but it will far outperform any VCR. On the other hand, if owning a major brand comforts you, the extra cost for a unit like the NS300S will be money well spent.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 200.00