The affordable Sony DVD player!
Written: Jun 26 '01
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Pros: Sony quality and reliability; simple operation; great connectivity
Cons: Confusing onscreen surround sound setup; doesn't include pricey component video cables
The Bottom Line: A rock-solid quality DVD player from the name you trust. This unit will treat you and your home theater well.
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| kyle_woolsey's Full Review: Sony DVP-S360D DVD Player |
The Sony DVP-S360 is an entry level DVD player with reference quality performance. At $200 avg.retail, it's the best value for a quality name brand player.
Performance
I bought the S360 to use with my Sony WEGA televison. I figured, Sony would know how to get the best picture from my TV and I wasn't dissappointed. The S360 has component video output that uses three separate video cables to connect the TV and DVD player. The result is an astonishingly clean image. The S360 also has S-video and RCA outputs to allow you to connect to TV's and other components without composite video inputs.
Sony's onscreen menu is easy to use and relatively intuitive. The most useful setting is a screen type menu that allows the DVD player to configure the DVD image to match the TV you are watching it on, wheter it's a standard 4:3 TV set, 16:9 widescreen, or in my case a 4:3 set with 16:9 widemode.
Using the S360 in conjunction with my Sony WEGA, widescreen movies look near digital in crispness - it's truly an awesome image.
Remote Control
Sony has decided to use a universally sized remote for most of it's audio/video products. While this keeps things asthetically pleasing, it's confusing at night trying to fumble to the TV remote only to find you grabbed the DVD remote instead. It's also a little clunky and cumbersome and not lighted. A small headache to put up with though.
Cables Cost Money!
The only unpleasant surprise in using the Sony S360 came when I went to Best Buy to purchase my component video cable. A 6ft. length retails for $70! That's a considerable cost in relation to the DVD player's purchase price. It's important to note that S-video and RCA cables also work fine and are much less expensive. The player even includes a set of basic quality RCA cables. But come on, this is DVD - you want to see the best picture you can.
The DVP-360 vs. the higher priced Sony models
The Sony S360 is best suited for those using a surround sound system that includes Dolby digital and DTS decoding. It has all the features most amatuer home theater lovers will use, without making things too complicated and esoteric. Higher priced Sony DVD players will include Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, but this feature simply isn't necessary if your receiver alredy has this capability. Save the extra bucks for a good set of video cables.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 249
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Epinions.com ID:
kyle_woolsey
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Member: Kyle Woolsey
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 5 members
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