Big and beautiful
Written: Jan 02 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Huge storage capacity
Cons: Some interface problems
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| bobchezule's Full Review: Sony DVP-CX850D Multi-disc DVD Player |
Being able to store an entire DVD/CD collection is cool, but it's pretty clear that the user interface is not yet mature. Many features work only in particular situations, which may not always be obvious. (e.g. it's far from obvious how to select a disk using the numeric pad, and you can't select a disk by spinning the jog shuttle at all.) The interface is an awkward mix of a traditional A/V user interface and a computer UI, with neither the simplicity of the former or the power of the latter. They don't seem to have realized the opportunities available with a video display - for instance, why isn't track and time information displayed continuously while listening to a CD? Why isn't the disk name displayed any time the control panel is displayed?
I have to question some of their implementation decisions - they spend a pile of memory to save a background image snapped from a disk, but limit you to 16 characters in a disk name and 4 categories of disks. They have a separate switch position for their "DVD Explorer", but it's rarely if ever necessary to select that position; all the DVD Explorer controls work fine in DVD mode. When you're bulk loading disks, either keep the cases in order or write a list of titles, because if you try to add disks and enter their data at the same time you are forced through a load/unload cycle on each disk.
Integration with S-Link is mostly good but has its problems - in particular, only play seems to cause my receiver to select the DVD, so to select a DVD when the receiver is selected to another input requires either messing with the receiver remote or momentarily playing the current disk. It would be better if the Disk Explorer controls caused the receiver to select the DVD. In addition, DVD UI in general seems immature; different disks have different defaults and different sequences required to get to the movie. My 2-year-old can run my VCR; not so a DVD player, much less this one.
Summary: Great for electronics buffs. Not yet ready for little kids or technophobes.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bobchezule
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Member: Benny Lipschitz
Reviews written: 46
Trusted by: 4 members
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