Cost-effective disc player
Written: Jan 05 '04 (Updated Jan 07 '04)
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Pros: Looks really slick & plays a variety of formats
Cons: My rudimentary universal remote won't activate all the features (such as dimming the display)
The Bottom Line: I believe I've done well on this for 100 bucks (even better if they mail me the rebate). It's way too early to assess its long-term durability.
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| tomhorn's Full Review: JVC XV-N50 DVD Player |
I've waited a good long while before buying myself a DVD machine, and it's true that I've only had this model for a few days, but at least so far I have no complaints.
I've read some online magazine reviews about this model that slam it pretty hard for jitters & motion artifacts in the interlaced mode (which is how I watch it, since I don't have an HD-compatible tv set), but I haven't noticed any such problems. And believe me, if I'd seen anything of the sort, I would've taken the thing straight back to the store.
I bit on this one for $100 ($80 if the rebate comes through as promised). It's black (which matches my other components; cannot say that I like the recent fad for making electronics, dashboards & the like in faux silver) & minimalist: only about 1.5" high. You turn it on & the drawer lights up with sharp blue band--a hue I call MacIntosh (as in the top-notch amplifiers) blue; you can dim that band while you're watching a movie or whatever--but personally, I kind of like it.
I have a 27" Panasonic superflat television--no, not an HDTV, but a good one all the same. In fact, some people who've shelled out big money for plasma screens say that they like the picture on my tv set better than theirs. I've got the player hooked up with an S-video cable (since my television lacks component jacks, although the player is equipped with them, as well as digital outputs), and the image quality is superb: definitely on par with the best & newest videotapes (including super VHS) I've ever watched. So now I can say good-bye to tracking adjustments & videotape noise. My friends comment on the sharpness & fidelity of the picture.
I rate the image a 4 on sharpness, because I object to the characterization of 5 as "sharper & crisper than life itself" [or words to that effect]. What exactly is up with that? In my opinion, if a viewer and/or player deviate from reality in image--just the same as with audio speakers that color the sound, as opposed to translating it with no added flavor--I think they've gone overboard.
It's fun to look at discs loaded with j-peg images & so forth, too. The resolution may not be as high as that of a dedicated computer monitor, but it's easily suitable for a slide show, and this player's menus are fairly intuitive.
In just a few minutes, you can definitely find a much fancier DVD player laden with more features, but in the category of a basic single-disc player (which is all I really wanted), so far I feel satisfied.
I read a couple of reviews on this model on bizrate.com [I think] that flamed this player as utterly unreliable. Notably, those reviews were very sloppily written--in fact, barely literate--but I'll keep tabs on the operation of this player & update this review if/as necessary.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100
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Epinions.com ID:
tomhorn
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Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 1 member
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