Introduction

Sony's DVP-NS775V is a mid-level DVD player that is an optimal choice for consumers who want better quality than a $60 bargain player but don't need advanced video upconversion for DVI output or the ability to burn their own DVD discs. This convergence device can handle DVD/DVD+R/DVD-R/DVD+RW/DVD-RW/SACD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/JPEG which covers just about every format aside from DVD-Audio and WMA decoding. Sony is fighting its own format war against DVD-Audio so the lack of support there is expected.

In the Box

Aside from the main unit, Sony includes a well-designed remote control that can also be programmed for a TV or receiver, an AV cable with composite video and analog RCA, the instruction manual and registration card, and two AA batteries for the remote. There are no s-video, component video, or digital audio cables included but they can of course be purchased from any retailer.

Connectivity

Sony includes every standard interconnect option, from low-quality composite video up to s-video and component video for TVs with that capability. There is no DVI output, but with so few displays supporting that connection it isn't a big negative. There are both optical and coaxial audio connections if you want your surround receiver to do the audio decoding. To support SACD decoding or the internal Dolby/DTS decoders, there is a 6-channel output array which is just standard analog RCA connection. Most users should be able to connect the 6-channel output directly to their receiver and not have to worry about the digital outputs.

Setup Options

The DVP-NS775V has more setup options than a regular DVD player because of the internal audio decoders. There are of course the standard video options such as TV aspect ratio, sharpness level, black level, and pan and scan. You can specify what default languages to use for the menus, audio tracks, and subtitles. The player has options for auto-play, screen saver, and dimmer behavior. Under the audio setup there are individual choices for speaker size (Large/Small), speaker distance (0-20 ft), volume output (+/- 10.0dB) subwoofer (yes/no), dynamic range compression (Wide/Normal/Night for Dolby Digital sources), and whether to disable the digital audio circuitry. For people using just the 6-channel output it would make sense to turn off the digital outputs so any interference is minimized. The digital outputs are 48/96 compatible and DTS can be turned off if desired. There is also an option to attenuate the analog outputs if the sound is distorted. I have found that some SACDs have to be attenuated while most DVDs do not. As expected, there is a pink noise test tone generator to check the output levels of all 6 speakers. If those weren't enough audio options, there is also a downmix setting for people using just a stereo RCA connection. Dolby Surround can be enabled/disabled depending on receiver support. For those using the 6-channel output, there is another set of surround enhancement modes that can be selected; these basically modify the virtual placement of speakers depending on your physical configuration.

Video Quality

I am using this DVD player with a 27" ESA tube television connected with an RCA-brand s-video cable. Even without the benefits of progressive reverse 3:2 pulldown, the picture quality is very impressive. Colors are richly defined, and the gamma level is adjustable for extra intensity. I can only imagine that an HDTV hooked up to component output would have spectacular image quality.

Audio Quality

I have watched many DVDs on this unit, with both Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks. DVDs, SACDs, and regular CDs all have crisp audio without any artifacts or distortion. The subwoofer crossover for internal decoding is fixed at 120Hz, which is ideal for my surround system but may not be acclimated toward high-end configurations.

Play Options

The standard options of digital zoom, skip, scan, and step perform as expected. The player can scan at slow-motion speeds in addition to rapid fast forward or rewind. There is a chapter/title browser which loads a picture from the first frame of each chapter/title and allows the user to select one. Shuffle, Random, Repeat, and Program can be selected for SACD/CD playback, and there is standard Repeat and A-B Repeat for DVD playback. Audio track, subtitle, and angle can be changed on-the-fly if allowed by the DVD disc. For SACDs there are several options available depending on the type of disc. For a multichannel disc that also includes a stereo downmix, there is a 2ch/multichannel option that can be changed when the disc is stopped. Also for a hybrid SACD (with both SACD and CD layers), the standard CD track can be selected in stop mode. For DVDs/SACDs/CDs with text information, the time/text button on the remote can be pressed to display the disc or album title. The player will not display the individual track titles for a SACD or CD, however.

Display

The LCD on this unit is dot-matrix and tinted slightly blue. During normal playback it will display the type of audio track (Dolby, DTS, PCM), the track number and the elapsed time. Pressing the Time/Text button switches to remaining time and then to text display. By default the screen is set to maximum brightness all the time, but this can be changed to auto-dim after 3 seconds or dim all the time. The LEDs for SACD and Multichannel also dim with the LCD.

Warranty

The DVP-NS775V comes with a standard 90-day warranty from Sony, which is one of the most lackluster features of this offering. I've never understood why Sony won't stand behind their products for more than 3 months. Nevertheless, I have yet to be disappointed with their quality level.

Conclusion

Overall, I thoroughly recommend this DVD player to anyone looking for a full-featured model without spending too much money. The physical and electrical build quality are up to par with Sony tradition and should yield a long-lasting unit. The quality is better than that of cheaper alternatives and will give a more satisfying home theater experience.

If you feel I've left anything out of this review, or if there are any facts that need correction, feel free to leave a comment.

Update - 12/10/2004

I finally got a DVD-RW drive for my computer and put all my music albums on two DVD-R discs. Unfortunately this Sony unit will not play MP3 files that are stored on DVD+/-R discs, just CD-R/RW discs. It would have been nice if they had included this feature, because about 1100 MP3 files will fit on one single-layer DVD disc.

I also upgraded my cheap stereo RCA cables to some Acoustic Research Pro Series II DVD-A/SACD cables. The sound field improved slightly for DVDs and SACDs.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 129.99