5 comments about Yamaha DV-S6160BL DivX Ultra HDMI DVD Player.

1. I don't recommend this DVD player due to it's poor mechanics. The door will sometimes not open and you have to press eject a few times. The USB feature is nice if you have picture you would like to show someone while your waiting to start the movie. I do recommend Yamaha home audio due to there great customer service. But I don't recommend this product.



2. My first upconverting deck, a Samsung DVD-HD960, crapped out on me after a year and half (I shoulda seen that coming; it had stability issues right out of the box). I've had a Yamaha SACD/DVD-Audio deck for some years now and it's been a solid performer so, although I couldn't find much in the way of other reviews of this item, I figured that for the price it was worth looking at. Very glad I did. I have it hooked up via HDMI to a Samsung DLP set and connected to my A/V receiver with RCA jacks. The first thing I noticed was the sound - a definite improvement over my previous deck, but then again Yamaha's reputation is built on their audio performance. Then I pulled out the discs I use to demo and tweak: The Searchers (technicolor) The Last Picture Show (B&W) and The Bob Newhart Show (70's TV Series). The Searchers looks practically high-def in 720p, Last Pic Show had excellent gradations of blacks, whites, and grays (also 720p), but The BN Show looked best in 480p. So far only one of my DVD's, the Criterion edition of Two-Lane Blacktop actually looked best in 1080i. Understand that when you upconvert, you are upconverting picture grain as well; a lot of my older DVD's look best in 480p. There are a multitude of useful settings, all easily understood and executed, on this deck. If, like me, you're not planning to get on the Blu-Ray bus anytime soon, I'd recommend that you consider this DVD Player.



3. This DVD player delivers great performance once it started, but the startup time is terrible.
   
   Sometimes I have to wait almost 2 minutes to eject disk from the player to put another one after the player is turned on. It's very frustrating, especially when you have small kid next to you crying to watch his cartoons. The 2 minutes feels like an hour. When there is no disk in the tray the door opens a little faster, but still not instantly.
   
   Another problem for me is "resume play" function. You have to press the "Play" button at the right moment when the player boots up to resume previously played disk, otherwise it'll play from the beginning. I think player should always resume play if there is a disk inside and if you do want to watch from the beginning you press the "Stop" button twice. All my other DVD players (Panasonic, Philips, Toshiba) do just that. This could also be configurable in the player's settings.
   
   Problem #3 is MP3 play. You can not select song by number. You have to scroll down using arrows keys to get to a song you want to play, so if you have hundreds of songs in one folder it'll take you a while to get to the bottom of the list. Also, with this you require to have your TV on to browse the list instead of just having receiver on only.
   
   This sound to me like a software issues and I believe they can be solved with a firmware upgrade, but at this time Yamaha, did not release any firmware updates and I don't think they will.



4. I bought this for the DivX feature so I can watch downloaded TV Shows or Movies. I love the USB slot on the front. I can just put my downloaded files on my jump drive and plug it in and watch them. You can of course write your files to CD or DVD and that works great too. When viewing video files on the menu you can only view 4 files before having to scroll down. I also wish you could change to USB mode from the front of the player instead of just the remote. I read another review where some one complained about the loading time after powering on the device, but it only takes about 20 seconds to load after turning on the player before you can open the disc drive or before inserting a USB device. So far this has been very solid compared to a cheap Phillips DivX DVD player that I had. The Phillips player would intermittently freeze and turn off in the middle of watching something and died after just a few years. I would highly recommend this over any Phillips DivX player.



5. The Yamaha hdmi dvd player loads quickly and reproduces all of my existing dvd's wih great clarity. I found the remote a little small at first but it is quite user friendly. This unit was a very good value from Amazon.

4 comments about Sylvania DVC865F Progressive Scan DVD/VCR Dual Deck.

1. This combo drive is pretty lousy in important places.
   First off, the DVD drive. It will freeze during movies and click and bounce around inside the player. Sometimes it will stop clicking and start back up after a minute or more, but other times it will have to be totally shut off.
   And secondly, the VHS player. It plays VHS movies fine except for some annoying problems. About a month after purchase the player started squeeling when fast-forwarding or rewinding. Now this might be only annoying, but it makes me question the quality of the machine considering it started one month after purchase.
   Overall, the only positive feature is the abilty to watch local channels and VHS tapes. That is pretty sad, because this thing should do a whole lot more.



2. My experience with my DVD/VCR player has been very good. I wanted a unit for my bedroom that would have all the features I wanted, without being terribly expensive. This unit fits the bill. The remote in particular is great. All the most useful functions are right at your fingertips and are easy to find, even in dim light, since some buttons are red and some are shaded with dark grey. My favorite feature is the Resume Play, which allows you to pick up a DVD at the point that you stopped it, even if you turn the machine off. Many of your less expensive DVD players do not have that feature.
   
   It has S Video and Component Video output available, but I found that the cables that come with the machine produce quality picture and sound. I would recommend this unit to anyone looking for a lower cost DVD/VCR combo.



3. WORKS AS ADVERTISED, PICTURE QUALITY IS GREAT, CAN BE OPERATED BY THE TEHNICALLY CHALANGED.



4. This product was everything it was advertised to be.

5 comments about Toshiba HD-XA2 1080p HD-DVD Player.

1. I purchased this after HD DVD died, brand new (in Australia) with 11 HD DVD movies for $300.
   I purchased this unit, the XE1 it's called here, primarily as an upscaling DVD player and I am astounded how good this is playing DVD's.
   Having said that, because HD DVD movies are now so cheap, I have recently purchased many HD DVD movies and now have a small library, they are cheaper in Australia now than on Amazon!
   The plan was to buy this machine and wait until blu ray makes a good quality spec 2 player cheap enough, but that might be a long wait, the current blu ray players are a joke compared to this machine!
   Also, I have now realised that some DVD movies video and audio qualities are so good, especially recent and new ones, that the need for HD movies is all most redundant.
   It all depends on the original transfer, some HD movies are brilliant, some are rubbish, it is the same with DVD.
   
   I watched 'Apocolypto' on DVD today on this machine, and it was staggering! It looked as good as most HD movies it was brilliant, it all most looked 3D in parts, it was spectacular!
   
   In summary, the XA2 is such a terrific quality player of DVDs and HD DVDs, that I will stick with DVD and not bother with the overpriced niche format that is blu ray.
   The quality of recent DVDs is so good, that I don't see the need to down spec my player and outlay a bundle of cash in the process and the blu ray movies are so expensive also.
   Do yourself a favor, buy one of these at the right price and give blu ray the bird, you will be glad you did.
   
   Also, I love the back lit remote, the icing on a brilliant cake!



2. This is truly the best dvd player out there. I also have a Sony Blue Ray dvd player, but it lacks the sound and punch of the XA2, especially for upconverting standard dvds. the Silicon Optix Reon is just a super high end scaler. Please update firmware to 2.7, or 2.8 if you have a tv that is hdmi 1.3 that supports deep color 1080p/24. This player will not be outdated for many years to come. It is a jewel, and the price now is a steal.



3. I'm not going to go too much into the end of HD DVD and the format war. I'm just glad that Toshiba was able to get such a great product out. The REON chip can allow you to customize your settings to make all of your existing DVD collection look great. It's built like a tank and is just an all around attractive player. Do yourself a favor - if you can get one at a reasonable price, go ahead and grab one and scoop up some fire-sale HD DVDs in the process. @~10-15 bucks each, they are cheaper than DVDs and the same quality as Blu. However, no Blu (standalone) player even comes close to matching this player. It supports all of the Hi-def audio codecs as well. What's not to love?



4. I bought one of these expensive units, in part for its great Reon processors, which do a wonderful job of upsampling regular DVDs.
   
   But my unit stopped being able to play HD DVD's soon after I got it. It just turns itself off randomly after 5 to 30 minutes. It still played regular DVDs, but then a few weeks later, the audio failed. It just blasts noise and is completely useless now.



5. Just got my refurbised XA2, which I plan to use for watching mostly SD DVD's. I don't want to buy duplicates of HD DVD's or Blu Rays ( I have Sony BDP SE1) of DVD's that I own. I popped in my Crimson Tide DVD (which I bought 10 years ago). All I can say is WOW! I compared the PQ to my old DVD player and the XA2 just blows it away. More detail, richer colors and more contrast. Also the sound is unbelievable. More bass and the surround effect is amazing. As for HD DVD's this is the best player out there, hands down. I have an XBOX 360 with add on drive but the XA2 smokes the XBOX in both the PQ and sound areas. It's a shame that Toshiba lost the format war, because this is much better HD player than my Sony BDP SE1. Long live HD DVD!!!
   
   PS. The Onkyo HD 305 is a rebadged version of the XA2, and you can find it for around the same price as XA2. But don't buy a refurbed one. My one just died. See my review of the 305

2 comments about SAMSUNG DVD-1080P7 FULL HDTV COMPLIANT DVD PLAYER HDMI SELECTABLE UP CONVERSION (1080p) WITH DVIX.

1. can't believe the ease of use. third dvd we own. easier than the cheap basics with great resolution,clarity. in sync with our samsumg lcd(which we did not expect)very happy with our purchase



2. SAMSUNG DVD-1080P7 FULL HDTV COMPLIANT DVD PLAYER ... never had a problem if bought brand new

5 comments about Panasonic DMR-ES45VS DVD Recorder / VCR Combo with HDMI, SD Card, and DV Input.

1. If you want to use this to record or play VHS tapes, DON'T!! Read all the other reviews about the problems people have when tapes get jammed. Panasonic should be ashamed.



2. This combo works pretty much as advertised to copy VHS tapes onto DVD's of various formats. It isn't completely intuitive to operate, so, horror of horrors, you actually need to read the directions to operate it. The directions assume a level of competence I don't possess, so I'm still trying to figure out how to split titles and edit, but that will come with some experiementing.



3. I needed to save dozens of home made VHS tapes dating back to 1983! EACH ONE played perfectly in this deck. I transferred each to an included DVD RAM dis WITHOUT TROUBLE OF ANY KIND! The internal menu settings I routed through my computer monitor (I did not own a TV) and the simple remote control provided WORKED FLAWLESSLY! I then transferred the MPG files created by the DVD side of the deck to my computer and checked them! Perfect transfer, no artifacts of any kind!
   
   I then "formatted" the disc for the next transfer, in essence, erasing the info and setting it up for new data. When I used NERO on my computer, this process took 70 minutes! In the Panasonic, using the format feature, it took 4 minutes. I have since transferred thrity VHS tapes to my hard drive, using the one DVD RAM included in the box. It took days! But each "movie" played fine and even loaded into my Sony Vegas editing software without a hitch! Even older tapes, ones I had shot using old tube VHS cameras (back in 1983) came out looking good (or at least as good as the 25 year old video tape could afford to look!)
   
   If you're going to transfer video to disc (or computer files for storage) I highly recommend this Panasonic unit. I was going to sell it after wards, but have kept it becuase it also allows DV cameras using Firewire to transfer in real time from the camera to the DVD RAM disc! Even at $10 a disc, these discs are great! I have "used" mine on 30 plus transfers without a hiccup!
   
   This is worth every dime! Again, I highly recommend it!



4. Seems like a good unit. Works as advertised. But some features are very frustrating. Command response is SLOW. Press a button and wait and wait for something to happen. The controls are complicated. Be prepared to refer to the manual A LOT. And the manual reads like the instructions for a IRS 1040 form.



5. This served my needs for dubbing VHS to DVD, but the infamous U61 error (call your service center) appeared after only 22 months of usage. The unit will no longer play DVDs. So after paying approximately $280 for the unit, I basically paid $12/month before it died. Worth it? You be the judge.
   
   Other minuses: The "spin up" time to go from stop to record is really, really slow. The controls "feel" sluggish because there is a delay in most functions. I'm an experienced A/V owner and found the controls for creating/marking chapters on DVDs nearly impossible to figure out. The manual is so cryptic and poorly organized, and you'd never be able to figure out how to use the on-screen controls by the intuitive "hunt and peck" method.
   
   On the positive side: The recording quality is good, even at low quality settings, with many options of quality level to record with, depending on how much storage space is left on a recordable DVD.
   
   I gave it 2 stars, but wouldn't recommend it based on the DVD drive failure.

5 comments about Philips DVP3960 Multiformat 1080i Upscaling DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support.

1. This product is cheap. It works beautifully for what it is. However, the motor is way too loud, and the construction of the DVD player itself is very fragile.
   
   If your looking for a good cheap dvd player this might meet your needs, but if you have the money you should definately go with something that is better built and not as loud.



2. The weak signal link between the remote and the unit can be annoying when you want or need to stop, pause, ff, or reverse a program quickly. Although there's no dedicated open/close button on the remote, the disc tray can be opened/closed with the remote if you press and hold the stop button for about 4 seconds). Also, the picture is excellent through the HDMI connection, and the unit is inexpensive. Finally, it does what I primarily bought it for - playing DivX dvd's. Update on 6/13: It doesn't appear to automatically set the aspect ratio (full screen or widescreen) to match that of the dvd - you must go into the menu and set it.



3. To simplify the conversion procedure from region 1 to region 0, do this:
   
   1. Turn on the unit
   2. Press the `Setup' button on the remote.
   3. Go to the "Preferences" page by using the right arrow key.
   4. Enter 138931 from remote keypad
   5. You will now see the current region code displayed (in US it's 1)
   6. Use the Up arrow key to select "0" for region free access, or 'Down' arrow key for other regions
   7. Exit by pressing `Setup'.
   
   This modification can be reversed as desired, and any region number can be substituted.
   
   The player is not the highest quality, and it may not last forever, but the picture and sound are excellent. It is fine for region 3 discs, which are the only ones I own other than region 1.
   
   There are annoyances, like the lack of slow forward/reverse, the slowness of drawer opening, and loading, but these are tolerable for the price.
   
   It is in use here as a back up unit for the discs my Panasonic reject as unplayable for reasons of "dirt", "stains" or "scratches".
   
   For the record, that's hooey. The discs are perfect, as testified to by the 3 other players in the house. I think the DVP 3960 could play a pancake if you stuck one in.
   
   The fact it's that un-fussy makes it worthwhile.
   
   I hate that it doesn't have RAM. That is why I like the Panasonic in spite of its attitude. It holds the disc position in memory, to be resumed as desired without missing a beat. Nice.



4. I have owned this model for about 4 months now. At first it worked great. I was able to burn .mpg, .avi (including DivX and Xvid), etc. and watch them without any problems. I updated the firmware the first day I got it and haven't done anything different since then.
   
   Lately I have had this thing freeze up on me a lot. I thought it was only happening when I was fast-forwarding media files, but today it has frozen up on 2 different discs during normal play. After it froze the first time, I tried a movie that I know I have seen before on this player. When it freezes, I have to un-plug it. None of the buttons function on the player or remote.
   
   I will more than likely try to re-do the firmware and reset all memory. If that doesn't work, I will exchange it for the same player. While I am un-happy with it's performance, I don't want to spend another $50-$80 on a basic dvd player. I am saying this because I believe this unit has the ability to be worth as much or more than it is selling for. If everyone that has problems with it gives it a lower rating, we will get a better feel for how widespread or isolated these problems are.
   
   As far as the functionality when it is working, I think most people will be happy with it. It uses the directional arrows for fast forward (for those of you who have complained of this as a problem.) The power button is top center on the remote an red. I don't know how anyone could miss that. If you have a Harmony or similar universal remote, there is an eject button available that isn't included on the remote that comes with the player. My only problem with the remote is it has to be directly in front of the player. The same is true for my Harmony remote, so I know this is a design flaw in the player itself. If your player is turned to an angle beyond about 20 degrees, the remote won't work.
   
   Another of my complaints is that you can't disable the auto-power off feature. If you pause a video, the player will turn off after a while. If you were watching a DVD, you can resume play when you turn it back on, but the same doesn't apply to data discs.
   
   Also, it won't play WMV files. At first I thought this was because of licensing with Microsoft. After purchasing, I realized that it does play WMA files. I don't know why the would emit that format.



5. I bought this when my boyfriend and I split and I realized I didn't have a DVD player after I moved out. It works great, very slim and easy to place alongside the TV and cable boxes. A little bit loud when it starts up for such a small piece, but not noticeable during play. It's a good product. I haven't tried the special high tech stuff part, I haven't had a need.

2 comments about Panasonic DVD-LS855 8.5" Widescreen Portable DVD Player Value Pack, Black.

1. We bought the DVD-LS855 this week for a road trip for our 2 1/2 year old boy. We unpacked it, attached the battery, dropped in the DVD, and he was hooked. He wanted to watch all DVDs on it (even inside the house) because it was perfect for his size. I was easily able to attach the car / headrest holder, although it took a little work to get it snug.
   
   The video quality isn't going to set any records, but it does the job. Our 2 year doesn't care.
   
   There are two headphone jacks, but I wouldn't want to try and share it between two kids sitting on opposite sides of the car. It'd be fine for a hotel room though.
   
   The manual has a chart that shows battery life. If you want the longest battery life, you have to have brightness at minimum and use headphones. If you have the brightness cranked up, don't expect more than 2 hours. The good news is that the battery is detachable, so you can buy a spare battery and/or buy an extended life battery.
   
   Pros:
   Good size for a car trip.
   Includes a carry bag that holds everything, including DVDs to watch.
   Included car holder is greatly preferable to the bag stands. It sits at the right position to be seen in the car seat.
   Plays movies in DivX format.
   When you turn the player on, it resumes playing from where it stopped.
   The kid loves it :-)
   
   Cons:
   Video quality
   Play and stop buttons are along the top front edge of the unit. If you try and pick it up anywhere along the front, you'll almost certainly hit the wrong button.
   
   In summary, if you want high quality video on a larger screen, use your $1,000 laptop computer. If you want a convenient player for your kids for car trips, this is perfect.



2. I am looking for an additional battery for this product. Has anyone found where to buy one?
   
   This product is perfect for kids and road trips, restuarants, events etc...Keeps my 3 year old entertained so the rest of the world can enjoy their meal.

5 comments about Toshiba D-VR5 DVD Player/Recorder with VCR.

1. Performs well in converting VHS format tapes to DVDs. Quality of picture in very good.



2. There was a mix-up in delivery of the wrong item but the vendor made it good and the product seems to work great.



3. EXACTLY what I was NEEDED! This is no toy! There seems to be some negative
   comments due to the Lag-Time between the time that you turn on the recorder,
   and when it opens the tray: --- Patience, Grasshopper! --- this machine does so
   much more!
   
   IT'S A COMPUTER! Allow it to go through it's boot-up process, after which the
   responses are just as fast as any other DVD Player It's a tool, you need to read
   the manual throughly but once you understand the concept, it's very simple.
   AT LAST! I can transfer my MASSIVE VHS Library! Unfortunately some had al-
   ready begun to degrade. BACK & FORTH!!!! Far Out! VHS to DVD & Vice Versa!
   
   Aside from the ability to handle the newest blank media (includ. RAM & DOUBLE
   SIDED Disks) the best part is being able to record off my TV! It's every bit as easy
   to record multiple 5 minute segments of a newsreel, or a 6 hour congressional
   meeting at the touch of a button as it had been on my old VCR.
   
   TV, VCR, Now DVD-R <--- All TOSHIBA! ;) I just keep coming back!



4. I like this so far. I have used it to record VHS to DVDs and it works good. My only complaint is that it is a little slow, and takes some practice to figure it all out. Of course it could be me. I did call tech support with some questions and they were very polite and helpful.



5. I bought this as a scratch and dent. It was fairly inexpensive, but I was worried it wouldn't work with the new digital changes coming up. Some feedback was that the instructions to install were difficult. Mine did not come with instructions, so I downloaded them off the web. I'm am totally technically challenged, but I CAN READ!! I had it hooked up in about 10 minutes (back and forth to the computer) We've had no problems with it, and if it doesn't work in 2009, OH, WELL!!!

1 comments about Polaroid 7" Swivel Portable DVD Player - Blue (DPA-07046Q).

1. IS A LOSS THAT THIS ITEM WORK ONLY A FEW TIMES DURING A FEW MORE MONTH ..... NOTHING COMES WORST I HAVE BOUGHT
   
   I WANT MY MONEY BACK OF ¡¡¡¡¡

5 comments about Coby TF-DVD7060 7-Inch Portable Tablet Style DVD Player with Wireless Headphones.

1. UNIT WAS OK WHEN IT WORKED --ABOUT TWO MONTHS. RETURNED UNDER WARRANTY. I PAID TO SEND IT TO COBY AND THEY CHARGE $18 FOR RETURN POSTAGE. NO PROBLEM UNTIL..... THEY SENT A LESSER MODEL 7050 - WOULD NOT SEND EQUAL MODEL UNLESS I PAID TO RETURN IT. I MENTIONED THAT WARRANTY REPLACEMENT SHOULD EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE (WOULD YOU WANT A 25" TV IF YOUR 46' WAS SENT IN FOR REPAIR) THEY STATED THAT THIS IS THIER POLICY. COBY PRODUCTS ARE CHEAP YES. THEY ARE ALSO JUNK AND THE COMPANY SUCKS .. SONY IS SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND SERVICE



2. My purposes for the 7060 is to play MP3 CD music via my FM radio in my 2002 SUV. I want to play my home made CD's that give me +10hrs of my music. I ordered it taking a risk making the assumption that Coby 7060 would have common-sense controls. I now know why Colby never respond to my web site queries and why they do not have the 7060 listed on their web site. Answers to my questions have now been discovered:
   
   FM TX only has four preset frequencies 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, 88.7; if you have a near strong station you will get interference. They should have added four 107 MHz frequencies if they insisted on presets. Plus the head phones run off the same FM TX (not IR as implied) so you get loud ear pops with near strong station interference.
   
   Confirmed - FM TX has barely 6'distance; the audio has raspy highs.
   
   Still unknown what the battery is; Lithium or NiCad. What is alarming is only 300 recharges before degradation can be expected. No MSDS label on the battery for proper disposal.
   
   There are NO controls for R/L audio balance or bass/treble! No super bass or enhanced audio modes. The controls are NOT back-lite for night vehicle or in-the-dark use.
   
   The BIG BLUNDER of the 7060 as a CD/MP3 music player is there are >>>NO<<< "random" or "shuffle" modes - this really sucks making it nearly worthless as a music player!!!
   
   Needless to say I'm disappointed in the 7060 but I'm more disappointed in Coby for the lack of sales information baiting us into purchasing a substandard device that doesn't meet the established bare-minimum common-sense industry standards.



3. So far we love the DVD player it works great. It plays movies well and the screen looks great. I was a little disappointment when I found out that the DVD dosen't slide in, you have to take the player out of its case to change movies. I was under the impression that it loaded from the side. Also the headphones work well where I live, but if you are in a larger city they can be overpowered by other radio stations. I just returned from DC/NYC and the headphones did not work at all there. They just picked up outside radio stations. Over all, great DVD player for the money.



4. Product arrived quickly and in good condition. The mounting bag was great and I really like the appearance of the whole thing. The problems was with the DVD player. It was so loud when playing a disc, you could hear it making a loud buzzing sound while the disc was spinning. The headphones also had terrible interference and we couldn't use them in the car using the FM tuner which was why I purchased this item. I sent it back right away and Amazon quickly refunded my money.



5. I recently received my Coby player and found some things that were not very well thought out in the overall design. Here are the Pro's and cons that I found.
   Cons:
   1. DVD load mechanism. This is a significant flaw as it does not allow you to easily load a DVD when vehicle mounted. The mechanism requires that you remove it from the holder, open it up, put in the DVD, close it then re-insert it into the holder. Very poor design that is a royal pain to change DVDs if the car is moving.
   2. Manual AV/DVD switch. On the left side of the unit is the sliding switch which turns on the player to one of two modes, DVD or AV. The manufacturer should have gone with an electronic switch vice a manual switch as it is not easy to ensure you have the DVD mode since it is in the center of the selection slide and there is no audible or 'feelable' indication that you have it in the correct position. This becomes more inconvenient when you are sliding the player in or out of the holder.
   
   Pros.
   1. Good picture quality. The picture is clear and easy to see.
   2. Sound control easy to use. Spinning wheel sound control is easy to adjust.
   3. Compact slim design. Overall design is especially well suited for vehicle mounting and allows the player to sit flat against the back of the headrest. This keeps it from being kicked or jostled if you have a toddler in a car seat. The fold out one I had was prone to being kicked by my 3 year old.
   
   Overall the player is a good buy for the money but I couldn't rate it higher as the two design flaws are significant in detracting from its ease of use.