looks, quality, performance.. so far so good

pricey! doesn't play cd-r's. i bought the earlier version of this model and it was stolen. (oakland stinks! nothing good here) then i bought the same model and i didn't have the same problems like the others..

it's a nice player. (it should be, for $430 bucks!) dts sounds nice, DDigital sounds great, s-video picture looks fantastic! overall? this player will satisfy all your needs. although you may want to look for a cheaper player since this was a bit pricey for its features. you can find all this traits on lots of other cheaper players.

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none

Very Good Sound, Very Good Picture, High Quality construction, 1st Player owned by TrippyWillDude himself.

Accasionally the dialougue is off from mouths.

One excellent Playa! Great quality and built in DD Decoder!
Great Sound/Video 4 the excellent price (I got mine 4 only $309.99!) Go Buy it! NOW!!!

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Mom's Toshiba DVD

Easy menu. No skipping or pausing or sound. Cheap, $350 at Best Buy, but got mine on sale for $284+tax.

Drive is a little loud. If you mute the sound or turn it down really really low, you can hear a whurr, but if you watch a movie at low or normal volume you can't hear it. My couch is about 8 ft away. It doesn't really bother me, but I just wanted to mention it.

This is my first DVD player, and after several months of looking on the net and bugging the salesmen at Best Buy and Circuit City, I settled for this one. FYI... I got mine at Best Buy for $284 new in the box. I had to get a rain check and wait 3 weeks, but it was worth it.
I have not noticed any skipping with mine, but I've only watched about a dozen or so movies on mine. But no problems yet. I love the menu, very easy. The remote is nice, but no jog. But it's not a big deal really. If you're still looking for a DVD player under $300, then this is the one to get.

picture/sound/in and outs
couldn't find anything in the same price range with the features.

remote (should be back lit and more logical)
blue light with no purpose (which can be turned down/off so no big deal)

First DVD player... and I have it hooked up to my four year old JVC prologic receiver (I have never been satisfied with my receiver) and it still sounds good. I am running Boston Acoustic speakers (micro90 fronts and 8" sub with the VRS rears.) Rears only stand out with certain movies (Matrix/Ronin) but I am sure this is the rceiver. I am now debating between the sony STRDB930 and Onkyo TXDS676 receivers.

The drive does make some excesive noise when seeking but is not noticeable during normal play back unless you are within three feet. If you are going to be that close to the player you need to get a bigger TV. My only question would be if this is going to present a problem in the future, is it going to get louder? increased wear and tear? etc... I say if you can still find it buy it. I picked it up for 179.00 at best buy. The price is really what got me, I couldn't find anything to beat the combination of features in this range. I was originally looking at the panasonic PANDVDA120.

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Incredible picture,Stunning sound,Ease of setup,Display

No jog shuttle on remote,Occasional whir from plyer on some discs.

First, I want to thank all who reviewed this product previously. I found their advice and info invaluble!
I read reviews both off and on the internet for over a month, took my friends dvd players for a test drive,and compared featuresand performance versus price. This is by far the best DVD player out there for the money. The picture is smooth and sharp. Visually stunning. The sound thru my digital ready receiver is thunderous and clear. Aurally arousing. Disc playback is problem free on both new and rental discs. However, before you buy this player scroll thru the reviews here til you find the one that tells you which serial numbers to avoid and how to determine your firmware version(it should be 2.4). Also, buy this or any other player locally where you can check this info before purchasing the unit. I got mine on sale at BestBuy for $299, a $150 less than the sony 550. No lip synch problems! Only complaint, a jog shuttle on the remote would have been nice. However, the function is available on the front of the unit(not alot of good there). Matrix and SPR played back flawlessly(remember, if you get a slight pause in playback of some discs this is due to a layer change on the disc itself and is NOT a problem with your player). Other helpful sights: Epinions.com and Amazon.com.

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Sony LD player

Crisp Picture, Great Audio, Easy to hookup.

None Yet

I just had to come back and do a followup post on the Sony530D. It continues to be a great unit after several months of playing. I just hooked it up to a home theater system and the house just "rocks" now.

I have not had any of the lip-sync problems with 2.3 f/w after several months of playing. Best movies I've played so far have been the matrix, Airforce One and Private Ryan.

Do yourself a favor and get the 530D and save the $100 that the 550D would of cost. I have to say that this is the best unit for the money!!

5.1 Chan. options, vivid color, ease of setup

Noticing some video "stoppage" during play...

I spent hours on this site and in Tweeter annoying the hell out of the salemen with questions about this unit. The ultimate indiginity came when I said "thanks," walked out the door and bought this unit on the net for $100 under the list price! Check C-Net.com for current price listings. Picked mine up for $280. On to the review:

I've had my unit less than a month and overall am impressed with it. DTS and Dolby alike sound great, and I especially like Sony's setup menus. Very intuitive and easy to navigate. I've noticed an ever-so-brief "pause" in the play action of certain discs between scene shifts (happened a couple times in "Saving Private Ryan," and "Shawshank Redemtion." It's so minor, that I really don't even notice it, but for the true techno-geek, I guess it could be annoying. No notorious lip-sync problems as of yet. Guess my firmware's up to snuff!

Plays music ok, (no dual lasers!) but I'll stick to my 5 disc ex-changer for that. My 5-year old model plays my CD-R's but this player doesn't...bummer.

Overall, a good econo-model. Inexpensive, yet handsome design. Remotes a tad busy and you may fumble a bit in the dark if your hands are greased-up with a bowl of Orville Redenbocker.

Very easy to set up; sounds awesome; integrated very easily with my Sony A/V rcvr, Panasonic VCR, and JVC monitor.

None with the system

To check your firmware version, look up "Audio Enthusiast from San Diego", posted 12/20/99. It confirmed that I have firmware version 2.4. Great directions, Thomas! Quick, to the point, and easy to get back out of. Thanks!
Oh yeah, regarding the 530D - I think Sony has an AWESOME machine.

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This is my first DVD

Built in Dolby digital decoder. Optical and component digital outputs. Multiple video outputs. Can play VCDs.

No Dual discrete laser - can't play CD-R format discs. During playback it seems loud.

This DVD player is a great player and it's a SONY product. For the price I paid ($298) it was the best, and with the features I wanted. It allow you to hook up to a receiver with dolby digital or even a dolby digital ready receiver. The picture is great and it's also nice to look at.

Dolby Digital, DTS Output, Smoothscan, Sony Reputation, Component Video Output.

Doesn't use dual laser system like previous units.

Only had this unit a few days, but it sounds and looks great! I immediately checked my firmware version and it is a 2.4. I ordered it from Crutchfield as I have done in the past based on their 30 day no hassle return policy and easy pay where you can divide into 4 payments. Anyone interested in getting free shipping from them give them my ID # of 13175002.

Back to the product....Looks great and plays great. No Lip-Synch problems yet, but dont think there will be with firmware version 2.4 installed. I only upgraded from my previous unit to get the DTS Output and component video outputs. Both work really great and are worth the money to upgrade! Picture is really clear on component outs, and DTS discs sound great matted to my Sony DB-830 receiver. I was really concerned with the lack of dual descete lasers on this unit, but so far I have noticed no difference on playback compared to my old unit. I also like the ability to see which layer the disc is playing on the display.

So far, a good, solid unit...worth the money.

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