great 5.1 (need a DTS reciever!), excellent video

none yet...

I've had this reciever since June, and have been quite happy with it for the price. Got it for 400 at Best Buy in June. First time i checked the reviews on it. I didn't know it was such a popoular model.... Now if only my Sony reciever had the same quality!

As for this firmware thing... I dont know what i have, but I have not had one instance of lip synch problems. I have viewed many different movies and not had a problem.

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Excellent menus, picture, sound, remote & price

Like all Sony products, the manual

This is my second 530. The first one quit playing DVD's about 2 weeks afer I bought it. I returned it to Circuit City with the intent of getting a Pioneer 525, but Best Buy had the Sony 530 for $299 (same price as Pioneer 525) so I decided to get another Sony. I'm glad I did. I think my first Sony had other problems as well, because the new one works SO much better. The first one was very loud while playing movies. (Note: I checked both for the SW Version and they were both 2.3)

The picture and sound are both outstanding. The menus are very easy to use, which is a good thing because the manual is about useless. The remote has to be one of the better remotes I've seen included with A/V equipment. I only wish that it were lighted to make it easier to use in the dark.

I've watched about 50 movies now and haven't experienced any problems other than a brief pause when switching layers on certain disc. The layer display in the menu is kind of handy to check for that layer change. I noticed a pause on 4 or 5 of the movies I've watched, and on rewatching them I confirmed that the pause was a layer change. (On a side note, why don't they change layer between scenes?)

Overall, I'm very happy with the SONY 530.

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First DVD other than PC-DVD

A great player...good magazine reviews.

Paranoid owners

Please stop scaring people. Buy the player...take it home...check the firmware version (scroll down, someone gives a review on how to do it from the remote...it isn't anywhere on the box or player. If it is less than 2.3, take it back until you get one that is 2.3 or higher (I have a 2.3, never seen a 2.4 but doesn't mean they don't exist). I have had no problems with me player.

also...pauses in the middle of scenes ARE dual layered discs...every DVD player on the market pauses when switching layers. The Matrix has one....but it is in between scenes so it barely noticable unless you are looking. It is as much the discs fault as the player.

Enjoy your DVD player...whichever one you decide to buy.

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Sampled other players in its class

Easy to setup, Great picture and sound

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After getting the Emerson for Christmas and having all the problems I had with it, I looked all over for a replacement. I picked this model and I'm glad I did. Very nice. (Rev. # 2.400) None problems so far!

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Great picture and sound. Remarkable amount of RCA jacks.

No DTS decoder. Non lit remote. Low output levels from rear and sub.

This is the second 530 I have had. I returned the first one in June due to the lip sinc problem. I decided I would wait for the Panasonic DVD A320. It was supposed to be released in spring of 99. For some reason it still hasn't hit the stores yet. So, I gave up and bought another 530. For one thing the Sony looks better than many other brands that seem to think the cheap look is in this year. The picture and sound are excellent. The menu graphics and layout are great also. The rear of the unit has ample jacks. I did have to boost the levels though on the rear, center and sub. I also boosted the balance on the rear and front. Otherwise I had hiss from having to crank my outboard amps. I don't have this problem with my SSI Pro Logic unit. Doing this did help. At least Sony lets you do this thru the menu. I like the stop memory feature. There is something I don't like. You can't display the elapsed time and time remaining on DVDs. Only shows the chapter time. On CDs you can get this info. Maybe I'm missing something? Over all I prefer this unit to the others. Sorry I didn't get a chance to try the A320 though. Oh well.

Works Great, Looks Great has Quality as it's Middle Name.

Remote needs "Glow in the Dark" Keys.
Precision Drive System Stepper Motors are Loud causing a Noticable Noise during Playback but don't let that Stop you from Buying this excellent System.

This is our first DVD Player and I was determined to aquire the most for the least amount of Cash. The Criteria would not only be Picture and Audio Quality but also in design and features and in internal components both mechanical and electronic , as well as CMOS upgrade ability. Last but not least would be the actual looks of the unit itself in relation to our other components. I scoured local electronics stores and the Internet. I spent long hours reading both trade reviews and consumer reviews. I watched, I read, I listened and feature for feature. Sound for Sound. Video Resolution to Video Resolution. and Most Importantly, Dollar for Dollar, You cannot beat the SONY 530D. My Model has Firmware Version 2.40 and so far has had no problems with Lip Synch. or Skipping etc. Others have complained of the Blue Light on the Front but to be honest I think it adds a much needed and refreshing change from the Red and Green LED's that dominate our Home Theater Systems and adds to the Effect when all components are powered on. To check on your Firmware Version : On your Remote Control....Press Title, Clear and the Power Key (I/O) choose Option 5.....WARNING : DO NOT TOUCH other Options unless you know what you are doing!!!!! All and All you can't beat this DVD Player in Quality or in Performance for the Price!!!!

Optical and 5.1 outputs...DTS and Dolby Digital Decoders.

No support for CD-R or CD-RW

I bought this DVD player as my first in June of 1999 and have had ZERO problems w/ it. As stated above, my only complaint came the first time I put a homemade CD into my DVD player...seeing as how I sold my CD player as soon as I bought the DVD. Unfortunately the the Sony S530-D will not play these discs! Oh well, aside from that small shortcoming I have been extremely pleased with this product.
Therefore I will give 4 stars on the Overall rating due to the lack of CD-R support.

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Many Available RCA jacks. Great Picture. Looks good. Not cheap looking like many other players out there.

Won't always dispay total time elapsed and time remaining on movies. Output levels are low, need to crank outboard amps.

I gave this player a top rating a few months back. I must deduct a star based on my recent experience. I noticed that while watching a movie that the front left audio was weaker than the right. It was a significant difference. I have a Luxman amp with WATTS meters. The left was producing only half the power of the right. I did all the troubleshooting. Swapping the RCA cables, using other media and also my Laser Disc player through the same amp was fine. The tone test on the Sony also showed the defect. I took the player back to Best Buy. They ended up sending it to Sony. Its been over a month and their still waiting on a part!!! I am trying to get Best Buy to exchange the unit. (I bought the ESP) Fortunatly I got the player for $299, otherwise I would be even more upset. My advise is to buy ESP if you get this player!

On-screen menu setup is very good; instructions are fairly clear for both hook-up and feature use, and only in English, thank God; very light component, virtually weightless; solid, well-built cabinet; large front display can be read from a distance; loads of features I'll probably never use; good price point.

Remote buttons too small and not ergonomically placed, which is just shameful in this day and age.

I've had this machine for less than 24 hours, so take this review with a grain of salt. I spent about 8 hours on-line over a few weeks researching, and another few hours in the local Best Buy comparing features, remotes, and interfaces.

I chose the 530D for several reasons. First and foremost was "bang for the buck" on price. It has built in AC-3 decoder(which I discovered during my research is synonomous with 'Dolby Digital' and 'Dolby 5.1'). With a Dolby Pro Logic receiver :-( I needed the AC3 or I probably would have gone with the Panasonic DVD A120.

I had a hell of a time figuring out why the Sony S550D was roughly $100 more expensive than the 530D. All the sites I could find showed that they had roughly he same features. Finally, Sony's website (which is really nice, btw) cleared up the mystery for me... the 550 has about a half dozen more features, most of them some kind of filtering or signal clean-up that they don't take the time to explain, and that my undescriminating ear can easiy live without.

For the record, if you're looking for the best price on-line for a player, you MUST visit mysimon.com. Type in a model number and it comes back with prices from all over the web that are sometimes $100 or more different. I bought my machine at Best Buy ($350) because I didn't want to wait, and it was only about $30 more than the lowest price (including shipping) that I found on-line.

So far, this machine is quite good. The on-screen setup is excellent--I was ready for a struggle, but pleasantly surprised. Learning about all the features is a little daunting, and as I mentioned, I will probably not use half of them. I already have a good carousel CD player, and some features are just for CD or digital video. By the way, the only DVD I had was Blade Runner Director's Cut, which is just in stereo, not Dolby Digital (took me a while to figure out why my rear channels weren't working). So if you want to really test out your new system, invest in a Dolby Digital disc. Look for the logo. And then..... have a blast!

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My first DVD

great picture and sound output

hard to use remote

I to love this DVD and have had no problems with out of sync errors. I would reccomend it to anyone. The picture is very clear and the sound production is unreal.

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