When it worked I loved it.

I have owned this player for just more than a year and loved it. Now every dvd I play skips and freezes. I only purchase DVD's so I keep them immaculate. When it first started to skip I cleaned the player thoroughly inside and outbut it didn't help (the player was kept covered when not in use). Now I can't get past the first ten minutes without a problem.

I suggest you invest a little more $$ and spend more time reviewing and testing players.

The thing that really stinks is I recommended this player to a co-worker and he too is having problems now.

The dual disk is a great feature.

The dual disk feature. Motor died after 2 years.

At the 2 year and 1 month mark the CD motor burned out. Took it in for a repair and man does Toshiba know how to get you. You cannot just replace the motor. You have to replace the whole laser, motor, and tray. The estimate was $320 bucks. I went and bought a new unit. This time a Panasonic RV31. So far this is a better unit in all ways but the remote. For a $400 product to only last 2 years it does not deserve any better of a rating.

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic and Sony.

Based on the (mostly) rave reviews on the 3109, I picked one up last week. I've been comparing it side-by-side with the Sony 550 (also picked up last week).
Overall, a very decent player. However, here are the things I noted:

* Picture quality: While good, I found some artifacts, moire patterns and shimmers. For a good example of a shimmer, check out Ch. 33 of the Matrix. The subway stairs behind Neo shimmer quite a bit.
* Remote: Having to hold down the Skip button for fast-forward is a bit awkward. Also, if only one "skip" message arrives from the remote to the player, you skip to the next chapter.
* Fast forward. Fast forward goes from 2x to 8x. I would've preferred some type of middle-ground speed.

Neither the Sony nor the Toshiba had any lockups or lip-sync problems with the 4 movies I tried this week (The Matrix, Armageddon Widescreen, Blade Runner Director's Cut, and The Rock).

As of this morning, I'm packing up the Toshiba and sticking with the Sony. The Sony had a better picture with less noticeable artifacts (and no shimmering/moire patterns during the Matrix). Also, I preferred the Sony jog/shuttle wheel on the remote.

The Toshiba is certainly the better value if you're looking at the money side (lots more coupons and promotions with the Toshiba, plus the price is about $50-75 cheaper than the Sony 550).

I give the 3109 3 stars.

Great picture clarity, HDCD

for its price, none

Unless you use a badly scratched disc, you'll never encounter any problems with this player. HDCD feature is a plus. IMHO this is the best dvd player in its price range.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP-S530D, Panasonic DVD-C220

picture, AC3, features, quality

None so far. The remote is awkward at first.

Got it at ubid for $252 delivered. I'm extremely pleased with this unit. I was worried about the dual tray mechanism, but it's solid and quiet. The remote is not as bad as some say. Dolby digital is impressive!

Bottom line: Great player for low $.

Picture, Remote, Dual Tray, Outputs

Cost for some

This player is quite the excellent purchase. You can get one for 299 and the picture is fantastic. The S-Video and 5.1 outputs are clean and the remote is quite decent. Many find the remote unwieldy, but I like the glow-in-the-dark keys and can use it in the dark without looking for buttons. The dual tray is more useful for cds than for movies and the 5.1 output for music is great. The decoding is good and the zoom function is good fun. It never has a real use, but it can be fun to find things in the background of movies. Good luck and trust that this Toshiba is fantastic.

Similar Products Used:

Sony Dvd, Pioneer 414

Picture quality, DTS capability, dual tray, HDCD decoding

Remote not as good as 3107's, and where's the jog/shuttle from the 3108 remote?

I'd been eyeing this machine for a while now since eventually I planned to have a DD/DTS receiver and needed the DTS capability lacking on my 3107. Well, the new receiver (Denon AVR 3300) is on its way, so upgrading was necessary.

I prefer the feature set over that of the cheaper 2109: dual-tray and the HDCD decoding since I have a few of those in my CD collection.

The picture quality is as good as or better than the 3107, one of the best I've seen.

The remote seems to be the weakest part of this otherwise outstanding player. The 3108 had a jog/shuttle dial on the remote (a feature every DVD remote should have) now lacking on this next generation model (why, Toshiba?). The 3107 remote had the capability to control other devices in your system (I liked being able to switch TV inputs with the DVD remote) that this one also lacks. And for some reason there's also no longer a button for opening and closing the tray(s).

But do not take this review as a pan; it's nearly impossible to find a better player for the price. If you're debating between the 2109 (the best player out there, beating out others in its price range and higher) and this one, go with the 3109 if you need its extra features and can find it for under $350. You won't regret it. If you can find a 3108 remote, nail it too.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD-3107

Image, Dual Tray

Toshiba seems to be only manufacturer that is rarely compatable with Universal Remotes.

Matched up the Toshiba 3109 with the Toshiba 36" TV, Sony 835 receiver and Energy Take 2 HT system. FANTASTIC! Using the component video hook up to the TV, the images are absolutely sparkling! This is an amazing DVD. Highly recommended.

Great machine for the price.

No dedicated FF button on the remote

I bought this player on Onsale for $259, and couldn't be happier! It played The Matrix, Enemy of the State, and Private Ryan without a hitch - DVD's that some players have problems with.

Highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

First DVD Player

reliabilty,performance

none

have this for over a year not one problem has not missed a beat on the dozens of dvd's i have watched with this unit also now use it for cd's does them equally as well.