Got what I paid for....Toshiba DVD-P

[robert393]

Wifey has been bugging me to get a DVD-P for the 65" HD Mits in the bedroom. I have been planning on waiting for High Def DVD so I could upgrade the Panisonic RP-91 (very good DVD-P) from the HT and move it to the bedroom.

Well, I decided I would get a cheapie DVD-P as a "stop-gap" measure. As cheap as they are now, I fugured I would consider it a "disposable" product while waiting for HD DVD.

Enter BB. I get the Toshiba SD-3980 for $49. 1st unit the tray wouldn't open. Returned it for the 2nd unit which I got no video. Returned it and doubled the cost and got a Sony. It works perfectly!

Moral of the story. I got exactly what I paid for with the cheapo Toshiba for $49! It cost me more in time and gas going back & forth to BB, and the agravation of boxing & unboxing, standing in return lines, multiple "trouble shooting" cables & hook-ups, and frustration with myself for thinking I would actually get a quality DVD-P for $49! That decision cost me about 4hrs of wasted time & agravation.

Whew! Now I feel better!

Robert

[JD06]

I feel ya. Except I ordered my yamaha reciever off the internet because the price was cheaper. Well got it today... Doesnt work worth a .... Keeps turning off and on and back on. Cant do anything with it. At least they gave me a 30 day money back

[L.J.]

I bought a cheapo sanyo from walmart about 2 years ago for my kid's playroom. nothing but problems with that sucker after about 3 months of use. freezing up, disc tray getting stuck, you name it. took it out and put in a JVC I purchased 6 years ago and no problems since. you do get what you pay for.

[caniac]

FWIW, my wife bought a cheapo Kawasaki from Target a couple years ago. It's so badly made and cheap looking that I want to throw it out, but that stupid thing plays any disc you put in it and has never had so much as a freeze-up.

[edtyct]

Robert,

You should have spent $80 more for the Toshiba 588A.

Ed

[robert393]

Robert,

You should have spent $80 more for the Toshiba 588A.

Ed

Ed, I bet you are refering to the Pioneer DV-588A (not Toshiba). Good suggestion, but It (Pioneer 588A) is not what I needed at this point. Just an inexpensive DVD-Video player only. Remember, this player is for the bedroom, which has no AVR, or surround.

Although the price & features (combo DVD-V, DVD-A, SACD) are great, when I upgrade my RP-91 (DVD-V, DVD-A, no SACD), in my HT, I will get a reference piece for the DVD-A & SACD (something along the lines of Pioneer Elite DV-45A or Denon DVD-955S).

Thanks for the input & info!
Robert

[edtyct]

Right, Pioneer was what I meant. SACD/DVD-A capability aside, once you go below $100, at least, you risk other things not being quite right. Obviously build quality could be an issue, but MPEG decoding and signal processing (if progressive is what you want) can get really dicey, too, especially on a screen as large as 65". The video playing field has certainly gone close to level at this late stage in DVD's existence, but, as you said in your first post, you get what you pay for when you go beneath the threshold of safety. There may be diamonds in the rough that don't disintegrate when you turn them on and even play different formats without a hitch, but how well they present the content is still an issue. Even at a list of $200 to $300, you may get a player that appears to perform flawlessly in all relevant respects, but if you put it side by side with one that sells for $100 to $200 more, you're liable to witness that elusive quality that separates the bigger boys from the kids. DVD players are a little like cars in that you can't go into a dealership and say "I want a Lexus without anything that doesn't contribute to the ride, pure and simple." The answer just might be that any cheap car without at least some of the comfort and convenience perks of the Lexus isn't going to provide anything like the ride of the Lexus either.

Hey, I'm not trying to spend your money. If you can get a satisfactory (to some extent, a relative value) player for less than $100, I'm all for it. But these are some of the issues involved.

Ed