So...how about those $30 DVD players...The Sungale DVD8500 (1 Viewer)

[John Geelan]

and to think I contemplating getting a Denon 5900 that costs over $1500 in an age when DVD players now cost $29!

but of course its all in your set-up. 99% of the people buying a $29 player are hooking them up to $199 TV's I would guess. So their happy in their one speaker world.

just hope they don't judge DVD in regard to those $29 players.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Most folks getting into DVD with the $30 DVD players are coming from the VHS world, so even with marginal DVD players, the step up in random access (no rewinding!) and perhaps video quality is a bonus for them.

 

[Eric F]

My cheapie Sharp DV-S2 cost $50. It's a Faroudja based player and for PQ you can't come close for the price.

Unfortuntely it's very bare bones, but good enough for every day watching. I'll be replacing it with a Sony 400 disk changer though.

 

[WesleyHester]

Patrick Sun, I think the Sungale 8500 is a great player and the fact you got it for only $30 is awesome.

This player is manufactured by Amoi Electronics Company, Ltd. (Amoisonic) in China (mentioned earlier). This company is an OEM manufacturer. Checking their site, you can see that their NDP9100 Network DVD Player is the same as Gateway's "Connected" DVD Player ADC-220. Also, the same NDP9100 player is used for GoVideo's D2730 Network player only it has a faceplate of Amoisonic's model DVP8800 just replacing the microphone inputs with a headphone input. So GoVideo and Gateway must think pretty highly of Amoisonic's player quality to slap their names on them.

Also, Amoisonic's players have been re-badged as Conia, Hiview and others.

I've learned from eBay that there are two versions of the Sungale 8500 in the market place. One has 5.1 analog out and FULLY supports CD-G (i.e. displays the words and graphics) while another version looses the 5.1 analog outputs and only plays the audio portion of CD-G (like most DVD/CD players do).

Just FYI I've learned since getting my Sungale 8500 earlier this year. I've had no problems with it. I mainly use it for Karaoke but play movies with it too. I second you observations regarding the player's picture quality versus the RP-91 (which I have too). Still, for the price, the player's output is pretty darn good and can be adjusted on both the player and display device with good results.

 

[Joel L]

I will pick me up at least two of these cheapos this xmas.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

With my Panny RP-82 in the shop (again - piece of crap), I may pick one up for my daughters B'day party. Can't imagine having 6 10yr olds over with no DVD to watch !

 

[larry mac]

Most folks getting into DVD with the $30 DVD players are coming from the VHS world, so even with marginal DVD players, the step up in random access (no rewinding!) and perhaps video quality is a bonus for them.

Perhaps? Are you really suggesting there are DVD players out there that are NOT an improvement on VCR video quality?

Not to mention Dolby Digital / DTS, special features (deleted scenes/alternate endings, commentaries, etc), and a choice of widescreen/ fullscreen.

 

[Phil Nichols]

Larry,

...."Are you really suggesting there are DVD players out there that are NOT an improvement on VCR video quality?"

I don't know about DVD players that may not be an improvement over VHS, but there are DVD movies out there that are only very slightly better than well done VHS from good masters. For instance, the latest THX certified VHS widescreen Star Wars Trilogy is superb.

I still have plenty of widescreen VHS and SVHS movies that I regularly watch on my HT, as well as progressively scanned anamorphic DVD movies. Since some films are only on VHS, movie lovers may want VHS still available to complete their HT setups. VHS (OAR widescreen -> NOT P&S) can be made very presentable: i.e. Try using a Sony SLV-R1000 SVHS player, S-Video cabling, calibrated display input for the VHS, well-done wideband FM RF/LF sound with simulated center stage, digital noise reduction, and careful application of scanning velocity modulation.

DVD players can have poor analog video channel designs following their D/A converters that come close to negating their higher horizontal resolution advantage. BTW, vertical resolution for DVD and VHS (...and LD) is identical.

VHS does take some work to do well. It is definitely not plug-and-play.

 

[Bill Will]

Phil, I totaly agree. Some of those VHS movie transfers if done well present a very good picture when used with a good vcr & some fooling around with the tv's picture adjustments.
But I do hope that the masses buy enough dvd players to put VHS to bed once & for all & now that dvd players are so cheap maybe it will also help push Japan into getting out High Def players & recorders faster

 

[larry mac]

Phil,

I will happily concede to your points but (big but), lets compare something more in the price range of $30. This thread was about cheap DVD players. How about comparing to VCRs in the under $100 price range?

BTW, for several years I have been complaining of poor quality in the low to mid-priced VCRs (not the cheapest). The last 2 or 3 I've bought just didn't seem to have the picture quality I was used to. A friend of mine agrees; he has 80+ units (he's a videographer and makes a lot of copies).

Comments anyone?

 

[Phil Nichols]

Larry,

"How about comparing to VCRs in the under $100 price range?"

Good point .... you got me there!!

No OEM cares to offer good VCR's anymore and indeed, hardly any OEM cares to offer good mid-priced ($500 - $1000) DVD players now, either. The OEM's would rather churn the market constantly with their under $200 DVD players that are just "OK" ...... if one is happy with OK.

I paid ~$1K for my SVHS VCR on purpose to ensure that my VHS genre would be about the best it could be - to compliment DVD presentations as much as technically possible in the home.

My reasoning was to show whatever movie I wanted in the best PQ possible (within consumer $$ reason). I skipped the LD medium, however. Between VHS and DVD, every movie ever reproduced for the home market is available to the HT consumer. Is ANY movie available on LD or DVD that was NEVER available on VHS up to this point in time? I expect that as VHS dies, very soon there will be major film releases available on DVD but NEVER available on VHS.

BTW, for those of you movie fans with prize VHS or SVHS material not yet available on DVD - try eBay to pick up a used ~20lb Sony SLV-R1000 SVHS player with years of life left yet for perhaps $300 or less!

 

[DeborahK]

If I am not mistaken, the film Lady in White was never available on VHS. I think it's DVD release a few years ago was a first-time on video for this title, but I am not sure if it was ever released on LD.

For what it's worth,

Deborah

 

[Steve_Cohen]

Yeah my POS RP-82 is in the shop for the "H02" problem so I picked up an Apex AD-2600 from amazon for 49.99 with free shipping and a 10 dollar rebate. Cant complain for the price and the thing has played everything I threw at it and the PQ is more than acceptable. At least if it stops working in 9 months like my RP-82, I wont be upset about tossing it and getting something else.

 

[Phil Nichols]

Deborah,

Check Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...350961-3279916

It looks like Lady in White was released twice on VHS - 1989 and 1993 - unfortunately not in widescreen, however. It's reviews read well ... I'll have to give it a view some time.

Here's four examples of why one might want a good VHS HT setup to augment their DVD HT setup - these classic's are still only (legally) available in VHS:

1) Mutiny on the Bounty (Marlon Brando, P&S unfortunately)

2) Hawaii (Based on Michener's novel, OAR widescreen)

3) Grand Prix (James Garner, OAR widescreen)

4) [And of course the] Star Wars Trilogy (original releases in OAR widescreen and Lucas year 2000 tweak's in OAR widescreen)

I have a "DVD version" of 1) in OAR widescreen ... but is it legal? 2) and 3) can be tweaked up on a good VHS setup to be quite enjoyable in widescreen. I have both VHS OAR widescreen releases of 4) - the original theatrical version releases and the latest Lucas yr 2000 tweak releases - with the 2000 releases being reference grade PQ and completely enjoyable on a good VHS WS setup.

 

[DeborahK]

Thanks for the Lady in White info, Jeremy. Strange -- I remember reading when the DVD came out that it had never been released on video. But now that I think about it, I saw it on video, so this is clearly wrong. I think what I read either had something to do with the AR or the fact that it was never offered for mass market sale on video. Or maybe I just dreamed the whole thing up.

Deborah

 

[Robert_Z]

More importantly, why are there still a large number of people actually buying VHS tapes of films that are out on DVD?

My sister has 4 girls ages 2-7. She insists on VHS over DVD because the girls scratch the DVDs too easily. Tapes are more durable in her house. Plus, little girls generally do not care about video quality or how the director intended for the movie to be seen. They just want to run around and break stuff, with a movie playing in the background.

 

[Taya]

Guys - Had anyone heard of the Aspire AD-1100: From the discription I got:
The Aspire AD-1100 DVD player is a full featured progressive scan player with onboard decoding for 5.1 Dolby Digital. This DVD player is also NTSC/PAL compatible and has a 110-220 voltage switch. Also plays back MP3 and photos from Kodak Picture CD or jpeg's stored on CD-R. The AD-1100 would make a great gift this holiday season.
Key Features:

Playback formats: DVD-Video, CD+G, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, JPEG, Kodak Picture CD
Progressive Scan
5.1 Dolby Digital Decoder Audio Output
4:3/16:9 Display Conversion
LCD Display
Digital Coaxial and Optical Output
Karaoke Function with 2 Microphone Inputs
Full Function Remote Control


Manufacturer: Aspire Digital - Mfg Part#: AD-1100


Features DVD-Video/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/CD+G/MP3/JPEG/Kodak Picture CD compatible
Progressive Scan
Dolby Digital AC-3 decoder
5.1 channel audio output
DTS digital audio output
Composite output
Component video output
S-Video output
Digital coaxial and optical output
4:3/16:9 display conversion
LCD display
Karaoke function with 2 microphone inputs
Professional digital echo and mixer
Digital voice elimination
Song programmable feature and track repeat function
PAL/NTSC compatible
Multiple angles
32 subtitles
8 languages supporting
Standby function
Programming playback
Parental lock setting
Full function remote control

All for $29.99 ?

 

[Dennis*G]

My sister has 4 girls ages 2-7. She insists on VHS over DVD because the girls scratch the DVDs too easily. Tapes are more durable in her house. Plus, little girls generally do not care about video quality or how the director intended for the movie to be seen. They just want to run around and break stuff, with a movie playing in the background

This is the exact reason we have waited so long to switch over to DVD. have a ten year old and now and two infants. VHS tapes when my son was growing up were indestrutable and he could easily put them in himself and have it start, with DVD's, they scratch easy and most come to a menu you have to tell the movie to start, not many 2-3 year olds will figure that out.

I am still debating how I am going to handle the kids Disney DVD's. hide them I guess and they have to ask to use them, then I or mom will have to start it for them......