Best DVD player under $300 (1 Viewer)

[ScottMc]

Since the search function isnt working at the current moment, I am curious to hear what you all think is the best bang for your buck DVD player under $300?? I am curious to what you all think about the Panasonic RP91, since it has come down to $299 at Crutchfield?? I will be replacing a Toshiba SD-2108.

Thanks.

 

[ScottMc]

Man, what an overwhelming response

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

I'd say there aren't many players out there that'll compete w/ the RP91 for under $300, ESPECIALLY if you need the scaling features for 4:3 and non-anamorphic widescreen discs (I.E. your widescreen display locks in full/stretch mode when it receives a progressive signal).

If your TV doesn't do this, there are several players under $300 that are just as good as the RP91, but none really any better. The Panasonic RP82, XP30, and XP50 would all be reccomendations if you can still find them and their prices haven't been HUGELY inflated due to their scarcity. The Denon 1600 is a great player, although it has VERY noticeable layer changes. The Pioneer Elite 45A is one of the best universal players (DVD-A and SACD) as far as audio quality goes w/ burr brown DACs and what not, but it is one of the most noticeable examples of the Chroma Bug on the market.

If your TV has a DVI input you may want to look at one of the new DVI based players (Samsung and I can't remember the other). Alot of people have had good luck with these, but the DVI only yields it's biggest performance gains when used with a fixed-pixel display such as LCD, Plasma, or DLP.

Regardless of what else you find, $300 for the RP91 is a very solid deal (that's what I paid for mine, and I love it, especially since i need the scaling). It's a well built player with very good PQ and decent DVD-A support, but no bass management. I also believe Crutchfield is doing free shipping right now. They have it in both the Champaign (gold) and in standard black.

Hope this helps

 

[Ray Chuang]

ScottMc,

What model monitor will you be using?

Most of the 16:9 aspect ratio projection TV's out there will accept 480p component input, so it's a good idea to invest in a player with decent progressive scan processing. However, do be aware some projection TV's have Faroudja DCDi de-interlacing circuitry built into the TV, so there is no need for 480p output from the DVD player. A good example of this are some Samsung projection TV's that use the TI DLP system (HLN437W, HLN507W, HLN567W, HLM617W).

 

[bernard_m]

Hi,

I just wanted to give you my experience with the RP91. It had great video quality, but the optical laser died after 2 years. It cost $250.00 to get it fixed. You may want to consider the extended warranty or another DVD player.