Help picking DVD Player (1 Viewer)

[Zach Murez]

I am looking for a new DVD player. I don't know a lot about Home Theater and I was hoping that the experts here could send me in the right direction. The DVD player will be used with a standard TV using S-Video or Composite Video or Component Video. Tell me what I should use. I plan to get a HD TV in the next couple of years so I want a DVD player that will provide the best picture on both TVs. I do have a Sony Receiver that will handle the sound. I would also like the player that can play DVD-Audio if possible. My wifes car has DVD-Audio in her car and it would be nice to have the option in the house. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Zach

 

[Zach Murez]

Over 30 views and no replies? Somebody please help. I know there are some experts on this forum. Please don't let me make a mistake.

Zach

 

[ChuckSolo]

Zach, sorry no one has answered. Welcome to the forum. Your question is kinda ambiguous and I guess the best answer would be ANY DVD player on the market meets your criteria. Most players today will play DVD-Audio although the analog HI-Resolution soundtrack on DVD-A will only play back on those players and receivers having 5.1 analog inputs/outputs. Asking what you should buy is hard to answer since you don't say how much or how little you are willing to spend. Further, once someone makes a recommendation, conflicting opinions are bound to follow and could confuse even more.

Without recommending any brand of player I would say get a player with all the outputs, composite, s-video, component and DVI/HDMI. This way your player will be compatible with any HDTV you should decide to buy. You might want to get a player that handles both DVD-A and SACD discs too. There are plenty of player on the market that meet all your needs, you can spend as little as 100 bucks for one or the sky's the limit.

 

[Chris Sherman]

Pioneer DV-578A-S.Available at circuit city and best buy or online 30 day money back guarantee, free shipping $129 from Audioadvisor.com . Good machine and plays DVD- Audio and SACD.

 

[Zach Murez]

Thanks for the replies.

Chuck,
From the research that I have done it looks like I should be able to get what I want for about $125. I would be willing to spend $250 max. I think conflicting opions would help me learn more of the options and lingo. I have heard that DVD players look bad on really nice TVs. I assume that the DVD player can have some impact on that and I figure that doing my research now will pay off in the end.

Chris,
I checked out Consumer Report for DVD players and the Pioneer 578 was ranked very high and played DVD-Audio. Although I don't remember the "S" on the end. Then I went to check the reviews on Amazon and became scared. There were multiple people thaht had had problems. Do you have one and have you had any problems?

Thanks and please keep the comments coming,
Zach

 

[Chris S]

Zach,

You may want to think about going with a "temporary" player that is lower in price but still has the basic features you need. By the time you decided to upgrade to an HD set HD-DVD and/or Blue-ray should be on the market. My opinion would be to save the extra money and use it toward a later upgrade to match your new display.

Chris S.

 

[Zach Murez]

Chris,
That is not a bad idea. The pioneer 578 is not that expensive and appears to be decent. Is that a unit that you would suggest?

 

[Chris S]

Actually I've never seen that player in person and I don't like to recommend things without firsthand knowledge. Looking at the benchmarks from Home Theater and High Fidelity DVD shootout it appears the player gets a decent score of 65. So if I had to recommend one blindly from your needs/wants I would say the Pioneer is a good choice.

Chris S.