Need DVD with front controls and maybe usb input (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Bayne]

Hey guys, I'm a youth pastor and in our activity center we have a Gigrack 300 powered mixer for the sound system. We then use a piece of crap 5 disc changer for playing background music- and the unit is very deep. I need it to be "shallower" to fit in a new cabinet. I was looking at a rack mount pro cd player, but for the money, a dvd player makes a lot more sense. This will not play video, only audio, and it will not be connected to any screen. Also, because of the setup, it would be really nice to have front mounted controls so the remote is not necessary- more than just eject/play/stop- at least also have the > controls. I've noticed that some have usb inputs- would this work for mp3's?? if so that would be great. Looking for less than $100.

Thanks for any suggestions!
jeff

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Hi Jeff,

I’m afraid your budget’s a bit unrealistic. It’d be hard to find a decent used rack-mounted CD player for that price, much less a new one. I did find this Gemini model, however. Not the most reputable brand and it has all kinds of controls and gizmos that non-DJs won’t have a use for.

There’s no reason to get a DVD player if you don’t have a need for the video capabilities. Rack-mounted DVD payers are expensive - BIG waste of money.

USB is out of the question. No one makes a DVD player or CD player that has one. The Gemini player has a 3.5 mm input for a MP3 player, but a better option would be to just use the player’s headphone jack with a splitter cable and connect it directly to one of the mixer’s inputs.

Your best bet would be to try to pick up a used CD player on eBay from TASCAM or Marantz Professional, or maybe Denon. It would be a much better player for the money than the Gemini. If your budget is firm, then your best bet will be to pawn-shop an older CD player with the front-panel controls you need, and use a rack-shelf to set it on.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[LanceJ]

Welllllllllllll.....actually there are dvd players and at least one CD player I know of* that include a USB port:

Four at Busted Buy; includes a Philips, an LG and two Samsungs. All under a hundred clams.

Pioneer also sells a dvd player, the DV-420V, with a USB input AND a full set of front-mounted controls, including menu navigation buttons (cool!) which is really rare nowadays. MSRP is $89. FYI: this player can rip CDs to the USB drive, a feature I've never seen before.

Speaking of relatively shallow CD-only changers.........

Pioneer still sells a 6 disc changer using their cartridge system, the PD-M426. I used to sell these at a big-box store back in the early/mid 90s i.e. they have been around a long time, so they should be pretty reliable. MSRP is $200 but I'll bet it's cheaper at most retailers.

Lastly, to add to Wayne's idea of looking in pawn shops, Pioneer and Technics both made mega CD changers in the 90s up to the early 2000s that stored the CDs in a horizontal line along the front of the player, and IIRC such machines were a lot shallower than the carousel types. Here's a Technics.


* Yamaha CD-S700

 

[Justin220]

Hi Jeff, in my opinion, this Eonon one din in dash car dvd player may meet your requirement, with Detachable Front Panel, video function and USB input and cheap price. But I kindly remind you lower than $100 is a little unrealistic. Anyhow, you can take a look:
eonon - one din in dash car dvd player - detachable face

 

[sestamuch]

For what you need, either go to bestbuy or get something used to fit your needs.