this is a question in question regarding a new dvd player (1 Viewer)

[Chris_harpua]

i am looking to buy a new dvd player for my home. i am tired of using my ps2 for movies. my budget is about $150 and i want one that has the best picture/sound/reliability for that amount of money.

also, i have a digital camera that records mpgs and i want to be able to back up the movies i record on a disc, i just wanted to know which, if any, players will read plain mpg files on a disc. are there any special things i need to do to get it to work? or can i just burn them and watch them? ive heard about making them into VCDs but am not sure which dvd player reads them the best. thanks alot.

 

[ChuckSolo]

For $150.00 you can get a pretty nice progressive scan DVD player these days. I know CC was advertising a slim Pioneer model this past weekend for $149.95 which is 20 bucks off the regular price. My 2001 vintage Panny DVD player will play .mpg files so I would think most DVD players these days will. I know mine will also read .jpg files too.

 

[Don_Berg]

Unfortunately the cheaper progressive DVD players do not use a good de-interlacer, they will all have some artifacts with different DVD titles. Your best best is a model with the top-rated Faroudja de-interlacer, but the cheapest new model is the Mitsubishi DD-8040 around $250 at Tweeter stores.

 

[Chester II]

Chris dude,

I'm recommending anything from Panasonic in that price range. You didn't say what kind of display you have...I'm guessing a CRT T.V. but I dunno......Faroujda processing is the best but if you have a t.v. under 35 inches in size then it's not necessary.....let us know what your display is....

Dude,

Chester

 

[Chris_harpua]

my tv is a basic 20" panasonic, when it finally dies, ill get something bigger but for the next year or so it's gonna be all i have.

 

[Don_Berg]

Oh that 20" is just a plain analog TV - it can only accept interlaced not progressive scan, so you won't get any better than that PS2. An el-cheapo $50 DVD player is fine for that set.

 

[Chester II]

Dudes,

Don "The Ice Man" Berg is............absolutely correct

Dudes,

Chester

 

[Chris_harpua]

thing is, im planning on upgrading my television either this winter or next spring. i dont wanna buy a cheapo dvd player and then have to get another when i get my new tv. this one is going to be a long term dvd player, something i wont need to upgrade in the near future. i dont plan on spending any more than $150 for it tho, i have no need for a $400 player. i just want one that has progressive scan for when i can use it, can play recordable media and vcds, and that is of decent quality. what is the best place to get reviews on dvd players? ive seen some places have completely opposite views on the same players and it makes it hard to decide on one.

 

[Chester II]

Chris dude,

My old recommendation still holds true. Stay away from Toshiba as i've been hearing and seeing quality control issues. Also consider Samsung or Sony. You will probably be happy with any decent player that supports progressive output (Faroujda or not) and that can play all the R and RW disks you want. Try Amazon.com reviews..works for me usually...most audio visual online magazines review higher-end stuff so it's difficult to find that "top-ten dvd players for under $150.00" review that's current.

Good luck dude,

Chester

 

[Don_Berg]

I'd say just save your money till you get a new digital TV capable of progressive scan. By then new better models may be available and you can save up more money to get a better model. Many of the current models have problems, perhaps they will improve in a year.

 

[DaveGTP]

If you do some hunting on dvdrhelp.com they have a listing of DVD players and their compatibility for VCD/SVCD.

Bare file compatibility is normally a mark of cheap DVD players these days as far as I understand.

Good luck!