Price Paid:  $140.00 from Costco

Summary:
The worst consumer electronic item I've ever owned. Basically, it doesn't play DVDs with any reliability. CDs play fine, its just DVDs that skip and pause a lot.

Strengths:
Good sound, good picture, nice set of features.

Weaknesses:
Incessantly skips and pauses. I don't know if I've ever been able to watch a movie all the way through without any pauses. Some DVDs seem better than others. Some DVDs just won't play at all. Also, the machine loads and starts DVDs and CDs REALLY slow. You spend a lot of time waiting for this machine.

Price Paid:  $139.00 from Costco

Summary:
The Good:
Component Video Output
2 sets of RCA Audio Outs
Coaxial & Optical Digital outs
MP3 file names will show up to 14 chacters on TV [very helpful when making a playlist]

Video zoom for folks who don’t like letterboxed amorphic wide screen presentations and prefer to see less of the movie with the press of a button.

Probably safer bet than most other off-brand DVD players for not much more ca$h.

Dual Laser Pickup

Screen Saver

Costco has a great return policy, just in case.

I’d would have given this player a perfect score for it’s price if it had a decent remote and didn’t do the following:

Mono MP3 files play in left channel only [not an issue for most users who play music]

Player locked up with some low quality bit rates and sample rates [not an issue for most users who play music]

Player locked up while setting preferences on menu once. [had to unplug to reset]

Remote control buttons for Up/Down/Left/Right are the in the same rows as other buttons. You will need to turn on a light in a dark room to be sure which is which.

Strengths:
2 sets of RCA audio outs

Weaknesses:
Poorly designed remote

Similar Products Used:
Panasonic V31