Price Paid:  $200.00 from costco

Summary:
dvd953at has excellent sound & picture...no skipping as the other reviews noted...

Price Paid:  $239.00 from Costco

Summary:
Called Phillips and they don't have a firmware upgrade
for this model yet. Don't buy it, the pauses make it unwatchable.

Strengths:
Review for 953AT21, Good picture

Weaknesses:
Same problems as previous review, pauses for about 10 seconds every few minutes

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer DV434

Price Paid:  $230.00 from Costco

Summary:
THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR PHILIPS 953AT21 model. An excellent value: progressive scan + support for audio CD, MP3, CD-ROMs, HDCD, videoCD, DVDs. It was my first DVD player and it is set up my expectation level for picture quality: this model has an astinishingly clear and natural-looking picture. The player however paused regulalrly for exactly 10 seconds on pefectly good DVDs. Pauses are not reproducible, but are likely to happen somewehre where they happened in the first place. Called up Philips Tech Support and they suggested trying a different unit which I did and it exhibited exactly the same problem. To give some numbers: it paused 9 times for under 1 second and 34 times for 10 seconds during the movie Heat - I missed most of th eimportant scenes. I was very disappointed and returned the second unit to the store too. Since then I bough a Sony DVD-NS700P and experience no problems, even though I still believe Philips picture was better.

Strengths:
a lot of supported formats, amazingly clear picture

Weaknesses:
frequent random 10 second pauses for dual- and single-layer DVDs. Extremely inconvenient remote (small and poorly designed, no TV functions)

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer DV434, Sony-NS700P

Price Paid:  $320.00 from junglegrove.com

Summary:
As I wrote above, this is my first DVD player, so it's difficult to compare this machine to others that are available.

However, I have been very pleased with this selection. I am playing the machine connected to a Sony Wega fv27fs12 via Silver Serpent component cables from www.bettercables.com.

The picture is amazing. The first DVD I fed it was Gladiator and after I turned on the enhanced 16:9 mode on the TV, it was like watching an oil painting scroll across the screen. There was only one hiccup during the playback of the movie. It paused for a brief second. My friend who was watching the movie turned to me and said, "My DVD player does that too sometimes".

I don't know though, if it was the player or the disk, it was a rental. The next disk I put in was "The Unberable Lightness of Being". It played flawlessly with no hiccups.

It also plays my CD-R's, and the sound is better than my old CD player. But I have had that machine, also a Philips, since 1988. I feel bad putting it into retirement, it has served me well. That's part of the reason that I was inclined to buy the 950.

I also found out, by doing a little snooping on newsgroups, that the 950 is basically the same player as the Loewe Xemix. Here's a good review of the Xemix, which will also tell you with this machine will do. http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/HardwareReviews/Loewe5006/Loewe5006.asp

It seems that Loewe enthusiasts pay over a grand for the same machine with a different face. Possibly that is why Philips doesn't distribute the 950 to most retail outlets here in the states. They probably make more from selling them to other brand names who put on a different face and charge a zillion times more.

On another note, the people at junglegrove.com were great. They shipped for free in a timely manner. Also, it is worth it to pay for good component video cables. S-video is great and a huge step ofer composite, but the picture when using component cables is distinctly better. If you pay $600 for a tv and $320 for a DVD player, why skimp on the cable? I never tried the monster component cables, I ordered some really nice ones from www.bettercables.com

I still have yet to experiment with more of the features on this player but so far I give it a thumbs up.

Strengths:
Options for the value, Ease of use

Weaknesses:
None thus far..

Similar Products Used:
This is my first venture into DVD

Price Paid:  $349.00 from Good Guys

Summary:
I know..I know..if I claim to be an audiofile person..how come I even go inside Good Guys..? well..let me say this..I also am an Engineer..which does his research to death before spending a penny..on ANYTHING...!!

so after I did my home work I found out that basicaly there are two DVD or CD circuit designs that every manufacturer has to use and pay for licensing rights..it's either Sony or Philips.Sony uses single beam & Philips used dual beams one to read music and one to read the video.

I used to own Marantz CD player...which is also owned by Philips..the Marantz Electronics are there high end market product.I currently use Marantz sr7000 a/v reciever.

Number one reason was....it playes almost everything...DVD..Dcd..CD-r..CD-rw..and somehow I got my DVD-audio(units above $800 will play this format) working via(even manual says it can't read that format)...DVD players menue choosing the AUDIO LANGUAGE choice(dolby digital suround) on the player...see...when I bought mine ... you could spend over $700 & still not have CD-R or CD-RW in your machine...do you know anybody that does not burn CD's in this world..?

NO..2
You could update it's reading and memory capacity in future..by just calling the manufacturer...I did..and they are sending me a sofware to upgrate ..FREE..

I could have chosen the Marantz DVD player but same catagory will cost around $700

I listen to jazz (acoustic of course)and classical music..most of the time...my DVD experiences are the usuall suspects...lots of Disney stuff for the kids and some great movies with all the big bangs..but I also go out and buy the new CD music recorded in DTS mode..Big Band..D.Krall..and so on...it sounds JUST GREAT...

You know the model number on mine is just plain 950...
and they don't carry them in the Good Guys or other big electronics anymore...!! may be too good to be true..or other manufacturers paid them not to carry..so they can sell theirs twice the price if it does everything like Philips 950...

I used to own two NAD CD players..each itme after two years I had to simply through them out the window...my first one Denon..same thing .. broke down..after a year..see I play music on the system alsmost..ALL DAY...!!
My system
Marantz SRr7000 a/v,B&W 302's and B&w LM1's(speakers),MIT speaker cables...and Tara Lab Coaxel digital interconnects....bye..

Strengths:
plays everything you feed him

Weaknesses:
takes too long to get going

Similar Products Used:
Sony, Onkyo, Marantz, Nad