Price Paid:  $200.00 from eBay

Summary:
I bought this model as an entry-level player (my reference had been, and still is to some extent, LaserDisc). I've used it for two years now and it has performed flawlessly. I have NEVER seen (heard?) the lip sync problem on any of the 200 DVDs I own, including the Matrix and some other known buggers. The video performance isn't the best and newer players can easily beat it, however, the picture quality is very good for such a basic player. There are some minor MPEG artifacts visible from low-bitrate DVDs such as the vanilla Fifth Element, but its Superbit version looks stunning. It has the chroma up-sampling bug/error but most of the time it's not really noticeable unless I'm watching cartoons or Toy Story 1 or 2. The audio performance is good, but a bit thin and flimsy. I prefer to use the player as a transport and my Marantz DP-870 as the DAC. Sounds much more full and fluid to me that way. Otherwise, a solid machine for very little money

Strengths:
Very, very cheap basic player! Can be had on eBay for $40 to $75 bucks. The Macrovision (analog video copy protection) can be easily defeated for those with projectors or TVs that show geometric distortion due to it. The region coding can also be easily defeated.

Weaknesses:
Terrible, terrible remote control layout. No back-lighting and all the buttons are the same basic size and shape. Not able to output a DTS bitstream from DVDs (but has no problem with DTS-encoded CDs). Mine absolutely will not play CD-Rs or CD-RWs, while others have reported some success.

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer Elite DV-09, Pioneer Elite DV-38A, Pioneer Elite CLD-97 (modified), Pioneer Elite LD-S2 (modified), Pioneer Elite CLD-59, Yamaha CDC-735 CD player (transport), Marantz DP-870 Dolby Digital

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Now

Summary:
Failed to track several DVD rental movies during the firt months of ownership. Finally took it back. After repair(?), it seemed to work better. Now, after warranty is out, it is dead.

Voice/video synchronization frequently did not match.

Not a good experience. I probably got to watch about 10 movies total. Counting rental, $35 cost per title?

Strengths:
Cheap

Weaknesses:
Sound synchronization, reliability, confusing remote.

Price Paid:  $700.00

Summary:
I have never had any trouble with this player, and I have used it for over 18 months. It delievers crystalclear pictures through the s-video, where I have a monstercable connected to my Panasonic 32" Widescreen Tv 100 hertz.
Another monstercable ( Coax ) connects the player to my Sony DB925 receiver. The sound comes out of 5 Jamospeakers and a Proson 15. active Subwoofer and shakes my house.
A very good Dvdplayer that will continue to play in my house for years to come.

Strengths:
Plays everything. It even plays some cdrw`s I`ve tried though the manual said that it couldn`t. Very easy to make regionfree.

Weaknesses:
The set-up menu. You can`t get access to it without having a dvd inside the player.

Summary:
I have had this player for nearly 18 months and up until November last year was very happy with it. In November I was playing a movie when the screen started to break up and a crackling sound came out of the speakers, this continued for 20 secconds than the drawer opened. The last image was still on the screen and still had lines travelling across it. When the disk was loaded again, the player waited 5 seconds then opened the drawer again. Turning the player off and on had no effect and we had to abandon the movie night.

I sent the player to a local retailer who passed it onto a pioneer repair center. They could find nothing wrong with it. When I got the player back and hooked it up it seemed to play disks without any problems. But 2 weeks later it happened again. This time I contacted the shop I purchased it from (Internet site based in Brisbane) and sent it to them. They used it in their shop for 3 days and could not find anything wrong either.

When I received the player back it failed on the second disk I tried to play. Thinking to was interference from my amp I moved to out of the entertainment unit and this seemed to fixed the problem, UNTIL NOW. In the last week it has not accepted any disk I have put into it. It starts ok but then, as before, broken picture, crackles and drawer opens. I am now facing the the fact that I will have to purchase another player and donate this one to a worthy cause. If anyone has had this problem before and been able to fix it please send me an e-mail and let me know how. I was very pleased with the player up to this point but this problem prevents me giving a 5.

Strengths:
Cheap, region selectable

Weaknesses:
Has developed an annoying problem

Summary:
I like it , but as soon as I have the cash I will get another, more expensive, alot expensive

Strengths:
It has played every disc that I have tossed at it

Weaknesses:
Lip sync problems on SOME movies, and in SOME scenes. It does NOT play CDR, and it says so clearly in the manual and does clearly not play them when you put them in the player.
Doesnt bother me much though, you cant write DVD yet and I have a Phillips CD-751.

Similar Products Used:
none