Price Paid:  $179.00 from Crutchfield

Summary:
Well,

I've had this player now for almost 2 years and I can't say how satisfied I am with its performance. For "$200 & below" dvd players, this one is the "hands down" winner. This past weekend I rented a movie called "Feardotcom". This dvd was so badly scratch, it looked like the previous renters used it as a cleaning "rag". I mean, "scratch galore"! I had my doubts about being able to watch this movie without any hick-ups or skips. BUT, the Sony DVP-NS500V proved me wrong. It played the movie in its entirety flawlessly. I also must mention, this dvd player makes a decent CD player and an "even better" SACD player. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Best bang for the buck for under $200.

Strengths:
-Plays any dvd, CD, SACD (scratch, unscratch), supports almost all current formats.
-Silent transport and operation
-Reasonably priced
-Setup Menu with lots of options/tweaks.

Weaknesses:
-Pause when changing layers can be long, but it also depends on the DVD itself.

Similar Products Used:
Magnavox, Sharp, Sony DVP-NS400V (not bad either...), Integra.

Price Paid:  $207.00 from vanns.com

Summary:
Excellent player and for so little money, both for DVD's, CD's, and needless to say, SACD.

With respect to CD playback, the NS500V has been compared to dedicated CD players with high-end aspirations like the Rega Planet:

http://www.avguide.com/newsletter/AVg_051502/sony_dvp.jsp

I do think its CD playback is really way above what the price of this unit would make you think. It sounds way more refined and natural than my Marantz receiver decoding the digital pcm, and that receiver sounds quite musical already. But in particular for the high frequencies (e.g. saxo, violin), this player excels perceptibly in realism, the sound is more natural, not brash or too digital sounding. SACD sounds just awesome needless to say and for DVD playback with component video, using a 27" wega I find it perfect.

Strengths:
Musicality, not just for SACD but even CD
Very good dvd player.
Excellent menus, easy setup, easy to use
Many connectivity options
Great value overall

Weaknesses:
The only week point I have found is a short delay or pause when the DVD playback switches from one layer of the DVD to another. But it's not a big deal at all. Also it doesn't play mp3, I don't mind that but some people might.

Similar Products Used:
DVD players in desktop PC's.

Price Paid:  $180.00 from Crutchfield

Summary:
Follow up to previous review. WELL! half a point off! Found the remote batteries were dead - in 2-3 months! With new ones....everything copacetic!

Strengths:
As before

Weaknesses:
Original batteries could have lasted longer!

Price Paid:  $229.00 from CrazyEddieOnlineStor

Summary:
I amma post doc fellow onna budget, what can I say? I love music. Listen to lotsa classical and jazz, some gospel. Mix in pop/rock, latin pop, you get the idea. Audioreview.com classified allow me to upgrade my sys, so when the old Pioneer dvd player sorta died on me, I looked around. Here is the entry-level Sony dvd that gives you some sorta SACD play. Hmmm. my sys is still quite average at this point, but why not check it out. Sooo when the player arrived, I hooked it up to my modest JVC recvr, plus some bookshelf type surround speakers, plus a passive subwoofer. DVD are fine. I don't have a progressive scan TV, so don't need that kind of dvd player. CD's sound fine. Better in fact than my previous two cd players, one a Koss and the other something else. SACDs? it's all true what they have been writing. SACD can be so good it gets scary. W surround sacd playback, you begin to think that 16bit cd is like a dated carrier. Then I happened to buy some Perpetual Tech DACs, the p1a plus p3a duo, and used a digital coax cable to let them do the cd processing outta my new sony. Killer music reproduction, with the whole thing sounding incredibly wide frequency, musical, and lotsa sheer presence whether I am playing regular cd, sacd, or dvd movies. DTS music sounds awfully good too, even though it is still the poor cousin of the high res phenom. If you wanna start at entry, this player will be worth your while, though now it is superceded by yet another new model. Lastly, a word about Sony customer service. When I finally got the surround stuff hooked up, i had misplaced my owner manual, and couldn't get the center/back channels to operate. The sony website help advised me to call the phone helpline, and eventually I found myself talking to a live help rep. He sounded like just a kid, but a very friendly and knowlegdable kid. He reminded me that my player was still under warranty tho bought about ten months ago. He guided me to access the custom layers of the menu so that my could specify large speakers on all channels and turn them on. Now the place is filled with music. I just wanna stay home and play with my Sony. It feed quality into a quality sys, no question. Not the highest of high end; just enough better to let you forget equipment and refocus on the music... or the movie.

Strengths:
Affordable dvd/sacd player. Very good sound from cd, dvd, sacd especially. Even viable as transport feeding specialty DACs. Includes adequate DTS and Dolby movie decoding if needed. Reliable mechanical/build quality. Super customer assistance on the call help line from Sony. (Surprise!)

Weaknesses:
No DVD audio. (Lose one star rating) SOny just has to get over it. High res is all goood.

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer, Yamaha, JVC, other typical consumer electronics brands.

Price Paid:  $180.00 from Crutchfield

Summary:
Bought this purely as the cheapest SACD player one can get. As such am utterly delighted. SACD is what CD should have been but never was. Added bonus: this is a VERY competent CD player as well. The first in fact where I don't long to fire up my turntable after 1/2hr or so! Of course it does DVD's as well. Not having seen much DVD I can only say it beats video for PQ. Having hooked the it up to my Dual VCR on one of the Line Out conn's I can record from pre-recorded DVD's straight with better PQ than from Digital TV! Excellent! Metal Tape Cassette recordings from SACD w/no Dolby ARE SUPERB!

Strengths:
Versatility as a player. If this did DVD-A as well.....SACD - vunderbar! Will connect direct to Amplifier and VCR as a stand alone Audio or Video source.

Weaknesses:
If you don't have a monitor TV you'll need an RF modulator to work it. Can't use remote with Stereo or thru VCR. No big'ee for me though!