so far its flawless operation

i have watched at least 15 dvds not one problem with any one so far sound is awesome picture on my pana 32sf36 is beautiful that is all you can ask from a machine in this range.

There is already an entry under CD-Players for the Toshiba SD3109. All the other members of the DVD family are already there.
Specs of SD2109 and SD3109 posted on Toshiba web site at http://www.toshiba.com/tacp/dvd.html.

MSRP prices for SD3109 (US$399) and SD2109 (US$299) down from press
release below.

Original (Jan 7, 1999) press release for models below at
http://www.toshiba.com/tacp/news.html

Below you will find the features of all the DVD players in Toshiba's 1999
product line-up (as of Feb. 5, 1999). I requested this information from
their customer support center. As they said: "all design specifications
and dimensions are tentative and subject to change".

This is the _only_ info. I've got and as I don't work for Toshiba _please_
don't email me your questions on these products. I post this information in
the hope that it will answer many questions (and endless discussions) about
features, etc. My only wish is that, in the future, Toshiba reps who read
these newgroups post this info themselves ;-)

Toshiba's 4th generation players covered are models SD2109, SD3109, SD5109,
SD9000, SD9109. The format of the entries is:

feature = (v1,v2,v3,v4,v5)

where "feature" is the name of the feature as described in Toshiba document and v1,v2, etc are the values for each of the models above in that order, i.e. v1 is for model SD2109, v2 for model SD3109, etc. "y" means yes the model has the feature and "n" means it does not. Here it goes:

feature = (SD2109, SD3109, SD5109, SD9000, SD9109)

Availability dates = (2/99, 3/99, 5/99, 1/99, n/a) (note: SD3109 now due 4/99)
Display = (DVD/CD, DVD/CD, DVD/VCD, DVD/VCD, DVD/VCD)
Video Black Level Exp. = (y,y,y,y,y)
Video D/A Converter number of bits = (10,10,10,10,10)
25 Sector Zoom = (y,y,y,y,y)
Time Search = (y,y,y,y,y)
Spatializer N-202 (tm) = (y,y,y,y,y)
DTS Bitsream output = (y,y,y,y,y)
Audio CD Playback = (y,y,y,y,y)
Dolby AC-3 Output = (y,y,y,y,y)
Composite output = (1,1,1,1,1)
"S" Video Output = (1,1,1,1,1)
Analog Audio Output pairs = (1,1,2,2,2) (note: according to web site should
read (1,2,2,2,2))
ColorStream (tm) Output = (y,y,y,y,y)
Built-in AC-3 decoder = (n,y,y,y,y)
Optical Output = (n,n,y,y,y) (note: according to web site should be
(y,y,y,y,y))
Video CD (VCD) Playback = (n,y,y,y,y)
Twin Tray Playback = (n,y,y,n,n)
Progressive scan = (n,n,y,n,y) (note: models with that feature will be
released when copyright issues are resolved)
Panel Cursor Control = (n,n,y,n,n)
Custom Picture Settings = (n,n,n,y,y)
Jog Shuttle = (n,n,n,remote,remote)
3D-DNR = (n,n,n,y,y)
HDCD Decoding & Filtering = (n,y,y,n,n) (note: see www.hdcd.com for info on
this format)
Remote type = (basic, standard/Fluo, Standard/Fluo, Universal/backlit,
Universal/backlit)
------------------ end of Toshiba document -------------------

Misc: informations:

- all DVD models have 480 lines of resolution max.
- digital audio resolution max. (all models): 24bits/96kHz (Question:
anybody knows if in fact the ouput is really 96kHz or it is downsampled to
48kHz as in most players ? )

The SD3109 should be a very nice player at any price, especially under $400 MSRP. As features and price go it is already 5-stars in my book.

Regards,
Nemo.

This is the SD2108 replacement with the addition of built in Digital decoder, dual trays, HDCD, Video CD, and software upgrades. The price of the 3109 can be had for less than the 2108 it replaces. This machine has every feature imaginable and then some. It is every bit as good as all the hype has suggested.
The picture quality is typical Toshiba excellence. Sharp, detail, accurate, well satuated colors. I observed no artifacts that my 2108 had I am glad the 2108 broke down and I waited for the 3109. The remote is intuitively laid out (and superior to the 2109 remote) as well as the on screen menu system. The dual trays is kind of neat the way it functions, like a sleight of hand magic trick...now you see the disk, now you don't. It has SVideo, composite, and component out. It also has the decoder out for those of you that have DD ready receivers.

The best part of this DVD player is the sound. For CD listeners, the sound is equal and better than most mid-fi standalone players! What the 3109 does extra is that HDCD decoder. The HDCD takes CD up to the next level. The 20 bit coding/decoding over the 16 bit CD is sonically superior. The HDCD rendition of City of Angels CD on the Sarah McLachlan "Angel" cut takes on whole new dimension. There is better resolution, more detail, more air, more passion. I found myself more attentive, startled even at what I heard.In comparison to her "Surfacing" CD, as good as the "Angel" cut is; the HDCD version just raised the bar..not subtl either. I did a direct comparison with the excellent transport in the Denon DCM 560 (with its award winning 20 bit alpha processor). The Denon had good detail and transparency, but again the Toshiba was much more dynamic verging on being live. I cannot wait until DTS starts releasing movies done in HDCD. I am a believer. If the 20 bit HDCD is a taste of what the 24 bit DVD-Audio has in store for us...say bye to CDs.

This is Toshiba's fourth generation DVD. This featured packed DVD delivers the goods, and considering that you can purchase one for under $400, I know there is no competion. The 3109 would more than satisfy my needs and hold me down for at least a year until the DVD-Audio fiasco gets sorted out. If anyone is interested where I got mine, email me.

Test system:
52" RCA rear projection
McIntosh MC 300 amps
McIntosh C-38 preamp
NAD 208
Parasound HCA 1000A
Sony TAE 9000 ES preamp
Denon DCM 560 CD
WireWorld Polaris speaker cables for the front
Audioquest F-16 flat speaker cables rears
WireWorld Silver Digital interconnect
WireWorld Starlite SVideo connector
JPS supercondutors interconnects
Martin Logan ReQuest
NEAR 50 ME II Ard mains
NEAR Genoa center
Definitive Tech BP2X surrounds

Surprisingly detailed sound.

Front panel controls require considerable patience.

This may seem insane, but I bought the SD3109 for audio CD's only, because of its ability to decode HDCD's and audio DVD's. It replaced an older but higher-end Denon CD player, and I can't believe the improvement in the detail and imaging. Really. Those of you who have the experience of smiling and shaking your head as new sounds unexpectedly emerge from familiar discs will know what I mean...the joy of better-than-expected improvement is what makes home entertainment gear so alluring.
However, selecting a particular track from the front panel skip-forward button is nothing less than a nightmare, because the display can't keep up with you. It works better from the remote, but who needs another remote? Rather than aiding you see what you're doing, the display always seems to be scrolling self-congratulatory messages or offering a row of desperate hyphens. Very "Japan meets Microsoft". The player also beeps every time you push a button, and turns itself off after a while. Call me a rebel, but I'd prefer to take responsibility for knowing whether I've pushed a button, or when I'd like to turn things off (never).
I paid C$500 for this unit, but I'm curious as to whether these low-ball mail order sites people are using can ship to Canada without inducing so many surcharges that the exercise is futile. Any tips?
All in all, the sound of this box is well worth the minor interface issues. And I understand you can also use it to play movies or something...

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No DVD players: many, many CD players.

DD Decoder,price

doesn't play CDR,CDRW

Great sound w/ DD decoder, the difference from
dolby pro logic is tremendous, excellent value
great picture

played 10 dvd videos w/o any problems

hdcd's sound great, audio cd's sound
as good as a mid fi player, but not any better

This is my first DVD player. Since I have children , the parental lock is an awesome feature.

Good picture , but really can't tell a difference between this and my laser disk. New advances in technology from the dvd's itself to select menu and chapters. The stop button; to be able to return to your place in the movie instead of pausing with the frame showing on your tv. Output's; direct to my tv as well as my Pro-logic receiver. Recommend this to anyone as there first experience to great picture and Home Theatre .I'm sure there are many more as I learn of what this unit can do.

None that I can tell. Some reviews say that loading is slow , but if you're about to sit and watch a movie for two hours or more , what's a few extra seconds ? Some say the remote (it's not a universal remote) , there is a fast forward function ! Find it !

Please read the user's manual. It's very helpful.

Excellent product so far. With time maybe I'll visit again and do a follow-up report.

Good DVD player to start your first home theatre.

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Zoom, Picture, Sound, Remote

Slow to load comapared to the Panasonic

I'm actually reviewing the SD-2200 which is the direct replacement for the SD-3109. I couldn't find any differences between the 3109 and 2200, except for the remote. Toshiba has obviously heard the complaints and acted. The remote now has separate buttons for fast forward and reverse, instead of having to hold down the skip buttons. It also has a movable joystick for menu navigation and selection.

I previously used the Panasonic as stated above for 6 months. The main reason I wanted the Tosh was for the zoom feature. I have a TW40X81 16:9 widescreen TV which obviously does a great job with widescreen DVD's. However on 2.35:1 movies you do still get black bars, although they are much smaller. Sometimes I would like to get rid of them and with the zoom you can do this. You do sacrifice some sharpness but at least you have the option if you want it. It's also fun to pause the movie and zoom to level 3 (highest level of zoom), to try and see small details that you would otherwise miss. Yes, it's a bit of a 'wow' feature, but fun all the same.

The picture is the same quality as the Panasonic - I can't tell any difference, they are both excellent. But, I did try a disc that on one scene gave me some pixelization on the Panasonic, and the Toshiba played it perfectly. I thought originally it was just a flaw on the disc.

I wasn't prepared for how good the sound was. I can hear things with the Tosh that I couldn't hear with the Panasonic. I'm running the sound through the identical setup (Yamaha DD5.1/DTS receiver and 6 speakers) so I know I'm comparing apples to apples. The separation of the sound is also better all around. You are much more aware of the direction sounds are coming from.
(I'm not sure if the better sound has anything to do with the fact this machine can decode HDCD's - I don't think so, as according to the manual, the HD sound is not passed through the digital outputs.)

Dual-disc feature is nice to have, but I can't honestly say I would miss it (actually, it would probably load faster without it). I would have bought the entry level SD-1200 without the dual-disc as it has the zoom, but because of my receiver configuration I needed the optical out which the 1200 did not have. Toshiba should have added that jack to the 1200 when they redesigned the 2109.

Overall highly recommended, but if you don't need the optical out or the built-in Dolby Digital decoder, I would save some cash and get the SD-1200.

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Panasonic A-120

Price reduced. Just knew that they discontinue this product line.

Not use it yet.

Just got it around $217.11 including S&H already at www.mercata.com using 20% mercata cash promotion for new user. You still have time until 04/25/00. Hurry if you are going to buy this unit.

Because the unit is not coming in yet, I'll give a review later. However, as I own Pioneer DV-525, the tray sounds so loud unless you have a clear and closed cabinet for it.

This site is invaluable for me as I just bought a complete home theatre system based on various reviews of certain brands. Thanx.

Anyway, like other reminder, please just don't base on reviews too much, try audition or demo all units by yourself to prove it as well. Based on the price I got right now, it's value is definitely 5.

Good Luck searching for all,
Budgeter

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Pioneer DV-525 code free

5.1 Outputs, Bitstream, Optical, Dual Tray, DTS, Video Outputs

Remote is not backlit

I must say that I am SHOCKED at some of the reviews I have read. I have had this player for close to a year now with no problems to report. Sure, if I put a dirty disc in it will screw up a bit, but clean it and it is fine. I can detect the layer switching, but no big problem. The picture quality is great. I use my Outlaw 1050 decoder for sound, so I won't comment on it's built in decoder.

Basically, this product has provided reliable service for 9 months, and show no signs of stopping. I have NEVER had a disc error upon insertion or during a movie. I have had skips on some really dirty dvd's, but if I clean them....it works fine. Flawlessy in fact. I don't rent many, but the few that I have looked like hell, but played fine. Fine scratches were okay, but it does NOT like smudges.

The remote is kind of a downer because it is bulky and not backlit.

For those of you who think that there is no fast forward scan, I urge you to read the owners manual, especially before posting reviews and telling folks that it the player is incapable of scanning. If you press and HOLD the skip forward/back button, it will scan at 2x, 4x and 8x.

Other reviewers say the unit is cheaply built. I disagree. I have seen dozens of players in the stores and these seem just as good or better than most players in its class.

I feel like I am trying to defend the player, and I don't reallly want to do that. There seems to be a lot of people who have had problems with it. Fortunately for me, mine has been problem free....and I am very picky. I bought mine very late in 1999, so maybe they had the problems ironed out by then. A lot of people have bought this DVD player, so I guess that explains some of the problems.

Anyway, I really don't think you will find a better player in the $300 range.

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None

Excellent input/output design, HDCD decoding

Extremely Poor Construction

Purchased the unit about 13 months ago. The various input/output options, plus HDCD decoding made this unit appealing.

Every once and a while the unit wouldn't recognize the disk, however this usually cleared up on the second try. Otherwise the unit sounded fine and worked well - that is up and until last night. The unit dropped dead - the dreaded "insert disk" message kept appearing. I opened the unit to see if there was anything obviously wrong. There wasn't except that I have never seen such a flimsy setup. To give you an idea of how bad the construction was - the wiring was "glued" to the contact points in many cases and fell of once a piece was moved, the disk carrier was flimsy plastic. Now I know I wasn't purchasing a true high end unit for $399, but give me a break - I wasn't expecting a toy either - Toshiba should be ashamed!

After checking some of the reviews here - I decided the only sane thing to do was bite the bullet and consign the 3109 to the recycling bin - it probably is better off being melted and comimg back as an expensive Toddlers Toy - at least then it would be living up to its potential.

I replaced it with a HK DVD5 which I am listening to now - a little more expensive - but it feels solid and sounds great!

The other parts of the system are:

Yamaha RX-V995 (main room)
Various AR High Output Speakers (main room)
Yamaha Subwoofer
Technics SL1800-MK2 Turntable (still running great 18 years later)

Yamaha RX-V495 (bedroom)
NHT Speakers (bedroom)

Technics SX-D930 Reciever or Heater depending on your point of view in Sons Room see some of the reviews on this item if you don't believe me
Infinity Speakers

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