Tons of features, great picture.

None so far.

This is my first progressive scan DVD player, but I really shopped around and compared prices and features for quite a while before I chose the SD4700. I''ve got it hooked up to my new Mitsubishi 46" widescreen, and the picture is fantastic!

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD1600

Video resolution.

Awkward remote.

I bought this unit after quite a bit of research of reviews, spec.s, etc. As this is my first DVD player, I have nothing to compare, but I am still amazed at the video performance of this unit! I have a 32" Wega XBR, and the resolution with the SD4700 is incredible. My only gripe is with the remote. I think the controls could''ve been a bit more "intuitively" located. Also, it won''t control the Wega.

features versus cost; user interface simple and easy

mild chroma bug, not a Sage/Faroudja chipset

This is a solid player. Upgraded to progressive from a Toshiba 1600. No problems whatsoever on playback. Simple hookup. DVD-A sounds excellent to my untrained ears. Video represents noticeable improvement over non-progressive, most DVDs are extremely film-like on my Pioneer 533 HDTV. Flexible output

Price, dvd audio?

very unreliable

This player sucks. I recently bought a Toshiba 57 inch HDTV and was extremely excited to plug this bad boy in and was very disappointed. The audio worked but the video didn''t. I used both s-video and coax (yellow) connections but neither worked so I took it back and got another one. Guess what, that one had the same problem so at that point I thought it was my tv so I plugged it into one of my other tv''s and the same problem occured. I wanted to scream. All I wanted to do was use the progressive scan mode on my new HDTV. I took it back to best buy and got another one. This time I made them plug it in and make sure it worked, and it did. I took it home and it worked for the first night but the next morning it crapped out again. I once again tryed it on another tv and the same thing, sound but no vision. I finally learned my lession and bought the dvd I had origionally wanted the Sony DVP NS700P and was not disappointed. What a great player for the price. I didn''t buy the sony because of the awful silver finish that only matches a small percentage of tv''s. I hope other people who buy this unit don''t have the problems I did. Footnote: best buy stated they have seen several of these units returned and needed to be "realigned".

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP NS700P

Beautiful picture

Freezes DVD''s

Just bought the Toshiba SD 4700. Great Picture on my Mits 45 inch TV. Only problem I have is that DVD''s freeze. If it continues I will be taking it back.

Progressive scan, DVD-Audio capability, adjustable picture, Built-in Dolby digital decoding, also plays CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, Video-CD, and DVD-R. Supports CD-Text. Nice NAVI menu, ZOOM

No HDCD. Not really a big deal.

This player has the features you would expect from much more expensive players. For those who don't want to spend their life's savings on a DVD player but want something that offers the full spectrum of features and the proven track record of a company like Toshiba then this player is an excellent choice.

Like some other people on this board, I've also used this player for several months without any problems. Not surprising given Toshiba's reputation for reliable products. The same cannot be said for either Sony or JVC. Panasonic's RP-56 was promising but lacked DVD-Audio. While I could list all the features of this player (and there are many) you can just as easily obtain them from Toshiba's website. Instead, I would like to discuss my impressions of the player itself as I believe this to be much more valuable than a list of technical specifications.

As an audio enthusiast I can sympathize with those who want this player to be their primary audio player. However, to be fair, I don't think that this was the idea behind it. First and foremost this is a DVD-Video player and is the ideal centerpiece to any home theater system.

I have owned 2 DVD players in the past and the difference with progressive scanning is considerable to my eyes. I see a less flickery, sharper, less jaggy, and more vibrant picture. The wonderful imagery in "The Thin Red Line" and in some scenes of "Gladiator" look incredible. Fast moving objects do not lose their focus. This was especially visible in the beach scene on "Saving Private Ryan". The picture difference can even be seen when switching video modes on this player alone (between interlaced and progressive via the remote). Therefore I feel that the extra money paid is worth the price even if only for the wonderful picture quality. Still, the price remains very affordable.

While the DVD-Audio with it's higher bitrate/sampling frequency clearly does sound better than regular CDs (more details can be heard vs. same disc on regular CD plus you can have 6 channels instead of 2), I consider this an accessory to my CD player and not a replacement. DVD-Audio discs are still few and far between and are about 2 times the price of a regular CD. A wonderful feature for those "special" albums you love the most (if you can find them). CD sound is above average thanks to this players enhanced audio capabilities but I still like my 5 disc changer for its specific purpose and design.

I have heard some arguments that this player performs some unusual decoding. The manual outlines the decoding in each mode for each output very well. With all of its features you do have to change modes (bitstream, 6ch audio, or PCM) via the menu for different types of audio and outputs. This is not a big task and can be done very quickly with the remote. For movies and CDs leave it in bitstream or PCM and have a coaxial or optical connection to your receiver. Most new receivers will detect what kind of digital signal is coming down the pipe and will automatically switch between DTS, Dolby Digital, or Pro Logic. For DVD-Audio (which I use occasionally and the only time I have to play with setup) just put it in 6ch audio mode. You need 3 stereo RCA cables to use with the 5.1 outputs. Your receiver needs 5.1 inputs and some kind of "external decoder" mode that tells it to use these inputs. Press a few buttons and you have DVD-Audio working! Nothing to it.

I have played CD-Rs and CD-RWs with no problems (including the 700Mb CD-Rs) without a hitch. I liked the fact that it showed me the track names (first 8 characters) instead of just track numbers for MP3's and CDs with CD-Text although I don't play MP3s very much - I usually burn them in standard CD format so I can play them in my other CD players or in my car.

As metioned in another review, the player looks very good with its scrolling display that fades in and out between messages and the blue LED light. Build quality appears solid and all connectors are gold plated. I've had the player going nonstop for 3 full-length DVD movies in a row and never did the player stall or even get hot.

If you factor in the build quality, reliability, the large array of features, the video quality, and the audio enhancements for a very respectable price then you really can't lose with the SD4700. It beats the rest (relatively speaking). Just remember you are buying a DVD player, not a wonder-gadget to replace all gadgets that does everything for you. Otherwise it would be called the HAL 9000.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, JVC, Panasonic

Excellent Audio/Video Quality
Excellent Disc Loading Time

Noisy Disc Transport (ie: lots of tray noise)

I'm impressed with this unit, Toshiba SD-4700, the video performance is outstanding. However, it's still plagued with the Chroma Bug (thanks to Zoran) - the error ratio doesn't compare to the older generation players, you have to look for it (hard!).

One thing that annoys me about this player (maybe it's just mine??) is how noisy the disc transport is, it reminds me of the older Pioneer Series (excluding my DVL700, it supports LD/DVD) and it can be heard across the room - I might just exchange it on another one.

I've had no problems playing CDR/CDRW SVCD discs or MP3s. Now the MP3 menu is horrible, pathetic 8.3 file name makes it hard to figure out what song/album you're playing. Yes, it supports folders. If you're wanting a DVD player for MP3 playing, the Pioneer DV434 and Samsung Nuon players hold this title.

The Toshiba SD-4700 is a excellent Video/Audio DVD Player. Like I mentioned earlier, it has the Chroma Bug (you have to look hard for it) and less noticeable than other players on the same shelf it's sitting next to. The best video test for Chroma Bug testing, Toy Story:Chapter 4 - Look at the RED colors (it's a simple test that anybody can do without buy high dollar equipment). The Toshiba SD-4700, performed excellent with this test, unlike several other NEW DVD Players I've worked with.

My rating for this specific player would be a 4. In this case, Toshiba/Zoran have made improvements of the upsampling code and have resolved (somewhat) Chroma issues seen in previous chipsets. Now if Toshiba would lose the Zoran and go with the Sage Chipset (what Panasonic uses, Sage Chipset doesn't have Chroma Bug issues), they atleast FIX problems and release the updates in the same DVD player line. =)

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD-1200
Pioneer DVL-700 DVD Flagship Model (1997)

I had a couple of emails about my previous review and wanted to clarify. I used an optical cable for DTS and DD but used audio cables for the DVD-A. I did find that speaker level management is a problem for DVD-A using audio cables. Mostly the levels match pretty well for me, but I can imagine a need to equalize speakers for someone using speakers from different manufacturers.

DVD-audio, Progressive scan, Remote control so easy to use.........the best DVD player on the market for $249

None

The best DVD I ever seen for $249. I would recommend this DVD player for anyone who wants to have progressive scan and DVD-audio. And I think this is a must have DVD player for everyone. For DVD-audio, the sound is so warm just like you are sitting right in the middle of the concert. The picture is way sharper than from Sony. I don't know about quality for this model but I have bought 2 Toshiba DVD players before and never had any quality problem. So I hope this one will do the same. If you don't believe me just give it a try for a week. You will love it. THIS IS A MUST HAVE DVD PLAYER.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba SD 1700, Toshiba SD 2705, Sony C650

Sharp progressive scanning, DVD-Audio, DVD-R, MP3 compatible

MP3's burned to CD-RW don't work well

I replaced a nice Toshiba SD-6200 with the SD-4700 and I couldn't be happier! The progressive scan looks great when paired with my TW40X81. It also plays DVD-Audio and MP3's! The SD-4700 uses the Zoran Vaddis V chip, which as far as I can tell, is free of any chroma bugs. When I was shopping around, I also looked at the Panny RP56 and RP91. The RP56 lacked features and the RP91 was too expensive. This is currently the best bang for the buck. The SD-5700 adds HDCD support for an extra $50 or so.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP-S7000
Toshiba SD-5109, SD-6200