Apex AD-1100w... help!

[mojo2185]

APEX AD-1100w
Hi
I need a couple questions answered about this player. I have checked out the reviews on this player but the reviews contradict each other. So can someone please sort this out?!
Question

1: Can it play VCDs and SVCDs on both versions? the 1mb and the 512k versions? And does it play those formats well?

2: Someone on the reviews said it does not support Widescreen... is this true (only one person said this) and does that apply to DVDs also? or just apply backed up VCDs and SVCDs?

3: I know what a region hack is... what's a Macrovision hack? Can adding these hacks damage the player? can they be removed?

4: does it support VCD and SVCD menus? I use VCDEasy to create the menus.

Thanks to anyone who can clear any of this up!
Thanks!
Mojo

[macleod]

I also have the Apex 1100w (1mb version). This cheap little DVD player plays EVERYTHING!

1. I can only talk to the 1mb version. It plays everything XVCD,VCD,CVD,SVCD, DVD, even plays jpg pictures (slide show), and raw mpeg files. I've had no problems

2. Plays widescreen just fine. Actually, it has settings for Panning, normal,. and widescreen with a up to x6 zoom.

3. Macrovision - remember back in the 80's and 70's when you tried to hook two vcr's together and record a commrcial movie and it looked great. They introduced a little thing called macrovision back in the late 80's. If you hook to vcr's together now and record a VHS movie, the color looks bad, lines are waving, etc. It is a security device. When you de-macrovision the DVD player, you can hook your DVD player up to your vcr and record DVD's on it. There is always a chance something can be damaged when doing the hack (the "legal" statement is a firmware upgrade). I did the easy directions for it and my DVD player plays perfectly, just like before (except now I can port it through my vcr and I don't have to worry about where I by my DVD's)

4. I do Star Trek TNG captures from cable and make menus (VCD,SVCD, CVD, XVCD, etc.) using nero and it works fine.

My only complaint is the remote. Its not the best remote in the world. It give you the basic functionality to play stuff. Actually its not a complaint given how happy I am with the rest of the player.

Go to www.nerd-out.com and type in apex. You'll find everything you need to know about the player there.