A good cheap DVD/MP3 player

[NES_Master]

After reading a few reivews on Walmart's $30 Durabrand DVD player, I thought it'd be a nice little addition to my new system. However the first two DVDs I've tried in it are unplayable. At first it just has minor skips, but then it basically totally locks up. So I just have a faulty unit or have the newer ones gone down hill? I tried briefly to set it to region free but nothing seems to work. I assume mine uses fairly new firmware which might be partly the problem.

I have a Panasonic DVD Recorder, so I'm not looking for an awesome player, just something that has a nice tree view for MP3s(the Pana only gives 01/62...and not all MP3s even showed up). Coax output is really nice on the Durabrand, so another with that would be nice as well...

[classfour]

1. Read the player reviews: Pioneer players typically come out on top for a good reason - they play damn near anything.

2. Expect to spend more than $30 for a decent dvd player. Every $30 player that I have bought was either Exxtttreeemmmely cheap at the time - or disposable.

3. If people say a Panasonic has an H07 or H01 error at 13 months: Believe them - they die a horrific death (an that was the Japan models).

4. Go to the store and feel the thing up. I don't know how many times I've been caught by the help lifting a DVD player and gauging it's quality on the shelf. It has paid off. The last Pioneer that I bought (DV-393, I believe) was manufactured in 07, and was actually MADE IN JAPAN - weighs twice as much as the old Apex it replaced and plays everything.

[NES_Master]

Don't say that about Panasonic! I just lost/replaced my RCA home theater system and I'd rather not lose my DVD recorder as well!

About cheaper models, they just always seem to have better options. I mean I don't always watch movies or anything, but it's nice to actually have something play though when I want to... Dad has a Panasonic 5 disk changer, and it almost NEVER gives him any problems. Funny thing, my recorder does tend to act up now and then with his disks...

I found a Pioneer DV-393-S on Walmart.com. I really would like to get something locally so I can return it... Perhaps I'll check it out and swap for it. Man...and now I kind of wish I'd gotten then Pioneer receiver rather than the Harmon Kadron (I like things to match )

[classfour]

Oddly enough: Panasonic recorders hold up well: I have a DMR-E20 from the early days, and a newer E55 - both record and play well (and appear to be based on computer drives).

I've killed several players - some I even liked until they died.

But I learned my lesson. I went back to Pioneer (had an ancient DV343 that was great!)

[NES_Master]

That's what I have, an ES20. Dad has that 5 disk changer as well as a recorder with a 100GB drive(I forget the model but the front is practically identical to the ES20). For some reason both of his seem to play DVDs better than mine. Though the DVDs that skipped in the Durabrand definetly worked on my ES20...

Computer parts? Hehe, I'll have to look into mine again sometime. I popped it open in hopes to find an IDE based drive :P.

Hmm...anyway, I might look into this Pioneer. I was really hoping to stay under $40...

[NES_Master]

I ended up going with the Philips DVP3960. So far it seems to be a great little player. It sits nicely on top of my Panasonic ES20 and seems to play DVDs the Durabrand wouldn't. I don't think the audio's quite as crisp using coax as with the Durabrand, but I'd sacrifice that any day over compatibility. Plus it has 1080i/720p and HDMI output for when I can actually use it :P