Hi all. Thanks to Baldrock's DVDit tutorial, I managed to create my own DVD last night. Then I tried putting it in my PS2 to watch it. I should have known better...

So as you all might have guessed, I'm looking for a DVD Player. From the reviews on this site, the Apex AD-5131 seems to be the do-all player, with a great price. I've also searched through the forums, and found information on the firmware hacks, problems with the remote, and more importantly, discrepencies in the Serial #.

I am wondering, will the SN# make a big difference on the firmware upgrade (i.e. possible/impossible), or is it just the same no matter what SN# I'll have on my Apex? I was going to ask if there's a way to check the serial # before buying, but the only way I could think of is to go into the store itself, instead of buying online. Kind of tough for me since I work in NJ, don't get into NY until about 8:00, and J&R closes 7:30.

If anyone has an idea, I'd appreciate any input. I also want to thank you all for the great information I was able to look through via search (links to www.nerd-out.com, firmware updates, compatibility). Now instead of wondering about 5 different issues, I'm only wondering about 1. Thanks.