Need Standalone Recommendations

[Thadius856]

I'm looking for a new standalone DVD player. Probably either a Panasonic, Sony or OPPO from what I've heard, but I'm flexible.

Backstory: After the death of our last (old, cheap) DVD player, we decided to use our Xbox 360 as our primary player. While it plays games without issue, its DVD playback is horrible. Freshly unwrapped, pressed retail media bring up a few read errors, though all types of burned media fare much worse. It's gotten so bad that many of my DVD copies over 6 months old have degraded just enough to make them basically unplayable on it (though fine in my LiteOn and BTC drives).

Specifics: I need glasses/contacts/Lasik. Without any of them, I can't see HD at any appreciable distance. Hence, I don't own an HDTV. In fact, I use a very nice standard definition CRT - a Sony Trinitron WEGA KV-32FV15. I always copy my retail media for backup purposes, so that's a big concern to me. I currently use Taiyo Yuden DVD-R (TYG03 - yay!), though I'm slowly phasing out some of my TDK (I forget - decent), Fujifilm (FUJIFILM03 - eh), and Memorex (misc, EWW!) media. I do not use VCD or any derivative thereof. I don't watch PAL or non-Region 1 DVDs. I use Media Center and two nice computer surround sound setups to play music instead, though I might try out DVD audio some day... maybe. I don't own any VHS or LaserDisc.

Priorities: STRONG READING CAPABILITIES! A good name brand like those mentioned above, not Coby, Durabrand, etc. Price is a big point. I plan to buy online, so sales help - as do free shipping or no sales tax (California). Lastly, a reputable seller - not eBay or WeStealYourIdentity.com.

Thanks much for the help in advance!

[Krispy Kritter]

For basic DVD playback as you've outlined above, pretty much any DVD player would meet your needs, even the cheap and generic models. You are already using quality media, so you shouldn't have playback issues with any half decent player. The biggest decisions for a player purchase are typically cost, name brand preference, and options (such as region free). You've already eliminated all of the major options most users are looking for, and even $20 Coby units like you already mentioned should play quality media without issue.

There are numerous threads here discussing which models are best and asking for recommendations, so you can gleen more than enough thoughts and information from them to assist your decision. But again, ANY player can handle the basic task of playing your discs.

I personnally recommend the Oppo units. They are consistently at the top of the video quality chart and support most of the common options that you don't care about. They are worth it for the image quality alone.

On a side note, it sounds like there is an issue with your Xbox. Overall, they are quite good DVD players and although ours is used as a gaming system, we have played a few DVD's on it without any issues.

[jman98]

Wow. A post from a new user that actually contains very detailed and useful information when asking for help. I am shocked. Good for you, Thadius856.

Krispy Kritter is right.

Philips makes a variety of cheap players that would work for your needs. Philips quality control can be suspect though, so if you see a model you like, definitely look for reviews on it before buying.

I can't recommend Sony. They aren't what they used to be, although your lack of interest in VCD and non-region 1 DVDs does put them in the game. They can probably meet those needs. Oppo is said to make great players, but they start at about $170 - probably overkill for your needs. I have no experience of any kind with Panasonic. My brother owned a Sony DVD player in the past and I sure wouldn't buy one based on that, nor has he ever bought another one.

[orsetto]

Bear in mind many if not all of the newer players, name brand or otherwise, priced below $150, are considered to be "disposable" products by their mfrs. Many have longstanding weaknesses in drive motors, laser guidance, etc., that the factories don't bother upgrading because they expect you to buy a new player every 18 months.

That said, if your priority is reading ability, Panasonic is hard to beat. I have an ancient midrange model DVD-RV31 from 2001 that will bravely attempt to play the most damaged of rental discs, and it succeeds fairly well most of the time. It even plays discs that my PC with fancy new burner gives up on reading! It also plays every conceivable brand or type of burned media I throw at it. Panasonic is the biggest booster of DVD-RAM media, so their current lineup of players can handle that as well. I'm not fond of Panasonic's recorders, and their players may be "middle of the road" in overall audio/video performance, but I like them because they never give up: a damaged or flaky commercial disc that would freeze most players and recorders will usually keep playing in a Panny, albeit with picture breakup in the bad spots. Pretty cool. Like most current players they are built to a price, and they're notorious for drive breakdowns within a year of purchase. Buy the most affordable model, and throw your pocket change into a piggy bank so you're prepared if it breaks down in a year or two.

[Krispy Kritter]

Everyone's experience and opinions will vary. Even cheap "disposable" players that get a lot of bad press can be very dependable. My very first DVD player, a Panasonic purchased in 1998, is still alive and well and used daily by my nephews, although it does have read issues with worn discs. It was replaced in 2000 by a JVC, which is still kicking in the family room. The JVC was replaced by the notorious Philips DVP-642 in August of 2004 to provide Divx support. A few months later I purchased a 2nd 642 for use on my office TV. Both are still in use and function without any issues. In December of 2005 I purchased an Oppo 971 to go with my new HD TV. It has also performed flawlessly and of all the players that I've used, it is the one I would most recommend. None of these players have had any significant disc reading issues. The few issues that I recall having were the result of using cheap low quality media or simply damaged discs.

My point here is that, regardless of anyones views or preferences expressed here, any player has the potential of a long and useful life. It doesn't matter if it's a cheap $30 player (like my Philips 642's) or an expensive player (the Oppo). My purchases were always dictated by specific features I wanted at the time, such as Divx support or video quality when I purchased my HD TV. The deciding factor when purchasing a player is typically cost and features. Since you don't want/need any of the common features, simply purchase whatever is in your price range.