Best and cheapest standalone DVD player

[riahc3]

Hey

My family is looking for a cheap standalone DVD player. Features would be:

- Reads anything (CD-R to DVD+RW DL and everything inbetween)
- Divx/Xvid support
- USB support
- Supports all standards (Talking about DVD wise such as menus, etc)
- Network (ethernet/wifi) would be nice but I understand that is pretty expensive
- NTSC/PAL support
- 120V/240V support
- Updatable (eg it can read CodecX 1 when I buy it but CodecX 2 comes out. I can update it to read CodecX 2 as well). This is almost impossible but oh well
- HDD but also this would be expensive as well

Thanks

[redwudz]

I'd look at a Philips 5990 as it has most of those features and is fairly cheap. It's easy to attach a external HDD to it via USB.

[riahc3]

I'd look at a Philips 5990 as it has most of those features and is fairly cheap. It's easy to attach a external HDD to it via USB.

It looks pretty nice 240V version?

[redwudz]

It's commonly sold in Europe, so I'm sure there is a 240V version. I believe it's the 5990/12. The US version sold here, the 5990/37, goes for about $60US. There are also a couple of threads on those players and mods for them: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic355440-30.html

[riahc3]

It's commonly sold in Europe, so I'm sure there is a 240V version. I believe it's the 5990/12. The US version sold here, the 5990/37, goes for about $60US. There are also a couple of threads on those players and mods for them: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic355440-30.html

Thanks. There is even a store in my town that carries it Im gonna wait for some other opinions but thank you

[redwudz]

If the 5990 has a downside, it's that it's cheaply built, but I've had good luck with them. Keep your packaging material till the warranty expires.

If you want a higher quality DVD player that has some of the same features, then Oppo has some great players, but a bit more expensive. You can buy several Philips for the price of one Oppo: http://www.oppodigital.com/

[riahc3]

If the 5990 has a downside, it's that it's cheaply built, but I've had good luck with them. Keep your packaging material till the warranty expires.

If you want a higher quality DVD player that has some of the same features, then Oppo has some great players, but a bit more expensive. You can buy several Philips for the price of one Oppo: http://www.oppodigital.com/

Define "cheaply built"
Can you believe this DVD player (DVP5990/12) costs $137.29 (99 euros) here?

[jman98]

- Updatable (eg it can read CodecX 1 when I buy it but CodecX 2 comes out. I can update it to read CodecX 2 as well). This is almost impossible but oh well

This is an impossible requirement. Codec support has to do with the playback chip used in the player. Only under very rare conditions can a firmware upgrade allow you to play something not supported in the past. That only happens if the chip always supported the codec but the old firmware wouldn't play it and the new firmware will.

[pepegot1]

I use the Cyberhome 300s. It reads any region-PAL/NTSC. It plays everything I throw at it including DL.
Well built-not cheap plastic. You can get one on Ebay, as they are out of production. The price is right too.

[Chris K]

Define "cheaply built"
Can you believe this DVD player (DVP5990/12) costs $137.29 (99 euros) here?

I paid 80 euro here (still not really cheap).

My findings;

1. The tray is very fragile (I advise to always close it with the button).
2. It only comes out for about 80% so be careful not to scratch your disks.
3. It has no S-VIDEO out (not even on the scart).
4. mpg/vob playback from usb is ok but navigation is poor (sometimes the player locks).
5. It doesn't play a VIDEO_TS structure from the usb.
6. DivX/XviD is good and plays smooth up to about ~4500 kbps.
7. Srt subs are displayed too high on the screen.
8. It nicely plays embedded subs added with AVIaddXsubs.

Philips swindles with the firmware update by simply changing the release date at the download link saying 2009-03-18.
When you open the zip, version V34 dated 2008-07-01 is still in it.

Still I'm reasonably happy with it because picture quality is good and the usb saves me a lot of time (and a burner) with test clips which I formerly had to burn on a DVD+RW.

[redwudz]

I would agree with Chris K's conclusions. The unit is like a lot of other low end devices on the market. It functions well enough, but it is built to the minimal quality needed to ensure profit, not quality. Many electronic devices are now 'throw away' and not practical to repair, so Philips isn't much different that many other companies in that regard. But Philips seems to have no problem replacing a in-warranty unit, and that is a plus.

I rarely use mine for DVD playback. But the ability to play Divx/Xvid off a USB hard drive is probably it's best feature. And my model does have HDMI and coaxial digital audio output, so I don't miss S-video.

To add, some of the subtitle faults can be improved by upgrading the firmware with a version from vb6rocod that I linked to earlier.

[riahc3]

I suppose there are HDMI to S-Video converters right?

Not having S-Video doesnt really bother me much.

[jagabo]

I suppose there are HDMI to S-Video converters right?

Sure, but it's much cheaper to buy a new, high end, DVD player. For example:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EWQ98U/ref=asc_df_B001EWQ98U819780?smid=A2WPEW6JMJJPNQ&ta...0&linkCode=asn
And they may not work with any HDCP protected device -- which is pretty much every piece of consumer electronics with an HDMI port.

[riahc3]

I suppose there are HDMI to S-Video converters right?

Sure, but it's much cheaper to buy a new, high end, DVD player. For example:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EWQ98U/ref=asc_df_B001EWQ98U819780?smid=A2WPEW6JMJJPNQ&ta...0&linkCode=asn
And they may not work with any HDCP protected device -- which is pretty much every piece of consumer electronics with an HDMI port.

You ain't kidding.

[Billf2099]

Ummm, it has component out cables, which in general kicks the booty on anything coming over that ancient s-video technology. You have several options. Buy the older generation that didn't have HDMI on board but did have svideo. Or get a TV that can take component video or HDMI.

Seriously. Before I'd spend 200 dollars trying to convert to svideo I'd just buy a DVD recorder that had what I needed......

That 200 is best spent on a downpayment on a modern tv.

[Chris K]

There are still a lot of people who love their CRT (even some who hate LCD technology)

Then S-video is highly preferable above Composite which is still available on the 5990/12.

[riahc3]

There are still a lot of people who love their CRT (even some who hate LCD technology)

+1

[Billf2099]

my JVC 32" is connected to a 5990 using the component cable in. I bought the TV expressly for that purpose. I have a different upscaling Philips connected to the big LCD. And a WD-TV as well.... I'll bet there are huge bargains available in a CRT with the right inputs about right now....

[cal_tony]

I will agree with Chris K that the 5990 will not play the Video_TS structure from the USB port but it will play the individual Vob files and continue with the next vob in a movie with a slight pause until the movie is complete. It's performance with Vobs is much better than what I get from my PS3.

Tony

[dvdcloner04]

I have just purchase a new Copy DVD Movies Software. But I was looking for some new features that allow copy from a protective data. Can you share what brand do you use?

[ricardouk]

lol