Which Apex model should I buy?

[Lepy]

I posted this in the newbie forums but haven't gotten any responses, so here is my question. I am about to buy a new dvd player. I am thinking I will buy an AD - 703 but I can't decide. I have a PS2 and I am currently using it's internal dvd player but I want a player that can play a wide range of formats especially vcd/svcd/xvcd. I like the AD - 703 because it can play many format types including vcds,mp3s,5000kbits xvcd/xsvcd for divx movies, 3 disc changer, dvd-r, and its ability to play subtitles and different audio tracks on vcds. I'm also considering the AD - 800 because it has 5.1 decoder,hdcd, and progressive scan. Since there isn't a review of the 800, I'm not sure if it exactly can do everything the 703 can do but better. I have been to the apex site and it seems the only thing the 800 has against it is lack of macrovision/region hack and no 3 disc changer. I woulndn't mind having a hack, but I don't need macrovision or region hack at the moment since I can hook it up directly to my tv and I don't have any other region dvds. So, can anyone tell me if the 800 can play xvcd (if so, how many kbs), allows subtitles/different audio tracks on vcds, has better video quality than the 703, and if it is just a better overall than the 703. If not, is there a better player to get, that is around the same price range, that can play all these formats and mabye more? Also, can progressive scan be used on vcds and does the 800 have a power button on the remote? Sorry for such a long post, but I want to make sure the 800 is the right machine for me. Thanks!

[SiNXation]

I would suggest the 703 just becuase of the 3 disc changer. Especially since it has all the capabilities.

[damaster]

Hey I also would suggest the APEX AD-703 for many reasons:
PROS
1. 3 disk changer, u dont have to get up and change a vcd every 45min!!
2. As with all APEX's they execpt VCDs that aren't complient
3. The 703 has 5.1 outputs
4. Firmware is easy to come buy (MACROVISION & REGION CODE)
5. GREAT price $179 and MUCH MUCH MORE!!
CONS
1. NO power button on remote
2. Flasing 3 lights (THEY SHOW DISK #) (Easly avoided with tape and som black paper)

IF U WANT AN APEX THE 703 IS THE ONE FOR U!

[statuspending]

yo yo

you said the 703 plays divx movies

that's not true.

[plg-tae]

take it from a owner of 3 different apex models..they all blow,,,,,remember,,,,a apex owner is always gonna say they are great regardless of what it really is,[too bad people cant be more honest],,,,,fact is,,,they are cheap for a reason,,,,,,i dont even want to waste my breathe on how bad it is,,,,just dont get it,,,get a pioneer or better player......

[Lepy]

I never said they could play divx movies. I wanted to know how many kps you could get on an xvcd/xsvcd for when I wanted to convert my divx movies into an xvcd. Also, the 703 has a 5.1 decoder? Thanks for the replies. Anyone actually own an 800 though?

[damaster]

Im not gonna lie Apex does somtimes have som glitches but there very small and happen only about once or twice during your movie. But the problem is not totally the players fault, the glitchs happen at the same part every time, so keep your disks very cleen and dont be getting scratches.

[Greg12]

I would recomind two models.

If you want easy Region changing, but not as many playback modes, APEX 500W

If you want everything played except Mini-DVD, APEX 660.

[slp1998ss]

I am no expert, but i orderes two Apex models from Walmart.com.The were both the 3201's.I was really excited because I had heard decent things about Apex and for 129.95 and the ability to play so many formats i figured hey what the heck.Well I got the boxes and hooked it up and put the disc in.It sounded like a lawnmower when the disc started up.I do not know if the disc tray was loose or what but this was the loudest freakn thing i had ever heard.I un-plugged it and plugged the other one in that my friend was going to buy and it played no problem.But I was very disappointed with the picure.My first generation Pansonic DVD-A300 had a better picture than the Apex.So i took them both back and bought another Panasonic, model number DVD-RV26.Plays VCD,CD-R,CD-RW,MP-3,has DTS and only paid 189.00 and Walmart.The moral of this story is you get what you pay for.If you 99.00 or 129.00 for a DVD player, do not expect a whole lot.Spend another 40 or 50 bucks and get good entry level RCA or Phillips.In fact Walmart.com offers a good Philips Magnavox DVD Player model DVD701AT for 119.00 with the following features Dolby Digital surround sound output, can play CD-Rs and CD-RWs, virtual 3-D surround sound, S-video output(directly from Walmarts Web Site).

good luck.

[statuspending]

get a good entry-level player like rca or philips?

i can't comment on rca since i have never used one

BUT PHILIPS BLOWS!!!!! i had a philips dvd player and the damn thing wouldn't let me watch a JACKIE CHAN FLICK with my girlfriend because it said PARENT SETTINGS were engaged.

i put in another movie since i wasn't going to make the lady wait, but the next day i read all through the manual again and all through the setup menu. parental settings were NOT ENABLED.

not to mention that it just blew....skipping...sucking....

the only cool thing about that philips player was that neat little blue led it boasted right in the center

other than that, it blew

by the way, it couldn't play vcds either..... played back video without audio.


now am i proud owner of an apex660. beautiful machine

[tww1]

I guess every once in awhile everyone had a bit of bad luck but as for me i have been very lucky. Bought mine after testing it in the store brought it home did the mod thing to it working just fine no problem. Well just one is all i can finf found out if you record the movie faster then 2x speed sometime you will get a few spots on some of the movie other then that no problem(NOT THE DVD PLAYER FAULT IT TRYING TO PLAY WHAT YOU MADE}

[Greg12]

I don't need a 5.1 or Surrond of Dolby decoder

I have a tv with two speakers.

[SingSing]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-07-26 19:02:57, Greg12 wrote:
I would recomind two models.
If you want easy Region changing, but not as many playback modes, APEX 500W
If you want everything played except Mini-DVD, APEX 660.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

What are the different between the two players ?
I was in the process to buy one to "unmacrovision" it.

[mrbass]

avoid apex...get a riovolt for an mp3 player. Apex picture quality is sub-par. Sometimes audio skips. The DSP just isn't fast enough for some of the bitrates. get pioneer instead.

[Frosty]

I have had no problems with my apex-3201 it plays everything quite nicely. yes you do get better stuff for 200 or 300 bucks, but the 3201 is 130 bucks and you can spend 70 dollars on renting dvds and ripping them or just buying the backups, 70 bucks is like 20 rentals and disks, i only have the apex 3201 but it plays very well and i haven't had any problems with noise while playing or anything else mentioned. it does have problems reading cd-rw's that have been erased and rewritten to many times, but who uses cd-rws? get the 3201 if you want a 1 disk

[Lepy]

So damasta, does the AD - 703 have 5.1 outputs? If so is it optical? On the site it says nothing about it having 5.1 outputs. Also, many people recommend the APEX 660 model. Is there anything that makes it better than the 703? And one final question. Since I'm a little noobish on vcds and stuff, does prog scan work with vcds too? Thanks for everyone's replies!

[sracer]

The bottom line for anyone considering purchasing any APEX player: If PRICE is your highest priority, then the APEX is a viable option. But if manufacturing quality and playback quality are important, then buy a 2nd tier player like the lower-end Pioneers. They'll play practically any disc format (except MP3) on either CDR or CDRW media.

I nearly got burned by the terribly misleading praise of the APEX. APEX owners neglect to mention the problem of subtitles turned on by default on 600 model, or that certain sub-models of the 660 have problems playing discs with seamless branching, or that MP3 discs must be burned in a particular fashion in order to play correctly. (and a few other major issues with the Apex line)

Buyer beware!

[ZUKI]

Don't buy any model, they suck, I ended up taking back everyone i got cause it either didn't work at all, or played my (S)VCDs like crap, ended up going w/ the pioneer dv-333. Works great, just no MP3 support, oh well

[GUTB]

Walmart GE1101P $129

VCD,XVCD,SVCD,XSVCD,MP3 - All high quality playback, supports non-compliant formats too.

[sunmiztres]

I HAVE A APEX 703 AND TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOU I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS. I DID HAVE A TOSHIBA BUT IT DID NOT PLAY ANYTHING BUT DVD'S. THE TOSHIBA HAD A LITTLE BETTER PICTURE QUALITY BUT FOR THE PRICE YOU CAN'T GO WRONG. THE 3 DISK CHANGER COMES IN HANDY ALSO.

[tat2jr]

Finally some people that actually tell the truth about Apex. Except for rock bottom pricing....... Apex sucks. Sure, I thought mine was great untill I got my pioneer. Not even metioning the bugs that Apex players are so famous for here's what you can expect with an Apex machine.......Audio mistracks during each disc, picture quality sucks, and it doesn't like some ULTRA cheap CD-Rs or CDs burned at high speeds.

Go with a pioneer, and you'll be MUCH happier.

Here's the Pioneer 5 disc changer I got, but for most it will be true overkill:
http://www.vcdhelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDnameid=559&Search=Search&list=0



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: tat2jr on 2001-07-30 03:41:40 ]</font>

[codeplug2new]

I have a an APEX model 600a that I bought back in October of 2000 from Circuit City and it just BROKE this week! While it was working it would make a habit out of "glitching" and making me have to re-start the DVD quite often, in my opinion APEX makes crap! I wouldn't waste my time with it. When I get the money together to get another one I'm going for one in the 300-500 dollar price range. That doesn't say that it's not going to break someday but I would expect it to last longer than nine months...



<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-07-26 08:28:51, Lepy wrote:
I posted this in the newbie forums but haven't gotten any responses, so here is my question. I am about to buy a new dvd player. I am thinking I will buy an AD - 703 but I can't decide. I have a PS2 and I am currently using it's internal dvd player but I want a player that can play a wide range of formats especially vcd/svcd/xvcd. I like the AD - 703 because it can play many format types including vcds,mp3s,5000kbits xvcd/xsvcd for divx movies, 3 disc changer, dvd-r, and its ability to play subtitles and different audio tracks on vcds. I'm also considering the AD - 800 because it has 5.1 decoder,hdcd, and progressive scan. Since there isn't a review of the 800, I'm not sure if it exactly can do everything the 703 can do but better. I have been to the apex site and it seems the only thing the 800 has against it is lack of macrovision/region hack and no 3 disc changer. I woulndn't mind having a hack, but I don't need macrovision or region hack at the moment since I can hook it up directly to my tv and I don't have any other region dvds. So, can anyone tell me if the 800 can play xvcd (if so, how many kbs), allows subtitles/different audio tracks on vcds, has better video quality than the 703, and if it is just a better overall than the 703. If not, is there a better player to get, that is around the same price range, that can play all these formats and mabye more? Also, can progressive scan be used on vcds and does the 800 have a power button on the remote? Sorry for such a long post, but I want to make sure the 800 is the right machine for me. Thanks!
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

[next]

Apex doesn't "make" anything. Apex is simply a marketing company that contracts with various production facilities. When you beat up on Apex you are in many cases also beating up on TEAC, GE, Emerson, Mark, Modell, Sansui, Texxon, Bush, Alba, etc etc....All of these brands in many cases are manufactured by the same facility and simply "badged" as various models and brands.

[next]

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On 2001-07-29 19:08:08, GUTB wrote:
Walmart GE1101P $129

VCD,XVCD,SVCD,XSVCD,MP3 - All high quality playback, supports non-compliant formats too.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you saying the GE1101P is better than an Apex? Sorry don't think so. Your 1101P is manufactured by Shinco which manufactures Apex models as well. Unless maybe the GE case makes it better??

[sracer]

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On 2001-07-30 09:43:12, next wrote:
Apex doesn't "make" anything. Apex is simply a marketing company that contracts with various production facilities. When you beat up on Apex you are in many cases also beating up on TEAC, GE, Emerson, Mark, Modell, Sansui, Texxon, Bush, Alba, etc etc....All of these brands in many cases are manufactured by the same facility and simply "badged" as various models and brands.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I can appreciate the distinction, but to paraphrase Shakespeare, "crap by any other name would still smell..."
Which is so true, since the other brands you mention are equally notorious for low quality products as well.

It doesn't matter what company is actually manufacturing the systems that Apex badges, they are still low quality players.

[AP Enterprises Ltd]

I have an Apex AD - 703 3 disc DVD player.

Here's the TRUTH.

Yeah, it works fine.

You already know the "Pros" so I'm gonna tell you the "Cons".

This player has some serious... AUDIO SYNC PROBLEMS! On DVDs! The only way to fix it is to pause, advance about 5 frames (with the "Step" button), then play. If it still doesn't work, then do it again.

Another EXTREMELY ANNOYING problem is... Screen Jitters! Watch out when playing full screen DVDs (not letterbox). You will get some really bad screen jitters and YOU CANT FIX IT! You just kinda have to wait it out. It's sooo annoying. I want to return my Apex just because of that. But I heard the firmware upgrade will fix it, but I haven't tried it yet.

And yes, there really should be a power button on the remote.

Other than that, this player is good.

[next]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
I can appreciate the distinction, but to paraphrase Shakespeare, "crap by any other name would still smell..."
Which is so true, since the other brands you mention are equally notorious for low quality products as well.

It doesn't matter what company is actually manufacturing the systems that Apex badges, they are still low quality players.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Apex is a low end player and is priced accordingly. I am batting 3 for 3 though. I have 2 660's and a 703 and have not had a single problem. They play flawlessly. I also have a higher end Proscan ($450) and when comparing s-video output there is no difference in quality. I paid $79 after rebates for one of my 660's - not bad for a region and macro free player. I don't think if somebody walked into a room they would say "I see you're using the Proscan today" or "running the Apex huh?".

One thing I did notice. Don't use the supplied s-video cable. It's junk. It almost reminds me of brittle plactic and it's very very thin. My 703 did look a bit pixilated until I replaced the s-video cable. The difference was obvious.

I don't think Shakespeare would complain.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: next on 2001-07-30 11:44:35 ]</font>

[incognito]

This s becomming a really interestig thead.

I don't remember reading anythin bad abou apex
players on these forums before today-- they seem to be very
popular with most users here.

I've heard that they have problems with seamless branching
but I've never heard complaints about viedeo quality,
audio synch, or jitterin before.

What's the scoop here?

Is this mostly a matter of cleaning a dvd wiha tissue
before playing (which seems to fix a lot of problems)
or are threre real hardware/firmware quality issues?

[next]

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On 2001-07-30 11:14:35, AP Enterprises Ltd wrote:
I have an Apex AD - 703 3 disc DVD player.

Here's the TRUTH.

Yeah, it works fine.

You already know the "Pros" so I'm gonna tell you the "Cons".

This player has some serious... AUDIO SYNC PROBLEMS! On DVDs! The only way to fix it is to pause, advance about 5 frames (with the "Step" button), then play. If it still doesn't work, then do it again.

Another EXTREMELY ANNOYING problem is... Screen Jitters! Watch out when playing full screen DVDs (not letterbox). You will get some really bad screen jitters and YOU CANT FIX IT! You just kinda have to wait it out. It's sooo annoying. I want to return my Apex just because of that. But I heard the firmware upgrade will fix it, but I haven't tried it yet.

And yes, there really should be a power button on the remote.

Other than that, this player is good.

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

This sounds like a simple laser adjustment.

[next]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-07-30 11:47:26, incognito wrote:


Is this mostly a matter of cleaning a dvd wiha tissue
before playing (which seems to fix a lot of problems)
or are threre real hardware/firmware quality issues?

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Incognito - this is so important. Especially with rental DVD's. Sometimes I can't believe the condition of some rental DVD's. It amazes me that they'll even play. I actually picked up one of those rotary cd cleaners for 10 bucks. At least with DVD's you can clean them. With VHS you never know what you're putting into your player.