Sony DVPS335/6

Author's product rating:   

Picture Playback
Sound Level
Range of Features
Durability
Value for Money

Advantages:	A simple no frills DVD player from a reputable manufacturer .
Disadvantages:	A bit on the expensive side compared to other players but you get what you pay for .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Sony DVP-S 336 is an entry level DVD player costing around £280 capable of playing DVDs and audio CDs. It comes with all the usually features you would expect from todays DVD players, smooth scan and menu setup, but it doesn't have Dolby's 5.1 surround sound circuitry.

The player supports Virtual Enhanced Sound which is designed to give you surround sound using just two speakers most modern TV sets have. It also has outputs for 2+1 surround sound using left, right and a subwoofer centre speaker. There is also a Digital Out that connects to a 5.1 surround sound amplifier and if your TV has 5.1 surround sound the DVD player uses that to create surround sound.

A great deal of emphasis is placed on surround sound these days and a lot of people forget that a good quality picture is also required. The DVP-S 336 delivers a crystal clear picture with smooth freeze frame, almost to photograph level.

So who would by this DVD player. If you have 5.1 surround sound already, in the form of an external amplifier or built into your TV then this player would be ideal for you. The player will deliver the sound to the TV through the SCART lead and the TV's sound circuitry will split it into five channels for you. If you have an external amplifier then you would link the Digital Out from the player to your amplifier.

If you have a normal two speaker TV and are not really interested in surround sound this player will also be ideal. With it's Virtual Enhanced Sound you can experiment to see if you would benefit from surround sound without the extra cost.

This player will not work with older TV's that don't come with a SCART socket as there is no other way to connect this player to your TV.

The player comes with a screensaver built in so that while your playing music CDs the phospor will not burn.

I am using this player with a Sony 32" Widescreen TV with Dolby 5.1 surround sound built in. When watching the opening scene from 'From Dusk Till Dawn' you can visibly feel the juggernaut passing on your left as it rumbles past you. If that isn't surround sound I don't know what is?

Being a Sony it is a well made piece of equipment designed to last. The remote control is very easy to understand with a simple layout. If you leave the player on for any length of time without a disk in it then it automatically powers off. The DVD player also features a facility where you can password protect your disks so that young eyes won't be watching your certificate 18 films behind your back.