I got this player donated by a friend who upgraded to a DVD recorder. It was in nearly new condition so I feel I can review 'as new'.
Being Sony, I expected a lot from this player. I was a little disappointed. Yes, it plays DVDs and CDs as you'd expect. However, it's rather sensitive and the manual might as well be in some African tribal language!
But first, the good qualities:
Well, it's really easy to get started. Simply plug into your TV and the mains and you're ready to go. There's no clock to set, no compatibility with TV to find...just plug and go.
The buttons on the player itself are self-explanatory and easy to operate. Disc eject is smooth and quiet.
As with most things Sony, this player looks smart. Silver and sleek, it looks rather more impressive than it is. The usual quality of Sony design is here - just a shame they spent more money on the exterior than the interior.
There are also some extra functions that you'd expect with a top-range player. For example, you can lock the disc drawer so your 2-year-old can't stuff toast in it.
The disadvantages don't make for good reading.
Firstly, the remote is huge. Also, it's black. If you have a smart silver player, you expect a smart silver remote but, instead, you get a black box like thing that looks as though it belongs to a rather old television. That said, you won' t lose it in a hurry, and it does work without being pointed directly at the player.
Secondly, the most annoying thing about this player - it's super-sensitive to dirt/scratches/fingerprints on DVDs. Basically, you hit a dirty spot and it restarts the disc. NOT much fun, especially when you're in the middle of a film and you have to find where you were. I've had rental discs where I've had to do this in excess of TEN TIMES in one film. Sometimes, instead of restarting, the picture will simply freeze and you can try all you like to get it moving again - it won't.
The other major disadvantage is the instruction manual. It's complicated, uses a lot of terminology, and doesn't have a 'for dummies' section that most manuals now have. I've been trying for the last two months to figure out why my sound is too quiet (have to turn up the TV volume a lot to hear a film) but I just can't negotiate the manual and the hundred-and-one multi-step menus. I'm certainly no technophobe and I generally know my stuff, but this manual just frustrated me completely until I want to use it as firelighters!
So, in summary, this player does what it needs to do as long as you have new/as new DVDs with no fingerprints, and you know something about the technology to get by without needing the manual.
To be honest, you can get better players for the same money. Usually, I'd advise to go for a top name like Sony, but, in this case, the name is far better than the product itself.
Would I buy this if mine broke? No. There are others on the market that give better value for money. The sensitivity of this player just makes it annoying and frequently disrupts your viewing.
This product has not yet been reviewed.
25.09.2006 16:57
I see why your friend upgraded so readily! Very useful review.
25.09.2006 13:34
Good review! God 10 times on 1 movie? That would drive me banana's... Darren
25.09.2006 13:09
We had a similar model to this a few Years ago, and it was a nightmare, totally unreliable, I was glad to see the back of it in the end, and I will never buy Sony equipment again. Nice easy to read and Helpful review there too........Roy......