Sony Sony DVP-SR150

When my Alba DVD player gave up the ghost, I headed to Argos to pick up a new one. At the time, all of the DVD players at the cheaper end of the scale were out of stock. I ended up returning home with the Sony DVD-SR150. I paid around £32 but this DVD player can currently be picked up for just under £30. It is available from Argos, Curries and also Amazon.

I'm not very technical minded so please excuse the basic nature of my review.

Box, Design and Set Up

I purchased this DVD player for use in my living room so wanted something sleek and attractive. This Sony DVD player fitted the bill nicely. The DVD player is presented in a cardboard box alongside a remote control, plug and a user guide. The player itself is a glossy black colour and weighs in at 1.1kg. It measures 7.2 x 39.5 x 24.4cm. The player does look attractive and robust. It would fit in with any decor and looks expensive in my opinion. The player sits slightly raised and hasn't damaged my television unit in anyway. It doesn't heat up a great deal which is beneficial.

Setting up this DVD player was very simple. I placed it on my television unit. It doesn't come supplied with a scart lead so one will be required. I only have one scart section on my living room television so I alternate the Freeview box with the DVD player and therefore use the same scart lead for both units. The wires were easy to arrange and the DVD player was ready to go.

The actual DVD player has 4 buttons at the front. There is an on/off button, a button to release the disc tray, a play button and a stop button. A screen at the front of the player is digital and says Hello and Goodbye (which I found amusing!) whilst also showing a timer when DVDs are in play. My last DVD player lacked this so it is a bit of a novelty with me!

The Important Bits!

I bought this DVD player for the sole purpose of watching films on it. This DVD player supports Region 2 DVDs which will suit most households I would imagine. In terms of sound quality, the player has Dolby Digital and a 4 channel audio output. There is 1 scart socket and alongside a coaxial and video socket at the rear of the DVD player.

This DVD player also supports various other disc formats including JPEG and MP4. It can play photo discs and music and offers a shuffle and playback option. I do not tend to listen to music on my DVD player so will not comment further. You have the option to create saved albums on the DVD player using pictures from data discs but as I do not own a camera, I cannot discuss this further.

Remote Control and Display Menu

The remote control comes supplied with 2 AA batteries which are lasting well with regular use. It is quite bulky but very easy to use and features clearly marked buttons. The DVD player can be controlled without needing to move from the sofa (except to put a new DVD in). The various menus can be accessed, the DVD can be stopped, fast forwarded and subtitles can be put up at the touch of a button.

There are different options which can be accessed from the remote. The menu option allows you to add a parental lock (which I have no need for as my son doesn't touch the DVD player). The screen can be easily changed to offer a panoramic, 16:9 or letter box display. The sharpness and appearance of pictures can be changed to reflect what type of film (or picture) you are watching.

I personally found the display options a little difficult to get used to and the easy to follow manual came in handy! I would prefer the different options to be worded as opposed to being recognised by tiny images. I am not overly fussy when it comes to how something looks whilst watching a film so I am happy to keep the standard settings and save myself a lot of hassle!

Using The DVD Player

Once the DVD player is switched on, I am ready to watch a DVD within a few minutes. The DVD player is fairly quiet when in use except when the DVD is loading up as it makes a sort of spinning noise. If a DVD is badly scratched, it will freeze up and the player will make a lot of noise so I know to take the DVD out. The drawer opens quite far and isn't too flimsy.

I find this DVD player very easy to work. It can be as basic or as advanced as you want it to be and I do not feel forced to mess around with the different options on the menu. My DVDs player smoothly. The remote is very responsive and simple to use. I can comfortably pause, skip back or forward and select different scenes at the touch of a button. The DVD player offers a fast and slow play option. I had fun with this as I sped up a film and it sounded really weird and squeeky! A good option but not one which I will benefit from.

The sound quality and picture quality is really good and clear but this could also be down to my television. This DVD player is very reliable and has never let me down yet. It remains in perfect condition and is of a high quality. It may not be up there with the recordable and Blu-ray players but for an average household wishing to watch DVDs, this is perfect. It is used daily in my home as I love to watch my films.

Conclusion

At just under £30 for a high quality, well branded DVD player, this is a bargain. It looks good, performs well and has a multitude of extra options if anyone wishes to take advantage of them.

Highly recommended!

Thanks for reading..x