OK, so you can pay 60 - 80 GBP for a DVD player, from the likes of Alba, Crown and other cheap and cheerful 'manufacturers'. Just go to your Supermarket, major electrical retailer or even Toys R Us (now what's the character for a reverse R?). But you would be throwing away your money. Before buying any non-commodity item (electrical especially) a little research pays dividends (especially at the Co-op).
Those same Supermarkets, along with more traditional Newsagents and bookshops, offer a number of What? consumer magazines. Then there's a raft of helpful 'comparison' web sites too.
The SD220E is a five star champion across the board. Like all entry DVD players, it is compact and bijou. It comes in black or silver and more recently in multi-region format.
So what do you get? Well firstly, a picture quality that is superb. Clear, well-defined, and sharp. Skip it forward at 5 times and the pictures remain complete with no missing blocks. This quality can be achieved through the SCART connection, though by using the RGB or Component Video outputs there is a noticeable improvement.
There is no 'surround sound' outputs (Pro Logic, 5.1, etc.) though as the Toshiba doesn't include a surround decoder. So, if you want surround sound you will need to either have a TV with that functionality or a separate processor for the job. In my case I have a oldish Kenwood processor that drives the centre and rear speakers, then using a pre-out to drive into my main audio amplifier for the left and right channels.
Audio outs are provided though in the form of digital coaxial or optical (at this price? crumbs) and analogue phono connections, if you don't want to take the audio through the SCART lead to the TV.
Too much detail? The point I'm trying to make here is that there are more ways to wire up your entertainment centre than there are braces on spotty teenagers. So take some time to think about the boxes and wires you'll need. For instance, buy an SD220 and chances are they'll be no SCART lead in the box. Do you need to buy one or do you 'borrow' from the VCR? If you do buy leads, remember all leads are not the same and you get what you pay for. If you're keeping the VCR, does your TV have inputs for two video devices (VCR and DVD?)...plan it through. The Tosiba instructions do provide a selection of common wiring options (three) that may well meet your needs.
Moving to the front of the machine and there's a selection of tidy buttons to perform obvious functions. More likely, the remote will be your driving device and the 40+ buttons provide almost one touch everything. Logically layed out on a mid-grey housing, the remote is functionally good and as with most remotes, esthetically adequate.
As for price, again, research it. In the end I bought through Richer Sounds (Stores nationwide and Web site too), paying £115 for a multi-region, metallic silver machine, brand-new and boxed. Note that the store (135), the mag advert (What Hi-Fi, 119) and the Web site (115) prices varied by 20GBP. However, the store willingly matched the web price when I showed them a print of the page.
So, whether you buy this or another DVD player: 1. Research a machine that does what you want and does it better than the competition 2. Consider what other boxes and wires you will need 3. Shop around!
Alternatively, buy a cheap one on a whim.
But as the adage goes: The bitter taste of poor quality will remain long after the sweetness of a cheap price has gone.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Welcome to Ciao. Great first op. Well written and very informative. Rob :)
mattygroves 06.01.2003 16:08
I have this...but got it for Xmas and don't yet have enough knowledge to review it (I've played with it once)...watch this space! Cheers, Kate
TheChocolateLady 06.01.2003 15:47
Well done and welcome to Ciao! Just remember that there's a three op maximum per day, and if you continue to post ops of this quality, you'll do very well here.
Advantages: Value for money,Nice looks,superb quality playback,wealth of sockets available Disadvantages: selling like hot cakes, needs chip to be made multi-region capable, no scart lead.
Mister-x 18.11.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Toshiba SD 220 E
Advantages: Value for money,Nice looks,superb quality playback,wealth of sockets available Disadvantages: selling like hot cakes, needs chip to be made multi-region capable, no scart lead.
Mister-x 18.11.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Toshiba SD 220 E
Advantages: Component Video Outputs, 24bit 192Khz High Resolution Audio, 10bit 27Mhz Video DAC, 4xPicture Zoom, CD Text, MP3+CD-R/RW Playback, 5 Selections Enhanced Picture Mode, Enhanced Audio Mode and a Digital Audio out both Coaxial and Optical Disadvantages: None
kndege 11.07.2003 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Toshiba SD 220 E
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