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What's The Best Combo DVD/VCD/CD/MP3 Player?
option8 asks: "In the process of building a home theater with components, I've found a few all-in-one units that play DVD, CD, VCD, and MP3 CDs, and a few are pretty cheap (Apex's MD100 and MD600a for instance) but I wonder if the /. community has any to recommend that are solid performers and that are reasonably priced. Are there any pitfalls I should know about like: surround sound, skip protection for DVDs, etc?" We've had an earlier discussion on MP3/CD combo players so why not add few more disc formats into the mix? Do any of you have any experiences with such hardware and can you steer readers to the good ones?
Plus, it's just cool. I'm going to put a Quake 3 server on mine.
http://www.zapmedia.com/
- Vincit qui patitur.
Even better. If you want portability, then get a laptop that is good as a desktop computer. :)
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
Indeed. The decoder card that I use came with the Creative DVD kit that I bought for ~$110. It decodes beautifully quickly, and the TV out is on an ancient ATI all-in-wonder card that is sufficiently good for watching movies and such. You can get one of these cards for what, $10?
Rami
--
rJames.org - illustration
I had considered using my old 21" monitor to watch DVDs and videos.
It would be a very budget HD system, but you do generally get the resolutions recommended by the ATSC system.
I bought a 27" Sony Wega as I got sick of little displays. I won't be buying HD for a long time and the TV I bought is a great intermediary step. I like it as I can watch anamorphic movies in full detail and almost no interlace flicker.I really don't want a larger TV than that, I would be shopping for refurbished or used front projectors if I had the money.
I'm suprised no one has brought this up. The geek appeal of a full combo unit is one thing. But if you're really looking at a DVD player with outstanding video quality we should be talking about progressive scan DVD players.
You can trumpet apex and others all you want for it's macrovision disable, but the compoent video output (interlaced or progressive) does not encode any macrovision crap onto the signal.
The biggest consideration is the televisions getting bigger. LCD and DLP projectors are getting cheaping. Someone can set up a poor persons projection system that can do HDTV for under $3000. For $7000 you can put together a very high quality HDTV projection system complete with motorized screen (45X80 or about 92" diag.), broadcast and satilite HDTV decoder, and a good quality Progressive scan DVD player.
Even if you don't go the true HDTV route, many direct view TV's shipped with compoent video inputs (Most with Interlaced, but a fair number with progressive.) And most new models of Rear Projection TV's shiped with compoent video as well.
If you're going to toss money at a DVD player I would suggest looking at a progressive model. With HDTV becoming the standard in 2006, I believe it's a wise investment.
Models to look at:
JVC's XVD723GD Street Price ~$469 USD
Toshiba SD5109 Street Price ~$463 USD
Toshiba SD6200 Street Price ~$549 USD - HDCD
If you like really high end stuff:
Onkyo DVS939 Has RS-232, Firewire Port, is firmware upgradible, and weighs 24 lbs.
Some players won't read CDR discs. So if you like to burn your own music be sure to verify that they will be readable. I would suggest taking both a home burned CDR and MP3 disc with you to check out the players with. If your buyin on line then be sure to read all the docs.
that's why you have children.
(or roommates)
The basic sleazeware produced in a drunken fury by a bunch of UCBerkeley grad students was still the core of BIND. --PV
...if this is only for occasional watching, and not for serious movie type stuff, then you might want to try a BookPC, with a DVD drive. It's only downside is stereo output, not surround sound (which I know you want).
There may be other models in the same scheme as the BookPC that do offer surround sound. Seems like a good all around low-cost way of doing things.
If you support the whole DVD rights issue, buy the CD-ROM version, then buy a used DVD drive, and used discs (if you have to have DVD - if not, buy only VCDs)...
Worldcom - Generation Duh!
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
This may make me sound like a complete ass, but I have the perfect DVD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3/VCD player for you: your computer.
That's what I do I have an older box, a P1-266, hooked up to my TV and sound system. I can play just about any format that a fancy-shmancy one-for-all device can, and at the same time, I can have it run as a nice fileserver for my MP3s. It cost about 300-400 bucks to set up, including the cables, nic, DVD, etc. You can't ask for more than that, man.
Rami
--
rJames.org - illustration
I 'd buy a cheap DVD player for now and wait. The technology is still relatively new and there are bound to be improvements, possibly rendering your newly purchased machine out of date.
For example, George Lucas says he won't release his Star Wars films on DVD until the new "Blue Lazer" technology has been introduced (allows a lot more data to be stored on one disc).
The feature I am waiting to become standard is recordability. I want to be able to record from the TV just like I do with my VHS machine. This will happen eventually, so for now I will make do with my Samsung DVD 709.
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Moderator's essentials
I have several MP3 Discs put out by various magazines and they are not CDR but rather pro pressings/manufacture.
The video quality on high-action sequences was inferior even to VHS.
And it's my understanding that VCD is a very specific format. You can't just toss an MPEG-1 file on a CD-ROM and expect it to run.
So, why does anyone still care about VCD?
Today: E-Toys Requiem
I have one of these now (with a Celery 366). It's only an option with Windows, though, since Linux DVD support is pretty much non-existent (I run Mandrake on mine - using it as a small server, and the i810 support is mediocre). Amptron also makes a VIA MVP4-based version of the Book PC with Linux support advertised as a benefit, but that's constrained to Socket 7 processors only.
I'd like to see a version that can run a Duron processor (Socket A), with perhaps an embedded nVIDIA chipset for graphics. It'd be worth a good penny as the ultimate LAN party machine, though the heat might be an issue. The local dealer who pushes these the hardest says Amptron has a i815-based version of this coming out that'll handle the newer flip chip Celerys in a few weeks.
But Linux is an ideal OS for one of these "appliance" class PC's, and that's why we need real DVD support in Linux and part of why the MPAA is a bunch of fools. To do this today, you need Windows, and that raises the cost (legally) as to make a PC versus a dedicated DVD player prohibitive.
- -Josh Turiel
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
You're watching DVDs - you need a large screen (32" +) Widescreen set - Anything else isn't worth pumping DVDs through.
Because of course no one with a smaller TV would appreciate seeing movies in letterbox over Pan "N" Scan.
There are valid reasons for wanting a single, relatively inexpensive device to read all the major AV formats.
Walt
Isn't that a bit like saying: "I'd never buy a PC for both spreadsheets and word processing, you couldn't possibly get them both right"?
Isn't all-in-one supposed to be the great big promise of digital entertainment? Outside of the bits that turn digital to analog: screen, speakers, amp, etc. there's no reason that the hardware needs to be any different for all of these formats.
If that capability has been thwarted, shouldn't we view that as the usual shenanigans of those who'd like us to buy another copy of the same media for every player?
You may be right about what the real options in the market are, but don't make it a self-fulfilling prophecy by refusing to consider all-in-one.
"You can't get something for nothing." - my grandfather, on the stock market and Reaganomics.
Thank you for stating exactly what I was thinking. I also despise other combo devices because they alway go cheap on something. Of course the person who asked the question didn't really ask about a good setup, but we have to assume that some people care about quality. Your point about the interconnects is valid, and most people are shocked to find out how much a decent cable actually costs. I have an audiophile friend who even explains how it is important to make sure that you don't ever reverse your cables. That is a little extreme for me, but I have never heard good audio come from a chincy combo unit.
-- Solaris Central - http://w
Macrovision can be a problem for people who have no interest in making VHS copies. Personally, I tried to use an RF modulator to hook up my DVD player to my older TV, but Macrovision wouldn't let me.
Also, the idea that Macrovision is completely invisible on direct non-component connections is just not true. Most of the time there's no noticeable difference, but plenty of people see degraded performance on setups that should be completely kosher.
I find it infuriating that completely legitimate users have to put up with these inconveniences and quality compromises in the name of copy protection.
/* The beatings will continue until morale improves. */
Try this Amptron product. You may not be able to buy it direct from Amptron. I've seen a dealer here and there reselling them.
It may be more than you're willing to pay (in the $500US range once you put a proc,RAM,HD in), but you have a real-live computer once you're finished. Maybe even an Indrema killer.
Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
I have a Raite 715. The Kiss player is one of many brands under which it was sold. Unfortunately, Raite is bankrupt and not making them anymore, so the prices have gone up on the remaining players. This also leaves the future of firmware updates in doubt.
On the other hand, there have been new firmware releases as recently as last week. Also, you can get hacked versions of the firmware that include the loopholes (macrovision off/region select) menu.
Oh, and it playes SVCD as well as regular VCD. The latest firmware version lets it play any MPEG file.
Personally, I'm pretty happy with it.
I just bought one of these, and its great. A bit pricey though (799 DM). Plays DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, Audio- and MP3-CDs. Works great, and the software toggle for the region coding was easy to find (input over the remote, and region coding is gone, at least for Region 1 and 2 DVD's).
.mp3 isn't displayed. The start up time for a full MP3-CD is pretty short (I'd say around 7-10 seconds) and the navigation is usable (displays 10 objects at a time, nav over the remote).
Video quality is fantastic (it's only jumped/skipped/wigged-out once, near the end of a pretty scratched up copy of Blade), and audio is also super. Haven't been able to try the digital output yet, gotta get a new receiver first. With mp3 cds, it even plays some my PC has trouble reading due to overburns, scratching and the strange burns my last CD-burner (a phillips 2600) created shortly before it went toes-up.
MP3 names get munged to 8.3. Well, actually only 8, the
Only 3 complaints, 1) the manuals are skimpy on mp3 details (but otherwise very complete) 2) no online docs - I don't know if it is updateable, and 3) no jog-dial (none at all, neither on the remote or the unit itself).
I don't know if it is for everyone, but I'm quite happy.
Steve -- If you have to call it a system, you don't know what it is.
I'm looking at the Diva 88 as a replacement for a first generation Pioneer which will probably go into the office - I'll then partner it with the matching Dolby Digital receiver and - if they ever release it - the matching DAB receiver. It should all go really well with the Silver Thomson TiVo :o)
And what's this about a mediocre TV? You're watching DVDs - you need a large screen (32" +) Widescreen set - Anything else isn't worth pumping DVDs through. Personally I want a unit per function - I can double up receiver with amp and CD with DVD but I've done the PC for playing Videos, CDs, MP3 and DVDs in the past and they are just too damn ugly and too noisy. Plus if one aspect of it goes - your entire entertainment system is gone while you're waiting. All the kit I have is designed for the job and quiet.
Matt Thompson - Actuality - Insert product here.
One part of this thread mentioned that combo systems suck, and I pretty much agree -- when on a tight budget they can do the trick but since I can spend a little bit more, I'd take quality & DVD features over additional functionality. However, I don't have a good component system yet - standard analog TV, moderately ok speakers, etc; that I'll build up slowly in the next few years. So the DVD player that I'd get would work with my current setup (and understandably not give me the best quality yet), but should work down the road.
While I don't expect that I'll buy any non US region DVDs, I'd rather not be excluded from viewing them if possible.
Are there any good suggestions with these criteria?
"Pinky, you've left the lens cap of your mind on again." - P&TB
"I can see my house from here!" - ST:
It could be noise on one of the input lines. Do you have 'cable' plugged in? If so, unplug it. Watch the movie now, see if the brightness changes.
In my old apartment the cable wasn't properly grounded and I got fairly subtle rolling light/dark bars. Subtle during TV that is, when I watched a DVD movie they stood out like an emboss filter.
Unplug the cable TV and it went back to normal...
So I bought a push-connect for my coax (it's only cable TV, the quality is a moot issue) and wrapped that around under the TV so I could unplug it when I watched something on the other inputs. It was a cheap hack, but handy.
go down to X10, and pick up a DVD anywhere so that you can throw that noisy beast in the basement, and have it play video/audio up in your livingroom. And of course it also comes with a RF remote so you can control your mp3 player/dvd player. (and it is a universial remote too, so it'll control a TV/VCR).
add in a TV tuner card, and write a little software and you have a TiVo.
Works pretty well.
The basic sleazeware produced in a drunken fury by a bunch of UCBerkeley grad students was still the core of BIND. --PV
on a more personally oppinionated level, just buy the dvd. i know they're expensive, but often times they're well worth it for the extra options, like that nice dolby 5.1 soundtrack. i used to trade divx (i know, bad me.), and unless you rip it yourself, or get someone you know to rip it, chances are, you're not going to get the full audio track. most dvd rippers just rip the stereo track, because it's easier, faster, and smaller. in the beginning, one of the biggest attractions of divx (aside from the fact that it was free) was that a full movie in near dvd quality would fit on a single 650 or 700 meg cd. to keep the size within that 650 meg region, you had to make sacrifices. quality, screen size, and audio got cut. i'm somewhat of an audiophile. i don't get into the whole vinyl v. cd thing, but i do appreciate quality in my sound. my belief is, if you're gonna truely enjoy a movie, it's gotta be more than just a visual experience. if ya wanna do it right, spring for a good sound system. certain Kenwood systems (VR-407) are nicely stacked, but don't carry the pricetag of comparably equipped sony, aiwa, etc. systems. i find the kenwood's also got wonderful sound clarity and a lot of power.
as for the dvd player itself, find a deal. look for the aspects that you want, but don't pay for all the garbage you'll never use. if you've got a cd changer already, do you really need a dvd changer? is there really a necessity to have the ability to watch 5 dvds in a row without getting up to walk across the room and take 30 seconds to change the disc? the qualities i'd look for in a player would be the ability to play cdrs, vcds, and svcds, sound capability (dts, dolby 5.1) with an s/pdif rca or optical digital output (let's face it, analog output just doesn't cut it), and compatible video output (if your tv doesn't support s-video, it's time to get a new tv.). that's really about all you need. i bought my Apex AD500B for 100 bucks, and it's good enough for me. it does have a tendancy to skip every now and then, and is very sensitive to dirt and finger prints on the discs, so i'm thinkin about shoving it off on my parents under the guise of an xmas gift and buying myself a better model.
that said, i think i've been sufficiently verbose to bore most of you to death. bottom line, no divx compatable dvd players yet, and research your options thoroughly instead of buying on impulse. also, where and whatever you do decide to buy, i recommend also paying the extra cash for whatever extended warranty is available, because stuff happens, and as my friend murphy would dictate, it usually happens just after the warranty runs out.
Information on the players is available here and the unit can be made multi region with a few keypresses on the remote.
It retails a around 800 Pounds Sterling and should be available in the US later - it's specs definately support US standards for power and component outputs.
Matt Thompson - Actuality - Insert product here.
Personally, I wouldn't touch a combo player with a ten foot pole. There will always be some area of the player that will not work the way you want, or an area where quality has been skimped on to save money etc.
Your best bet is to get seperate components, each the best quality you can afford. O.K, so you can almost certainly combine the Audio CD & DVD player into one (Almost anything can play an Audio CD these days after all), but please, if you want something like Dolby Digital 5.1 etc. get a stand alone, quality amp and speakers. If you want an MP3 player there are stand-alone/rack mount components that will do that job for you better than any integrated system can.
The only cavet is space, and cabling. If you use crappy cables you'll loose all the benefits, so make sure you factor that into the price. It might also be more expensive than a combo player, but damn, it will be a hell of a lot more flexible and much better quality.
O.K, just my opinion, but combo players tend to suck pretty badly as far as i can see.
I don't think my comment was elitist. I care about DVD and home theater, probably more than most Slashdot readers, and I think related news is perfectly appropriate here.
But that's not what this story is - it's not even a request for technical information. It's a request for advice on buying electronic equipment. As I said, there are forums all over the web for just this purpose.
And I'm familiar with the concept of filtering - are you suggesting I filter Hardware, Ask Slashdot or Cliff? I don't want to exclude any of those - I just want the editor to be a bit more selective.
/* The beatings will continue until morale improves. */
Am I the only one who thinks it's unreasonable to use Ask Slashdot to help you pick a DVD player?
Come on, look around. Try Consumer Review, or Home Theater Forum. Or use your favorite search engine.
There are plenty of sites to help you evaluate electronics equipment, and they're all more appropriate places for this discussion than Slashdot.
/* The beatings will continue until morale improves. */
The relatively new Apex 703 would be my pick right now. I own an Apex 600A, and I love it. The 703 does everything the 600A does (OK, no loophole menu) plus it's a 3 disc changer and has a built-in 5.1 decoder. I've had less trouble with the 600A than with any previous DVD player I'd owned. The 700 has flash upgradable BIOS too in case some new title comes out which bothers the player (like Matrix did with previous players) The 3 disc changer would be nice as I'm viewing VCD's a lot more, now that I have a player that will read CD-R's :-) Plus load 3 80 minute CD's full of MP3's and you've got music for a GOOD LONG TIME.
The 703 is available at either Circuit City or Buy.com for $199. You can get free shipping from Buy right now and probably find a $15 or more coupon at dealprovider.com.
When your entertainment centre gets hacked, Britney Spears will start singing and NEVER STOP. . .
I like the 600A also. The only complaint I have with it is that the stupid-ass macrovision is very hyperactive, so the brightness isn't consistent. If you have a small, bright TV it's barely noticable. If you put it on a big screen projection TV, it's REALLY irritating.
This is a great DVD player, works well on MP3 CD-R's, plays VCD, etc. But I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with a big screen projection TV.
If I knew the cheat code to disable macrovision, this complaint would also be mute. But anyhow...
--- "So THAT's what an invisible barrier looks like!" - Time Bandits
The Hitachi DVP505 is capable of reading both professionally recorded media and "burnt" media since it has the dual lasers. This means that when I dropped in a VCD that I acquired from the internet it worked and played through to completion... Very very shitty quality VCD, but hey, it played.
It also played any MP3 CD that I threw at it, although it's not an officially supported feature (yet). The interface wasn't awesome for the MP3's since it was limited to displaying my 32 character file names as 8.3 (see yesterdays article), but I've been told that the firmware COULD be upgraded to improve that once it's an official feautre... But it works none the less.
So it definitely plays CDR & CDRW VCDs, MP3 CDs and Audio CDs. How about DVDs? Well I *heard* that The Matrix was a problem DVD so I watched it on this player and didn't notice any problems. Also watched Chicken Run (great movie) and bits of Titan AE, Princess Bride and Gladiator. I may have missed something small while I was drooling over the picture quality though, so if you're a video/audiophile then go and test it at the store for yourself. :)
Other features?
:)
- 5.1 Channel DTS and Dolby Digital decoders & discrete output
- "Super" Surround Sound
- Dual Layer
- Dual Laser
- Random Play of CDs (maybe MP3 CDs too)
- S-VIDEO, Composite, Component, Digital & Coaxial out
- Untested Remote Region-Free Hack
- No Macrovision hack that I've been able to find without a mod chip.
I got mine for $450CDN + taxes so that's about $3.02 USD
I can tell you more in 6 days :)