Sony DVP-FX730 7-Inch Portable DVD Player Black
No Complaints At All!!
My husband and I have several long road trips coming up and purchased this player to keep me and our daughter contented on the long drives. We looked at a bunch of different units and finally settled on this one. We are not disappointed.
Its excellent especially in the price range its in! The picture is awesome and the sound is phenomenal for being so small and inexpensive. The battery has a good life and its just a nice bonus that in addition to the AC adapter it also comes with a car adapter. The construction is solid and the controls are well laid out and easy to use.
We're very happy with the purchase and would definitely recommend this little player to anyone looking for something quality at a decent price.More detail ...
Roku HD-XR Player
If you don't have N-wireless networking or desire a usb port get the cheaper model
First let me say I own a Roku and LOVE it! NetFlix and Roku are a marriage made in heaven as far as I'm concerned and they are saving me tons of money and treks to the video store. The picture ease of use wireless capabilities quality of video content... everything is great!
But as a consumer it's important to understand the differences between the 3 Roku offerings so you can make an informed decision on your purchase. It does seem odd that Roku has simply not put out one device at one price for everyone with all the bells and whistles but for now you have to choose one... based upon your needs and budget.
THE DIFFERENCES IN ROKU PLAYERS:
Roku HD Player is capable of wired or wireless hook-up but not at the fastest speed available from a 'N' wireless network. HD content streams to this device flawlessly (if the content is available and your home network is sending a proper signal) despite not being 'N' network ready.
That being said Roku came out with Roku HD-XR Player which WILL stream the fastest 'N' network standard provided the rest of your home network is also working with the same standard. That being said this device is not at all necessary if you don't have all the devices on your home network using the 'N' standard because the speed will only go as fast as the device with the slowest connection which is probably the 'B or G' standard.
The third device is available on Roku's website. Roku SD which streams in standard definition will not stream HD content isn't capable of surround sound audio like the other two and does not have a HDMI connection. It only supports the red/yellow/white (composite video and audio) connections but it will connect wirelessly or can be hardwired to the internet working on a 'B or G' network. The Roku SD is about twenty bucks less than the Roku HD and so again consider your needs before buying. **Anyone with a standard def TV and who doesn't plan to upgrade to an HDTV with HDMI ports any time soon would probably want this version.
The Roku HD-XR Player is a jump up from the HD model in wireless capabilities. All the Roku offerings will give you years of enjoyment by boosting your NetFlix subscription streaming Amazon On Demand media and boosting your viewing library. What the HD-XR has that the others don't: 'N' network capabilities and 1 USB port for firmware upgrades and possibly other media hook-ups via USB but at this time Roku doesn't even bring up the USB on their website so I tend to wonder about this being a selling point. Is it worth the extra cost? Only you know the answer to that question.
MY CONCLUSION:
The quality of the streaming video on my 'G' network is perfect; standard and HD content via my Roku HD but since I don't have a 'N' network nor do I expect I will in the near future I saved myself a bit of money and didn't buy this one.
The only reason I give this product 4 versus 5 stars is because of the price bump for the ability to use an 'N' wireless network when frankly I believe it should be considered a standard feature not an extra. The USB port whatever it's used for should also be standard on all models. Again it would be wonderful to have one Roku with all the potential connections and wireless ability and perhaps in the future there will be but for now you need to consider these three: Roku SD Roku HD and Roku HD-XR.
To may your own informed choice evaluate your needs and buy accordingly. While the Roku products are not media storage devices or DVR's they can give you a tremendous boost in your enjoyment of NetFlix and expand your viewing library.
ROKU HD-XR PLAYER SPECIFICATIONS (per the Roku website):
*Note the USB port isn't even listed as a feature.
Networking
Wi-Fi (802.11N/B/G "dual-band") with WEP WPA and WPA2 support
10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)
Video Outputs
Composite video (480i)
S-Video (480i)
Component video (Y/Pb/Pr - 720p/480p)
HDMI (720p/480p)
Video Modes
16:9 High Definition (HD)
16:9 anamorphic
4:3 standard
Audio Output
Stereo (L/R RCA)
Digital Optical (Toslink - Stereo/Surround)
Digital over HDMI (Stereo/Surround)
Remote Control
NEC protocol supported by various universal remotes
Power Input
5V 2.5A provided by included AC adapter
Power Consumption
6 watts peak 4 watts in standby
Size
5 x 5 x 1.75 inches (130 x 130 x 41 mm)
Weight
11 oz (300 grams)More detail ...
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Carisio Sal
Panasonic DMP-BD70V Blu-ray Disc/VHS Multimedia Player
Yes I still have VHS movies to watch
Why would someone want to buy a video player that accepts both the latest Blu-Ray format and the perhaps obsolete VHS formats? Well as someone who has their foot in both the past and the future let me tell you why I love this player.
Yes I can definitely appreciate the crispness and clarity of the high definition Blu-Ray format and I wish to experience that format. But Blu-Ray discs are pricey so I will likely choose to purchase only a few new select and favorite films in that format. I feel no need and don't have the wallet to replace my entire film library in a Blu-Ray format.
I also have a collection of nearly 500 VHS tapes most of them unwatched which I mostly purchased in thrift stores. (current standard price for VHS tape in a thrift - $1) I also have a fair number of films that have not yet been released on DVD yet.
It is nice to have a player that will accept both VHS and Blu-Ray along with standard DVD formats. No switching back and forth of cables etc.
The DMP-BD70V upconversion of the VHS to 1080p is really quite amazing. My current television is a 42" HDTV (one year ago it was a 19 inch color set) When I connected my previous standard VHS player to the HDTV the picture quality as expected was quite poor with much of the image being rather pixelated - it was quite painful and distracting to watch.
Then I hooked up the DMP-BD70V and lone behold the picture quality was much much better - and very watchable. At first I almost thought that the VHS tape had been replaced by a DVD - the improvement was that great. There was no pixelation at all and the colors were quite bright. The overall quality of the picture was much better than the picture obtained with my old 19" color TV and VHS player. The upscaling features of the DMP-BD70V is almost as if a magician had waved his wand over your entire library of VHS tapes and suddenly replaced them Cinderella-like with a much higher quality product.
There are some things you cannot do with a VHS tape. The picture size remains at the older 4:3 format - meaning there is considerable empty space at the left and right sides of the HDTV screen. You also won't get the added commentary tracks that appear on DVD and Blu-Ray discs but sometimes all one really wants to do is simply watch a movie with no other frills involved.
For a few years I will have several options for my home movie viewing. On one end the $1 VHS tapes (upgraded to 1080p) in the middle the standard DVD format and on the high side the Blu-Ray format. This DMP-BD70V allows me to watch all three formats and allows me to choose whether I want to pay $1 $15 or $30 for each movie format. That is what I call flexibility.
I did a comparison price check for the DMP-BD70V model versus a similar model without the VHS tape compatibility - the difference was about $50 more. For me it was well worth it.
Obviously those without VHS tapes do not need this DMP-BD70V model. But those who do have some older VHS tapes and wish to still view them will love this model.
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Carisio Sal
Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
Great player that works without hassle
I'll start with the bottom line about this player-it just works! If you're looking for a nice fully functional Blu Ray player that's going to just WORK as you'd expect it to on anything you throw at it this is a nice safe buy. You'll have no problems upgrading from a normal DVD player to it.
Like a lot of people my first Blu Ray player was my Playstation 3 which I bought last year. If you don't already have a PS3 that's worth considering instead of a stand alone player because it doesn't cost much more handles Blu Rays (and DVDs) well and of course plays Playstation 3 games.
I even toyed with getting a second one but decided a stand alone player would be a bit cheaper and I didn't really need the second Playstation 3. (I've also since bought a Blu Ray drive for my computer so I can watch Blu Rays on it too.)
Impressions of the s360:
-Audio and video are excellent. I can't notice any difference from my PS3.
-The unit is physically SMALL. It's actually smaller than my two stand alone DVD players (though is the same width as normal stereo components so fits in fine)
-The unit is very quiet in operation-quieter than my two stand alone DVD players in fact. I don't think I can hear it at all except when it's first starting up loading up a disc (and that only if the room is dead silent). Interestingly the disc drive's seek sounds sound IDENTICAL to the drive in my Playstation 3! I'd be shocked if it's not basically the same drive.
-Remote is decent-I mean no remotes aside from Tivo's are particularly good but this works as well as any other (the oft-noted omission of an eject button is a bit surprising but not really missed since you have to get up anyway and the eject button on the unit is pretty large). (And thankfully unlike the PS3 remote it's normal infrared not Bluetooth.)
-Performance is very good. I think it takes SLIGHTLY longer than my PS3/PC to load the fancy interfaces some discs use (some discs replace the normal fast forward/rewind interfaces with their own themed interfaces and loading that interface adds a few more seconds before the disc's ready-so far I've only run across this on two discs and it's kind of pointless but this player DOES seem to handle them just fine). Rewinding/fast forwarding on this isn't quite as smooth as my Playstation 3 but it works as you'd expect a normal DVD player to.
-Power usage is very low-the unit says it draws a *MAX* of 22 watts in operation
-Boot time takes...well I haven't timed it but I'd guess maybe 15 seconds. To me that's plenty fast but that can actually be cut by setting the player to use more power when it's "off" (essentially it presumably actually stays on so it appears to boot faster). Players that claim they have faster boot times are probably just doing that same thing without giving you the option of actually shutting the unit off.
-It has all the features and ports you'd expect from a unit like this and has an excellent menu system that's ripped straight off of the Playstation 3 and Portable (of course once you've set it up with the settings you want you'll probably never really use the menu again but it's easier than any DVD player's menus I've ever used).
-Unlike some players it doesn't have internal memory to store "BD Live" internet features but it does have a USB port where you can connect a USB memory device to enable those features. I have a spare one lying around but haven't bothered hooking it up because I never use those features. I mean Blu Ray has some great additions over DVD like the pop up menus that can adjust settings without going back to the main menu-but the internet features are pretty gimicky to me and I've never used them. Still this player does support all of that if you care.
(Also unlike many of this year's players it lacks support for online services like Netflix's streaming service etc. I don't use those (I just use Netflix's disc service) and if I did use them I already have other devices that connect to them but if you check reviews the s360 is a better BLU RAY PLAYER than those other devices-and I'm buying this to be a good Blu Ray player.
I'm probably forgetting something I'd like to mention but honestly I could have quit after the first paragraph. If you're like me and just want something that WORKS without hassle this is a great choice.More detail ...
Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player Black
Great on the go Portable DVD/CD/JPEG/MPEG Player
I had been looking at the previous Sony model that had over 300 reviews and CNET had it as their choice in the portable DVD products in the 7"-10" screen sizes.
I am very please with the latest Sony model what has changed is they made the screen an inch larger and placed touch buttons on the newer model. This FX 930 looks more modern sleek although it is a little larger.
I am very pleased as I have played various DVD's using full and normal settings that you can select for wide or standard screen formats. I have played many CD's from the actual artists to my own made CD's at home and played music files from my PC and taken along photos like a photo album when I want to share or have those close to me with me so to speak when traveling.
Sound is fine for the little speakers but 99% of the time I use really good headphones and you get two jacks so you can share when sitting with someone on a plane train or in the car as long as you are not driving. Had to toss that in! ;)
It is not too heavy compared to many certainly much less than a laptop and still small enough screen size to know you are not luggin around a laptop. Battery life is standard I have it run out yet but have not been on pure battery for 6 hours yet either. I try to have it plugged in most of the time during use and for the car you get a car charger included in the box.
Being it is smaller it makes it more mobile for your travels whether local or abroad.
I have been using this item non-stop almost without any issues. Could it be improved yes almost any product can be and as with any electronics they seem to improve with almost each iteration.
With this said you can save $30-$40 by buying the previous model. It is an inch smaller but the screen resolution is the same and many of the features are almost identical.
Take it for a test drive and remember you've got 30 days to test it and if it is not what you like or expect return it and try another but choices on these products are quite limited since many use their PSP iPhone or iPods to watch movies/videos etc.More detail ...
Sony BDP-N460 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)
Very poor Netflix performance; overall disappointment so far.
I've had this player for several days now. Blu-Ray playback appears to be good although I don't really have anything to compare it to. But so far its other attributes leave a great deal to be desired.
Netflix playback is especially poor. I waited to buy this unit for its Netflix capability to kick in and was using the Roku HD player in the meantime. Even with a wired connection the Sony's Netflix HD content playback is noticeably sluggish and jerky almost to the point of being unwatchable compared to the Roku player connected wirelessly to the same router. I watched parts of the same video on each player and the difference is not subtle; it is pronounced.
Also the upscaled DVD picture on this player is very VERY soft almost to the point of looking out of focus even with the TV's Sharpness setting turned up to maximum. This is in comparison to the Sony DVP-NS700H upscaling DVD player I had been using previously which appears to have a sharper crisper image; again the difference is noticeable.
I'm going to try a few more DVDs and see if Sony and/or Netflix tech support can address the streaming problem before I give up and return the unit. I had hoped this player would be a nice addition to my BRAVIA setup (46" Z4100 LCD TV) but so far it's let me down.
UPDATE: I called Sony and went through three levels of support. They agreed with my description and assessment of the Netflix HD picture quality and told me there was nothing that could be done about it. I also called Netflix and they couldn't help either; none of their suggestions worked. If I can't resolve this myself I'm going to have to return the player.
UPDATE 2: Amazon on Demand HD video looks fine; very good actually. Looks like this is a Netflix issue (probably the onboard software not the stream since Netflix still looks fine on the Roku) that will have to be fixed with a firmware update sometime in the future.
UPDATE 3: CNET has now reviewed this product. From their review of the player's Netflix performance: "We also noticed that the overall streaming video quality seemed to be slightly worse than we're used to seeing. We saw more "jerky" playback than we're used to seeing on other players".
UPDATE 4: The Sony firmware update issued on December 22 has had no effect on the Netflix HD streaming quality. It looks the same as it did before.
UPDATE 5: For reasons unrelated to this issue I upgraded my cable internet service to Cablevision's "Optimum Boost" which among other things is supposed to more than double Internet speed. Indeed I'm now seeing over 20 Mbps on [...]. Nevertheless the problem remains; the Netflix HD video is still "jerky". Apparently the problem is not the network. I think it may be that the Sony does a poor job handling the Netflix stream compared to the Amazon stream such as e.g. upconverting from 720p to 1080p.
UPDATE 6: I did some more experimenting with the player this time removing the HDMI connection and using component instead setting the player's component output to 720p. This did not correct the jerky motion problem; it looked essentially the same.More detail ...
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