Sadly, my 5-year-old RCA player is starting to go bad. It takes forever to spin a disc up, and when it does, the picture and audio stutter occasionally.
Also, it doesn’t read CD-Rs.
I’m looking to spend no more than $150 or so. I don’t need fancy audio outputs or any crap like that, just something that will play DVDs and CD-Rs. MP3 would be nice. I’ve thought about a multi-disc, but I don’t know if I can get a solid one for less than $150.
Recommendations?
The Phillips DVP 642 sells at Target for about $80. And it reads video files in almost any format using almost any encoding (ie. DivX or XviD). Very handy if you want to transfer your home movies in a condensed format to a CD or DVD. Not sure if it plays mp3s.
I loves mine to death, I does.
I have a Philips DVD-724 that I bought for about $75 2 years ago. I love it, because it plays anything.
[ul][li]a built-in converter for PAL to NTSC, so you can view DVDs intended for pretty much anywhere (yellow or green on this map) on your NTSC TV.[/li][li]Region-free viewing, which means it can play anything from any region.[/li][li]MP3 and JPEG compatibility, with a good navigation system.[/li][li]progressive scan and composite outputs – HDTV ready; also standard RCA outs.[/li][li]digital and analog audio out.[/li][li]VCD and SVCD playback.[/li][li]standard DVD playback.[/li][li]compatibility with all (re)writable media, DVDs and CDs alike.[/ul][/li]Philips has discontinued this model, but the DVD-726 and -727 are basically the same and can be found online for about $90.
$150 is actually quite a lot of money for a DVD player! For that much, you can do what I did and go to your nearest Wallmart and get an ILO DVD burner/recorder! Works just like a VCR and you can put in DVD’s that can be used over and over again, or you can burn to regular DVD’s and keep in your collection. Lots easier to store, better quality, and cheaper than tapes.
Most of the newer DVD players are in the $40 to $90 range, and as mentioned, they have quite a few new features that make them superior to those older machines that cost quite a bit more.
HIghly recommend.
I spent many hours comparing features and settled on this machine. Then I just put a PC in the entertainment center. Still, the DVP642 is an excellent value and I would have purchased one had I not had a spare PC and a wireless keyboard lying around.
Another vote for the Philips DVP642K. Less than $100, and it really does play everything. One of the best things I’ve ever bought, for sure.
I’ll add my voice to the choir concerning the Philips 642. I was looking for a cheap dvd player and stumbled upon this one ($59 at best buy) a couple days ago. What sold me was the good reviews it was getting, and the ability to play just about any format available (most importantly DivX).
I’m still ecstatic about this dvd player.
