(I think I probably will have to.) The one I have is several years old but hasn’t been used much until just this year. The DVDs are mostly rentals from the Redbox. The picture on the TV ‘pixillates’ every so often, and the counter numbers run backwards briefly. Does this mean it’s the DVDs that are defective, or is it the fact that my DVD player is going south?
Unless the TV shows the same symptoms when connected to another source, your DVD player may be the one at fault. You can get a Blu-Ray player for quite inexpensive now, or a new DVD player for even less.
Be aware, though, that the inexpensive disc players have inexpensive mechanical parts. My cheap disc player groans and whines when it opens its tray; a more expensive one would be silent.
If you go for a DVR, don’t get an LG model - they suck.
You may want to clean the heck out of the rented dvds before playing them.
I’ve noticed with the redbox dvds that there are tons of people out there that abuse the crap out of them. Fingerprints, scratches, gunk.
I love using redbox but the downside is having to share the discs with morons that trash them.
The one advantage of regular DVD rental places was that they’d occasionally regrind their inventory.
Yes, I was looking thru the Sunday ads today and DVD players are ridiculously cheap. Thanks.
I have rented from Redbox around 20 different times—At least 5 of the 20, the discs have had scratches, fingerprints or other problems that cause my (normally VERY reliable) DVD player to act up.
You call Redbox and tell them and they always give you a code for a free replacement rental (or two) but it’s still kind of a pain in the ass to get a defective DVD a quarter of the time you rent a movie…
Yes, buy one it’ll be good for the economy. Think of the poor factory worker that is going to have his hour cut, 'cause you didn’t buy one. Think of the middlemen and store clerks that will have their hours cut because you didn’t buy one.
Then think of the store clerk who got his hours cut and then couldn’t afford to put gas in his car so the lady at the gas station got her hours cut.
And so on and so on and so on
Yes, buy one. Let’s all buy one 
I’m just going to piggy back on this with a semi-hijack – the remote to my DVD/VCR only works sporadically, and has been like this for a while. The buttons (any or all of them) don’t always work, and with the brilliant foresight of the product designers, there’s no menu/arrow/etc. keys on the actual DVD player. So if the remote doesn’t work, the player doesn’t work.
I have no idea if this is a problem with the remote (the transmitter) or the player (the receiver). I’ve already tried replacing the batteries to no avail. Does this sound like something that could be resolved with a new remote control? Or will I need to buy a new player? Unfortunately DVD/VCR combos are still pretty expensive (and yes, I still have some VHS tapes).
I think you’ve just put your finger on a problem with this modern world.