# Should I just go ahead and buy a new DVD player? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 13, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023 "2010-06-13T16:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/1 "2010-06-13T16:03:18Z")
(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? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/2 "2010-06-13T16:19:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/3 "2010-06-13T17:03:13Z")
If you go for a DVR, don’t get an LG model - they suck. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/4 "2010-06-13T17:10:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/5 "2010-06-13T17:27:31Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/6 "2010-06-13T18:33:24Z")
Yes, I was looking thru the Sunday ads today and DVD players are ridiculously cheap. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/7 "2010-06-13T19:21:13Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > 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. 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… ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/8 "2010-06-13T20:48:45Z")
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 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/9 "2010-06-13T22:25:20Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-just-go-ahead-and-buy-a-new-dvd-player/543023/10 "2010-06-14T00:42:27Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > 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 think you’ve just put your finger on a problem with this modern world. 🙂