Budget DVD player?

[HJay]

Hi

My Samsung DVD-511 is now skipping so much I have got to get rid of it.

Are there any good DVD players around for under £50 or am I wasting my time in this price range?

[maverik1979]

you can get a toshiba 350/360e for around £60 there very good for the money

[Abbeygoo]

Absolutely agree with the recommendation for the Tosh - top notch and cracking value. A multi region version may cost nearer £75 but still worth every penny - including a HDMI output WOW

[Sharpfish]

I read in a few places the Tosh 350 had inferior HDMI output (Component was better) and in general the PQ on HDMI didn't compare to rivals (samsung?). Does anyone know if the newer 360 has improved it's HDMI quality...

Also are any owners really annoyed by the blue light along the disc tray on the Toshibas?

Thanks

[kozmikoid]

If DivX playback is important at all, the 350e can only play DivX files from CDs (CD-R only, RW is not recommended), and only 650MB ones at that. That info is according to the manual.

I was stuck between the 350e and the Philips DVP5100 . The limited DivX facility on the Tosh, plus the blue light was enough to steer me to the Philips (was £56 off Amazon). I have no need for HDMI. Very pleased with my purchase. Has so far played all DivX and XviD files perfectly from DVD+R and DVD+RW. Superb player for the money.

Easily made multi-region too. Plus has progressive output. Look at the reviews at http://www.homecinemachoice.com for more info.

This player has been superceded now but I have no experience of its replacement

Good luck with whatever you get.

Bye, kozmikoid.

[gixxerman]

Originally Posted by kozmikoid

If DivX playback is important at all, the 350e can only play DivX files from CDs (CD-R only, RW is not recommended), and only 650MB ones at that. That info is according to the manual.

- The manual is limited, badly worded and gives a totally false impression on this.

The Toshiba SD350e is a great little DVD player and will happily play almost every disc I throw at it, including DVD -R's with over 4gb's of DIVX/XVID/MPG/AVI movies on them.

Mine will happily accept and play CD -RW (80min 700mb Philips brand) if they're given a full erase/format on Nero 6.

It does sometimes prat about refusing to 'see' files (or worse 'seeing' them but still refusing to play them) but, to the best of my knowledge, they can all play that little trick.

It plays retail DVD beautifully.

My only 'beef' with it is the total and utter lack of firmware support from Toshiba.
This ensures that these machines will get left further and further behind as new codecs appear.

It's because of this that I am considering getting rid of mine and getting a different upscaling HDMI equipped machine (which absolutely will not be a Toshiba).
It's a pity because it really is the only thing I can fault it on.

It was also a total bargain on Amazon, I got mine for £50 new + delivery.

Toshiba's problem is that there are at least a few other manufacturers who can do all that Toshiba do and who will support their machines properly after-sale.

A Philips next perhaps?

[kozmikoid]

Thanks for the correction gixxerman. I'm glad it plays your disks fine.

Pity about the lack of firmware for the Tosh. I've had one firmware update for my Philips which came in the form of an CD image file from their website. It was only to fix a glitch but I'm hoping they will also support new codecs too when required.

Bye, kozmikoid.

[gixxerman]

No worries kozmikoid, just keeping the database up to date and accurate!

I have been reading here that the Tosh sd350e has 'issues' with a decent playback over HDMI but as yet I can't say either way on this (I should hopefully know by the end of the week when the new TV arrives).

I've also yet to try and point a DVD DL disc at it (but with DIVX there's little need for me to be doing that anyway).

I can't believe Toshiba won't look after their customers - IIRC they have actually come right out with it and said there will never be any firmware support!
Incredible (and, naturally, the sort of discovery sod's law says you will make only after buying one! ).

[PaulPoole]

I have just bought a Toshiba 350SE and , although fine with Shop Bought
DVDs it refuses to recognise the DVDs I have recorded on my PC.
My cheapo Asda Pacific has no such problem but nothing great in specs
either.
Does anyone know of a fix for this. All suggestions welcomed.

Thanks.
Paul.

[gixxerman]

Originally Posted by PaulPoole

it refuses to recognise the DVDs I have recorded on my PC.
Does anyone know of a fix for this. All suggestions welcomed.

Thanks.
Paul.

- I only make either copies or Divx discs (all legal ones, naturally) if it's anything like mine Paul you need to write at X1 speed to be confident it'll work ok .

I also use Nero 6 although it liked Pinnacle Instant disc V7 and worked well with that.

It made me reinstall my old (2003 vintage) Mat****a (the auto mod with consider that a naughty word but it is what it is called) SW 9581 cos I can get Nero to make it write at X1 speed.
If I use my new NEC ND4570 even at X2 speed I often find it doesn't like the DVD's I've made.

I also use the excellent free software 'MPEG4 modifier' to 'unpack the bitsteam' cos it doesn't seem to like that either.

I have also read that it doesn't like long titles or titles with lots of dots in them and they can be picky over which media they like (I use Maxell, Memorex and I have heard TDK and Panasonic discs work well).

If anyone is interested I found the HDMI connection to offer nothing I can see over rgb scart, in fact it is pretty disappointing compared, the image looks very pixelated.
(edit to say scratch that, I was just feeling very annoyed at a movie I expected to look good & didn't, I think it was the copy and not the hardware.
Some films have looked great through the HDMI but whether it has much if anything over rgb scart is another matter.)

Good luck.