From owner-freebsd-chat Sun Nov 26 15:31:38 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from mailhost01.reflexnet.net (mailhost01.reflexnet.net [64.6.192.82]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7266C37B479 for ; Sun, 26 Nov 2000 15:31:33 -0800 (PST) Received: from 149.211.6.64.reflexcom.com ([64.6.211.149]) by mailhost01.reflexnet.net with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.5.1877.197.19); Sun, 26 Nov 2000 15:29:59 -0800 Received: (from cjc@localhost) by 149.211.6.64.reflexcom.com (8.11.0/8.11.0) id eAQNVNk72087; Sun, 26 Nov 2000 15:31:23 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from cjc) Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 15:31:23 -0800 From: "Crist J . Clark" To: Brad Knowles Cc: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: DVD Players, and Not in a PC Message-ID: <20001126153123.J70192@149.211.6.64.reflexcom.com> Reply-To: cjclark@alum.mit.edu References: <20001126143720.I70192@149.211.6.64.reflexcom.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 1.0i In-Reply-To: ; from blk@skynet.be on Sun, Nov 26, 2000 at 11:50:35PM +0100 Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org On Sun, Nov 26, 2000 at 11:50:35PM +0100, Brad Knowles wrote: > At 2:37 PM -0800 2000/11/26, Crist J . Clark wrote: > > > Anyone have recommendations for a good DVD player? And a vendor? > > > > I figure consumer electronics items like DVD players have only a > > _slightly_ longer lifetime before obsolescence than your typcial PC, > > so I want something with good features, but not the top-top of the > > line for $2k that will be $500 by spring. > > One factor to consider is whether you want to use the same device > to do things other than just play DVDs. For example, I have a > Pioneer DVD/Laserdisc combination player, and while these have > historically not been all that well rated (and this model is > incapable of handling PAL or SECAM format video), I quite like having > that flexibility. > > I think you need to decide what all features you're looking for > (including price), then prioritize them into what is essential, what > would be very nice to have, and what would be a nice bonus if you > could get it, and that will help direct your choices in this area. I don't have any laser disks (old girlfriend has 'em and I'm not going to get them), so that is not a option I would look for. The only thing I definately want is good regular ol' CD audio. This will be the primary audio CD player too, but I have yet to see a DVD player that does not claim to play audio CDs. Since it will be doing that, I want it have a reasonably sized changer, say >=5 DVDs/CDs. I've already got a good AV receiver, so it does not need its own mega-amp for speakers. As for price, the thing is that they are all so scattered with little direct correlation to options. I don't want to pay an extra $100 for a little name on the front when the hardware in the box is the same. (That's the same as the PC world.) It's hard for me to come up with a target when I have no real feel for the prices. I try to get a feel, say at buy.com, and they range from $150 to $350 on the banner page. Quite reasonable you say. Go to their 'Top of the Line' page and we're up to $1500... So where is the reasonable middle (OK, all of the >$1k choices look a bit out there: "From its hermetically sealed door to its all copper chassis"?) I guess what would really like would be some good URLs. When searching for info on this kind of stuff, first you get overwhelmed by hits on seller sites. Once you get those cleared out its still hard to figure out who knows what they are talking about and what is just baiscally an ad posing as a critique or someone venting on how bad the hardware is when they really can't read an instruction manual. -- Crist J. Clark cjclark@alum.mit.edu To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message