[JHJanian]

Can anyone recommend an easy to use DVD player?

I love my tivo's. By comparison, my DVD player is difficult to use, especially considering the remote control.

Do you know what I mean? The tivo remote control is so well laid out and easy to use. It's the complete opposite with my DVD player.

I'm sure no DVD players are as easy to use as a Tivo, but can anyone recommend one they like and find easy (easier) to use? I really don't care about incredible quality, tech specs and the like.

I'll be happy with an inexpensive DVD player that is easy to use, and I would also be happy to pay for a more expensive player that is easy to use.

Any recommendations?

Thanks, Jeff

 

[ZeoTiVo]

get the best of both worlds with a Toshiba*, [edit]pioneer or HUMAX TiVo with DVD built in. The Toshiba and [edit]pioneer also come with TiVo Basic which gives you 3 days of guide data and the ability to set up manual recordings. The DVD and its ability to burn is fully functional. You can also record items on the line in very easily with a built in menu control and then burn them to DVD with a DVD recorder unit.

I have the Toshiba RS TX20 and LOVE it. The DVD playback is the TiVo interface and for watching DVDs you use the peanut remote exactly as you would for a recorded show. All my DVD watching is done on that unit and I keep all my home movies on it as well. It has a component output so you get all the DVD resolution goodness as well.

The HUMAX is still made I believe and you can get lifetime TiVo sub on them as well. The Toshiba and [edit]pioneer you will have to search for since they are not made anymore

* NOTE do NOT get the Toshiba SD-H400 TiVo. It is cheap being only a DVD player but the DVD is not integrated in and the remote is kind of clunky and not a peanut remote. It is not what you are looking for.

 

[robomeister]

Just a small correction to ZeoTivo.

Pioneer made the integrated TiVo and DVD-burner, not Panasonic.

I own several of these and I love them.

You can find the Pioneers, Toshibas and Humaxes on eBay. If you don't mind bidding.

robomeister

 

[ZeoTiVo]

Just a small correction to ZeoTivo.

Pioneer made the integrated TiVo and DVD-burner, not Panasonic.

man, I do that every time. Thanks for fixing it up for me

 

[d_anders]

Do you have an HD TV set, are you thinking about buying one in the next 6-8 months...?

Easy to use or not....if you are in the market to buy a new DVD player, you definitely want to buy a upverting unit from Oppo or other comparable unit.

The picture I'm getting from DVD's upverted from my Sony unit to my Sony HDTV is simply incredible. The relatively low cost of the 720p/1080i upverting units (Oppo has a unit that upverts to 1080p) has totally allowed me to wait until the HDDVD and blueray based boxes come further down in price and allowed me to rediscover my existing movie library.

Are they truly upgrading the signal and picture to 1080i, no, but the picture from upgraded DVDs is definitely better than 480p....and it looks so good on my 50" HDTV set that I can wait for the new formats to flush out.

 

[SullyND]

You can find the Pioneers, Toshibas and Humaxes on eBay. If you don't mind bidding.

Last time I was at Wallymart they had a whole pallette of Humaxs on clearance, but that was a month or two ago, but it would be worth checking if that would be something you're interested in. Note that to get lifetime on a Humax it needs to have never been activated.

 

[SugarBowl]

upconverting, and HD, with 5 free movies for $250

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000IJ...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240701&pf_rd_i=507846

 

[JustAllie]

I'll be happy with an inexpensive DVD player that is easy to use, and I would also be happy to pay for a more expensive player that is easy to use.

I just wanted to say "me too."

Right now I mostly use my Humax DRT800 to watch DVDs, but when I eventually go HDTV and go on the market for an upconverting DVD player, I will definitely be looking for features like "instant replay" and a good remote control.

I have a Cyberhome DVD player that I use to watch DVDs from Australia or the U.K. What a pain that remote control is. And I definitely miss the one-button "instant replay" feature.

 

[mrmike]

upconverting, and HD, with 5 free movies for $250

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000IJ...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240701&pf_rd_i=507846

The Toshiba remote sucketh. The A2 remote is better than the A1 remote, but that's like saying that being hit in the head by a two-by-four is better than being hit in the head by a brick. I programmed my Harmony and never looked back.

 

[Arcady]

I have been looking at the TiVo/DVD combo units on eBay. There's one thing I am curious about. Do I need to set up service on the box in order to play DVD's? I'd just like a TiVo interface for DVD playback; my Series 3 is fine for all my TV recording...

 

[GoHokies!]

I have been looking at the TiVo/DVD combo units on eBay. There's one thing I am curious about. Do I need to set up service on the box in order to play DVD's? I'd just like a TiVo interface for DVD playback; my Series 3 is fine for all my TV recording...

1. Yes, you do (if it's a Humax) - the Toshiba and Pioneer have "tivo basic" that'll let you play DVDs without a sub (if I've done my research right).

This thread pushed me over the edge, I'm not sure if I can hold back on a DVD tivo much longer...

 

[wolflord11]

Can the Tivo/DVD units play DVD's from around the World, or are they Zoned?

If so, then I will stick with my current DVD Player that is Unzoned. Its great for playing any DVD.

 

[JustAllie]

Can the Tivo/DVD units play DVD's from around the World, or are they Zoned?

If so, then I will stick with my current DVD Player that is Unzoned. Its great for playing any DVD.

They play Region 1 discs or discs with no region coding only, as far as I know.

I have the Cyberhome DVD player for just that purpose -- to play DVDs coded for other regions. But its remote control is terrible. Still, I only paid $30 or $40 for the player, so it's hard to complain too much....

 

[SugarBowl]

The Toshiba remote sucketh. The A2 remote is better than the A1 remote, but that's like saying that being hit in the head by a two-by-four is better than being hit in the head by a brick. I programmed my Harmony and never looked back.

True. All remotes (except Tivo) are bad. Getting a harmony (680) remote is the best way to go. But it's not trivial to program the thing.

 

[dylanemcgregor]

1. Yes, you do (if it's a Humax) - the Toshiba and Pioneer have "tivo basic" that'll let you play DVDs without a sub (if I've done my research right).

The Humax (and all of the integrated DVD units) allow playback of DVDs without a sub. TiVo Basic allows for limited time based recording with 3 days of guide data.

 

[kb7sei]

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

$65 upconverting DVD (and DivX) player with HDMI cable at costco. I own one and it works great, no HD-DVD or BD though. I refuse to buy into Hi-Def DVD until universal players are cheap or the format war is over. I know they are available elsewhere without the HDMI (they want you to buy the ripoff $100 HDMI cables they sell). If you need a cable, check monoprice.com excellent prices for very nice cables.

The remote isn't as good as the Tivo peanut, but I use a Harmony because it can control all my stuff. The Harmony is almost as nice as the peanut, though the layout for the transport buttons isn't quite as nice.

The player itself is easy to use, pop a disk in and select whatever option you want from the menu. Of course, all DVD players work that way, so I'm not sure what you're asking for in that department.

 

[GoHokies!]

The Humax (and all of the integrated DVD units) allow playback of DVDs without a sub. TiVo Basic allows for limited time based recording with 3 days of guide data.

Cool, thanks! Now I really think that I'm going to have to find one of these things...

 

[wolflord11]

They play Region 1 discs or discs with no region coding only, as far as I know.

I have the Cyberhome DVD player for just that purpose -- to play DVDs coded for other regions. But its remote control is terrible. Still, I only paid $30 or $40 for the player, so it's hard to complain too much....

Thank you for the information. So only Region 1 and No Region Coding DVD's will play.....

So, I will keep my current DVD Player. Mind you, I can control it with my TV Remote, as well as a Home Theater System and Tivo, so atleast I cannot complain much about the remote

 

[GoHokies!]

Thanks to Dylane, Allie, Zeo and all the rest for parting me with $60 dollars of my money.

Now I get to be excited about a new toy until it shows up....

http://cgi.ebay.com/HUMAX-DRT800-DV...emZ290149097858QQcategoryZ79865QQcmdZViewItem

 

[wolflord11]

Congradulations on the EBay win, and hope you have fun with the new Toy