HELP, I need a new cheap region free DVD player... or solution to my current problems

[DeadlyMessiah]

Does anyone know of a nice reliable cheap all region player (with an optical outlet)? I heard Wal-mart has a CyberHome CH-300 player with an easy hack, but I have no idea how its playback is.

I currently have the following problems with my players:

My All Region Akai takes 15 minutes to load a disc and the discs keep hic-uping

My Regon 1 Sony either craps out half way through a disc (and I mean ANY disc, like Batman Begins, Saw, Gilgamesh Vol3, The Grudge, Star Wars, etc) or it will stop loading the disc with a C:13:00 message flasing across the right hand corner of the screen.

Anyone know how to fix either of those problems? I tried using a lens cleaner disc, did nothing. Then I tried wiping the lens off with a q-tip, still nothing.

[Iridium]

Supposedly that Sony C:13:00 message means the lens is dirty (http://www.soundreproduction.com/discussion/home_theater/messages/1212.html).

Edit: There are detailed instructions available for an very warranty-voiding alternate fix method (http://www.benmorris.net/dvd/) as well. This person claims it's because a certain fuse is too small and must be bypassed. Though IMO this is dangerous because you're cutting out a safeguard.

This C:13:00 error is widely reported. Do some googling. I've heard talk of a class action suit.

[DeadlyMessiah]

[ QUOTE ]
Iridium said:
Supposedly that Sony C:13:00 message means the lens is dirty (http://www.soundreproduction.com/discussion/home_theater/messages/1212.html).

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I'll try cleaning it again, but I doubt that is going to help since it has been doing it (although, it only did it once in a while before) at least the first 5 times I try to load up a disc, especially a disc released by WB.

[Skywise]

Use compressed air, not qtips or so called lens cleaners. The latter may actually damage the lens.

See:

http://forums.animeondvd.com/showthreade...amp;o=&vc=1 (http://forums.animeondvd.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=1012062&page=0&view=c ollapsed&sb=5&o=&vc=1)

[DeadlyMessiah]

[ QUOTE ]
Skywise said:
Use compressed air, not qtips or so called lens cleaners. The latter may actually damage the lens.

See:

http://forums.animeondvd.com/showthreade...amp;o=&vc=1 (http://forums.animeondvd.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=1012062&page=0&view=c ollapsed&sb=5&o=&vc=1)

[/ QUOTE ]

NO matter what, nothing did anything as it is still causing problems. I'm done with my Sony, and will never buy another DVD player from them, especially since it can't even last 5 years whereas I have a VCR they made for over 7 years now.

[Skywise]

If cleaning doesn't work, that would tend to indicate that either the laser is damaged or somewhat out of alignment. Neither is something you can easily fix yourself, so if you want it repaired you'll most likely have to take it to a repairshop.

[DeadlyMessiah]

[ QUOTE ]
Skywise said:
If cleaning doesn't work, that would tend to indicate that either the laser is damaged or somewhat out of alignment. Neither is something you can easily fix yourself, so if you want it repaired you'll most likely have to take it to a repairshop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Screw that. It'd be cheaper just to buy a new one, and I've really been hearing great things about that CH-DVD 300, not to mention everyone says the region hack works. Besides, we don't have any shops around that repair players.

[Billthree]

I think a critical factor in choosing whether to buy a cheap DVD player or a more spendy one is your display set up. If you are using an old analog TV with RCA input then a cyberhome cheap DVD player will be fine.

If you are using a digital TV and relying on the DVD player to provide a clean progressive signal then look to the more expensive models.

My region free players are both Philips although the progressive model I have has terrible de-intelacing.

I don't know what else I can add.

Bill III

[DeadlyMessiah]

[ QUOTE ]
Bill_Three said:
I think a critical factor in choosing whether to buy a cheap DVD player or a more spendy one is your display set up. If you are using an old analog TV with RCA input then a cyberhome cheap DVD player will be fine.

If you are using a digital TV and relying on the DVD player to provide a clean progressive signal then look to the more expensive models.

My region free players are both Philips although the progressive model I have has terrible de-intelacing.

I don't know what else I can add.

Bill III

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, I have no digital TV, and don't plan on getting one until at least I move to Colorado next year.

[cihan]

I've been researching DVD players for my girlfriend in the states who needs a new one, and so far the best I've seen (for under $100) is the Philips DVP 642 (around $60 in most stores). It can play NTSC or PAL, can be hacked via the remote to be multi-regional, and can also play nearly any file you throw at it from CDR's, DVDRs, to simple data discs with AVI files. Its not a perfect player for some, from what I've read from various forums, but for its price its the best out there. So I'll be buying one next month and hopefully watching multiregion goodness with my girlfriend soon!

The excellent site I used to research players was www.videohelp.com (http://www.videohelp.com)

[DeadlyMessiah]

[ QUOTE ]
beatnik said:
I've been researching DVD players for my girlfriend in the states who needs a new one, and so far the best I've seen (for under $100) is the Philips DVP 642 (around $60 in most stores). It can play NTSC or PAL, can be hacked via the remote to be multi-regional, and can also play nearly any file you throw at it from CDR's, DVDRs, to simple data discs with AVI files. Its not a perfect player for some, from what I've read from various forums, but for its price its the best out there. So I'll be buying one next month and hopefully watching multiregion goodness with my girlfriend soon!

The excellent site I used to research players was www.videohelp.com (http://www.videohelp.com)

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard bad things about that player. However, the problem I have with videohelp is sometimes it isn't clear if the reason people are having problems is because they are trying to play regular DVDs or DVDRs/CDRs.

Do you know what the region hack is for that player? Videohelp has a bunch of them it seems.

[cihan]

[ QUOTE ]
DeadlyMessiah said:I've heard bad things about that player.

[/ QUOTE ]

The main bad thing I've heard is that for some people the player dies before a year is up. Although other people have got it working again with the help of a soldering iron and have written how to do so (there's a view from a member called s002cjs (http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=Philips%20DVP%20642&Submit= Search&Search=Search&chipset=&country=&orderby=Nam e&hits=25#63328) that there is a design flaw in the power supply, replacing a $2 capacitor seems to fix the player if it happens to die. This short procedure is confirmed a couple posts later by another person who's player died after a while). Seems a bit much to get a player working again, but the alternative is to throw it in the trash, and I'd rather spend 5 minutes to do the little operation to ressurect the player than throw it away. I think the main reason for it dying is that they tend to get very warm, so the key is to keep them in the open as much as possible and don't set things on top of them.

[ QUOTE ]
Do you know what the region hack is for that player? Videohelp has a bunch of them it seems.

[/ QUOTE ]

To change the region, you simply open the tray and press on your remote: 7, 8, 9, ok, 0. The 0 at the end is to change the player's region setting to all regions.

For what the player is capable of, the whole progressive scan thing, the ability to play multiple formats (even jpgs!), $60 (around £30 for Brits) is very cheap and worth it I think. Some people complain it doesnt play every format it says it does, but I think this is due to encoding on the files or worn out CD/DVDs, rather than the player itself.

[Iridium]

[ QUOTE ]
beatnik said:
For what the player is capable of, the whole progressive scan thing, the ability to play multiple formats (even jpgs!), $60 (around £30 for Brits) is very cheap and worth it I think. Some people complain it doesnt play every format it says it does, but I think this is due to encoding on the files or worn out CD/DVDs, rather than the player itself.

[/ QUOTE ]
Please note that the DVP642 can't play music CDs properly. The pitch is slightly low and the music is actually played more slowly than normal. Also the player's mechanics are quite noisy and there is a loud repetitive chirping noise when playing discs. That is why I returned my DVP642.

Also, for whatever reason, it does not play .wav files.

[cihan]

[ QUOTE ]
Iridium said:Please note that the DVP642 can't play music CDs properly. The pitch is slightly low and the music is actually played more slowly than normal. Also the player's mechanics are quite noisy and there is a loud repetitive chirping noise when playing discs. That is why I returned my DVP642.

Also, for whatever reason, it does not play .wav files.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, I'm aware there's a chirping noise though alot of people have said its when loading some files not usually during playback (if it is loud and during playback of majority of DVDs, then I might return it). And yeah, apparently the player wont play .wav or .mov files. I dont really use a DVD player to play CDs anyway though, so I should be ok.

Anything will be a step up from my own DVD player, a Toshiba SD2109, which although has never given me any problems and is multiregional, can only play DVDs and nothing else.

[mcarocks2003]

Overall video quality on DVP642 is decent but be warned it suffers from VERTICAL OVERSCAN. The dvd player seems to stretch the image from top to bottom to much cutting off subtitles. It's a well known problem and it is the main flaw in it's design.

DVP642 is an old model and Philips have released alot better plays since then.

[Iridium]

[ QUOTE ]
mcarocks2003 said:
Overall video quality on DVP642 is decent but be warned it suffers from VERTICAL OVERSCAN. The dvd player seems to stretch the image from top to bottom to much cutting off subtitles. It's a well known problem and it is the main flaw in it's design.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah I saw the exact same thing. The difference was quite significant when I switched it for a Yamaha DVD-S550.

[DeadlyMessiah]

Well, I was at Walmart yesterday, and they did not have the Cyberhome player, so I picked up the Philips 642, and I think I was better off. First off, the player used for display at the store was playing Batman Begins on their 32 inch Widescreen TV, and the picture looked perfectly. Second, the guy cashing me out said, "Oh yeah, this is an excellent player as we have been playing the DVDs in the back on this player for over a year now, nearly 24 hours a day, and it still works perfectly fine." FInally, the region hack was nice and easy to work (of course, it wouldn't at first, but it turned out the batteries my player game with were dead), and I had no hicups.

Oh yeah, and I saw the Cyberhome player at BestBuy for $25 (after rebate), but it didn't have the Optical plug like I needed for my receiver, so I'm happy. Thanks to those the recommended this player, and the help.

[cihan]

[ QUOTE ]
DeadlyMessiah said:so I'm happy. Thanks to those the recommended this player, and the help.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm glad it went well, I look forward to buying it myself (well, for my girlfriend, but I'm the multiregion fanatic so...). I assume there's no maddening chirping sound emenating from the player?

[DeadlyMessiah]

[ QUOTE ]
beatnik said:
[ QUOTE ]
DeadlyMessiah said:so I'm happy. Thanks to those the recommended this player, and the help.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm glad it went well, I look forward to buying it myself (well, for my girlfriend, but I'm the multiregion fanatic so...). I assume there's no maddening chirping sound emenating from the player?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not yet, but my Akai had grinding noises, so I won't care if it does.

[Legion]

[ QUOTE ]
beatnik said:
I've been researching DVD players for my girlfriend in the states who needs a new one, and so far the best I've seen (for under $100) is the Philips DVP 642 (around $60 in most stores). It can play NTSC or PAL

[/ QUOTE ]

So if I get a player that has both NTSC and PAL playback capabilities, do I also need a TV that has NTSC/PAL display capabilities or would I be able to watch PAL discs on the TV I have now?

[Iridium]

[ QUOTE ]
Legion said:
[ QUOTE ]
beatnik said:
I've been researching DVD players for my girlfriend in the states who needs a new one, and so far the best I've seen (for under $100) is the Philips DVP 642 (around $60 in most stores). It can play NTSC or PAL

[/ QUOTE ]

So if I get a player that has both NTSC and PAL playback capabilities, do I also need a TV that has NTSC/PAL display capabilities or would I be able to watch PAL discs on the TV I have now?

[/ QUOTE ]
The DVP642 is polite enough to convert the PAL signal as appropriate, so it will work with an NTSC television regardless of the disc's format. I have tested it with discs from England and it worked fine on an NTSC TV. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

Though I believe there are other "NTSC/PAL" DVD players that do actually require televisions that support both modes if you want to play both types of discs.

[cihan]

[ QUOTE ]
Legion said:So if I get a player that has both NTSC and PAL playback capabilities, do I also need a TV that has NTSC/PAL display capabilities or would I be able to watch PAL discs on the TV I have now?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think with the majority of players that have the capability, they take a PAL DVD and convert the signal to NTSC for an NTSC TV. You might want to research this more, on videohelp.com forums, etc, but I'm 90% sure this is correct, with the Philips player too.

EDIT: Iridium beat me, lol.