If anybody is looking to replace their current model of DVD player or wants another, a model I can highly recommend is the Philips DVP642 which can be had for less than $70. This model can play just about any format including DivX, and raw mpeg2's. It is progressive scan and converts NTSC/PAL on the fly. You can also make this model region free with a code you enter from the remote; which can be found at videohelp.com . For someone wanting a cheap region free NTSC/PAL model, I have had good luck with my AMW S-99 model. This model can be found on Amazon.com for $40 or less and only requires a code to be entered from the remote which can also be found at videohelp.com . If Circuit City still carries this model, I have seen them put it on sale for $29.99.Bob
Thanks. This is a help for me.
I took your recomendation on the Phillips DVD player. I got one earlier in the week and it works great. I rented DVD that I had trouble with and I finally got to watch them. It is nice to put in a DVD and actually get to see the picture.
I am glad I could help. I really like this model; plays pretty much anything you can put into it and is quite slim to boot. Since I also buy PAL and import DVDs, the Philips models are great since they are about the easiest to set region free and do not choke on the conversion like some more expensive models.
Menard,
This one might be a consideration for me as well, being as I've been looking for a fairly cheap Divx player. Thanks for the info.Menard wrote:
any troubles with dvd-r and/or dvd+r formats? My player is an old panasonic rp62 which i love except for the fact that it is so picky about what brand it will read when it comes to burned dvd's. I was thinking of getting another cheap model just to play these.
I myself have not tried any burned media on it yet. I have a friend who is a producer/director at a television station where they use one of these and they have not reported any problems with either format. Even though I had heard of this model before them, they made it a point to send me an e-mail praising this unit without any knowledge that I was considering one. I have a tendency to follow their lead since they work with this stuff all the time. If you want some additional confirmation, you can go to videohelp.com and search Philips (one L) DVP642 (don't capitalize) on their DVD compatibility list. Regular users contribute reports on how well different machines did with different formats. Another item recommended by my friend which I picked up recently is the LITEON set-top DVD recorder. I have not used it yet as I am trying to organize the entertainment center with the DVD recorder, an S-VHS recorder and two VCRs in addition to editing equipment with a lot of cables and a tight space to operate because the entertainment center is just too big to move (and I am too chicken to try). To reiterate, give videohelp.com a try for compatibility and if you want to make it region free you can find the code there as well. When I get back on the laptop, I will post a link to the website. At present I am on a WebTV unit and do not have much flexibility (such as paragraphing, which will not work with phorum from a WebTV unit). I hope I have provided some help.
This is the DVD Player compatibility list on videohelp.com where you can find information on the Philips DVP642 (they list it as DVP 642). I could not get the specific page to link, so I posted the link to the list of players.
DVD Player Compatibility List (http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers)
The region free code is as follows:
1) Power On
2) Open Tray (and leave open)
3) On your remote press these buttons: 7-8-9-OK-0
(since the last button '0' is the region number, you can specify a region by pushing a number from 1-6 in place of the '0'.)
You will see the number 0 show on the bottom left of the screen.
At this point the machine is region free. You can either put in a DVD or just close the tray and power off. This only needs to be done once; you do not have to repeat this step every time you want to play a DVD.
Since it also has a built in PAL/NTSC converter, it will now play DVDs from anywhere in the world.
Post Edited (01-09-05 03:21)