Toshiba SD-1200 DVD Player
BEEN THERE. DONE THAT, BUT STAYED HERE!
Having begun my DVD experience four months ago with my new Compaq computer w/10X player, I was hooked.  It was the crisp picture and especially, the special features available on most disks.  My next purchase was a Sharp DV600U that, like my DVD player on my Compaq, played all the difficult disks (reda:  Matrix, Arlington Road, etc.) with ease.  Sold it to a frien just beginning and knew she would be satisfied.  I just wanted more features, especially zoom.  Next came a KLH 1000 that had a plethora of additional buttons on the panel.  Very convenient and had a 4 power zoom.  Only problem:  it wouldn't play much of anything, including VCD, and, of course, the aforementioned titles.  A phone call and a few e-mailings to California, and I sent my EPROMs back for reprogramming.  The result after reinstallation - perfection.  I swear it would play a ham sandwich if inserted now!  Pretty fair picture, good sound, but no DTS capabilities - not a big deal for most as it does have Dolby, etc.  Decided it would make a great player for my bedroom where I spend a fair amount of time as it is large and I have a bad back broken a few times in the service and after retirement.  Outch!  Next, I purchased a once expensive JVC VX 501 BK and after executing a &quot;reset procedure&quot; not in the manual, but available through cust. service, played MOST disks quite well, but would still stumble on some titles and actually lock up on &quot;hamburger Hill, Devil's Advocate, Deep Blue Sea, but strangely, played &quot;Matrix&quot; just fine.  Further, on some titles, I could not get any response from special feature menus.  It is on it's way to New Jersey as I write this along with a lengthy letter of chagrin and dissappointment as in the past, there products performed quite well for me.  This was to be my primary player.  Well, with an empty space in my home theater, I was fed up with so much controversity over which player to purchase.  Considering all the extremely bad press JVC got ontheir XV501, I, being retired and disabled, needed another primary player.  So, I went to this site, and pricegrabber.com (write this one down folks) and saw endless complaints akin to mine over this product that JVC seems reluctant to admit their product was a mistake.  Cannot speak for their other models, but &quot;once burned, twice shy.&quot;  Will comment later on how they treat me after my extensive plea for justice.  <br />Back to the reviews.  I've really had it with experimentation.  My only experience using Tosbiba products was with a 7&quot; reel-to-reel tape deck back in the sixties while overseas.  It played flawlessly, but was not exactly a marvel of technological wizardry. NEVER failed, though.  Well, that was years ago and after reading the hugely glowing reports on this and the &quot;other&quot; site, and talking with another electronics aficionado who owns an slightly older model, SD 2109 I think, and he loves it as do I, that was not designed to play VCDs, I purchased the Toshiba SD 1200.  All I can say is that along with my friend, it plays EVERYTHING (including VCDs and CDs) with absolute perfection.  I have owned six VHS players and a Beta Max machine and have generally impressed with their simplicity and reliability...but the picture and sound on this handsome, uncluttered unit is astounding.  My medium is a new Sony Wega 32&quot; Triniton TV, a Denon AVR 2800 upper crust receiver, Sony 6-channel speaker system, RCA Super VHS (flawless after nearly two years on continued use), and a few other bells and whistles not important to this critique.  As I said, I am a genuine techie freak.  My bedroom system is similar, only with a 27&quot; Surround Sound Zenith of 8 years flawless perfomance with a built in amplifier, making a receiver unnecessary, and of course the KLH 1000 DVD player and another RCA VHS player, also faultless.<br />Yes, the remote has smaller buttons, but I like the compactness.  My KLH remote is even smaller, and works like a champ.  Just takes getting used to.  Further, some people complained about now seeing their remote in a dark room (much to an eye doctor's chagrin).  Frankly, the only remote I have that has back lighting is the one with my receiver, and it still requires some requisite knowledge of the button layout.  Toshiba has included a 4 stage zoom feature that those of us who absolutely hate that squashed, skinny view of 2:35 aspect ratio (I mean I detest it).  The first zoom stage takes the aspect ratio to a pleasanatly enjoyable 1:85, with only small bars top and bottom, but absolutely no loss in picture quality that these eyes can detect.  Hurray for Toshiba!   Did I mention how much I hate the 2:35 ratio?  As far as not having an optical output - FORGET IT!  I know of no one who even uses it.  Additionally, it had been reported often that the cables are enormously fragile and break easily.  High end stereo dealers don't push it at all.  Stick with S-video or composite video - my next very simple operation, for the best picture.  Could be a well spent $45.00 to Monster Cable if one is as much of a perfectionist as I am.<br />Buy this incredible machine and your worries are over, but the thrill of DVD will just begin.