Toshiba SD-1600 DVD Player
So easy to use, even my dad can use it!
The Toshiba SD-1600 breathed some new life into my 12-year-old 27-inch Mitsubishi TV!  I connected the player directly to the TV with a Radio Shack S-Video cable and a pair of gold-plated analog audio cables left over from the days of the now old and busted VCR.  I was able to get this baby up and running within ten minutes.<br />The video and audio quality is just plain superb!  The 540 horizontal lines of resolution is far more than most other players have, and makes for really sharp and detailed pictures; my mom can now make out the wrinkles on Sting's face as he sings a tune on one of his live concert DVD's, and my dad and I can pause to a single frame and stare at the ladies while viewing &quot;Bring It On&quot; (just kidding).  The sound is just as great; even though it's hooked up to a stereo system that's even older than the TV, everything still sounds really good.  (A tip:  If you have a plain 2-channel stereo system or TV, use the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack if the DVD provides it.  5.1 soundtracks will work fine, but they have 2.0 soundtracks there because they're optimized for that type of audio setup.)<br />I've played a wide variety of DVD's with absolutely no problems.  This includes action flicks such as &quot;Terminator 2: Judgment Day&quot; (Ultimate Edition) and &quot;Gladiator&quot;, slower-paced comedies like &quot;Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo&quot; and &quot;Meet the Parents&quot;, and an animated film, &quot;Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea&quot;.  No, I have not tried &quot;The Matrix&quot; on it; I've already seen it far too many times.<br />Other features such as the Spatializer 3D audio system and picture zoom work quite well and to my expectations.  Discs don't load as quickly as other models, but that shouldn't be a concern unless it takes absolutely *forever* to do it.  This player does a great job in handling layer switches and I love the black level enhancement, which brings the darkest black on your display lower than the standard, making a big difference on the overall visual experience.<br />So take my word for it, you'll be happy with everything this Toshiba player has to offer.  Get one, have fun with it, and enjoy!