JVC XV-FA95BK Progressive-Scan 7-Disc DVD Player, Black
A good machine, but it's no (...).
(...)Your machine won in terms of features vs price. I guess there is something to be said for getting what one pays for ...<br />However, there are a few features which I would like to have seen changed, or even seen at all.<br />(1) Time Remaining on a DVD Video (at minimum) and/or on other media formats. It would have been nice to at least have Time Remaining for an entire Movie, but would have liked seeing the time parameters per Chapter, as well.<br />(2) Only Shuffle (Random) on 1 disc? What a waste! One would've expected to fill all 7 slots with CD's or DVD-Audio discs and randomized the entire lot and walked away for several hours of enjoyment! The feature is useless the way it is today.<br />(3) A Lighted Remote. Now there's a novel idea! Glow buttons fade after awhile - like an hour into the movie. So you still need to turn the light back on to re-charge the glow buttons! Another Useless feature!<br />(4) CAn you make the mechanism a little QUIETER! As much as I laud JVC for their innovation in the design of this mechanism ... What a racket it makes shuffling disc trays going from one tray to the next.<br />(5) Why does my DVD-Audio only output via the Analog 5.1 channels? I would have rather had it direct its output via the Optical connection - now that's digital! <br />(6) I understand the goal of less clutter on the front panel, but I would rather have a few extra buttons, for instance, separate buttons for features such as Program, Search, Time/Text, Shuffle (Random), etc. It is cumbersome to have to traverse the menu's with the TV on to get to these features. While your at it, put these buttons on the remote, too.<br />All-in-all - it's not a BAD machine, but I am not really impressed! And this machine seems a little flimsy in construction, at least outwardly, since this machine is touted for the solid and shielded internal construction. <br />I am viewing on a Sony KP-57XBR10W HDTV (ready) Widescreen TV. (Okay - so call me a Sony Fanatic!) So far, the Progressive Scan picture is not noticably sharper on the XV-FA90BK via component connection to the TV than it was on my 4-year old Sony DVP-C600D via an S-Video connection (I am using Monster High-grade cables for both). Maybe there is something to be said for the 12-bit video D/A Converter on the Sony DVP-S9000ES (albeit at 3X the price!). <br />------------------------<BR>After 1 week of ownership:<br />I felt I needed to change my initial rating of 4-stars to 1-star for this product.  The intended purpose of purchasing this machine was to take advantage of the it's Progressive Scan and DVD-Audio capabilities.<br />(1) DVD-Audio - I was able to play them in my previous Sony DVPC600D via 5.1 channels via the digital Optical Output.  This JVC model appears to only output DVD-Audio via the Analog 5.1 channel output (as I had stated above).  But in comparison, there are supposed to be some sort of 'extras' on DVD-Audios that I was missing before.  I can't tell what those features are. The 2 DVD-Audio 'samples' shipped with the product, nor my Separately purchased DVD-Audio of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, seemed not to have any extra features - I was able to see the Track displays on my TV on the Sony - the same happens with the JVC with the DVD-Audio capability (the XDVPC600D is not DVD-Audio capable - but it plays them).  So this is no big deal to me, either.<br />(2) But, the main reason of downgrading my rating of this product is that I have found that during Component Video playback to my aforementioned Sony TV, there are certain scenes that black out during play.  This XV-FA90BK player manual states to change the Progressive mode options if experiencing bad reception.  I tried all 5 modes and get the same blackouts.  In fact, this even happens in Interlaced (non-porogressive) mode coming through the Component Outputs.  I also have the unit hooked up to another Input on my TV via S-Video - this problem does not occur when I view via the S-Video connection (in interlaced mode).  And as such, I have detemrined that the blacked out scenes involve flashes such as lightning-type effects on the screen.<br />I admit this may be a problem with my connection (cable or ports), compatibility with my particular TV or there may simply be something wrong with the XV-FA90BK player.<br />I had considered the Harman-Kardon  DVD-50 (5-disk, HDCD but no DVD-Audio) and several Sony  models (some with SACD).  Unfortunately, Sony doesn't offer any progressive scan multi-disc models.  I chose the JVC over HK, becuase I figured on the DVD-Audio feature over the HDCD feature on the HK.<br />I should've gone with the HK or any of the Sony's.  I am probably going to return this JVC DVD player to whence it came.