Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD Player
Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD / CD Changer With CD-R, CD-RW, DVD
The Toshiba SD2715 is a 5-disc carousel-type DVD changer. As majority of new DVD players, it plays MP3, CD-R and CD-RW. <br />Setup <br />The setup process is greatly simplified by the \\"First Setup Menu\\". Not that it is rocket science otherwise :-) ... <br />Styling <br />The changer looks quite plain, although it has a lot of buttons on the front panel. The display is located above the large tray (the tray holds 5 discs in a carousel-type changer). <br />Connections <br />The player has the following connections available: <br />Video: a composite-, an S-video and a ColorStream component video outs. Of course, if your TV has the component-video input, it is the best way to connect the player to it. This bypasses both TV's comb filter and color decoder. The S-Video connection produces picture quality, which is almost as good. <br />If your TV has an S-Video input, connecting to it using a composite video would be a major mistake, as it will introduce cross-luminance artifacts and rainbow-like Moire patterns. The difference between picture quality using composite video connection and S-Video is apparent. The S-Video is much better and allows you to bypass comb filter and feed the separate chrominance and luminance information directly to your TVs color decoder. <br />Given a choice between S-Video connection through the cheap cable and composite connection through the most expensive one, the former will provide better picture than the latter. <br />The changer has a feature called \\"parallel video out\\". It allows you watch the movie on several TVs/Monitors at once by connecting to them using S-Video, component (ColorStream) and composite outs. Why would one do something like this is a mistery to me. <br />Audio: The changer also has coaxial and digital audio out as well as analog stereo out. <br />There are two ways to get real surround sound (in addition to the fake \\"spatializer\\" that creates an illusion of surround sound from two speakers): <BR>1. Use digital audioconnection and a receiver or sound system with Dolby Digital/DTS decoder. <BR>2. Connect analog out to Dolby Pro Logic equipment <br />Picture and Sound <br />The picture and sound quality (both digital through connection and using player's DAC) are excellent. With analog connection, the sound quality depends on the player's DAC and it is very good. Since the changer will probably also be used as a CD-player, it is a good thing that it plays CDs well. <br />MP3, CD-R And CD-RW <br />The changer plays finalized CD-R and CD-RW discs (including CD-Audio and discs with MP3 files). The SD2715 is also CD-Text compatible. It also plays DVD-R and Video CD. <br />Features <br />The changer has other, virtually \\"standard\\", DVD features: programmed playback, bookmarks, parental control, CD-audio playback, camera angle select, multi-language and multi-subtitle select, Spatializer N-2-2 Virtual Surround Sound, four slow motion forward/reverse speeds. <br />There is 4-power zoom and still mode, 2x playback. The supplied remote control is well laid-out. <br />Bottom Line <br />The Toshiba SD2715's is an inexpensive and feature-rich DVD/CD changer. It plays CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R and MP3. At [amt] (J&R) it is a very good deal. However, check out Panasonic CV51, if you want something that looks better.