Apex AD-1200 DVD Player
Basically, you get what you pay for.
Apex DVD players are made for the most budget conscious of consumers, but my philosophy on buying electronics stands firm: If you're going to get one, spend a little extra and get a good one. The Apex AD-1200 is a tough recommendation even at the low price.<br />The strength of this DVD player is simple: It plays DVDs. For people who will only watch a DVD occasionally, that is not a problem. It offers good picture quality and decent sound quality. Surprisingly, it plays VCDs and MP3s rather well, which means that those burned CDs that won't work on your stereo will most likely work here. Basically, you can expect a minimal level of performance from this particular DVD player.<br />But the problems with this model are plentiful. The biggest flaw is the design. This DVD player is light, and feels cheap. Note the absence of a digital display on the player. Also, repeated pushing of the buttons can result in them falling out, so be careful of how hard you press the buttons. Worse yet, the player is loud and clunky. This clicks, hums, and rattles all through the movie. It is like a CD-ROM trying to read the disk.<br />Having said that it is functional is not so true in the long term. As you would expect from a lower-end appliance, the Apex DVD player will stop working properly after a while. Often, the picture will freeze while the player tries to read the disk, and there are certain DVDs that it cannot read at all. This is a big annoyance, and a good reason to steer clear of this player.<br />Buying a DVD player is never an easy decision, but choosing one strictly for the price is not a good idea. Most likely, you'll spend more having to buy a new one to replace the Apex brand when it breaks down. Spend a few extra bucks and get a good one instead, and avoid the headaches.