Sony DVP-NS50P/S Single DVD Player, Silver
To keep it or not to keep it...that is the question.
Why I aughta...   Where the heck is the menu button?  What $#%^$ made the decision to build this machine without a menu button on the front panel of the machine?  Doesn't he/she know that this is a strong selling point for not just me!  If one should lose or break the remote, one cannot access any of the menus to set up any of the features that enhance the viewing and listening quality of the machine...and this machine has quite a few to toy around with.  I kinda like being able to `tweak' and store video changes such as picture aka contrast, color, hue aka tint and brightness in a `MEMORY' setting. There's only one though. 2 or 3 would have been nice.  The manual is pretty good with instructing the user how to set up and use the DVP NS50P.  I only have one complaint with the manual. The writer of the manual does not tell you that pressing `ENTER' first, is only for FIRST TIME SETUP of the DVP NS50P. Also, the alternative of pressing the `CONTROL MENU' button on the remote control is for FIRST TIME SETUP as well. After FIRST TIME SETUP, if you want to go back to the `SETUP MENU' to make changes, you must be in the `STOP MODE' or when you first turn on the machine.  This is not clearly explained and the instruction as to where to go to get instruction to do this is on page 58 of the manual...not 59 as the writer instructs.  Actually, whenever you use the machine after first time setup, what you must do is press the `DISPLAY' button on the remote control first, then you will get a display that reads, `PLAYER' at the top and `PARENTAL CONTROL' at the bottom of your screen.  You will see an icon that looks like a briefcase. Press the down arrow. This will then display the word `QUICK' beside that icon and `SETUP' at the bottom of your screen. Now press `ENTER' and that will lead you to the other setup menus.  When you get to the icon labeled `Quick', everything is relatively easy from there.  A nice thing about the `DISPLAY' screen is that, at the bottom of your monitor, as you scroll down through the icons, the DVP NS50P displays the text name of the function. Also, when there is a DVD or CD in the drive, as you scroll down, the `STATUS' of the function is displayed as well.  For some reason, only known to the engineer(s) I guess, with the subsequent menus, the text is at the top of the screen. Go figure.  On the plus side; the Sony DVP NS50P plays CD's beautifully.  It had no problem playing the intros to any of the songs on Stevie Wonder's `Songs In The Key Of Life' CD.  A lot of DVD and CD players have trouble reading the transition info between the tracks that lead one song right into the next and because of that, those machines will skip into the next track.  The same with Marvin Gaye's `What's Going On' CD and probably quite a few other CDs as well that is out there and recorded in this manner.  I only have one SACD at this time; Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, featuring Erich Kunzel conducting. Even without an SACD decoder...Beautiful.`  The sound quality is sooo NICE.  The Sony DVP NS50P has a coaxial output. I prefer optical.  In my ears, the bass sounds tighter and smoother with optical.  I'm still using my 32\\" Toshiba CX32G60 regular TV. The viewable area of the screen, left to right is 26\\"; so when I view in 4:3 letterbox, I get a pretty nice size picture.  I can't comment on the progressive scan features. However, the picture quality of the composite video output is excellent.  I always use `Jurassic Park' as my main test DVD because it has a lot of dark and medium to bright light scene changes with lots of colors throughout, and a DTS soundtrack.  The Sony DVP NS50P and my Toshiba TV give me a pretty good home theater feel.  For those that can take advantage of the progressive scan output, if the progressive scan feature is anywhere near as good as the sound and composite video out, and you don't care about the menu button not being on the machine and or no optical output, this machinewill probably be a 4.5 or 5 star machine.  For me, I'm taking it back to the store...MAYBE. Having said that, I will definitely consider SONY while searching for a DVD player with an SACD decoder. Why not start putting the SACD decoder in the pre-amps and receivers.  I hope that aoo of you manufacturers will PAY ME FOR MY IDEA WHEN YOU START DOING THIS `cause YOU WILL.  The price total of $86.59 is not bad for the quality and features of this machine. Without the front panel menu button and optical digital out, I'd have preferred it to be $10 less.  I insist upon the menu button being on the machine...juuust   in case. And as I previously stated, I prefer optical digital output.  My rating. I will give it a 4 STAR rating; 10 stars for the audio(even though it's only a 5 star system); 3 for the overall design and ease of use of the machine. (I don't like slim-line DVD players). -5 for the missing menu button and a -4 for the twisted logic of the remote control alignment.  The control buttons, i.e. play, pause, stoop, next, etc. is set up in a very weird order. Fortunately, the remote control that came with my receiver is a learning remote. That remote is quite close to being perfect for me.  By the way; I use the ONKYO TX-NR801 THX Select receiver and BIC DV62CLRS, center channel speakers for the center, SL, SR, SBL, SBR channels.  The frequency response, power handling, spl and overall sound quality, is quite good for low budget speakers.  The main left and right speakers are the BIC DV64 Towers. Again, the frequency response, power handling, spl and overall sound quality, is quite good for low budget speakers.  I got most of the speakers here on AMAZON for a very fair price.  My subwoofer setup is an old ONKYO TX-4500, stereo receiver and a pair of some very old KLH Model Twenty Two bookshelf speakers with 8\\" woofers...not very loud, which I don't need, but this combination is very pleasing to listen to.  It won't bring down the building; don't want to do that. Ilive here.J  I try not to disturb my neighbors but I can with the deep and thundering bass that I get from this configuration.  You can't believe the deep, smooth and resonant bass that I get from this setup without hearing it yourself. Take my word for it...the sound quality is great!  The bass response is more than adequate.  I don't need to spend any money on a subwoofer.  I also use the ONKYO TX-4500 and KLH speakers for listening to regular TV in stereo.  I'm quite sure there are some other `tinkerers' out there with some kind of patchwork setup.  If you'd like to share what your setup is, [...]   P.S. Hey SONY, why don't you or some other manufacturer ask us regular folk to design a remote and DVD player for you?  After giving us good picture and sound, control of the machine is most important.  A contest of some sort.  If you read this far...thanks.