Pioneer DV-343 DVD Player
Excellent player for the price
This is a great player for any non-HDTV display. I would highly recommend it for any tube TV owner. It covers all the connections - composite, S-Video, and component for video, and stereo analog, coaxial and optical S/PDIF for audio. Other players in this price range often leave out one of the S/PDIF connectors and some don't have component outputs. Setup was easy and intuitive, and no complaints about the remote. The picture looks fantastic on my Panasonic 27&quot; (through component connections); I did not notice any shimmering, color bleeding or any artifacts. The DV343 has read every disc without a problem, even some with minor scratching. I have not had problems with it playing CDs or burned media either. No problems with sound using optical S/PDIF.  Another major plus is its ability to play SVCD, which is somewhat rare in DVD players.<br />My only complaint is that it seems to have louder than average spin-up noise. My [...] Apex player was dead-quiet, but you can hear the disc spin on the Pioneer while its operating, especially during the title. It's not especially noisy, but you can hear it during the quieter sequences of the movie. <br />Overall, I think it is one of the better values in DVD players.