Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player
Well worth the price
I can vouch for the durability of this player, I have two myself and helped a friend order three and they have been going strong for over a year. There are minor flaws but I still think the 642 is worth it for the under $50 price tag. <br /> <br />Pros: <br />-Plays most divx/xvid I throw at it. Over the course of a year I have only ran into two xvid files I could not play. <br />-Good audio quality, better than most budget players. I have the player connected to more expensive hifi components and do not feel like its a downgrade. <br />-Convenient disc resume feature. <br />-Slim and attractive design. <br /> <br />Cons: <br />-Slow fast forward and rewind, max out at 8X. <br />-Button layout on remote could be better. The IR range though is pretty good. You dont have to aim the remote directly at the player in order for it to work. <br />-Video quality varies. Sometimes its great with certain discs, other times I notice a banding effect in darker areas of the picture. Also its difficult to adjust the settings to get it right, the picture is either too dark or too bright. <br /> <br />Despite all the flaws I still think the 642 is worth the price. If you are only concerned about video quality then look elsewhere. I was considering the Philips DVP-5960 but it also has its share of problems. I wouldve liked the better video quality and USB feature on the 5960 but I passed on it in favor of the 642s price. Im hoping in the future Philips next generation players will have all the features I am looking for such as better video and build quality, upscaling over component out, better remote and USB connection. The 642 will hold me for now.