Sony DVPNS325B DVD Player
Digital at last!
I was given this DVD player as a gift from a friend (actually, I was given the black-coloured version, but they share same features and options, only this one comes with a silver case), and with that I entered the digital age of video. It is a great improvement over the VHS player I had, and I had a hi-fi VHS player with four heads and all the bells and whistles intended to give a clear and stable picture. Quite frankly, there is no comparison.<br />The picture when playing DVDs is crystal clear, through playback, fast-forward, reverse, and still. Of course there is occasionally fuzziness due to the motion of the action on screen, but in comparison to the stills and fast speeds of the VCR, again this player wins easily.<br />There are some interesting features, like DVD lock-outs (I haven't had the need, but perhaps a family with young children could use it to prevent adult-rated DVDs from being viewed), and disc-resume for several discs (the documentation tells me up to 6 discs, but I've only ever used it one at a time). I had wondered how one saves a spot on a film the way one does on VHS tapes; now I know!<br />This has features for various DVD formats, and includes audio CDs and MP3s. I have this connected to the equaliser of my stereo, and the sound is fantastic for both CDs and DVDs. There is a virtual surround sound that enhances the sound through the stereo; while I don't have a four- or six-speaker set-up, I still have a much greater experience of sound from this DVD player than from the VCR that is likewise connected to my stereo.<br />Of course, with a brand name of Sony, one expects high quality, and on this DVD player, they deliver. I have learned to trust Sony products over the past 30 years (I had a television which lasted nearly 25 years from Sony).<br />This machine is very slim, and fits quite well on top of my VCR, so there was no need to rearrange furniture, buy new stands, etc. It is compact and easy to install, and has auto-set-up features that make it almost completely plug-and-play.<br />By far my greatest surprise with a DVD player, however, has to be that it makes a great cat toy. Cat toy, you ask? Yes. With the remote, the disc drawer can be opened and closed by remote control. One cat finds this truly fascinating, and tries to 'catch' the tray as it zooms in and out. The cat also is attracted to the lights on the face going on and off. Who knew?at make it almost completely plug-and-play.<br />By far my greatest surprise with a DVD player, however, has to be that it makes a great cat toy. Cat toy, you ask? Yes. With the remote, the disc drawer can be opened and closed by remote control. One cat finds this truly fascinating, and tries to 'catch' the tray as it zooms in and out. The cat also is attracted to the lights on the face going on and off. Who knew?