Norcent DP315 Progressive Scan DVD Player
Pros over cons, cheap but effective
First of all, if you noticed, most people who had posted reviews on this DVD player are simply reporting because they received faulty product.  One person finally wrote a report 6 months after purchasing the player, only because it broke.  So obviously, their motivation to write the review was simply to rip in to their faulty hardware.<br /><br />A little history on Norcent:  Norcent originally started as an OEM supplier for many name-brand electronic companies.  What it means is that Norcent actually used to manufacture electronic hardware to be sold under a recognizable brand such as RCA, Philips, etc.  They started doing that back in 1992.  They still probably do.<br /><br />So with the expertise in electronic manufacturing, Norcent decided to launch its own line in 2001, thus bypassing the brand-name companies to offer consumers similar products at a lower price since their product-pricing no longer have to worry about yet another tier of profit margin.<br /><br />So with all that said, I think the Amazon.com's editorial review does a very good job at describing what the player does.  Go ahead and read that if you want.  So I'm simply going to describe my experience with it for the past few days after purchase.<br /><br />First of all, I bought mine at CompUSA for 19.99 after rebate, because I simply wanted to use a dedicated DVD player rather than continuing to rely on my PS2 and its clunky DVD playback mode.<br /><br />After taking it out of the box, it does have a somewhat cheap feel to it.  But its silver overall finish goes well with my TV of the same color.  Its bottom casing is metal while the top part is plastic.<br /><br />It has 3 LED lights on the bottom right, signalling whether the disc inside the player is a DVD, Audio CD, or MP3 CD.  Kind of a nice touch.<br /><br />The on/off button leaves a lot to be desired because it is not very sleek or professional as it is one of those press-and-it-remains-half-way-out thing.<br /><br />On to pressing the buttons themselves.  They generally do not have a very satisfying \\"click\\" to them.  The only comparison I can make with this is the difference between shutting a Mercedes Benz door and a Saturn door: it just doesn't feel sturdy.  But then again, for $19.99, I didn't expect too much.<br /><br />The remote's build also screams \\"cheap\\".  It feels ultra-light, like a plastic toy basically.  It covers the bare minimum basics, although very functional.  I do agree with one user who pointed out that the player doesn't pick up on the remote's signals very well.<br /><br />However, I have NEVER experienced the freezing and stopping other users have reported.  Not in the past 3 days of playing.  Among the movies I watched in the past few days include Underworld, Y Tu Mama Tambien, City of God, Reservoir Dogs.  The player was very fast and responsive, and went through those movies without a hitch.<br /><br />So in summary, at $19.99, this DVD player had been an absolute steal.  I have not yet had the chance to test it out on a HDTV, but so far the player's performance leaves me feeling very optimistic.<br /><br />Yes, the overall build of the player its cheap.  But it's what's inside that really counts.  $19.99!o pressing the buttons themselves.  They generally do not have a very satisfying \\"click\\" to them.  The only comparison I can make with this is the difference between shutting a Mercedes Benz door and a Saturn door: it just doesn't feel sturdy.  But then again, for $19.99, I didn't expect too much. <br /> <br />The remote's build also screams \\"cheap\\".  It feels ultra-light, like a plastic toy basically.  It covers the bare minimum basics, although very functional.  I do agree with one user who pointed out that the player doesn't pick up on the remote's signals very well. <br /> <br />However, I have NEVER experienced the freezing and stopping other users have reported.  Not in the past 3 days of playing.  Among the movies I watched in the past few days include Underworld, Y Tu Mama Tambien, City of God, Reservoir Dogs.  The player was very fast and responsive, and went through those movies without a hitch. <br /> <br />So in summary, at $19.99, this DVD player had been an absolute steal.  I have not yet had the chance to test it out on a HDTV, but so far the player's performance leaves me feeling very optimistic. <br /> <br />Yes, the overall build of the player its cheap.  But it's what's inside that really counts.  $19.99!