JVC XV-523GD DVD Player
JVC XV523GD -- UNEXPECTEDLY POOR PERFORMANCE
The JVC XV523GD has an impressive list of features at a good price.  Unfortunately, I found that the XV523GD was extraordinarilly glitch prone.   White flashes and dropouts in the picture were common.  I was unable to  play a single disk in my collection without perceiving distracting visual  artifacts -- sometimes dozens per disk.  DVD soundtrack performance was  similarly prone to pops and thumps.  Audio and video glitches were linked  and probably stem from inadequate processing power.  By default, the  XV523GD mixes Dolby 5.1 sound into 2 channels for the stereo output.   Turning this feature off substantially reduced the video and audio  glitches.  Image color, sharpness and clarity were quite good.  The black  level was set quite dark and was not adjustable, so details in the darker  parts of the image were easily lost.  Visual fast forward and review were  quite jerky -- which again points to inadequate digital processing  capabilities.   The gold metallic finish was quite attractive and stylish,  however I fould that it stood out starkly in comparison when placed with  other typically all black components.   The unit did play CD-Rs and CD-RWs  as advertised.  Overall I found that XV523GD did not provide an acceptable  viewing experience.  The XV523GD was returned for a Sony DVD player which  exhibited none of the XV523GD's annoying video artifacts.