Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player
So far, so good....
This is my first DiVX-compatible DVD player, so, within minutes of receiving it (with FREE SHIPPING!), I quickly hooked it up using the included composite cables, which are considered the least effective means by which to view your DVDs (with and \\"S\\" cable and compenent cables considered, respectively the more optimum connection), and popped in one of the many avi.-formatted discs I have, heretofore, been only able to watch using my PC.  Much to my pleasant surprise, the picture was PERFECT!<br /><br />Even though I have a nice 19\\" monitor for my PC, it was a great pleasure to be able to watch movies I've downloaded of the net on my 34\\" CRT TV.  (I've not yet made the jump to HDTV, still waiting for prices to drop and for the market to resolve the formatting issues and  different HDTV variations one is faced with at the local Circuit City et al.)<br /><br />Given many of the reviews I've read here, I am eager to purchase a set of component cables in the hope that the picture will be even better still.<br /><br />I've only played around with the various options, preferences and menus that the Philips DVP642 has to offer, so I am not quite qualified to offer the \\"final word\\" on its overall performance.  But, from what little I have seen, the menus are intuitive, the playback functions are simple and the disc navigation is quite well thought out.  Not unlike navigating a \\"Window\\" on your PC, when inserting an avi-formatted (i.e., DiVX) disc, the player offers up a list of all the files on the disc, and one can use the remote control to highlight and select which file you wish to view.  (I burn my discs using Nero StartSmart.  I cannot comment on how this player would reckon with discs burned using a different disc-buring software suite.)<br /><br />Granted, I have only had the machine out of the box for all of two hours, but if these first two hours are any indication, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship!<br /><br />*UPDATE: Since my original review, I have had some time to further enjoy this great product.  It really is a godsend for anyone who downloads movies, videos and/or TV programs from the net and doesn't want to watch them on the computer.  VERY infrequently, it will have some trouble reading a burned disk, however I am inclined not to blame the player, but either the burning process or the integrity of the files I burned.  Overall, though, the picture is beautiful (I purchased a set of component cables at K-Mart for $15, and recommend all do the same, as the picture quality is noticably improved), the sound is crisp and it really is a great bargain at $50+.  Even if, as some reviewers here have mentioned, it only lasts a year, at that price, it hardly seems a terrible inconvenience to replace it given the money one might save on DVDs by downloading.y this great product.  It really is a godsend for anyone who downloads movies, videos and/or TV programs from the net and doesn't want to watch them on the computer.  VERY infrequently, it will have some trouble reading a burned disk, however I am inclined not to blame the player, but either the burning process or the integrity of the files I burned.  Overall, though, the picture is beautiful (I purchased a set of component cables at K-Mart for $15, and recommend all do the same, as the picture quality is noticably improved), the sound is crisp and it really is a great bargain at $50+.  Even if, as some reviewers here have mentioned, it only lasts a year, at that price, it hardly seems a terrible inconvenience to replace it given the money one might save on DVDs by downloading.