LF an inexpensive, but very reliable DVD player

[Rooster_Ties]

Howdy all,

My Dad has about 50 reels of silent home-movies from the 30's and 40's (back when he was a kid!! -- he'll be 80 in about 2 years), which my cousin just had transferred to DVD.

So, my Dad is looking for a good, but inexpensive DVD player, and I said I'd get back to him by the end of the month with a couple suggestions.

He's gonna probably be hooking into the inputs (RCA-type phono-jack) on the back of his existing VCR, for both video and audio (and it's an old mono-VCR, for what it's worth), which is already hooked up to his TV. We're really talking low-tech here. (And his TV is mono too, I think.)

I'd like to suggest a relatively inexpensive unit, with as few bells and whistles as possible --- but the key is that it's gotta be reliable. My Dad goes ballistic when stuff doesn't work, and he's one of those guys who thinks that everything should last forever. (He uses a toaster that’s 40 years old, if that tells you anything.)

So, what brands are super-ultra-reliable??? Brands that make/sell entry-level units that are dirt-simple.

Maybe a better question... Are any of the dirt-simple ones reliable??? (I'd like to find something for him that's less than $75, if at all possible.)

Thanks!!!

PS: My first thought for cheap, but reliable, was maybe to go with a low-end Panasonic model. I've had pretty good luck with their low-end (and medium-end) bookshelf CD systems, etc...

Edited August 19, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[ianfaith]

In my experience, none of the cheapies will be ultra-reliable (quite unlike that toaster). That's why they're cheap. Depending on how often your dad uses it, expect a cheapie to last no more than five years or so. And even expensive DVD players can crap out on you without warning. My Denon 3800 that cost over 1K is currently in the shop.

That said, I would recommend Sony over Panasonic. I've owned both brands and found Sony to be more reliable, with remote controls that are far more ergonomic and simple to use.

[wolff]

I walked into Blockbuster about 2 years ago and picked up a Magnavox for $99. They went on sale for $79 about six months ago. Never a problem.

[Leeway]

Toshiba DVD- bought at Costco for about $50 on sale.

[mikeweil]

If he needs a rather simple menu and remote control, you have to go for a cheap player, as the number of features grows with the price. Lots of cheapos here for under 50 EUR, some even 40 EUR.