Sony DVP-NC800H/B

This player replaces an older Sony dvd/cd player that was my first foray into an HDMI connection. After many years and hundreds of hours of play the old Sony just got too tired to work any longer and the… picture really began to falter. The Sony DVP-NC800H/B gives a really great picture. It can upscale to 1080p according to the spec sheet but my Toshiba 32" LCD only broadcasts in 1080i and 720p but no matter because you can very easily set the output on the player to 720p or 1080i. The 720p looks better to my eyes and so, that is the setting I use. Set up was a very short matter and very easily accomplished. Considering the low price and the very good picture and sound quality...what's not to like? I highly recommend this player.

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First and foremost, I'm a Sonyaholic - I've never had a problem with any Sony product (I have three Sony TVs, two VCRs (yes, still!) and 3 DVD players) and as I expected, I've not had a problem with this… unit. I bought this unit because I was watching DVDs in a series (e.g., Monarch of the Glen with 15 DVDs) and was weary of settling in to view only to have to change the DVD to continue the series (yeah, I sound lazy, I know!). Yes, the "loading" display seems to take a bit of time before the DVD actually loads, but I've gotten used to it now. Quality is standard Sony - no bits 'n pieces to break, display is clear and hook-up was straightforward. Pros: the price, it can't be beat; 5 discs in a single tray; quiet; easy to hook-up; solid-feeling unit; works right out of the box (manual-reading not required). Cons (aka the reason for 4 stars vs. 5 stars): 1. the numbers on the DVD tray are raised in the same black as the tray - a white or yellow or any visible color should be a given, otherwise I'm routinely turning on a light (which I don't happen to have right next to the DVD player) to see which slot the DVDs are in (I've since painted them with fingernail polish - hey, it works!); 2. the remote control - nearly identical to my base-model Sony single-disc DVD player, however some of the button are meant to be multi-functional which, in turn, requires one actually pay attention to how one uses certain buttons - not a deal-breaker really, just annoying - speaking of annoying, why aren't Sony's remotes backlit? Regrets? None whatsoever. In the end, the unit really deserves 4.5 stars.

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The previous post by A. A. Katz (Johnson City, NY) is right on the money. I have owned two of these units. The first ran great for several months then suddenly stopped working. I kept getting "Loading"… message and it cycled thru disc as if it did not detect a disc in the tray. Eventually cycled thru all 5 trays and declaring "No Disc" (i.e. it could no longer detect disk in trays). I believe this is caused by laser going bad or the chips controlling the laser. So I purchased a 2nd unit thinking I had worn out the previous unit. Well after only maybe 4 months the 2nd unit went bad with same error. This time I noticed the unit went bad on a very hot day (no air cond). I suspect if this unit gets too hot a chip gets fried and laser goes out. I would avoid purchasing this unit. If you do purchase it get the extended warranty.

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I purchased this DVP NC800H on St Patrick's Day of this year, and it's just started doing the SAME thing that everyone else is complaining about in these reviews: Display says, "Loading, Loading,"… accompanied by strange whirrings and clicks, finally to stop alltogether. The discs that played just fine two days ago are now unable to work at all. We treat our electronics very carefully, making the breakdown that much more frustrating and infuriating! Please beware of the obvious pattern Sony's products are displaying. Shame on you, Sony, for such shoddy "quality". I'm spending my hard-earned money on another brand !!

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A great player. It replaced an older Sony 5-disc changer that wouldn't read CD-Rs. It works much like the older unit, has the same dimensions, and has better resolution from an enhanced laser lens. The… only problem (and others have mentioned it), is a slow load time and slow read/write. You can get used to it, but coming from an older generation of Sony DVD players, it's a step backward. The remote is also less versatile than the older one, but perhaps a bit simpler to operate. The unit is built in Malaysia instead of Korea or Japan, which may have been a factor in its design.

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