I don't have a DVD player - what should I buy?

[baby_bear]

I just have a regular television, no hi-def or anything. I have been using VHS tapes until now, but now they are hard to rent and I feel like I am living in ancient times.

Should I buy something cheap or expensive? A portable? I don't know where to start.

thanks for any suggestions.

b_b

[tjdee]

1. Buy one off of ebay. Unless you want to get high tech.

You can get a dvd player with all kinds of new tech stuff, none of which I have.

I use the dvd player on my computer--but I've been eyeing the $40 one at Kmart. :silly:

[AngryAmish]

2. I bought a PlayStation2

It has a DVD player inside (so does the XBoxs). I figured it was cheaper than upgrading my computer to play games and it has the DVD.

But DVD players are so cheap nowadays.

[hunter]

3. I would buy the cheap one.

I've had two expensive players that died, and one inexpensive one. Of the three, the inexpensive player lasted the longest.

My latest DVD player cost forty bucks at Target. Long may it live, and if it doesn't, oh well. It's still cheaper than a month of cable.

[baby_bear]

4. So...what about recording?

To show you how really out of it I am - is it possible to record on DVD players, or only play? So if I want to record something on TV, I still have to use a tape?

thanks
b_b

[KitchenWitch]

9. Only play

but you can get a DVD recorder for around a couple hundred bucks.

[Lefty48197]

5. Buy a cheap DVD player. Probably 100 bucks or so.

Or buy a DVD recorder. The recorders are under 200 now I think.

[qnr]

6. I bought a multi-function from Overstock.com quite a while ago and

it is still going strong.

It's great, it plays everything (well, not everything). DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs, JPGs, MP3s, WAVs, WMA, various AVI and other codecs - Divx, Xvid, mpeg1, mpeg2, mpeg4 and more. Cost me $60.00 (it was refurbished - but like I say, it has been working like a champ for a long time).

Edit: typo - by the way, the manufacturer of mine (Philips) has sent me two updates to "flash" the ROM so that it will play more formats (a simple matter of burning the update to a CD and then putting the CD in the player).

[pokerfan]

7. JPG compatibility is a must

If you have a digital camera and a CD-burner, it turns your TV into a slide projector. No more need for bulky photo albums.

[KitchenWitch]

8. Buy cheap

The cheaper ones seem to play more disc formats than the more expensive branded ones. And the guy at the electronics store told me that they last about 2-3 years...You can get them for as low as $40 now.

[mwooldri]

10. Cyberhome is a darned good cheap brand to look for.

They're usually the cheapest but they're good. Bought their cheapest $40 player, and it can be changed to do multi-region discs, convert from PAL to NTSC and vice-versa. It's so good that it works just as well in the UK as it does in the USA (different electrical standard, different TV standard, different DVD region).

So when we wanted a DVD recorder (I got mine for $110 before coupons at Best Buy - but only because I had $20 of McDonalds coupons) guess what I chose? The Cyberhome DVD recorder. Works OK for recording - it's a little picky but simple enough to operate.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

11. Cheapie

at your local electronics store about $59

Cruise your Radio Shack and they're on sale for $30.

Unless it's part of an electronic revolution in your house, play cheap.