Panasonic
Samsung surround system
Apex (replaced with another Apex, it began not recognizing DVDR's or some HK disks)
3 DVD burners
4 DVD readers
Apex would usually read anything HK, had some trouble with the latest FX releases whereas the Panasonic didn't. Just got the Samsung so haven't had a chance to test it... it didn't like the newest FX problem disk though. Oh, neither does Sony... it hangs on the FX problem disk. I took several DVD's to check when we went shopping... all of them couldn't handle the FX disk with problems... (wouldn't access the last 3 episodes on a double layer disk) but they did do a better job on the other disk (Devilman Lady disk 2 AC) than my Panasonic... it wouldn't access the last 4 episodes on a disk, whereas all the new ones could access the last 3, but the 4th one you had to chapter skip to the episode... and they all played a DVDR just fine.
I never used my PS2 for DVD watching just cause I try to keep my stuff playing what it was meant for. I notice that some FX discs do cause trouble for DVD players. I think it cause they have a fast read speed so your player has to read it faster then a standard DVD or maybe the speed is between slow and fast or just slow I don't know really. The DVD player that I said is dead well it reads discs till you get to the 50 min mark then it over heats the motor and resets itself. Thanks everybody for replying to this post cause I really wanted to know if anyone had a player die on them besides a PS2.
I had a Panasonic 5 disc player which needed repairs three times in under two years. It was great when it worked but I now doubt the reliability of Panasonic players.
I spent some time talking with the repair guy after my last visit about the reliability of players. He said all the cheap players are using drives with only one or sometimes no bearings on the drive motors. These are the parts that are wearing out of all brands and usually cost more than the price of a new player to replace. Unless you're buying a high end player you should consider your DVD player to be a disposable item. Depending on the number of hours a day you spend using it, you may only have a one or two year life with it.
My new player is a Toshiba which works very well. It's played everything I've put into it so far. I also have a PS2 which sucks for playing just about any DVDs and the player in my computer which is only OK.
All the players we have are still functional except one portable vcd player i got which had an lcd screen... it melted on the first day. Damn china brand ¬_¬"
I might get one more dvd player as i want one that plays divx.
Well I guess I forgot to add my DVD Burner/Rom drive in my comp.. That counts too.
I only watch most of my anime on my Hitachi though, since that is my own dvd player in my room... My ps2 = hack for watching dvds.. Use it what it is supposed to be used for, games. And the toshiba would be my ideal but that's downstairs and a hassle lol. Even though it is the dvd player hooked up to the monster cables and the surround sound and all that good stuff
Quote:Originally posted by Zagatto
I had a Panasonic 5 disc player which needed repairs three times in under two years. It was great when it worked but I now doubt the reliability of Panasonic players.
Mine is now starting to make noise when I load in a DVD and sometimes it takes quite a while to load. It still works good though. It all started happening when I got my DVD burner and started playing alot of DVD-Rs on it. Maybe DVD-Rs aren't good for Panasonic DVD players. It's about 1 1/2 years old.
Next brand I get is a cheapo, play anything player. I'm looking at a Norcent cause I heard I can play almost everything imaginable except for mpeg-4.
I think the premature death of my player was caused by my wife always leaving the player on at night when she came to bed. The Panasonic doesn't have any sort of auto-off feature if it's left alone so it was running about 12 hours a day during the time I had it.
We were watching a lot of videos during that time too.
I expect the Toshiba to last a bit longer because we only use it about 8 hours a week now and if it does get left on, it has an auto-off feature at the end of a movie.
Is it a safe assumption to say that a recent, good-quality player will play any HK dvd that I buy?
Buy like a $50 to $80 player thats kinda an off brand and you should be good.
2 each of them were apex's the apex ad-1100w and apex ad-1130w.
the first one lasted about 6 months while the ad-1130w i got it for christmas it will hardly play any FX titles it used to play them good but now it looks like the laser is weaking or something??
but the apex i have now the apex 1110w it plays every HK's very good hopefully it will last another 6 to 8 months if i am lucky..
my brother also has my sony dvd player the DVPNS425P
avoid the sony player at all costs i paid a 100 bucks for it at circuitcity when i try any HK's i will get read errors and skipping freezing pixelation. i know its not the discs but the player itself i think the player has some sorta chip to detect R-0 dvds maybe thats why it f*cks up the movie??
i can say is either buy the cheap 40 dollar apex it will last a few months at most or you can go for a higher priced better quality player BUT be sure to try those problematic disks before big spending..
Yea just take in some HK dvd's to the store and play them in a store model first
lol.
Quote:Originally posted by Jaded God
Yea just take in some HK dvd's to the store and play them in a store model first lol.
I'd be a little careful doing that. I wouldn't want somebody to go hey I have the DVDs of that and see it is a HK disc. :mad: I think most players will play HK discs anyways if the player is half way decent.
Quote:Originally posted by tsunami
I'd be a little careful doing that. I wouldn't want somebody to go hey I have the DVDs of that and see it is a HK disc. :mad: I think most players will play HK discs anyways if the player is half way decent.
I did, I took a DVDR, a problem FX disk (wouldn't access the 2nd layer) and a problem other HK disk (wouldn't access the 18th episode from the menu) Sad to say, most of them choked on the problem FX disk, but played the other one just fine, and even though it didn't show it able to access the 18th episode, it actually did go to it... Leastways my Apex does... and most of them would chapter skip to 18 from 17 so no real problem there, unlike my Panasonic that wouldn't access episodes 15 to 18 from the menu... Most of the sales people didn't even ask, but I had already told them it was an all region Japanese Anime....
i use to bring VCDS to the circuitcity to try them out they asked what it was and i said home videos..lol i have tried some hks before i just say i bought it at the flea-market or something. i dont care if they know its hks...