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#1
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DVD player acting up
This is the first & only one I've ever had. Zenith - about 6 years old -- so DK how to diagnose: Fix or dump?
It won't load DVDs. Either door OPENS or it says CHECK DISK. Tried this with a variety of discs to rule out disc problem. The weird part is that at the outset of the "attack", it WOULD sometimes play, but mostly not. Questions: 1. What's causing this? 2. Worth fixing? 3. Potential cost? 4. Recommendations in case I have to dump Your experience appreciated!!! HB |
#2
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DVD player acting up
On Tuesday, August 5, 2014 11:59:14 AM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote:
This is the first & only one I've ever had. Zenith - about 6 years old -- so DK how to diagnose: Fix or dump? It won't load DVDs. Either door OPENS or it says CHECK DISK. Tried this with a variety of discs to rule out disc problem. The weird part is that at the outset of the "attack", it WOULD sometimes play, but mostly not. Questions: 1. What's causing this? 2. Worth fixing? 3. Potential cost? 4. Recommendations in case I have to dump Your experience appreciated!!! HB it's broke, not worth fixing. Get a bluray player. |
#3
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DVD player acting up
Higgs Boson wrote:
This is the first & only one I've ever had. Zenith - about 6 years old -- so DK how to diagnose: Fix or dump? It won't load DVDs. Either door OPENS or it says CHECK DISK. Tried this with a variety of discs to rule out disc problem. The weird part is that at the outset of the "attack", it WOULD sometimes play, but mostly not. Questions: 1. What's causing this? 2. Worth fixing? 3. Potential cost? 4. Recommendations in case I have to dump Your experience appreciated!!! HB Hmmm, If you have time to fiddle with it, one thing you can try is, open it up and clean the head(laser emitter and lens) which may be dirty. Otherwise time to get new one. DVD players are dirt cheap these days. I have couple BD player writer. |
#4
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DVD player acting up
Higgs Boson writes:
This is the first & only one I've ever had. Zenith - about 6 years old -- so DK how to diagnose: Fix or dump? It won't load DVDs. Either door OPENS or it says CHECK DISK. Tried this with a variety of discs to rule out disc problem. The weird part is that at the outset of the "attack", it WOULD sometimes play, but mostly not. Questions: 1. What's causing this? - Lens is dirty - Lens head assembly needs lubrication - Mechanical issues with tracking independent of the first two possibilities. |
#5
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DVD player acting up
Higgs Boson wrote:
2. Worth fixing? 3. Potential cost? Nave you tried one of the cleaner DVDs? It's a set of small brushes on a disc that clean the laser lens. I thoink they're 5 or 10 bucks. 4. Recommendations in case I have to dump Do NOT buy a Capello. When my GoVideo started to act up I went to Target to get a new player. I only wanted a plain vanilla and there were several on offer. Out of the box the Capello sounded like a cement mixer, skips randomly, and often becomes completely lost looking for the next episode or the menu. Ran the cleaner through the GoVideo and it works a lot better. |
#6
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DVD player acting up
On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote: This is the first & only one I've ever had. Zenith - about 6 years old -- so DK how to diagnose: Fix or dump? It won't load DVDs. Either door OPENS or it says CHECK DISK. Tried this with a variety of discs to rule out disc problem. The weird part is that at the outset of the "attack", it WOULD sometimes play, but mostly not. Questions: 1. What's causing this? 2. Worth fixing? 3. Potential cost? 4. Recommendations in case I have to dump Your experience appreciated!!! HB Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. |
#7
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DVD player acting up
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 2:09:56 AM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson wrote: This is the first & only one I've ever had. Zenith - about 6 years old -- so DK how to diagnose: Fix or dump? It won't load DVDs. Either door OPENS or it says CHECK DISK. Tried this with a variety of discs to rule out disc problem. The weird part is that at the outset of the "attack", it WOULD sometimes play, but mostly not. Questions: 1. What's causing this? 2. Worth fixing? 3. Potential cost? 4. Recommendations in case I have to dump Your experience appreciated!!! HB Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Seriously, an internal "Zenith" drive? |
#8
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DVD player acting up
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Stand alone for TV. Now shopping for new one. I don't mind paying more for Blu Ray if it's worth it to me. Note: Store said new ones mostly Blu Ray now. T/F? I don't buy DVDs. I get RED ENVELOPES -- NOT STREAMING - from Netflix, plus public library DVDs. So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. Netflix says they have 1000 Blu Ray & getting more, but I suspect mostly contemporary American discs. I watch mostly foreign and indie. Is it worth the extra few $ or am I splitting hairs? TIA HB |
#9
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DVD player acting up
On Wed, 6 Aug 2014 13:35:45 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote: On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote: On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Stand alone for TV. Now shopping for new one. I don't mind paying more for Blu Ray if it's worth it to me. Note: Store said new ones mostly Blu Ray now. T/F? I don't buy DVDs. I get RED ENVELOPES -- NOT STREAMING - from Netflix, plus public library DVDs. So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. That would depend on your television. IIRC BLU Ray is 1080p - not 1080i. I believe the BR is backwards compatible for other DVDs. Netflix says they have 1000 Blu Ray & getting more, but I suspect mostly contemporary American discs. I watch mostly foreign and indie. Is it worth the extra few $ or am I splitting hairs? |
#10
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DVD player acting up
| So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from
ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. | The last DVD player I bought was $40 for Samsung, at Best Buy. At that price it's not worth bothering with trying to fix an old one. Whether to get BR is a matter of personal preference. I won't buy one until they're dirt cheap. I don't see the point. But in the next few years having BR may provide more options. My local library already has a fair number of BR DVDs. So if the cost isn't too much more than the cost of a DVD player then it might be worthwhile. We have a CRT TV and a Samsung flat screen. Frankly, I don't see a difference. Probably I would if they were put next to each other, but as long as the picture is decent it doesn't really matter to me. What I'm watching is far more important than having a super-detailed image. If you get BR and have a HD TV then presumably you'll get a better picture than with plain DVD. If that matters to you then you might want to go see a demo, so you can know exactly how different it is. I remember going to see the movie Avatar when it first came out. It was billed as an amazing feat of special effects. I thought it was a very stupid movie. Juvenile and poorly acted. Suitable as Saturday morning cartoons for kids. What also struck me was that the 3D detracted from the experience. I quickly realized that one's mind fills in the details easily, while watching "3D" is actually seeing a normal (3D) background with just one item appearing to be in a closer plane. It's distracting. We see 3D in a movie just fine without needing the distracting gimmicks. To me the constant marketing of fancier TVs is the same situation: It's fine if the picture is a little more clear, but I'm much more concerned that what's on the TV be worth my time in the first place. |
#11
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DVD player acting up
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 6:26:41 PM UTC-7, Mayayana wrote:
| So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. [...] We have a CRT TV and a Samsung flat screen. Frankly, I don't see a difference. Probably I would if they were put next to each other, but as long as the picture is decent it doesn't really matter to me. What I'm watching is far more important than having a super-detailed image. If you get BR and have a HD TV then presumably you'll get a better picture than with plain DVD. If that matters to you then you might want to go see a demo, so you can know exactly how different it is. I remember going to see the movie Avatar when it first came out. It was billed as an amazing feat of special effects. I thought it was a very stupid movie. Juvenile and poorly acted. Suitable as Saturday morning cartoons for kids. What also struck me was that the 3D detracted from the experience. I quickly realized that one's mind fills in the details easily, while watching "3D" is actually seeing a normal (3D) background with just one item appearing to be in a closer plane. It's distracting. We see 3D in a movie just fine without needing the distracting gimmicks. To me the constant marketing of fancier TVs is the same situation: It's fine if the picture is a little more clear, but I'm much more concerned that what's on the TV be worth my time in the first place. Shocking! You don't appreciate the finest contemporary ****H'wd can deliver? You don't resonate to the sound of gunfire and the squish of knives going in? Your heart doesn't go pitter-pat at the (CGI) sequences of heroes leaping vast gulfs unscathed. You're not tuned into the latest in racial equality where the villains are ferocious black men with teeth bared? You presume to put yourself above product churned out for the 13-24 year-old male demographic! Next thing we know, you'll be demanding a STORY to accompany, or underlie, the spectacular special effects! Un-American, I calls it! HB |
#12
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DVD player acting up
| Next thing we know, you'll be demanding a STORY to accompany, or underlie,
the spectacular special effects! | Netflix has spoiled me. But who knows... maybe I'd appreciate all the special effects more if I got some new glasses. |
#13
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DVD player acting up
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 8:26:41 PM UTC-5, Mayayana wrote:
We have a CRT TV and a Samsung flat screen. Frankly, I don't see a difference. Probably I would if they were put next to each other, but as long as the picture is decent it doesn't really matter to me. What I'm watching is far more important than having a super-detailed image. If you get BR and have a HD TV then presumably you'll get a better picture than with plain DVD. If that matters to you then you might want to go see a demo, so you can know exactly how different it is. I remember going to see the movie Avatar when it first came out. It was billed as an amazing feat of special effects. I thought it was a very stupid movie. Juvenile and poorly acted. Suitable as Saturday morning cartoons for kids. What also struck me was that the 3D detracted from the experience. I quickly realized that one's mind fills in the details easily, while watching "3D" is actually seeing a normal (3D) background with just one item appearing to be in a closer plane. It's distracting. We see 3D in a movie just fine without needing the distracting gimmicks. To me the constant marketing of fancier TVs is the same situation: It's fine if the picture is a little more clear, but I'm much more concerned that what's on the TV be worth my time in the first place. It sounds like nothing gives you excitement! There is a gigantic difference in in old technology TV's and HD TV! And 3-D isn't just 2 levels of perceived depth either. I know what you're saying about content and story lines lacking...but the technology is amazing! |
#14
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DVD player acting up
On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote: On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Stand alone for TV. Now shopping for new one. I don't mind paying more for Blu Ray if it's worth it to me. Note: Store said new ones mostly Blu Ray now. T/F? I don't buy DVDs. I get RED ENVELOPES -- NOT STREAMING - from Netflix, plus public library DVDs. So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. Netflix says they have 1000 Blu Ray & getting more, but I suspect mostly contemporary American discs. I watch mostly foreign and indie. Is it worth the extra few $ or am I splitting hairs? TIA HB No simple answer to most of your questions. The exception: a Blue Ray player will NOT generally improve the viewing quality of standard DVDs. Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR (or from a standard DVD player that has upscaling technology). Answers to your other questions depend upon (1) the size of your TV screen, (2) how close you sit to your screen, (3) your visual acuity, and (4) your personal fussiness at how much perceived screen resolution you need to be satisfied with an image. I recommend that you go to a store that will give you a demo of an A-B-C comparison of the same movie played on the same size TV you have at home, watching at the same distance, comparing standard DVD without upscaling, standard DVD with upscaling, and the BR version of the movie played on a BR player. Get the cheapest solution that satisfies you. |
#15
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DVD player acting up
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 5:19:26 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 6 Aug 2014 13:35:45 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson wrote: On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote: On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Stand alone for TV. Now shopping for new one. I don't mind paying more for Blu Ray if it's worth it to me. Note: Store said new ones mostly Blu Ray now. T/F? I don't buy DVDs. I get RED ENVELOPES -- NOT STREAMING - from Netflix, plus public library DVDs. So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. That would depend on your television. IIRC BLU Ray is 1080p - not 1080i. I believe the BR is backwards compatible for other DVDs. Agree. BR is 1080p. Regular DVD is 480P. If the TV is capable of 1080, I would definitely get a BR player. Even if it's not, I'd get a new HDTV and a BR player. Compared to std TV, HD is a huge step up for watching either DVDs or OTA TV. And just from the player standpoint, I'll bet they aren't selling many std DVD players anymore. The price of BR has been below $100 now for a long time. |
#16
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DVD player acting up
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 8:44:53 AM UTC-5, Peter wrote:
Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR Totally disagree with your statement...huge difference! Now, I have a 720p and a 1080p TV and would challenge someone to tell the difference! |
#17
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DVD player acting up
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 7:51:00 AM UTC-5, Mayayana wrote:
| It sounds like nothing gives you excitement! | There is a gigantic difference in in old technology | TV's and HD TV! Excitement is an interesting choice of words. You get excited by TV sets? Yes, technology, women, nature, the Cosmos...but not being too wordy...as I get bored! |
#18
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DVD player acting up
On Thu, 7 Aug 2014 07:48:47 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: That would depend on your television. IIRC BLU Ray is 1080p - not 1080i. I believe the BR is backwards compatible for other DVDs. Agree. BR is 1080p. Regular DVD is 480P. If the TV is capable of 1080, I would definitely get a BR player. Even if it's not, I'd get a new HDTV and a BR player. Compared to std TV, HD is a huge step up for watching either DVDs or OTA TV. And just from the player standpoint, I'll bet they aren't selling many std DVD players anymore. The price of BR has been below $100 now for a long time. Our HDTV is 1080i, with a BR DVD (wife bought it). Really can't take advantage of the 1080p, though. I don't think we've every put a BR disc in it. |
#19
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DVD player acting up
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 12:12:15 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 7 Aug 2014 07:48:47 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote: That would depend on your television. IIRC BLU Ray is 1080p - not 1080i. I believe the BR is backwards compatible for other DVDs. Agree. BR is 1080p. Regular DVD is 480P. If the TV is capable of 1080, I would definitely get a BR player. Even if it's not, I'd get a new HDTV and a BR player. Compared to std TV, HD is a huge step up for watching either DVDs or OTA TV. And just from the player standpoint, I'll bet they aren't selling many std DVD players anymore. The price of BR has been below $100 now for a long time. Our HDTV is 1080i, with a BR DVD (wife bought it). Really can't take advantage of the 1080p, though. I don't think we've every put a BR disc in it. You probably know it, but I think all Blu ray will also do 1080i. |
#20
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DVD player acting up
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote:
On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote: On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Stand alone for TV. Now shopping for new one. I don't mind paying more for Blu Ray if it's worth it to me. Note: Store said new ones mostly Blu Ray now. T/F? I don't buy DVDs. I get RED ENVELOPES -- NOT STREAMING - from Netflix, plus public library DVDs. So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. Netflix says they have 1000 Blu Ray & getting more, but I suspect mostly contemporary American discs. I watch mostly foreign and indie. Is it worth the extra few $ or am I splitting hairs? TIA HB No simple answer to most of your questions. The exception: a Blue Ray player will NOT generally improve the viewing quality of standard DVDs. Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR (or from a standard DVD player that has upscaling technology). Answers to your other questions depend upon (1) the size of your TV screen, (2) how close you sit to your screen, (3) your visual acuity, and (4) your personal fussiness at how much perceived screen resolution you need to be satisfied with an image. I recommend that you go to a store that will give you a demo of an A-B-C comparison of the same movie played on the same size TV you have at home, watching at the same distance, comparing standard DVD without upscaling, standard DVD with upscaling, and the BR version of the movie played on a BR player. Get the cheapest solution that satisfies you. That should be special. Go to a store and have them set up a big special demo for you so you can decide whether to buy the old DVD player for $30 that hardly anyone buys anymore, or a blue ray, for maybe $10 more. I'm sure the stores where you shop must be happy to see you. BTW, for the extra $10 or $20 you also get other features, like built-in ethernet connectivity so you can stream movies. |
#21
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DVD player acting up
On Thu, 7 Aug 2014 09:15:11 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: Our HDTV is 1080i, with a BR DVD (wife bought it). Really can't take advantage of the 1080p, though. I don't think we've every put a BR disc in it. You probably know it, but I think all Blu ray will also do 1080i. That makes sense. IIRC BR players are backwards compatible. |
#22
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DVD player acting up
On Thu, 7 Aug 2014 09:22:03 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: No simple answer to most of your questions. The exception: a Blue Ray player will NOT generally improve the viewing quality of standard DVDs. Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR (or from a standard DVD player that has upscaling technology). Answers to your other questions depend upon (1) the size of your TV screen, (2) how close you sit to your screen, (3) your visual acuity, and (4) your personal fussiness at how much perceived screen resolution you need to be satisfied with an image. I recommend that you go to a store that will give you a demo of an A-B-C comparison of the same movie played on the same size TV you have at home, watching at the same distance, comparing standard DVD without upscaling, standard DVD with upscaling, and the BR version of the movie played on a BR player. Get the cheapest solution that satisfies you. That should be special. Go to a store and have them set up a big special demo for you so you can decide whether to buy the old DVD player for $30 that hardly anyone buys anymore, or a blue ray, for maybe $10 more. I'm sure the stores where you shop must be happy to see you. BTW, for the extra $10 or $20 you also get other features, like built-in ethernet connectivity so you can stream movies. .... maybe they will change out the ceiling lighting too. Many stores have florescent tube lights. Not the same experience you would have in your home |
#23
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DVD player acting up
trader_4 wrote:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote: On Tue, 5 Aug 2014 08:59:14 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson Is this a player drive in the computer or a stand alone for the television? Buy a new one and replace the one you have with a newer one. Stand alone for TV. Now shopping for new one. I don't mind paying more for Blu Ray if it's worth it to me. Note: Store said new ones mostly Blu Ray now. T/F? I don't buy DVDs. I get RED ENVELOPES -- NOT STREAMING - from Netflix, plus public library DVDs. So what would Blu Ray do for me? Would I get better watching quality from ordinary DVDs? This is all big mystery to me. Netflix says they have 1000 Blu Ray & getting more, but I suspect mostly contemporary American discs. I watch mostly foreign and indie. Is it worth the extra few $ or am I splitting hairs? TIA HB No simple answer to most of your questions. The exception: a Blue Ray player will NOT generally improve the viewing quality of standard DVDs. Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR (or from a standard DVD player that has upscaling technology). Answers to your other questions depend upon (1) the size of your TV screen, (2) how close you sit to your screen, (3) your visual acuity, and (4) your personal fussiness at how much perceived screen resolution you need to be satisfied with an image. I recommend that you go to a store that will give you a demo of an A-B-C comparison of the same movie played on the same size TV you have at home, watching at the same distance, comparing standard DVD without upscaling, standard DVD with upscaling, and the BR version of the movie played on a BR player. Get the cheapest solution that satisfies you. That should be special. Go to a store and have them set up a big special demo for you so you can decide whether to buy the old DVD player for $30 that hardly anyone buys anymore, or a blue ray, for maybe $10 more. I'm sure the stores where you shop must be happy to see you. BTW, for the extra $10 or $20 you also get other features, like built-in ethernet connectivity so you can stream movies. Hi, BD reader writer with up conversion to 1080P is handy. Also when using BD to store data it has more capacity. I have BD reader/writer on desk top PC and laptop. Smart BD player on HT. |
#24
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DVD player acting up
BenDarrenBach wrote:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 7:51:00 AM UTC-5, Mayayana wrote: | It sounds like nothing gives you excitement! | There is a gigantic difference in in old technology | TV's and HD TV! Excitement is an interesting choice of words. You get excited by TV sets? Yes, technology, women, nature, the Cosmos...but not being too wordy...as I get bored! Hi, I am always excited when we watch big screen on 7.1 HT set up. Been a while since we went to cinema to watch movie. I wish I could upgrade to 9.2 set up but not enough room, sigh. Now the good Plasma era is closing. LED, LCD, 4K UHD sets are passing technology. Wait for couple years to upgrade to OLED real UHD set. |
#25
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DVD player acting up
BenDarrenBach wrote:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 8:44:53 AM UTC-5, Peter wrote: Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR Totally disagree with your statement...huge difference! Now, I have a 720p and a 1080p TV and would challenge someone to tell the difference! +1, maybe he did not really watch BD 3d w/o glases at full 1080P not 1080i. 720P can be OK with smaller sets. |
#26
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DVD player acting up
trader_4 wrote:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: That should be special. Go to a store and have them set up a big special demo for you so you can decide whether to buy the old DVD player for $30 that hardly anyone buys anymore, or a blue ray, for maybe $10 more. I'm sure the stores where you shop must be happy to see you. BTW, for the extra $10 or $20 you also get other features, like built-in ethernet connectivity so you can stream movies. If he has an HD TV he should get a Blu-Ray, but I would suggest getting a Philips. I've used Philips TVs and DVD/BR for several years and they will play anything that you throw at it. MP3, MP4, DIVX or just about any "common" video or audio files. Last Smart BR I bought was on deals.woot.com for 35 bucks. Shop around and you can find them cheap, but Philips plays more formats than just about any player out there. |
#27
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DVD player acting up
On 8/7/2014 11:49 AM, BenDarrenBach wrote:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 8:44:53 AM UTC-5, Peter wrote: Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR Totally disagree with your statement...huge difference! Now, I have a 720p and a 1080p TV and would challenge someone to tell the difference! Huh? You totally disagree with my statement that with a HDTV smaller than about 40", the increased quality of 1080 over 720 resolution might be essentially imperceptible. Yet you follow that with your statement, "I have a 720p and a 1080p TV and would challenge someone to tell the difference!" which seems to support my opinion. Am I misinterpreting your closing statement? Are both of your TVs the same size screen, both smaller than 42", and calibrated (with a calibration disc, not just by eye) to the same level of brightness, contrast, sharpness, alpha, etc? If not, you're comparing apples to oranges. |
#28
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 9:48:27 AM UTC-5, Peter wrote:
On 8/7/2014 11:49 AM, BenDarrenBach wrote: Of course, if you're watching on a 720 TV, or a screen smaller than about 40", you probably won't notice the improvement from standard to BR Totally disagree with your statement...huge difference! Now, I have a 720p and a 1080p TV and would challenge someone to tell the difference! If you say 32" or smaller...I could agree! And 40" or less...I doubt you could tell the difference between 720 or 1080p! IMHO |
#29
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DVD player acting up
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote:
trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: That should be special. Go to a store and have them set [...] If he has an HD TV he should get a Blu-Ray, but I would suggest getting a Philips. I've used Philips TVs and DVD/BR for several years and they will play anything that you throw at it. MP3, MP4, DIVX or just about any "common" video or audio files. Last Smart BR I bought was on deals.woot.com for 35 bucks. Shop around and you can find them cheap, but Philips plays more formats than just about any player out there. Thanks! Very helpful. Question: How long since you bought your last Phillips? I ask because maybe technology has overtaken the Phillips and other brands now mach it? Not a clue; just wondering. Costco has a Samsung Blu-Ray for about $74 + tx. Anybody have experience with Samsung? (I tend to run off & buy the last thing anybody advises g so need all the input I can get!) HB |
#30
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DVD player acting up
On Fri, 8 Aug 2014 09:49:59 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote: (I tend to run off & buy the last thing anybody advises g so need all the input I can get!) http://www.frys.com/search?search_type=regular&sqxts=1&cat=&query_stri ng=blu+ray+dvd https://tinyurl.com/na8m3nh Fry's will price match, offer instant or mail-in rebates. Check the ads on top right of page, frequently. |
#31
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DVD player acting up
Higgs Boson writes:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote: trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: That should be special. Go to a store and have them set [...] If he has an HD TV he should get a Blu-Ray, but I would suggest getting a Philips. I've used Philips TVs and DVD/BR for several years and they will play anything that you throw at it. MP3, MP4, DIVX or just about any "common" video or audio files. Last Smart BR I bought was on deals.woot.com for 35 bucks. Shop around and you can find them cheap, but Philips plays more formats than just about any player out there. Thanks! Very helpful. Question: How long since you bought your last Phillips? I ask because maybe technology has overtaken the Phillips and other brands now mach it? Not a clue; just wondering. OPPO is the brand that provides the best audio, and the widest range of supported audio and video formats. http://www.oppodigital.com/ Costco has a Samsung Blu-Ray for about $74 + tx. Anybody have experience with Samsung? (I tend to run off & buy the last thing anybody advises g so need all the input I can get!) Any blu-ray player should be sufficient for your needs. |
#32
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 12:49:59 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote: trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: That should be special. Go to a store and have them set [...] If he has an HD TV he should get a Blu-Ray, but I would suggest getting a Philips. I've used Philips TVs and DVD/BR for several years and they will play anything that you throw at it. MP3, MP4, DIVX or just about any "common" video or audio files. Last Smart BR I bought was on deals.woot.com for 35 bucks. Shop around and you can find them cheap, but Philips plays more formats than just about any player out there. Thanks! Very helpful. Question: How long since you bought your last Phillips? I ask because maybe technology has overtaken the Phillips and other brands now mach it? Not a clue; just wondering. Costco has a Samsung Blu-Ray for about $74 + tx. Anybody have experience with Samsung? (I tend to run off & buy the last thing anybody advises g so need all the input I can get!) HB The most important thing is that it plays what you need it to play. If all you intend to use it for is playing DVDs and BR DVD, then it doesn't matter too much if it plays DIVX or MP4. Same thing with other features, like ethernet, wireless. If you want to stream videos too it and don't have wired ethernet readily available, then you'll need one with wireless. |
#33
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 10:29:27 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:
On Friday, August 8, 2014 12:49:59 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote: trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: If he has an HD TV he should get a Blu-Ray, but I would suggest getting a Philips. I've used Philips TVs and DVD/BR for several years and they will play anything that you throw at it. MP3, MP4, DIVX or just about any "common" video or audio files. Last Smart BR I bought was on deals.woot.com for 35 bucks. Shop around and you can find them cheap, but Philips plays more formats than just about any player out there. Thanks! Very helpful. Question: How long since you bought your last Phillips? I ask because maybe technology has overtaken the Phillips and other brands now mach it? Not a clue; just wondering. Costco has a Samsung Blu-Ray for about $74 + tx. Anybody have experience with Samsung? (I tend to run off & buy the last thing anybody advises g so need all the input I can get!) HB The most important thing is that it plays what you need it to play. If all you intend to use it for is playing DVDs and BR DVD, then it doesn't matter too much if it plays DIVX or MP4. Same thing with other features, like ethernet, wireless. If you want to stream videos too it and don't have wired ethernet readily available, then you'll need one with wireless. Ah, refreshing dose of common sense! In fact, all I would envision using it for is DVD & BR DVD, so I should just shut up & buy the Costco Samsung. (But I must also check if I have wired ethernet...) All the same, I couldn't resist going to the OPPO site and dreaming over the high-end audiophile selection! (At this point I'll be glad if I can pay the shop for latest problem with my '99 Nissan!!!) Tx everybody for input. HB |
#34
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 2:56:49 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Friday, August 8, 2014 10:29:27 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote: On Friday, August 8, 2014 12:49:59 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote: trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: If he has an HD TV he should get a Blu-Ray, but I would suggest getting a Philips. I've used Philips TVs and DVD/BR for several years and they will play anything that you throw at it. MP3, MP4, DIVX or just about any "common" video or audio files. Last Smart BR I bought was on deals.woot.com for 35 bucks. Shop around and you can find them cheap, but Philips plays more formats than just about any player out there. Thanks! Very helpful. Question: How long since you bought your last Phillips? I ask because maybe technology has overtaken the Phillips and other brands now mach it? Not a clue; just wondering. Costco has a Samsung Blu-Ray for about $74 + tx. Anybody have experience with Samsung? (I tend to run off & buy the last thing anybody advises g so need all the input I can get!) HB The most important thing is that it plays what you need it to play. If all you intend to use it for is playing DVDs and BR DVD, then it doesn't matter too much if it plays DIVX or MP4. Same thing with other features, like ethernet, wireless. If you want to stream videos too it and don't have wired ethernet readily available, then you'll need one with wireless. Ah, refreshing dose of common sense! In fact, all I would envision using it for is DVD & BR DVD, so I should just shut up & buy the Costco Samsung. (But I must also check if I have wired ethernet...) The Samsung for $75 at Costco is wireless. But, did you look at the reviews? Not so good. Before I buy anything like that I take a look at Amazon to see the reviews there. Even if you don't buy it, usually they have a lot of reviews and it's not just the number people give it. A lot of times you'll see people talking about some feature that you weren't even thinking about. Or bitching about some drawback that you wouldn't know existed unless you went to use it. |
#35
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DVD player acting up
....another point about WiFi, is that the firmware can be regularly upgrade. In a similar way a PC BIOS is reflashed. The Samsung we have probably gets one every few months...it's a about a year old.
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#36
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 4:23:57 PM UTC-4, BenDarrenBach wrote:
...another point about WiFi, is that the firmware can be regularly upgrade. In a similar way a PC BIOS is reflashed. The Samsung we have probably gets one every few months...it's a about a year old. I think what you mean is that any player that is internet connected can be firmware upgraded. Maybe all the ones that are internet capable are wireless, there aren't any that are just hardwired anymore, IDK about that. |
#37
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DVD player acting up
On Fri, 8 Aug 2014 13:23:57 -0700 (PDT), BenDarrenBach
wrote: ...another point about WiFi, is that the firmware can be regularly upgrade. In a similar way a PC BIOS is reflashed. The Samsung we have probably gets one every few months...it's a about a year old. If Firmware needed to be flashed 4 times in a year, I'd find another brand of DVD. OP is not so savvy as to how to flash it and could mess it up. |
#38
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DVD player acting up
| Costco has a Samsung Blu-Ray for about $74 + tx. Anybody have experience
with Samsung? I don't have a lot of experience with different brands. I only buy electronics when I absolutely must. But I do tend to trust Samsung because they're the people with the know-how. I'm pretty sure they make Apple's iPhone screens. In general they seem to be the innovators with that sort of thing. When Samsung used to make hard disks it was typical to find them in OEM computers, which indicates they were probably dependable. I now have a Samsung TV, 2 Samsung DVD players from Best Buy, and a Samsung DVD drive in my PC. No trouble with any of them, except the TV sometimes acts up a bit in hot weather. I don't know whether that's normal. When it's real hot sometimes it will become unresponsive or go black, then turn itself off and back on again. I figure maybe it's an overheat protection, but I don't know. My only other experience with flatscreen TVs was a friend whose TV burned out. I think it was HP, though I'm not certain. It turned out that a soldered spot on a circuit board was just a hair away from the back metal panel, with no insulation! Somehow it bridged the gap at some point, sparked and burned out the TV. A repair person figured out the problem from the black soot mark on the back panel. |
#39
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 1:17:58 PM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:
On Friday, August 8, 2014 2:56:49 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote: On Friday, August 8, 2014 10:29:27 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote: On Friday, August 8, 2014 12:49:59 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote: trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: HB The most important thing is that it plays what you need it to play. If all you intend to use it for is playing DVDs and BR DVD, then it doesn't matter too much if it plays DIVX or MP4. Same thing with other features, like ethernet, wireless. If you want to stream videos too it and don't have wired ethernet readily available, then you'll need one with wireless. Ah, refreshing dose of common sense! In fact, all I would envision using it for is DVD & BR DVD, so I should just shut up & buy the Costco Samsung. (But I must also check if I have wired ethernet...) The Samsung for $75 at Costco is wireless. But, did you look at the reviews? Yes I did, and they were not enthusiastic, I agree. Not so good. Before I buy anything like that I take a look at Amazon to see the reviews there. Even if you don't buy it, usually they have a lot of reviews and it's not just the number people give it. A lot of times you'll see people talking about some feature that you weren't even thinking about. Or bitching about some drawback that you wouldn't know existed unless you went to use it. Back to the drawing board! Any other low-end wireless DVD player? HB |
#40
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DVD player acting up
On Friday, August 8, 2014 1:17:58 PM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:
On Friday, August 8, 2014 2:56:49 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote: On Friday, August 8, 2014 10:29:27 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote: On Friday, August 8, 2014 12:49:59 PM UTC-4, Higgs Boson wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 10:38:17 PM UTC-7, ChairMan wrote: trader_4 wrote: On Thursday, August 7, 2014 9:44:53 AM UTC-4, Peter wrote: On 8/6/2014 4:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: [...] OK, I went on-line and so far leaning toward SONY. A little more expensive than previous suggestions, but reviews mostly positive. Maybe more features than I need RIGHT NOW, but it's on sale for $88 at Target. Not a huge SONY fan, probably based on old information and ignorant prejudice, but this one looks like it might work out. HB |
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