Philips DVP5140 Multiformat DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support
by Philips
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List Price: Category: Home Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Philips DVP5140 Multiformat DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support
Customer Review: Nice DVD player with a few issues
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this DVD player because I wanted one that will play both regions. I have yet to test this functionality. But I also bought it because the spec on Philips' website says that it can remember the last played moment for up to five DVDs. One thing I loved about my six-year-old Samsung DVD player (that died) was that as long as the DVD was still in the player, when you pushed play it would pick up exactly where you had left off. I figured this Philips would be even better.
I was wrong. Sure, it remembers where to resume up to 5 discs, but you must MANUALLY press play while the "loading" menu is visible. So if you miss the few seconds you have to notice this menu, you're stuck with trying to find the spot where you left off.
Another issue I have with this DVD player is the remote. Initially, it seems designed well. But in practice, it's impossible to tell by simply feeling it in your palm which way the sensor is pointing. Also, the fastforward or rewind buttons are actually the left/right buttons for menu navigation. That would be fine if the OK button would also play the DVD at normal speed, but instead you have to reach all the way down to the play button. Lastly, the sensor itself on either the remote or the player are not sensitive enough. I can't seem to consistently find the right spot to aim at. With my old DVD player, I could aim anywhere in the vicinity and it would work.
Customer Review: Very Good Multi-Region Player
Summary: 4 Stars
It was very easy to switch the region on the DVD player once I'd installed it. I've used this player to listen to MP3 CDs, CDs and watch DVDs from Europe and America and have never had any serious problems.
However, occasionally (and this has only happened while watching European region DVDs) the image on the screen seems slightly jumpy - as if the frames per minute are all out of goose (I'm sorry, I have no technical language expertise). However, perhaps this is standard for the conversion from PAL to NTSC. I dunno.
Other minor annoyances:
- There is no option to turn the player completely off - it remains on standby unless you pull the plug.
- The sensor for the remote control seems rather weak. Is is just my model? I often have to either hold down buttons to get them to work, or press them multiple times. There is also a problem with the reaction speed of the player to commands on occasions.
- There is no eject button on the remote. That truly is a minor annoyance.
Nevertheless, I am very happy with the price I paid for what I got. It looks good too; very slim. I am glad that DVD and Blu-Ray players are slowly breaking down that stupid division between regions. I think you'd be doing very well if you found a more reasonable multi-region player than this one.
Customer Review: Decent performance but not quite perfect
Summary: 3 Stars
Pro:
1. Plays .avi, .mpeg format
2. Slim, compact, simple design
3. Light weight
4. Easy to hack region code setting
Con:
1.It plays most of the DivX format but some of the codec are not supported, which displays no images with only sound or skips automatically without playing at all.
2.It does not support 2 byte characters on screen display of menu screen
3.I don't like the way the menu screen looks. It seems too primitive compared to the ones of other brand such as sony, panasonic, LG, etc.(bad programming of low quality user interface)
4.When I play DivX format disc and try to skip the chapter, it jumps back to the previous file instead of going back to the beginning of currently playing file (bad programming)
Conclusion: Overall, it is a very convenient player when you want to watch your downloaded .avi or .mpeg media files on your tv instead of playing on your pc. I like the modern and stylish design of Phillips products but it makes me wonder whenever I buy phillips products that they do not have any skilled engineers or programmers because of the poor design of user interface on the menu screen and so vulnerable for hacking. I am so grateful that they are not too concerned about that aspect as Sony does though.
Customer Review: Region Free with great features - Read the User Manual.
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, thanks to H. A. Emet for his five-star review giving the steps to follow to make this player region free. Such a treat to be able to watch my UK DVD's now.
The IR window on the front of the player is very sensitive. The remote must be pointed directly at it, not just the general direction. That may be one reason some people have had a hard time programming the player. It took me two tries to get the region code screen to display. Connecting and setting up the player was a breeze. Video is crisp and bright and audio is clear.
Some features from the User's Manual:
Page 22 - If you hold down the stop button on the remote, the disc tray will open. If you hold down the stop button again, the tray will close.
Page 24 - If you press the Play/Pause while a disc is loading, the disc will resume from the last stopped point. This does work for up to the last 5 discs played.
Page 24 - Press the righ/left arrows during playback for FF/REV speeds from 2x to 32x. Press the Up/Down arrows for speeds from 1/2x to 1/16x. Sound is muted during this function.
Nicely designed player with many features. Take some time to go through the User Manual before passing judgment and writing a review.
Customer Review: Excellent professional DVD player
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're looking for a DVD player that will play just about anything you can throw at it, there is no better value than Philips right now. If the DVP642 is the perfect player for everyone, than the DVP5140 is the professional's choice. Yeah, the picture and audio quality are greatly improved. So is DivX playback. The OSD is also very slick and informative. If you are running your video to an HDTV and your audio into a HT system, you might want to look into this player over the DVP642 if only because of the higher quality output.
However, there are a few drawbacks to this player. One is that if the DVD player is stopped or paused and the auto shut-off is engaged, the player will not remember your place on the disc. That can be frustrating when you eventually have to resume playback. Also, the player is slower and less responsive than the DVP642. Longer boot and load times are not a huge deal, but since everything else is so positive, I just thought I'd mention it.
DivX playback on this machine is wonderful. The only hitch is that you have to make sure the discs you burn are data discs. PC or Mac formatted discs cause the player to choke up. If its a CD-R, burn an ISO disc. If its a DVD, burn a DVD-ROM. That will increase the chance for smoother playback.