Sony DVP-NS715P DVD Player

I finally decided not to upgrade my Sony S363 to a progressive scan model until it broke last week. Despite the 5 year warranty I had on the model, I decided to check out the dvd players at the Good Guys and to see if the Sony DVP-NS700P dropped in price. This is a player that I was eyeing on for awhile but I thought was too expensive and did not play MP3. This model was nowhere to be found but I noticed a new Sony progressive scan dvd player, the DVP-NS715P. It was selling for 185 dollars (100 plus dollars less than NS700P) and plays dvd-r/rw, cd-r/rw, and mp3. After checking the 4 positive reviews here on epinions.com and the specifications on the sony website, I decided to make the purchase and sell my s363 now that it is fixed.

I purchased the unit yesterday for 240 dollars that included tax and a 3 year extended service plan. I strongly recommend purchasing the service plan. My s363 broke after two years of punishment by wife, two kids, and myself.

The connection was simple. I connected my existing Monster Cable Video 3 component cables to the component outs on the player and selected progressive on the switch in the back. I have a Sony HD ready 32" xbr400 and was looking forward to witnessing a beautiful picture from my digital tv. I used the coaxial digital out and my existing Monster Cable coaxial cable to connect to my silver Sony STR-DE445 for crystal clear digital sound. One of the selling points of this model is that it is silver matching my TV, receiver, and my Sony Tivo T-60. Once connected, I powered the player up and it went through a quick setup which made it easy to adjust the settings.

The first dvd I put in was a widescreen version of "Rush Hour 2" I noticed the picture was displaying at approximately 1.85:1 and it should be showing at 2.35:1 in 16:9 enhanced mode on my tv. I discovered that when my xbr400 receives a progressive(480p) signal, the 16:9 enhanced mode on the tv is defaulted to the off position. Therefore, I have to manually set the 16:9 enhanced mode to the on position every time I watch an anamorphic widescreen dvd. This is cumbersome but in widescreen mode the progressive scan picture is awesome. I can definitely see the difference in color and clarity between a 480i and 480p signal. I compared my kids' "Toy Story 2" between the NS715P and the S363 and noticed a significant difference. The picture on the NS715P was amazing.

Another selling point of this player is that it accepts CD-R/RW and MP3. I can finally listen to my CD-Rs on my home entertainment center (HEC) in addition to my car and my computer. I can now start to create MP3 discs so I can listen to 11 hours of music on one disc on my HEC. No need for a disc changer!