Toshiba SD-1700 DVD Player
Out of stock |
Similar in Blu-ray and DVD Players
- Number of Discs: 1
- Progressive Scan: Without Progressive Scan
- Playable Disk Types: DVD Video VCD CD (Audio)
- DVD Type: DVD Player
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
A great intro level DVD Value!
Pros
Simple, efficient, value
Cons
Remote, can be a tad noisy (read review), No CDR
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
I highly recomend the SD1700. It's cons are very minor. A very good value.
If you're looking for an Intro level DVD player, or perhaps even a DVD Player for your secondary TV, the Toshiba SD1700 would be a wise choice. I've had this DVD Player for over a year now, and have it's given me nothing but enjoyment. I'll describe my "out of the box experience".
Hooking it up
For video connections, the 1700 offers S-Video, RCA (The Red, White, and Yellow plugs), and ColorStream component. ColorStream would offer the most quality of these three, but the difference between it and S-Video is almost negligable in my opinion. However, on most sets you will notice a difference between RCA and S-Video. S-Video is superior. If You go S-Video, you will have to buy the S-Video cable, as the player ships only with RCA cables. I suggest splurging and going with the expensive Monster Brand cable. The cheapies are just that... cheap. It'll set you back about $30... they make a killing.
As for the audio, I just used the RCA cables. I have no surround sound system, so I can't comment first hand on how well it works in a system like that. My friend has the same player hooked up to his surround sound receiver and he swears it's wonderful. Anyway, I just used the included RCA cables to hook up the audio to my TV. In case you're a bit confused, RCA cables have three connectors. One for Video and two for audio. Seing as how I used S-Video for the video, I have one of those RCA connectors just dangling, while the other two carry the audio.
Once you power on the Player, the SD1700's First Time Setup program runs and steps you through some things.
Picture
I watched Gladiator for my first DVD. It looked absolutley gorgeous! Very crisp, no problems at all with the picture.
Audio
Well, as I said, I just use my TV speakers. So the audio sounds average. It does what it's supposed to do.
Remote
Well, let's just say that they need to work on the remote. Hopefully, you've got a universal that can handle the functions of a DVD player. The remote is layed out fairly logically, but some of the buttons are labled with cyptic abreviations. I still couldn't tell you what some of them stand for. Another downside is that I like to watch movies in the dark. I never did this with VHS, but for some reason, it just feels right with DVD. The remote is pretty much useless in the dark. Nothing glows and nothing is backlit. It's a shame, really.
Cosmetics
Some people claim the player is ugly. I think that they're wrong. It's simple looking, and I like that. I don't want something flashy and loud. No thanks.
User Experience
One complaint, occasionaly you may here the sound of the DVD spinning. It seems to only be noticable in real quiet parts of the movie and generally stops within a couple of minutes. It's more of an annoyance than anything and it may be minimized if you put it behind glass in an entertainment center. Like I said, it goes away quickly and doesn't always occur.
The first few DVD's I watched, I got real worried. You see, almost every one had a single noticable skip. I read up on the internet, and as it turns out, THIS IS NOT THE PLAYERS FAULT! What you are witnessing when you see the DVD "hiccup" somewhere around halfway through a movie is called a "LAYER CHANGE". Most DVD's (they say it on the back) nowadays are Dual-Layered. This, in layman, means that there are two tracks on the one side of the disc. When it reaches the end of the first one, it must refocus onto the second one. This is where you see the "hiccup". Some movies have these layer changes in odd times. Some are unnoticable. They will likely continue being a problem until DVD players with internal memory become popular. That way, the DVD player would have "skip protection", much like a CD Player. Don't get me wrong, some DVD players handle layer changes POORLY. The Toshiba is NOT ONE. It does a good job with them. I just wanted to include this because it was something that confused me the first time through with my DVD Player.
Other Features
The SD1700 functions just fine as a regular CD Player. It's not ideal for me because the sound must go through my TV. Nonethless, it works. It would have been nice if it could have played CDRs, but really if you're a Music buff, you're probably going to want a seperate CD Changer anyway.
It's also got all the standard DVD extras. Slow motion, multiple speed fast forward, rewind. Camera angle selections (few DVDs actually feature this).... yadda yadda.
Two thumbs way up
I've sold a couple of friends on these for introductory DVD players. They work well and they are a good value. Sure, there are cheaper DVD players out there, but Toshiba is a uality name. My parents had a fully functional Toshiba TV for well over 12 years. This DVD player has never given me a problem!
Hooking it up
For video connections, the 1700 offers S-Video, RCA (The Red, White, and Yellow plugs), and ColorStream component. ColorStream would offer the most quality of these three, but the difference between it and S-Video is almost negligable in my opinion. However, on most sets you will notice a difference between RCA and S-Video. S-Video is superior. If You go S-Video, you will have to buy the S-Video cable, as the player ships only with RCA cables. I suggest splurging and going with the expensive Monster Brand cable. The cheapies are just that... cheap. It'll set you back about $30... they make a killing.
As for the audio, I just used the RCA cables. I have no surround sound system, so I can't comment first hand on how well it works in a system like that. My friend has the same player hooked up to his surround sound receiver and he swears it's wonderful. Anyway, I just used the included RCA cables to hook up the audio to my TV. In case you're a bit confused, RCA cables have three connectors. One for Video and two for audio. Seing as how I used S-Video for the video, I have one of those RCA connectors just dangling, while the other two carry the audio.
Once you power on the Player, the SD1700's First Time Setup program runs and steps you through some things.
Picture
I watched Gladiator for my first DVD. It looked absolutley gorgeous! Very crisp, no problems at all with the picture.
Audio
Well, as I said, I just use my TV speakers. So the audio sounds average. It does what it's supposed to do.
Remote
Well, let's just say that they need to work on the remote. Hopefully, you've got a universal that can handle the functions of a DVD player. The remote is layed out fairly logically, but some of the buttons are labled with cyptic abreviations. I still couldn't tell you what some of them stand for. Another downside is that I like to watch movies in the dark. I never did this with VHS, but for some reason, it just feels right with DVD. The remote is pretty much useless in the dark. Nothing glows and nothing is backlit. It's a shame, really.
Cosmetics
Some people claim the player is ugly. I think that they're wrong. It's simple looking, and I like that. I don't want something flashy and loud. No thanks.
User Experience
One complaint, occasionaly you may here the sound of the DVD spinning. It seems to only be noticable in real quiet parts of the movie and generally stops within a couple of minutes. It's more of an annoyance than anything and it may be minimized if you put it behind glass in an entertainment center. Like I said, it goes away quickly and doesn't always occur.
The first few DVD's I watched, I got real worried. You see, almost every one had a single noticable skip. I read up on the internet, and as it turns out, THIS IS NOT THE PLAYERS FAULT! What you are witnessing when you see the DVD "hiccup" somewhere around halfway through a movie is called a "LAYER CHANGE". Most DVD's (they say it on the back) nowadays are Dual-Layered. This, in layman, means that there are two tracks on the one side of the disc. When it reaches the end of the first one, it must refocus onto the second one. This is where you see the "hiccup". Some movies have these layer changes in odd times. Some are unnoticable. They will likely continue being a problem until DVD players with internal memory become popular. That way, the DVD player would have "skip protection", much like a CD Player. Don't get me wrong, some DVD players handle layer changes POORLY. The Toshiba is NOT ONE. It does a good job with them. I just wanted to include this because it was something that confused me the first time through with my DVD Player.
Other Features
The SD1700 functions just fine as a regular CD Player. It's not ideal for me because the sound must go through my TV. Nonethless, it works. It would have been nice if it could have played CDRs, but really if you're a Music buff, you're probably going to want a seperate CD Changer anyway.
It's also got all the standard DVD extras. Slow motion, multiple speed fast forward, rewind. Camera angle selections (few DVDs actually feature this).... yadda yadda.
Two thumbs way up
I've sold a couple of friends on these for introductory DVD players. They work well and they are a good value. Sure, there are cheaper DVD players out there, but Toshiba is a uality name. My parents had a fully functional Toshiba TV for well over 12 years. This DVD player has never given me a problem!
See Related Products
Recently Viewed
Most Popular In Blu-ray and DVD Players
