Toshiba SD-4980 DVD Player

Toshiba SD-4980 DVD Player …..


A DVD player for our bedroom ….

We bought a new TV for upstairs and needed to grab a DVD player to go with it. It is amazing how small and thin they have gotten these days! Plus the prices are ridiculously cheap. We just bought two DVD players not more than a couple of years ago and the technology has made some significant advances since then. This DVD player is attractive in a silver tone with light up blue trim and buttons.


Out of the Box: Measurements, Included Items, etc. -

This is a super lightweight (only 3.2 pounds) and compact design! It is so lightweight that I was unsure as to whether or not the box actually had anything in it at all.

Width/Height/Depth= 17 inches x 1.6 inches (!!!) x 8 inches

Also in the box are the warranty/instruction manual, one audio/video cord, a remote control, and two AAA batteries.


Some stats and features:

This Toshiba plays both DVDs and CDs. Besides watching some really well played DVDs on it, we can also view a CD full of our family photos. I think this is a really nice feature especially when we have guests over. Other media supported is CD-R, CD-RW, DivX, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and VCD.

Music can be played if you have it hooked up to a receiver. We do not use this feature because we bought this DVD player to use strictly with a TV only. Other features include Dolby Digital and DTS, and video up-conversion rate is 720p/1080i.

Some basics:

- 120 V AC, 60 Hz power supply
- 14 W power consumption
- Standard NTSC signal system
- Semiconductor laser


Front Panel

The front panel of this Toshiba is very simple with an ON/STANDBY button, HDMI button, the disc tray, an OPEN/CLOSE button, the DVD display (in light up blue), a STOP button, and a PLAY button. In addition, there is also a spot near the ON/STANDBY button for the remote sensor.


Rear Panel Jacks

- optical out
- HDMI out*
- Video out
- S video out
- Analog audio out (L/R)
- Coaxial digital audio out
- Video out (Y/Pb/Pr) (component video)
- A/C power

*A word on HDMI:

This DVD player features HDMI. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) makes it easy for one cord to connect this Toshiba to my compatible digital television (instead of five). It is a simple set up where one cable combines every connection needed to not only connect the two components, but also optimize performance between the two. We were very pleased at the simplicity of the set up.


The remote control is alright, but not great-

We aren't using the included remote. We quickly programmed the DVD player function into our television's remote control to enable us to only have one remote. The included DVD player remote, however, is fairly straightforward and simple to use. It is not illuminated and this point really bothers me. I wish that all remotes would just be made with an illuminating feature so that you could see the buttons in the dark. The buttons on both the remote as well as the DVD player itself are simple and easy to understand.


Our final thoughts on this DVD Player-

This is a nice little DVD player! The pictures are great and it seems to be less sensitive than the player we have downstairs. I tested this point by trying out a particular movie which always freezes in the other machine. This player breezed right through the scenes that I was sure were ruined forever. I had previously planned on repurchasing certain movies, but will not have to deal with that now.

One of the things we do not like is the attractive blue lights do not go off during play. This might seem minor, but one of the blue lights runs the length of the DVD opening tray and is large enough to be a glaring distraction in the dark. It isn't a huge issue, but we both noticed it right away.


Side Note:

This DVD player comes with a one year manufacturer's warranty.


Lastly -

This is a nice little DVD player and we do not regret our purchase. It is clear that the technology has evolved quickly! Many years ago, the first DVD Player we bought was around the $600 mark and it is really nice to be able to pick up a high quality player for around $50!