As you know, I greatly reduced my cable subscription to the most basic analog service: 30 channels of mostly mind-numbing boredom, including 2 Spanish language channels and 1 channel that is Korean part of the time. Therefore, my primary visual entertainment is now my DVDs.
Unforunately, the Sony DVD player (DVP-S350) I inherited from an old roommate, the only DVD player I’ve ever owned, no longer works consistently. It fell ill with a case of Flashing C:13:00, a disorder claimed to be curable in some instances but most often fatal. Put simply, it stopped playing many of my DVDs, even after being cleaned as some Disc doctors diagnose.
I picked up a compact DVD player from Best Buy (RCA DRC200N) for about $35. It’s about one quarter the size of the Sony and supports progressive scan, which already sets it ahead of the old player. I was planning not to buy a new DVD player until it was time to upgrade my entire entertainment system, but I was getting frustrated trying to watch House, M.D., Season One on my computer’s monitor.
The DVD player wasn’t the least expensive in the store, but it still managed to cost less than the DVD set. I’ve had no problems with playing dual layer and double-sided discs so far, so I am satisfied.
There’s only one annoyance: the remote control takes a CR2025 battery rather than the more standard AAA or AA. One is included in the package, but they’re normally not available at your local supermarket like standard batteries.









