Sony DVPNS30 DVD Player - Black Best Buy

Stylish, Sleek, Sony - 02 May 2006

3 out of 3 found this review helpful.

I purchased this model favouring price over the multi-region extra, picking it up for just under £50. In my opinion, this is a bargain, and will still prove itself even if you decide to take the multi-region at that extra cost. In the box, you should find accompanied a remote, power cable, instruction manual and a composite video/audio lead.

The player is a nice looking piece of equipment, with a metalic finish front panel and essential buttons lined neatly along the front top. Measuring only 4.3cm high and 23.8cm deep it is ideal if you have stacked set-ups.

Round the back, things become a little less exciting, with only the basic connections; a single RGB scart, composite video out and L/R phono out and digital coaxial audio out. Surprisingly no optical out, but for most this is rarely neccessary. S-Video users have the option of outputting S-Video signals via the scart (with an appropriate cable) but not having used this I cannot really comment on its performance.

The system layout I will admit takes getting used to, but it does become easier every time. The remote itself packs some style and is well laid out with shortcuts for audio, playback speeds and the other neccessities. A nice touch is the integrated multi-remote function which can allow you to control your TV's standby and volume, with a list of codes to operate various brands.

Performance is where this little box really takes off, kicking out rich, crisp images with no colour bleed when watching through an RGB connection. Fast action scenes remain stable and clear whilst landscapes and interiors are detailed and realistic. Just to mention, the Video DAC is actually 12bit/108Mhz unlike Amazon's description, and is identical to the multi-region version spec (minus the multi-region!). The menu also offers optional default picture enhancements or a custom set-up, where you can change the sharpness, brightness and contrast to match your movie.

The sound that comes with the pciture is also just as impressive, especially when fed to a decent sound system. The virtual surround feature seems to do little difference and I would say the only real improvement would be connecting to a 5.1 system. CD audio is not overly fantastic and might not impress the audio-phile, but for the average user this is more than adequate.

Other little sale features include Sony's 'precision drive3 technology' (whether this has to do with the quietness of the machine I don't know) and parental control to lock age restricted DVD's or even the front panel and remote, which then requires a sequence key-press to re-activate. Resume play memory on compatible discs proves very handy for interruptions and late nights. Take the disc out or just turn it off and it will start from where you stopped the next time you watch again.

The lack of DVD-Audio, SACD AND DivX does unfortunately bring a downside, but this is a budget player. Whilst others may offer the spec, the DVP-NS30 has sacrificed this for the experience. If you are after stunning pictures and great sounds to enjoy your DVD's anytime, for under £60 the Sony just might be for you.