Product Features:

• Compact DVD/CD player with Dolby/DTS passthrough offers ready connection to TVs, computer monitors, car screens
• Plays MP3 CD, audio CD, DVD-Video, video CD; offers full-featured audio CD and MP3 CD menu controls
• Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound passthrough (for use with surround-decoding audio/video receiver)
• Includes full-function remote control, AC adapter
• Easily transportable, but not portable per se (no screen, not battery-operable)

Product Description:

Ideal for plugging into a television, computer, or car screen, the compact DVP2161 offers full-featured DVD and CD playback from a device about the size of a softcover book. While not quite portable in the traditional sense--the unit has no screen and requires AC power--the DVP2161 is much easier to move around, set-up, and use than a traditional component DVD player. And it handles not only DVD-Videos and video CDs, but music, too, from standard CDs to home-burned CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3-encoded CDs. Full-featured audio CD and MP3 CD menu controls simplify operation, and a handy top-panel LCD shows track and time of disc playing, letting you use the device even if it's not plugged into a television. Top-of-the-line component-video outputs help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio output (Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. Other features include parental controls (with PIN lock), picture zoom, drop-down menu controls with active navigation, and a full-function remote control. What's in the Box DVD player, remote control (with batteries,) stereo analog audio with composite-video interconnect, and AC adapter.
From the Manufacturer Features include: DVD Video, Video CD, CD Audio, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD Compatible Dolby Digital 5.1 output (pass-through) Dolby Digital output (Stereo down mix) DTS surround sound audio pass through Component, S-Video, and Composite Video Outputs Optical Digital output Headphone Jack LCD display (displays Track and Time of Disc playing) Full Function Remote Control DC 12V with AC Adapter (only) supplied Parental Controls and PIN Lock Hi-Resolution Video outpu Multi-screen Format options (TV... read more


See all product description...

Description from Manufacturer:Ideal for plugging into a television, computer, or car screen, the compact DVP2161 offers full-featured DVD and CD playback from a device about the size of a softcover book. While not quite portable in the traditional sense--the unit has no screen and requires AC power--the DVP2161 is much easier to move around, set-up, and use than a traditional component DVD player.

And it handles not only DVD-Videos and video CDs, but music, too, from standard CDs to home-burned CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3-encoded CDs. Full-featured audio CD and MP3 CD menu controls simplify operation, and a handy top-panel LCD shows track and time of disc playing, letting you use the device even if it's not plugged into a television.

Top-of-the-line component-video outputs help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio output (Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. Other features include parental controls (with PIN lock), picture zoom, drop-down menu controls with active navigation, and a full-function remote control.

What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control (with batteries,) stereo analog audio with composite-video interconnect, and AC adapter.Average Customer Rating:

---

Comment: Koss DVP2161 DVD Player Review Rating:
This is an excellent affordable multi format audio and video compact DVD player with only some minor compromises. In my opinion, at this current stage of electronics, It's an one of a kind DVD player in It's class. I had recently purchased a new Toshiba DVD player with mp3 and multi format video playback... but there was something intriging about the compact Koss brand... I had to test It's capabilities against the Toshiba's. The Toshiba model played back the standard mp3 and vcd format, but I discovered that the Koss model would not only play standard formats, it also played raw data mp3,vcd and dvd backups in which the toshiba could not read. Both players have good video and sound outputs as well as nice control features such as 4x zooming. I've also looked at other brands in different electronic stores with the same basic features in the same price range; but overall I was sold on the Koss. The only minor flaw I would point out, because of its compacted size, it should have an internal cooling fan to ventilate circuitry like the PS2; which I want to inform will only read standard formatted disks; unless modified with a special chip. It also seems that this particular Koss model is a hard to find item in just any electronics store.... Despite It's minor flaws ,It's a very nice DVD Player. If they only made one that had a flip top screen that included a car kit, a cooling fan and game playing capabilites it would be perfect!

---

Comment: A Lightweight... Rating:
I bought this player about three months ago, and here's my experience with this unit.

-Design: 4/5. The unit is sharp-looking, with a nice silver chrome finish that's pretty durable. I have the purple "hip hues" version and despite its toy-like appearance it stands up pretty well to wear and tear, and the "psychedelic" look is unique. A point off for the lack of functions on the unit itself; it's pretty much play, stop, a/b view, fast forward and reverse. Everything else is on the remote, which could have matched the look of the unit a bit more.

-Portability: 5/5. Small, sleek and easy to transport. Great if you want a unit that you can easily move from room to room, bring to a friend's place, or, of course, for traveling. Setup with the audio/video outputs (or s-video) is a snap for the majority of televisions and adapters are easy to find for monitors without a/v inputs.

-Picture Quality / Sound: 4/5. Despite some limitations with Dolby 5/1 and surround sound (this won't give you the same bang in that area as most standard-sized players) the stereo audio is excellent on this unit. My dvd of "Showgirls" played with Cristal-clear sound ;), and Ditto for its mp3 playback, which comes with a nice onscreen display which lays out any folder structures your pc or mac creates on the cd-rom. More good news: the picture quality is superb, as good as any full-sized unit. Color and definition are outstanding. I hooked this up to a 27-inch monitor and played a DVD of "Last Tango in Paris" and it looked as good as on a full-sized Sony DVD deck which was connected to the same tv.

-Performance: 2/5. And now the bad news...the majority of disks should play on this deck. However, the sad truth is that this unit will reject a good number of DVDs. I've been able to play about 90% of DVDs on this deck. Another 5% had problems with skipping or, most aggravatingly, picture freezing. The other 5% won't run at all on this deck, not even registering a DVD menu. The motor will turn, the player will struggle to register with the material, and after a couple of attempts the unit gives up. This player seems to play single-layer DVDs very well, which don't offer a lot of special features (i.e. only a trailer, a couple of stills). I tried to play my Criterion copy of "In the Mood for Love" which is packed with a fully rendered menu and special features; it was a disaster, the player couldn't even register the DVD menu. A rental copy of John Carpenter's "The Thing" which didn't have any noticeable scratches only played about fifteen minutes of the film, then froze. Another DVD which had a small scratch froze in the last five minutes and would only continue if I skipped ahead to the next chapter. On the upside, the majority of disks I've tried on this player have played acceptably, with only occasional problems (see below). It's just sad that the temperamental nature of this unit would generate more suspense in keeping you wondering if it will make it through a whole movie than anything in the actual film you are watching.

-Engineering: 1/5. It's amazing that this thing made it through product testing, if that was even performed on this model. As others have mentioned, one of the major reasons this player malfunctions so much is that it doesn't have proper ventilation. It overheats, so after 1.5 to 2 hours of play (if not sooner) the picture will begin freezing and skipping. If you are watching a disk of television shows in half-and one-hour chunks, that might be fine, but curling up with three hours of "Apocalypse Now Redux"? Not too darn likely. And if your DVD is loaded with special features, the demands placed on this little cutie will cut your viewing time even further. All the special features - slow mo, step frame, a/b view, chapter search - work as they should (although you can only access most of them on the remote, so don't forget that if you plan on traveling with this player). Overall, the player's tendency to overheat renders it unacceptable for all but the lightest applications. Considering the possibilities of DVDs, that's a huge liability. Also, the remote's buttons are tiny and take some extra pressure to activate---and compared to my other vcr/satellite dish remotes, its lack of range is annoying. Basically you have to aim it directly at the unit, since it seems to have problems when used at angles.

-Suggestions: as others have mentioned, the ac adapter packed with the unit is really bad. Replace it with a compatible adapter from Target or Radio Shack and performance will improve. Some users have mentioned cutting a hole and installing a small fan---for the mechanically uninclined like me, this is not an option. The ac adapter heats up if it's plugged into the socket even when the unit's off, so unplugging the AC adapter from the socket between uses greatly improves performance. Also, setting the unit on top of a well-ventilated area helps, especially if air can pass under the bottom.

Overall, it's a commendable attempt by Koss to produce a small, portable DVD player for multiple purposes and situations. Had the design/engineering team resolved the player's basic problems - overheating, incompatibility with some high-performance DVD software, and erratic performance with even basic functions - this would have been a winner. Too bad. It could've been a contender.

---

Comment: Cheap but Handy Rating:
This thing pays my friend's pirated DVDs she brought back from a trip in China. Nobody else's DVD players understand them. This until also lets you view raw video and JPEG files burned straight to disk. It's also Very Tiny! It's got the digital outputs and component, etc. that big units have. The hidden cool thing about it is the AWESOME sound out of the headphone jack. Koss primarily makes higher-quality headphones, so the HF jack had to be great. It sounds way superior to my other CD players, so I actually take it to work for listening.

Now the bad part... it's got a jumpy (although clear) image. The power supply is wrong, so replaced it with a Radioshack 12v one like the manual says (how did they mess that up?). It will overheat unless you sit it on top of a videotape so the vents are not covered on the bottom. Heat still an issue since heat rises (so why are the holes on the bottom???).

Worth checking out, but don't pay too much!

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)