Product Features:

• Single-disc DVD player with support for DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 CD
• Progressive-scan video output renders seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Precision Drive 2 with Dynamic Tilt Compensation improves readability of damaged discs
• 12-bit video DAC with 108 MHz processing for pristine video (through component-video, S-video, and composite-video outputs)
• Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel digital surround decoding and output (for use with compatible AV receivers and speaker systems)

Product Description:

High-end video performance can be yours with Sony's affordable, progressive-scan DVP-NS725P DVD player. The versatile unit plays just about any disc out there--including DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW--and also plays hours of music from MP3 files burned to CD-R/CD-RW discs. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVP-NS725P stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs through Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive de-interlacer (scanning) with 3:2 pulldown processing. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24-frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can also be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for a simpler connection to a compatible AV receiver (digital-audio interconnects are not supplied). Precision Drive 2 provides a mechanism for reading DVDs that are in less-than-perfect condition, eliminating errors in playback due to imperfect, scratched, or warped discs. DVD resume memory kicks in whenever you stop a DVD. Later, when you come back to it, the player will pick up right where you left off before. The player holds resume points for up to 40 discs. Other playback options include 10-second instant replay, quick setup, DVD/CD Text, a digital video enhancer, digital video EQ (equalization), custom parental control memory for 40 discs, Advanced SmoothScan and SmoothSlow Modes, and multidisc resume (up to 6 discs). What's in the Box DVD player, RMT-D153A remote control, two AA batteries, an analog audio/composite-video cable, and user's manual.
From the Manufacturer For DVD that is divine… Sony presents the DVP-NS725P DVD Player. Offering Dolby Digital and dts Decoding Compatibility, 12 Bit Video DAC with 108Mhz Processing with NSV, and MP3/CD-R/CD-RW, DVD-RW/-R (Video Mode), and DVD+RW/+R Playback, a Precision Drive 2 System with Dynamic Tilt Compensation, and Precision Cinema Progressive (480P) Output , this DVD player packs features that enable a picture more faithful to the source. Additional features include TV Virtual Surround, 4 Surround Modes,... read more

Description from Manufacturer:High-end video performance can be yours with Sony's affordable, progressive-scan DVP-NS725P DVD player. The versatile unit plays just about any disc out there--including DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW--and also plays hours of music from MP3 files burned to CD-R/CD-RW discs.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVP-NS725P stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs through Sony's Precision Cinema Progressive de-interlacer (scanning) with 3:2 pulldown processing. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24-frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.

Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can also be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (one each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for a simpler connection to a compatible AV receiver (digital-audio interconnects are not supplied).

Precision Drive 2 provides a mechanism for reading DVDs that are in less-than-perfect condition, eliminating errors in playback due to imperfect, scratched, or warped discs. DVD resume memory kicks in whenever you stop a DVD. Later, when you come back to it, the player will pick up right where you left off before. The player holds resume points for up to 40 discs.

Other playback options include 10-second instant replay, quick setup, DVD/CD Text, a digital video enhancer, digital video EQ (equalization), custom parental control memory for 40 discs, Advanced SmoothScan and SmoothSlow Modes, and multidisc resume (up to 6 discs).

What's in the Box
DVD player, RMT-D153A remote control, two AA batteries, an analog audio/composite-video cable, and user's manual.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Sony NS725P - a real disappointment! Rating:
While this player looks good physically, has a nice remote, and some nice features like the DVD jacket display during stop mode - I found it has terrible 3:2 pulldown for film mode. I checked it using several movies: Monsters Inc. (which looked incredible), but films like Forrest Gump, Sweet Home Alabama, The Matrix, and Fellowship of the Ring looked so bad compared to my Toshiba SD-4700, I had to take the Sony back. The picture looked overprocessed with noticeable artifacts to the point I couldn't even watch it. Especially tried the lobby scene in the Matrix - all the marble made a dizzying effect of inaccuracies on the screen. I really liked the player overall, and the video mode looked great, but film mode was just too bad to bear. I'm going to try the Toshiba SD-3900 next, which should be comparable to my 4700. Wouldn't recommend this for a serious home theater lover.

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Comment: Sony DVD affordable and high quality Rating:
When I began shopping for a new DVD player to replace my old Sony (which cannot play CDR or MP3), I could not believe how cheap all the choices were. The salesman told me that the pricing has dropped a lot on DVD players since a few years ago when I paid $299 plus tax.

I use this unit with a Yamaha home receiver. I run two wires from the back of the DVD to the Yamaha: an s-video (for video) and optical (for audio). My television is an older Sony Trinitron and receives an s-video signal from the Yamaha. After setting the unit for DTS sound I sampled Saving Private Ryan, then The Two Towers, then Pinocchio. Great results all around!

From sound to picture I could not be happier with this unit. Vibrant colors, thunderous home theater sound, tons of features, and an easy to use remote and user interface. I wish the MP3 playback mode could shuffle all tracks and folders; only audio CD's can be shuffled. It is amazing how affordable this technology is. The unit is also very thin and stylish, and the front display has a "dark" setting which lessens distractions in the eye of the viewer.

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Comment: Great DVD Player Rating:
Two years ago, I got a DVD Player. One of the super cheap ones that you used to read about people being trampled whenever put on sale. I loved it, primarily because it was not a VCR. Soon after that, I invested in a DVD ROM for my computer. The quality of the DVD on a computer was drastically better both in audio and video. But a 21" monitor just doesn't compare to a television - plus, after watching a movie at night and just wanting to get to sleep, turning off a computer is just too much. Might sound silly but actually try it a couple times. You'll agree.

Each had their benifits, but this Sony DVD player bests both.

It's sharpness and color was as good as the computer out of the box. However, there are four settings to tweak the color - so all of the sudden, the movie has the same tints, brightness, etc, as in a theatre. Furthermore, there is a setting to improve image quality: it's off by default, but can be adjusted to smooth the picture or increase sharpness, just like the gausian blur or edge enhance filters in photo editing software.

I have not noticed a delay during layer switching - something that was painful on the old settop player.

The audio out of the box is equivalant to the old settop box, and inferior to the computer just because of the computer's better speakers. However, this Sony player offers a number of virtual atmosphers. It features the normal 2 channel unedited mode as well as type Sony calls "TVS Wide", which simulates multiple channels just like at a theatre. It still lacks huge bass (I don't have a subwoofer connected so your results may vary) but it is better. Also, there is a nighttime version of each method - it keeps things like dialoug at normal volume, but reduces the volume of loud events, like explosions. TVSWide Night is a delight to use.

This Sony player actually lets you go frame-by-frame. This is possible with nearly every player, but with both the computer and the old DVD player, it was too difficult. WinDVD (software I used on my computer) didn't have a button I could find to do it, and the old player did, but it showed the distracting interlacing lines. Because of this player's picture smoothing, they disappear.

Also, if you eject or turn off this player whilest playing, it automatically saves the position in the movie. It saves up to 6 movies, if I remember correctly. EG, put on a movie, eject it part way through, watch 6 more, the original movie's position is forgotten. But watch part of it, 4 more, and then return, it remembers. This was possible with the computer but wasn't automatic - and didn't exist on the old player at all.

Even the extraneous details of the player as a player have settings. For instance, the front panel lights and display - the brightness of them is settable. So at night, you can have the movie playing with no LEDs at all.

The remote is fairly nice. The most commonly used buttons - play, pause and stop, lie directly under your thumb. The navigation buttons are below, so you can simply roll your thumb down. The chapter controls, fast forward and reverse, and frame-by-frame controls are all an upward twist of the thumb away. But the subtitle, audio, angle buttons are all out of reach without repostioning your hand, as are are the menu buttons and the player's setting buttons. Its usable, and better than most remotes, but isn't going to win any awards.

I don't have a Dolby stereo so I can't speak towards the multi-channel quality of sound.

The one negative I've found is that I tried playing a video CD and it wasn't recognized. The manual does say it will play Video CDs.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this player. It has replaced DVD player and relieved my computer of DVD playing responsibilities. It's not the cheapest DVD player (nor the most expensive by a _long_ shot) but it's very feature-filled, and the fine-tuned picture and audio settings alone make this worthwhile.

Posted at November 11, 2003 05:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)