Great DVD 'Home Theatre' deal at Superquinn...

Apparently there were leaflets distributed with the Indo the other day, but I picked up on it on Boards.ie (big 'techie' discussion about it here)

It's a Digix Media HT-200 DVD player, DivX-compatible, plays almost anything you throw at it (VCD/avi/mpg/jpg/mp3/DivX/Xvid, etc.), has a built-in DTS decoder and a programmable AM/FM tuner and comes with a not-too-shabby set of self-amplified 5.1 surround speakers.

For you, my friend, special price ...€49.99! :eek

Just wish they didn't charge so much for their groceries! - as I queued with my box under my arm last night, the well-dressed lady in front of me was buying a piece of striploin steak (enough for 2 people, I'd say) for €16.89...:rolleyes

Is it region free?

Details not available on site so can't answer question re region free but sold out already in Walkinstown and Sundrive branches and supposed to be available until 1st March!

Re: Is it region free?

No - that seems to be the only 'gotcha', and one busily exercising the minds over on that Boards.ie thread I linked to above. But I'm sure a hack will surface eventually.

I don't have a big collection of non-region-2 DVDs, so don't have a problem with the region setting. Just seems like a nice wee bit of gear for £40 (in the old money). I remember when you'd pay more than that for a crappy portable CD/cassette player...!!

If your local Superquinn is sold out, you could order it online and collect it from the Lucan store - see [broken link removed].

Re: Simple explanation for Sueellen

Doc,

Me being a bit simple when it comes to gadgets and many other things can you tell me exactly what's so great about this DVD? Will use the excuse that details not available on site and don't have the leaflet.

Re: Simple explanation for Sueellen

Tish, methinks the lady doth protest too loudly...

Well, briefly - DVD players can regularly be had nowadays for under 50 quid, but what I like about this one is that it reads almost any kind of file on CD-R or DVD-+R (or RW). Most very basic players at this price can handle things like .jpegs (usu. photos) and .mp3s (compressed audio files, most notoriously the format in which people share/download music files over the internet...), but some of them have problems with CD-R/DVD-R media. This one will also play VCDs and SVCDs, which are video files burned to a CD-R instead of a DVD. To fit a 90-minute movie onto a 700Mb CD-R instead of a 4.3Gb DVD-R, it has to be compressed considerably, and compression means quality loss, inevitably. But - video compressed using the DivX or codecs offers impressive quality even at high compression rates. I've seen DivX movies on a 17" monitor that were nearly indistinguishable from a DVD (on standard little PC speakers, anyway) This player is compatible with those standards, too, whereas previously I hadn't seen a DivX-compatible player for under €80 or €90... (a lot of people with broadband connections also 'acquire' movies in this format, sometimes long before they're released over here, but naturally I can't comment on these practices!)

Even if the ability to play DivX and other formats isn't a priority for your average punter, this player comes with a couple of other little sweeteners: a built-in AM/FM tuner (with memory for 20 presets) and the amplified 5.1 speakers (100W total rated output, I think) - which effectively means that for €50 you're getting a DVD player that also doubles as a half-decent 'midi' audio system. Watch DVDs/VCDs/photo slideshows, listen to the radio and play your CDs (including mp3 CDs), all in one slim little box... ('though not all at the same time, of course!) - and all for the price of, well...(?)

Sorry you asked?

[I'm an 'Academic'. We don't 'do' brief and simple...]

Thanks for the explanation Doc.

Son (17) will digest and explain to doting mother.

It seems to be a bit hit and miss with regards playing "multi region" discs. Might be the store where it was bought.
It certainly is the bargain of the year and me thinks they underpriced it big time.
For 50 Euro, you're getting not only a DVD Player but one with 5 speakers, sub woofer and a AM/FM tuner.
Just pity the neighbours now!

Re: Simple explanation

player is compatible with those standards, too, whereas previously I hadn't seen a DivX-compatible player for under €80 or €90...

Click to expand...

If a movie, compressed using DivX, can fit on a CD, can it be played on a PC CD-drive with appropriate software, or just on specific hardware ?
Thanks

Re: Simple explanation

If you install the DivX codec you can play it back using Windows Media Player (or any other player which uses codecs found on your machine). You can also use VideoLAN for playing DivX without having to clutter your machine up with codecs.

It seems to be a bit hit and miss with regards playing "multi region" discs. Might be the store where it was bought.
It certainly is the bargain of the year and me thinks they underpriced it big time.

Cheap DVD players frequently have problems with feature rich disks such as the Matrix, as they use old chipsets.

Perhaps in time you will be able to upgrade the EPROM?

Mind you, for €50 quid, perhaps you're just supposed to buy a new one every year?

For 50 Euro, you're getting not only a DVD Player but one with 5 speakers, sub woofer and a AM/FM tuner.

I would worry a little about the build quality.

Still, you can always buy a new one next year...

Just pity the neighbours now!
Is the supposed 100 watts the combined figure for the 5 speakers?

If so, I don't think the neighbours have anything to worry about...

Monsieur Bond
A bit sceptical perhaps?
As Superquinn sold them out, I think you will find the build quality etc is pretty good otherwise they would have had lots returned to them.
The unit for the price was a bargain but as you said maybe "one will need to buy a new one next year?"
Thankfully they have the same guarantee as one bought from an overpriced electrical shop so it shouldn't be too bad then.

Monsieur Bond
A bit sceptical perhaps?
As Superquinn sold them out, I think you will find the build quality etc is pretty good otherwise they would have had lots returned to them.

I am sure they sold out because the price was right. Full stop.

I have different criteria for my hi-fi, that's all.

The unit for the price was a bargain but as you said maybe "one will need to buy a new one next year?"
Thankfully they have the same guarantee as one bought from an overpriced electrical shop so it shouldn't be too bad then.

Whatever about the long-term life of the product, it is however a great entry-level for people to get into home cinema and on this basis, not to be knocked!