Dynamite DVD 4 Your Dollar

Author's Rating:

Pros: Quality Image, Affordable Progressive Scan, 5.1 Sound, JPEG Slideshow

Cons: Complex Menus

The Bottom Line: 
Affordable progressive scan DVD player brings VHS users into the 21st century with clean images, smooth transitions, and powerful-detailed-crisp sound that will knock your socks off.

Author's Review
After talking to my technical subject matter expert, I was informed that I would go straight to technology hell if I purchased something other than a progressive scan DVD player. Mind you, those of us who don't have HDTV really do not benefit from this technology, but what we do have to consider is that progressive scan is the feature of the future. Technological flexibility is a must when you buy technology, primarily so you don't have to buy it again next year. In that sense, the 724AT is a forward thinking dvd player without being priced for the future.

I am a sound hound. I could personally care less about the crisp image that the 724 projects on my regular 36" new-but-not-digital television. What I care about are subwoofers, sound fading, audio detail...and let me alert you that movies like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Titanic, and The Matrix were born to play on the 724AT. One of the best examples I can describe to you is the sound of shattering glass that started on the left speakers, moved to the center, on to the right, in tandem with where the shattered object was moving on the screen. What I'm trying to tell you is if the movie studio thought to put that kind of detail in their film, you will not miss a beat on this affordable DVD player.

I was very excited to learn that the 724AT was listed in Sound & Vision magazine's "Cool DVD Player" list. I was also extremely excited to learn that the 724 can also play Super Audio CDs. (SACD)

I was amused to learn that I could take a CD-R filled with JPEG images from a trip to Hawaii, pop it in the player, and they would display as a nice little slide show. This was an added bonus to the fact that many MP3s as well as my library of those good old fashioned CDs would not miss out on the fun.

For those techno-spec hungry A/V hounds out there, I can offer you this: Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound output, DTS surround sound output, Optical digital audio output, Coaxial digital audio output, Analog audio output, 3D surround sound effect for use with 2 speakers What I can also tell you is that you can find this gem for around $140 at Wal-Mart. I was surprised too.

The only downfall of this DVD might be due to my lack of time to actually practice manipulating the menus. I am also unsure as to what some of the menus mean, so I may not be using the player to its full potential. What I do know is I do not benefit from the clunkyness of the menu directories, and I believe they are fairly backward in appearance compared to some of the players I've seen.

All in all, this flexible piece of technology would be a nice addition to the budget minded consumer looking for quality that won't falter in a year or two. And heck, if you're switching from VHS you will find the fact that you'll never rewind again to be one of the most exciting features.