Sony DVP-NS700/S Review

Overall Rating

The Sony DVP-NS700 is now (Oct 2002) not the newest DVD plaver on the block, but is selling for a great price in many specialist stores and, I think, offers terrific value for money. The DVP-NS700 is more than a DVD player - it also handles all the rewritable CD formats, plays CDs and MP3 Discs, and SACDs too (if you have such a thing! I received a complimentary one with the player). Picture and sound quality are very, very good - it is in the Sony QS range - and it has lots of high end features. It includes DTS/Dolby Digital decoders if you're looking to rig it straight to a sub/sat speaker system without a separate amp in between. NB when setting up with any separate home cinema system, you need to go into the Audio Setup menu and reconfigure it appropriately (so that the digital output is switched on and the decoders are or off, according to your need). It is low profile and looks very attractive in brushed silver. Good Sony remote as always, although the minor buttons look a bit daunting for non-tecchies.
It's a buyer's market so by wheeling and dealing a bit you can get a new boxed multi-region version for as little as £150, which I think is a pretty good deal. Even though there are some fantastic new entrants from e.g. Pioneer and Toshiba at this price level, the versatility of the DVP-NS700 makes worth looking at, especially if you're looking for the core of a complete home entertainment centre.