Alba DVD45 Review

Overall Rating

I'll get back to you later.

Cheap isn't always cheerful.
£30 on a pretty silver box, anyone?

If (like me) your budget doesn't stretch to a full on surround sound home cinema system, you might be tempted to get one of these cheap Alba DVD 45 dvd players from Argos or such like.

Fair play, I did. But, when does paying 'only' £30 for something mean you have to get something rubbish? I bought this a few days ago, first there were no leads so I had to go back and fork out a fiver on a scart lead. No worries, still only £35 spent, lets plug it in and...! oh. Incorrect Disc Format. Lets look in the manual... oh. nothing there about disc format... its ok, i'm pretty good with PC's and stuff, lets look through the menus... oh. they're useless.
Customer Helpline? I gave up after 45 minutes. So back I go to Argos, to get a replacement. All in all, is that worth £35, or would I rather have spent £50, taken a dvd player home plugged it in and watched Lilo and Stitch the same night? yes. Alba is part of BUSH, who make good stuff as far as I can tell, so why have such shoddy makes under its name? Do a google search on alba dvd's, you'll find I'm not the only disgruntled user.

Members' Comments onmatzu's Review

• BarcrestBenito on 7th Jun 2004

  I work for Argos, and can tell you that NONE of the DVD players we sell have Scart leasds with them anymore - that includes SONY, PHILIPS and PANASONIC - and Scart leads are only about £3.75 from us.
  
  This unit plays Multi Region out of the box, and if it doesn't it requires only a 4 digit code to be entered. Multi Region for £30? I'd like to see many other DVD players manage that.
  
  Argos offer a totally fair 16 day guarentee - we would be sorry that you received a faulty item, but if you produced proof of purchase, it would willingly be replaced! Even SONY goods come back as faulty, so thats hardly a reason to say that 'Alba are crap'.
  
  I'm sorry you didn't have much luck with your DVD45, but I know MANY people who have.
  
  BarcrestBenito

• bigbas on 6th Jul 2004

  Well I agree with Matzu that this DVD is a waste of £30 when you can buy one in Asda for £34 that will play anything (Pacific Brand). The Alba 45 will not play any DVD disc unless it was hired or bought, it would not play my children's cartoons recorded from the television on CD-R and I think it is a total non starter as DVD players go. My Rating -5 cheap and nasty.

• BarcrestBenito on 4th Aug 2004

  ??
  
  The Alba DVD45 plays all my DVD+-R/RW?
  
  It won't play SVCDs or VCDs, I agree, but does play copied DVDs.

• lucky1463 on 20th Aug 2004

  I also have one that won't play nothing but bought ones I have been told it needs a code typed in, where do I get one?

• chubby on 26th Dec 2004

  I have had the Alba DVD45 for over a year now. It is only a 2nd player for the bedroom but it has only misbehaved once

• Kilty on 30th Dec 2004

  I have had the alba dvd45 for over a year now. 1 week over a year and it is now totally knackered, "Incorrect Disc Format" error for ANY disc, including shop dvds. I have always been pretty unhappy with this product, due to the very slow ejecting dvd tray and incompatibility with a lot of dvd-r/+r media, and the fact it doens't play vcds added to this unhappiness. I have now replaced this dvd player with a Durabrand one from Asda, £25 and it plays anything i put in it. I can safely say i will never buy another Alba dvd player, or any other Alba product at all, after having my Alba DVD103 pack in after 2 years.

• BarcrestBenito on 12th Jan 2005

  Hate to disappoint you, but I would be surprised if the Asda one lasts any longer than the Alba!

• Kilty on 13th Jan 2005

  :O barcrestbenito? from fruit-emu.com? :P. I'll take the Asda one back after 11 months anyway to meake sure it doesn't do what the Alba did.