Yamaha DVD-S540

I thought this Yamaha DVD-S540 was a great DVD player, wonderful picture, etc, and was brilliant on my plasma. However, the other day it died and I was told would cost more to fix than buy a new one from Richer Sounds. Apparently the laser died. I wouldn't say I used this that often either, probably 2 or 3 films a week. I don't use it as a CD player, so in all honesty, it didn't get driven into the ground like some electrical goods I own. All in all, it's a good player and if you can pick one up cheap, then do so. I was just foolish enough to spend a lot on it from the outset thinking it would last me a good long time.

This Yamaha DVD-S540 DVD Player really does take some beating. If, like me, you have been using a 'Supermarket' special as a DVD player for £50 - do what I did & find one of these on Ebay for £65 plus p&p & never look back! The imaging of this player is so accurate it takes your breath away - even 'What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision' gave it 5 out of 5 stars. It sounds fantastic - looks even better, is a doddle to use, built like a battleship (for the dosh pound on pound). Even at a whole £150 brand new I can't imagine many players being better than this! 100% recommended without any hesitation!

It was the quality name, features and on-line price that attracted me to the Yamaha DVD-S540. My previous player had been a disappointment from an unknown manufacturer and had broken down after 18 months. I was astonished by the clear and crisp picture from the DVD-S540, the sound is also impressive with CDs and and 5.1 surround also coming across well. The range of features available are tremendous for the price, there is even progressive scan for those with very large screens; a feature normally found only on more expensive players.

My only criticism is the front display panel which shows too much information in use, it is simpler to use the on-screen display to check chapter numbers and duration. This shows all the disc data you could ask for whilst retaining the picture in a seperate window. Front panel controls are minimal and the remote handset a joy to use. The back panel has component video, S-video, RGB-scart, audio out, digital coaxial and optical.