Customer Reviews

JVC XV-N44SL Progressive-Scan DVD Player , Silver

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

PROS:
1) Screen zoom. I love it for collecting widescreen movies for the future, but viewing them full or near-full screen now. Wouldn't want to be without this feature now that I have it.

2) The 1.5x playback speed with audio is great! Especially when watching somewhat boring interviews in the bonus material of a DVD.

3) MP3 playback with on-screen folder and track selection. Works excellent! There is a slight pause between tracks, but that is common with most mp3 playback devices. No FF or RW support though. Playing back standard CD audio doesn't have any on-screen info, but you can FF & RW.

4) Less than half the thickness of my last DVD player.

CONS:
1) The jpeg playback is a nice feature, but my 2 and 3 megapixel images are are re-rendered at a blocky 640x480. You can zoom in on the images but it does not re-render, so you're zooming in on the initially rendered 640x480 image. Unit will not display images wider than 2400 pixels.

ALLEGED ISSUES:
1) "Made in China": So what, everything is made there now. My HP laptop, and my Motorola phone both made in China, and both of excellent durable quality!

2) "Light as a feather": It's a DVD player not an amplifier. Why should it be heavy? They're not going to add ballast to it just to make simpletons happy with it's weight. But ya know what? This unit feels SOLID; and it's not *that* light. Full metal casing except for the front panel. 'nuff said.

3) "Comparable to APEX": Not in the least. Apex is junk and most units won't play the full gamut of DVD-R/-RW/+R/+RW. This unit plays them all. VCD and SVCD CD-R's too.

4) "Horrible picture quality and jittering": Not that I can tell. The picture quality is on par with every other DVD player I've ever used, and the only "jittering" you might see is on text when using S-VIDEO--like on EVERY OTHER DVD player. This is a non-unique issue.

5) "Doesn't play some discs": Haven't experienced that.

6) "Video streaking": Just played a fight scene from the Matrix and didn't notice that either.

This little dvd player is great for two big reasons:

1. CHEAP
2. plays every single disc i've put in it - including stuff that regular players won't play (like vcds or dvds from asia)

the quality of picture is great, and i haven't had any problems with it so far.

I do not know what's wrong with the one star reviewers. I find this player excellent. Plays everything you throw at it. It even plays VCD those were not playable by my previous Philips DVD player.
Strengths : Plays all formats. Progressive Scan. Slim design. Elegent looks. Price.
Weekness : None except no 'random' mode for MP3 and no 'rotate' mode for JPEG. No big deal though.
Recommendation : Highly recommended

For those not wanting to spend $300 on multiple DVD players, this little single unit is the proverbial sh*t. Set up took all of 2 minutes and then I was into my first DVD. Gorgeous picture, intuitive functions and a complete remote round out this fine example of a single player unit. Couldn't be happier. Bonus... it plays jpeg picture CD's... which to a digital photo happy family like us, is awesome.

I bought this for mom, since I already have a JVC, and the remote is the same...So I could teach her how to use it.
I am a broadcast engineer, have been working at tv stations for thirty years. I still don't understand why home consumer stuff is SOOO complicated to operate. Geeks are apparently dictating what we all have to deal with when it comes to operating these things....Have you EVER needed all the features of DVDs? I haven't...
Anyway, this one works fine, and has a great feature...On a widescreen movie you can zoom in on the picture in steps and minimize or eliminate the black bars....My mom NEEDS this feature since she hates the black bars...
The player plays. What else do you need to know?

This is a great DVD player. I read the negative reviews, and looked for each problem others had. I did not find any problems with picture or sound. But the best thing about this great dvd player, it is inexpensive. A great DVD player at a great price.

Hello All,

I just purchased this item as a replacement for a Cyberhome 1500 and a Daewoo DVP480 both of which went belly-up after just ONE DAY! I read the reviews posted here as well as checked elsewhere on the internet, which helped me narrow my choices down to this unit or one manufactured by Philips. When all was said and done, I purchased the JVC because of the features for the price.

I've had a chance to play with the unit now and everything works great! The picture is so crisp and clear it's as though you are actually in whatever it is you're watching. The sound is also fantastic when pumped though my Sony sound system. One more thing, perhaps it's not a big deal to most but this unit has one of the most comfortable remotes out of any DVD players I've seen and the player has a 1 YEAR warranty which MOST players these days DO NOT HAVE!! All this combines for a really nice DVD player at a reasonable cost.

Ciao!

I already have an ONKYO (a few years old and still playing better than any other DVD player I've seen) but purchased this one as a gift for a friend. It arrived DOA, was as light as a feather (not good for electronics), and reeked of junk. I went to a local store to see one that actually worked in action to see if I wanted a replacement or a refund. One of the demo disks the sales rep used wouldn't play, and the one that did unveiled horrible picture quality and jittering. My decision was made, I would request a refund. JVC used to produce quality items. In fact, I used to consider them the best among mid-grade electronics (sony, panasonic, technics, etc.). However, JVC has made the decision to produce some of their products in China, including this one, thus rendering any commitment to quality null and void. I was attracted to this unit based on the price and name (I should have went to the local store to see it before ordering: another lesson learned!). The supposed MSRP is $150 with a 'SALE' price of around $85. DON'T BE FOOLED! This unit is comparable to other units, such as APEX, which are made in China: lightweight materials, no quality, and inferior craftsmanship. If you want a cheap, made in China DVD player, opt for an Apex, which can be purchased at 1/2 the price of one of these. JVC can no longer be considered mid-grade. They have descended to low grade. If you're looking for a mid-grade unit, opt for a Panasonic or Sony and if you want enduring quality, spend the few extra dollars on an ONKYO or DENON.

I bought this specifically so I could play DVDs, SVCDs, and JPEGs on my Infocus X1 lcd projector using the progressive mode with component inputs.

Finding Nemo looked amazing! Relative to the Panasonic Player I have, control for playing JPEGs is superior, with on display directories of photos provided.

Bought this DVD player in April of 2002. We've never had any issues with it, it's always provided great service. In it's day it had some very nice features, such as being able to jump past opening previews and such, getting right to the main menu. That and all of its other features are now standard fare. HiDef Blu-Ray is taking over.

I can speak only to its longevity; never had a technical issue with it.

Rich