Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD Player

by Toshiba

Product Details

Product Manual [2.68mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 19 x 19 x 7 inches ; 12.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 14 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005M011
• Item model number: SD2715
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,451 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Toshiba's SD2715 DVD-Video player offers all of the standard Toshiba DVD features, including parallel video output, Dolby Digital and DTS digital-audio outputs, Spatializer N-2-2 virtual surround sound, three slow-motion speeds, and an icon-based onscreen display. But on this model, they've gone one step further by accommodating MP3-encoded CDs as well as playing DVD-Video, DVD-R, CD, Video CD, and Audio CD-R.

Another key feature is Toshiba's ColorStream component-video output. This connection is the ideal way to connect a digital video source like DVD to a TV display, resulting in increased image purity, incredibly lifelike colors, and crisp color resolutions. The 10-bit video D/A converter with high-resolution filter ensures excellent picture quality, while the 24-bit/192 kHz audio converter with dialog enhancement renders clear and dynamic sound reproduction.

Some of the more convenient features are two forward- and reverse-scan speeds and a bookmarking feature to help you keep track of your favorite onscreen moments.

Parental lock, time search, camera angle select, and 4-power picture zoom are all included on this model, as are S-video, composite-video, and analog, as well as a coaxial digital-audio output, giving you a wide range of connection options.

The SD2715 comes with a remote control and a one-year warranty on parts and labor from Toshiba.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overall value with many great features, November 18, 2001

By 

Harold Corbin (Lynden, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD Player (Electronics)

I researched MANY DVD players, and after much deliberation, I decided to give the Toshiba SD-2715 a try.

I had it connected to my TV and up and running in just a few mintues. The picture and audio quality were great. I had never used a "zoom" mode DVD player before, and this feature was a nice surprise that might come in handy once in a while. You can pause the movie and then zoom in to check the monogram on a shirt button, or just let the movie play while you zoom in and pan around the screen with the navigation arrows. Very cool.

The first negative thing I noticed was how SLOW this player is to identify and load a disc. It literally takes 20 seconds to figure out what kind of disc it's reading and to start playing. I tried VCD's and MP3 CD's created with my CD-RW drive on my computer, and a variety of different DVD's. So far, it has played EVERYTHING I've thrown at it... but again, the load speed is excruciatingly ssslllloooowwwww.

The only other negative is that it won't play MP3 files in random order. Who wants to listen to an MP3 CD with 250 songs on it in the SAME ORDER EVERY TIME? I'm glad it plays MP3's at all, of course, but I don't know how often I'll use this feature when there is no way to randomize the playlist.

Post purchase, I've done some research online... and so far I've only found ONE other DVD player that will actually play MP3's randomly (APEX 1500). I'm sure there are others, but I doubt that they will have all of the other positive features of this player. It's a good buy.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD / CD Changer With CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, December 24, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD Player (Electronics)

The Toshiba SD2715 is a 5-disc carousel-type DVD changer. As majority of new DVD players, it plays MP3, CD-R and CD-RW.

Setup

The setup process is greatly simplified by the "First Setup Menu". Not that it is rocket science otherwise :-) ...

Styling

The changer looks quite plain, although it has a lot of buttons on the front panel. The display is located above the large tray (the tray holds 5 discs in a carousel-type changer).

Connections

The player has the following connections available:

Video: a composite-, an S-video and a ColorStream component video outs. Of course, if your TV has the component-video input, it is the best way to connect the player to it. This bypasses both TV's comb filter and color decoder. The S-Video connection produces picture quality, which is almost as good.

If your TV has an S-Video input, connecting to it using a composite video would be a major mistake, as it will introduce cross-luminance artifacts and rainbow-like Moire patterns. The difference between picture quality using composite video connection and S-Video is apparent. The S-Video is much better and allows you to bypass comb filter and feed the separate chrominance and luminance information directly to your TVs color decoder.

Given a choice between S-Video connection through the cheap cable and composite connection through the most expensive one, the former will provide better picture than the latter.

The changer has a feature called "parallel video out". It allows you watch the movie on several TVs/Monitors at once by connecting to them using S-Video, component (ColorStream) and composite outs. Why would one do something like this is a mistery to me.

Audio: The changer also has coaxial and digital audio out as well as analog stereo out.

There are two ways to get real surround sound (in addition to the fake "spatializer" that creates an illusion of surround sound from two speakers):
1. Use digital audio connection and a receiver or sound system with Dolby Digital/DTS decoder.
2. Connect analog out to Dolby Pro Logic equipment

Picture and Sound

The picture and sound quality (both digital through connection and using player's DAC) are excellent. With analog connection, the sound quality depends on the player's DAC and it is very good. Since the changer will probably also be used as a CD-player, it is a good thing that it plays CDs well.

MP3, CD-R And CD-RW

The changer plays finalized CD-R and CD-RW discs (including CD-Audio and discs with MP3 files). The SD2715 is also CD-Text compatible. It also plays DVD-R and Video CD.

Features

The changer has other, virtually "standard", DVD features: programmed playback, bookmarks, parental control, CD-audio playback, camera angle select, multi-language and multi-subtitle select, Spatializer N-2-2 Virtual Surround Sound, four slow motion forward/reverse speeds.

There is 4-power zoom and still mode, 2x playback. The supplied remote control is well laid-out.

Bottom Line

The Toshiba SD2715's is an inexpensive and feature-rich DVD/CD changer. It plays CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R and MP3. At [amt] (J&R) it is a very good deal. However, check out Panasonic CV51, if you want something that looks better.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Buy! But MP3 disks take some work..., December 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Toshiba SD2715 5-Disc DVD Player (Electronics)

It's an excellent player with a rich feature set and excellent price. It took work to produce MP3 disks that work with this player. The CD must be ISO 9660 formatted as a data CD. Easy CD Creator can do this but you must goof around with the settings in Easy CD Creator for it to work. After messing aound with settings in Easy CD Creator, I was able to burn MP3 CD's that play correctly. Toshiba says in their "Guidelines for playback of MP3 Encoded Compact Discs" (included with the documentation with the player) to use 74 minute CD-R's. However, I used 80 munute CD-R's (Memorex) sucessfully.