Zenith DVB216 Progressive-Scan DVD Player

by LG

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 16.9 x 2.7 inches ; 5.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000667AU
• Item model number: DVB216
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,843 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Zenith's stylish and affordable DVB216 weighs in strong on video features, and boasts audio refinements like CD-R/CD-RW and MP3-CD playback, as well as HDCD decoding to get the most from HDCD-encoded discs, and a remote control with a jog/shuttle dial and glow-in-the-dark buttons.

Video Features
The DVB216 provides progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, which creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture. This gives higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Motion zoom enlarges the picture in real time (two levels, 4x or 16x), while variable high-speed scan offers fast-forward and reverse viewing at up to 100 times normal speed.

Audio Features
The DVB216 is compatible with standard CDs, audio CD-Rs and CD-RWs, and discs encoded with MP3 audio files. (CD-R/CD-RW playability may vary depending on contents and discs.) A 96 kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converter ensures optimal decoding of all disc formats, including HDCD (High-Definition Compatible Digital), a 20-bit encoding method used to deliver better sound. The player also simulates surround-sound effects using two speakers.

Connections
In the video realm, you get the works: standard composite-video, S-video, and premium component-video outputs (switchable between S-video and component-video). The DVB216 provides a choice of optical or coaxial digital-audio outputs to feed a surround-sound signal to a Dolby Digital-decoding or DTS-decoding AV receiver. When used with a compatible receiver and six-channel speaker system (left, center, right, left/right surround, and subwoofer), the player puts you right in the middle of the action. It has a single set of stereo RCA analog audio outputs as well.

Product Description

This DVD player looks and sounds fantastic when hooked up to any TV. But connect it to an HDTV monitor and youM-^Rll see a picture thatM-^Rs smooth and detailed. Thanks to the coaxial digital and optical digital audio outputs, itM-^Rs ready for Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. Get the best possible video quality from your TV using the composite video, S-Video, or component video outputs. The unit has a beautiful silver/mirror finish and its slim design fits easily into most entertainment centers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great price and quality, November 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Zenith DVB216 Progressive-Scan DVD Player (Electronics)

This is an excellent DVD player and a bargain at the current price. If you have a HDTV you can benefit from the progressive scan output, but even with a good analog TV such as the Sony WEGA, the component video output of this player is a big plus over similarly-priced players with S-video output. CNET rates this as the best budget player, and I can see why.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Buy, December 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Zenith DVB216 Progressive-Scan DVD Player (Electronics)

I was originally looking at this player and one manufactored by Panasonic. The shopping gods put this one in my Gold Box so I took the plunge. Afterwards I had read reviews on CNET.com that indicated that there was trouble playing certain DVDs including Stars Wars 2 in Wide Screen. I was able to play the entirety of Star Wars 2 in Wide Screen. I made my purchase around 11-10-02. So they may have fixed that problem.

It is probably one of the cheapest Progressive Scan DVD players. My TV, Sony 27fs100, does not accept progressive scan but does have component input. I am very happy none the less with running it in normal mode. The one feature that I did appreciate was both an optical and coaxial digital output. Which made it easy to get quality sound from my home theater system. (If you are looking for a quality Home theater system to match up with this DVD player check out Onkyo HT 650). Overall I consider both a very good value.

Added info after 2 months of ownership.
Everything still works fine.

The subtitles did come on for me automatically with one movie. It was easy to turn off with the remote. I did not have to look through the manual.

The appearance of the unit is much different than what is displayed on the Amazon web page. The face is reflective glass with a silver band going accross the front. The controls and the DVD loading mechanism are on the silver band. Each function such as rewind or play has a blue light above it showing the function. The time display I believe is green and amber. For a better view as to its appearance click on more pictures at the top of the page.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Picture, Crummy Programming, January 31, 2003

By 

"ctypical" (Lakewood, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zenith DVB216 Progressive-Scan DVD Player (Electronics)

First off all, the picture quality is great. I'm using it with a 27" JVC TV. I've tried it with component and S-video, and the S-video looks better (contrary to what I expected). I have yet to see artifacts, even in fast action scenes.

The down side is a pretty big one in my opinion. Apparently, the engineers neglected to test movies that have multiple languages in them. For example, the movie Ronan is an English language movie where some of the characters speak French. So, naturally, you would want English subtitles for the French parts, and then go back to no subtitles for the English, right?

Too bad. When the subtitles come on for French, they stay on for the rest of the movie, if you don't turn them off in the DVD menu. So you turn them off, and the next time someone speaks French, viola [see there it is], English subtitles ever after. [English subitles ever after.] It's terribly annoying. [It's terribly annoying.]

I played the same DVD on my computer's DVD player, and the subtitles worked fine. I've tried other movies with multiple languages like XXX... same thing.

Zenith customer service says that's "the way it is for that model." Funny, I don't remember reading that in the feature specs before I bought it.