Apex AD-1200 DVD Player

Other products by Apex

Product Details

Product Manual [376kb PDF]

• Item Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000063Y7E
• Item model number: AD-1200
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,041 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 12, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
At an appealing price, the Apex AD-1200 DVD player accommodates a range of media formats: DVD-Video, CD, MP3 CD, and even JPEG image and Kodak Picture CDs. For audio connections, you get one set of left/right analog outputs for compatibility with Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. This unit also supports both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel formats through a single coaxial digital-audio output for direct connection to a surround-decoding AV receiver. The back panel offers one output for S-video and two standard composite-video outputs in case you'd like to channel one output into a different room.

A screen saver keeps paused images from burning into your television if your viewing is interrupted, and parental controls help you keep the kids away from mature-content discs (high shelves are useful, too). Picture zoom (2x, 4x) lets you focus on scenes in greater detail, and the unit's fluorescent video display is snazzy and easy to read. The box includes the DVD player, a full-featured remote control, an owner's manual, a stereo analog audio/composite-video interconnect, and two AA batteries.

Product Description
Capable of supporting a variety of formats, including MP3, this DVD player will be a welcome addition to any entertainment system. You can even share your KODAK picture CDs. Just pop it in and you've got a slide show on your TV. The player is Dolby Digital«- and dts«-ready, and includes S-Video and Composite Video outputs for maximum compatibility with your TV. Other features include Parental Lock and Frame-by-Frame Advance. Unit does not include an LED or LCD display.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Basically, you get what you pay for., January 26, 2003

By	Ben Rowland (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Apex DVD players are made for the most budget conscious of consumers, but my philosophy on buying electronics stands firm: If you're going to get one, spend a little extra and get a good one. The Apex AD-1200 is a tough recommendation even at the low price.

The strength of this DVD player is simple: It plays DVDs. For people who will only watch a DVD occasionally, that is not a problem. It offers good picture quality and decent sound quality. Surprisingly, it plays VCDs and MP3s rather well, which means that those burned CDs that won't work on your stereo will most likely work here. Basically, you can expect a minimal level of performance from this particular DVD player.

But the problems with this model are plentiful. The biggest flaw is the design. This DVD player is light, and feels cheap. Note the absence of a digital display on the player. Also, repeated pushing of the buttons can result in them falling out, so be careful of how hard you press the buttons. Worse yet, the player is loud and clunky. This clicks, hums, and rattles all through the movie. It is like a CD-ROM trying to read the disk.

Having said that it is functional is not so true in the long term. As you would expect from a lower-end appliance, the Apex DVD player will stop working properly after a while. Often, the picture will freeze while the player tries to read the disk, and there are certain DVDs that it cannot read at all. This is a big annoyance, and a good reason to steer clear of this player.

Buying a DVD player is never an easy decision, but choosing one strictly for the price is not a good idea. Most likely, you'll spend more having to buy a new one to replace the Apex brand when it breaks down. Spend a few extra bucks and get a good one instead, and avoid the headaches.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Swiss Army Knife" of DVD Players, August 5, 2002

By	"astroboy21" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

OK, if you're an audiophile/videophile, you are not going to be happy with any Apex product, especially the Apex AD-1200. This unit feels light and cheap. There isn't even an LCD display on the front panel to let you know what's playing. This unit, is as cheap and flimsy as they come. But if you can get aside this stumbling block, you will find that the this Apex DVD player is the best value in the electronics world, plus it can play not only DVDs, but also any CDr MP3 disk, any CDr with digital photos in JPEG format (view like a slideshow!!), and also plays any VCD or SVCD disc that you can burn onto CD. There is no other player that can pack all these features in like Apex can! In short, this unit can play virtually any format and reads any backup/burned disc out there. You will not find such compatability anywhere at ANY price. And to think you get all this for a mere [price] is simply amazing. I figure on average, most decent DVD players cost 2x, maybe even 3x as much. But those "other" players won't play your digital picture discs, nor can it play your MP3 discs, and most are not compatible with your CDr burned VCDs and SVCDs.

So far, this unit has worked flawlessly. Video, sound, mechanical...everything is working just perfect, as indicated on the box and manual. Just realize that this unit was not built to be on par with the Denons, Sonys and other bigger name brands of DVD players in terms of quality. This unit was built to be the affordable "Swiss Army Knife" of DVD players. I highly recommend the Apex AD-1200 if you're looking for a multi-purpose player, and ESPECIALLY if you want to play your CDr discs of digital photos, MP3s, VCDs or SVCDs. At a pricepoint of only [price], this purchase was a no-brainer for me. My only concern was whether the unit really worked as advertised....and it does.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product for the price, May 16, 2002

By A Customer

Had no problems with DVD playback.. photo_jeff's review says he had problems with DVD Playback. the problem arises only when you connect the dvd player to the TV via a VCR. It is the copy protection on the DVD that causes the fluctuation and has nothing to do with the dvd player. try connecting your dvd player directly to the TV..