I apologize for bumping this old topic, but I have done quite a bit of research on this, so I want to share my experience.
I have one Sony DVP-9000ES DVD/CD/SACD player https://wheelstips.com/best-car-dvd-player (which is now a classic, plays superbly with SACD’s and very well on DVD’s and CD’s) and four Panasonic DVD player/recorders with HD’s. Two of the Panny’s are a little over two years old and two I bought last fall. I went with the Panny’s to replace our VCR’s as they started to wear out at our various TV locations. I choose the Panny recorders because they support DVD-RAM. Here is what I have learned from my experience and some research.
1. Sony ES is a huge step up from Sony.
2. Sony has the most advanced video D/A converters in the market and usually win on pure picture quality if you have a TV that will display all of the quality.
3. I have had no reliability problems with any of the units, the Sony ES is probably 5 years old now. (Hope I did not just jinx my units. )
4. The prices of the Panny’s come down every year and they have more features for less money.
5. There have been reports that Panny’s quality / reliability has dropped in the last two years.
So here is my advice. If you have a high-end video system with a big screen and really want to watch a DVD get a Sony ES DVD player. On the other hand if you are just going to plug this thing into an ordinary TV consider a Panny DVD player / recorder. For about $100 more you not only get a good DVD player but you can use it like a VCR to do time shifting and they are so easy to use that it makes the old VCR’s look like dinosaurs.
I have one Sony DVP-9000ES DVD/CD/SACD player https://wheelstips.com/best-car-dvd-player (which is now a classic, plays superbly with SACD’s and very well on DVD’s and CD’s) and four Panasonic DVD player/recorders with HD’s. Two of the Panny’s are a little over two years old and two I bought last fall. I went with the Panny’s to replace our VCR’s as they started to wear out at our various TV locations. I choose the Panny recorders because they support DVD-RAM. Here is what I have learned from my experience and some research.
1. Sony ES is a huge step up from Sony.
2. Sony has the most advanced video D/A converters in the market and usually win on pure picture quality if you have a TV that will display all of the quality.
3. I have had no reliability problems with any of the units, the Sony ES is probably 5 years old now. (Hope I did not just jinx my units. )
4. The prices of the Panny’s come down every year and they have more features for less money.
5. There have been reports that Panny’s quality / reliability has dropped in the last two years.
So here is my advice. If you have a high-end video system with a big screen and really want to watch a DVD get a Sony ES DVD player. On the other hand if you are just going to plug this thing into an ordinary TV consider a Panny DVD player / recorder. For about $100 more you not only get a good DVD player but you can use it like a VCR to do time shifting and they are so easy to use that it makes the old VCR’s look like dinosaurs.