The DVPS725D is a classy looking machine; what with it’s no frills, business-like, slim ’n sleek design. I’d always urge the descerning buyer to opt for the champagne gold version rather than the black as it really reeks of elegance. The flourescent display is functional and exhibits every aspect of DVD/VCD/CD play. The looks notwithstanding, the DVPS725D is an extremely capable machine and you notice it instantly when u pop in a a DVD. The MPEG4 decoder works flawlessly and the images are smooth and crisp.
The remote control is pretty big when considering the size of the player and it does intimidate the user at first glance. Once you get used to the menus and the options it becomes a childs play . In case the batteries run out prematurely, it’s not a cause for concern as everything can be accessed from a smart joystick on the main unit.
The DVPS725D has a smart resume feature wherby you can come back to the exact postion where you’d left. It has a widescreen mode For both normal and widescreen DVD’s and so it works well with a 16:9 aspect ratio TV like the Samsung Tantus. Other features like DTS and Dolby pro-logic are standard. The clarity and 3D depth of audio is amazing with 5.1 speakers, (I have a Sonodyne Sonus 6 speaker pro-logic system with active subwoofers) but there’s no difference between a VCD and a DVD when routed through your normal TV speakers. Connectivity is pretty good with a plethora of AV ins/outs and optical out. Spend a little more moolah and you can get a matching Pro-logic reciever and 5.1 speakers from sony which does ample justice to the DVPS725D and integration becomes a hell lot simple. In any case , investing in a DVD player is a waste of money if you don’t opt for a pro-logic amp/speaker system and atleast a 29’’ to go along with it.
Backwards compatibilty is pretty good with scratchy old VCD’s working without much pixelisation. Audio CD’s run just as well they would in other dedicated players. Even though the DVPS725D boasts of CD-RW compatibility, I have had my share of problems. I also wish it had a MP3 decoder as that is becoming the standard in most DVD players (even for a relatively non-descript brand like TCL). I have yet to to play an audio DVD (8 track, 16 channel) which is still not mainstream, so I cannot comment on the compatibilty factor with future media.
All said and done, the DVPS725D; albeit a tad pricey is a good piece of hardware which definitely lives upto it’s promises. Given Sony’s untarnished reputation and reliabilty in manufacturing quality digital products (They created the DVD std. along with Philips), there should not be any doubt in the mind of any apprehensive consumer regards the DVPS725D as far as reliability and performance is concerned.