Sweet DVD Juke Box that reads everything!

I have wanted a DVD juke box ever since my Dad bought one of the first Sony 300 disc models. My problem was I wanted something that will read all of my -R disc's. Well, It here! The 995V has read every disc I threw at it. From cheap 4x -R's to the better branded 16x -R's. It didnt matter if I burned it at 4x or 16x ( my collection started back when 4x burners were available) , they all read without a hitch!

The "Quick Setup" is easy to follow along with. You have the choice of several different audio and video settings. If your not sure of which you have, get that manual out before you start. It explains it all pretty well.

I dont have HI-Def TV yet, but even so, the S-Video produces an extremely sharp picture on my Toshiba 50" rear projector.

I loved the 5.1 channel output's ( my stereo receiver has a 5.1 decoder ). All of my older DVD players didnt have this, so I have not been able to enjoy a true 5.1 Dolby. Man, what a difference!

Using the "Load" feature. Hey, forget this step all together. After I loaded 258 disc, it took 1 1/2 hours to load each disc one by one. Then after all that, only 20 or so titles had been automatically added to the disc explorer list. It would have been faster to just type each one out directly. Also, you can not edit the title line once this is done.

Adding a title to the disc explorer. This is pretty easy, using a keyboard. Once you enter the explorer, down arrow to highlight the empty space where you want to add your title. Then: Enter - Enter - Type in Title - Enter - ESC - Enter - ESC ( brings you back to the list ). Then your ready to do the next title. A BIG plus on this model is you get to enter up to 32 letters/numbers/spaces in the title line. This is a big help when you have a long title like: "Starwars VI Return Of The Jedi". I like to list the title with an Actors name next to it to help me remember the movie. This couldnt be done on the older models. Now I can have : "National Treasure w/Nicholas Cage" all in the title line.

Oh yea, what happens if the power goes out? Will you lose all those titles in the explorer? I'm happy to report NO! After I let it add the titles using the load feature, I unplugged the unit for 30 mins. After plugging it back in, everything was still there. None of my settings for the audio or video changed either. I have to admit, I didnt trust to try it again, after typing in the other 200+ titles. I'll wait for the power to go out and find out then.

If your a DVD renter like I am, keep your old single disc player hooked up. Due to the auto start feature, it takes a bit of time to get your rental disc in and playing. You cant open the door until the disc is finished loading first. Once its loaded, then you can open the door and select a slot to insert your rental. Remember the older audio cd 300 + 1 players? Why Sony didnt add a single disc player to this is beyond me.

Selecting a disc by number on the remote. Sony dropped the ball on this one. In order to do this, you must follow this in order: Display - Enter - Disc # - Enter - Display - Display. Wouldnt it have been nice to just select " Disc - Disc # - Play "?

Final thoughts...All though its a bit slow loading, horrible remote for going directly to a disc number and that darned autoplay feature wont shut off, it is a pretty good DVD jukebox. Once the DVD's are loaded, no more worry about finger prints. My movie room is dark, no more searching with a flashlight to see the DVD titles on a rack. NO more DVD racks cluttering up the room. What happens when I fill this thing? There is no daisy chaining it to another unit. I have another S-Video input available on my TV, but not a second set of 5.1 inputs on my stereo receiver ( maybe I could add some "Y" cables, allowing me a dual hookup? ) Sony put a switch in the remote, so you can have up to 3 of the same remotes, operating 3 different jukeboxes. But not being able to daisy chain them together, I'm not sure why they added this feature.

Update: I found a problem. I have been running this player for 6+ hours a day. Last night, it wouldnt play 2 disc's out of 20 from a series I had recorded. The player had been running for around 5 hours. I doubled checked all 20 disc's, and 18 would play fine. I took out the 2 disc it wouldnt play and checked them on my notebook DVD drive, they played fine. So I turned the unit off and waited until today, to try one of them again. It's in and playing fine right now. I havent checked the other one yet, but I am betting it had something to do with the drive getting hot. That, and the fact this was one of the first DVD's I had burned, using a really cheap no-name media and one of the worst copy programs around. If it happens again, I'll be calling Sony.

UPDATE...1 1/2 YEARS LATER ( 4/2007 ).. Player is still working like a charm. Reads everything I have fed it, except a couple of the latest SONY DVD movies with their SONY copy protection. I'm talking about the store bought DVD's!!! Only way to get them to start was to manualy type in the disk number. Trying to just use the play button and they would just sit there, then the player would turn off. Real wierd. Only did this on 2 Sony movies so far. Easiest way around the auto-start feature: Dont turn the Player on, just hit the "Open" button. The player will turn on, then open the door. You can now insert a DVD and hit the play button for it to start ( except for the 2 Sony movies mentioned above ).

Also, 1080i, only IF you use the HDMI cable. 480p if you use composite. I just found this out because I bought a HD LCD TV.