On the back there are two SCART sockets, always nice to see on any DVD player. Another area where this player scores over the simpler Sony offerings is in the inclusion of a Digital Dolby decoder offering surround sound via a full set of analogue outputs. The big advantage here is that if youve already invested in an AV amplifier without a built-in decoder you can add DVD and Dolby Digital in one go. If you dont already have the required amplifier then its a less impressive feature as just about every modern AV amplifier has an integrated decoder apart from some budget models so, if and when you add surround sound to your system, youll be duplicating the decoder. Theres also a virtual mode which attempts to replicate the surround sound effect with a standard set of stereo speakers. Like most such systems its effectiveness is somewhat limited--theres just no substitute for the real thing. The remote control is sensibly organised and has nice big buttons for the main features. Picture quality is superb, Sony once again delivers an excellent result on screen. It has rich colours and a crisp image. It has a notably smooth scan and slow-motion too and theres a terrific "show me that again" button which plays back the last 10 seconds.