H & B DVD-5415S Multi-region DVD Player Review

Remarkable value for money
The H&B isnt entirely without niggles, but for me none of them is significant enough to take a star away from a machine whose playback quality, no fuss multi-region support, and stylish packaging would allow it to sit without embarrassment at a price point well over £200.

Full-width but standing no more than the depth of two video cassettes in height, the 5415S is slimmer and more attractive than the Amazon snap suggests. A SCART lead and a set of audio and video RCA (red/white/yellow) cables are supplied. Armed with those, hooking the player up to my TV (via SCART) and hi-fi system (via analog stereo RCA), followed by playing a DVD took a couple of minutes and didnt require cracking the user guide (which is probably just as well; see below).

Navigating a DVDs menus via the remote is as intuitive as youd hope, and when the action starts picture and sound quality are both excellent; sharp, smooth, and immersing.

Just to confirm or deny a few things that were raised in other reviews:

1. The default language on my machine was correctly set to English, although the default locale was actually set to the US (for what its worth)

2. The default sound setup is not least common denominator, which confusingly results in lost audio channels (notably centre and rear) until the player has been told via its setup menus that dedicated speakers arent hooked up for those channels

3. A number of skip/search modes are indeed available on the remote, with the current mode indicated by an on-screen caption after a mode change (see below for one negative implication of that)

Just for the record, those minor (for me) niggles I mentioned at the start:

1. The user guide can best be described as minimalist; heavy on abbreviation and rather short on explanation, diagrams, or examples. No wizards or step-by-step setup guides here! If that sounds daunting, something more user-friendly (or just plain better-documented) than the H&B might be a better choice. On the other hand, if youre comfortable experimenting with setup menus, theres not really a problem.

2. Audio CD playback via the H&Bs conventional analog stereo outs is a little dull and disappointing when compared back-to-back with a dedicated CD player. Not being a card-carrying audiophile I can live with this, but the more demanding hoping for a multifunctional unit capable of replacing their CD player may not be satisfied. The digital audio path may perform better; I dont know.

3. Modal skip/search control works well when playing DVDs because theres on-screen feedback as to the current mode. However, when using the H&B as a CD player with the TV off theres no such feedback. Trial and and error is the only guide to the mode you want. Entering the track number always works, though.

4. The multi-coloured LCD display, although attractive, is not entirely practical. While the elements displayed in blue are clearly visible up to 15 feet away, the darker red elements (e.g. current track) are only visible close up under normal room lighting.

But the bottom line is that this H&B is oustanding value for money; a versatile and high quality DVD player for surprisingly little, and a purchase that Im more than pleased with.

Simple and easy
Having read previous reviews, I was half expecting to be in that minority of people who have had problems with this piece of kit. Happily, all seems to be well with my first DVD player.
Upon opening the box I found that the front panel was not clipped on properly, but this was fixed after a few deft pokes and clicks.
By simply plugging in the supplied Scart and power leads, the player was ready for action and the crisp image of the H&E branded screen appeared on my TV.
Like previous reviewers, I too had to fiddle with the onscreen setup, but thankfully this is a lot easier to follow than the manual. I was enjoying an epic battle between elves and orcs before I realised that I couldnt hear any dialogue: only background sounds. Experimenting with the audio setup options fixed this.
A word about the manual: useless, apart from the reassuring words about not needing to connect all the leads, and an explanation of the buttons on the remote control.
The remote control feels cheap and tacky but it does its job.
The picture is clear and sharp, the sound crisp.
It played a region 1 DVD with no problems.
Being a DVD novice I didnt know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. I feel like Ive got good value.
Speaking to other novices I have one piece of advice I havent spotted in other reviews: if your DVD player is destined to live in a glass-fronted cabinet, then get into the habit of opening the doors before pressing the eject button!

H&B review
Well, after a few months of contemplating whether to buy this product, I finally departed with my cash for the slim line H&B DVD player. Having read the various reviews, I wasnt quite sure what to expect. The player was delivered within 48 hours to my suprise, and did powerup. The default language was set to English, however the sound configuration was set in such away that there was no vocal sound. This was resolved after investigating the setup menu. The user manual is totally useless as others have mentioned. Also the remote control does not make it easy to navigate chapters on a DVD. The process is quite long and frustrating to search or skip chapters. Also when playing MP3 CDs, you have to stop playing a track before you can search through your long listing of songs to play another! As other reviews mentioned that when the player is put into standby mode from the remote control, it does not revert back to TV unless you power the player off from the unit itself. Overall a good player with good quality but lacks in usability.

Sony DVP-NS405 Silver DVD Player

Unlike the disappointing VCR (the SE-720) which I bought at the same time, this DVD player is excellent. Very easy to set up and simple to use, but with all the features you could need on any DVD player, let alone one at a price which makes it a pretty future-proof entry model!

Flawless picture, s..

Price : £ 139.99| Read Review | More

H & B 4420 Silver Multi-region DVD Player

H & B has launched a new model for the budget DVD player market with the DVD-4420. It’s a well-built machine in a matt silver finish and offers "out of the box" multi-region playback, Dolby Digital, DTS and MP3 audio support. In comparison to the super-slim DVD-5415S the DVD-4420 has no karaoke functionality or metal facia but has lots of other features including audio CD and Video CD playback.

This player is very easy to set up. Simply plug it into your TV with the supplied RGB SCART cab..

Price : £ 109.99| Read Review | More

H & B 4421 Black Multi-region DVD Player

This player is very easy to set up. Simply plug it into your TV with the supplied RGB SCART cab..

Price : £ 109.99| Read Review | More

Toshiba SD120E DVD Player

This was a great buy - simply a great dvd player, clarity, functionality the works - highly recommended..

Price : £ 99.99| Read Review | More

Toshiba SD220 DVD Player

The Toshiba SD220 is a well specified and attractive DVD player that is sure to win many fans. Building on the successes of the award-winning SD210 this new model adds good looks and a host of neat touches that establish the SD220 as a benchmark that other DVD players will need to work hard to match.

The SD220 has an interesting footprint. From the front it looks like a standard size, measuring 430x69 mm. However, a shallow depth of just 222 mm differentiates this from many competing models. ..

Price : £ 119.99| Read Review | More

Featured Sites