RCA RC5215 DVD Player

• Dolby Digital and DTS output
• Plays music CDs
• Optical digital audio output
• Scene Again instant replay
• Parental rating control

I'll be honest; I bought this DVD player as an impulse buy. I wanted to get a DVD player rather than play DVD's off of my computer. I was wondering around an electronics store, and I started, quickly, to compare low end systems. After a quick cursory analysis, I chose the RCA-5215 DVD player.

I was not expecting much from this player. I just wanted a machine that could play DVD's without a problem or hassle. What I got was a surprisingly good machine with little problems.

The picture quality is crisp. The sound quality is crisp. The on-screen menu controls are surprisingly intuitive. Press the info button on your remote, and a bar appears on the top of the screen, allowing you to fast forward though tracks, choose angles, etc.

The remote control is not as elaborate as some other DVD remotes, but its function is very effective. The buttons aren't cluttered and small. They're big and easy to navigate though without looking at the remote.

There is no zoom feature on this DVD system. RCA does offer a replay button (similar to the instant replay button on a TiVo remote) where you can go back and see a scene for 10 seconds ago.

The only problem I noticed was choppy video on one DVD disc. However, I just reinserted the disc and it ran smoothly. Something tells me I put the disc in crooked, but I thought I'd mention it here.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with my purchase. If you're looking for a decent low-end model DVD player, this is the one to buy.

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The price is great, the ease of use, look, etc., but there are one or two fatal flaws to this model--certain DVDs will not play. Specifically, Ken Burns' Baseball. This fabulous documentary was one of the reasons I bought a DVD player in the first place, so you can imagine my shock and horror at not being able to play this set on my player. The other problem is that the player sometimes just freezes for no reason. I tend to turn it off/on and start over and it seems to do the trick.

I have yet to write to RCA about the problems, but I eagerly await their explanation. I have bought two more of these players for other friends and relatives as gifts, but I will think twice next time.

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This is the first DVD player I have owned. So I didn't really know too much about them. I set it up to a receiver and 6 speaker system in 5 minutes and was watching movies immediately. I can't believe how sharp the picture is. I used the cheapest optical audio and S-video cables I could find and I am impressed with the sound and picture quality beyond words. I think this is a great bang for you buck if you are going to get a player. Especially if you are a first timer like myself.

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My unit began to freeze up after a couple of weeks. Since this only happened on rented DVD's at first, I decided to keep it. Well, after 3 months of light use, the unit began to freeze up on all DVD's, new or used. Eventually, within 4 months, it would not even read any DVD or CD.

I called RCA to get it repaired under warranty (no toll-free number), and the ONLY option that was offered was to replace the unit at a cost of $89.95. I did this and the new unit works ok so far, but it is noisy when reading disks.

If you do some research on the net, you'll notice that many others have experienced similar problems. In short, this is an unreliable unit that is not backed very well by the manufacturer.

Last year, I bought this dvd player for my husband as a Christmas present. Initially it played the dvd's well with no problems. Then after about 3 months, the problems began. It took a long time for the player to read the discs, sometimes giving an incompatible disc message and no disc inserted message at the same time. We would try to turn off the player without success, then unplugged it manually. Once it was turned on again, the problem persisted. We contacted RCA's CS, and they told us how to reset the unit and mailed us a cleaning kit for the player. When the cleaning kit arrived, we did what the instructions suggested, it didn't help at all. We called RCA again, and they will send us a new unit if and when: we ship our unit to them (at our cost) along with a check (...) (cost to replace the unit). BTW, the unit is still under their one year warranty. Great way to do business! NOT!

The problem has gotten worse. We tried to watch Jurassic Park 3 last night and it took an hour for the player to finally recognize the dvd. Then towards the middle of the movie, it froze about 3 times. I had to restrain myself from throwing the thing out the front door!!

I'm extremely disappointed and will never buy anything RCA again. The reason for this is that RCA is not acknowledging their warranty. We have never dropped the player or did anything to cause it to have these problems. For those other owners that are happy and satisfied with their purchase, I'm glad for you. However, if you run into problems with your RCA players, this could be the situation that you will be dealing with! Waste of $$$$!