SONY DVP-NC615/B 5-Disc DVD Changer

• Supports the playback of DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+RW / CD-R / CD-RW / MP3 media
• Dynamic Tilt Compensation
• Block Noise Reduction
• SmoothScan Mode
• SmoothSlow Mode

I got the NC615 (not from Amazon) in July 2002 primarily to check for DVD-R playability and quality control (I'm a video producer and burn DVDs for clients). I had a total of about 3 hours use on the player in the first 8 months I owned it. Then I bought Sopranos DVD sets and started using it more regularly.

It was then I noticed it would stall, freeze, and then cut off periodically. At first it was so infrequent that I tried to attribute it to disc abnormalities and let it go.

Dealing with defective products is such an incredible hassle . . . expensive shipping, multiple calls and many, MANY minutes on tech support hold lines, pulling out entertainment centers and dealing with a mass of wires and dust in a small spaces, etc. Also, since the measly 90 day labor warranty (by far much more important than parts) had long passed, I knew I'd likely be footing 90% of any repair bill at that point anyway, so I succumbed to the denial that the player was at fault.

I could only delude myself a few months longer as the problem got worse and worse, the player eventually freezing and shutting off 5-10 times during any viewing session longer than 20 minutes. Of course by this time, the parts warranty had also conveniently expired.

But since I've dropped over $20,000 on professional Sony video equipment in recent years, I thought Sony customer service just MIGHT want to keep me happy, so I phoned them. I was wrong. I was met with absolute indifference, abruptness, and a refusal to consider the individual circumstances which made it a travesty of fairness for me to have to pay for the repair of this product, which cost well over $200 at the time I purchased it.

To make matters even comically worse, my sister was given the same player for Christmas of 2002, and hers started to exhibit similar problems late in 2003, also conveniently well after the labor warranty had expired and just as the parts warranty was expiring.

Two out of two identical products with the same defects in one family is hard to attribute to sheer bad luck. This was very likely a lemon product, an inherently defective player with an abnormally short useful life that Sony is refusing to stand behind, even for a loyal customer that's given them many thousands of dollars in business. Because of this unforgivable customer service breach, I will never buy another Sony consumer electronics product and will certainly try to avoid purchase of as many of their pro products as possible.

I advise others to STEAR CLEAR of this player and all those in direct succession to it, which is likely to be anything with a model number like NC6##.

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I'll admit, I'm demanding of my MP3 devices. I purchased this product with the desire to get a good DVD that would allow me to play my MP3 CD's and remove my 5 disc CD player from my entertainment center. The DVD is great. It plays nasty DVD's from the library and doesn't skip. Very nice.

The down side is the audio features. I have a Sony portable MP3 player and it has all the features I need and use. Unfortunately that spoiled me. I expected similar features and friendly interface from this player. If you're into MP3 CD's here are some warnings.

when it says it will randomize your MP3/CD/DVD discs, it won't go into the actual tunes on the CD. An MP3 CD or a DVD is considered one track and will want to play start to finish.

The on screen MP3 selection is a neat start but do you really want to go to the TV to select an individual song? Selecting a folder is logical but more often I would like to pick a bunch and set it running. Most importantly, you can't really get around without the TV on.

The interface is ugly and far from intuitive. There is no randomize button on the face so if you'd like to put 5 audio Cd's in and randomize you have to turn on the TV and navigate through several steps. And that setting is not persistant so plan on going there often if your a randomize fan like me.

With the lousy Audio features, I still use my portable hooked up to the stereo. And with the ugly Audio CD features, I still need my 5-disc CD. And I really see no reason for 5 slots of DVD so I pretty much wasted $80 by not going with the one disc model. If you're an MP3 fan, go run it at a store before you commit. You might find you're as irritated with the features as I was.

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The one good thing about this product is this. When the motor that spins the discs burned out, I was able to buy the identical product with a different problem off of ebay for $20 and replace the motor. So many people have a problem with this product that you can easily pick up an extra one for spare parts.....sad.

I tried to just buy the motor, but Sony has some deal with the manufacturer so they won't sell this $2 motor to anyone but them.

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I've always recommended and purchased Sony brand. I didn't buy mine at Amazon.com, but I'm here 10 months later to buy a replacement. It stopped reading DVDs yesterday. I removed the cover expecting to find the sensor needed cleaning. What I found was that the disc motor isn't spinning it up to speed any more. Reading the other reviews, it's clear this isn't an isolated incident.

Perhaps I was just lucky, but I have had absolutely zero issues with this DVD player. The only complaint I have is that the disc numbers on the tray are black just like the tray, so it is hard to read. One of these days, I will highlight the numbers with a white paint pen...