Lonman @ Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:40 pm wrote:
Yeah you don't use the cd rom for a dedicated player, just for the occasion someone brings in their own disc. However I will still personally use a standalone player for this as there are a handful of discs that will not play in the computers (anything with MediaCloq) & in some cases will lock the computer to the point of shut down (not often but has happened).
Dead om, Lonman. Even SC acknowledged that Mediacloq was a mistake. They will even replace those discs with non-cloqed ( made the word up?) discs for free....and that's not the only protection that will lock up a PC.
To Knightshow: Actually production of players has not diminished, it's onlt that those with nameplates that you recognize have been producing under other labels. For example, there is an inexpensive player out there made under the Mixonic label. Though unknown and inexpensive, it's not a junk machine ( that is, it's no worse than the "name" brands made inexpensively overseas). It's made in the same factory as and for JVC.
The "name" brands want to sell players with the "good" label at full price, instead of what they are worth. However, people are less willing to overpay for a label than they used to be. The answer was to produce players under a "#2" label that they could sell for a lower price in greater quantity.
Other decent "unknown" label players are Performer's Choice and V2GO, both made by "big name" companies.
That doesn't mean that there aren't junk players out there as well ( think RJtech), but if you do your homework, you can get more for less.
I will admit that double and triple drawers of quality are getting harder to come by, and grab one if you can get it.