Editors' Top DVD decks
updated May 16, 2006

The DVD player has officially become a commodity, available for sale at Wal-Mart and Rite Aid for $40 or for free with a subscription to a magazine you really don't want. But that just opens the door for specialty DVD players, units that can do much more than just spin discs. At CNET, we've given up reviewing standard players and have focused on the cool stuff.
-- David Katzmaier, senior editor

Editors' Top DVD decks:

DVD players

| Basic DVD recorders | DVD/VHS recorders | DVD/hard disk recorders | Portable DVD players

DVD players

DVD decks	Editors' rating	Price	Summary
Philips DVP5960/37 Released: 05/08/2006	7.0 Very good	$49	The Philips DVP5960/37 HDMI-upscaling DVD player is an excellent choice for budget-conscious HDTV owners and multimedia aficionados, and its DivX playback is a nice bonus. Specs: DVD player , Tabletop , Remote control , Dolby Digital , Stereo , Silver , 4.4 lbs

Pioneer DV-588A Released: 07/15/2005	7.7 Very good	Email me when product is available	The affordable Pioneer DV-588A Super Audio CD/DVD-Audio player offers sound advantages over CD and even plays DivX files. Specs: DVD player , Tabletop , Remote control , DTS decoder , Surround Sound , 4.4 lbs

Philips DVP642 Released: 06/01/2004	7.4 Very good	$169	The Philips DVP642 is good choice for DivX aficionados, but everyday DVD watchers can do better for the price. Specs: DVD player , Tabletop , Remote control , Stereo , 6.6 lbs

Samsung DVD-HD950 Released: 04/15/2005	6.8 Good	Email me when product is available	Samsung's DVD-HD950, a universal HDMI-upconversion DVD player, falls a little short of videophile demands. Specs: DVD player , Tabletop , Remote control , Dolby Digital , DTS decoder , Surround Sound , Black , 5.1 lbs

Samsung DVD-V9650 Released: 05/01/2006	6.7 Good	Email me when product is available	The inexpensive Samsung DVD-V9650 DVD/VCR combo unit has an HDMI output, a nice design, and DivX compatibility, but its soft video quality falls short of other HDMI players we've tested. Specs: Stereo , Universal remote control , JPEG photo playback , S-VHS quasi playback , One-touch recording/playback

Sony DVP-CX995V Released: 07/15/2005	6.7 Good	Email me when product is available	While the Sony DVP-CX995V has some annoying quirks and takes forever to load with disc information, this 400-disc megachanger does a great job removing clutter. Specs: DVD changer , Tabletop , Universal remote control , Dolby Digital , Surround Sound , Black , 19 lbs

Sony DVP-NS70H Released: 09/01/2005	6.4 Good	$61	The Sony DVP-NS70H is a good deal as long as you don't mind a slim, black bar at the top of your screen. Specs: DVD player , Tabletop , Remote control , Dolby Digital , DTS decoder , Stereo , Silver , 4.0 lbs

Helios HVD2085 Released: 03/15/2006	6.1 Good	Email me when product is available	The Helios HVD2085's generous connectivity and upconversion capabilities can't make up for its below-average HDMI performance. Specs: DVD player , Tabletop , Remote control , DTS decoder , Dolby Digital , Surround Sound

Buffalo LinkTheater PC-P3LWG/DVD Released: 04/15/2005	5.8 Average	$500	The highly versatile Buffalo LinkTheater can play DVDs, high-def streaming video, and digital music, but it falls short on implementation. Specs: DVD player / digital multimedia receiver , Stereo , Remote control , JPEG photo playback , Progressive scanning