Newsgroups: rec.video

>In article <1993Jan20.134109.10402@ac.dal.ca>, tominatr@ac.dal.ca writes:
>|>I own a Sony MDP-333 LaserDisc player and am contemplating upgrading to an
>|>MDP-605 via a partial trade-in. I know it can do special effects on CLV
>|>discs
>
>No. It does not have CLV special effects only dual side play.
>Check out the MDP-405. It is supposed to have a digital TBC. According
>to reports it also has a better audio and video quality than
>the 333.
>
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Gihan R. Karunaratne
>Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Y 4H7
>e-mail: gihan@BNR.CA (INTERNET)

Yes, the MDP-405 (do you actually mean the new MDP-433?) may have more 
features than the MDP-333, but, has Sony gotten the build quality up yet?  
I bought an MDP-333 about 2 years ago and I've had quite a bit of trouble 
with it.  

 - When I was opening the unit, brand new, the door that allows the disc
   tray to slide out was cracked.  I exchanged it for another new unit at 
   the dealer.

 - When it was about 11 months old, the door started sticking and wouldn't
   let the tray slide out.  I understand this is a common problem.  Sony
   reparied it under warranty.  The door has worked fine since then.

 - When it was about 2 years old (this past Christmas), the picture started
   getting very poor.  On widescreen movies, the black bands were not a 
   solid black.  There was a sort of interference pattern all over the 
   image.  Took it back to Sony for repair.  They replaced the "KHS-130A,
   Optic Dev" (I checked my service manual, it's the whole laser pick-up)
   and the "Loading Belt Kit" and adjusted and cleaned it.  The total bill
   was $262.51!  That's more than 50% of the original purchase price (I
   paid $450 for it)!  Fortunately, Visa paid for this repair under their
   extended warranty plan, otherwise, I'd have junked it.

And, even though I just got it back from the shop, I still don't think
the picture is correct.  It appears to have a general graininess to it.
I'll probably take it back to Sony within the next week or so (under the
last repair bill).

NOTE:  The repair shop is the Sony Service Center in San Jose.  Not
       some general repair shop.  If anyone should be able to work
       on this unit, it should be them (hopefully).

I don't want to give the impression that I don't like Sony.  I own 
a *lot* of Sony equipment.  I've got their 32" XBR TV, S-VHS VCR, cordless
telephone, portable CD player, headphones, etc.  I've been very happy
with all of it, except for the LD player.

If I had it to do all over again, I would buy a Pioneer.  I've heard that
the image quality is better (no, I haven't compared them myself).  There
have been a number of times when I would buy a new LD and find some sort
of glitch in the disc.  I'd take it back to the store and they would check
it on their Pioneer (the equivelant model, not a high-end unit) and many 
times the glitch would either not be visible, or, would be much less 
noticeable.  Maybe the Pioneer has better filters or error correction.
(Can anyone comment on the reliability of Pioneer LD players?)

I would recommend that you compare the Sony to some others before sinking
another $500 (or more) into the new Sony.

Just my $0.02 worth!

           Good luck!
              Larry Schwarcz
              lrs@cup.hp.com