When I installed my first multi-disc changer in my Army barracks room about 15 years ago, many of my friends asked why I needed so many discs on hand at one time. Certainly I was able to get up and change a disc after listening to it, but loading a number of audio discs into the changer gave me hours of uninterrupted music, not to mention cool features like playing discs and songs in a random order.

My sales pitch to my fellow soldiers must have worked, because within a few months over half the platoon had added disc changers to their stereo systems, too. This led to one guy keeping five Metallica CDs loaded in his changer for a nevernding Metallica concert while a couple others were dueling with marathon sessions of Latin salsa performances. In hindsight, I regretted hyping disc changers to my buddies, and looked forward to going out in the field for peace and quiet.

Since sewing my country, my interest in consumer electronics has grown. During this time, the compact disc technology that was all the rage in the '80s was replaced by an equally exciting media, digital versatile discs, pioneered by Philips and Sony in 1995. So when a new Philips DVD793c 5-disc changer arrived for review, I savored the thought of seeing what Philips had to offer.

Unique Features - First and foremost, the DVD793c is a progressive scan 5-disc changer with 3:2 pull-down conversion. Progressive scan technology doubles the vertical resolution of images for a much sharper picture. By connecting the DVD793c to a progressive scan compatible television or monitor using the component jacks, you get superior picture quality and enhanced color.

Although nobody with a disc changer really wants to move from their sofa for hours on end, there are times when a trip to the machine to replace discs is inevitable. A function called Play Ex-change makes the task easier by allowing you to change discs while one is playing. Up to four discs can be swapped during a Play Exchange. Once discs are loaded, a resume feature will pick up where you left off on each disc. For instance, if you switch from listening to a CD to viewing a DVD, when you return to music mode the DVD793c will automatically continue from the point you had stopped listening to the CD.

While searching forward or backward, it's often tough to get a good idea of what you're watching because the video is so choppy. Philips added smooth scan, which plays frame by frame through DVD chapters for a clearer search. Likewise, the zoom function benefits from a jitter-free picture when watching freeze-frame images or slow-frame advances.

Because some DVD discs contain scenes not suitable for children, a comprehensive parental control is included. Up to 80 discs can have individual scenes or the entire movie rated by a parent from a general audience rating of 1 to a mature audience rating of 8. When in use, higher rated scenes will not be played unless an alternative scene is available on the disc or a 4-digit code is entered. This form of security is available on most DVD changers, but it's usually not this far-reaching.

Installation/Setup/Ease of Use - To keep the price down for thrifty consumers, this changer doesn't have an onboard Dolby Digital or DTS decoder. But that shouldn't stop anyone from connecting the DVD793c to a Dolby-ready receiver and surround sound speaker system. My install called for THX certified Monster Cable component and digit 21 audio interconnects to join the Philips changer with
a NAD L70 DVD/receiver to acquire Dolby Digital and DTS capability. A switch on the rear panel of the unit selects either S-Video or component/progressive scan, depending on the application. I switched from the factory S-Video setting to component output and pushed forward with my evaluation in near record time.

Philips built the DVD793c pretty well. The construction is solid and the fit and finish are quite good. The faceplate has a large display window center mounted above the disc tray. I really liked the bright display in all lighting conditions, however, some may be easily distracted from watching a movie in low lighting. Buttons on the front panel are basic, neat and concise. They control only the necessities of operations with advanced features exclusively accessed from the remote control.

Philips uses a remote control nearly identical to many Yamaha players. It's small and compact with a logical grouping of buttons. The top of the controller has a numerical keypad, the center has directional arrows and on the bottom are buttons for more advanced features. Just as with many Yamaha remote controls, the device feels good in your hand, but is too lightweight for my liking. The button labelling is rather small and hard to read, especially in darkened rooms, because the buttons are not backlit. I'm sure DVD enthusiasts that like holding the remote in their hand for long periods may prefer the smaller controller, but it doesn't get the job done very easily and honestly reminds me of a toy.

Final Take - For this price point, the DVD793c does a fine job. I loaded up five discs and went to town playing everything from DVD video discs to computer generated MP3 music CD-Rs. I was even able to play DVD-Audio titles, which are not advertised as being supported. My subjective interpretation of the video output of the Philips changer came after some meaningful testing. During my time with the DVD793c, I was able to detect some interlaced artefacts that are inherent in all 3:2 pull-down fields, especially from flag reading. The end result is a slight jitter when objects are in motion. Most DVDs appeared fine, but during slow-moving action, such as submarine scenes in U-571, the problem is noticeable.

It is also clear in U-571 that black levels appeared adequately dark. Color saturation overall was bright without affecting white levels detrimentally. Testing the DVD793c using a direct view television gave me a chance to see how it performs anamorphic down conversion. When taking a widescreen DVD and playing it on a standard 4:3 display some players have tendencies to show straight edges as jagged. This wasn't the case with the Philips changer as images were reasonably sharp and clear. But for my taste, I preferred viewing DVDs in all their
glory on my 65-inch Mitsubishi HDTV.

Disc changers I've experienced in the past had trays that were quite noisy, but the Philips unit was surprisingly silent Its fluid motion and quiet operation added to my keenness for the build quality.

I was disappointed to see the obscure warranty method Philips uses for quality assurance. Where a one-year warranty is normally standard on DVD players with some companies offering multi-year contracts, Philips only puts forward a 90-day free exchange with a pro-rated style of warranty extending to the first year of ownership. This may open a new line of disposable DVD products in years to come.

But take into consideration the super low cost of the Philips DVD793c coupled with the array of features it offers, and some will be swayed from single-disc players to a much more useful 5-disc changer. I know I have always preferred the convenience of multi-disc players (except when my Army buddies wanted to serenade me with their favorite music collections).

Philips DVD793c 5-Disc Changer/Player
5-Disc Changer
Progressive Scan
DVD-Video, VCD, SVCD, DVD+RW,
CD, CD-R/RW, MP3
192 kHz / 24-bit Audio D/A Converter
Component Video, S- Video and
Composite Outputs
Coaxial & Optical Digital Outputs
16.9" W x 4.65" H x16.2" D
12.6 lbs.
90-day free exchange /one year
reduced-cost exchange warranty
MSRP $179