12/29   What is Progressive Scan DVD player? Looking for a nice region-free
        DVD player with multilingual OSD menu features. Recommendations?
        \_ word of advice? by 40 dollar dvd players from Costco,
           anything above 100 bucks breaks down too fast and too
           expensive to replace..
        \_ What is OSD menu features?
           \_ On screen display.
        \_ Progressive scan means it can output non-interlaced video,
           thereby providing better resolution.  It doesn't matter if you
           don't have an HDTV.
           \_ The resolution shouldn't change but the way the image is
              displayed will.  Regular TV sets display an interlaced image,
              which is one reason why computer monitors have always had a
              better picture compared to regular tv sets (computer monitors
              display non-interlaced video).  If you don't have a TV set that
              can display non-interlaced video, then the progressive output
              will look like garbage.  Many TV sets cannot display
              non-interlaced video, newer "HD ready" or "Digital" sets
              usually can.
              \_ The resolution of the video data on the DVD doesn't change,
                 but the resolution perceived by the viewer will, which is
                 what I meant. (480 scanlines at one time versus 240 scanlines
                 separated across 2/~60ths of a second.)
                 \_ Yes, technically the same resolution but presented in a
                    less crappy fashion.
        \_ I've had good luck with the cyberhome 300S - very cheap ($30 on sale
           at radio shack), region free, small profile.  Make sure you get one
           built after March/April 2004, previous versions had heat issues.
           \_ I have a few minor gripes with the CH300S.  The remote is hard to
              use in the dark (small, uniform buttons).  There's a long-ish
              pause during a layer change.  The JPEG viewer will not show any
              more than 255 images in a single directory.  On the plus side,
              you can enter a secret remote-code to make it region-free.
        \_ Unless you are going sub $50 or so, get an upconverting DVD
           player.
        \_ Philips DVP642. I saw it at Target for $70. You have to unlock
           region-free yourself via the remote.
           \_ I bought this and then returned it the next day.  The remote
              feels like a toy, and on my DivX files it was unable to FF or RW
              (not to mention in one case the sound wasn't synched).  Also, the
              max FF/RW speed was 8x.
              \_ can you suggest better? that thing looked good to me. -!op
                 \_ I'm afraid not.  I currently have an old Aiwa XD-DV170
                    which has great OSD menu features, but can't play some
                    newer disks (the extra disks in The Two Towers:EE don't
                    play for instance).
        \_ I've had a Toshiba 5-disc DVD player from costco, really nice
           unit, which turned out to be a region free one. Had I known that,
           I would've gotten 2. I don't think they carry it anymore. I also
           got a Daewoo DVP480 player from Costco, which I got it because it
           is a region free player. But the Toshiba is much better in terms
           of build quality and operating noise. Get a cheap DVd player from
           costco, it may be region free. Don't get the Sony one, I am sure it
           is NOT region free.