Squeezebox v3 Wireless White By Slim Devices (US Power Supply)

Average customer rating:

Amazing! Even I can do it!

No problems here

I also have nothing but silence

Not ready for prime time

I wanted it to work, but...

Squeezebox v3 Wireless White By Slim Devices (US Power Supply)

Manufacturer: SLIM DEVICES
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

MP3 Players | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics | Flash Drive-Based | Hard Drive-Based | Portable Digital Media Players
Multiroom Digital Music Systems | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
Accessories & Supplies | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Digital Music Systems | Entertainment Networking | Custom Stores | Specialty Stores | Computers Features | Electronics
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Product Features:

Stream your digital music or WMA & MP3 Internet radio stations

Connect to any digital/analog stereo over 802.11g wireless network

Supports MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, WMA Lossless formats

Place anywhere; modern design, built-in display, dual internal antennas

Easy to setup and use with any computer; PC/Mac/Linux/Solaris

ASIN: B000BUX3I0

Product Description

Squeezebox v3 streams digital music or MP3 Internet radio stations to any digital and analog stereo over a home 802.11g wireless network. It is a study in downtempo, modern design appropriate for any setting and a joy for the eyes as well as the ears. The contrast of highly polished material against a crisp brushed metal fascia is a fitting reflection of the sophisticated technology within. Squeezebox the easiest way for music lovers to enjoy high-quality playback of their whole digital music collection (compressed and uncompressed audio files) anywhere in their home. Squeezebox lets you rediscover the hidden gems of your music collection. Start with one and then add players in different rooms to create an affordable whole-house audio experience without the hassle of re-wiring your home. Squeezebox uses SlimServer, the powerful software developed by Slim Devices. Because the software is developed under an open source license, Slim Devices is able to tap into the creative energies of a worldwide team of independent programmers. Squeezebox, as a result, continues to add features with the release of new software and the product never becomes obsolete! Squeezebox includes many features not found in similar products; built-in alarm clock, SHOUTcast directory, music selection by Album Art, BBC news ticker and more. Audio outputs; digital coax & optical, analog RCA, mini-jack connector.

Amazon.com Review

Deciding how to offer a review of the third-generation Squeezebox by Slim Devices without gushing forth a stream of typical market-speak accolades ("Incredible!" "Outstanding!" "A must-have for any music lover!") is not easy. And even more difficult, given all that Squeezebox has going for it, is deciding where to start describing the wealth of features this little box boasts.

Squeezebox gives you full control over your entire digital music library. And it couldn't be easier. (Black model and remote shown).

Stereo level meters are a nice touch. View larger.

All the connections you need are on the back. See detail.

From Digital Files to High Performance
Although the tools to convert CDs to digital files have become standard fare on nearly every computer, by comparison the tools needed to play those files on a high-performance sound system can be clunky, inconvenient, and downright frustrating to use. Until recently, our options have been either to drag expensive computers to the living room and wire them directly to our stereos, or to buy an expensive digital music player that we then need to continually plug and unplug.

Enter Squeezebox to save us from this hassle. After plugging this streamlined device into your stereo via a standard RCA cable, and taking all of five minutes to download software to your computer and configure Squeezebox to your wireless network (okay, maybe seven minutes if you're chewing gum at the same time), you can immediately start "pulling" music off your Mac or PC for full-sounding playback through your entertainment system. Imagine being able to keep your computer on your desk, and your digital player in your pocket, and still crank your digital music with abandon! It's really that simple: within a few minutes of unpacking the Squeezebox, your digital files are yours for the asking from the comfort of your couch. (Squeezebox is also offered in a "wired-only" model that connects directly to the Internet via an Ethernet cable.)

Once Squeezebox is set up, it immediately presents your music on its easy-to-read display by genre, artist, song, album and even year. With the help of a handy remote, you can scroll through just about every music file on your computer and play songs in whatever sequence you desire. As long as your digital files are in a single location (in your iTunes folder, for instance), Squeezebox will get them to you. Although your computer must be on in order to play your digital files, you don't necessarily have to start it up just to play your music. Squeezebox also gives you the option of using the remote to wake your PC or Mac from a "sleep" state remotely, adding to the system's ultimate ease of use.

Squeezebox offers lots of setup options.

A handy remote is included (black remote shown, white model ships with white remote). View larger.

Squeezebox supports most popular formats, such as AAC (on Mac or Windows), and AIFF, FLAC, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WAV or WMA (Windows only). The sound quality is limited only by how well you burned your CDs in the first place, and by the performance of your entertainment system.

Surely there must be a catch, you're probably thinking. In fact, there are a couple of glitches that beg for improvement in the next-generation model.

First, while you can create play lists for Squeezebox on your computer via the software's browser interface -- a somewhat clunky procedure --, or with the remote itself -- an easier, though still time-consuming process --, Squeezebox could not access the play lists we had already created in our iTunes player. According to the manufacturer, only iTunes users suffer from this problem; Squeezebox recognizes lists created in Windows Media and other popular players. The second issue has to do with encrypted files. Simply put, it can't play any files you purchase or download from an online store, such as the iTunes Music Store, that are protected. For those files, you'll have to continue to resort to the primitive plug-and-play method.

Internet Radio without a Computer
In addition to playing digital files, you can use Squeezebox to stream Internet radio straight into your living room without a computer. Squeezebox feeds directly from your wireless network to do this. With the Web interface, or via the remote, you can create a list of your favorite Internet radio stations for streaming. Squeezebox also comes loaded with several stations covering the full array of musical genres, from jazz and world music, to 70's pop and 90's electronica. For news junkies, Squeezebox can also stream your favorite RSS feeds across its aqua blue display.

About the size of a bedside digital alarm clock, Squeezebox can sit inconspicuously on any horizontal surface. The ports, all located on the back of the unit, include a mini headphone jack, RCA connections, a digital optical output and coax output, and an Ethernet connection. An extremely intuitive interface on Squeezebox lets you easily configure the display's text size, illumination, screen saver, and track information.

Until the day comes when affordable entertainment systems exist that offer seamless convergence of wireless Internet and digital technology with high-performance playback, Squeezebox will let you share your digital music loudly and clearly with just a few clicks of the remote.

Pros:

A seamless way to stream digital music through entertainment systems
Offers easy and remote access to all unencrypted digital music files on our computer
Streams Internet radio through your receiver without a computer

Cons:

Does not play encrypted music files from online digital services
Creating playlists can be time consuming

What's in the Box
Squeezebox Network Music Player, AC power adaptor (appropriate plug by region), user's manual, SlimServer software (requires download), custom infrared remote (2 AAA batteries included), and 6-foot gold plated RCA patch cord.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing! Even I can do it!.......2007-08-21

I have recently decided to enter the 20th century and made my computer/printer wireless. Then, what the heck, how about the stereo too. This is new and daunting stuff for me (I'm much older than 14). Once I got the coumputer wireless to satellite (LinkSys), then came the print server (NetGear)--no problem with either. The stereo connection was simplest of all. In less than 20' (including reading the instructions) I was streaming my CD collection to my stereo. Only one glitch. After about 1/2 hour, the computer-squeezebox interface (Web) failed to find the Squeezebox. What fixed it was going through the Squeezebox setup again. (It had everyting I had previously entered so I just stepped through.) I has worked for the last 2 hrs. w/o problems. If you don't hear from me again on this, assume that it is still working well. Frankly, I'm amazed that this suite of mixed-maker products work together. I know, they should, but realistically, how often do electronics interface as they advertise?
ADDITION: After a month or so, I still greatly enjoy this product, but there are glitches. When my network goes down, sometimes the Squeezebox does not come back up with the rest. I found that unplugging it then going through the setup menu (accepting everyting as it is presented) brings it back up. Simple unplugging and powering up does not work.
Also, I have Panasonic home theater with wireless back speakers. I had to move the WiFi to channel 11 to prevent interference and buy new wireless phones too (Panasonic DIRECT 6.0). It's a learning experience! Not hopelessl, though!

No problems here.......2007-08-09

Ok...no problems here...has worked perfectly from second one...sound quality is truly outstanding...ability to play back not only mp3's but multiple higher-quality formats (.wav and flac)...the internet tuning capability works fantastically well (tune by city, genre, popularity, etc.)...but what really makes the unit is the interface, it is speedy and intuitive...highly recommended.

I also have nothing but silence.......2007-07-26

I too can relate to all of the reviewers who can not get sound. Slim Devices drops my wireless signal about every three minutes. It is very rare that it will play a whole song. I have tried a linksys G router, a US Robotics router, and now a D Link router. I am not using other wireless resource while it is playing besides my latop. All of my other wireless devices show "excellent" signal strength while this thing can not seem to locate a network. Customer support said it was my router's power settings. I am on my third router from three different manufactures and I think it is the sqeezebox. I would recommend passing on this product as I am sitting here playing MP3s on my laptop speakers looking at my Squeexebox screen stating its usual "Problem, can't find a wireless network" message.

Not ready for prime time.......2007-07-04

Like other reviewers, setup was relatively painless and I got it working on day one (familiarity with wireless networking needed). After a week's time, with new songs and playlists added to my library, the bugs started to appear, and now I can't get it to play anything (though it does receive the data with no problems over my network). Numerous rescans, software re-loads, and interaction with the help desk couldn't get humpty-dumpty back together again. I am hoping that the open software has some good engineers behind it so that the bugs will be worked out and I can use it. Great concept and great while it worked. Sitting broken on my shelf - not so good.

I wanted it to work, but..........2007-06-25

I already use Roku Soundbridge M500 / M1001s to stream music around the house, using iTunes as the server. More recently, I bought a Squeezebox v3 based on the online reviews, which spoke highly of the audio quality. After 3 months' I gave up and it now languishes in a drawer - one of my Soundbridges has taken its place.

The problems with the Squeezebox were several:
1) Sound quality - the wifi connection just kept dropping out all the time (i.e. every few minutes). This never happens with my Soundbridge and my router/access point is only 3m across the living room. Sure, I could run cables round, but they would be unsightly and I live in rented accomodation, so channelling the cables into the walls is not an option.
2) The slimserver software was more sophisticated than iTunes, but the flip side is that I found it to be much less user-friendly. I prefer the simplicity of the iTunes / Roku Soundbridge combination, without the need to run a separate server.
3) Navigation at the device (as opposed to at the PC) is (IMHO) a lot weaker than Roku's. On the Squeezebox, I had to scroll through all album (or artist) names, whereas on the Soundbridge I can scroll by letter and then drill down to the names - much faster. I accept that the PC interface is much better for the Squeezebox, but I wanted it to use in the living room i.e. away from my fileserver, so ease of navigation at the device is key to me. Font size is comparable on the Soundbridge M1001, so that is not an issue for me.

In the end, the Squeezebox's lack of reliability rendered it useless; I could not get it to play a single track without it cutting out. I replaced it with one of my Soundbridges and since then have not looked back. As for audio quality? I never got far enough to find out. Shame.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely worthless
Frustrating, even for a techie
Great product! Easy to use!
4 out 5 stars
Nice idea; flawed execution

Linksys Wireless-B Music System WMLS11B

Manufacturer: Linksys
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Electronics Available for International Shipping | Specialty Stores | Electronics Features | Electronics
Product Features:

Connects your stereo system to a Wireless-B (802.11b) network
Supports 5.1 channel audio through optical audio connection
Select songs, lists, and services on the built-in display with the easy-to-use remote control
Includes high-quality detachable powered "bookshelf" speakers

ASIN: B0002229JQ

Product Description

The Linksys Wireless-B Music System lets you bring the digital music stored on your computer to your Home Entertainment Center, without running cables through the house. Using a wireless connection, the Music System finally frees your digital music collection from those little computer speakers to play in full glory through your stereo system. The Wireless-B Music System sits by your home stereo and connects to it using standard consumer electronics cables. Then it connects to your home network by Wireless-B (802.11b) wireless networking, or if you prefer, it can be connected via standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling. Using the included remote control and the built-in LCD menus, you can browse your MP3 or WMA formatted music collection on your home PCs by title, artist, album, genre, or playlist. Or, access the Rhapsody Digital Music service (free trial included) to listen to over 450, 000 songs on demand, create custom playlists and radio stations, and burn mixed CDs on your PC. You can also tune into thousands of Internet radio stations from over 100 different countries around the world.Choose the music you want, and let the Wireless-B Music System play it through your living room stereo. Or, with its small but powerful detachable speakers, it can also act as your portable digital music "boombox". Carry the Music System around the house and have access to your entire music collection, and your favorite Internet radio stations, anywhere within range of your wireless network - the kitchen, den, even out on the patio by the pool. Let the Linksys Wireless-B Music System bring digital music out into the living room for the whole family to enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely worthless.......2007-09-07

What a waste of space. Restricted channels, very poorly supported by its Indian customer (non)'service' center. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT...unless you'd like to try doing anything with mine !!! I am a Linksys devotee, but this is a terrible try at making something work.
Always want you to upload firmware and then retry...horrible. It works if you only want the stations that are already in the system.
Sounds OK though.
There are much better solutions out there.

Frustrating, even for a techie.......2007-08-30

Ok... I am not one to give up on a piece of tech, but this device from Linksys got the best of me. I purchased it against my better judgement because I REALLY DESIRED a way to play my music files in my bedroom without the constant din of a PC and the bulk of a monitor and cabinet disrupting the room.
When the box arrived, I eagerly tore it open and surveyed the contents. I was very pleased with the overall construction and the size of the buttons on the remote, even though the layout of said buttons was not very intuitive. When I plugged it in and set the basic configuration, everything worked as the minimalist manual indicated. I own another Linksys product, so I was familiar with what Linksys thinks passes for a user manual.
The network configuration is straightforward but the bundled music server software is hideous! I opted to D/L the Yahoo Music software, (They bought Music Match - Thank God in heaven!) although it still pretty much sucks. I had not (until today) learned that there are alternative music servers. Oh well. Read some of the other reviews for info on alternatives.
Down to business. Yes, the first few hours of Internet Radio were bliss, until I tried to change to a different station. That's when the veneer began to peel up. Like another reviewer, I too was only able to listen to 2 out of 15 Internet Radio stations. Surprisingly, alot of the foreign language stations worked fine. I switched to playing my music library and ran into the "will only play one song" annoyance. I discovered that after selecting a playlist, beginning to play the first song, then pressing the repeat button twice convinces the WMLS11B to "repeat all" of my playlist songs. Ok, a work around exists. Then it happened, one of the speakers quit working, for no apparent reason. I troubleshot and sure enough, it was dead. Bummer. I checked with the seller and found out I had gone over the warranty period. Major bummer.
So, I dragged the old stereo back out and plugged the audio from the WMLS11B into an aux input. Another work around. This continued for another few weeks while I tried to keep my main PC from going into sleep mode thereby stopping the flow of music and I continued to fiddle with the internet radio hopping to figure out how to make more of them work most of the time. I finally sat back and considered the muddle that I was in and decided it was too much. I would rather put up with a PC and monitor in the bedroom that works all of the time rather than continue to fuss with the cantankerous, annoyingly good looking but ultimately frustrating piece of equipment that is the Linksys WMLS11B. You might get lucky and snare a good one, you might get lucky and have a PC music server that doesn't sleep, you might get lucky and discover that all of your Internet Radio stations work or you might not be so lucky and instead join the ranks of the former owners of a Linksys WMLS11B. I sold mine CHEAP in our yard sale to some other poor sap who thought he would have a go at it.

Great product! Easy to use!.......2007-07-23

I originally bought the Logitech Wireless Music System for PC to stream the music from my computer to elsewhere in my house, but it didn't allow me to browse my music, so I bought the WMLS11B because it does allow browsing. It took me around an hour to research and get this thing fully set up, so be ready to take some time to get this thing running.

First off, DO NOT use the software that comes with this unit. You can find all the information you need about how to set up the unit, where to get the latest firmware, what music server software to use instead of the generic Linksys junk, etc. at the Yahoo group called WMLS11B ( http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wmls11b/ ). You'll have to join the group before you can browse it. First off, go to the "Files" section of the group and use the "Getting Started-New Installation Win XP.pdf" file to start the process. It should give you the information you need to set this up. Do the firmware upgrade first, then load some music server software. I personally used the Twonky Music Server (the file is "TwonkyMusicserverSetup2.9.1.exe"). It's easy to install and decently easy to use. It has lots of options and tweaks, so depending on how much time you want to spend on it, you can do lots of cool stuff. On the Twonky configuration screen, set the "contentdir" setting to the main directory where your mp3's are stored.

I personally had no problems at all setting this up with the existing wireless network in our house. It's not a protected connection because we don't live near anyone, so the encryption wasn't a problem. But I took this thing in the other room, and it worked great the first time! The internet radio stations are awesome to have! There are so many of them, and they are very diverse. And the unit easily found the music from my computer and played it very well (there may have been a couple slight disruptions, nothing horrible...95% of the songs played flawlessly).

As previously mentioned by another reviewer, the sound from the speakers is actually really nice. Great bass and sound, for the size of the speakers. But when I hooked it up to our full-sized amp/sound board/speakers, it didn't sound very good. It may have been the quality of the mp3 file, but all of my mp3's should be 128 kbps. But through the unit's speakers, it actually sounded great.

I also noticed that the unit finds songs from my computer alphabetically rather than by Track number. I'm not sure if I can change this or not, but I'd like to listen to an album in the correct order. This is probably something within the music server, but I'm just not sure yet.

Overall, the WMLS11B is awesome! It's fun to be able to stream my music anywhere in the house or even outside and also to be able to play internet radio stations from all over the world! Highly recommended, especially for the price!

4 out 5 stars.......2007-04-26

I read a lot of reviews before purchasing this product. The one thing that kept popping up was the loudness/pour speakers issue. So when I bought it, I assumed I was buying a device with sound quality equal to an alarm clock speaker. When I received the linksys and tried it out, the speakers seemed very loud and good bass given the size. I started playing different mp3's and found the loudness issue to be directly related to the quality of the mp3. I had one mp3, which was poor quality and quiet on my pc, and guess what, it was poor quality and quiet on the linksys. This was not an issue with the music I ripped from windows media player. Also, had problems playing WMA lostless files.

I'm not too crazy about musicmatch software, with comes on a cd, and needs to be installed to share your music ( there is other software that will work ). It's constant nagware to purchase the software or upgrade. But on the flip side, It works seemlessly, using libraries and playlist.

The internet radio is cool, most of the pre-load channels do not work ( I tried about 15 and only 2 worked )I would have given this 5 out of 5 stars if I could program my own stations...

The linksys device has a website you can access and make changes. Its a little bugy, had to reload the page after making changes or navigating and the favorites page never retained any entries. Even after upgrading the firmware to 1.09 it still had problems.

Overall, I am very please with the product, but I wouldn't pay anything more than 50-60 bucks for it. I am so pleased, I bought another one.

Nice idea; flawed execution.......2007-04-03

What a great concept! I can take this very portable device anywhere within reach of my wireless router and have streaming music from my digital library or Internet radio stations.

Here's the reality (as I have experienced it): even after upgrading to the latest firmware, my WMLS11B will not stay connected to my wireless network. I have to re-enable the SSID every time I turn the device on to get an initial connection. From then on, streaming music stops and starts as though the connection were spotty, even though my laptop (also on the wireless and sitting next to the device) is streaming beautifully.

In addition, the WMLS11B will only receive Internet radio stations that broadcast as strict mp3's. Which means no .pls, no .asx, etc. Unfortunately, this is what most streaming formats are in.

Luckily, the speakers are powered and are connected to the wireless device by standard RCA jacks. I use this product now primarily as a way to play songs from my iPod nano.

Squeezebox v3 Wired-only Black By Slim Devices (US Power Supply)

Average customer rating:

Great product!

Squeezebox v3 Wired-only Black By Slim Devices (US Power Supply)

Manufacturer: SLIM DEVICES
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Stream your digital music or WMA & MP3 Internet radio stations
Connect to any digital/analog stereo over Ethernet network
Supports MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, WMA Lossless formats
Place anywhere; modern design, built-in display
Easy to setup and use with any computer; PC/Mac/Linux/Solaris

ASIN: B000BYASLG

Product Description

Squeezebox v3 streams digital music or MP3 Internet radio stations to any digital and analog stereo over a home Ethernet network. It is a study in downtempo, modern design appropriate for any setting and a joy for the eyes as well as the ears. The contrast of highly polished material against a crisp brushed metal fascia is a fitting reflection of the sophisticated technology within. Squeezebox the easiest way for music lovers to enjoy high-quality playback of their whole digital music collection (compressed and uncompressed audio files) anywhere in their home. Squeezebox lets you rediscover the hidden gems of your music collection. Start with one and then add players in different rooms to create an affordable whole-house audio experience without the hassle of re-wiring your home. Squeezebox uses SlimServer, the powerful software developed by Slim Devices. Because the software is developed under an open source license, Slim Devices is able to tap into the creative energies of a worldwide team of independent programmers. Squeezebox, as a result, continues to add features with the release of new software and the product never becomes obsolete! Squeezebox includes many features not found in similar products; built-in alarm clock, SHOUTcast directory, music selection by Album Art, BBC news ticker and more. Audio outputs; digital coax & optical, analog RCA, mini-jack connector.

Amazon.com Review

Squeezebox gives you full control over your entire digital music library. And it couldn't be easier.

Stereo level meters are a nice touch. View larger.

All the connections you need are on the back. See detail.

From Digital Files to High Performance
Although the tools to convert CDs to digital files have become standard fare on nearly every computer, by comparison the tools needed to play those files on a high-performance sound system can be clunky, inconvenient, and downright frustrating to use. Until recently, our options have been either to drag expensive computers to the living room and wire them directly to our stereos, or to buy an expensive digital music player that we then need to continually plug and unplug.

Enter Squeezebox to save us from this hassle. After plugging this streamlined device into your stereo via a standard RCA cable, and into your Internet router or hub via an Ethernet cable, and taking all of five minutes to download software to your computer and configure Squeezebox to Internet connection (okay, maybe seven minutes if you're chewing gum at the same time), you can immediately start "pulling" music off your Mac or PC for full-sounding playback through your entertainment system. Imagine being able to keep your computer on your desk, and your digital player in your pocket, and still crank your digital music with abandon! It really is that simple: within a few minutes of unpacking the Squeezebox, your digital files are yours for the asking from the comfort of your couch. (Squeezebox is also offered in two wireless models -- black and white -- that connect directly to the Internet via your wireless network.)

Once Squeezebox is set up, it immediately offers up your music on its easy-to-read display by genre, artist, song, album and even year. With the help of a handy remote, you can scroll through just about every music file on your computer and play songs in whatever sequence you desire. As long as your digital files are in a single location (in your iTunes folder, for instance), Squeezebox will get them to you. Although your computer must be on in order to play your digital files, you don't necessarily have to start it up just to play your music. Squeezebox also gives you the option of using the remote to wake your PC or Mac from a "sleep" state remotely, adding to the system's ultimate ease of use.

Squeezebox offers lots of setup options (wireless connectivity is only available with the black or white wireless models).

A handy remote is included. View larger.

Squeezebox supports most popular formats, such as AAC (on Mac or Windows), and AIFF, FLAC, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WAV or WMA (Windows only). The sound quality is limited only by how well you burned your CDs in the first place, and by the performance of your entertainment system.

Surely there must be a catch, you're probably thinking. In fact, there are a couple of glitches that beg for improvement in the next-generation model.

Pros:

A seamless way to stream digital music through entertainment systems
Offers easy and remote access to all unencrypted digital music files on our computer
Streams Internet radio through your receiver without a computer

Cons:

Does not play encrypted music files from online digital services
Does not recognize iTunes playlists
Creating playlists can be time consuming

Customer Reviews:

Great product!.......2006-06-03

I purchased the wired-only version of the Squeezebox after having a very hard time with wireless music (airport express). Once I had my wired network in place I found that the airport express worked great but I had to keep running back to my computer (down a long hall) to change music.

I did some research into other devices including the Roku Soundbridge. I just got a better feel after looking through user forums and seeing the effort slimdevices is placing on making the Squeezbox a great product.

And the Squeezebox works great! Setup is quick (don't forget to check firewall instructions in the manual if you have trouble), it looks great, and the Pandora feature is fantastic. Check out the slimdevices.com website to find out about Pandora.

Average customer rating:

Functioning As If New

Plays DVDs well, otherwise unremarkable

Nice unit, but may completely die

A DVD Workhorse

Sure, it's great, until optical unit dies... (Updated)

Panasonic DVD-A120 DVD Player

Manufacturer: Panasonic
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

DVD Players | Home Video | Panasonic | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
All | DVD Players & Recorders | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
DVD Players | DVD Players & Recorders | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
Accessories:

Panasonic Optical Cable (1 Meter)

Product Features:

Plays DVD, CD, and CD-V formats

DTS digital output & Dolby Digital (AC3) output

Over 500 lines resolution

96 KHz/24-bit audio digital-to-analog converter (DAC)

Virtual surround sound

ASIN: B00000JMUG

Amazon.com Review

Ready to take the plunge into the digital world of DVD? If you're on a budget, a good choice is the Panasonic DVDA120. This moderate-priced digital video player delivers a clean, crisp picture and crystal-clear digital sound, making it the perfect starting point for your home-theater setup.

With over 500 lines of resolution, you'll immediately recognize the difference in video quality offered by DVD. If your TV is capable of S-Video input, you'll want to use that connection to experience the highest video quality.

In addition to DVD video, the DVDA120 will play your music CDs and CD-video (CD-V) format. While CD-V format has not proven especially popular in the United States, there are thousands of movie titles available in Asia on this pre-DVD format. The CD-V feature will enable you to play some fairly rare imported films.

For the full home-theater experience, check out the latest DVD video titles, which are often presented in the amazing multisound Digital Dolby (AC3) and DTS digital-audio formats. Connecting this unit to a full set of surround-sound speakers gives you the best audio quality. Since this DVD player does not come with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder, you will need a separate AC3 receiver to experience every earth-shattering rumble and action-packed explosion thrown at you in the latest Hollywood blockbuster. However, this model is equipped with a special surround-sound mode that satisfies those of us who don't yet own a Dolby Digital receiver or five speakers and a subwoofer. With just two speakers, this virtual surround sound mode offers expanded sound quality that is noticeably better than standard stereo sound.

The sound and video quality is also improved by this unit's design, which contains separate paths for audio and video output and input. As a result, this configuration helps eliminate the cross-talk interference that can impact both the video and audio during DVD playback.

Pros:

Great picture quality at a reasonable price
Virtual surround-sound support for those who lack a full home-theater setup
Compatible with CD-videos and audio CDs

Cons:

Dolby Digital decoder not included
Lacks some advanced features of higher-priced models

Customer Reviews:

Functioning As If New.......2007-05-12

This product functions as if new. This pictures it produces are full with admirable color. It is a very goo product.

Plays DVDs well, otherwise unremarkable.......2007-02-26

I purchased this new in 1999 for $420.

Pros:

- Rarely had a problem playing retail DVDs

- Never had any problems with optics or electronics -- still works fine 8 years later.

Cons:

- Awkward form factor. Fairly large (tall) and yet fairly shallow. It's too tall to sit on top of a TV, yet too shallow and light to stack another components on.

- Does not play CD-R discs.

- Does not play CD-RW discs reliably (lots of skips)

- Problems playing DTS DVD-A discs. Not sure why, but I get no audio on some DVD-A's when using DTS mode.

Don't know why anybody in 2007 would ever have reason to purchase this. It's a fairly mediocre DVD player.

Nice unit, but may completely die.......2004-09-12

I have had 2 A120 units for about 5 years. One started acting up a couple months ago, with display problems. Now it just says "NO PLAY". I opened up the unit and it is dust free; I don't think there's anything I can do. No info at Panasonic web site.

So these units seem pretty good, until they're not.

A DVD Workhorse.......2004-08-31

I have had one of these for four years now, and my parents have had two of them for five years. And all three of them have performed flawlessly all these years. And, believe me, all three of them see ample use.

The price has really gone down a lot since these came out, making these a wonderful bargain. If you are looking for something low cost that will keep on ticking movie-in, movie-out then this is the unit for you.

There are many features that I like about this as well. You get full digital sound from the player. It has an S-Video output option as well as component outputs. If you turn off the player than it will resume playing where you left off. The remote control is easy to use. I can't think of anything bad to say about this unit othe than the fact that it isn't progressive scan.

Highly recommended!!!

Sure, it's great, until optical unit dies... (Updated).......2004-06-18

(Corrected and updated) Like most here, I had no problems with my A-120 DVD player for the first 10 or 11 months of ownership. Then I started getting consistent "NO PLAY" messages at about the 1-year mark, with occasional errors in play plus minor pixellation or noticeable minor audio glitches. I thought at first it had to to with dust or disk errors (even though I am a light renter, and take great care of the ones I own). But the player soon had to be coaxed to play almost anything I owned -- only by repeatedly opening and shutting the front tray could I get it to sometimes play a disk in spite of this. Horribly frustrating, especially for an appliance that's in flawless condition, and seems way too new to me to simply conk out after light use.

But it's dead. Now it won't play anything at all, and I'm definitely an unhappy camper. Panasonic reps were rude and basically told me to "buy another one."

Um... no. Like I told Panasonic, I think I'll just try Sony next time instead... a really disappointing experience, from a company I used to trust. Stay away from Panasonic unless you can afford to replace what doesn't work the first time.

Electronics:

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Electronics