Page 1 of Matsui DVD120, Grundig GDV220 - Dont Buy!!

Being a complete beginner to the DVD scene, my interests were brought along when i got one as a present for my birthday in january. It was a Matsui DVD120 (£128.99)
- cheap`n`cheerful.
Not to worry, i thought - DVD is DVD after all. - WRONG.

I had many problems with it, jumping all the time (even with brand new discs) i thought
this probably happens to everyone - until a mate of mine boasted that his player NEVER jumps, not even when discs are scratched! Immediately i took it back to Currys and demanded they swap it, they did and to my utter astonishment, the very same faults, 2 more swaps and i gave up on it "i`ll have the next one up please" they posed the Grundig GDV220 (£179.99) - no doubt this will be a better player i envisaged - WRONG.

This player looked a little similar to the matsui when i got it out the box. then i switched it on. I was horrified, although this apparently superior grundig player was £50 more than the matsui, it was plagued with the same ugly menu system, then i also realised that the region hack was the same 3 buttons on the front. and suprise - it also jumps and skips like Mary Bastard Poppins!

I rang mastercare and asked what my extra £50 had got me, "errr, the differences are slight" they said, but they could`nt think of ANY! (although the remote was silver as apposed to black)

I know have the Philips DVD701 (extra £20) which retails for £199.99 It is superb, the discs never jump and skip, it also plays VCD`s and CDR`s. It has dual lasers, the menu system is far superior to the rather lame Matsui & Grundig ones. The Philips also has much better picture and sound definition.

Lesson to be learnt - dont bother with trying to "get in cheap" on the DVD scene at currys or dixons. Go for a "Real" brand, they cost a bit more, but you will have a nightmare (like me) with the naff ones.

If any of you reading have the Grundig or the Matsui, no doubt like many others who replied to my posting suffer the same symptons. I serioulsey reccommend taking it back and paying that little extra for the Philips, oh and you`ll need a One-for-all remote to Region Hack it.

Well, I`m surprised. The old Matsui model (110) was a little bugger with its chapter-start hiccups, so I swapped mine for a Grundig GDV210A which I was and am very happy with. Obviously Grundig are sourcing the 220 from the same source as Dixons. You`ll find there`s probably a small but significant difference between the two machines (like a built-in Dolby Digital decoder - that was the story between the Matsui 110 and its clone the Schneider 810 that was available through Asda).

You do have to watch it with so-called budget machines, but I`d rather have a good budget machine than something by Sony or Philips, because in the long run you`re paying for the name.

Does the Philips 701 lock-up for region changes after 25 goes like its predecessors?

It can be region unlocked, however you do need one o them One4all remotes (about £35.00) to do it properly - some RC6 code that unlocks it permanently. Oh, there was one difference with the players - the grundig had 2 x scart sockets on the back as opposed to the matsui`s 1. Not too useful really though since you can`t record!!

I`m sure your grundig player is as good as you say it is - but the 220, simply doesn`t justify and extra £50 than the Matsui 120.

I`d say the philips can be pretty much classed as a budget machine as some branded players retail for £400 - 700.

Has anybody else had similar problems with the Matsui 120 or Grundig 220???

Yes, but Curry`s wont change it for me. They played a disc in the shop and because it was ok in the five mintues they watched, they wouldn`t take it back. Also, the drive makes a terrible noise when you stop a disc, meaning that if a disc isn`t playing you have to switch the machine off completely.Grundig are s***.
Now i`m stuck with it jumping like a cheetah on speed!

They should take it back - did you get cover plan on it? they were a bit more helpful with me i swapped it 4 times, but if you just say the discs worked fine in my mates player, but jumps at least 3-4 times on this one, they may let you upgrade it.

What a load of s***e, buy a Sony thats all you gotta do.

Why bother slagging off dvd players that cost 130 quid.. buy a decent player if the first place and none of this would happen. Have u never asked anyone for their opinions on which are decent players for the money? There is plenty of literature on the web and in magazines on whats good and whats not. Next time dont be such a cheap b**tard!

I didn`t buy it you tool! it was a present for my birthday - hence the recommendation that they are avoided like the plague by everyone - as for buying a sony - i wouldn`t want to do that - i do plan on watching at least some region 1 dvds.