Magnavox - MDV460/17 DVD Player Review

When my now ex-girlfriend broke up with me back in February, I was faced with having only one DVD player in the house.  OK, so it wasn't the most pressing of the crisis' I faced, but given how often I want to pop in a DVD (be it from my collection or what's in from Netflix), it was a necessity to have a player in the living room with the big TV (for obvious reasons), as well as one in the bedroom (for when I want to wind down).

I started looking through the weekly circulars, hoping to find a good deal.  Finally, I saw the Magnavox MDV460/17 on sale at Target for $34.99.  The price sure was right.  I wasn't sure about the quality of Magnavox's DVD players, but a quick perusal of the usual suspects put my mind at ease.

I do not have a big surround sound hookup, so I can't comment on how well this may or may not sound with one of those.  I think I've made it pretty obvious that I'm NOT a tech geek, that I'm a pretty simple guy with pretty simple expectations.  In the two months I've had this machine now, I've had zero problems with it.  It plays everything, be it a brand new fresh out of the package DVD, or a Netflix rental that looks like it stormed the beach in Normandy during World War II. 

The remote that came with it is very basic, and lacks a lot of the option buttons that the Toshiba player I have in the bedroom has.  For me, this isn't a big deal, since I basically just want to watch a movie.  But I know how some people love their options.

The player allows you to fast forward at up to 32X, and rewind at the same rate.  This is great for getting  you through those "previously on...." recaps that start so many of the TV show DVD sets for each and every episode.  It also allows you to zoom through a scene that you know is boring, lame, or, for the non horror film fans, too gory.

For an economical alternative, the Magnavox MDV460 has performed quite admirably.  Even if it were to crap out on me in another year to 18 months, the investment will have been well worth it.  If you're looking for a cheap but reliable DVD player, look no further.