RIP

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Our DVD player (Sony DVP-S735D) has finally resigned, kicked the bucket and gone to meet it's maker. It's not recognising any disks anymore - makes a funny whirring sound and then just says "no disk". Apparently it's the laser, and repairs would be costly (others have had the same problem).

I find it absolutely unbelievable that home electronics last such a short time these days - this DVD player was top of the range when I bought it four years ago and I paid £400 for it. Which means I've payed about £100 a year for it, and I find that disgraceful.

So I put an order in for Umax Yamada DVX-6600 - this player can play all regions, all formats of media, and all formats of video (including DivX and Xvid), and costs under £80. If it lasts for the 12 months it's got warranty for, it's been a better deal than the crappy Sony.