Apex AD-1500 DVD Player
By: Apex Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 180
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 On: 2008-05-21
I purchased this DVD player in January 2002. I have never had a problem with it... its still working great.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-01-02
I picked up this item in mid 2002.
I have had almost no problems at all with this machine since i bought it to replace a Pioneer unit that was stolen from me. This unit from day 1 worked better than the unit it replaced at half the cost.
I have only had problems playing about 5 discs, and I play anywhere from 2 to 20 movies/anime/mp3s/cds a week. The remote may be on the smaller side but well designed (except for the placement of the mute button) It can be a tad loud on the ejecting of the disc tray, but its not loud enough to be a concern.
Easily one of the smartest purchases ive ever made.
 On: 2005-03-01
I bought mine 11/2001. Compared to some of my friends dvd players that were purchased near the same price, it was great. The sound and picture quality were pretty good. Two small complaints - 1)The remote buttons pop off easily 2)The front of the disc tray (the panel)came off and with the help of a 2 year old got stuck inside the tray area. My DVD player died 1/2005. Not from my son; it would start freezing and skipping at the beggining and end of scenes.
On: 2005-02-28
Ive had two of these so far and encountered a number of others, and my experience has been mixed. Their performance is great, they play anything thrown at them and I love the hackability of it, however it seems Apex got hit by the bad capacitor fiasco that plagued computer peripheral makers for several years. Every single one of these units has started acting up eventually and on every one the problem has been a single failed capacitor in the power supply. If you open it up youll likely see it bulged at the top and possibly leaking. Now this is about a 50 cent part and its not hard to change *but* most customers will likely have to find a technician to replace it as it requires soldering. So in the end, great player for me since I can fix them myself, but I hesitate to recommend them to non-technical customers unless theyve been refurbished already since in my experience this capacitor *will* fail.
On: 2005-02-16
This player can play anything which is good; it even played DVD-RWs for a limited time but then didnt. I still have the receipt to the Apex AD-1500 which I purchased 03/20/02, so I guess if you get lucky it will work almost 3 years. It could have possibly pushed 4 to 5 if I only used it for my other region DVDs like I did in the beginning, but recently have been playing everything back to back in it. If you are going to use the Apex for multiregional than its a good buy as long as you use your other player for everything else, just dont pay too much for it. I still think its unreliable though.
On: 2005-01-01
Ours just broke after about 3 years. Not completely, but the power button sticks really badly so its hard to turn the unit off. Plays all Region 2 disks (after hack) no problem.
 On: 2004-06-01
I bought a similar "value" Apex DVD players from Amazon about six months ago. The thing had an annoying hum at times, but worked... at first. After two months it wouldnt play DVDs longer than maybe 90 minutes. I tried calling their service line - no one answered the phone. I went to their Website and wrote to their service e-mail address - I received no response, ever.My guess is they figure (rightly) that no one is going to go to a lot of legal trouble over a device that costs less than $100. There are other companies that make low-end DVD players and other equipment - patronize one of them instead of Apex.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-17
I bought this player a little over a year ago, mainly for the ability to upgrade the firmware to region-free. Played everything I put in it until a few days ago, when it started having intermittent problems- graphics were staticy and blocky, sound would just buzz and it wouldnt eject discs until I shut it down and restarted it. That lasted for two days before the problem became permanent. Now its a doorstop. The Apex web site appears to be down right now, but based on the other reviews here I doubt theres much point in contacting them.
On: 2004-02-14
Will play MP3 off CDR. Random function is crippled. Will only play randomly from one folder. No display or use of enbedded MP3 header tags. Correctly decodes VBR MP3.Will not recognize MP3s burned to DVD.
On: 2003-05-30
As far as I know...Its compatible with:
music cd, cdr, cdrw, vcd, svcd, xvcd, xsvcd, dvd, dvd-r, dvd-rw, dvd+r, dvd+rw. Its able to read mp3 and mpeg1/2 but it cant read divx files nor Kodak Picture/JPG CDs. I havent run into a brand of media that its not able to recognize yet. You can also update the firmware to macrovision/region free. And if you really know what you are doing, you can even change the default background/screensaver image to one of your own for fun! Just do a search on the web or go to vcdhelp.com. Overall, its a solid player with decent video/audio quality. But if video/audio quality is more important than versatility for you and affordability is not a factor, then definately look elsewhere.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-05-09
If you Google for this model, you can find out how to easily make it region free, so you can watch the foreign DVDs you bring back. It is pretty solid, but has no R/G/B or optical outputs; RCA and S-Video only.
On: 2003-05-06
This DVD player is beyond anyone would imagine. This player plays it all, anything your throw at it, VCD, SVCD, DVDs, and even does automatic VCD PAL to NTSC. What this player lacks is a component connection. This is more for someone who wants a second dvd player for a bedroom. For a dvd in the living room, search up for the next best APEX player which has progressive scan.
On: 2003-04-21
I plan on leaving the entire...very short, history I had with this dvd player. Well, it most likely was around 2 months after I purchased this item where I began facing problems. I used it a fair amount, not non-stop but not rarely either; I was watching around 1 or 2 movies a night most likely. However, by 2 months after buying it, it was like the juice would run out and after watching one movie it would flicker on and off. This would annoy me because I couldnt get a dvd out of there, but I found out if I turned the power off then on again and hit the eject button quick enough the dvd would come out and Id be able to put in a new one and it would load, otherwise it wouldnt work. Also, if I did this I wouldnt be able to use subtitles or anything either because I would click on subtitles then go to load the movie and the power would go off and on again. At first I tested for obvious things like plugging into different surge protectors, different outlets, diferent rooms in the house, and even tried it at a friends house and yet nothing seemed to fix it. Well, I read another comment about this dvd player saying that if you leave the actual dvd player button on and let it sit kind of in stand-by mode and just turn it on with the remote when you go to use it it would increase the length of the dvd player; well, I was doing that this entire time from the minute I bought it. Of course, because it was having problems while I did this anyways, I assumed that maybe leaving the kind of "stand-by" mode was sucking juice from it and wearing it down so I stopped leaving it in that situation for long periods of time and would turn off the entire unit when I was doing watching movies. But, in a couple months more I was faced with more problems. Next, the green light display would start going out from time to time and so you wouldnt be able to really read what track or section you were on or any of that, that got annoying real fast. Finally, its past 10:30 p.m. and Im so angered with this dvd player that Im writing this complaint because about an hour ago it officially died. Once again, I tried everything like all kinds of different outlets or anything I could think, but nothing worked. I even read the manual front to back and it didnt help me at all. The power wont even come on and Im very dissapointed and upset.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-03-28
I bought the APEX 1500 on Valentines Day and have been in DVD viewer heaven ever since. I bought this very inexpensive unit with the idea that it would be `throw-away electronics but now find that - wow - this unit delivers everything I need right now. I put the popcorn in the microwave and before it was done popping, I had the unit out of the box, set-up, connected, and was watching my first DVD movie before the popcorn was cooled.You know, until one matches a DVD player with a HDTV, one isnt getting the full `visual value of the DVD capability. So, until those HDTV prices drop, this units low, low price and great image delivery looks fantastic on my 27 inch, 12 year old, Toshiba television. . I watch only purchased or rented DVDs (about 2 or 3 per week) - I do not play MP3, CD, underground copies of movies and the like.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-03-27
Heres a helpful little tip to keeping your Apex AD-1500 running longer: Instead of using the console mounted power button for turning it off and on, just leave it in stand-by mode and use the power button on the remote to turn it off and on. This will keep the internals of your AD-1500 from having to heat up and cool down every time you turn it on or off. Ive had my Apex for almost a year without a single problem , and if youre wondering if I ever use it, the answer is yes , I use it almost every day for dvds, vcds and music cds.It could be the good unit bad unit theory , but hey, its a great player at a great price, lets just see if we can get them to last a little longer.
On: 2003-03-26
I dont have a "modern" tv, so I didnt need to spend a lot of money on progressive scan or any special features. The Apex player plays the DVDs without skips or issues. Ive never had an issue with it in terms of hardware. The remote that comes with it has a few frivolous features, like zoom and frame by frame, but I use an all-in-one remote so they havent come up.All in all, a very good and inexpensive product.
On: 2003-03-11
I bought this as a starter unit a few months ago, and am greatly impressed. It is cheap but it plays everything and its picture is very clear. I really like the zoom feature for when the widescreen versions are too small. Sound is great hooked up to my stereo, but when hooked up to the TV I could only raise the volume up so far (but it was loud enough). If you want something as a second unit or just a cheap DVD player, then this is probably it.
On: 2003-03-10
When i first got this dvd player in Feb 2001 i think it was.... i searched for a month and a half for the best value and most features for the small ammount of money i had. To tell the truth i was not expecting it to last this long. But it has and its done very well. If i needed to i would buy another APEX with out a second thought.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-03-09
Apex Digital has only 90 day/ 1 year warranty, poor customer support, and incompetent service people. Get an RCA instead. No 800 number, expect to wait up to i hour by phone (long distance calls add up), online support takes up to one week for response, and still, they wont fix the problem. Firmware too slow to decode copy protected region 1 dvds, frequent pixel drop out, and frequent DAC lock-ups.
On: 2003-03-05
I received the AD-1500 today. Set it up. Pressed Open/Close. The display indicated my choice, but the tray refused to open. Some mechanism within whined for a minute or two, until the player gave up.So now I get to return it. Granted, glitches happen. No manufacturer is perfect, and this may be an isolated incident. But it doesnt particularly inspire consumer confidence, either. Just to be clear: my 1-star rating doesnt indicate anything about the actual picture or audio performance of the Apex player ... I never got that far.
On: 2003-02-21
This player is well worth the money, however for a few bucks more you can buy a better unit.This unit works very well for an inexpensive DVD that is used on occasion. It falls short in the following respects: 1.) Although it plays perfect DVDs very well, it doesnt play them if they have slight damage. It will not play a DVD that plays without a problem on my Toshiba DVD player. 2.) It does not have a universal remote. The included remote is ok but has limited function.
On: 2003-01-29
This DVD player stopped working in 3 months. Interesting thing is the warranty only covers you for 90 days. To return it to Apex to be repaired is "going to cost more money". If you want quality dont buy this DVD player. If you just want a 90 day "inexpensive" item with below average warranty you found it.
On: 2003-01-15
Here is a very useful link on how to "JUST MAYBE" fix your DVD player if it is Locking/Not Reading.
Lots of Info here if you are willing to get your hands dirty!
( http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=117757#117757 )Here is some info I used: Update: I opened the player that locked up the
worst in my earlier testing and found the trimmer
potentiometer that RickH described.
As he said, it looks like a little phillips
screw head (that appears to be made of white nylon). You cant miss it on the power supply
board. Its toward the outside of the case and
seems to be marked on the board as RV
(variable resistor?) and is to the right of R27.
(A couple of inches to the right of the fuse.) 1) Removed cover
2) Turned the pot 1/8th turn counter-clockwise
3) Thought it might be better set too low than too high
4) Adjusted a micron more counter-clockwise
5) Replaced cover.
6) Enjoyed flawless, no-freeze playback! Goodluck Rick...
On: 2003-01-15
Lets just say that you want a DVD player with all the bells and whistles? Ok get this one!
Lets say you want one that will last awhile? Dont get this one!I have had my player for a year now and it works when it wants to. Like many other users I discovered the warranty cost to send it and it really is not worth it seeing how you can buy another one for about the same price... I opened mine up and checked all the pin connectors and sprayed
a [lot] of electical cleaner on the boards and tightend the screws which hold the loading mechanism, then checked how it functions. I would sit and watch it load and see how the laser lined up with the disk and so on. Right now TODAY! it is working and reading DVD/SVCD/MP3 disk...
The Video chip seems to be getting hot. I put my finger on it and it is very hot at times? Then sometimes it is not...
But tonight could be a different story. I got a new one for Xmas so the apex is now an electrical experiment.
I can now tear it apart and try to figure it out.
(If you are very bored it can be quite entertaining!) I wish I had an answer for this thing? But I know everyone has different issues with it.
All I can say is? Get a new one and then Be a ... mad scientist with the apex. You never know? Maybe you can tweak it in to working for another day or so? GOODLUCK
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-14
I purchased the DVD player after much consideration and review. It was recomended in an electronics magazine as a best buy under $100.00. I have used it for DVDs, CDs, and CDRWs. It comes with a wide variety of features, all user friendly; and, I have yet to come across any problems.
On: 2003-01-12
Ive had this machine for over a year. The quality of both picture and sound are awsome and I have never had any freezing problems ever. The remote wont work if you do not point it directly into the machine but so what? The picture quality really is exellent also it plays all my homemade CDS and CD-RW-VCDs without any skipping. WOW.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-01-03
This DVD player gave a no-disc error the first time that I used it. I put a DVD in, it said LOAD for about 2 minutes, then the NO-DISC error came up. Dont think this is a worthwhile buy. For a little more money, you can buy something a lot better.
On: 2003-01-01
This is my first DVD player and for the price, I have to say it exceded my expectations. I have only watched rented DVDs on it once or twice a week. Ive seen it skip once only, in 3 months (hardly noticeable, anyway), and havent had any problems with it at all.A few points:
- Keep the unit on a flat, firm surface like it says in the manual.
- The tray mechanism is loud, but thats it (no problems).
- The remote is not very "intuitive"
- Besides DVDs, it plays almost anything in MPEG format, even if you just burn a CD with a .mpg file in it.
- The unit is very light in weight, deep and narrow in dimensions. This is no top-of-the-line or high-quality DVD player, but its great for the price and it works!
On: 2002-12-30
I agree that this system is great while it works, but Im becoming disenchanted after having FOUR consecutive systems fail. My first system had a relatively minor but annoying problem: periodically during DVD playback the video would freeze for about 1 second and then continue. The first replacement of this machine had a more serious problem: DVD playback would develop more and more static until only video and audio noise was left. The second replacement, after six months, would not turn on. This morning we found that the third replacement (our fourth machine) has its colours all confused...even the APEX screensaver is in psychadelic greens and reds. I think at the end of this experience, youre better off spending more money on a more mature vendors system. I still think the MP3 interface for the Apex is better than any other, but its not worth all this hassle. Nothing is more annoying than sitting down to watch a DVD over the holidays and finding the system is broken AGAIN! Our other A/V components have worked fine on the same wiring for over 4 years in our current house, so dont blame the electricals.Hope you find this persuasive.
On: 2002-12-29
I received this dvd player as a gift Christmas of 2001. The sound often goes out halfway through the movie being watched, and periodically the entire machine goes out and has to be unplugged to "reboot". Recently, it went out completely. This is not due to wear and tear. This machine rarely gets used and is only a year old. It should be in peak condition. Do not waste your money on this machine!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-27
I had the same experience as most of the other reviewers who have owned this player for 6-8 months. Ive had it eight months, and it worked fine for that time and I was satisfied with the performance. Then yesterday I tried to play a DVD and it was broken (nothing comes up on the small display and nothing plays). I thought it was a deal at the time I bought it, and I guess I got my moneys worth, but my next DVD player will not be an Apex.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-22
The polarity on these reviews seems to tell a tale. Everyone either got a good one or a bad one. I didnt start getting no disk errors until I had used the machine (fairly heavily) for 11 months. But you know what? Im still satisfied that I got my moneys worth, based on the cost of the player. Sure, its a hassle replacing it - but Im seriously thinking about buying the same model again.While it was working, we had no problems at all. Excellent picture and sound quality. I purchased this particular model after reading many reviews for low-cost players. This was one that seemed to have the best features and reliability in the price range I was looking for. The way I look at it, you can buy two or three disposable units by the time you pay for one high-end machine. And, the way things change so quickly with electronics these days, Im not in a big hurry to invest in a 3 - 4 year machine just to find it limited or even obsolete in 2.
On: 2002-12-20
Closed captions appear on the setup menu of this player, but you wont get them on the screen of your tv. Thats a design limitation of this model number. But most dvds include english subtitles, which you can use instead. If you need closed captions, youll have to call Apex & they give you another model like the 500, which isnt as much fun.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-17
You definatly get what you pay for. After about 6 months of using this player the sound became terrible. After checking to make sure the audio connection to my t.v. was ok, I found that it was not the connection, but the player. The sound works fine for awhile then it starts to get gravely and cuts out. If you want a DVD player that is not too [costly], but you have to take into consideration that you might not hear what is going on in the movie.
On: 2002-12-14
Weve had the player for about a year now, and Ive got no complaints. I didnt expect much considering the price, but Im pleasantly surprised. We dont expect much from it, just play movies, that it does well. We have very little on the side of electronics (were rather simply living people) and cant justify spending much money of something like this, so it was a perfect fit. Weve had none of the problems some complain of. It does sometimes make a "whummping" noise as the disk seems somewhat off balance, but it just reminds me of the noise you hear at the back of the theater when you can hear the film going through the projector. So, indeed, you get what you pay for, and this has been well worth the money we invested in it. Simple people, simply happy with this simple machine.
On: 2002-12-08
Clearly among the worst DVD players on the market. Given the price you would expect there to be very limited features, etc. But it is inexcusable that the features that it does have simply do not work, and those that do, work only some of the time. The Remote stopped working within only a few days. The player has trouble loading DVDs, runs hot during playback and has a very annoying screen saver that kicks in automatically when the controls arent touched for 10 seconds (this does NOT happen during playback). To its credit, the picture quality is similar to more expensive models but the sound output needs improvement. Buying a cheap DVD player may seem sensible to those on a limited budget or who are seeking to buy one as a gift for someone else, but it makes much more sense to spend a few more bucks for a better quality player. Spare yourself from the headaches later.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-03
I have been very unhappy with this DVD player. The player worked properly for about one year. Now the DVD player apparently overheats causing the picture to get stuck on one scene. The player also fails to detect DVD disks half of the time.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-12-03
This is our first DVD player. We bought it at [local store] for [money](after rebates) the day after Thanksgiving. We dont have much to compare it too, but so far we have no real complaints. Plays DVDs, audio CDs, and MP3 cds without any problems. Ive read reviews complaining about the remote, but I dont know what the problem is. I do have to say that the MP3 user-interface on the TV is really lame. Not quite sure whats up with that. From the reviews Ive read, Ill be happy if this lasts more than 9 months, but for [money], I cant complain.
On: 2002-11-18
I bought this simply because Id read it could play region 2 DVDs (that is, DVDs from UK; actually, it plays any DVD from anywhere unlike normal DVDs which are tied to the country of origin). It does. But its a clunky piece of equipment and I would not recommend it unless you need this feature. To get the feature, you have to download firmware from the web, burn the firmware to a CD, then load the CD into the unit (search google for Apex AD 1500 region firmware). Once youve done that, it becomes a region free DVD player (it also defeates macrovision, which means you can play the DVD through a VCR, which most DVD players cannot). Otherwise, buy a more popular, well known brand. The picture quality is only so-so and it just looks like it was made extremely cheaply. But, Im ordering another one right now so I have a backup, since I really need to be able to play region 2/PAL dvds, which almost no other (cheap) player does! Note that there is no guarantee that the above technique will work, and you are absolutely voiding your warranty! Some models have a serial number that is known NOT to work. Note also - I bought the Apex model 3201 from Amazon as well, and it too is region free - without having to mess with firmware. BUT - the quality of that player is poor (locks up playing well known DVDs) and its PAL->NTSC conversion looks decidedly worse than that of the 1500.
On: 2002-11-13
Ive owned this DVD player for about a year and use it heavily. Its a terrific entry-level DVD player for the price. It has a ton of features and plays just about every format imaginable. The picture and sound quality are fine.This DVD player features S-video output and coax digital audio output. Because it lacks component video output (let alone progressive scan) and optical digital audio out, I called it "entry-level". But its priced right -- you really cant expect component video outs at this price. I play back a lot of MP3 music on CDs. Other reviewers have complained about the sound quality, but Ive had no problems with sound at all. Most of these CDs are CD-Rs, and theyve all played without trouble (even with minor scratches). There are a number of minor annoying problems. If youre frugal like me, this is still a great bargain. But Im sure there are people whod rather pay a little more to avoid these issues: -- the remote control IR receiver is very picky. I have to point the remote directly at the DVD player. (Actually, I havent tested yet whether the problem is the remote control itself or the IR pickup). -- The remote isnt laid out that well. A lot of the menus and options are hard to find and not designed well. This is a problem on most DVD players, but I think its clear that Apex didnt do much usability testing at all. -- When playing an MP3 CD, I can see the file listing on my TV screen, which is nice. However, its hard to operate without turning on the TV (there isnt that much displayed in the DVD players display window), and itd be nice if I didnt have to turn on the TV if I just want to play music. As you can see in the picture, this DVD player is rather narrow. Which is nice, because that means I can put the DVD player and my VCR on one shelf in my entertainment center, rather than using a shelf for each. Overall, its a nice little DVD player, and a great bargain for the price.
On: 2002-11-07
I bought one of these at Circuit City. The video quality was mediocre. However, I had to return it because the disc tray was defective. When I put in a DVD it would either NOT close properly or would get stuck when I hit the open tray. Although the price and supposed hackability of this player cant be beat, I would NOT buy this player as your everyday DVD player.
On: 2002-11-04
I bought this player to be my bedroom player and to play SVCDs upon occasion. I love the features on this thing and I cant believe theyre down to [money]. I paid [money]and it was worth every [money]. I have three players, the other two more expensive ones, yet this has the best features. I love the ability to view how much time is left on a chapter or the feature. I upgraded the firmware, which turns off Macrovision and region-free coding. It plays everything I throw at it and even shuffles my MP3 CDs songs. I highly recommend this player.
On: 2002-10-30
I bought it on a whim. It was the best whim Ive ever made. This DVD plays everything, and its simple to use. I highly recommend this to anyone - especially to people whove never had a DVD player before.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-26
All I can say is WOW.... I bought this dvd player and popped a dvd in and I was blown away by the richness of color and quality that this player has. The picture and the sound is crystal clear. The system is very quiet when it plays dvds and the controls both on the system and on the remote control are fairly easy. This system also plays CDs and CDRW but the sound qulaity is awful. So I will only use this product for dvds and not my cds. Overall, this is a very good dvd player that has an unbeatable price. Awesome dvd player! And remember, if you buy this on Amazon.Com, youll get free shipping!
On: 2002-10-26
I have owned four players and spent quite a bit of money on them. I bought this player and it is better than any other the others. It has everything that everyone needs to watch and enjoy the wonderful and exciting world of DVDs. I love my player and for the price I would not recommend any other player. THIS IS THE ONE. What a great product.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-21
Its hard to describe so let me just say the picture was doing a lot of screwy things and the colors were off.
On: 2002-10-18
APEX [is weak]!
Not that you should expect much when paying such a small amount of money for such an electronic device, but it is frusterating. Mine lasted just beyond the termination of the warranty coverage and then completely stopped working. It worked great until that point, but now it would cost me more to fix it than to just buy a new one. Instead Im going to invest a bit more money and purchase a quality dvd player.
good luck...
On: 2002-10-16
The good thing about this DVD player is that you can disable Macrovision and enable multi-region playback if the serial number starts with either A, B, C or D. When it works, the DVD player plays *some* VCDs and DVDs. Most of the time it will refuse to recognize a DVD and "NO DISC" will appear on the display. Once youll open and close the door a dozen of times, your DVD might play. Cleaning the lens will not help much. The remote contol has be be held no more than a feet away. You go further, and the remote control is completely useless. (With fresh Duracell Alkaline batteries, that it) This unit is light, cheap in price & cheap in contruction. Should anybody decide to buy this lemon do yourself a favor and buy the extended waranty, youll need it.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-14
It is been my experience that this machine is not meant for heavy usage. But there are very few players that can read the numerous formats i.e. VCD, SVCD, MP3, etc this machine can display. I find that if I dont use the 2X, 4X, 8X fast forward speeds, the player wont vibrate. reference vcdhelp.com for performance reviews of other players and their is a good chance you can buy them from Amazon.com whom I rate five stars over the four to five years I have bought stuff without problems.
On: 2002-10-13
This DVD is great for its low cost. This DVD also has features most expensive players dont have. It can play VCD, CDs, and custom burned CDs. The quality is great, and its extemely easy to use.- HelpfulReviews.com
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-12
Didnt work right out of the box! The disk tray did not slide out when pressing the button on the machine or the button on the remote. Kept making a grinding sound. Had to return this immediately for a refund. This problem was not addressed in the instruction manual nor on Apexs website. FAQs were very basic and unhelpful.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-11
... After hooking it up with the other systems, the player didnt open the disc tray when eject button(both on the player as well as the remote) is pressed. I had to pull it manually first time to open the disk tray. Later, it started working with the remote and the button on the player. The sound quality is not good with VCDs. Theres a slight mismatch in the audio and video. Moreover, if the palyer is connected to a surround system, the voice is transmitted in different channels with a fraction of a second difference. So, you hear some echo kind of sound. No problems with DVDs so far.
On: 2002-10-08
Dont waste your money on this product. I bought it because its [inexpensive]. However it has trouble decoding most DVDs, quits playing CDs about halfway through, and injects static into music. Spend ... more to buy something from a reputable manufacturer; youll be a lot happier.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-06
this dvd player is really loud,when i put a cd or a dvd disk in it sounds like the ground is shaking or something like that.if you want a good dvd player under 100 dollars go with a rca or something,not apex.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-10-06
Add me to the list of owners whose player died in the eighth month. What did they do, put time bombs in these things?At the current price I doubt it would be worth paying the labor and shipping charges to fix it. Ill probably throw it out and replace it with a game console or a better brand of player.
On: 2002-10-01
The good thing about this DVD player is that it plays just about every format you might want to play.The bad thing is that it doesnt play them very well. It works OK on new disks, but on the scratched disks ..., mine just plays distorted incomprehensible sound. Even on the 14" TV its connected to, MPEG artifacts are visible much of the time. ... I bought the Apex AD1500 as a second DVD player, but the cost savings vs buying a second RV31K really arent worthwhile. Summary: ... Spend just a little more and get something youll be much happier with.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-09-29
I dont recommend this company (APEX) or their DVD players. The player didnt work with many of our DVDs and the customer service was the worst! If you want a low-quality player and like waiting on hold while you pay for the call then buy this product.
On: 2002-09-09
...Just got my AD-1500 from Amazon; it is very versatile. Plays my home burned SVCDs and MP3s well(make sure the MP3s are not VBR). Also, if the serial nr of your AD-1500 begins with A, B, C, or D, you can flash the unit with a free program (check the net), and remove the Region and Macrovision stuff from the unit. This means it will then play any Region DVDs AND record DVD on VHS tape for personal use...
On: 2002-09-08
I have used this DVD player for over a year now and I love it. It works beautifully!
On: 2002-09-03
I have this dvd player, and a Sony that I paid more than 3 times as much for.The Apex player is not as fancy as the Sony, but plays just as well. In fact the Apex plays many things that my Soney wont including VCDs!! Ive had no problems with skipping, or warbling, and play purchased, rented, and net flix dvds with it. The only thing that I dont like about this player is the remote. Its easy to use, and has your typical dvd player functions, but it is underpowered. You have to be pretty much dead in front of the player for it to work well. If you are off to the side more than a few feet it doesnt always pick up. But for the money you simply cant go wrong with this player. Its well worth it.
On: 2002-08-23
First unit was doa.Second unit worked for 4 months, then died. just out of warranty for labor. tech support was nice but still charged me labor. Great simple player and price cant be beat
On: 2002-08-21
I bought the Apex AD1500 for a great price, and nine months later, it wont play any disks. Apex says it will fix the machine for [price] plus shipping. I cant get it fixed locally because Apex wont sell parts or service information to others.While it worked, it produced good entry level sound and picture. After all, digital is digital, but Ill never buy another Apex product again.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-15
When this dvd player came in I eagerly set it up and put in a dvd. I was a little worried because when i purchased the dvd player i read some negative reviews. However I have been very happy with the picture and the sound quality. A lot of people complained about the remote which comes with the player and i admit its not the best remote but it could be a lot worse. One of my favorite features is the MP3 capabilities it has. I burned a cd with over 120 mp3 songs on it and it played them with great sound quality. I would definately buy this dvd player because it is a great bargain.
On: 2002-08-10
I wrote a review on this DVD player 2 weeks ago giving it 5 stars and praising how well it worked, how many features it had and what a great deal it was. Well, 2 days after writing that review, my APEX 1500 started acting up. The main problem is that when I put in a DVD, it will sit there for a while and finally say "No Disc". I have to eject and reinsert the DVD 5-10 times before it will finally detect the disc. I have tried this on many different, mint conditions DVDs. Music CDs play just fine, it has no trouble detecting them. But I mainly use it for DVDs and it gets annoying reinserting the DVD so many times each time you want to use it.I decided to open up the player to have a look inside and it seems that the wiring inside is cheap and poorly designed. From what I can tell, the movement of the DVD tray has bent and split a paper thin electronic ribbon. I imagine with time the split will become so bad that the player will stop working entirely, but thats just a guess. Dont trust any review written by someone who has owned this player for less than 6-8 months. Like I say, it may work great during that time but after that the problems start show up.
On: 2002-08-07
Plays anything you put in....
If it does not play, then your media has no known format.
No DVD froze ever!
Not seen any pixelization of minimal media such as SVCD,VCD..
No fancy stuff for MP3, but plays all.
It will even attempt files with different file name extensions??
The Sony has optical output, but limited play?
by: Anonymous On: 2002-08-03
I bought this player two months ago for [$$]. It has played everything DVD, DVD-R, VCD, CD, MP3. It has good picture and sound quality, especially for the price. I got one with a D serial and I was able to upgrade the firmware very easily. True the remote is not very good and the construction could be sturdier, but overall it is a great little player. Buy and enjoy.
On: 2002-07-31
I bought this for [$$$] a while back it I had no problems with it. Everything is perfect and going very well. Very easy to set up, the picture and sound is great, etc, etc...
On: 2002-07-28
Certain serial number ranges of this player can be modified with a CD image available on the net. Burn yourself a copy, stick in the player and bingo, the PROM of the machine is altered. The player will be Region Free and have no Macrovision copy protection.So far mine has had no problems with VCD, SVCD, DVD, CD, or MP3. Variable Bit Rate MP3s play fine. Using ISO 9660 MP3 CDRs, the player shows the disk file structure and allows several modes of play. The menus arent fancy in appearance, and unfortunately MP3 File tags are not used. MP3 PLAY MODES
FOLDER : Plays all MP3s in one directory in alphabetical order then stops.
FOLDER : Plays all MP3s in one directory in alphabetical order over and over until user hits stop.
SINGLE : Plays one MP3 file and stops.
REP - ONE : Plays one MP3 over and over until user hits stop.
SHUFFLE : Plays each MP3 in one directory once in random order then stops. If you group your files in directories by artist youll be able to easily find what youre looking for. Files can only be played in alphabetical or random order. Numbering your tracks will alphabetize them into proper album order, but will waste two of the allowed eight ISO file name characters. Shuffle will randomly play files from one directory but not entire disk. There is no provision for shuffle repeat, after each tune plays once the player will stop. The inability to play all MP3s in shuffle mode regardless of directory is a serious flaw and will make you choose between burning disks good for navigation by artist, or best for playing random tunes. The remote is hard to use and player build quality is [poor], but what did you expect for the price? One surprising feature is the ability to compress the audio output into a dynamic range closer to that of a human. Youll be able watch a movie
without constantly riding the volume control.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-24
I bought one of these for our basement and it works fine. Also, those who are having trouble connecting it through the VCR..... this isnt a DVD player problem. Its called copy protection.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-23
Five stars if it worked. Three stars because I feel like maybe Ive missed out on something. Seems like everybody else is having good luck with this player. Cant say the same for myself. I tried two of these players from a local retailer and neither would read a disc. So, actually, in my case, zero stars. This *could* be a good deal, has lots of features, great remote but if it doesnt work...well. Good luck.
On: 2002-07-21
I bought this player after an expensive player I owned stopped working. This player actually plays better than my expesive one did. It plays everything I throw at it. I had planned on buying it until I got a better one, but I dont see a need to get a better one. When you first open the tray on the player, you may have to press in on the tray hard until you here a click. You only have to do this the first time. The only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 is the remote control. Its too small and not as convinent to use as my old one was. Also, you have to get up and turn the dvd player off by hand to get the red light to go off on the player. The remote just partly shuts it off. I would say if you dont want to spend a lot of money, but want a good player, this is the one. It is the best model of the Apex players.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-08
I was a little concerned waiting for this player to be delivered. I didnt know anything about DVD players - read some reviews - the APEX sounded right for my television, I didnt need the component connectors on more expensive players. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise and experience. Its a great first time DVD player. Right out of the box - its easy to install - I used an S-video cable, great picture quality, remotes a little crowded, youll find features to use as you go along. Glad I bought it, I would recommend it for price, quality and enjoyment.
On: 2002-07-07
If youre like me then you want a DVD player which plugs in quickly, loads the DVD fast, reads all your DVDs, and produces great quality sound and picture... Well the APEX 1500 does all that and for very low bucks (I got mine for [price] at [a local retailer]). Dont let the low price fool you. I got mine as a replacement while my expensive DVD player was being repaired (for the second time). Within the first two days I had decided to give away my expensive one when I got it back and keep the APEX 1500 for myself. After several months of regular use I am still quite pleased with it, and have had zero problems. If you want an incredible bargain for a top quality DVD player this ones for you.
On: 2002-07-06
I havent had any major problems with the AD-1500. The remote is slick and does everything you need while watching a disc. But the remote doesnt turn the power on/off; you need to push the big button on the unit. Discs have skipped a few times but who knows if thats the disc or the player. I dont really use it much to play mp3s but it seemed to function well enough doing that, but you cant FFWD or REV songs, if I recall correctly. So, you dont need to go with a big brand name just for the prestige. I think an Apex will do for most, especially poor college students like me.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-03
My player arrived today (#D1500...)It is easy to flash the firmware (Search around for how to do this). Now I play my DVDs through my VCR as a tuner without any problems from the Macrovision fading in/out while watching movies. This works great for me since my TV only has RF coax input, but no SVHS. I can play MP3 and VCD, SVCD with no problems.
On: 2002-06-28
This is my first DVD player and for the price it actually plays great. The only gripe I have is that the buttons on the remote are too close together but thats extremely minor. I recommend this DVD player to anyone in the market for one, I think its basically for first time DVD player owners though. It has alot of nice features and plays alot of formats (DVD, MP3, VCD, CD). Get this.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-28
I bought one of these DVD players about 2 months ago and it was so good I decided to write my first review :-). I bought this player mainly because I wanted to be able to play VCDs and SVCD on my TV. I was a little worried after hearing about the reviews that said its tray wouldnt open and other malfunctions, but so far none of these have happened to me. When I opened it I plugged it in popped in a regular DVD and started it up. Worked just like a DVD player should. The Remote is a little irrational, the buttons are just sort of thrown together in a mash of little buttons but its not so bad. The fast forward, play and other important buttons are easy to find. I was also very suprised at how well it could play MP3s. It has a nice easy to use file browser and gave a nice output to my Subwoofer.After burning a VCD I popped it in and it played perfectly. Then I tried an SVCD and it worked perfectly. Then a XVCD and a XSVCD (which I dont think anyone has metioned yet) and they worked perfectly. I messed around with the bitrates for a while and eventually figured out it can play bitrates up to 4000 (XVCD) and 5000 (XSVCD). What this means for those of you who dont know what Im talking about is that you can burn a DVD quality file to a CD and play it. It means a lot of other stuff too but you can research that yourself ;-). I also put a cool background on it too. Oh yeah! You can also burn MPEG files to the root and pick one out in the file browser. This means you dont have to worry about making a VCD file structor and you can burn more than one clip on a CD. Hmmm I think that about sums it up. So pretty much you should be buying this player right now. Thats all. lol
On: 2002-06-24
I bought an Apex Ad-1500 (D serie) as soon as I read the customers reviews on this site and others...Im really not disapointed ! I love this DVD player. Its small, gorgeous and light, and works perfectly. I never had any problems with rental DVDs, even scratched. I bought the Apex machine in ...(really nice price for a DVD player who plays MP3, CD-R and which is flashable, to disable the macrovision and open region free access !!!!) Love My Apex !
Dont hesitate, buy one (serie D better ? Mine is one of these actually and everything works perfectly).
On: 2002-06-23
Bought this fine product in ... 2001... Rented approximately 6 DVDs since purchasing. Six months later went to watch a DVD, and the player is dead, and does not turn on. My whole theater system is plugged in a high quality surge protector, and everything else works fine. Assume the [money] I paid for the DVD player was not worth the bargain. Suggest a Sony or name brand player.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-21
Ive had my Apex for over a year, and have experienced no problems at all. Ive played numerous DVD movies and lots of mp3 files burned on CD-R. Great value. Sorry about all of the reliability problems others are experiencing. I guess I got a good one.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-17
Stopped working after about 90 days, at which
point the warranty no longer covers labor.
No wonder it was the lowest priced.
On: 2002-06-14
I bought this unit for the mp3 playback and low cost. It plays mp3s, though it lacks any sort of fast forward or rewind. Frustrating, but I will take it over not having mp3 playback any day. Regardless, this unit began acting weird a few months ago, and now it just refuses to open or play discs. It is dead, after less than a year of use! I guess you get what you pay for. Avoid this unit, for 20 bucks more you could do much better.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-09
You got to be wondering why this dvd player can get such a good review from the others. Maybe they are Apex employees or they simply cannot afford a REALLY DVD player. Good [inexpensive] DVD player are abound today and APEX is not ... any more when compare to Panasonic, Toshiba, or even Sony. I have tried AD-3201 and this model. Both picture quality are far worse than my old Sony. I have not encountered any mechnical failuer so far. But, who knows when those [inexpensive] looking dvd players quit working. Youd be better think twice when purchase this player when you can find the brand name in warehouse club for only 20 or 30 dollars more.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-08
Im not sure why people are having all these problems with this wonderful little machine but I sure havent. I bought this DVD player around six months ago. I am a cinephile, so I have put this DVD to max use. I have it hooked up to my home theatre system and use it all the time to play mp3s, audio CDS, VCDs and DVDs. No problems with the DTS sound whatsoever either. It is even possible to upgrade the firmware using a cdr in order to make a few modifications, if you know what I mean. After my testing of around 150-200 commercial DVDs of various regions, both new and used, only 4 displayed occasional audio hiccups. This was due to the condition of the rented discs though. All DVDs have played near perfectly, even PAL DVDs. I did run into a few problems with some variable bitrate mp3s, but most play just fine. All VCDs which I have burned from my cd burner have worked like a charm also. Simply put, this [inexpensive] little machine has outrun my previous DVD player that I paid over three times the price for in all respects. According to the reviews I read here, there may be a few lemons out there. I certainly didnt receive one. The remote isnt really that bad either, if you know how to point it at the DVD player and dont have mutant hands. Also, the tray seems to open within two seconds on my model. I would recommend this DVD player to anyone. It has loads of features, stood up to heavy daily usage for six months without a hitch and has decent quality sound and picture. I say go for it.
On: 2002-06-07
Works really well with DVD, VCD, MP3, CD. Good Picture & sound. On the downside, it has a really weak remote and it has a lot of operating vibrations & sound. Still, you cant beat the price and its a great second unit.
On: 2002-06-03
Returned my first unit because eject would not function.Second
replacement is quickly degrading after only 6 weeks.Intermittant
problems recognizing discs,stalling during play,ejecting.This is
in a kids free home using brand new factory recorded media.Would
not buy another APEX.
On: 2002-05-31
Received the unit yesterday. Plug it in this morning with the exitement .... The unit played exactly one single MP3 song then hung up. Powered cycle did not help. I unluged and put it back. Now it does not have display on its pannel. My CD is still stuck in there. ... I think you only get luck for certain unit, depending on the mood of their expertise employees when they build. Take your chance if you want to pay for the...price and possibly get hassle.
On: 2002-05-30
I bought this DVD player because a friend of mine has had a similar model (500) for over a year now and swears by it. I set it up and after playing 4 dvds the sound went out. Then it wouldnt load disks at all. I have been emailing APEX customer service for a return and have gotten no reply. My suggestion would be to stay away from this dvd player and spend a little extra for something more reliable from a company with better customer support. Once burned better learned!
On: 2002-05-27
This is my first DVD player and its just great. I havent had a single problem with it and ive had it for 6 months. I know others that are just as happy. Why spend all the money for others when this does the job just fine?
On: 2002-05-26
This is the biggest piece of junk I have ever purchased. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. The first one I purchased stopped working. I bought another. The tray door broke. I returned it, and this replacement also broke. Three out of three broken days after purchase, not a good record. I have bought a Phillips DVD623. I am satisfied with this.
On: 2002-05-21
Okay, lets start with the good things about this DVD player. First, it has a low cost $[money] CAN. Or about $[money] US, depending where you live. Secondly, it is the smallest DVD out there for your buck. In addition, the quality of picture/sound was better than most units in the same price range. These are the only strong points of the APEX. Now for the cons of the APEX AD-1500
First off, no component video for higher end TVs, that is not really expected from this lower end DVD units. Next, an extremely frustrating remote, if you are over the age of two. Common one, the buttons on this unit are very small and a fight to just press one button if you have larger fingers. A third problem that these units have something that never works right on them. Mostly they take forever to open (we timed a BRAND NEW demo model at over 10 minutes), but sometimes they will not read MP3s or skip scenes. And fourthly, these DVD players die after about a day to 3 months of normal use. Working in an electronics section of a store, you see more of these units than early Playstation 2 models being returned. Many people I have talked to go through two or three of these APEX before they return these units and spend...more and get a quality unit. My final word
These units had potential to become, but fell flat on its face instead. If APEX could fix up these to a point where only a few units would have problems, and get a bigger remote, the APEX AD-1500 would received a perfect 5. It could become the most popular DVD player for bedrooms and small home theater budget.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-20
If you dont know what can be done with this machine then I Suggest searching "apex AD 1500 ". THis fact alone makes it worth buying. Its to easy
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-19
Amazon originally advertised this machine as a combination DVD/VCR, and a VCR that played PAL format tapes to boot, dirt cheap, so I ordered one. And got my boss to order one. When the machines arrived, there was not a VCR in sight, just a DVD player. My boss still hasnt forgiven me.The biggest problem with this machine is the remote, which is erratic in its ability to control the machine. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. Sometimes you press PAUSE and get VOLUME. If I had it to do over again, Id pay more for a name brand. And for you folks who care about where things are made for political reasons, APEX machines are made in China.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-19
This is the player that you want if you want to watch the illegal copies of DVDs floating around out there. I do not know why but this particular model of DVD player plays the illegal copies of DVDs the best.Now, be warned that I do not watch the DVDs myself, however, there are about 6 people at work that have a connection to get these illegal DVDs and although all of them already owned a DVD player, they ended up buying this player because it played EVERY DVD without a problem. Not sure why, not sure how, but there is something about this player. Buy it today if you too are "connected" to get copies of DVDs before they even hit the big screen. Careful though, I know people on the other side of the fence too, and the Feds are starting to track these hackers down.
On: 2002-05-15
im from halifax nova scotia and iam glad to say that even my apex ad-1500 dvd player as set my goals in getting a dvd player i wouldnt trade it for another one. i knew my tv wouldnt set up without the rf modulator. yes the buttoms are small but you get use to it. i found the funcations easy to use and im happy with the zoom in not x2 but x4 it all depends sometimes on the dvd your playing as well so those who want the "lowest cost,easy steps,who always dreamed about having a dvd" GET THIS ONE ITS ALL THAT
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-15
I have had the APEX 1500 for about a month now. It is my first DVD player and I find it great. It has played all DVDs so far, all CDs (studios and burns), but some of my mp3 discs cant be read in it. I must say the remote takes some getting used to....but for the price I can deal with the two cons I have met with this product thus far. At this price..., if it last 2-3 years problem free I will confirm it was a great deal. Picture quality and sound are excellent.. You wont go wrong buying one of these. Like any other product you will get the odd lemon...this is an excellent product for its price...in fact I would say it is underpriced
On: 2002-05-11
I bought this thinking I would get what the other reviews said I would get, a VCD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW player. I was pleased at first as I opened the box. But instead, when I put a DVD in, I got a message "NO DISC". After waiting for 3 hours on tech-support which was NOT toll-free, I hung up when they said I had 2 hours remaining hold time. I looked on the website, and on the homepage of the player was my message "NO DISC". I clicked on it, and it says that some players (I looked this up elsewhere and it says 30% of these players come with this flaw) come in the box with pre-misaligned lasers, which cannot be fixed. Fun. You have a 3 in 10 chance of getting a faulty DVD player. Have fun in the luck of the draw!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-05-01
The image and sound were great, but after only one hour of playing a videodisk, the apex developed a strange, continuous noise like a beating inside the box. Very annoying! I had to return it. I hope its the only one out there with such defect (?).
by: author_a_restless_knight On: 2002-04-30
I was wanting a 3rd DVD player, one for the bedroom, and I am pleasant surprised at this one. Great features, good solid remote (though I being a baby boomer and arms are getting too shorts would have liked bigger buttons!!)The quality is super, the sound superior to one I paid twice for, was SHOCKED how much better the sounds was from it. I highly recommend this for anyone wishing a DVD player. A great value especially for the low low price
On: 2002-04-30
Despite the attractive pricing, this machine is certainly no bargain. I thought it might serve as an upstairs complement to the Panasonic DVD RV31K I have downstairs. But especially in the light of recent price drops on the latter machine, its difficult to rationalize purchase of the Apex, even if its currently in the same price range as inexpensive VCRs. The tray doesnt slide open: it opens with a loud scrape and thunk. The minimal on-site controls (4) practically force you to rely on the remote, which features the largest number of tiny buttons Ive ever seen crammed onto a tiny surface area. Unless you have laser eyes and muchkin fingers, its unlikely youll be able to punch one button without hitting several others. If you factor in the cost of returning the unit along with the postage you might have saved on another machine, youll probably realize, as I have, that in this case less is simply less.
On: 2002-04-29
I was wanting a 3rd DVD player, one for the bedroom, and I am pleasant surprised at this one. Great features, good solid remote (though I being a baby boomer and arms are getting too shorts would have liked bigger buttons!!)The quality is super, the sound superior to one I paid twice for, was SHOCKED how much better the sounds was from it. I highly recommend this for anyone wishing a DVD player. A great value especially for the low low price
by: Anonymous On: 2002-04-26
This inexpensive dvd player does the job that I needed it
for, playing dvd movies. At this price you can get a couple of them for each television in the house. I do not have a digital television that will support progressive scan and other bells and whistles.Good picture and sound.
Simple unit, drawbacks, remote can be confusing at first
small, but no big deal. No s plug in the box, must buy. I highly reccommend this player, of which I have two, one for the den and the other in the bedroom
by: Anonymous On: 2002-04-25
Just received my DVD PLAYER and used it on 2 movies, nice little machine for the price. If you want a good solid performer without all the bells & whistles, then this is a good choice !I am always very satisified with Amazon and the values offered.
On: 2002-04-21
I havent seen where anyone mentioned that the Apex AD-1500 also plays the following home-burned DVD formats - DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. With the costs of DVD burners coming down to a reasonable price the AD-1500 at its price is absolutely fabulous. I bought myself one and one for each of my kids (4) so they could watch the DVD+RW disks that I burned with captured family videos from VHS and Hi-8 video tapes. The DVD+RW disks had full professional style menuing and worked just like store-bought DVDs. When finished they could watch all the video clips just like a normal movie from end to end or go to the scene select and pick the sections that contained just their portions.If you are considering burning your own DVDs then, in my opinion, you cant find a better player to view them on. One other recommendation if you are getting into burning your own DVDs but havent bought the burner yet - get one that burns DVD-R disks because the media is significantly less ... as compared to the other formats (DVD-RW & DVD+RW) ... Wish I had known that before I bought my DVD+RW burner ;-(.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-04-09
I have read the many reviews of this DVD player, and I have to say that I have had no problems with installation, playing new DVDs and playing older dvds. The remote layout can be confusing, but once you get the hang of it, you should have no problem. I highly recommend this player for everybody
On: 2002-04-07
Like other reviewers here, I could care less about anything other than playing a movie. I got this because it can play any format Ive put in it. CDR, CDRW, DVD, VCD, SVCD, MP3 - you name it, this thing plays it. Weve had this one a few months, but other APEX machines we have are over a year old and still going strong. Picture quality is fine and we have one hooked up to a surround sound system on which it has performed flawlessly. The price is certainly right, too.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-04-02
Ive had this DVD player for a month now and so far it works pretty good considering it was only 70 dollars. It even played my PAL DVDs with no problems. The small, compact design was perfect for the space I had made for it. note: I read on a different web site that the serial numbered DVD players beginning with "D" are the "good" ones? I have one of those players, but would like to confirm this statement.
On: 2002-03-30
This DVD player has everything you need. The picture is great, it was easy to hook up to my TV and VCR, and the instructions were easy to follow. If you are not looking to impress anyone with a name brand and dont want a lot of fancy features that you will never use, this is the DVD player for you. It is definitely worth the little bit of money I paid for it, and more!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-30
this DVD player does a great job- cant beat it expecialy for the price.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-29
My unit plays all disks and seems fine at first glance. But it has a seriously weird problem: when you play a rental dvd the picture appears very bright, as if overexposed. It does this only with rental dvds -- I have 3 or 4 bought at stores, and these play great. I havent heard of others reporting this problem, so it doesnt seem frequent, but certainly it adds to the quality issues mentioned by others.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-26
I purchased this unit thinking it would not performed but for [the money] brand new it was worth the gamble. I tried my home pressed DVD in the more expensive units at the CC store but they could not read the disc correctly. This little puppy outperformed the other units. And when I hooked it up to my edit suit, it made perfect vhs copies of movies for downstair viewing through the vcr. BTW my MX1 mixer corrects the Macrovision copy device. My only draw back was the fact that I will have to purchase a coaxial cable to enjoy Dolby Pro Logic sound decoding. But thats not a problem considering I had several VCDs for over 6 months but could not find a unit to play them.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-26
This unit is a hard to beat price point. Excellent support for DVD,SVCD,VCD,and MP3. While not for the true videophile, its great for the hardware hacker. Its flash upgradable firmware can be obtained from around the net with lots of interesting hacks. The start screen can even be customized with your own images! Lots of fun for the money.
On: 2002-03-23
I recommend this player. I purchased TWO of these players from a large department store chain in Columbus Ohio. It has been nearly one year now, and both are still going strong. I had tried a cheaper brand player [orit--n (letters omitted) made in China] that had fewer features, and had been very disappointed. Some players will skip due to finger prints or the smallest amount of dirt left on a disc that has carelessly handled. They pause or digital freeze frame and then contine after a few seconds. THE STOP/START sound/picture out of sync that someone referred to in their review is a copy guard feature engineered into all DVD players and is designed to prevent people from copying DVDs onto Video Tape.
This Apex player will play ALMOST flawlessly. I have never had it pause more than once on a "dirty disc". It has lots of features. The MULTIPLE ANGLE feature is not available on most recorded discs, so I have not had a chance to experience that one. I am told by salesmen that some cheap DVD players can only operate for about 90 minutes before overheating and shutting down.
My only complaints with this player would be the missing optical port, difficulty setting the unit to play in standard format as opposed to wide screen, a SEPARATE power button on the unit itself and the door being a bit slow after pressing the button to open and close. If the disc is placed in the tray correctly though, contrary to other reviews on here, the unit has never failed to open and shut properly. If you turn the power off on the remote,the unit stops playing, but the power light on the unit remains on. You have to get out of your chair and press the switch on the unit to turn it completely off. Likewise, the remote will not turn the unit on unless the power switch on the unit itself is turned on. This is an annoyance, but not a big one. At the time of my purchase, the optical port was availabe on the next model up for about thirty dollars more. I like this unit very much.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-22
Althought this product may be lacking somewhat in appearance, it does its job very well. It plays new,used,and rental dvds great. This player will leave you asking yourself why it costs so low next to other players. My friend suggested APEX after he had used his for 9 months now without a single problem. Dont let the brand name and low price fool you. Expect a great dvd player with this, because thats what you are going to get.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-22
The Apex AD-1500 DVD player is a true master in disguise. Short on appearance (simple is sometimes better though) but long on performance. Outperformed many DVD players in the $500+ range, no joke. You will not find an easier DVD player to set up. Try it out for yourself to believe. At this price you cant go wrong and you can get one for every TV you own.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-20
I bought this player about a month ago. I have played about 5 DVDs so far and they have played perfectly. The sales person at the store I purchased it from said that many of the new discs are "layered" and that the inexpensive players didnt play them very well, but so far Ive had no problems. I dont think you can beat this player considering the price.
On: 2002-03-19
I like the 1500. Only complaint is the small remote. But, for
the price, its a good buy. Picture and sound are improved over
VHS tapes, especially the freeze frame.
On: 2002-03-19
If you want a DVD that actual plays MP3s, this is not the brand. I bought one of these elsewhere and on the second day it started refusing MP3 CDs. Their technical support is non existent and judging by the other comments, I wish I checked here first. Fortunately, I was able to refuse the charges on my credit card. There are much better DVD players that play MP3 sold. Apex does not make any of them. Beware of anything made by APEX. If there was a negative 5 rating, it would go to APEX.
On: 2002-03-19
This is an absolutely horrible DVD player. The first thing you will notice when watching a movie is the sound falls out of synch with the action, extremely annoying. Dont forget to leave your dvds in the player after watching your movie or the player will burn the dvd.. it ruined two of my dvds ... you get what you pay for, but with this item you get less for what you pay
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-19
I was skeptical when I saw the price tag, not to mention the brand name (who the heck ever heard of Apex?), but I am totally sold. It works great, no glitches or problems, setup was easy. It has few features you might expect to find on higher-end machines, and I have no idea about the long-term reliability (purchased in December 2001), but it doesnt matter all that much considering the price... Picture and sound quality are quite good, especially compared to VHS.
The AD 1500 is great for those who have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and dont see the logic in spending tons of money on this kind of thing.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-03-17
I bought this Apex 1500 DVD player through [a store] online. When I got it home I found that the thing didnt work correctly at all. The "setup" key, necessary to conform the DVD player to your system, didnt work. Disc playback locked up on the first track, and the owners manual leaves a lot to be desired. This DVD player is cheap, but you get what you pay for! Thumbs down...
On: 2002-03-15
Tray may not open when you first buy it; just stick your fingers in and give it a pull after you press open. Plays everything you shove into it, MP3s too. Even plain mpgs burned onto a cdr. You wont find another player thatll do that for under .... Besides the ... look of it, the only problems I have with this player is the lack of an additional digital (fiber-optic) output and the video quality. Use the S-Video output and youll see what I mean. However, if you plan on using the plain RCA connection, then fuzz will not be exposed on the screen; the video quality is fine. For you video-philes out there, I wouldnt recommend this for high quality DVD playback, but as a VCD/MP3/MPEG player it does fine. The GUI is a bit dull though. Along with the MP3 playback, the Apex AD-1500 is a good deal. If your current DVD player does not play VCDs and homemade discs, this player is an affordable supplement.
On: 2002-03-14
It plays everything and everything to the extent. Just one little problem the fast foward is only 8x on dvds and 4x on vcds every slow .
On: 2002-03-12
Although batches of these units have had QC problems in the past, lately they seem to have worked them out.This player has a high-quality ESS VideoDrive Image processor that can play DVD, VCD, SVCD, XSVCD, CD-Audio, and MP3 Audio disks without problems. This drive also handles DVD errors better then others with its ability to play-through bad areas, as opposed to stopping playback altogether as many other DVD players do. For the [amount] this player costs I have to give it 5 stars. I use it daily for DVD and VCDs and its excellent. No, it is true this is NOT a BOSE ... unit, but when you average quality and versitility and dollars this unit is a winner. I also have a Samsung M101, and M105 and I prefer the APEX over those. Also the APEX has 3, yes three!, Video-outs (2 RCA, 1 S-Video), RCA Audio out, and DIGITAL AUDIO output!
On: 2002-03-05
I bought a few of these units a month ago and NONE of them worked from the start. Some would continuously close and open the DVD tray when plugged in asking for a disc; the rest would not even open the tray - all you could hear was constant clicking until they were unplugged. I got tired of going back and forth exchanging the unit. Besides, the guys at CC told me that most of the AD-1500 players come back to them sooner or later.It is such a waste to produce something that no one at the factory has time to power up and check. It would not take more than 15 seconds to do, save shipping costs across the world, and maybe it would even get them a few loyal customers in the long-run. I would be very reluctant to buy an Apex DVD now no matter what advanced or other great `hackable features it might offer on paper. This unit sounds too good to be true, so when you buy it, make sure the store is close by, so you can easily return or exchange it...
by: Anonymous On: 2002-02-26
Wonderful unit for this price. Was up and running in 5 minutes.
No problems with install. Easy setup, easy to use remote, etc.
Now if I can only figure out to burn a VCD...
On: 2002-02-25
I purchased my first Apex AD-1500 as a second unit for my bedroom. I was a little wary at first thinking, "How much performance can I really get out of a DVD player that costs less than [$] and is not much bigger than a phone book?" The short answer to my own question was LOTS.I purchased my SECOND Apex AD-1500 as a replacement for the more [costly], and lesser performing [other] DVD player that I have in the living room. I have yet to find a disc that these little units will NOT play. Ive been playing DVDs, CDs, VCD, SVCDs, and of course, MP3s without trouble. Whereas my [other] had the occasional skip with dual layer DVDs, the Apex units have shown no problems what so ever. The living room unit is connected to my surround sound system. The sound quality so far has been acceptable. Stereo seperation is decent,and center and rear channel performance is also decent. Pros:
Cost - under [$] in my case. You can buy 4-5 of these units for the price of a high end [other]. The unit could almost be considered "disposable".
wide range of playable media
(DVD, CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD & MP3) 12cm and 8cm sizes.
Very in depth On screen programming, allowing for decent tweaking.
!! ZOOM button !! Rocks... Cons:
Unit is very light - not much inside the case. Slides easily with no rubber feet. (easily solved)
Opening and closing of the dvd tray sounds a little clunky. One unit is louder than the other, but this is due to a totally different DVD drive in the unit which utilizes a different gear system to open and close the tray.
No optical output or progressive scan. All and all, a decent, low-cost entry level player. Probably not a player for the high end videophiles. Of course, both of these players are brand new. My opinion may change in the months ahead if they start having problems, but that is what warranties are for...Both players are still running flawlessly. I have had ZERO problems. No skips etc. The players DO NOT run hot as someone else had been stating. I also discovered that on the later models of the AD-1500 you can burn your own firmware upgrades. One of the firmware upgrades even disables the MacroVision on the box. You can then run the player through your VCR and tape your DVDs. There is also a utility available to let you change the players startup background to anything that you wish. With the above having been said, you proceed at your own risk performing these upgrades. The remote chance exists that you can permanantly damage your machine if you are not careful... I have performed the firmware flashes on both of my machines without trouble and I can tape anything that I put in it...
On: 2002-02-24
I consider DVD to still be an emerging technology so I was not willing to spend a lot of money on a high tech DVD player that will be out-of-date in a year.
After having purchased this one and playing quite a few DVDs I am happy to say I am very satisfied. Im not into fancy sound setups or expensive TVs, so maybe this DVD player wouldnt work on a high-tech setup, but from my standpoint this DVD player is great on every DVD I have played from The Matrix, Enemy at the Gates, Nightmare Before Christmas.
On: 2002-02-21
This product is outstanding. It plays all dvds just fine, has a good selection of outputs on the back and plays mp3 cds very well... If your looking for a good dvd player and arent looking to add it to a 5000 dollar surround sound system, then this dvd will not only do you nicely, but im sure youll be impressed.
On: 2002-02-21
This is the best buy you could make all year, not only does the APEX support all video formats, but it also plays NTSC/PAL. This is a great player, anyone who says different does not know much about dvd players. You can also download software upgrades for this player. This is an amazing price for an AMAZING machine.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-02-16
This products quality is poor. The remote control volume up button interferes with the TV - causing TV channel to change. After using it two times, the stop button stopped working. Also audio signal clips. Finally I had to return it.
On: 2002-02-13
Like many I have a high caliber Sony DVD hooked up to my Surround Sound but I needed a low cost DVD for my bedroom. The Apex was recommended by a friend for its ability to play MP3 and VCD movies. Both of these formats do not play on my Sony so it is nice to know I can watch VCDs that I press or my friend does. The DVD comes with all the features you will need for basic operation, it does have Dolby Digital Output so it can compete with the big boys. Yet if you are looking for 5.1 Decoding and Component Output look elsewhere. For less then $... this is the best DVD on the market, avoid the Oritron and other no names and stick with the Apex.
On: 2002-02-06
But you get what you pay for. Very few options, and the quality is poor. For just a little more cash, ($149 to $199) you get a much better product with lots of options. If you do get this DVD player, in just a few weeks you will wish you spent the extra $60-$110 bucks!!
On: 2002-02-01
So far, very happy with this product. Bought two of them for Christmas several months ago. No major problems. No problems with loading the disks or bad remotes as I have read in other reviews. One small annoyance, every once in a while theres a little glitch where the sound and video dont quite match. A few seconds later, they catch up. This may just be a problem with this particular video. Have not yet tried it with rental videos. For a lower-end video player, I think its pretty nice.
On: 2002-01-31
This is my first DVD player purchase and the player works great so far. The first APEX 1500 I got though didnt work at all, the power wouldnt even come on. I decided to exchange it at my local Circuit City instead of returning it and the one that I have now works perfectly. Its having no problems playing my rented DVDs or my CDs.
As far as I can tell buying this player has been hit or miss for most people. You either get a good one or a bad one. I knew that I could possibly get a bad player when I purchased this but I figured it was worth a shot and I could always return it. I also knew that I could get a good, cheap DVD player if all turned out well. So I took a chance and I am happy with the product.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-01-27
This is a great DVD player for playing burned or bootlegged movies. However the remote could be better, the one I have crapped out on me after about a month. The remote still works but you have to be pretty close to the DVD player for it to work (I thought that the point of having remotes is so that you can be lazy and not have to get up if you want to fast forward or anything).
On: 2002-01-25
Cheap player. Plays new dvds fine, but freezes on the rental dvds. I know its the Apex player that is at fault because when I play the same rented dvd movie on my Pioneer dvd player, it worked fine. This has happened twice in 2 weeks. I am definitely returning it for a refund.
On: 2002-01-23
We love this DVD player. Small in size but not features. This little player has all the bells and whistles of machines twice the price. Our player has worked perfectly on all DVDs (including rentals)!! The picture and sound are great, we used the s-video connection and sound input to a home theater system. Highly recommended!!!
On: 2002-01-21
I ordered this item dec. 28 and It still hasnt shipped yet
{ jan. 20 } so I couldnt say.
On: 2002-01-20
I just purchased my third DVD player, and the decision to buy the APEX AD-1500 was one of the easiest choices Ive ever had to make. Im a very picky shopper, and I compared no less than 50 different models before I discovered the AD-1500. I was looking for a model that would reliably play VCDs and MP3 CDs burned on my home computer. I have 3 small children that love music, but Im very uncomfortable allowing them to watch music videos on TV... since you never know when something too violent, or mature is going to play next. Instead, Ive been downloading and/or saving my own video files for the songs that they like... then burning them to CD. With my 2 previous DVD players, a Sony and a Toshiba, neither of them could play VCDs very well. Most of the time, they skipped around and played songs too fast, too slow, or not at all. The Toshiba could play MP3s, as long as you met a long list of recording criteria... and then it could only play the songs in sequential order. When I first heard about the APEX 1500, I ordered one right away and as soon as it arrived, I returned my 2 week old Toshiba for a refund. The APEX has Zoom, plays MP3s in shuffle mode, plays every CDR and CDRW Ive tried, has a decent remote control, and has performed flawlessly since I got it 2 weeks ago. For someone that wants to play MP3s and VCDs, you cant find a better deal under $200 anywhere... so dont waste any more time shopping and order the APEX 1500 before they are all gone!
On: 2002-01-16
Despite the fact that this is not a "top of the line" DVD player, it has a lot of great features and is pretty easy to use. Read some of the other reviews that talk about the precautions (for instance, some say it doesnt play well for damaged disks...that may be true,but its been playing my rentals just fine, a total of 1 skip so far; or the one guy who couldnt figure out that the ENTER button on the remote also has a sideways triangle that is the universal symbol for "play!"; or the people who hook it up through the VCR and the picture warbles--dont hook it thru the VCR!...just go to radio shack and get a a/b switch or (if your TVs old) a RF modulator to be able to easily use both devices...better yet, check the radioshack web site, which has schematics in pdf form!)Fine, clean, lightweight machine. They even gave me a coupon to try netflix.com (which has been a great mail-order rental club...check that out too!)
On: 2002-01-12
This player is absolute the best for the buck. It has the most features for entry level player. The remote does have a "play" button unlike others claim from previous reviews. My works just fine. The only complaint I have is that the power button can not be turned off by the remote, it only goes into "stand by" mode.
On: 2002-01-10
I got the AD-1000 Model for Christmas this year and was wary because I knew it was a fairly cheap product. However, I went ahead and set it up. It is a very easy set up and doesnt require a lot of smarts but when I kept getting snow and then the "Unusable Signal" on my video output channel, I was getting ready to pull my hair out. Then I decided to try the extra video/audio cable that I happened to have and viola! success! But how crummy is that that the stupid cable was bad right out of the box? Other than that problem, the player has worked fine -- knock on wood. I will use it til it dies and then probably get me a VCR/DVD combo. After all it was a gift -- cant complain with "free". ;) Oh, and I made sure to keep the box "just in case".
On: 2002-01-09
Apex to answer that question. The remote for Apex 1500 doesnt have a play button on it, I was fed up with having to go up to the thing and press play everytime I want to listen to music or play-back a DVD that I stopped. The quality of the DVD movies are great. I myself watch alot of movies, but I used this machine so much it jammed! I was mad, I use it properly but it jammed and I had to get it repaired. My friend got the same player as mine and he had a problem playing MP3s. SO he had to return it for another player of the same kind. Other than those flaws I enjoy having this DVD player for a low price!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-01-07
Two years ago I purchased the Apex AD-600a and was quite pleased to have dvd and mp3 playback capability in one player. Although the audio quality was not fantastic, the video quality was pretty good for the price. I have since upgraded to a Technics DVD-Audio player so I dont have that unit anymore. I traded it to a friend of mine and he reports that it is still playing quite well with absolutely no problems whatsoever.Okay, enough about the ad-600a..... I recently purchased the Apex AD-1500 as a gift for someone that has no A/V Receiver and does not care too much about sound quality and/or dvd player bells and whistles. Basically it was to be used in a simple setup with just a television and nothing else. I was hesitant to buy this product based on a) the low price, b) poor build quality, and c)reviews indicating problems such as a tray defect (not opening) and read errors(of scratched media). Against my better judgment, I bought the dern thing. Because the gift recipient isnt all that skilled with electronics, I offered to hook it up and make sure it worked (I was extremely worried it wouldnt after reading these reviews). After installing the needed audio cords and powering the device up I tested the eject button with the remote. No response. At first I thought it was the batteries. Nope. I tried over and over and no response. I tried the eject on the player. No response. One of the above reviews noted a similar defect, but that reviewer managed to manually tweek the tray open and then it seemed to be okay after that. I gave it a try, and it worked! Now frustrated, I wasnt expecting much. I grabbed a DVD and put it in. I closed the tray, the load indicator came up, then the display indicated no disc. I tried reloading the disc repeatedly, checking for any potential oversights on my part, and got nowhere. I then tried a music cd for kicks, and got the same no disc problem. Neither disc was scratched, and neither disc was recognized by the player. I have NEVER had a disc loading error on my Technics. Can you say, DISAPPOINTED! Angry and somewhat embarrassed, I apologized to the recipient and packaged the thing up. I will be returning it tomorrow, and will never again buy an Apex product. My fault I guess - you get what you pay for...but then again, for about a hundred bucks youd think we could watch at least one movie before it broke down!
by: Anonymous On: 2002-01-06
I can not rate the perfomance of the product because it did not work, but I can tell your the construction is low quality. Problematic cd door that easily breaks or does not open. If you are going to buy this and not have it shipped (store pickup) and are gentle with it you may be ok.
On: 2002-01-04
We were among the many thousands standing in front of K-Mart on Thanksgiving morning because we wanted a couple of these DVD players. If you look at the reviews at Circuitcity.com, this is one of best DVD players for the money. Where else are you going to get the combination of performance, versatility and bang for the buck? For those new to DVDs, this player is simple to operate and although the remote control is a little odd, its easy to use. The thing plays everything including CDs, MP3s, VCDs, etc., but you have to know how to burn these correctly from your computer in order for them to work properly in a player. I suspect that many of the people who have had problems with their machines either got a bad machine (early samples were not rated well; make sure its the Apex 1500 and not one of the other models) or they dont have the proper format or didnt hook up the machines properly. You cannot hook up any DVD player to both your television and a VCR. If you do, you will get wavy lines or a poor picture or a picture that fades to black and back. Youll then need to install a "video stabilizer" (available on-line for about $30) in order to prevent the built-in software (Macrovision) from messing up the picture. For the money, this is the best little DVD player out there, bar none. You can spend more for a brand name, but you wont get the performance. As for those readers who seem to have problems playing rented DVDs, I dont know what the problem is, because weve played rented DVDs and DVDs borrowed from the library, with absolutely no problems. Get one, you wont be sorry, unless you get one that doesnt work out of the box. Weve had ours operating without a hitch since Thanksgiving Day and we love it. Highly recommended.
On: 2002-01-04
We bought this player for Christmas for our play room. We never even got to try it out. It did not work straight out of the box. We could not get the tray to open. We returned it for another, which had the same problem. Finally we just took our money back and are looking for another brand.
On: 2002-01-04
I bought my first DVD (a Fisher) two years ago. It never worked right. This Xmas I decided to try an APEX 1500 after all the good reviews. It is so good I am buying another for the bedroom. A cant miss price and unit.
On: 2002-01-04
.... Dont expect miracles, fancy menus or super ac3 sound decoders. It plays DVDs and music cds. Works fine with decent picture quality. I bought it as a Christmas gift and I belive it was a good choice. Of course graphic lcd interface has a lot of room for improvement plus player or remote control dont feel as sturdy as more expenisve machines. But its a work horse. It will get the job done.To everyone who coplains about quality of the manufacutring aka failed out of a box and etc. Its a [PRICE] machine bad lemons and rotten apples do happen. If quality control would be any better this player would cost [PRICE]. Its ok to buy a not expensive player. Especially if you are not that picky about your equipment. So what that you skip couple of fancy modes, you will not use them anyhow. This Apex machine is a good bang for you buck.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-01-03
Having had good luck with Apex 500A dvd players I picked up one of these before Christmas for our main tv, a Sony Trinitron with S-video connector. I was especially attracted by its ability to play MP3s. Happily, it played perfectly throughout the holidays. CDs, many dvds, MP3s burned on several different disk types at differing bitrates. One or two quirks. MP3s play within their directories only, so if you want ten hours worth of music burn them into a single directory. Hook your audio outs to a separate amplifier if possible so you can turn off your tv screen while MP3s are playing. The documentation isnt great and the remote is small and a bit quirky. And be sure to properly shut down and eject MP3 disks lest you find that a new disk will not be recognized (rectified by turning off player, letting it sit a few seconds and turning it on). The player is also very small and light and so probably needs to be treated with some respect. Im generally of the philosophy that when a technology set is relatively new it is best to buy low until all standardized. With that in mind this is a very good deal.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-01-02
The three of us are AV techs and the two techs that have this item are in heaven. It is a bit technical in the some of the bells and whistles programming but those who love a challenge and a lot of special features this is the toy for you. I love all the inputs and reccommend this item for everyone since it will do DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, MPEG and more. Enjoy the technology of today because tomorrow there is more to come and even better but not at this price.
On: 2001-12-31
The problem with the video-changing brightness= You cannot run it through a VCR or other device. It must be directly connected to the tv. Also...it helps if your tv is digital... The brightness is an issue when you have the device near or running through other electronic devices.Other issue. After 20 minutes of dvd playing, it starts making a chopping sound...and each frame starts skipping. POJ. I knew I shoulda gone with the Sony....
On: 2001-12-29
I bought this item thinking it would at least function. Not.First it took the dvd and started to play it. Then it shut down and would not spit it out. I had to disconnect all wires and plug it into an outlet. Finally after 5 minutes and repeated open commands it spit the dvd out.I selected 3 new dvds and it did it to all of them.At least circuit city refunded my money to my credit card.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-28
I got it for Christmas and it works great. It plays every format including VCD (which my other one wont). I like it and the price is good as well.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-28
Wow, what a difference. This is my first DVD player, and so I was thinking economy. But what I got was alot more. A terrific picture and a machine that as I discover the features is alot of fun. My friends who have sold me on these players payed so much more for so much less. I have bought DVDs and rented them and have had no problems whatsoever. With the money I saved I bought a S-video cable, and still had plenty of change from my Ben Franklin.
On: 2001-12-27
I bought two of these this Christmas. One for my 18 year old and the other one for my 17 year old. They love them! For the price, you cant go wrong. There was NO WAY I was going to spend hundreds of dollars for a DVD in their bedrooms! (They can do that when they move out!) This DVD is worth the money especially if it is for a teen.
On: 2001-12-27
This DVD player is IDEAL for the average person, it does video out in composite and s-video, and it downmixes dolby digital sound to 2 channels if u dont have home theater, or with a coaxial cable, u can connect it to a home theater system and listen to Dolby Digital and DTS sound. With my s-video connection it produces an excellent picture on my sharp 27" television. It can play DVDs, CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, MP3s, and VCDs. So You can really do allot with it. I bought this player at K-mart, and except for the cover on the power button falling off, and when u turn the player with the cd tray face down it comes out a little bit, its an excellent player. I would reccomend this to anyone.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-26
This DVD player may be a fine unit but I never found out. On Christmas Day I connected the DVD to find that the disc tray would not open. I am not the only person with this problem. In fact there are some individuals on Apexs message board that claimed to have bought 2 units and both had defective disc trays.I am not telling you to avoid this product but I would advise you to carefully research and visit Apexs message board to see what others are saying. ...
On: 2001-12-26
Id give it zero stars if I could. My wife bought me one for Christmas this year. It played for about 5 minutes and died. I couldnt even get the disk out. I had to take it back for a refund and disk-removal. I guess this could happen with any brand, but Ive never had a Sony, JVC, etc. die right out of the box on me.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-25
People who hook their DVD players through the VCR will encounter Macrovision, an anti-piracy feature which some DVDs have. To "fix" this problem, look around on the internet to find a Macrovision-free/Region-free firmware update. This "feature" one of the biggest reasons Im getting this player. Its a great value if you know what youre doing.
On: 2001-12-24
Please dont buy Apex. It is the only electronics product that I have purchased that breaks in less than 30 days. My Apex stopped working for DVDs after seeing 20 movies. The laser went out of line, so it has be shipped in for repairs. I am going to get my money back and buy from a reliable company.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-23
I purchased the Apex AD-1500 as my first stand alone DVD player. After viewing several rental DVDs, my perfect DVDs and testing out various computer file formats I must same Im happy with this and would suggest it to anyone. :D BTW the color of the player is BLACK, the picture posted when I ordered (was not clear) and I was expecting grey >:0/ but was very pleased to find that the player is black. :DA few people have mentioned they had problems with a pause intervals on scratched discs. We rented Jurassic Park 3 last night,it was pretty roughed up as most rental discs are, the Apex player had no problems except for one small place that it froze for maybe 5 seconds on and then continued. **BUT** I tried the disc at that point in my Playstation 2 and it stopped the movie completely and in my computer viewing the movie it had the same freeze for a few seconds like the Apex 1500 experienced.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-22
this is actually a good player. but the build quality is just minor. for this cost dont expect much. it has all these features which is nice and |
