Sony DVP-CX995V Multi-disc DVD Player

UPDATE AS OF 02-01-2007: ALAS, YESTERDAY ALL MY (400!) "DISC EXPLORER" ENTRIES VANISHED! THE USUAL "LOADING" MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE SCREEN, AND THEN EVERYTHING FROZE. AFTER I FINALLY GOT THE MACHINE TO SHUT OFF, I TURNED IT BACK ON, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT ALL MY PAINSTAKINGLY TYPED DISC INFORMATION WAS GONE! THIS NEVER HAS HAPPENED WITH ANY OF MY OTHER SONY 400-DISC MODELS (i.e., THE CX455 AND CX450). SONY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THE UNRELIABLE FIRMWARE THEY USED FOR THIS MODEL CX995V!

CONSIDERING THAT NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS (INCLUDING SOME AT AMAZON.COM) HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR CX995V UNITS, MY ADVICE NOW IS TO ONLY BUY THIS UNIT IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO CREATE A *PRINTED* (PAPER) LIST OF ALL THE (400) SLOTS' RESPECTIVE DVD INFORMATION. THEREAFTER, JUST USE THAT PRINTED LIST FOR INPUTTING THE SLOT NUMBER OF WHICHEVER DISC YOU'D LIKE TO PLAY. DON'T WASTE TIME AND ENERGY ENTERING ANY "DISC EXPLORER" INFORMATION MANUALLY. SURE, IT LOOKS AND WORKS GREAT INITIALLY, BUT THERE'S AT LEAST A 50% CHANCE IT'LL DISAPPEAR "SOMEDAY" WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT!

OTHER THAN THIS (MAJOR/FRUSTRATING) ANOMALY, THIS MACHINE CONTINUES TO FUNCTION FLAWLESSLY AFTER NEARLY ONE YEAR OF USE.) JUDGE FOR YOURSELF WHETHER THAT MAKES IT WORTH BUYING. AND DISREGARD MY BELOW (LONG-AGO-POSTED) PRAISE OF THE "DISC EXPLORER" FEATURE, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY WORTHLESS IF/WHEN YOUR ENTRIES VANISH.

PREFATORY TIP #1: This is an unusually lengthy and comprehensive review. If you're short on time (or patience), you might wish to skip ahead to some of the specialized sections beneath their respective headings (lines of boldface text) at various points below.

PREFATORY TIP #2: If you read nothing else here, at least do yourself a big favor by reading about "on-screen navigation mode #3" in the "Navigation" section of this review. I'll explain how to jump to (play) any particular disc (whose slot number you already know) by using the remote's number keys and pressing "Enter". This "secret" procedure is, mysteriously, NOT explained in Sony's own user manual! [You may likewise wish to review my "tips" in the section under the heading "The notorious 'auto play' feature".]

***

I will make scant effort to conceal my (virtually unbridled) enthusiasm for Sony's 400-disc "jukeboxes". Coincidentally, my very first product review at Epinions (January 2001) was for a very comparable Sony jukebox: their (now sadly discontinued) CDP-CX450, a 400-CD unit featuring a uniquely powerful remote handset with its own multifaceted LCD display, not to mention "on-TV-screen" display capability. [See my review: "Meet the KING of megachangers".] I continue gleefully to use my original ("master") CX450 specifically for music; moreover, I recently added a second ("slave") CX450 via a rare eBay discovery of an essentially unused unit. On top of that, I still more recently purchased four new CDP-CX455 jukeboxes along with some third-party "SAVR" hardware and "TitleTrack" software [visit the web site "http://pantherstudioscorp.com"] allowing me to control all my music (in all the above, six 400-CD jukeboxes) via my Windows PC. [For further information, also see my latest review (here at Epinions) of the Sony CDP-CX455.]

And now, thanks to my recent purchase of Sony's DVP-CX995V, I have a (more or less) analogous product with which to relish my growing video collection.

Given that I likewise own the CDP-CX450 and CDP-CX455 audio-CD jukeboxes (whose own music-categorizing and playback capabilities are generally far greater than those of the DVP-CX995V), the bulk of my review will treat the DVP-CX995V as primarily a videodisc, not an audiodisc, jukebox. This is not to say that it would necessarily be a "terrible" choice for someone intending to use it chiefly for playing music. In fact (not least because it can play the latest "Super Audio" CDs), it could function, well, "adequately" in that regard, provided you can accept that--much like any other 400-disc jukebox--it's a tad pokey when changing discs; and, more significantly, its available playback modes are disappointingly limited and often very inconveniently accessed (as I'll soon explain) if you compare it to products designed specifically for music, not video, playback.

Note: As of this writing, Sony still sells an alternative 400-disc (CD) jukebox--the aforementioned model CDP-CX455--that one might expect to be a worthy choice for any music listener. I've read both "negative" and "positive" customer reviews of that model. Owning and using all these Sony 400-disc models as I do (not to mention other CD players and changers from various manufacturers), my opinion is that the model CDP-CX455 can serve the needs of most music (not video) enthusiasts very well indeed, certainly much better than can the DVP-CX995V with its embarrassingly limited (or lacking) music-playback modes. [Albeit the model CDP-CX455 lacks several key features of its extinct predecessor (the CDP-CX450), its music-playback features still dwarf those of the DVP-CX995V, and I'd unhesitatingly steer you toward the CDP-CX455 instead of the DVP-CX995V if you're specifically seeking a MUSIC--not a video--jukebox having 400-disc capacity.] In fact, the DVP-CX995V's meager music-programming and playback ability places it at about the level of typical 1980s-era CD changers; if anything, the latter were ironically slightly quicker and easier to program! And Sony's casual abandonment of their prior CD-jukebox models' "Artist File"/"Artist Mode" storage and playback facilities is both sad and shameful.

[I've little doubt that many consumers--including me--would have been willing to spend up to $100 extra IF this DVP-CX995V jukebox had retained the ("randomizable") "Artist File" music-programming/playback feature that made prior Sony (400-CD) models so endlessly delightful!]

On the other hand, if (like most of us!) you relish both music and videos, and if you absolutely want/need a single "jukebox" product having 400-disc capacity, then it would seem the DVP-CX995V is (at present, and at this price level) as good as it gets. Besides, IF your music-listening tendencies (unlike mine!) virtually never involve "programming" and/or "shuffling" your CDs, and if you have no clue what an "Artist File" is, then the DVP-CX995V should seem virtually excellent for your (simplistic) music enjoyment.

But for those of us who demand more music-playback-mode complexity, it's truly a crying shame Sony discontinued their CDP-CX400 and (especially!) CDP-CX450 audiodisc jukeboxes (that fairly closely resemble Sony's aforementioned CDP-CX455, which is--evidently--very gradually being phased out); those venerable units, by and large, were/are wonderfully versatile music players having a far greater range of categorization and playback modes than the DVP-CX995V. Not only could you categorize and playback music via your own designated "Artist Groups" and "Music Groups" (a.k.a. "Group File"), but also you could "permanently" DELETE any detested songs merely by pressing a button or two the very first time such a track began to play. Those absolutely significant music-listening features simply aren't available with the DVP-CX995V, whose intended purpose clearly is primarily that of "VIDEO player" and only secondarily that of "AUDIO component".]

As further evidence of the latter remark's veracity, with the DVP-CX995V you can't even activate "Program Play" mode and "Shuffle Play" mode simultaneously. You could certainly do that--and much more--with the versatile CDP-CX400 and CDP-CX450 audiodisc jukeboxes. [NOTE: the DVP-CX995V does at least include a "Repeat" button/key on its front panel as well as on the remote.]

The DVP-CX995V's relative inadequacy as a music jukebox strikes me as all the more perplexing when I recall hearing that Sony (so the rumor goes) has essentially been transitioning out of the 400-CD jukebox business (their CDP-CX455 jukebox, I repeat, is gradually being phased out) and into the 400-DVD/CD combo jukebox business. If Sony expects the widest possible cross section of consumers fully to embrace such mass-market, video/music "combo" jukeboxes, then why have the finest music-programming/playback features of Sony's prior models been largely abandoned?

Even so, with its TV-screen display, Super Audio CD compatibility, and (others might argue) "adequate" range of programming and playback modes, the DVP-CX995V might satisfy--or even delight--those undemanding, simple souls who either never "program and shuffle" their music and/or won't realize everything else they're missing because they'd never owned a CDP-CX400 or, better still, a CDP-CX450.

To my knowledge, only Sony manufactures a whopping 400-disc-capacity DVD/CD player with an interactive user interface on your TV screen and with so many ways to organize/categorize your various discs in "folders" (including several predefined folders plus four "user-defined" folders). Moreover, reportedly, only Sony's DVD jukeboxes are compatible with recordable DVD media. So, if you really want to enter the ultimate "DVD-jukebox" arena, it's pretty much either via a Sony or not at all.

It's hard to decide where really to begin my review of this product, and that should not be surprising. Indeed, anyone perusing the DVP-CX995V's 95-page user manual can readily appreciate the complexity entailed with packing so many capabilities into a single machine. Accordingly, a corresponding amount of time and patience will be required for anyone bringing home this incredibly powerful--and pleasing--"media player".

Media compatibility.

I say "media player" because, as we've seen, this is not only a "videodisc" (DVD/VCD) player but also an "audiodisc" (CD/SACD/MP3) player--not to mention a photo-disc (JPEG) player. As you might expect, it will likewise play (nearly) any/all of the most popular recordable disc media. The range of compatible media includes: DVD Video

•

VCD

•

SVCD

•

DVD-R

•

DVD-RW

•

DVD R

•

DVD RW

•

SACD

•

CD (Audio)

•

CD-R

•

CD-RW

•

Picture CD (JPEG).

This Sony is indeed generally very tolerant and capable of playing most discs the typical consumer will have in hand. That is not to say there aren't machines that are better choices for reading and playing less common kinds of disc formats. Indeed, I also own Philips' DVP642 DVD player (see my recent review), and I must say that that rather low-cost machine's chief "claim to fame" is its uncanny ability to read and play problematic discs that neither this Sony nor most other DVD players could hope to handle. Moreover, even regarding merely your run-of-the-mill DVD-R backups, I've already discovered that there's a noticeable minority of those that neither this Sony nor my typical Toshiba DVD player (model SD-1800) can play but which my Philips DVP642 handles admirably. Therefore, don't get in a huff if some of your DVD-R's won't work with this Sony jukebox. The majority should.

Accordingly, I continue to retain and relish my silvery, "ultra-low-profile" Philips DVP642 as an "auxiliary" DVD player for special situations. (I've installed a wee "audio/video switchbox" from Radio Shack to easily switch between that unit and this new Sony.) But for the bulk of my video viewing, this Sony DVP-CX995V will henceforward get the lion's share of attention--and deservedly so!

After all, who can deny the appeal of being able to have (virtually) your entire disc-media library already ("permanently") loaded into a single machine and ready to access via remote from your cozy recliner? Indeed, being able to find/select/play any disc via your TV screen is pretty much as good as it gets!

Connections.

Sony's DVP-CX995V sports an impressive array of video and audio ports on its rear panel. This is especially noteworthy when you consider the affordable price of this product. Along with two separate sets of RCA jacks (not to mention two S-video jacks) for, conceivably, connecting conventional audio and (composite) video to separate areas within your home, this jukebox includes: a set of Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 channel outputs; a digital-out coaxial audio jack; a digital-out optical audio jack; a set of component-video jacks; and, last but not least, an HDMI "upscaling video" jack (for significantly enhancing the resolution of DVDs for high-definition entertainment). The latter connector is a newly introduced feature with this jukebox model.

Speaking of "connections", unlike prior Sony (audio-CD) jukebox models, the DVP-CX995V has no rear-panel ("CONTROL-A1II") port for "linking" it (via a cable) to additional Sony jukeboxes. [This likewise means that the DVP-CX995V can't be interfaced with third-party hardware (and software) to allow it to be controlled via a PC. This seems a step backward, albeit admittedly only a small percentage of Sony jukebox owners actually availed themselves of that (prior) intriguing capability.]

However, in the battery compartment of the remote there's a sliding, three-way switch that at least allows you to change the "command mode" setting of the remote such that its signals won't interfere with your additional Sony jukebox(es). [You can thusly have a maximum of three Sony jukeboxes situated proximally, with each of their respective remotes set to operate only one jukebox. [I presume this would necessitate sticking an identifying label on each remote to avoid confusion!] Likewise, you'll need to consult page 16 of the user manual to see how to easily, quickly change the "command mode" setting of each jukebox itself to match the setting of its corresponding remote.

The notorious "auto play" feature.

Let me next address the issue that--seemingly above all else--garners (in my opinion) an undue amount of critical attention from other reviewers. I refer to the much-maligned "auto play" feature, which cannot actually be disabled by the user. [Even if you do enter the on-screen "Control Menu" to change that part of the "Custom Setup" (as indicated on page 80 of the user manual), your changed "auto play" setting won't actually take effect, alas.] This would seem to amount to a bona fide glitch, and evidently Sony has no intention of doing anything about it--until (we can only pray) their next-generation DVD jukebox is being prepared for market. However, I read somewhere that this "autoplay bug" had already existed in prior Sony jukebox models, and so I wouldn't necessarily get my hopes too high regarding the next incarnation. Moreover, I've likewise read that it's actually impossible for a DVD player to override the encoding on most DVD's that causes them automatically to start playing when the player is switched on. In any case, why wait (perchance years) for "perfection" belatedly to arrive? "Life is short." You might as well take the plunge "here and now" and start enjoying this "very tolerably imperfect", largely superb, affordable, current model--trivial auto-play quirk and all.

Whenever you switch on power to this jukebox, it automatically commences to load and play the last disc it had been playing prior to being switched off. Some users bemoan this "auto-play" mode, complaining that too much time is required prior to the user being able to interrupt/exit it and select some other disc (from a different slot in the carousel), etc.

However, in my own experience with the majority of my DVDs, I actually can very easily interrupt the initial "auto-playing" of a disc during its earliest display of the FBI warnings and so on. One way to do so is to set the remote's topmost (sliding) switch to the "Disc Explorer" (center) position, and then press the "Folder" key, which brings the "Disc Explorer" (user interface) onto the screen, at which point you can select and play any disc you like.

Yet another way to fairly quickly interrupt the initial "auto-playing" of most discs is to set the remote's topmost (sliding) switch to the "DVD" (right) position, and then tap the "Display/File" key, which calls up a "Control Menu", at which point you can input the slot number of any disc you want to switch to. [See my more detailed explanation of this little-known (essentially undocumented) procedure under "on-screen navigaton mode #3" in the "Navigation" section below.]

As a variation on the above theme, here's a significantly quicker approach for avoiding "auto play" after initially turning on the machine:

With the machine still turned off, do NOT touch the "power" ("on/off") button. Instead, press the "OPEN/CLOSE" button (on the machine itself, NOT on the remote). This causes the machine to turn on and open its door, at which point you can simply use the jog dial (perhaps in conjunction with the nearby "+100" button) to quickly go to the number (slot) of any disc you want to play (and whose slot number you already happen to know). Once you have the desired disc number showing on the machine's LED display, just press inward on the jog dial to play that disc.

And here's yet another variation on the above procedure: after turning on the unit, wait a moment till you see the message "READING" (within the player's LED display). [NOTE: If you try using the remote even sooner, you'll merely behold the message "PLEASE WAIT".] Shortly after the "READING" message has appeared, repeatedly begin pressing the "OPEN/CLOSE" key (either on the remote or the player itself). This should pretty quickly succeed in interrupting "auto play" just before it gets fully to "first base". Once the door is indeed open, you can use the procedure I alluded to in the prior paragraph to input (and play) the number of any desired disc within the carousel.

And still another tolerable "work-around" solution you could try is to press "STOP" once during a video's final, scrolling credits (as opposed to allowing the video to finally stop of its own accord). Later, when the jukebox is turned back on, it will start where it previously left off. You can then immediately STOP the disc at that point. Otherwise, you'd be compelled to try interrupting the opening (time-consuming) FBI warnings, etc., via one of my above-mentioned means.

Here's something else I've noticed (assuming that you've already "disabled" (!) the auto play function as instructed on page 80 of the user manual): Before shutting off power to your jukebox, let it begin to play (or at least initially, fully "read") an audio CD (instead of a DVD). When you subsequently turn the jukebox back on, it will proceed to "read" that audio CD; but, unlike the situation with DVD's, it won't then proceed to play the audio CD; instead, it will soon just stop (hooray: no TV-screen FBI warnings, etc.), at which point you can call up the on-screen "Folder" or whatever.

Of course, as a defiant "Final Solution" to avoid dealing with "auto play" at startup, you could simply opt never to turn the jukebox off. (Some reviewers actually report having resorted to this!)

In any case, I personally just don't see what all the "auto-play" fuss is about. Sure, sure, with a conventional ("one-at-a-time") DVD player (like my aforementioned Philips), you can arise from your easy chair and almost instantly eject the current disc, remove it, and then insert a different disc. Measured in actual seconds of time, that approach is, arguably, "better". But measured, instead, in terms of "convenience", Sony's "jukebox" approach (400-discs-at-a-time"!) still wins hands down. I don't mind waiting a bit longer for my gratification; indeed, part of my delight with my Sony jukebox is the very fact that I no longer must continually bother hunting for--and manually removing/inserting--discs. Not to mention the joy in being able to view/select/play any of 400 discs via the Sony's remote in conjunction with my TV screen!

"Fortune seldom arrives with both hands full", and in this imperfect world we must philosophically strike countless compromises. Besides, now and again I find that this Sony jukebox's initial "auto play" feature meshes pretty well with my own viewing proclivities. For example, I often must interrupt viewing a particular video and switch off the unit. Upon returning to the unit (perchance hours later), I simply switch it back on, and my video (reasonably soon) continues from the very point where I'd left off.

Moreover, even when the "autoplay" feature is busy "doing its thing"--and even if I don't employ any of the above-mentioned "work-around" procedures--I still don't find that it requires an intolerably long time (after switching on the machine) to be able to just "stop" the current video. Then again, perhaps I'm a tad more patient than some other users out there. I contentedly accept the fact that this is a JUKEBOX, not a "one-at-a-time" disc player, and I'm comfortable with the overall tradeoff between "convenience" and "speed".

Remember: the evident reason that an "auto play" mode exists at all is that some consumers actually like it. :-)

'Nuff said 'bout that controversial feature!

Can it conveniently play "temporary" discs?

Some reviewers suggested that certain competing-brand DVD jukeboxes have a special facility to simultaneously function as a conventional, "single-disc" player for, say, a rented (or borrowed) video. Well, in my own case, I simply reserve slot #1 of this Sony's carousel for that very sort of thing. In other words, most of time the first slot is simply empty, but occasionally I use it to play a disc that I don't wish to "permanently" install. It's pretty quick and easy to locate and access slot #1!

Think twice before removing any "loaded" disc from this machine.

In this light, do keep in mind that once you remove any disc from (any slot of) this machine's carousel, that particular disc's previously stored information will be irretrievably erased from memory. This controversial "quirk" sometimes can be downright convenient. For example, for purely "temporary" (e.g., rented or borrowed) discs, you yourself won't subsequently have to "manually" delete any (sometimes automatically) registered disc information from the Disc Explorer display.

Somewhat analogously, unlike the DVP-CX995V, my aforementioned, older Sony 400-CD jukebox never automatically deletes such disc information whenever a disc is (temporarily or permanently) removed. And after five years of my gradually evolving musical taste (and periodic self-divestiture of those titles that lost favor), there's now a smattering of empty slots in the carousel whose lingering, ghostly, on-screen disc information is embarrassingly obsolete, and yet I still haven't gotten around to the tedious chore of manually deleting such "permanently stored" data. Thus there's an amount of annoying "clutter" whenever I'm navigating the display of that older jukebox's disc information. Such could not have been the case if that prior model shared my new DVP-CX995V's little "quirk".

On the other hand, the "automatic erasure upon disc removal" quirk of the DVP-CX995V could obviously be a recurring nuisance if you merely want to briefly remove one--or several--of your "permanent" discs from the carousel for viewing elsewhere or for lending to a friend. Worse still, should it ever come time to move the entire unit to a new home, you'll be compelled to remove all (400?!) discs (lest you damage the machine), and you'll subsequently have to reenter all the disc data. (I do therefore dread the very thought of moving!) Realizing this unhappy eventuality beforehand, you might do well to use spreadsheet or database software to store (on a CD-RW?) and print out a record of all (numbered) slot positions and disc titles within the carousel.

Granting that, I must say that I myself have only rarely felt much inclined to remove any of my essentially "permanently" installed discs for those latter two reasons. After all, part of my longstanding satisfaction with the entire 400-disc jukebox concept is that I no longer have to handle the countless "physical" discs; I merely deal with them "electronically" via the jukebox's own knobs and buttons, or, still more frequently, via its TV-screen interface and its remote.

Will it ever mysteriously "forget" all your painstakingly entered disc data?

Several reviewers have reported trouble with their units malfunctioning and then suddenly "losing" all the user's previously entered disc data. Well, I suppose that with every product line there are bound to be a relative few proverbial "lemons". Granting that, I must hasten to add that if this latest Sony jukebox of mine ultimately matches the memory-preservation prowess of its "January 2001" sibling, then I will have been proved right not to lose any sleep over such concerns. After all, all the data that I entered way back then is still fully retained in my older, 400-audiodisc Sony jukebox.

Moreover, with any luck, I won't experience any power outages of longer duration than about one day, in which case neither of my Sony jukeboxes should be in any great danger of getting amnesia.

The hugeness of it all.

Another thing that some users dislike about this unit is its sheer size, which, of course, is essentially unavoidable if you want a single machine to house a whopping 400 discs via a motorized carousel. Actually, the unit's width (17") is no greater than your conventional audio component, and its height (7.5") is only somewhat greater. Nay, it's specifically the depth (21.5") that makes it impossible to fit upon an inner/lower shelf of some configurations of "entertainment-center" furniture.

On the other hand, given that the actual (four) feet of the unit are much closer together (about 12 inches from front feet to rear feet) than its depth would suggest, conventional "entertainment-center" furniture actually can handle this "mammoth" jukebox. All you need to do is place the jukebox atop such furniture. Indeed, that is precisely what I myself have done: the jukebox now resides directly above my TV set. And even though the front-to-back depth of my "entertainment-center" furniture is only about 15 inches, I simply let the Sony jukebox's "rear end" extend harmlessly beyond the rear of the furniture. After all, the rear of my old analog TV set (within its own compartment) had done much the same thing for years.

Therefore, don't be unduly intimidated by the sheer size of a Sony 400-disc jukebox. If you truly want to make it fit in your home, you likely can. Perhaps a separate piece furniture (adjacent to your entertainment center) will be required. Alternatively, with "extension cables" (via Radio Shack), you conceivably could even locate the jukebox at some considerable distance from your TV/entertainment center. [I myself initially employed the latter, "extension-cable" approach for my other, older Sony jukebox down in my "rec room". It worked splendidly.]

Take the requisite time to learn how to reap the full power of this machine!

I've read various other reviewers of this unit, and not only here at Epinions. (For example, check out some of the "customer reviews" at circuitcity.com, amazon.com, and audioreview.com.) Along with those reviewers who veritably love this product, there is no shortage of those who revile it in no uncertain terms. Regarding the latter, my "take" is that at least part of the trouble arises from the inescapable degree of complexity (i.e., mental exertion and time) involved with setting up, "programming", and operating this unit, contrasted with conventional DVD players. (After all, we live in a world where many citizens never mustered up the mental energy to learn how to program their old VCRs' timers!) Again, "ya don't get something for nothing". If you want the undeniable convenience of having (up to) 400 discs "permanently" housed inside a single player, you must accept the reality that you yourself must initially do the tedious chore of inserting those 400 discs, not to mention the still more tedious chore of "labeling" them via your TV screen, the Sony remote, and any typical "PC" keyboard with a "PS2" plug (temporarily connected to the jukebox). In my experience, it may require the better part of (at least) one day for you to complete the entire "installation" of your new jukebox, assuming you do have a very large collection of discs, and assuming you do wish to painstakingly categorize them into user-defined "folders", etc.

One tip to the newbie: after you've initially inserted your many discs into the jukebox, they are not yet quite ready to be "labeled" via the on-screen "Disc Explorer" user interface. (You may notice that, after you slide the remote's uppermost/center switch to the "Disc Explorer" position and then press the "Folder" key, all your newly inserted discs are represented by a column of mere "question mark" ("?") icons instead of "video" (or other media) icons. In order to transform those "question marks" into "video" icons, you must press the "load" button (on the player) and then very patiently allow the machine to "read" each disc's basic, identifying information. You must endure this somewhat lengthy "loading" procedure before the machine will allow you to begin using your PC keyboard to input your own "labels" for your various discs (and several "folders" that I'll discuss below). I suggest you take a break while the very slow, "loading" process is going on. [This is somewhat akin to a TV set or VCR going through its initial "automatic channel-setup" routine (i.e., it takes a considerable time, but you'll very seldom have to do it).]

Regarding this "loading" process, also note that a minority of your discs are likely to contain pre-defined textual "disc information", such that the "disc title" will subsequently already (automatically) appear within the on-screen (TV) display. This means that for such special discs, you yourself will not need to input any "disc title" information via a PC keyboard; indeed, with such discs you actually will be unable to do so, because the on-screen "software" simply won't permit it. However, even for such exceptional "title-text-endowed" discs, you yourself will still be able to create and input text for the adjacent "artist-text" field. This adjacent "artist-text" field allows your own entered text to augment the (occasionally) poorly worded (and/or "incomplete") "disc titles" that you're stuck with accepting for certain automatically input titles.

Likewise, you yourself will still be able to decide which pre-defined "genre" designation (see below) to "attach" to any given disc title.

In any case, the majority of your discs are not likely to generate such automatic "disc title" information, meaning that you yourself will have to create and input your own disc/artist titles by temporarily attaching your PC keyboard to the Sony jukebox's front "PS2" port. Albeit it is possible to instead use the remote to input such data, virtually every user will have enough sense to use a keyboard, which will save, literally, many hours of user-input time. Heck, it takes a frustratingly long time to input text even when using a keyboard, much less using the remote!

Some essential tips regarding using discs in a jukebox.

Please note that you should NOT attempt to use "double-sided" DVDs in this "jukebox" product. The user manual mentions that such media might cause jams or other trouble; moreover, common sense suggests that it would be a major hassle having continually to remove, turn over, and then reinsert such two-sided discs inside this type of DVD player. Instead, use your "backup" (conventional) DVD player for such special discs, and only use ordinary (one-sided) discs inside a DVD jukebox.

Also, be careful about using discs with any loose adhesive (paper) labels inside a DVD jukebox. If such a label were to come loose inside the machine, who knows what damage could ensue. Having granted this (and the Sony user manual likewise mentions it), I should hasten to add that I myself have used discs with adhesive labels for the past several years in my comparable Sony (model CX450) 400-CD jukebox; and I've yet to encounter any problem with such adhesive labels coming loose to any significant degree. But some brands of such labels, conceivably, might not have such "permanent" adhesive; therefore, be forewarned. If you burn and play your own "backup" discs (e.g., DVD-R's or CD-R's or MP3's), it might be safer (not to mention cheaper) to eschew adhesive (paper) labels and instead just use a permanent marking pen (but do make sure the ink on the disc is fully dry before inserting it into the jukebox). This "hand-printed" approach may initially seem less "elegant" than using fancy, computer-printed labels, but you'll adapt, trust me.

Powerful "categorizing", "sorting", "navigation", and "programming" features:

Categorizing.

As I said, the Sony DVP-CX995V allows its lucky owner to categorize/organize discs in various ways. The several predefined "folders" (within which any given disc's information may be stored) include the following: "ALL (discs)"; "VIDEO discs"; "AUDIO discs"; and "PHOTO (JPEG) discs". After you initially insert your discs and initiate the previously discussed "loading" procedure (by pressing the "LOAD" button on the player), the machine automatically detects which of the foregoing media you've inserted. Accordingly, for example, when you subsequently view the "Disc Explorer" user interface on your TV screen, all your VIDEO discs will already be "filed" under the VIDEO discs" column, which is recognizable by the little "movie-film" icon at the top of one of the columns of data. Analogously, all your AUDIO discs will already be "filed" under the AUDIO discs" column, which is recognizable by the little "music-notation" icon at the top of one of the other columns of data. Finally, all your PHOTO (JPEG) discs (if any) will already be "filed" under the PHOTO discs" column, which is recognizable by its own special icon at the top of one of the other columns of data.

Along with the foregoing "predefined" folders, there are four "user-defined" folders, which are initially designated by the mere letters "A", "B", "C" and "D". You will almost certainly want to input your own (replacement) names for those four "user-defined" folders. In my case, I've designated those four folders according to the four (very general) categories of DVDs that I happen to favor:

"COMEDIC";
"DRAMA/ADVENTURE";
"SCI-FI/FANTASY;
"DOCUMENTARY/INFO".

Now, IF Sony had endowed this generally excellent DVD jukebox with still more "user-defined" folders (instead of a measly four!), I surely would have created better and more specific folder designations than the above. Oh well, four user-defined folders will have to suffice us. (Sigh.)

Actually, having only four "user-defined" folders is not quite so limiting as I've perhaps made it seem. This is because there are also numerous (predefined) "GENRE" designations that you can optionally attach to any or all of your discs. Examples of available genres include:
"Action/Adv."; "Comedy"; "Children"; "Documentary"; "Drama"; "Horror"; "Sci-Fi"; "Western" and many others (including "music" genres).

The various (predefined—that is to say, alas, non-customizable) "GENRE" designations can be used in conjunction with the aforementioned "predefined" folders (i.e., "ALL (discs)"; "VIDEO"; "AUDIO"; and "PHOTO";) such that you can easily distinguish your various categories of media by merely viewing (and using the pleasingly configured, slender remote to scroll downward or upward on) your TV screen.

By the way, you can almost effortlessly create a tiny (thumbnail) "jacket picture" for each video in your jukebox. Just press the remote's "PICTURE MEMORY" key while watching a given movie. Doing so takes a "screen shot" photo that's converted into a diminutive graphic and part of the information within a "details" subfolder for that disc. However, because such thumbnails are so extremely tiny, you'd best freeze only the sorts of scenes that convert optimally for such purposes. For example, my various 1950s sci-fi movies generally include some pretty cool-looking title screens whose conspicuous text remains discernible even when viewed within such wee photos.

Sorting.

It gets even better: on the remote there's likewise a "SORT" key that puts the on-screen display into "sort mode". You can then use the arrow keys, etc., to sort your on-screen discs according to any one of the following criteria: "disc-slot number" (the default); "text information" (e.g., disc title or artist name); or "genre". That "sort" key could prove one the handiest and most useful ways for instantly rearranging your on-screen lists (including when you're exploring any of your four "user-defined" folders' contents), so don't overlook it!

Navigation.

That "pleasingly configured, slender remote", by the way, allows you to navigate via your TV-screen in three fundamental ways (the third of which isn't textually explained in the user manual, and therefore almost nobody knows about it!):

(1) by pressing the up and down "arrow" keys to slowly move one row (disc) at a time when using "Disc Explorer";

(2) by pressing the upper or lower "DISC SKIP" keys (marked "+" or "-", i.e., "backward/upward" or "forward/downward"), you can navigate "Disc Explorer" considerably faster, namely one full screen (11 rows/discs) at a time.

NOTE: Although you can repeatedly tap either "DISC SKIP" key, if you want to maximize your speed of on-screen navigation, try holding down those keys instead. In that manner, you can navigate approximately 100 rows (discs) in only five seconds. I suspect that some of the strongly disgruntled reviewers of the "Disc Explorer" (TV-screen) user interface simply hadn't tried holding down those "DISC SKIP" keys but had merely tapped them repeatedly, which eventually grows a bit tiresome.

[ALSO NOTE: Alternatively, you could press a "+100" button on the player itself (not the remote) to navigate the carousel "100 discs at a time". Now, as to why there is no analogous "+100" key on the remote, that is a mystery (and a minor disappointment) to me. Even so, the aforementioned "DISC SKIP" keys actually allow you to navigate reasonably fast, provided (I repeat) that you hold them down (as opposed to tediously, repeatedly tapping them).]

(3) [Forget about the scrolling "Disc Explorer" interface for the moment.] To (almost) "immediately" select and play a particular disc (residing in an already known slot position), there is actually an essentially undocumented way to simply input the slot number of that disc and then press the "Enter" key:

Make sure the topmost (sliding) remote switch is set to the "DVD" (right) position. Then tap the "Display/File" key, which will call up a "Control Menu" (that partially obscures the TV screen). At the upper-left, you'll notice a little "disc" icon already highlighted (orange). Adjacent to (to the right of) that disc icon, you can see the number of the current disc. Press the "Enter" key once, and you'll notice the disc number change to an "empty", highlighted (orange) field. Use the remote's numerical keys to input the number of the different slot (disc) that you'd like to switch to (i.e., input any number from 1 through 400, just so long as there actually is a disc currently residing in the slot you choose). Then press the "Enter" key once again. The jukebox will now proceed to switch to your selected disc. (And, momentarily, you can again tap the "Display/File" key--repeatedly, if necessary--to remove the lingering "Control Menu" from the screen.) Your selected disc will soon be playing!

Of course, this all assumes that the user already happens to recall the exact slot number (out of 400!) for the given disc title they want to select and play. But how often will that actually be the situation? More typically, the user will actually need to refresh their memory by pressing the remote's "Folder" key (to view the "Disc Explorer" list on the TV screen) and perusing that list's slot numbers (displayed alongside their respective disc titles/artist names and genres). Therefore, admittedly, the above "undocumented" procedure might prove only occasionally useful--unless we're speaking of those exceptional users possessing "photographic memories" or who have taken the extreme trouble of typing and printing a complete list of slot numbers, disc titles, and genres! For the relatively few users (not me!) who will in fact do the latter, using spreadsheet software (e.g., Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3) or, conceivably, database software (e.g., Microsoft Access or Lotus Approach) could very well assist.

To conclude my general discussion of "navigation", let me add that the remote's fast-forward and fast-reverse "search" keys function in ways pretty familiar to most consumers. For example, each time you tap the ">>" key while watching a DVD movie, the speed successively changes, and an on-screen indicator lets you know "how fast" you're "searching". If you increase the speed "all the way", you will seemingly rocket right on through the displayed movie. Indeed, at maximum acceleration this Sony's search mode leaves my aforementioned Philips player coughing in the proverbial dust.

Programming.

First, some bad news: you can't program DVD's with this jukebox. According to the manual, you can program CDs (including Super Audio CDs) and data CDs. But not DVD's. Understandably, some videophiles will be surprised and disappointed about this curious limitation.

Regarding programming audio CDs, much like conventional CD players/changers, this jukebox provides several user-selectable "playback modes", including: "program play"; "shuffle (random-sequence) play"; and "repeat play".

However, unlike using conventional CD players, you won't be able to activate the "shuffle" or "program" playback modes via any dedicated buttons on the jukebox's front panel or even the remote. Instead, you must press the remote's "DISPLAY" key twice to call up a "Control Menu" on your TV screen, at which point you must use the remote's "arrow" keys and the "Enter" key to finally execute what seems a needlessly roundabout and cumbersome operation.

Regarding "program play" mode, you can "program" up to 99 items, and you can create a program for all of the discs in the player. However, unlike prior Sony CD (not DVD) jukeboxes, the DVP-CX995V does NOT store your program "permanently", meaning that when you shut off power to this machine, your program is lost. When you couple that fact with the DVP-CX995V's utter lack of "Artist Group" storage, it amounts to further evidence that Sony's designers didn't seriously intend this product for anything more than "casual" or "occasional" music listening. That being the case, I can only wonder why there's the dearth of programmability for DVD viewers, who, it would seem, are the targeted consumers of this product. [Admittedly, I myself don't "program" my DVDs anyway; but other videophiles do. And even with my older (model CDP-CX450) music-CD jukebox, its inclusion of "Artist Group" storage/playback (not to mention "Group File" storage/playback) makes it generally unnecessary for me to use it in its "Program" mode. By contrast, the DVP-CX995V obviously is pretty darned weak and/or downright impotent in all these particular regards. Reportedly, prior Sony DVD jukebox models did include the ability to program DVD's. One wonders, then, why that feature was dropped with this model. I can't help but suspect that Sony determined that only a relative few consumers actually program their DVDs, and, in light of that, Sony greedily opted to cut their own production costs and thereby enhance this mass-market product's profitability. (In this general vein, also see my next section: "What was Sony thinking!".)]

Regarding "repeat play" mode, you can play all of the discs in the machine (or just the tracks on a single disc) repeatedly, and you can combine "repeat play" mode with the "shuffle play" mode OR the "program play" mode. And there's a convenient, dedicated "Repeat" button/key on the front panel as well as on the remote.]

Unfortunately, (as I mentioned near the outset of this review), you cannot activate both "shuffle play" and "program play" at the same time. This seems to me a noteworthy shortcoming, and it's just one more reason why I continue to play my music via my older (model CDP-CX450) Sony jukebox. [Again, swallow the hard truth: the DVP-CX995V amounts to a delightful DVD jukebox but a disappointing CD jukebox. If you want more powerful music-playback features, consider instead Sony's model CDP-CX455 400-CD (not DVD) jukebox, which, however, can't output video to a TV.]

What was Sony thinking?!

Lest anyone infer (from my prevailing enthusiasm regarding this jukebox) that I'm some sort of apologist hired by Sony's marketeers, it's time for me to administer a full dose of unalloyed disapproval.

For the life of me, I can't fathom why my more than five-year-old Sony 400-CD jukebox (model CDP-CX450) continuously displays "disc titles" (not to mention "artist names") not only via a connected television but also within the LED display of the jukebox itself... and yet, in stark contrast, Sony's (ostensibly) "latest and greatest" mass-market jukebox doesn't do this! Granted, I'm not speaking of an "absolutely vital" feature for my particular purposes; nonetheless, it would have been helpful and gratifying to be able to view the disc/artist name of the currently loading/loaded disc right on the face of the machine itself! Ironically (and frustratingly), the CX995V's electronic innards surely already (or ought to) include the requisite memory and the basic underlying capability to perform such a simple feat; moreover, it surely wouldn't have cost greedy Sony significantly more money to retain that excellent feature from their prior models. Nay, surely Sony isn't that pathetically greedy. ;-) Surely the mysterious omission is, instead, say, the outcome of a mere "design philosophy" decision made by someone endowed with too much power (but not enough common sense) behind the scenes at Sony. (That is, assuming it wasn't sheer design negligence!) Perhaps they mused that "too much information" wasn't suitably "minimalist" for today's increasingly "semi-literate" (American) consumers' sensibilities. Or maybe the assumption was that nobody in this "remote-control", "couch-potato" era ever actually operates a jukebox by its own attached knobs and buttons, hence consumers will only pay attention to their TV screen, never the jukebox itself. [That, of course, is pure nonsense. The jukebox's own controls are actually a pleasure to use whenever you're on your feet and/or the remote is not at hand. Most notably, the conspicuous, well-conceived "jog dial" is delightful for selecting a desired disc via "turning then pressing".] It makes me want to grab whoever was indeed responsible for this inane, inexcusable, and irritating omission and shake some real smarts into their noggin!

Ahem. There now. I feel a bit better. [Here I descend from my soapbox.] ;-)

Don't forget: the remote can control (virtually) any television, too!

The multifaceted remote's topmost, sliding switch has THREE positions, two of which ("DISC" and "DISC EXPLORER") I've previously addressed. But don't overlook the third (left) position, "TV". This allows you to use the remote to control your TV set, too, even if it isn't a Sony.

With the three-way switch in the "TV" position, hold down the power (on/off) key and don't release it; then use the number keys to carefully input whatever two-digit "code number" is appropriate for your brand of TV. [See page 74 of the user manual for a complete list of two-digit "code numbers" for virtually any brand of TV. A given brand of TV may have two or more "code numbers", only one which pertains to your particular model; therefore, try each of the possible "code numbers" till you find the one that works. It's almost certain you can thusly control your TV via this remote. Heck, even my old ("1994") Sanyo TV can now be controlled via my Sony-jukebox remote!]

Henceforth (with the three-way switch in the "TV" position), the jukebox's remote can control several of your TV's functions, namely: "off/on"; "volume"; "channel select"; and "TV input source" (but, alas, not "mute").

Some users might thereby see fit to store their TV's own remote out of sight!

Concluding remarks.

Well, I've covered a fair amount of ground, yet there's so much more I've not broached. I suggest the inquisitive reader consult still more on-line reviews of this product. And then perhaps visit your nearest neighborhood retailer to behold this unit up close. However, I myself elected to make my purchase via Circuit City's web site instead of from inside one of their bricks-and-mortar stores. I did avail myself of their web site's "in-store pickup" option, such that after placing my order on-line, I headed directly for their nearest store to grab my new toy. Why? Because, as of this writing, according to their "fine print", the only way to receive their $50 (mail-in) rebate is by placing your order via Circuit City's web site, NOT via one of their neighborhood stores.

Unlike certain other (unreasonably harsh) reviewers out there, I would like to take this opportunity to gratefully THANK those particular folks at Sony who were originally responsible for bringing their various, marvelous, 400-disc "jukebox" models to fruition. When all is said, at this price level there are simply no competing products truly approaching, much less attaining, this level of sophistication and pure, unending fun!