Toshiba's SD-6980 is a single-disc DVD player that offers advanced features such as HDMI output and 720p/1,080i DVD up-conversion, all for well under $200.

HDMI provides a superior connection between the player and a compatible component such as a digital TV or home theater receiver, maintaining signals in their digital form. The resulting picture quality is superb, visibly surpassing anything achieved by a standard player even with progressive scan output. Unlike many other HDMI-equipped players, the SD-6980 package comes with an HDMI cable, which can carry a significant price tag on its own.

Up-converted DVD content displays with excellent clarity and resolution, and this extends to still images as well. Insert a disc loaded with JPEG images, and with the help of the HDMI connection, the digital photos will be displayed with a stunning resolution quality.

While the SD-6980 caters to high-end digital monitors, analog TV owners shouldn't be discouraged. The inclusion of the HDMI interface makes the SD-6980 future-proof, and it will still provide exceptional images when connected to an analog TV via its S-video output.

The SD-6980 offers plenty of audio features as well. Its coaxial digital audio output enables you to route Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound to a full-feature A/V receiver, and the Virtual Surround Sound function can simulate multichannel audio through the built-in speakers on a stereo TV.

The SD-6980 offers plenty of playback features and is compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD-R/RW, VCD, and CD-R/RW loaded with MP3, WMA, and JPEG files. The only major disappointment is the performance of the universal remote control, which is unresponsive and poorly laid out.

The quibble with the universal remote control aside, the Toshiba SD-6980 is a superb and technologically advanced DVD player.

Warranty
90 days parts and labor