RCA RC5240P DVD Player

Component- and S-video outputs offer clearer, sharper pictures (with compatible TVs) than standard composite-video, and even with a standard connection, you'll enjoy 720 pixels per horizontal line with your favorite DVDs--more than twice the definition of standard VHS.

Enjoy convenient dynamic-range compression (which quiets loud explosions and effectively increases the dialogue level) with Dolby Digital-encoded programs--that's the lion's share of all DVDs--and an optical digital-audio output will transmit true 5.1-channel surround sound to your Dolby Digital-decoding surround receiver.

Black-level adjustment lets you tailor the player's image to your viewing environment, deepening the blacks for higher contrast in nighttime or theaterlike environments.

Playback features include multiple repeat and programming functions, multi-language/subtitle capability, parental controls, and multi-angle viewing (with compatible discs). A DVD/TV remote control is included with this player.

RCA provides a 90-day labor and one-year parts warranty.

Almost always, I am able to play any of my DVD's and VCD's. Occasionally, a disk will not "register" and the player acts like there is no disk present. I have to unload and reload a few times to get it to work.

The most annoying fault is with the remote. At times, I would press a key and nothing happens. In a few instances, the action will take place many seconds later, sort of like it wants to think about it first before it will do my bidding. I think it's a programming error.

In my opinion, the remote has too many buttons and I have mistakenly halted the movie when I only wanted to skip ahead at 2x speed.

The video quality and audio quality are excellent. Setup and connection were troublefree. Unit is attractive in black although that makes the buttons and their labels difficult to read (I have the unit on a shelf at knee level).

This is not a bare-bones product. You get the normal composite video lines, and the S-video outputs, and the component outputs. I don't have the tv that uses the S-video or component outputs, so I can not comment on the quality of those features on this dvd player. You get fast forward and reverse motion in 2x, 4x, 6x and 8x. It also does slow forward at 1/2 and 1/4.

You can magnify the picture 2x and 4x - and then scroll around.

If you have the money available and don't mind spending more, I would not recommend this to you. If you want a unit that works most of the time and are willing to risk having to replace this dvd player within a year or two, I can say go ahead and give it a try.


Steer Clear   January 23, 2003
DVD player stopped working after only about 15 hours of play (that's only 7-10 average movies). The sound garbled and the video began skipping. Sadly, I had owned it for quite some time before I began using it and the warranty had lapsed. RCA used to be a reliable brand but the quality of their CD and DVD players is now terrible and this one has to be, by far, the worst. Attempted cleaning the laser lens to no avail. Avoid this product. You'll get more use out a hundred bucks by burning it for heat.