Hi:

Another questions dealing with VCD. I have been doing some research on which (very affordable) DVD player can play dual digial video standard (PAL / NTSC ) and found APEX AD660 to be one of the cheapest on out there.

Does anyone have any problems with it?

Thanks a lot.

-- Maria Yu (yu_maria@hotmail.com), January 21, 2001

Answers

A friend in the States has one and it played my PAL SVCD without a problem. Just the same as my Philips plays NTSC for me when I receive NTSC VCD's and SVCD's - I am in Australia

-- Ross mcL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), January 21, 2001.

I don't know about playing video CDs, but when I try to play mp3s that were recorded onto a CD-R, it will read the directory and even the name of the files. However, when it tries to play them it will skip rapidly through the mp3s and I hear zero sound, except maybe some garbled blips like when you're tuning an old radio. Also, and this is really good, sometimes it will go through the song backwards. The only indication I have that it is playing is that it shows the elapsed time like on Winamp. I would appreciate it if someone would help me. Thanks.

-- Brian D. (commx@hotmail.com), April 02, 2001.

The Apex AD660 is a piece of junk--a total loser. It won't play MP3s and high density DVDs. When I took it back to Circuit City, the salesman admitted that it was low-end crap, advising me that occasionaly you may luck out and get an Apex machine that plays MP3s, but most of them have problems. On top of that, he indicated that the Apex will not play 70% of the DVDs out there. Circuit City should be totally ashamed and embarrassed to be selling a machine they know doesn't work. Arrrrrggggghhhhh!

-- Ray Rogers (slinky@postmark.net), April 16, 2001.

I have the same EXACT problem as Brian D. Just read what his problem is, and mine's the same. Unfortunately, I may have to take it back as well. However, it played my Spinal Tap DVD very well. I almost wish it didn't have an MP3 player so I could keep it.

-- Owen (owen_the_ghost@hotmail.com), April 19, 2001.

i traded my apex660 to apex 703 with 3 disc changer...im happy with it ..it plays anything i put in it..any cdr/cdrw media, svcd, xvcd

-- (dginopoy@aol.com), April 19, 2001.

To play mp3's, you have to remove the idv2 tags off of each song. You can go to Cnet.com and download a program which can remove these tags easily. Burn it to CD, and it works 100%. You also have to use Mode 1 and Joliet to burn it.

Does anyone know of a way to select the right or left channel when playing VCD's? My stereo system doesn't have that option to select it. Only to remove the plug manually.

-- Everest (everest@rocketmail.com), April 20, 2001.

the new apex ad660 i bought at circute city for $140 on 4/20/2001 is a great player, it plays all of my mp3 discs,it also plays vcds, and dvd is killer i like the zoom feature, this is one of the best mulity player on the market i have control over pal or ntsc output anybody who does not buy this player is a fool and for $140 you can not go wrong all i need is to find the aiwa cdc mp3 car player for a cheep price,good buy vhs tapes,vhs player,and wave files and let the apex ad660 mult region hak come; rember the ad660 will never be obsolete its user upgrade able.get it befor they ban it look at napster

-- josh miller (josh@indabox.com), April 24, 2001.

I bought the AD660 because I wanted to convert my home videos to play on SVCD. I've had good luck with that and also playing the MP3 files.

Since then I've talked my kids into buying one also. Everybody is pleased a punch.

So far I've played MP3, VCD, SVCD, DVD.

-- Bill Egbert (wtegbert@micafil.com), June 04, 2001.

It plays dual standars and in any of the three formats selected by the remote control PAL/MULTISYNC/NTSC, It's a great player, some bugs, but great, excelent MP3 PLayer, I had about 90 MP3 CD's recorded by myself before buy the APEX and ALL of them works excellent even the MP3 with Variable bit rate than are very rare. It also plays MPG files!!! yes, amazing!, and if the DRIVE stops working for some reason just change it for a Piooner or Toshiba PC DVD drive and that's all , it will work again!, no electrical mods needed for it, just some minor mechanicals mods.

-- Leandro (leandrolaporta@usa.net), July 19, 2001.

Help!! I Bought this model in oct 2000. So far so good!! It was playing wonderfully all the types of discs including MP3 s.

Really its a wonderful feature!!

But now it can *only* play DVDs. not Audio CDs, no CDR/CDRW no MP3s But its playing DVD's without any problem.

Please help if anybody has any solution to this problem. My 90 days warranty period is expired and the repair cost might be higher than its value itself :o)

Please Help!!!

-- Kiran Bhave (kiranbhave@yahoo.co.uk), July 20, 2001.

hi i got my dvd player at circuit city and a dvd recorder and i burns all the dvd's i need it blocks the copywrite and i love this thing.....i work a circuit city and if u have a problem with something maybe its your own dumb fault.....but ill help out who ever has a problem with their dvd/tv/audio/yourmom thanks for your time

ps if u want to buy my APEX AD660 $300

-- rv (dork58@hotmail.com), September 02, 2003.