Divx-Compatible DVD Players

Proscan PS8680Z

This is the best of the production Divx-compatible players, and the only one equipped with component outputs. It is a mid-range unit, DD and DTS-compatible; like its RCA brethren, digital audio connections are made using Toslink. The Proscan has excellent anamorphic downconversion, seamless layer changes, superb software compatibility, solid mechanics, an easy-to-use menu layout, and is very robust with damaged discs. The player boasts a handsome titanium finish, and a scrolling marquee display on the front panel.

After Circuit City cut the price on the PS8680Z to first $329, and later $249, it enjoyed a spell of popularity with home theater buffs.

Panasonic X410

This player is a mid-range unit, based on the famous A110. It is DD and DTS- compatible, and has both Toslink and co-ax digital audio outputs. Anamorphic downconversion is good, as are layer changes. Software compatibility is excellent (it was the only model of the 110 family to not have problems with Warner's top-selling Matrix disc), although not quite as good as the Proscan.

RCA 5231Z

The 5231Z is another entry-level model, basically an updated 5230Z, and is both DD and DTS-compatible. Like the 5230Z, digital audio connections are made via a Toslink optical cable. It has average image and downconversion quality, and excellent software compatibility. This unit was popular in its time, and is still a good choice for an entry-level DVD player

RCA 5230Z

This model is DD, but not DTS, compatible. Digital audio connections are made via a Toslink optical cable. The 5230Z is an entry-level player with average image quality. Rumor has it that this player has a design deficiency, corrected in the next model, that causes disc skipping after a few months of use.

Zenith DVX2100

This was the first Divx-compatible DVD player released to the market. It is an entry-level unit, and the least capable of all the Divx-compatible players, with below-average video quality and DD-only (no DTS support) digital sound. The DVX2100 features both Toslink and co-ax digital audio connections. The software compatibility of this unit is below average (will not play The Matrix). I would not recommend this player unless you are looking for a collectible or can get it for a very low price.

JVC XV-DX1

This was a high-end player that never made it into production (it was in the final weeks of Quality Assurance testing when Divx marketing and development ceased). Being so close to production, listings for the XV-DX1 were available at Internet e-tailers, and I have decided to include it here. The XV-DX1 would have set a new standard for Divx-compatible players, as it boasted component outputs, an onboard Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoder, superior video playback, and a host of bells and whistles that would have been a pleasant change from the spartan utilitarianism of earlier Divx models.