Talking about entry level players, often, the build quality between a generic and a branded player is not far. (There are some generics that even surpass an entry level branded player in terms of bells and whistles.) Many generics come from the same factory in China on the same assembly line that makes entry level branded players, the difference being only the name tags and/or the face plates. They share the same electronics and moving parts. I once encountered a Philips entry level player that superficially has a navigation on screen menu that looks surprisingly the same as a Promac. Same functions it seemed.
Between a $40 DVD player and the cheapest branded Sony player, there's often more VALUE in the former. You get DTS decoding and 5.1 analog output which can be nowhere in an entry level branded. Someone said a branded DVD player gives the least value as an entry level purchase. Many HT lovers own both complementing each other.
There's some argument saying that quality control is better with branded players. That may be true in general. They have a name to protect. But it's equally true that many generics have still to make a name for themselves and thus put in as good or better quality control. And lemons could statistically be about the same for both. Although there are quite a number of upstart generics these days that I hear really make poor quality build. I guess it's a matter of really scrutinizing the merchandise. Not all generics have lousy quality, and not all branded are great. Let's not forget that brands like Samsung, Daewoo, TCL, Kolin, etc. were once considered upstarts compared to the more famous marks like Sony, JVC and Panasonic. But they offered great value for the price and are now on the same pedestal. Perhaps 5 years from now, generics like Promac, Nextbase, Xenon, Fukuda, etc., will be ranked on the same pedestal as the Samsungs, the Sonys and the Philips. Just my thoughts.
