Specs and Features
Performance Features: MP3 Playback, Basic Remote, Supports DVD / CD / VCD / SVCD / CDR / CDRW Playback
Output Terminals: (1) Coaxial (AC3)/DTS Output, (2) Analog Audio Outs

Review
Most of you have probably heard something by now about our new little friend - the Shinco DVD-168. So what's all the hype about? Let me try to explain. What would you say if I told you that there was a player available that has component video out, passes DTS, plays CDRs, CDRWs and discs with MP3 music files... AND gives you a secret menu option to bypass Macrovision and Region Coding? If that's not enough, then how about if I tell you it costs less than $200? How does that grab you? It definitely caught my attention, so I ran down (I actually drove, I don't run very fast) to my local Circuit City and picked up one of these little imported gadgets to see for myself.

Out of the Box
As I opened the box in excitement and pulled out the player, all I could think was: "...and people thought the item was light". This little baby weights in at just over 8 lbs wet. The overall look of the player is somewhat pleasing, but still has the essence of the sub $300 players you see in all the standard retail outlets - lacking any special appeal or glamour that most electronic enthusiasts desire.

Front Panel
The front panel has most of the standard buttons found on today's DVD players. There is an Open/Close Door button, Stop, Play and Pause. You will also find a microphone inputs.

Rear Panel Connections
On the back, you will find clearly marked inputs and outputs. There is one video connections. Audio connections consist of two analog outs and one coaxial digital connection.

Player Performance
My first test with the video was connecting it to my widescreen portable television via the component video connection. I popped in my Region 4 copy of Nutty Professor II and immediately noticed that the colors were highly over-saturated to the point that they were glowing. After I tested several other discs, I found they all were having the same results. I was unable to reasonably compensate for this through my user controls on the television without compromising other source material that may play through that input.

Anamorphic DVD down-conversion is always a hot topic for owners of standard 4:3 television screens. The shimmering and waving artifacts from line removal can be very distracting when watching your favorite movie. Again, the Shinco excels in keeping a sharp and finely tuned picture performing this daunting task.

One of the many highlights of this player is the audio section. I was pleasantly surprised that the audio output was crystal clear and sounded just as good as my far more expensive Toshiba 5109. The Shinco is very fast on switching audio tracks and I still have not heard a single digital "pop" error after the many discs I have run through it. What I found next really surprised me. The D/A converters in this unit are shockingly excellent in their performance. I played some of my favorite music CDs using the analog outputs and was simply floored by the clarity. The audio section is truly amazing, all things considered.

When you are checking out DVD players, you find yourself going through all the menus and items to be found. The Shinco makes this process easy with its super-fast menu access. Navigation is so fast, that it makes your other DVD players seem slow - almost like your first personal computer back in the 80s. You can zip through the menus of your favorite special edition DVDs with Ninja quickness and cat-like reflexes. Along with the speed comes the fastest layer change I have ever seen in a DVD player, regardless of price. In fact, I am unable to detect the layer switch on almost every disc I have run through it. Even the notorious layer break in The Matrix went by without a hitch. If I didn't already know the placement, I doubt I would have detected the break.

Playing MP3 Files
This is one very cool feature! More and more people are finding the many advantages of the MP3 audio compression format and it's tremendous flexibility. Now you can burn some 125 or so songs on a CDR or CDRW and play the songs right in your home theater! The player detects the MP3 files and gives you a menu list (restricted to 8 characters in length), letting you use your remote navigation keys to select and play any song on the disc. This feature alone makes the player money well spent in my eyes.

Advantages of Region Free
As I mentioned before, the Shinco player lets you view discs from other regions. But why would you want to? Home Video licensing is handled differently by almost every studio. In some cases, different studios are involved in the release of a movie depending on the region in question. One example is Pulp Fiction. This Miramax film is released by Buena Vista in Region 1 and by Miramax themselves in the other regions. The Region 2 transfer of this film is not only anamorphic widescreen, but it's also an entirely superior transfer. Many DVD releases, which are 4:3 letterboxed in Region 1, can be found in other regions in full anamorphic widescreen glory. Being able to disable region coding gives the consumer alternate choices when choosing their version of a DVD investment. You can also find movies in other regions that are not released in Region 1, giving you more choices in expanding your home movie library.

Summary
I think with an improved MPEG decoder board, this player would rival the best of them and be a real contender, even against players costing three and four times as much. All things considered, I am very impressed with Shinco initial offering to the DVD player market.