I have an over-large expensive 301 disc DVD/CD player. But it’s fairly old (no HDMI output). The Pioneer DV-F727 got slightly flaky before it stopped working all together.

Some investigation showed that the mechanism to spin the disc is what failed. With all the other moving parts I thought it would have been something else.

Of course, I have the 3rd season of Battlestar Gallactica borrowed and was in no state to be DVD-less (sure, no hot water still, but I can manage). I went to the Target, they didn’t have the one on the shelf I wanted (for $80), so I got the $50 RCA DRC277. It’s tiny. And it upscales for HDMI output, not that I’ll need it anytime soon – my receiver doesn’t manage that format, either.

After some cabling troubleshooting, I finished off the 3rd season. Now I have to wait till the current season is over and for sale.

Also, Pioneer wins over RCA for website customer support!