TiVo Community Forums Archives - Won't this Apex DVR/DVD $200 sell like hotcakes?

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Won't this Apex DVR/DVD $200 sell like hotcakes?
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Posted by: Chris Gerhard

I think this product makes a lot of sense. It includes a progressive scan DVD player, plays just about every disc format I could think of and includes a 40GB hard drive for $200. I have no idea how this can be manufactured to sell at this price.

Amazon Apex DVD/DVR for $200 shipped

If it works, it should be a big seller unless I am missing something.

Chris

Posted by: Justin526

If it is properly promoted it will do very well...especially if there is no guide cost.

Posted by: genearch

interesting that TiVo owners recommend a Series2 over this device when they know nothing about it.. :rolleyes:

Posted by: stevel

I can't find ANY details about this device....

Posted by: Patchwork

Here's the only thing I could find about it (a press release from the Apex web site) :

http://www.apexdigitalinc.com/images/APEXDVD.PDF

Posted by: smark

quote:
Originally posted by Chris Gerhard
I have no idea how this can be manufactured to sell at this price.

China I believe. Pennies a day.

Posted by: Raj

Apex is CRAP. All of the APEX stuff I see at CC is usually broken and/or looks cheap.

Posted by: R. Kalia

quote:
Originally posted by raj2001
Apex is CRAP. All of the APEX stuff I see at CC is usually broken and/or looks cheap.

But most APEX units can be modified through hidden menus or software upgrades to ignore region codes, strip mcrovision, convert PAL/NTSC...how-tos are posted in various places on the web.

Posted by: edrock200

quote:
Originally posted by raj2001
Apex is CRAP. All of the APEX stuff I see at CC is usually broken and/or looks cheap.

Are you basing that on experience or because it "looks cheap?"

I have two apex players and though people will put down their players I LOVE THEM. I bought an ad-1200 for $50 at circuit city and it has handled more standards than any other player I've owned including a high end Panasonic DVD Burner (hs2)

The apex I bought so far has handled:

DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
CD-R
CD
DVD
CD-RW
VCD
SVCD
MP3
CD's with just JPEG's on it

Haven't tried DVD-RAM yet...

Not to mention that out of the box with a 5 digit code I made it region free and macro vision free. On top of all that I can throw formats and resolutions that are not standard with no problem. The thing even has a screen saver...best part is if the drive ever fails, go on ebay and get a cheapo $15 PC dvd drive and swap it out, standard interface.

Next to the panasonic I can't tell the difference in quality on my SDTV using S-Video connections. All that for $50.

*edit* forgot to mention it also converts PAL discs to NTSC for me and vice versa. :D

Posted by: rickten

yeah seriously the apex 1600 I think it is, that they are always selling for 49.99 can read anything I throw at it. VERY high bitrate SVCD's and all media types. I've even watched svcd's that had actual parts of the cd flaked off the media was so cheap. When the player got to that part of the disc the picture did get very pixelized and the sound went screwy for a few seconds but then it just kept chugging and went on with the movie. My computer even froze on that movie because of the damaged disc. Maybe the picture quality isn't the best compared to other players but I wouldn't know since I only have a 25" regular style tv. So I think for MANY people apex is a great solution.

Posted by: Chris Gerhard

quote:
Originally posted by stevel
I can't find ANY details about this device....

Neither could I. This article describes vaguely what it might be:

http://www.cirrus.com/en/press/releases/P335.html

I see Apex brand DVD players at most stores that sell DVD players now so I am assuming Apex will get this device in front of the public. How will the average consumer justify a $300 lifetime subscription to record TV when something that records like their VCR with no subscription can be bought for $200 and it plays rental DVDs also. If it includes a tuner and some kind of guide with onscreen programming and is simple to use, it can't miss in my opinion.

Chris

Posted by: rexdart

Gotta jump in there for Apex. Raj, I wonder if you have ever actually used their stuff. I was hesitant when I bought my AD-500 a couple of years ago, now I wouldn't buy anything else.

I just recently grabbed the new AD-2500 (progressive scan) while it was on sale at Microcenter for $69.

Although I cannot vouch for it's progressive scan quality (no component jacks on my tv) I can definitely confirm that it will play literally anything I throw at it. Hell, I don't even need to burn discs as VCDs any more, just dump an mpeg on a disc and it will play it. I can mix a couple mpegs, a few mp3s (wma as well) and maybe a picture or 20 on the same disc and view em all with the player.

About all I could wish for is it to decode divx but I guess you cannot have everything.

Posted by: mtmra70

quote:
Originally posted by raj2001
Apex is CRAP. All of the APEX stuff I see at CC is usually broken and/or looks cheap.

did you know that all an Apex DVD player is a PC cdrom and a linux kernel

Posted by: pyrite504

Sorry, Raj, looks aren't important. I picked up a 3 disc Apex DVD changer at Sam's to watch stuff region-free. It has optical out, no S-Video, but what do you expect for $80.00. Yeah, it looks like a strong wind would shatter it, but it's a tank. I dropped it once by accident, still works like a charm.

Posted by: jmoak

i've got to agree...
i've got a few apex 1100w's ($50). those suckers will play anything.

Posted by: Cletus

quote:
Originally posted by mtmra70
did you know that all an Apex DVD player is a PC cdrom and a linux kernel

Hehe, thanks for playing but no cigar. Apex (and most of the DVD players out there) use MIPS CPUs on a dedicated board; and one of those embedded realtime operating systems (the exact name escapes me right now).

Posted by: zaknafein

quote:
Originally posted by raj2001
Apex is CRAP. All of the APEX stuff I see at CC is usually broken and/or looks cheap.

This may be the first time we are in complete agreement.

Apex players are amazingly versatile, but their build quality is simply awful. I've seen several units either overheat and die, or blow out their transports.

Posted by: captain_video

Apex players are a mixed bag, IMO. I had a 1100W for a while and it played everything I could throw at it. Here's a link for anyone that is interested in what you can do with an Apex machine:

http://www.nerd-out.com/

There's a link to a discussion forum for Apex and similar players as well as a hackers site with firmware upgrades and such. I bought my Apex because it was one of the few players that didn't barf when I fed it a TyDVD burned from a show extracted from a DTivo ('nuff said on that topic). I got rid of it in favor of a new Sony DVP-S715P (I may be slightly off on the complete model # but the 715 is correct). I just didn't like the fact that the Apexes are cheaply built. They are an oustanding bargain for the price but not something I'd consider for a serious home theater enthusiast. I don't care about hacking the player to make it region-free since I don't have access to any DVDs other than what I buy or rent locally anyway. It is extremely versatile but you do get what you pay for. $50 buys you a cheap DVD player, plain and simple.

Posted by: Moebius

Personally, I've always felt Apex had it's place in the market. It's very much hit and miss, but at the price, you can usually afford the gamble.

I've owned a few Apex products, including DVD players, and for the hidden menus to remove Regions and Macrovision, not to mention other nice toys, they can be handy.

However, as a rule, I think their quality (as in pic and sound) are nowhere near your major brand players. For a kid's room, or basement tv where the whole Home Theater setup is not in play, they're worth the gamble. If you're wanting to hook it up to anything of decent Home Theater quality (like a nice tv, or sound system) buyer beware. About the only time I've done that was to watch a Region 2 dvd as my current Sony player doesn't have the hidden workarounds.

Posted by: jsmeeker

I'm gonna agree with Raj. Looks are somewhat important to me. They have a cheap finish to them. And I like good remotes as well. The Apex remotes I have seen *SUCK*. They have ity bity, tiny buttons. That's no good.

Posted by: RJsilvermann

quote:
Originally posted by jsmeeker
I'm gonna agree with Raj. Looks are somewhat important to me. They have a cheap finish to them. And I like good remotes as well. The Apex remotes I have seen *SUCK*. They have ity bity, tiny buttons. That's no good.

While I agree that the Apex DVD's usually look pretty rough, the one that the topic is referring to actually looks pretty decent (in the pic).

I'll be watching this sucka' closely. looks like a hekuva deal to me !

Posted by: d_anders

quote:
Originally posted by genearch
interesting that TiVo owners recommend a Series2 over this device when they know nothing about it.. :rolleyes:

Bottom line, no matter how anyone feels about APEX, everyone has been talking about the need for a basic DVR with basic timeshift and pause capabilities...I have idea what the true capabilities of this unit are, but for $200, it may for a great and inexpensive option for folks who want some basic conveniences...

TiVo has got me sold on the guide data and the features of season pass and wishlist, etc...but a basic, manually recording DVR, has it's own merits...I'm just surprised TiVo just doesn't figure out a way to compete in this area of the DVR market...I know the real money is on the "service" side, but it surprises me that they don't strike a deal with the likes of APEX or more manufacturers that could sell a working, basic DVR off the shelf to get the critical mass and offer some type of purchasable "upgrade" to get the TiVo Service...

TiVo should eventually get out of the hardware business and sell service this way....much like buying a PC with an offer to subscribe to MSN or AOL along with it...The PC has it's own usefulness but becomes so much more when connected to a valued service....Microsoft provides the "specs" for the PC design, TiVo could do the same....

Posted by: steuert

Apex stuff indeed looks cheap, but it is cheap, and usually works OK. What more can you realistically expect? However, it's not here yet and Amazon doesn't even specify a delivery date. Now if they will only add the capability to record to DVD's for, say, another $25, I will really be interested!

Posted by: Chris Gerhard

For the masses that haven't used a TiVo, a hard disk video recorder that records like their VCR probably sounds the same as a TiVo to them. We are a very small minority that understand and see the value in a product like TiVo. I bought my first D-TiVo not knowing anything about it other than it recorded video to a hard disk rather than video tape. I had used D-VHS bitstream recording so I knew the advantages for that. I quickly understood the TiVo service and then preferred TiVo because of the great software but without using it I never would have gotten the concept and I have been buying audio video equipment for over 30 years. As someone posted earlier, a TiVo similar to this that could be upgraded to offer the TiVo service would make a lot of sense. Now how to manufacture something like this to be sold for $200 to enable TiVo to compete. This is quite an accomplishment to market a progressive scan DVD player with a 40GB hard disk drive, MPEG encoder/decoder and tuner at this price. I am reading that Apex is the world's biggest selling DVD player brand and if that is true, their products must represent a good value. I have friends that own Apex although I have never owned an Apex product, I might soon.

Chris

Posted by: Glen dG

I think this, or something like it, would complement a SA TiVo nicely. If you have a few conflicts, you can treat the Apex DVR as a slightly stupid second tuner to back you up when Angel and West Wing are on at the same time.

[ducks]Of course, you could just watch one of the shows live.[/ducks]

Posted by: edrock200

quote:
Originally posted by jsmeeker
I'm gonna agree with Raj. Looks are somewhat important to me. They have a cheap finish to them. And I like good remotes as well. The Apex remotes I have seen *SUCK*. They have ity bity, tiny buttons. That's no good.

I agree that the remote sucks but I use a universal remote so it's not an issue. For $50, they have to cut costs somewhere.

As for d_anders opinion that picture and audio quality are bad, I disagree, but to each his own.

Posted by: edrock200

quote:
Originally posted by pyrite504
Sorry, Raj, looks aren't important. I picked up a 3 disc Apex DVD changer at Sam's to watch stuff region-free. It has optical out, no S-Video, but what do you expect for $80.00. Yeah, it looks like a strong wind would shatter it, but it's a tank. I dropped it once by accident, still works like a charm.

Which model do you have? I've never seen an apex without S-Video...that's surprising.

Posted by: PaulaBerge

Great price, but if it can't change the channel on digital cable, it's useless to many of us. I don't understand why those of us with Comcast and TV Guide guide can't have the reminder change a channel :(

Posted by: PrimeRisk

quote:
Originally posted by raj2001
Apex is CRAP. All of the APEX stuff I see at CC is usually broken and/or looks cheap.

I take it you never owned one. Apex runs about 18 months ahead of "national" brands in technology and innovation. They are also the least expensive players I've found, but they're not cheap at all. I own 5 of them (AD600, 2x 1100W, 1200W, and a 500W) and not a single one of them has performed poorly at all. In fact I'd say that Apex provides the best value in a DVD player period. I'm interested in the specs of the Apex DVR, it should be interesting.

Posted by: PrimeRisk

quote:
Originally posted by Patchwork
Here's the only thing I could find about it (a press release from the Apex web site) :

http://www.apexdigitalinc.com/images/APEXDVD.PDF

Wow, I'm more interested in the Apex DRX9000 DVD Recorder!

Posted by: pendragn

Count me in as another satisified Apex DVD player owner. I got the 1100W because I could make it region free.

I will agree that they look and feel cheap, and the remote completely sucks. But for $50 and the ability to watch movies that won't come out for Region 1, I can't bitch.

tk

Posted by: edrock200

quote:
Originally posted by PrimeRisk
Wow, I'm more interested in the Apex DRX9000 DVD Recorder!

Not bad at only $350!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...ronics&n=507846

It looks like every model mentioned in that PDF is on Amazon's site.

Posted by: JYoung

good catch, Chris.
For $200, this might make a good replacement for my Showstopper....
I hope it can play VCD and SVCD...

Posted by: ADent

We had a cheapy APEX DVD player. Great unit, played a lot of formats, Macrovision off via remote.

But it blew its power supply, taking out the transport in the process.

Posted by: steuert

Interesting link to Amazon re the Apex DVD recorder coming (who knows when?) for $350. However, you can now buy a Panasonic DMRE30 for about $400; IMO probably a much superior product for not too many more $$.

In a few months you will probably see the Apex unit at Sams Club for $225 or thereabouts, and I will definitely consider it then - provided that it has a better remote than the crappy piece of junk that came with my AD1600.

Posted by: DVDerek

I wonder if it will use the 40GB Drive during DVD Playback to provide a 5-10 second buffer. This would fix the "layer change blip" that makes my non-dvd friends look at me like something is wrong every time it happens.

Posted by: mattack

quote:
Originally posted by steuert
Interesting link to Amazon re the Apex DVD recorder coming (who knows when?) for $350. However, you can now buy a Panasonic DMRE30 for about $400; IMO probably a much superior product for not too many more $$.

Now if Apex just mixes their two products, they could have a MUCH cheaper version of the Panasonic HS2 or Toshiba RD-X2 --- hard drive recorders/DVD recorders in one.

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