Panasonic DVD-C220 5-disc player @ Target B&M reg.$399 for $149 clearance

[rebuilder]

Won't last long. Mileage varies. Stores don't necessarily follow the markdown schedules at same time. Just keep your eye on it the next few days if it's still at the $299 level.

And always, don't trust the red sticker! Take it to the scanner.

 

[RossMAN]

Not bad for $149, check out the Panasonic specs on this 5 disc DVD/CD changer.

I've never been crazy about Panasonic DVD anything (except their portables), a Toshiba or SONY at this price would be MELT DOWN HOT!

 

[Atrac]

For the price, I suppose it's a good deal.

*BUT* I've heard so many horror stories about Panasonic DVD Players and their optical pickups failing just out of warranty, that I'm still going to pass.

More for everyone else, I suppose!

 

[Sepen]

Atrac,

Funny you mention the Panasonic optical problems. I bought 2 of the 110A's when they came out. Both failed within a year, both were repaired at a cost of $119. The first one that failed now just plays DVD's in B+W, and the 2nd one keeps freezing when playing. I will never buy another Panasonic, just my own opinion.

If someone could get this at that price, it would be a great deal...but I for sure would get an extended warranty, if Target even offers one.

Sam

 

[badauss42]

Why does it seem like everytime someone posts a deal for a DVD player, people come out with horror stories. Something or another breaks eventually. Ive been casually shopping for a DVD player for a month now. And evertime I get excited by the first post, the subsequent ones just describe all the problems the players have. Can DVD player be so poorly engineered and constructed to have big names like Panasonic make crummy players?

 

[daddyo]

DVD techology in general is far more sensitive than almost anything else out there, consequently, you will see a lot of problems with players until the bugs are worked out over a few generations.

 

[Raj]

when exactly do these get marked down? or do you not know? have they been marked down at some stores?

 

[dl]

stopped by today,

they had a floor model that lost the power and AV cables + the remote for $149 + 30% off

I told them no thanks!

 

[Cybordolphin]

Oooops didn't see the second page. No decoder built in.....
Can't believe some fool put this on the market for $499 SRP... and no built in decoder.

 

[abcbooze]

I stopped by Target today and was told that they went on the $149 sale 2 weeks ago and were long gone. Too bad. Regardless of what anyone says, this deal is smoking hot. Good luck to the rest of you.

 

[valkyrie]

Dang, they have the floor model at $299 here. What a bummer. Oh well.

(Seattle)

 

[unclebud]

people, PLEASE post your locations... everytime i check a hot deal, i do it... perhaps save other forum members the risk of driving(i live in memphis--those who have been here know of what i speak). i've always liked psonic over sony(i got a refurbed 4-head hifi from bud's at least 3-4 years ago for $100, and had no trouble yet(despite my ex-g turning the entertainment center over --can't say the same for my sanyo... but then again the sanyo 19 still works and LOOKS like nothing happened)
enlighten me, what's the deal about no decoder? i'm new to this tech
ok-i went back and selected the page. i see what you mean

 

[unclebud]

just remembered something, they are probably still overhauling their elec dept, so people may want to wait on the 500 something model that target also sells. i wish i had gotten the previous 400 model for $179--the in-box was for $359. static display model, with EVERYTHING but the box. i think this one has less features...

 

[dragonlord2112]

I saw 3 of em at the Westland, MI Target at this price in case anyone wants to know...(the Detroit folks).

 

[TinCanFury]

Some Reviews,

http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/DVD/product_4868.shtml

I think this is a hot deal. Doesn't Do CDR's, but I have a Sony 5 Disc for that. Wow, 2 5disc changers.....

 

[rebuilder]

thanks tin can for linking for reviews.

A lot of the reviews blasted it because of no cdr play support.
Just curious why someone would want to play cdr music in a dvd player in the first place? To me that's like using your expensive Plextor 12x burner rather than a cheap $30 50x reader. Maybe I'm missing something but if one wants to play cdr music then for goodness sake don't put the mileage on your dvd player, go out and buy a $50 5 disc cd player.

And kind of curious about the comment about no DTS decoder (this will show my ignorance). The unit is described with DTS/Dolby Digital outputs (coax and fiber). Don't most receivers nowadays have built in DTS decoders that would accept the output from the C220?

 

[valkyrie]

This DVD player, like most available today outputs the DD and DTS signals, and you need a Dolby Digital and DTS "decoder" to decode (or separate and decompress) the datastream so you get the discrete channels of sound. This isn't a failing of the DVD player for NOT having one. In fact, most DVD players that have the decoder built in are pretty poor ones, and in fact NO dvd player has a DTS decoder "built-in" so if you want that, you're better off getting a decoder inside your amplifier anyway. (That's why even my $1000 "reference" Sony S7700 DVD player does not have a decoder built in) If you just want to hook the DVD player up to your TV, you can still just use the dolby surround sound that is standard on EVERY dvd that is made (it's part of the dvd specification).

All in all, this is a very good deal. Anyone that wants to spend $150 on any piece of hi-fi electronics and have it last 10 years (physically and technologically) is kidding themselves. It's a shame about the CDR playback, but you can always buy an inexpensive CD player for that. I too, would not bother wearing down the mechanisms of my DVD player just to play CD's. Seems ludicrous to me...even at $150.

 

[AndrewR]

Found one at the local Target but decided to pass. It seemed rather cheap to me, the controls and operation. The disk ejection didn't sound all that great, and it just didn't impress me while I was toying with it. It almost seemed like the buttons were ready to pop off at a moment's notice.

If anyone wants it, there's one at the Target on Northpoint Parkway in Roswell, GA.

 

[TinCanFury]

Rebuilder - The reason is DVD players make exceptionally good CD players(by and large, there are a few exceptions). Many people back up their original CD's and play only the CDR copies to prevent the originals from being damaged. Some people (like me) are involved in the trading of CDR's for bands that allow live taping of their shows(etree.org). These shows are usually much higher quality than studio albums, etc. So CDR playback can be helpful to a lot of people that are not using it to burn their mp3's to audio cd's. Plus if they were, then everyone would buy one of those APEX machines.

Also, your not really putting wear and tear on the player by using to play audio CD's too. These things are(or at least SHOULD BE) designed for continuous playback with very high MTBF's. Plus, if it fails in 2 or 3 years I'll buy a new one, its not like they are THAT expensive.

 

[Atrac]

Even though I ragged on this player previously, I thought I'd check it out anyway. My local Target has the floor model. It's still $299. That seems to be the current Southern California price, so, indeed, Target does not have a Nationwide Clearance pricing scheme.

That blows.

 

[rebuilder]

From what I've been told by several managers is that indeed they do have nationwide clearance schemes but some stores just don't keep up and lag behind the scheduled markdowns in the national database. They have to manually input the new lower price(most of the time with those radio hand scanners). I'll bet you in the next few days or week at worst case that it will be marked down.

Target does not like it's clearance items sitting around taking up new stock space and some of the high level managers get pretty excited if the individual stores aren't clearing out discontinued items and resetting the shelves with the latest new stock. (It's an image thing for Target (if you've watched their tv commercials then you know they like to promote the latest new trends) which unlike Kmarts and Walmarts that still has stuff from the 80's in their clearance areas still at 10% off....exaggeration of course)

 

[ygreenkitty]

So, are you saying that if I had persisted, I might have been able to get my player?

I called ten stores, finally found one in stock all the way town,
across
fighting the detours, only to have it still marked $299.

"Do you want it at that price?" asks the lanky, young enough for me to ruffle his hair sales boy, politely.

"HELL, No!"

 

[rebuilder]

No ygreenkitty, that only works if you happen to catch the markdown person in action in that particular section.

Just be patient and call the store's main operator then ask for the customer service desk and ask them to look up the sku's current price on their register. Don't let them transfer you to the Electronics department because at most they will do is walk around to look at the latest red sticker when they don't even know that it's been marked down again in their computer but just haven't put the new sticker on. Call them everyday if you have to.

By the way, thanks again for the Epson 860 post.

 

[Atrac]

The only part that confuses me is that I took the shelf label up to the register, the lady input the number, and it came up $299.99. She was like, "oh yes, it's been marked down $100" (the shelf label says $399.99).

Is there another computer system they use that has to be manually transferred from the "National database" to the "store database."

I told the employee that I "know someone that got theirs for $149" and she said that Clearance items are regional.

Honestly, after she put the price into the register and it came up $299, I'd have to believe her.

Rebuilder: I'm assuming that you bought one. Do you have the SKU or, better yet, can you scan your receipt (obviously with payment info blocked out)?

 

[rebuilder]

I will try to find the receipt tomorrow morning to give you the sku. My computer is hobbling along until I get my Abit board Wednesday. I can't get my usb peripherals to work right now so I can't scan it.

If you keep an eye on the numerous target threads at *ycoupons you can see that it is nationwide not just regional and usually markdowns occur across the board within a two week period. It's quite possible that regional management can slow down the markdown process for their area.

Clearance markdowns are different locally and regionally. I drive around the metro Atlanta (maybe 15 stores) and see large differences in the markdown prices but sooner or later they all get there. And it never works when I tell them that another store has it marked down cheaper.