Toshiba has taken a step backwards in the SD-2200's design by offering a joystick-style remote control that inhibits your ability to easily access menus and perform setup functions.

If the presence of a built-in Dolby Digital decoder appeals to you, however, the SD-2200 is worth its weight. In addition to offering 5.1-channel audio jacks, it has optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs, as well as composite-, component-, and S-video outputs.

The front array of buttons and LEDs center around the disc tray, which loads a single disc at a time. We found the tray mechanism to be somewhat flimsy and prone to breakage. The automated mechanism also makes a disturbing humming noise for several seconds as it goes through its motions.

A pair of open/close buttons--labeled 1 and 2--are on the right of the disc tray. (Curiously, there are no matching open/close disc buttons on the remote control.) A pair of LEDs flanks the left side of the disc tray. With two DVDs in the machine, a red LED indicates that the first disc is in standby or play mode, while a green LED shows that a second disc is "on deck." Combined with the red power indicator, we found these lights distracting in our darkened home theater. Given the fact that the SD-2200 has a front-panel display-off switch, it seems counterproductive for Toshiba to include three brightly colored LEDs.

Other front-panel operating buttons include play, pause, stop, skip, and a redundant disc select