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Looking for a new DVD player? This guide should help you decide what to look for and how to find the right model for you. it. |
Index
Introduction to Buying a DVD Player
DVD Region Codes
DVD Formats
How will the DVD be used?
Picture Quality
Up-Converting DVD Players
Audio
Remote Control
Connections
Playable Formats
Recording
The Future- Blu-Ray and HD-DVD
Portable DVDs
Additional Options and Features
My DVD Player
DVD Player Brands
Top DVD Player Searches
Useful Sites
Introduction to Buying a DVD Player
The DVD player has only been around for ten years, but has already taken over the home entertainment market from the video cassette. Digital Versatile Disc technology is a further development of Compact Disc technology, with the differences being the storage size and the video capability.
Moreover, DVD technology is constantly improving, combining higher-quality audio and video with longer recording capability. Digital home entertainment has become possible through DVDs, as they can play movies, video games or music. In addition, playing DVDs is quite simple- either with a dedicated DVD player or with a computer drive.
DVD player prices vary according to their capabilities, but are slowly dropping over time, just like any other electronic device. This guide should help you sort through the maze of technical terms and decide what type of player best suits your needs and your available budget.
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DVD Region Codes
Ever since the invent of DVD players, they have had a built-in region code system, previously developed for video games. The reason for using a regional code is to ensure the manufacturer retains control over the content, price and date of a release of a product. For example, movies hit the theaters in the US and Canada before the rest of the world, and subsequently the DVD releases do too. So a DVD might be released in North America while the movie is still playing in theaters somewhere else, and the absence of a code would allow someone to import and play an American DVD instead of paying for a movie ticket.
The code system is gradually becoming outdated, however, because newer DVD players can defeat the code and allow you to choose which zone to play a DVD in. There are also many online sites that explain how to override the zoning restriction through the DVD player's menus.
Here is a table listing the different zones:
| Region Code | |
| Region 0 | Playable in all regions |
| Region 1 | USA, Canada, Bermuda and US territories |
| Region 2 | The Middle East, Iceland, Western Europe, Central Europe, Egypt, French overseas territories, Greenland, Japan, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland |
| Region 3 | Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan |
| Region 4 | Australia, New Zealand, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Oceania and South America (except French Guyana) |
| Region 5 | The rest of Africa, Former Soviet Union, the Indian subcontinent, Mongolia and North Korea |
| Region 6 | China |
| Region 7 | Reserved for future use |
| Region 8 | For international venues (aircraft, cruise ships, etc.) |
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DVD Formats
Before we dive into the world of DVD players, we should first take a quick look at what all the different DVD suffixes mean. Although this is more important for computer DVD use, it might be useful to get a general idea what the different disc formats are. Let's separate them into two groups- recordable formats and non-recordable formats, and start with the latter:
- DVD-ROM - the basic DVD format, which is similar to CD-ROMs. This is the original format and can be single- or double-sided.
- DVD Plus – this format combines both a CD layer and a DVD layer, and can be played on almost any CD player, DVD player or computer disc drive.
The recordable formats are divided into these types:
- DVD-R - a writable DVD format developed by Pioneer, which allows data to be recorded onto the disk once, then played on a player that supports the format.
- DVD+R - a format directly competing with DVD-R, which provides slightly better quality recording but is essentially the same thing.
- DVD-RW - a later generation DVD-R development, allowing users to re-record onto the same disc over a thousand times. RW stands for Re-Writable.
- DVD+RW - the same idea as a DVD-RW, but in the competing + format.
- DVD-RAM - a highly-reliable format which allows easier editing and re-writing, making it better suited for camcorder use than RW formats.
Most new machines support both competing formats, and are labelled DVD±RW.
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How will the DVD be used?
An important thing to establish before looking for a DVD player is how it will be used. Since DVDs come with many different features and range from $40 to $1500 in price, you should make sure the player will suit your requirements, while not exceeding any budget limitations you may have.
The DVD player market is flourishing with cheap, decent-quality models. For $60 you can find a player that can play commercial or burned DVDs, MP3 files and audio CDs, and unless you plan on hooking it up to a large-screen TV and a home theater speaker system- it will provide good enough quality picture and sound.
However, if you plan to make the DVD player the heart of a home theater system with a 50-inch screen TV, you should look at a higher-quality model that supports Dolby Digital Sound, and has better widescreen picture-quality. Moreover, for use with an HDTV you might want to consider a Blu-Ray or HDTV DVD, or at least an up-converting regular DVD player.
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Picture Quality
Resolution for DVDs is described by a number and a letter, like 480i for example, which is the standard television resolution. 480 denotes the number of vertical lines, while the i stands for interlaced scan. The higher the number is- the better the resolution, as the image will be sharper. The suffix p stands for progressive scan, which is a digital technique that will also produce higher-quality images.
480p is considered Enhanced-Definition Television (EDTV), as well as 576p. But 720p and 1080i/p are considered High-Definition Television, with 1080i being the standard HDTV resolution. HDTV also differs from regular television signals, as it is broadcast in a 16:9 ratio rather than 4:3, though most DVDs can broadcast in both modes.
Trying to watch regular television broadcasts or DVD videos on an HDTV is quite a disappointing experience, as 480i resolution is displayed on a screen meant for 1080i. Although the selection of HDTV programs available through your cable provider may be limited, there are up-converting DVD players capable of playing discs at high-definition, even though they are not true HD players.
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Up-Converting DVD Players
If you have an HDTV or plan on getting one soon, you should look for a DVD player that can support that kind of resolution. HD and Blu-Ray DVD players are still quite expensive, and their technology has yet to be perfected. There are also only a small number of movies released to-date on HD or Blu-Ray DVDs, making the choice of an up-converting model even more worthwhile.
Expect all new DVD players to have this conversion capability soon. This allows the machine to play a standard-resolution DVD at a 720p, 1080i or 1080p resolution. According to consumers' reports, some models with this feature enhance the picture better than others, so best to read the ConsumerSearch review page listed below before making a decision. It is even possible to find this feature on models around $150, whereas an HDTV model would lighten your wallet by over $500.
One thing to check before purchasing an up-converting player is the type of connection. Newer HDTVs use the digital HDMI connection, while some older models have the bigger digital DVI port. But some players are only equipped with an S-video or composite connection, which are analog, forcing a digital-analog conversion when connected to an HDTV. For more information check out the Connections section below.
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Audio
Some people today would argue that the sound quality of a recording is of no less importance than the video quality; others might say it is of even greater importance. The remarkable technological advances made over the past 10 years allow the viewer to feel a part of the movie scene, either drinking champagne at a cocktail party or diving for cover on the battlefield with the characters.
These advancements brought us what is called 'surround sound'. The multiple audio channels allow the director and sound technicians to record sounds according to their source's place on screen. With most surround systems, sounds from the left or right sides of the scene are broadcast on the left and right speakers respectively, while background sounds will be heard from the rear speakers.
By far, the most common audio recording format for DVDs is 5.1 channel surround. This means that sound is broadcast to five regular speakers- right, left, center, right-surround (rear) and left-surround (rear). The .1 denotes the use of an additional speaker for low-frequency effects, called a sub-woofer. Dolby Digital Surround and Digital Theater System (DTS) both use digital 5.1 channel surround formats, and are the most common systems supported by DVDs. Check what system the DVD track supports on its box.
DVD players often have both digital and analog audio outputs. Digital outputs are either optical or coaxial; both of them are good for connecting to a home theater receiver amplifier for surround sound. Analog connection is not as good as digital, and can be used for connecting to a receiver that doesn't have digital inputs, or to a TV if you don't have a separate sound system.
But it is highly recommended to integrate the DVD player with a home-theater system. This will allow you to use the surround-sound capabilities that are included in almost every DVD, and will make your experience much more enjoyable. Buying a DVD player but not hooking it up to surround-sound would waste the extra sound features, and make the movie feel like a regular TV program rather than a film in the theater.
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Remote Control
DVD players should come with a remote control. Certain players' remotes are considered better than others, but this is based upon individual preferences so it's not easy to draw objective conclusions on this issue.
It is worth noting, however, that some DVD players come with a multi-brand or universal remote, which means that you can operate other devices with it as well. This is extremely useful, and will allow you to operate all the functions necessary for watching a video from one place without buying a dedicated universal model, which doesn't come cheap.
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Connections
The following are different methods for connecting a DVD player to your television, listed according to their quality:
- HDMI- the newest and best digital connection available, even though it uses a thin cable and small connecting jack. HDMI is short for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and the newer versions of this technology can support both HD video signals and Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD sound, which are the audio formats for HD discs.
- DVI- an older digital DVD-TV connection, which can still be used on older HDTVs and DVD players. If your TV has this input but you would like to connect it with an HDMI cable, you can use a simple DVI-HDMI adapter.
- Component- this type of connection uses three cables for video signals, and provides higher quality than S-Video or any other analog method. Some HDTVs and HD DVDs have this port too, but this means that the digital signal is converted to analog and then back to digital, which degrades its quality.
- S-Video- probably the most common analog connection, it uses a single cable and produces better picture quality than the standard composite connection.
- SCART (21 pins)- a complete analog audio-video connection that uses a big 21-pin plug; it is standard in Europe and Japan, but not widely found in the US. Even though you might find a SCART input on your TV or DVD, you're better off using any of the other options above.
- Composite (A/V)- the older standard analog video cable connection, it has been replaced on TVs by the S-Video.
- RF- the oldest method, it is rarely found on new DVD players. The RF cable connects the player to the TV's antennae port.
While most DVDs have a selection of output choices, this is not always the case with televisions, so check what types of connections your TV supports before purchasing a new player. To solve the debate of which connection is preferable, go by the order of the list above, with HDMI being the best.
Check if the HDMI cable is supplied with the DVD player of your choice, as this is not always the case. If not, plan on an additional expense for this cable (about $30-$60).
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Playable Formats
DVD players can be categorized by the types of recorded files they can play (or record on recording models). Without going too deeply into the technical terms, let's take a quick look at the different formats:
MPEG2- this is the standard DVD-Video or digital television format, and therefore can be played by all DVD players.
MPEG4- an improvement on the MPEG2 format, it provides better video streaming and can be compressed to fit more data in a file.
MP3- a strictly audio format, also used by audio DVDs.
DivX- this is a compressed-video format that is a further development of MPEG4. Most burned video DVDs use this format.
Xvid- a format competing with DivX (Xvid is DivX spelled backwards), the difference being that Xvid is free and open-source, whereas DivX is proprietary. Not all models that support Xvid will support DivX as well.
WMA- another audio-only format found on audio DVDs.
Burning video DVDs can be done using the MPEG, DivX or Xvid formats, so take a look at what types of formats the player supports before making the purchase if you plan on watching burned discs. Newer machines usually support all these formats, especially DivX, which is the most popular video burning format.
If you plan to use the DVD as a music player, make sure it supports audio formats. This can work quite well with a home-theater system.
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Recording
Many DVD players can now record video, whether it be onto a hard-disk, a DVD disc, or both. This is a very useful option and completely eliminates the need for a VCR, as it turns your DVD into a five-tool player.
The common HDD (hard-disc) size is 80GB, which should be good for about 140 hours of video recording. These HDDs are easy to navigate, as they usually have a menu screen that displays all the recorded video chapters, and can be programmed to record at a specific time just like a VCR.
DVD disc-recording capability allows you to record straight onto a disc, or transfer recorded video from the HDD to a disc for storage. Some older DVD players might have this DVD recording capability but no HDD.
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The Future- Blu-Ray and HD-DVD
With the popularity of HDTV rapidly increasing, the demand for high-definition DVDs has increased as well. There are two different high-definition formats available today, called Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, and they are currently in a format war, with the winner still undecided.
There are several advantages presented by these players. First off, they can play videos at full HDTV capacity, which is far better than any up-converted regular DVD. Secondly, they support more advanced sound, such as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD. Furthermore, they hold more data, which will be quite useful when the recordable formats are available.
Despite these advantages, it is probably a bit too early to invest in a high-definition player. Currently, most of these players support only one of the formats; furthermore, most film studios only record discs in one of the formats as well. Also, there are very few DVDs that have been released in high-definition format as of yet. Most HD-DVD players can up-convert regular discs for viewing on HDTVs, but this doesn't provide proper high-definition picture quality.
Lastly, high-definition DVD technology has still not been perfected. Like any other kind of software, it takes time for the manufacturers to work out the bugs and smooth over the edges.
But if you have an X-Box you can buy an HD-DVD drive that attaches to the box and doesn't cost too much. Sony PlayStation 3 comes with a built-in Blu-Ray drive, which can also play regular Blu-Ray video discs. This is probably the best way to go for now if you own one of these devices.
Otherwise, I'd wait at least until the end of 2007 before deciding what to go for. Hopefully by then the format war will have been decided; if not, at least we should see more players capable of running both formats. The prices should also drop over time, as more manufacturers get into the HD market and competition grows.
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Portable DVDs
Even though DVDs can be viewed on notebook computers, portable DVDs offer some advantages for playing DVDs on-the-go. They are usually lighter, easier to carry, have longer battery life and more playback options. They also have a screen size advantage over Video iPods, making them ideal for the kids to watch during a car trip.
If you're looking for a portable DVD, go for one with video and audio output jacks so you can hook it up to a regular TV. This can be useful for moving the player around the house as needed, or for using with a hotel room TV set. Check for a power adapter that connects to the car's cigarette lighter, or get a special power adapter with regular AC plugs that can do this.
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Additional Options and Features
There a few more things about DVD players that are worth mentioning:
- Combo DVD-VCR- some DVD players come with a built-in VCR. This can be useful if you still have some tapes you like to watch, and even more so if you want to transfer them to discs (with a recording DVD drive).
- Memory card slot- a popular feature on machines today; you can look at your digital photos on the TV screen by inserting your card into the player.
- Multi-disc- although it is not a common feature, some players have a tray for several discs. Useful for playing multiple audio CDs or a video feature that is on more than one disc (a mini-series for example).
- Network connection for future upgrades- especially common with HD-DVDs and Blu-Ray models; allows for a future Internet connection to upgrade the player's software. Will probably be standard on future players, to help keep their software up to date.
- USB- a few DVD models have a USB port, which allows you to play video or audio from a USB hard drive or Flash Drive.
- Progressive scan- an important feature, it means that the player can produce images at 480p resolution or higher. A must if you plan to use the player with an HDTV, and highly recommend if it is to be used with a flat-screen TV.
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My DVD Player
Model name: Pioneer DV-535
Since: October 2000
Where did I buy it: Tokyo, Japan
Why: I lived in Japan at that time and I was looking for a reliable DVD player at a reasonable price. It was important for me that it should read all the DVD region codes and formats, and also match the style and available space in my living room. After visiting 2-3 stores in Akihabara and hearing some opinions and reviews, I decided to go for this model. The Pioneer DV-535 has served me well for almost 6 years and I have no complaints at all: it's reliable, fast, easy to use and smart. Two years ago I bought a replacement and relegated the 535 to my bedroom, but after only a few days it won back its deserved place in our living room.
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DVD Player Brands
Pioneer,
Philips,
Panasonic,
Sony,
Samsung,
RCA,
LG,
Toshiba,
Coby,
Yamaha
Zenith
OPPO
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Top DVD Player Searches
HD DVD Player,
Blu-Ray DVD Player,
X-Box HD,
Upconverting DVD Player,
Portable DVD Player,
Car DVD Player,
DVD VCR Combo,
Multi-Disc DVD Player,
Recording DVD Player,
HDD Recording DVD Player,
Cheap DVD Player
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Useful Sites
reviews.cnet.com
www.consumersearch.com
products.howstuffworks.com
www.pioneerelectronics.com
www.consumer.philips.com
www.samsung.com
www.toshiba.com
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