DVD Players

Conventional players are cheap; two HD formats compete

Great picture and sound quality, plus relatively low prices, have made digital videodisc, or DVD, players, among the most successful consumer-electronics products ever. The vast majority of U.S. households have one or more DVD players. Prices have dropped so low that they’re now sold seemingly everywhere--even in supermarkets and drugstores, like everyday commodities.

But conventional DVDs may soon seem quaint as high-definition (HD) content becomes the norm. The first HD players are now on the market, following delays caused by technical issues and competition between the two incompatible formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray. Toshiba has launched its HD DVD players, Samsung has introduced a Blu-ray player, and Sony is following with its Blu-ray players. As with most new technologies, initial prices are high: Toshiba’s first two models cost $500 and $900; the Samsung, $800. All but the most passionate videophiles might want to wait for prices to drop.

There’s an even more compelling reason to wait for the dust to settle: except for a few new discs that can play on either type of player, HD DVD players won’t be able to play movies that support the Blu-ray format, and vice versa. One of these formats might not survive, and if you back the losing candidate, you’ll have paid a lot of money for obsolete technology. At least one dual format player is expected on the market this year.


WHAT'S AVAILABLE



Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba are among the biggest-selling brands of DVD players. Virtually all new DVD players are progressive-scan models. When used with a conventional TV, these players provide the usual high DVD picture quality. With a TV that can display high-definition images, image quality is slightly better. (That’s because HD sets support the player’s progressive-scan 480p mode, drawing 480 consecutive lines on the screen. By comparison, with a conventional TV, every other line is drawn and then combined.) Some newer players claim to upconvert all DVDs to 720p or 1080i HD quality on an HDTV. Our tests found no improvement over 480p quality.

Progressive-scan models come in single-disc and multidisc versions.

Single-disc consoles. Even low-end models usually include all the video outputs you might want. Price: about $25 to more than $300.

Multidisc consoles. Like CD changers, these players accommodate more than one disc at a time, typically five. DVD jukeboxes that hold hundreds of discs are also available. Price: $100 to over $400.

Portables. These DVD players generally come with a small, wide-screen format LCD screen and batteries that claim to provide three or more hours of playback. Some low-priced models don’t come with a screen; they’re intended for users who plan to connect the device to a television. You pay extra for portability either way. Price: about $125 to $800.

HD players. When used with HDTVs and playing high definition discs, HD players can render notably better picture quality than you get with regular DVDs. Note that you might need to use an HDMI input on a TV to get HD resolution. Component-video connections, normally able to carry HD, may output only enhanced definition if the content on a particular disc was encoded that way by the producer. Also note that some HD players don’t play CDs. Price: $500 to over $1,500.


HOW TO CHOOSE



Hold off on a high-def player. Given the relatively high prices and the incompatibility of the two rival formats, we recommend that you wait awhile for things to shake out.

Buy a progressive-scan model unless the lowest price is your highest priority. Although you won’t see progressive-scan picture quality on a conventional analog TV, it’s worth spending a little extra for a progressive-scan player if you might get an HDTV at some point. You’ll have a wider choice of products as well, since almost all new players are progressive-scan. It’s definitely worth getting a progressive-scan player for use with a digital TV, which is capable of displaying the smoother picture these players can deliver.

Choose a multidisc model if you want continuous music. A single-disc player is fine for movies and CDs one at a time. But if you want this to be your main music player, consider a multidisc player. Note, though, that multidisc models are typically about 1 to 2 inches taller and 6 to 7 inches deeper than single-disc players.

Make sure there are enough types of the connections you want. Virtually all DVD players now have outputs for optimal connection to most TV sets. Many players have HDMI connectors that are compatible with new digital TVs, though these don’t necessarily offer improved picture quality. If you want to use digital-audio connections from the DVD player to a receiver, make sure the DVD player’s digital-audio outputs match the receiver’s inputs. Some receivers use a coaxial input; others, an optical input. If you have an older receiver that lacks 5.1 surround-sound decoding, look for a player with a decoder for Dolby Digital.

Consider which, if any, special playback formats matter. Most DVD players can play pre-recorded DVDs and CDs. Most models also play several types of discs you can record yourself, such as DVD-R, DVD+R, and CD-R/-RW. Most can read DVD+RW, but the ability to read DVD-RW discs depends on how they were recorded. Some can also play DVD-RAM discs. Most models also play CD-audio and MP3 music files recorded on discs you burn yourself. You’ll need to shop around more if you want to play Windows Media Audio (WMA) files, video CD, and high-resolution SACD and DVD-Audio discs in their original format.

Do you want to present slide shows on your TV? Then choose a model that can read JPEG image files that you’ve captured with a digital camera and burned onto a disc. Some models have built-in card readers that accept various memory cards.

A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD Video and DVD Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards.

Most hardware DVD players have to be connected to a television set; there are also some small portable devices which have an LCD screen attached.

A DVD player has to complete these tasks:
*Read a DVD disc in ISO ? UDF version 1.2 format
*optionally decrypt the data with either CSS and/or Macrovision
*read and obey the DVD's Regional lockout codes and display a warning if the player is not authorised to play the DVD
*decode the MPEG-2 video stream with a maximum of 10 Mbit/s (peak) or 8 Mbit/s (continuous)
*decode sound in MP2, PCM or AC-3 format and output (with optional AC-3 to stereo downsampling) on stereo connector, optical or electric digital connector
*output a video signal, either an analog one (in NTSC, PAL or SECAM format) on the composite, S-Video, SCART, or component video connectors, or a digital one on the DVI or HDMI connectors

Most DVD players also allow users to play audio CDs (CDDA, MP3, etc.) and Video CDs (VCD) and include a home cinema decoder (i.e. Dolby Digital, Digital Theater Systems (DTS)). Some newer devices also play videos in the MPEG-4 ASP video compression format (such as DivX) popular on the Internet.

As of 2005, retail prices for such a device, depending on its optional features (such as digital sound or video output), start between 30 and 80 USD/Euro. They are usually cheaper than VCRs.

As of 2002 the largest producer of DVD players is China; in 2002 they produced 30 million players, more than 70% of the world output. These producers have to pay about US$20 per player in license fees, to the patent holders of the DVD technology (Sony, Philips, Toshiba and AOL Time Warner) as well as for MPEG-2 licenses. To avoid these fees, China has developed the Enhanced Versatile Disc standard as an intended successor of DVD; as of 2004, EVD players were only being sold in China.

Software DVD players are programs that allow users to view DVD videos on a computer with a DVD-ROM drive. Some examples are the VLC media player and MPlayer (both free software), as well as WinDVD, PowerDVD and DVD Player. 1. You need these to play DVD's on Windows XP
Portable DVD Player


Portable DVD players that are capable of playing DVDs. Most have an LCD screen and stereo speakers and are usually powered by lithium ion batteries. Portable DVD players are often used for long road trips and travel.
Successors

There are two successors to the DVD player: the HD DVD player and the Blu-ray Disc player. Neither format is dominant over the other in terms of consumer adoption as of May 2007.
DVD Players/Recorders
DVD players have been around for a long time now and have become quite cheap to purchase. Even though they all play the same DVD’s there are several features some DVD players have.
DVD Players Information - A Must Read
Are you looking to buy a DVD player, well there are a few things you must consider before doing so. DVD players these days come in so many different brands and perform so many different functions. There are also different types of DVD players and depending your circumstances will a DVD player maybe right or wrong for you.
High Definition DVD Players
High definition DVD players give consumers high quality picture and sound. High definition DVD players work better with high definition DVDs that store up to two hours of 720p or 1080i on their discs. High definition DVD players can play discs that are in both MP3 and JPEG format. The output can be in two different formats, like Dolby digital and DTS digital. Some high definition DVD players have recording facilities and they record in DVD-read and DVD read/write modes. New high definition DVD players are designed to play almost all kinds of discs.
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You may have purchased a new HDTV and now you'd like to get a DVD player for it. When it comes to HDTV, standard DVD players are an option. While you may have spent a lot on your HDTV, standard DVD players can save you some money. Read on to find out more ...

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