The Truth About Dvd Players - What You Should Know Before Buying one

DVD Players Shopping Guide

Although VHS has basically become a thing of the past, and Blu-Ray is the optimal choice for video viewing, DVD still has its place. The picture quality is crystal clear, and the sound is CD-quality, which makes it far better than VHS. Also, DVD movies often have director’s commentary and extra scenes, which is not available on VHS movies. With their non-deteriorating quality, DVDs are much more stable and permanent, making them ideal for archival storage.

Types of DVD Players

• DVD recorders. These units are ideal for archiving and storing home videos and photos  They provide better quality than VCRs, and they provide random access to scenes without having to fast forward or rewind.  This player is also useful for those who still have VCR tapes they’d like to watch.
• Portable players. Portable DVD players offer the convenience of viewing away from home, without the need of a separate television. These devices favor laptops in that they are smaller, lighter, and have a built-in screen. Although the screen is usually 7-10 inches, the player may be connected to a television or computer to take advantage of the larger screen.The portable players are handy on car rides, flights, and in hotel rooms. You may also purchase a carrying case to protect the player while on the go.
• Digital Video Recorders. The DVR has a built-in hard drive and built-in tuner. Some systems allow users to record different programs on different channels at the same time. Because there is no tape, you don’t have the added stress of not having a blank tape, or enough space on a previously used tape, to record a program. And, unlike a VCR, you can watch a program while it is still recording. Another advantage to DVRs is that some systems can be accessed remotely by connecting them to your home network.

Features of DVD Players

Although features such as random access to scenes are available on all DVD players, there are some features that are only available on certain brands, or for a higher cost than a basic unit.  These features include:

• Multichannel surround sound. Allows four to seven speakers to be connected to and receive sound from the unit, therefore, surrounding listeners in sound. This feature is available in 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1. The best choice depends on the number of speakers you intend to have.
• Multilingual support. Allows users to change the language the movie is heard in. Subtitles are also available.
• Parental controls. Allows parents to control what ratings of film their children are able to watch, without them having to be there to supervise.
• Upscaling. Enhancement of a regular DVD player so it more closely resembles the high-definition quality of a Blu-ray player.
• Intuitive user interface. Not all players have a variety of buttons on the unit itself. In cases of a remote control loss or malfunction, this can be highly inconvenient. With intuitive user interface, a majority of commands are available on the unit or on the screen, as well as on the remote control.
• Interactive menus. Allows users to user their remote control to play games, take quizzes, and keep scores.
• Disc resume. If you have to stop watching a movie before it is over, this feature allows you to pick up where you left off, without having to remember or search for the scene.
• Internet connectivity. The ability to connect to the internet thru a built-in WI-FI system. This allows users to enjoy streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Amazon instant streaming, and Pandora.
• USD ports and SD card slots. Allows users to enjoy viewing pictures and home videos on the big screen, as well as listening to music through their home entertainment system.

Connections

• HDMI. The advantage to this type of connection is that it transmits audio and video with one cable. The disadvantage is that there is no locking mechanism, so it is easily disconnected.  It is found on high-definition televisions.
• Component video and composite-video outputs and stereo analog. One advantage of these connections is that they’re color-coded, and therefore, easy to properly connect. A disadvantage is that they are not compatible with surround sound.
• S-video. An advantage it that it provides a single source video connection. The disadvantage is that there is no audio.

Disc Capacity

DVD players can hold anywhere from one to five discs, depending on the model. The multi-disc unit provides the convenience of loading and viewing multiple discs without having to eject any.

Disc Formats

• DVR-R: Write once format.
• DVR+R: Record once format.
• DVD-RW: Recordable and rewritable discs that have to be finalized at the conclusion of the recording process.
• DVD+RW: Recordable and rewritable discs that don’t have to be finalized at the conclusion of the recording process.
• CD-R: Write once format.
• CD-RW: Can be rewritten.