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DVD PLAYERS: BUYING GUIDE
DVD Background:
The first consumer DVD player models were available in 1997.
Initially, DVD stood for Digital Video Disc, but has since changed to Digital
Versatile Disc because of advancements in DVD-compatible formats. Like any new
technology, the first DVD players were expensive and uncommon. LaserDiscs were
at the height of their popularity, which added to the skepticism of DVD
technology. Since then, LaserDisc players have become almost obsolete while DVD
players are now the first choice for home theater enthusiasts.
A DVD
looks exactly the same as a 4.8" Compact Disc. The information stored on a DVD is
read by laser light, much like a CD. However, a DVD is capable of holding 268
minutes of information, significantly more than a CD. This is accomplished by
narrowing the "pits," where data is stored. The DVD format allows for a disc to
be dual-sided, as well as dual-layered. Potentially, two different formats of
the same movie can be contained on a single disc.
For years consumers
have flocked to video stores to rent their favorite movies on VHS tape. A DVD
movie reproduces video at about 500 lines of horizontal resolution, twice the
picture quality of VHS tape. And audio reproduction is impressive as well, with
DVD players producing two-channel stereo, and six channel surround-sound.
DVD players for the home market have “arrived”, and
are now an affordable choice for the home-movie audience. These devices are to
the movie industry what CD-players were to the music industry. Your VHS
player and associated VCR tape collection will soon go the way of your Vinyl, 8-Track, and
audio cassette collections.
The DVD-movie offers (until the next upgrade comes along) the highest picture
and sound quality available for home use. Of course, your performance may vary
depending on the rest of the components that you hook your DVD-player up to, but
both the sound and picture reproduction from DVD technology is designed to be as
close to the “theatre version” of a film as possible (hence the wide-screen
format and multiple channel sound). A DVD-disc also often contains additional
materials not found on the VHS-version of a film, and, unlike tape, the DVD-DISC
media never wears out through normal use (aside from handling issues).
There are now so many different choices available when
shopping for a DVD-player, it can become confusing when trying to decide on a
purchase. The following hints may help.
BUYING A DVD PLAYER:
Top 10 things to consider when purchasing a
DVD-Player:
1.)
BRANDNAME: Like CD-Audio players, this issue is somewhat less
important than it is with other electronics components. Since the signal is all
digital, a ‘Brand X’ (no
name) plays a DVD in many cases just as well
as a Sony or Panasonic. That said, there are certainly some ‘quality control’
differences that might justify paying a higher price for the name brand.
Warranty (as long as the unit comes with a 1 yr or better) is not much of a
factor though, and, would not bother with any extended warranty or service
plans, as the technology changes so quickly, and is not actually fixable anyhow
– at least not locally. A good “middle of the road” brand such as Toshiba or
Pioneer is often a good choice, since they usually have a good balance of
price/quality.
2.)
CONNECTIONS: In addition to the common VHS-type audio and
video connections, there are a few new
connection options that should be considered:
a.) Component
Video Out – this 3-cable setup is the
best way to connect the video signal from your player to your television set.
Many TV sets don’t have this connection option, but if yours does – or you plan
to purchase a new set in the near future, you should definitely make sure that the DVD-player you purchase
has this connection type. Not many players come with these cables, so you will
have to purchase them separately. Note that a good quality composite video cable
with RCA-type connectors can be used for cabling. It is not necessary to
purchase the ultra-expensive “component video cable”. A good trio of 6’ cables
should cost around $20. In a pinch, you can even get away with some RCA-type
audio cables.
b.) S-Video – this cable with the round din-pins is the next best video signal path. All DVD-players should have this connection option, as do most larger TV sets. Again, the ‘quality’ of cable is debatable in its translation
to picture quality. Most all these cables work about the same- so get the
cheapest available (approx $10-$20 for a 6-footer).
c.) Composite –this is the common VHS-type connection. Note
that a DVD-player does not have an “RF-type” connection (Cable-TV
coax), so your
television must have this composite input option at least, in order to be able
to hook up a DVD-player or you must buy a RF modulator box in order to connect
to the TV.
3.)
REMOTE: With a DVD-player, you usually end up using the remote
quite a bit, so its important to get one that you like (unless your “universal
remote” will control a DVD-player). Also, DVD-movies often have special features
and screens that you must navigate through using the remote. The low end players
often have poor-quality remotes (hard to read, breakable), and many of these
players often have trouble navigating some DVD-movies. Usually, a good remote is
a sign of a good player – so pay careful attention to it.
4.)
SPECIAL EFFECTS: Some DVD-players are hyped as having lots of
‘special effects’ such as zoom, slow motion, 3-d virtual surround sound,
etc.
5.)
BURNED CD-AUDIO PLAYBACK: Since DVD-Players can also play audio
CDs, you may want to get a player that has this capability (especially if you
burn Audio-CDs from your computer.)
6.)
MP3 PLAYBACK, VIDEO-CD PLAYBACK: If you download
and burn CDs with a computer, you may want to ensure that the DVD-player you
choose has this feature. You can burn 100-200 MP3 songs on a single CD with a
CD-burner equipped computer (there are very few commercially made MP3 CDs
available), and, with a DVD-player that offers this MP3 playback capability, you
can listen to many hours of music from a single disc.
7.)
DIGITAL AUDIO (Dolby / DTS): To enjoy the full DVD-movie experience,
you really should consider hooking your DVD-player up to a speaker setup that
can take advantage of the unique audio signal output offered by DVD technology.
Even it you’re not a music/sound ‘fan’, DVD-audio offers you the ability to
control important aspects of your movie experience. For example, if you’ve ever
had a hard time hearing the dialog because the soundtrack was too loud, you can
reduce the soundtrack (main) speakers while boosting the center (dialog)
speaker with a proper audio setup.
Some DVD players offer this
“decoding” capability built-in, so that you can use a bunch of analog cables to
hook up to a receiver. This option is not recommended, since the player is often
more expensive than the regular ones, and the decoding task is best left to the
amplifier.
If you are purchasing an amp you should opt for one that has both
Dolby Digital and DTS decoding.
You will also need
to have 4 regular speakers, a FRONT-CHANNEL speaker, and (optionally) a
SUB-WOOFER speaker. The cable that hooks up the DVD-player to the amp is usually
a single TOSLINK or COAX SPDIF cable.
The most common type available in
DVD-players is TOSLINK (fiber optic), but either type of digital connection will
work equally well (there is no difference in sound quality). Make sure the
player you choose has one of these Digital Sound Outputs, and that you hook up
your DVD-player to the amplifier via this connection! Note that there is absolutely no benefit to getting an expensive cable
over a cheap one –get the cheapest cable available ($10-$20 for a 6’ fiber optic
cable.)
8.)
ANAMORPHIC – do I need it? This is a new feature available on the
more expensive DVD-players. It is only important to you if you have an actual
“high definition” television that can accept this type of signal (basically a
non-interlaced format). Unless you have a $4K television, or plan to purchase
one soon, you probably shouldn’t bother paying extra for this feature.
9.)
TRAY NOISE: If your player is going to be in a bedroom, for
example, an often overlooked consideration is how much noise the DVD-player
makes when it is playing back. Pioneer, for example, make a very good
DVD-player, but they have noisy mechanisms that is audible in
a bedroom setting.
10.)
COST: Low end players are available at some stores for as little
as $30! These players are perfectly acceptable (providing they come
with a warranty), especially as a starter player, or for the kids rec room, etc.
Mid-range players are usually around $100 - $200. This is a
popular range, and probably the safest bet for most people. The high end
is anything over about $300, and are usually purchased by high-end audio/videophiles, etc.
If you come across a “last year’s
model” or other such clearance item, you can be fairly confident that such a
machine will be up to the job of playing commercial DVDs just fine. The DVD
player industry has quickly become quite mature and any machine made in the last
18 months or so compare quite favorably to the ‘latest and greatest’ models (as
long as they have a full warranty). However, PC-made discs from a CD or
DVD-burner are likely to be less compatible on older DVD-players than on the
newest ones.
If you are still puzzled by all this, the best advise would be
to purchase an entry-level player, which can be picked up for as little as $40
at some of the bigger stores, and jump in. You can always purchase a better
player later, and simply relegate your entry-level
player to the bedroom when you upgrade to a better unit.
Apart from the dramatic improvement in
video and sound quality that DVD players offer over the familiar VCR, probably
the DVD player’s greatest appeal lies in its price and convenience.
Like CD playback, a DVD is played by a reflected laser beam; nothing touches the
disc itself, so there is no deterioration of the image and sound with repeated
use, or even in storage.
By comparison, the VCR seems almost crude: tape heads
spin at 1,000 rpm against the surface of video tape as it spools from one reel
to the other inside its cassette shell, causing gradual tape degradation. And
when it’s rewound at high speed, the mechanical spooling action damages the
tape’s edge, which affects the picture stability. Moreover, the VCR is
intensely mechanical--virtually everyone has had a tape jam or seen a favorite
tape "eaten" by a malfunctioning VCR as it ages.
DVD players have also come down in price very
rapidly (VCRs took many years to reach affordable prices), so now you can find
major brands (Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, etc.) with excellent picture and sound
quality for $200 or less. And because the video and audio information on a DVD
is stored in digital form, differences in picture and sound quality between
different brands have become very small. Even inexpensive players produce
picture and sound that’s a huge improvement over the best VCR.
How much better is a DVD’s picture and
sound?
It’s a bit of a mouthful, but
picture sharpness and clarity is measured in "horizontal lines of
resolution." A DVD’s maximum is 540 lines, the sharpest picture available
to consumers in the home other than High-Definition TV. (Don’t confuse
horizontal lines of resolution with our TV system’s 525 scanning lines; all
North American sets use 525 lines to "paint" the image across the
screen.) Compared to DVD playback, a VCR produces horizontal resolution of 240
lines maximum, a TV picture that’s fuzzy with bleeding or overlapping colors
when you look at it next to a DVD’s image. Live TV of a sports event or a
studio talk show will yield 330 lines of resolution--better than a VCR but no
match for a DVD player. And because a DVD’s picture is stored digitally (and a
VCR’s is analog), video noise--the grainy look to VCR images--is essentially
absent from DVD playback.
In the sound department, stereo hi-fi sound
from a VCR is really very good, but again it’s no match for six channels of
Dolby Digital surround sound that virtually every modern movie release has on
its soundtrack. The first thing to make sure of in a DVD player is that it will
play back Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound -- as well as DTS surround,
Dolby’s competitor. Almost all DVD players will pass these multi-channel audio
signals via a coaxial cable or a "Toslink" optical cable to your A/V
surround sound receiver. Even if you haven’t got a surround sound unit yet, a
DVD player will still deliver a stereo audio signal that you can feed to your
stereo amplifier until you can afford to upgrade to a Dolby Digital surround
receiver.
What video features do you look for and
what does more money buy in a DVD player?
First, a short course in connections: Even the most basic DVD player (or VCR)
will have a "composite-video" output (an RCA jack just like the
jacks on your CD player), which will give you a very good picture on your TV.
All TV sets except very old, basic models have a composite-video input. The next
level up is called "S-Video." It’s a single cable with a
multi-pin connector that separates the color signal from the brightness signal.
Your TV or receiver must have S-video inputs if you are to benefit from the
significantly better picture that S-video connectors will deliver. S-video
connectors have become quite common on even inexpensive DVD players and new TV
sets.
Near the top of the scale are "component-video"
connectors, a set of three RCA cables, usually color-coded red, green, and blue
for each primary color signal that makes up the TV image. These will yield the
absolute top picture quality, especially with large-screen TV sets of all types.
However, your TV must have the same set of component-video inputs to benefit
from the picture improvements.
At the very top are the most expensive DVD
players with "progressive-scan wideband" component-video outputs. You
must have a Hi-Def, HDTV-capable TV display with the same "wideband
component-video inputs" in order to utilize these progressive-scan DVD
images, which have no horizontal scanning lines and present a more film-like
image.
All DVD players will do some kind of slow
motion, fast scanning, and cueing to a particular "chapter" or scene
in a movie, but it’s the aforementioned type of video outputs and connectors
that have the biggest influence on picture quality and affect the player’s
price. Still, you should check the remote control to see if the buttons are
easily readable, especially in dim lighting, and well laid out for easy
operation. Some remote's buttons are back-lighted, but those will be on more
costly players. And when you rent your first DVD, don’t forget to watch all
the DVD "extras" you get these days--commentaries by the director and
actors on the making of the movie; cast biographies, deleted scenes. It’s
fascinating stuff, and will provide you with no end of entertainment and
diversion.
The relationship of a television screen's width-to-height is called the
aspect ratio. The aspect ratio of a standard analog TV is 4:3, whereas a movie
theater screen is 16:9. With DVD technology, there is a choice of aspect ratio.
Choosing the Letterbox format presents video in a 16:9 ratio by creating
black bars at the top and bottom of a standard 4:3 TV screen. Pan &
Scan is 16:9 video reformatted to fit a 4:3 screen, Widescreen is
16:9 video for a 16:9 screen, and Full Frame is 4:3 video for a 4:3
display.
There are two major categories of DVD players: single tray and
DVD changers. The major difference is disc capacity; whereas a single-tray
player can hold only one disc, a DVD changer can store multiple discs, which
mean hours of uninterrupted playback of movies and/or music.
Most of the
major features of a DVD player are universal. All can play music CDs. Chapter
selection, on-screen menus, and choice of screen size are all standard
attributes. Also, all of today's models will produce excellent picture quality
and sound. Keeping in mind that the major benefits of a DVD player are found
within the technology's innate format, additional features and capabilities
should be understood before a purchase decision is made.
The following
are additional features to consider when shopping for a DVD Player:
- The first consideration should be ease-of use. A DVD player's
remote should be ergonomic with clearly labeled functions and a simple layout.
This makes for easy navigation of a movie's features and quick control of all
settings. A well-designed remote control unit will simplify operation, and
make movie-watching a more enjoyable experience. An illuminated remote
helps control the movie without having to turn on the lights.
- A built-in Dolby Digital decoder allows compatible movies to be
played back in six channel surround-sound. The DVD player will output six
separate audio cables to a Dolby Digital ready receiver.
- A DVD player with Dolby Digital passthrough will output coded
six-channel surround sound. This means one audio cable is sent from the
DVD player to a surround-sound receiver with a built-in decoder. The audio
travels to the receiver through a TOS-Link digital optical cable or a
coaxial digital audio cable.
- Variable Forward/Reverse Search speeds allows for finding specific
sections of a movie at the touch of a button. The speed at which the search
takes place is variable, depending upon the number of speed settings found on
a particular DVD player.
- Variable Slow Forward and Slow Reverse speeds act as slow
motion controls for watching specific video segments in great detail.
- Multiple Viewing Angle Capability allows the ability to change to
various camera angles on DVDs encoded with the feature.
- Virtual Surround Sound creates a surround-sound effect by
incorporating a portion of the center-surround information into the left and
right stereo signals. This feature isintended for use with a two-speaker home
theater configuration.
- Component Video outputs provide the highest level of video signal
quality available today when connected to televisions equipped with compatible
inputs. The signal is sent through three video cables that separate the video
into its components, increasing signal clarity.
- S-Video output is found on almost all DVD players and should be
used if Component Video is not an option.
- Composite Video output is sent from a DVD player to a TV with an
RCA style video input jack. All DVD players output Composite Video.
- Display On/Off capability means the illuminated display on the
front of a DVD player can be turned off during a movie to eliminate
distraction.
- The Parental Lock feature allows certain sections of objectionable
material to be deleted from playback. A Parental Lock compatible DVD is
required to use this feature.
Once the features have been
decided upon, look for a DVD player's ease of operation. All the cutting-edge
features in the world won't make using a cumbersome player any more enjoyable. A
DVD player should be well designed with a simple layout and obvious control
locations. The remote control unit should provide functionality and be easy to
navigate.
Next, determine if the DVD player will be connected to a
surround-sound receiver. If the answer is yes, how many audio channels is the
receiver capable of producing? Most of today's surround-sound receivers are
capable of producing four-channel Dolby Pro Logic surround sound. Every DVD
player will match that capability.
If the receiver is Dolby Digital
ready, purchasing a DVD player with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder
is a wise choice. This combination, in addition to five surround-sound speakers
and a subwoofer, will produce six-channel Dolby Digital audio.
If there
is no surround-sound receiver, or if an existing receiver will be upgraded,
purchasing a DVD player with Dolby Digital passthrough is the best
choice. In this case, a receiver with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder should be
purchased, which would allow for the connection of additional Dolby Digital
sources, such as a DSS receiver or HDTV audio.
DTS (Digital
Theater System) is another six-channel surround-sound format capable of
producing an audio experience similar to Dolby Digital. And just like Dolby
digital, DTS requires the presence of a built-in decoder in either the DVD
player or the A/V receiver.
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