DVD Player Primer
BASIC FUNCTIONS
What is inside a DVD player?
The
basic internals of a DVD player consist of a physical drive to
rotate the disc, a laser to read the data on the disc, circuits,
usually on circuit boards, to control the total operations,
display status, and control timing and also connections, both
internal and for external (video, audio) devices such as a
television.
What is the
best way to handle discs?
Try
not to touch the playback (data) side of the disc. Fingerprints
and dirt can cause video and audio problems. Keep the disc clean.
Do not use any type of solvent to clean the disc. Use a moistened
soft cloth to wipe clean and a dry cloth to wipe off excess
moisture. Always wipe from the center towards the outer edge. Keep
discs away from heat, direct sunlight, and dust. Store in
protective cases away from possible damage from breakage. Keep in
a cool, dry place.
What discs
can I play?
Most DVD players today can play not only DVD movies, but also
music CDs and picture CDs. The following chart summarizes playable
discs.
|
Disc
mark |
Contains |
Disc
Size |
Playing
Time |
DVD Video |
|
audio and video |
12 cm |
up to 8 hours |
Audio CD |
|
audio |
8 or 12 cm |
up to 80 min. |
MP3 CD |
|
audio |
12 cm |
600+ min. |
Picture CD |
|
video |
12 cm |
user select |
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What
should I expect to see on the front and rear panels?
There
should be a power on/off switch for main power with an indicator
light on the front panel. The remote sensor and also the disc type
indicator lights should be visible. There should be STOP/PLAY and
OPEN/CLOSE (door/tray) buttons and of course also in front is the
door for inserting the disc. On the rear panel, there should be
the audio and video connections. Most players have composite video
and analog audio RCA type connectors for signal delivery to an
analog television. Older TVs without composite connections need a
RF modulator box to convert the signal to an antenna type
connection. Most DVD players today also have an S-Video connection
which yields better video than composite video and requires a
television with an S-Video connection. The best video connection
today (other than digital) is component video. Many, if not most,
DVD players today have the three component video connections for
output to a television with component video. For the audio (sound)
portion of the signal from the DVD player, there can be up to
three types of connections on the rear panel. First there is the
RCA type left and right analog stereo connections which are
usually white and red color coded. For a TV with only MONO sound,
connect only the white cable. Second, for digital stereo sound,
you need to see a orange color coded RCA type connection and
finally for digital surround sound (may or may not be available on
the disc), you should see a OPTICAL output on the rear panel. This
connection appears small and is usually black.
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What
is on the remote control?
You
should be able to control the PLAY function and also STOP. There
should be a FAST FORWARD and REVERSE. There should be a MENU
and/or SETUP function for user selectable options. There should be
a number pad for TRACK selection. You should have a volume control
and a remote door OPEN/CLOSE function. Additionally there may be
functions for ZOOM, slow motion, MUTE, camera angle, subtitles,
shuffle play and more.
How
do I connect the DVD player?
At
the most basic level, you need a video connection and a audio
connection from the DVD player to a television. The video
connection can consist of a single cable from the yellow RCA type
connection on the rear of the DVD player to the yellow RCA type
connection on the TV. This cable connection allows the video
portion from the disc to get to the TV for display. The audio
connection can consist of a single cable (for MONO sound) from the
white RCA type connection on the rear of the DVD player to the
white RCA type connection on the TV. For stereo TVs you will also
connect the red colored RCA type connector from the DVD player
rear panel to the television. That's it!
Instead of the yellow
video connection, you can use an S-video cable connection (black)
or you can use instead a 3 cable component video connection (red,
blue, green). Component video separates out the brightness and
color signals so they can be processed independently, yielding a
better picture than composite or s-video. The audio portion from
the DVD may consist of stereo (2 channel) or digital multi-channel
sound. Dolby digital or DTS multi-channel sound has to be decoded
as it is read from the disc. Therefore you may have to use a DVD
player with a decoder and/or use a separate amplifier/decoder such
as a home theater receiver in order to benefit from the available
audio source. The connection would be from the audio (digital)
output on the rear panel of the DVD player to a audio receiver
input so that the receiver can send the multi-channel audio to the
proper speakers (also connected to the receiver). Currently there
could be as many as 5 or 6 channel sound available on the DVD. You
may have to select thru your MENU or SETUP option on the DVD
player, the proper audio setting so the surround sound is
produced.
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How
do I play a disc?
You
must select on your TV, the video connection which your DVD player
is connected to by (usually) pressing a button on your TV remote
such as VIDEO or LINE1 or LINE2 depending on your television set.
Some sets will automatically select the source that is connected.
Once the proper source is selected and the disc is inserted into the
player, press PLAY/ENTER on the DVD remote. In the case of a audio
CD, you can select a certain track by using the number keys. For
slow motion playback press SLOW. To resume normal speed, press PLAY.
A ZOOM button will allow you to see the movie in widescreen format
or a full screen format. If your TV is a 4:3 aspect ratio TV, you
may prefer to see the movie in full screen mode. This will eliminate
the black bars but will also eliminate part of the scene.
How do I locate specific chapters or tracks on the disc?
Using the remote control, you can go to specific points on the
disc. For a DVD, push TITLES or MENU depending on your particular
player. Then select the title or scene selection of interest.
Usually the MENU option will offer other choices such as LANGUAGE
selection or special features. You may have a RESUME button on the
remote to start playing at the selected point. Other ways to select
scenes may include a GOTO button and SKIP button to play from a
selected point on the disc.
How do I display subtitles?
If the disc you are playing has subtitles available, use the
on-screen menu to select the language you prefer. Remember not to
confuse subtitles with the on-screen display language or the audio
track language. The audio track language selection is the dialog
your hear while playing the movie, while the subtitle is what you
see in text at the bottom of the screen. These are two different
language selections while the OSD language is also separate.
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How do I display JPEG images?
If your DVD player has JPEG capability, you can insert a disc
with images such as a Kodak picture CD and see a slideshow of
pictures on your TV. Pictures can be rotated and zoomed in and out.
Thumbnail images may also be available for quick selection.
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How do I select the proper audio settings?
The DVD disc audio recorded tracks (source) determine what is
available for sound. Some movies may only offer stereo analog sound
while the newer discs offer multi-channel digital surround sound.
You may need to setup thru your on-screen menu, the proper audio
setting for individual discs. The sound settings for CDs and MP3
audio will be digital and also digital if the movie has Dolby
Digital sound. Read more about DVD
sound.
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How do I
use the setup menu?
User selectable options on the on-screen menu may include
languages, connections, audio settings, ratings, passwords and more
depending on your particular DVD player. Using the remote control,
press SETUP or MENU and then using the arrow keys, select up, down,
right, left and ENTER to choose your settings. Usually pressing MENU
again or EXIT or RESUME locks in your changes.
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What
do I do if I have trouble?
Typical problems include picture and sound, power, settings,
damage and operator error. Most trouble is due to the following:
Improper
connections from DVD player to display device or improper setup.
This may involve wrong cable connections. A damaged or scratched
disc can cause distortion. An improper placed disc (upside down or
misaligned in the tray) can cause no picture and play problems.
Settings such as parental lock or passwords can prevent playback.
Software incompatibilities can cause playback problems. Replace the
batteries in the remote if control does not work. Call manufacturer
customer service for player repair or return to service dept. if you
purchased a service contract at the retailer. See this
troubleshooting guide for more answers.
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