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A Beginner's Guide to DVD Players

The first thing to know is that any DVD player sold today, regardless of price, will have appreciably superior picture and sound quality as compared to VHS tapes. The images on screen will be sharper, the colors extra true, and everything more lifelike - including the sound. DVD achieves its performance through digital technology. DVD works like a computer, which means it reproduces the entertainment experience exactly how it was intended to be, by the filmmaker each and every time without ever wearing out.

The second "must know" when shopping for a DVD player is knowing what type of television and sound equipment you will be using with your DVD player to ensure future readiness. High definition digital television will become the standard programming format in the U.S. by 2005. Certain DVD players offer high-end options like Progressive Scan today which will work in conjunction with digital/high definition TV's to deliver the most incredible film-like picture available.

If you have definite plans for a state-of-the-art home theater sound system then you'll want a DVD player that can grow with you and handle advanced features. Consider a DVD player that holds multiple discs (DVD players will play your music CD's) and can decode the more advanced sound formats like Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS that power multiple speakers and yield true surround sound. Make sure your DVD player has all the right advanced video and audio cable outputs for connecting to your digital TV or sound system.

Lastly, when purchasing a DVD player you'll want to know what major features and capabilities they have in common, what separates them, and makes some more valuable. The following list of key features determines how DVD players are grouped:

STANDARD FEATURES.
   - Language choice* (including audio, subtitles, and menus)
   - Special effects playback (freeze, step, multi speed forward
     and reverse scan)
   - Instant rewind and fast forward
   - Instant skip to titles, chapters, tracks, or time codes
   - Parental lock out*
   - Compatibility with music CD's
   - Support for wide screen movies on regular or wide screen TVs.
   - Up to 9 camera angles for certain sequences*

* Feature will only work if DVD disc has been encoded to support

PROGRESSIVE SCAN. Progressive Scan yields the best, most film-like picture when displaying progressive-source video (i.e. movies and film) on a digital TV or monitor.
Click here to see all Progressive Scan DVD players.

DISC CAPACITY. DVD players will hold between 1 to 5 or more discs. 5-disc capacity is an indispensable convenience if your DVD player will double as your primary music CD changer? For families with children, a multi-disc DVD player is a nice way to keep the kids favorites available with the push of one button. Click here to see all multi-disc DVD players.

FORMATS SUPPORTED. All DVD players will play DVD movies, but there are also other formats to consider:
   - DVD-R. Writable DVD's (Not generally available & expensive)
   - Audio DVD. DVD's optimized for music
   - CD. Music CD's
   - CD-R. Writable once CD's,
   - CD-RW. Rewritable CD's
   - Video CD.
   - MP3. Format for music download from the Internet.

BRAND. Is it a name and quality you trust? We only carry models from the leading technology, value-driven, and largest consumer electronics manufactures in the world. Click here to see all DVD players.

VIDEO OUTPUTS. This is how your DVD player physically connects with your TV set to deliver pictures. The best to use is the component connection. This connection is for newer or high-end DVD players and TV sets. The middle quality connection is s-video, and the oldest is the composite connection (analog RCA). Older TV's may not have the newest connections. While some DVD players will have all three types of video outputs allowing them to connect to virtually any TV (except for very old models), if your TV has the component connection option you may want to buy a DVD player with that same connection for both signal quality and future readiness.

AUDIO OUTPUTS. The audio output of your DVD player may be connected either directly to your TV or run through an audio receiver or home theater system. Running the sound through your home stereo or theater system allows you to create a true surrounded sound environment, just like the big screen movie theaters. As the action moves from left to right, the sound moves from left to right. All told there are speakers in front of you, to either side, and behind you to either side. And if there is an explosion, or similar low rumbling noise, it is delivered through a special speaker (woofer) that will "rattle your teeth" just like movie theaters.

The moviemakers encode the DVD discs with special sound tracks (Dolby Digital or DTS) that make this possible. Either the DVD player or the home stereo/theater system can decode the sound. If your home system already has a decoder for Dolby Digital or DTS sound built-in you can save money by not buying a DVD player with a built-in Dolby Digital or DTS decoder, however you have to make sure the DVD player you purchase has the connections to "pass through" the Dolby Digital or DTS signals. The best type (and equal in quality) of audio connectors are Optical or Coaxial Digital. Only receivers with decoders will have this type of input. If you purchase a DVD player with a Dolby Digital/DTS decoder and have an older home stereo or theater system that is "Dolby Digital Ready," you will need the 5.1 Channel Output to send the decoded signal from your DVD player to your sound receiver. The last way to connect the audio signal from your DVD player is through Stereo Outputs (analog RCA). This output connection is used for connecting directly to a TV or to an older receiver with only two speakers. If you have a two-speaker stereo receiver setup, shop for a DVD player that has a Virtual Surround Sound feature designed to maximize your audio experience.

AUDIO DECODING. This capability allows the DVD player to decode the Dolby Digital or DTS audio information encoded on the DVD disc and prepares it for use in a multi speaker theater style setup. Dolby Digital and DTS are competing formats. All DVD players are DTS compatible, meaning they can pass along the audio information to the home receiver if they are not equipped with a decoder themselves.

DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTER (DAC). If you are interested in being ready for the Audio DVD format then you'll want a DAC of 192kHz/24-bit versus the standard 96kHz/24-bit DAC.

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