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These devices play high-quality videos and CDs, and prices are lower than ever.
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.
These devices play high-quality videos and CDs, and prices are lower than ever.
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 due to follow with its Blu-ray players. But as with most new technologies, initial prices are high: $500 for Toshiba’s low-end model and $1,000 for Samsung’s first Blu-ray device. All but the most passionate videophiles might want to wait for prices to drop.
There's another even more compelling reason to wait for the dust to settle: 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.
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 or enhanced-definition (ED) images, image quality is slightly better. (That's because HD and ED 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 interlaced or combined, a resolution referred to as 480i.) A player can be connected directly to your TV for viewing movies or routed through your receiver so you can listen to the movie soundtrack and audio CDs on your sound system.
There's another even more compelling reason to wait for the dust to settle: 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.
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 or enhanced-definition (ED) images, image quality is slightly better. (That's because HD and ED 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 interlaced or combined, a resolution referred to as 480i.) A player can be connected directly to your TV for viewing movies or routed through your receiver so you can listen to the movie soundtrack and audio CDs on your sound system.
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Progressive-scan models come in single-disc and multidisc versions. The few nonprogressive-scan players now on the market are mostly single-disc models; those tend to be the cheapest type.
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 400 or so discs are also available. Price: $100 to $400.
Portables.
These DVD players generally come with a small wide-screen format LCD screen and batteries that claim to provide three hours or more 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 $100 to $800.
HD players.
When used with HDTVs, HD players can potentially convey even 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. High-def players may be able to output HD signals only through an HDMI connection; 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. Price: $500 to $1,000.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
DVD-based movies often come in various formats. Aspect-ratio control lets you choose between the 4:3 viewing format of conventional TVs (4 inches wide for every 3 inches high) and the 16:9 ratio of newer wide-screen sets.
A DVD player gives you all sorts of control over the picture—control you might never have known you needed. Picture zoom lets you zoom in on a specific frame. Black-level adjustment brings out the detail in dark parts of the screen image. If you’ve ever wanted to see certain action scenes from different angles, multiangle capability gives you that opportunity. Note that this feature and some others work only with certain discs.
A DVD player enables you to navigate the disc in a number of ways. Unlike a VHS tape, most DVDs are sectioned. Chapter preview lets you scan the opening seconds of each section or chapter until you find what you want. A related feature, chapter gallery, shows thumbnails of section or chapter opening scenes. Go-to by time lets you enter how many hours and minutes into the disc you'd like to skip to. Marker functions allow easy indexing of specific sections.
To get the most from a DVD player, you need to hook it up to the TV with the best available connection. A composite-video connection can produce a very good picture, but there will be some loss of detail and some color artifacts such as adjacent colors bleeding into each other. Using the TV's S-video input can improve picture quality. It keeps the black-and-white and the color portions of the signal separated, producing more picture detail and fewer color defects.
Component-video, sometimes not provided on the lowest-end models, improves on S-video by splitting the color signal, resulting in a wider range of color. If you connect a DVD player via an S-video or component connection, don’t be surprised if you have to adjust the television-picture setup when you switch to a picture coming from an antenna, a VCR, or a cable box that uses a radio-frequency (RF, also called antenna/cable) connection or a composite connection.
Two newer outputs found on some players, Digital Video Interface (DVI) and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), are intended for use with digital TVs with corresponding inputs. They may be used to pass digital 480p, up-converted higher-resolution video signals, and HD signals. These connections potentially allow content providers to control your ability to record the content.
Another benefit of DVD players is the ability to enjoy movies with multichannel surround sound. To reap the full sound experience of the audio encoded into DVD titles, you'll need a Dolby Digital receiver and six speakers, including a subwoofer. (For 6.1 and 7.1 soundtracks, you'll need seven or eight speakers.) Dolby Digital decoding built-in refers to a DVD player that decodes the multichannel audio before the audio receiver. Without the built-in circuitry, you’d need to have the decoder built into the receiver or, in rare instances, use a separate decoder box to take advantage of the audio. (A Dolby Digital receiver will decode an older format, Dolby Pro Logic, as well.) Most players also support Digital Theater System (DTS) decoding for titles using 5.1-, 6.1- or 7.1-channel encoding format. When you're watching DVD-based movies, dynamic audio-range control helps keep explosions and other noisy sound effects from seeming too loud.
In addition to commercial DVD titles, DVD players often support playback or display of many other formats. They include CD-R/RW recordings of standard audio CDs; the recordable DVD formats DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, and DVD-RAM; Video CD (VCD); and DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD). They can also play CD-R/RW discs containing MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) files and JPEG picture files. Make sure the one you’re considering plays the discs and formats you use now or might want to use in the future.
DVD players also provide features such as multilingual support, which lets you choose dialog or subtitles in different languages for a movie. Parental control lets parents lock out films by rating code.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Hold off on a high-def player.
Given the current high prices of the first models and the incompatibility between the two rival formats, we strongly 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 a digital (probably HD) TV 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. A few players have DVI or HDMI connectors that are compatible with some new 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.
All DVD players can play pre-recorded DVDs and CDs. Most models also play several types of discs you 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 play CD-audio and MP3 music 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.
Copyright © 2003-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
For full access to Ratings and recommendations of appliances, cars & trucks, electronic gear, and much more, subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
BACK TO: Consumer Reports: Buying Guides
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 400 or so discs are also available. Price: $100 to $400.
Portables.
These DVD players generally come with a small wide-screen format LCD screen and batteries that claim to provide three hours or more 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 $100 to $800.
HD players.
When used with HDTVs, HD players can potentially convey even 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. High-def players may be able to output HD signals only through an HDMI connection; 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. Price: $500 to $1,000.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
DVD-based movies often come in various formats. Aspect-ratio control lets you choose between the 4:3 viewing format of conventional TVs (4 inches wide for every 3 inches high) and the 16:9 ratio of newer wide-screen sets.
A DVD player gives you all sorts of control over the picture—control you might never have known you needed. Picture zoom lets you zoom in on a specific frame. Black-level adjustment brings out the detail in dark parts of the screen image. If you’ve ever wanted to see certain action scenes from different angles, multiangle capability gives you that opportunity. Note that this feature and some others work only with certain discs.
A DVD player enables you to navigate the disc in a number of ways. Unlike a VHS tape, most DVDs are sectioned. Chapter preview lets you scan the opening seconds of each section or chapter until you find what you want. A related feature, chapter gallery, shows thumbnails of section or chapter opening scenes. Go-to by time lets you enter how many hours and minutes into the disc you'd like to skip to. Marker functions allow easy indexing of specific sections.
To get the most from a DVD player, you need to hook it up to the TV with the best available connection. A composite-video connection can produce a very good picture, but there will be some loss of detail and some color artifacts such as adjacent colors bleeding into each other. Using the TV's S-video input can improve picture quality. It keeps the black-and-white and the color portions of the signal separated, producing more picture detail and fewer color defects.
Component-video, sometimes not provided on the lowest-end models, improves on S-video by splitting the color signal, resulting in a wider range of color. If you connect a DVD player via an S-video or component connection, don’t be surprised if you have to adjust the television-picture setup when you switch to a picture coming from an antenna, a VCR, or a cable box that uses a radio-frequency (RF, also called antenna/cable) connection or a composite connection.
Two newer outputs found on some players, Digital Video Interface (DVI) and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), are intended for use with digital TVs with corresponding inputs. They may be used to pass digital 480p, up-converted higher-resolution video signals, and HD signals. These connections potentially allow content providers to control your ability to record the content.
Another benefit of DVD players is the ability to enjoy movies with multichannel surround sound. To reap the full sound experience of the audio encoded into DVD titles, you'll need a Dolby Digital receiver and six speakers, including a subwoofer. (For 6.1 and 7.1 soundtracks, you'll need seven or eight speakers.) Dolby Digital decoding built-in refers to a DVD player that decodes the multichannel audio before the audio receiver. Without the built-in circuitry, you’d need to have the decoder built into the receiver or, in rare instances, use a separate decoder box to take advantage of the audio. (A Dolby Digital receiver will decode an older format, Dolby Pro Logic, as well.) Most players also support Digital Theater System (DTS) decoding for titles using 5.1-, 6.1- or 7.1-channel encoding format. When you're watching DVD-based movies, dynamic audio-range control helps keep explosions and other noisy sound effects from seeming too loud.
In addition to commercial DVD titles, DVD players often support playback or display of many other formats. They include CD-R/RW recordings of standard audio CDs; the recordable DVD formats DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, and DVD-RAM; Video CD (VCD); and DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD). They can also play CD-R/RW discs containing MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) files and JPEG picture files. Make sure the one you’re considering plays the discs and formats you use now or might want to use in the future.
DVD players also provide features such as multilingual support, which lets you choose dialog or subtitles in different languages for a movie. Parental control lets parents lock out films by rating code.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Hold off on a high-def player.
Given the current high prices of the first models and the incompatibility between the two rival formats, we strongly 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 a digital (probably HD) TV 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. A few players have DVI or HDMI connectors that are compatible with some new 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.
All DVD players can play pre-recorded DVDs and CDs. Most models also play several types of discs you 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 play CD-audio and MP3 music 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.
Copyright © 2003-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
For full access to Ratings and recommendations of appliances, cars & trucks, electronic gear, and much more, subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
BACK TO: Consumer Reports: Buying Guides