DVD Players
From Wiki2buy
Shopping Guide - DVD Player
A DVD player is a device used for reproducing DVD disks. The majority of players require a connection to a TV and some of them have a LCD screen coupled.
What are the kinds of DVDs?
The appliances that reproduce DVD disks can be separated in 4 categories:
Domestic DVD
Those one the most people have at home. Generally the new models reproduce dvd store online, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DIVx disks, besides of photos in JPEG shape. They also play CDs so if you do not have a stereo set, you can use the DVD player connected a television to play music. DVD home theater. Some DVD players have speakers for Home Theater. This kit is formed by five surround speakers and one subwoofer 9responsible for the serious sounds). That is wahy it is called 5.1 – the first number represents the quantity of speakers and the second one the number of subwoofer. The most modern models can be 6.1; 6.2; 7.1 and so on. Some DVD players’ models do not have speakers but they have a sound exit to use as acoustic boxes.
DVD recorder
The models able to record DVD disks have been the biggest trend of all times specially because its price has fallen over and over again and the cheapest ones cost around R$ 300,00 to R$ 400,00. we can even say that soon the next trend will be only the models that record and reproduce. The disks recorded in this player can be reproduced by any other one.
Portable DVD
Many times some stores announce compact models as portables. Actually the compact models are those which can easily be carried from your house to your farm, to your house beach, friends house, but they do not have a coupled screen. You need to connect it to a TV and it makes them similar to any other household goods. The portable models are those which already have a little LCD screen coupled top the appliance and it can be used in travels as entertainment. Many parents use these DVDs to keep their kids busy inside cars or in restaurants but the DVDs are also desired by many adults.
High definition DVD
The high definition DVDs are those which reproduce Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. These shapes are not compatible between themselves but you must choose between them. The shape battle has been disputed between the Hollywood movie producers and DVD manufacturers. Our advice until now it to be careful because a bad thought choice can make you waste a lot of money. This battle reminds the one in the end of 70’s between Sony that represented Beta-Max tapes and the rest of the market that bet in VHS. Besides the best quality of Sony system, the VHS won and those who had bought the beta-max VCRs were obligated to keep the electronic locked into their closet.
What is Blu-Ray and HD-DVD?
Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are disk shapes with quality images of high definition. These disks can store from 15 to 50 GB of information but it depends on its quantity of layers and formatting. The Blu-Ray is the shape with the largest storage capacity and it can vary from 25Gb to record in only on layer to 50GB to record in double layers. The HD-DVD stores from 15 to 30GB and the normal DVDs accumulate at most 4,7GB of information. So imagine that with so much available space to store data it is possible to record a movie that takes 4,7GB with a at least three times better resolution. That means today DVDs reproduce images with 720 x 480 pixels. Blu-Ray or HD-DVD can reproduce images with 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution in wide screen. It is important to remember it is not enough to have a high definition DVD player if your television does not have resolution enough to reproduce all this quality. So the normal TVs or flat screen can reproduce at most 480 verticals pixels. So even if you have a DVD player able to reproduce 1080 pixels, your TV will never show the same quality. Another thing: the price of high resolution movies costs around USD 75.
Can a portable DVD be connected to a TV?
Yes, it only needs to have sound and video exits at its back and probably all of them does. In this case the portable products can be polyvalent as they can be used in your living room connected to a big TV or carried to anywhere. When the sound and video exits are used the image and sound of the appliance are “cut” and they are reproduced only on the TV.
Why is so different the price between similar DVD players?
The differences of price are explained by the quality and durability of the products components and also by the resources they present. For example the simple inclusion of a LCD or LED display to show chapters and reproduction time can mean a very high increase in the production costs but when you use the TV screen to show all these information obviously it is cheaper. Another thing that simplifies a DVD player production and makes the costs lower is the quantity of sound and video exits on the product. Products with video exit component and HDMI can cost so much more expensive than a product with a simple RCA exit.
Are the cheaper brands goods too?
This is a very relative question. It is just like comparing the purchase of a new luxury car or a popular one even if both have the same function: transportation. The simple products may cost around USD 50. And they make a very good job reproducing DVD disks. The main difference between these unknown brand products and the other famous brands is usually the durability of its components. Another thing that decreases the production costs is the lack of some items like the display for example. It is important to remember that luck can be very helpful in these cases. It is not rare to waste a high quantity of money buying a famous brand product and it shows a defect in the very first week and other less known product can work perfectly for a long period of time. However remember that if the product breaks after the guarantee expired, the best solution is to throw it away and buy a new one. The repair usually costs so much more than a new product.
What is a 5.1 channels DVD?
DVD players with acoustic boxes for home theater usually have independent exits for each speaker: 1 central, 2 rears, 2 sides and one subwoofer. Exactly 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer, so 5.1. For the DVD fans there are some products with these 5 independents exist pre amplified instead of the traditional stereo exit (red and white). So if you have professional acoustic boxes you can connect the DVD player directly to the boxes.
What are the available shapes I should look for in a DVD player?
Nowadays the DVDs reproduce sound and images of the most varied files shapes. Acronyms that only few people can understand and know the meaning. So let’s simplify the things. Besides the regular recorded and re-recorded CD and DVD disks, it is also good to look for some players that can also run movies recorded in VCD. Another very common video shape are the DivX and MP4, usually downloaded from internet. It is also interesting to have the possibility of showing photos in JPEG and GIF shape. Talking about music, we cannot forget the basic MP3.
What is the DVD resolution?
The traditional DVD players reproduce images with 720 x 480 pixels. The Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players can reproduce images with 1920 x 1080 pixels.
What are the kinds of sound connection?
It is almost impossible to find a not stereo DVD player with at least two RCA exits, one red and one white. These two exits together make the stereo sound. If your TV set is also stereo, all you have to do is connect the red cable into the red exit and the white cable into the white one. That’s it! Another possibility is you connect your DVD in a sound system or home theater. In this case you can follow the same connection process guided by the colors. The home theater itself is able to divide or simulate the divided sign in 5.1 channels. Another kind of connection is the digital one that also uses a cable similar to RCA. But it transmits both stereo sound channels in only one cable. However the best quality is only obtained by optic connection or by a HDMI cable that sends the sound and video by a single cable with digital quality and without losing it.
Is it worth to buy a DVD player with also a home theater?
That depends on how much available space you have in your house and how much money you want to spend. So if you live in a small apartment, a DVD player with a home theater coupled don’t need to be very potent and it also means it might cost you less ( around USD 200 to USD 300)
What is progressive scan?
Progressive scan is a image scan process which optimizes the its quality. To sum up, your DVD will have a better resolution image if it has this resource. Actually only the portable DVDs and a few simple players models do not have Progressive scan.
What is the use for a DVD with HD?
This is a very recent technology and a little expensive. To sum up, when you watch your favorite movies or TV shows the player provides a inside memory to record what you want! For example if you need to go out but you don’t want to lose any part of that match that already started, all you have to do is to program your DVD to record it and you watch it later by accessing the HD. With this technology it is also possible to keep a lot of movies recorded inside the player and you watch it whenever you wish! But that depends on the quantity of available memory.
