I want a DVD player, but I don’t have much cash to spend. Am I out of luck?
Not at all. There are many bare-bones players available for under $100, but spending an additional $50 or so for a few key features is a good idea. Look for a player that has multiple audio outputs, because you’ll get a noticeably better experience with digital or coaxial audio than with the standard “RCA” connectors. Don’t get sucked in by features you may not need, like digital video zoom or karaoke mode.
What can I get if I’m willing to spend more money?
One of the first things to consider is whether you’d benefit from a progressive-scan DVD player. If you have a high-end television (rear-projection, plasma or LCD) with component input, you’ll get a significantly improved picture. Combination units are also something to consider. While a DVD/TV combo unit isn’t ideal–what if one element breaks down?–a DVD/VHS player might help you make the transition to the digital age, especially if you already have a library of movies on VHS. Keep in mind that these players generally don’t allow you to make VHS copies of DVD movies.
I want to put my home movies on DVD. Is that possible?
There are a handful of different DVD recording formats, but the basic standard for movie playback is DVD-R, a one-time recordable format that is similar to CD-R. While DVD-RW (for re-recordable discs) is gaining support, it is not universally compatible, meaning these discs may not work on some players. A few companies have begun to introduce DVD camcorders, which allow you to record directly to a disc in either the DVD-R or DVD-RAM format. Generally it’s best to shoot your opus on DVD-RAM, which allows for greater editing control with your PC, and then save the final work as a DVD-R so you can view it on any standard DVD player.
Can I play DVDs from any country?
DVD was designed to have region coding so that studios could control pricing and release dates in different parts of the world. Region codes are optional for discmakers; many commercial export discs from places like Hong Kong are released without region coding, so you can play them on any DVD player around the world. Some standard players can be physically modified, often called “chipped,” to play discs regardless of region coding. But some discs have been designed to check to see if the region-coding feature has been tampered with. Your best bet is a region-free player, which will let you play coded DVDs from around the world. These players aren’t usually available at mass retailers; try Web sites like codefreedvd.com and zonefreedvd.com.
title: “Technology I Want My Dvd Player” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-14” author: “Raymond Ottesen”
I want a DVD player, but I don’t have much cash to spend. Am I out of luck?
Not at all. There are many bare-bones players available for under $100, but spending an additional $50 or so for a few key features is a good idea. Look for a player that has multiple audio outputs, because you’ll get a noticeably better experience with digital optical or coaxial audio than with the standard “RCA” connectors. Don’t get sucked in by features you may not need, like digital video zoom or karaoke mode. If you don’t think you’ll use these extras, or might not even know what they are, you can probably do without them.
What can I get if I’m willing to spend more money?
One of the first things to consider is whether you’d benefit from a progressive-scan DVD player. If you have a high-end television (rear-projection, plasma or LCD) with component connectors, you’ll get a significantly improved picture. Combination units are also something to consider. While a DVD/TV combo unit isn’t ideal–what if one element breaks down?–a DVD/VHS player ($150-$250) might help you make the transition to the digital age, especially if you already have a library of movies on VHS. Keep in mind that these players generally don’t allow you to make VHS copies of DVD movies.
I want to put my home movies on DVD. Is that possible?
There are a handful of different DVD recording formats, but the basic standard is DVD-R, a one-time recordable format. While DVD-RW (for re-recordable discs) is gaining support, it is not universally compatible, meaning these discs may not work on some players. A few companies have begun to introduce DVD camcorders, which allow you to record directly to a disc in either the DVD-R or DVD-RAM format. Generally it’s best to shoot your opus on DVD-RAM, which allows for greater editing control with your PC, and then save the final work as a DVD-R so you can view it on any standard DVD player.
I’m a foreign-film buff, but a lot of the movies I want aren’t available in the United States. Can I play DVDs from other parts of the world?
DVD was designed to have region coding so that studios could control pricing and release dates in different parts of the world. Region codes are optional for discmakers; many discs imported from places like Hong Kong are released without region coding, so you can play them on any DVD player around the world. Some standard players can be physically modified, often called “chipped,” to play discs regardless of region coding. But some discs have been designed to check to see if the region-coding feature has been tampered with. Your best bet is a region-free player, which will let you play coded DVDs from around the world. These players aren’t usually available at mass retailers; try Web sites like codefreedvd.com and zonefreedvd.com.
