|
Click on the question to read our answer:
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page
What
should I look for in a DVD player?
To learn what you should look for in a DVD
player, read our DVD Player Buying Guide
and look at our DVD player comparison
charts (with an explanation of comparison terms at the bottom of
each chart).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
Should
I buy a single-disc or multi-disc DVD player?
If you have a CD changer and enjoyed the
convenience of using one, chances are you'll also enjoy the
convenience of a DVD/CD changer as well. You can mix any
combination of DVDs and audio CDs for non-stop movie and music
enjoyment. There are two and three-disc changers in a multi-tray
format, five and six-disc changers in a carousel format, and even 200
to 301 disc mega-changers or jukeboxes. With some of the
carousel and mega-changers, you can add a second mega-changer for
instantaneous access of up to 602 DVD and CD titles! These
models offer the ultimate in convenience, but generally they do cost a
bit more than a comparably equipped single-disc player model.
Look for the "Capacity" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is component video and do I need this feature?
Component
video is the best way to connect your DVD player to your TV,
assuming both devices have this feature. It provides the best
picture quality possible, since the component signals making up the
video are transmitted separately in three separate wires. Note,
component video is not the same as RGB input/output. Read
more about component video here and
read our DVD Player Buying Guide.
Look for the "Component video" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is Dolby Digital and do I need this feature?
Dolby Digital
is a surround sound format that supports up to 5.1 channels of
discrete multi-channel sound. Since Dolby Digital is part of the
DVD standard, all DVD players support Dolby Digital in at least one of
two ways. First, DVD players with digital audio output(s) allow
you to connect the output of the "raw" digital audio signal
to an outboard decoder, typically a function of a receiver or
pre-amplifier. Second, DVD players may optionally have a
built-in Dolby Digital decoder. In this case, the DVD player
decodes the digital audio signal into 5.1-channel Dolby Digital analog
audio which is output through 5.1 analog outputs (RCA jacks).
This 5.1 channel analog output can be plug straight into a "Dolby
Digital" -ready or "5.1-channel" -ready receiver.
Unless you already have a "Dolby Digital" -ready or
"5.1-channel" -ready receiver, I would recommend going with
a DVD player without built-in Dolby Digital decoding. This
function is better left to a receiver or pre-amplifier. DVD
players without the built-in Dolby Digital decoder is general a bit
less expensive. Read more about Dolby Digital here
and read our DVD Player Buying Guide.
Look for the "Dolby Digital" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What is
DTS Digital Surround and do I need this feature?
DTS Digital Surround
is a surround sound format that supports up to 5.1 channels of
discrete multi-channel sound. Though it competes with Dolby
Digital, DTS is an optional surround sound format that offers
audio encoding at higher data rates. Many home theater
enthusiasts and industry experts have claimed that DTS is superior to
Dolby Digital as a movie soundtrack format. If you enjoy the
wonders of movie soundtracks and surround sound, we recommend that you
look for a DVD player that supports DTS Digital Surround. The
majority of current DVD players support the DTS format by providing a
digital audio output. Using this output, you can hook up a
DTS-capable receiver or pre-amplifier
to enjoy premium surround
sound. A few DVD players offer on-board DTS decoding, but this
is only useful if you have a "5.1-channel" -ready
receiver. Read more about DTS here and
read our DVD Player Buying Guide.
Look for the "dts" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is CD-R and CD-RW compatibility and do I need this feature?
CD-R and
CD-RW are recordable and
recordable/re-writable audio CD formats, respectively. You can
make your own recordable audio CDs using either a CD-R or CD-RW
computer drive or dedicated recorder deck. Some DVD players
offer CD-R compatibility and therefore can playback CD-R discs.
A few DVD players offer CD-RW compatibility. If you have
interest in making your own audio CD-Rs or CD-RWs, then play attention
to this feature. There is a new specification called MultiPlay
that is suppose to ensure compatibility of CD-R and CD-RW media across
recordable computer drives, dedicated recordable decks, and consumer
DVD players. Look for the MultiPlay logo some time later in the
year 2001. Also see CD-R and CD-RW. Look for the
"CD-R" or "CD-RW" designation under the
"Audio CD" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
How can I
find a DVD player that plays back CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3 audio?
If you want to play back CD-R and
CD-RW discs that have MP3 audio
files, look for a DVD player that is CD-R and/or CD-RW compatible and
features MP3 decoding. You can use our DVD
player comparison charts (specifically the Basic
Features comparison chart) to look for such DVD player
models. Here's how: (1) click on this
link, (2) look for "Yes" under the "MP3"
column, and (3) look for the
"CD-R" or "CD-RW" designation under the
"Audio CD" column. For example, our Basic
Features comparison chart currently lists these models: Aiwa
XD-DV370 and Harman
Kardon DVD50. Based on some initial reports (like this one
from DVD
File) on the 2001
International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES), there should be a lot
more models coming out from the major DVD manufacturers (e.g., Sony,
Pioneer, Toshiba, Panasonic, JVC) starting in March 2001 that will support this MP3
audio on CD-R/CD-RW
functionality. Also see our answer to the question
above concerning CD-R and CD-RW compatibility.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is Video CD compatibility and do I need this feature?
Video CD is a video disc format that uses
MPEG-1 video compression and is physically based on the audio CD disc
that is popular in Asia (particularly China). Most DVD players
can also playback Video CDs. Unless you have an interest in
Asian Video CD titles, you really don't need this feature, though most
DVD players can playback this format. Look for the "Video
CD" column in our DVD player
comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What is
HDCD compatibility and do I need this feature?
HDCD is
stands for High Definition Compatible Digital. It is an
enhancement to audio CDs to effective increase the word length and
sampling rate. If you plan to listen to HDCD-enhanced audio CDs,
then consider buying a HDCD compatible DVD player. We reviewed
two DVD players that have this capability: Toshiba
SD-2200 and the Mitsubishi
DD-6000. Look for the "HDCD" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is DVD-Audio and do I need this feature?
DVD-Audio is a brand new high-resolution,
multi-channel (up to 6 discrete
audio channels) audio format based on the DVD physical medium. The
DVD-Audio format includes a lossless multi-channel audio encoding scheme called MLP
(Meridian Lossless Packing), originally developed by Meridian.
The DVD-Audio format was originally scheduled to come out Summer 2000, but
due to copyright protection issues, its debut was postponed until Fall
of 2000. Currently there are quite a few DVD-Audio/Video players
(these players can also play DVD-Video titles). DVD-Audio
software titles are still very small in number, around 100 or so (as
of December 2001). It remains to be
seen if this format will really catch on with mainstream
"everyday" consumers. For more information, read our DVD-Audio
Tutorial.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is DVD-Universal and do I need this feature?
DVD-Universal
player is another name for a DVD-Audio/Video
player. These units can play both the
DVD-Video format and DVD-Audio format. So far, all DVD-Audio
players can also play DVD-Video titles, so DVD-Universal is just
another name for DVD-Audio players and DVD-Video/Audio players.
Look for the "DVD-Audio" column in our DVD
player comparison charts (Basic Features table). If it says
"Yes", the that model is a DVD-Universal player.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is region code and why would I care about it?
The DVD format introduced the
concept of region code so that content providers (e.g., movie studios)
can control where they release their copyrighted material.
Basically, the world is divided up into regions:
Region 1: North America
(including United States and Canada)
Region
2: Western Europe and Japan
Region 3: Southeast Asia
Region 4: South America and
Australia
Region 5: Africa, Eastern Europe
and Russia
Region 6: China
Region 0: all regions
The region code(s) of a DVD title is embedded in its
digital data. To playback a DVD title released in "region
1", you need a "region 1" DVD player. DVD players
with other than "region 1" cannot playback the "region
1" DVD title. Similarly, if a DVD title is released with
region codes 1 and 2, only DVD players with "region 1" or
"region 2" can playback this title. A "region
0" DVD title can be played back on any DVD player.
How does this affect you the
consumer? Well, if you live in the United States or Canada, the
DVD player you buy will be "region 1". That means you
can only playback "region 1" and "region 0" DVD
titles. There are some multi-region DVD players (those that can
play more than one DVD region codes) and even
region-free DVD players (those that can play DVDs with any region
code). Many of these multi-region and region-free DVD players
are altered as after-market models by third-party vendors.
Chances are during the alteration process, these third-party vendors
have voided the manufacturer warrantee.
Why was region code ever invented? Often times, a
U.S. movie is release to DVD in the U.S. (region 1) prior to its
theatrical release abroad. It takes time for the studios to
produce a foreign language version of the same film. To protect
the revenues it hopes to generate from foreign box offices, movie
studios use region coding to restrict distribution and viewing outside
of "region 1" until it has realized its foreign box office
potential. For this reason, major manufacturers of DVD players
do not make multi-region or region-free DVD players. And so the
majority (if not all) multi-region and region-free DVD players are
modified after-market, as we mentioned above.
Also see the answer to our next question on Region
Code Enhancement (RCE).
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What is
Region Code Enhancement (RCE) and why would I care about it?
Region Code Enhancement
(RCE)
is just that, an enhancement to the region code idea. In our
answer to the previous question, we
discussed that there are region-free DVD players that have been
modified after-market by third-party vendors to evade the region code
restriction. To counter that, the DVD format now includes a
stricter mechanism called Region Code Enhancement. The region
code is now embedded in the digital bitstream so it becomes
harder to foil by region-free DVD players. Reportedly, the first
region 1 DVD title to use RCE is "The
Patriot".
How does this affect you the consumer? Well, if you
are hoping to by a region-free DVD player, just watch out for RCE.
It could potentially foil your efforts.
Why was region code
ever invented? Often times, a U.S. movie is release to DVD in
the U.S. (region 1) prior to its theatrical release abroad. It
takes time for the studios to produce a foreign language version of
the same film. To protect the revenues it hopes to generate from
foreign box offices, movie studios use region coding to restrict
distribution and viewing outside of "region 1" until it has
realized its foreign box office potential. When
you think about it, the studios do own their movies. So they do
have the right to distribute them in any way they see fit. Until
the studios have enough staff and budget to simultaneously release a
movie theatrically worldwide (with all of the foreign language
dubbing), we'll have to sit patiently until it becomes available in
our neck of the woods. We know, that's easier said than done.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
is progressive scan and do I need this feature?
Progressive
scanning is the ability to generate a picture in one pass (as with
a computer monitor). Conventional interlaced scanning requires two
passes to generate a picture, the first pass for the odd-numbered scan
lines, the second for the even-numbered scan lines. Conventional
analog TV as we know it is interlaced scanning with a (complete
picture) refresh rate of 30 times per second, while progressive
scanning is twice that at 60 times per second.
A progressive scan capable DVD player outputs a
progressive scan component video signal that has 480 lines of
horizontal resolution (480p). (The "p" is for progressive
scan.) When matched with a TV that is capable of progressive scanning
and accepts a 480p signal (some of the new digital TVs), the resulting
picture is virtually flicker-free and has far fewer motion artifacts
(e.g., jagged edges). If you're planning to buy a digital TV, look for
480p component video inputs and consider buying a progressive scan DVD
player. A progressive scan DVD player can output a conventional
interlaced picture so you can use it today with your current TV and
upgrade later to a digital TV with 480p input.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
Should
I buy an extended warrantee or service plan with my DVD player?
In general, we don't think
that buying an extended warrantee or service plan for your DVD player
is a cost-effective idea. Sure, store salespeople will try to
convince you that you'll need one, that bad things may happen, or that
your DVD player (i.e., drive mechanism and laser) will require
periodic maintenance. Chances are with proper use and reasonable
care, your DVD player will perform flawlessly for years, even without
professional periodic maintenance.
Many of the entry-level DVD
players come with a one-year parts, 90-day labor manufacturer
warrantee. If you feel better with a full one-year warrantee on
parts and labor, we suggest that you go with a better DVD
player that comes with a longer manufacturer
warrantee. In addition to the peace of mind afforded by the
longer manufacturer warrantee, you'll generally get a better
engineered and better built DVD player (otherwise, the manufacturer
wouldn't put on the longer warrantee, right?) that probably comes with
some additional features that may increase your level of
enjoyment. At least you're getting something tangible for your
added investment. With an extended warrantee, you're buying
insurance instead of getting a better product.
Finally, make sure you use a
surge protector to protect your new DVD player and the rest of the
home theater system from electrical surges. See our answer to
the question immediately below.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
What
accessories should I consider?
We recommend that you consider the
following accessories with your DVD player purchase:
(1) A quality brand-name S-video or component video cable
to connect your DVD player to your TV. Some DVD players may
provide an S-video cable, but buy one that is gold-plated for best
performance. We recommend the Monster Cable brand's line
of "Video 3" S-video and component video cables. These
cables are available online at Amazon.com, 800.com, Buy.com, and
Crutchfield.
(2) If you have a Dolby
Digital or DTS receiver or pre-amplifier, don't forget to buy a
quality brand-name Toslink or coaxial digital audio cable. We
recommend the Monster Cable brand's line of
"LightSpeed-100" Toslink digital audio cables. These
cables are available online at Amazon.com, 800.com, Buy.com, and
Crutchfield.
(3) A quality brand-name
surge protector to protect your DVD player and home theater equipment
(e.g., TV, receiver, VCR, CD player, etc.) from electrical
surges. We recommend the MonsterPower brand (from Monster Cable)
and APC (American Power Conversion)
brand's line of "SurgeArrest" products.
back
to the previous page | FAQs
main page | top
of page
| 
United We Stand
