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There are many
DVD players in the market. Price wise, they start from $100 and go
up to thousands of dollars for some high-end models. While we can't
review and evaluate every single DVD player model, we are able to review
and assess the performance of some DVD players. Of these that we
have hands-on experience, we are recommending
the following DVD players and believe that these models are worthy of your
consideration. For your convenience, they are grouped by price
range and category. In some categories, the players we have
recommended have since been discontinued, but we still list them here for
your reference to see which brands and models we have recommended in the
past. These models are clearly marked as
"discontinued". For current recommendations, look for the
label "new for 2002" in the
list below. Be sure
to read our DVD Player Buying Guide,
if you haven't done so already. You can
check out our DVD Player Comparison
Charts and DVD
Shopping Guide to see what other DVD players meet your needs and
budget. Before you buy, be sure to check out the latest sale
prices on our Special
Savings and Discount page. If you buy online, please
consider supporting this site by buying through our links.
What type of DVD player do you want to
look at first? Choose from the following categories: entry-level,
multi-disc changers, progressive
scan, DVD-Audio/Video, mid-level,
high-end, and portable
DVD players.
Entry-Level
Models These models start from $140 and
go up to about $200 at retail. (Budget models start below $100 and go up
to about $140, but we are not currently recommending any budget
models.) All entry-level models include the basic features, and many models
now come with features usually found in higher-priced mid-level
models (features such as built-in Dolby Digital decoder,
component video output). The video and audio performance are generally good, and should
be satisfactory for all but the largest TVs and finest home theater
systems.
Multi-Disc DVD Changers
These models offer the convenience of continuous multi-disc
DVD/CD playback and in-player storage. The
models we list here start at $180 at retail and go up from there.
We recommend the multi-disc design if you want to integrate your
CD and DVD player into one convenient, space-saving unit. These
designs range from dual-tray units, to five/six/seven-disc carousel
changers, to 200/301/403-disc jukebox-style mega-changers.
Progressive Scan Models
Progressive scan DVD players
deliver a better picture (one that has less flicker and less motion artifacts) when used with
compatible progressive scan-capable displays. Progressive
scanning allows the entire picture to be drawn at the same time, at a
refresh rate of 60 frames per second. (This is in contrast to
conventional interlaced scanning, where the picture is drawn by
"painting" the odd-numbered scan lines first, then the
even-numbered scan lines. Two passes are required to complete the
picture and the entire screen is refreshed at 30 frames per
second. Due to the nature of interlaced scanning, there are motion
artifacts when objects in the picture move across the screen.)
DVD-Audio
Players - Coming
Soon
These models can play
the new DVD-Audio format
(read our DVD-Audio
tutorial here), which supports high resolution 24-bit digital
sound in either PCM stereo or multi-channel surround sound
for music. Of course, these models play the usual repertoire of
DVD-Video, Video CD, and audio CD discs. Unfortunately, DVD-Audio
music titles are still very limited at this time.
Mid-Level Models
This category has been replaced with the progressive
scan and DVD-Audio categories. These models
used to range from about $250 to $600 at retail. They generally feature slightly better
video and audio performance than the entry-level models, and come with
more convenience features designed to maximize your enjoyment of DVD and
home theater. Some models feature a built-in Dolby Digital
decoder, digital video noise reduction filters, and convenient custom memory
to store your preferred playback settings for each DVD/CD disc.
All models include
component video output for excellent picture quality.
High-End Models
These models start from about $700
and go up to thousands of dollars. They represent the best of what DVD
technology has to offer and are built with uncompromising quality to
satisfy the most demanding and discriminating audio/video enthusiasts,
videophiles, and audiophiles. To realize the higher levels of
video and audio performance, you usually need a state-of-the-art home theater system
that is of equal caliber.
Portable
Models
For those of you who are always on
the go, or want the added convenience and flexibility of portable DVD
players, these are the models you should consider. The portability
of these designs, particularly those with built-in LCD displays, opens
up a whole new world of DVD enjoyment. These portable units are
full-featured and can easily pull double duty as your primary home theater DVD
player.
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