DVD Player

DVD Players and Recorders Buying Guide

We're here to help you buy a new DVD Player. We've got advice and information about all the latest players and recorders, including portable and home models, plus advice getting ready for High Definition.

One of the quickest products to invade our houses in recent history was the DVD player. Offering a level of picture and audio quality that far outstripped the incumbent video cassette recorder (VCR), it quickly become a must-have item for playing films and pre-recorded television programmes.

Now DVD players are ousting VCRs completely, as models with recording functions are available for prices that don't break the bank and others are designed with built-in hard disk drives. You can find basic models for very little money or spend a lot on one that can be a key part of your home entertainment system.

However, although new DVD players start at very low prices, a cheap solution will still be a waste of money if it doesn't do what you want it to do. To make it easier to find the right model, we answer the questions you should ask yourself before you buy:

Click on any of these links to get some valuable advice, and tips on how you can use PriceRunner to find the perfect DVD player.

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What's my budget?

With such a wide price range in the DVD player market, it's vital to set your budget first. Clearly this needs to be balanced against what you want to do with a DVD player, and you can't expect to get an all-singing, all-dancing unit for the price of a basic model. But beware the temptation to keep increasing what you spend just to get this or that extra feature.

If you don't already have any DVDs, then you will need to think about the cost of building up a collection or renting them. You should also take into account the price of any additional cables, as some units don't ship with them. Others only include basic cables so you may want to budget for better ones that allow you to get the best quality images from your combination of DVD player and TV (see Connectors, below).

Where do I want to use my new DVD player?

One of the major things that will narrow down your choice of player is where you want to use it. Although much of the technology is the same, models designed for use in one place and portable players are quite different.

Home DVD players

If you want a DVD player to use in one place, then you have a very wide choice. Most of the features and issues you should care about are covered elsewhere in this guide, but make sure that anything you buy is built to withstand the wear it will get in your home. It needs to be the right size to fit in any shelving or units with plenty of room around it for air to circulate, and space behind it for leads to extend out.

Also, make sure you check any available reviews to find out how easy it is to use.

Portable DVD players

Some DVD player issues are unique to portable devices, so we will cover those here. For all other features, check under the relevant heading throughout this guide.

Design

Portable DVD players are generally either clamshells (which open up like a laptop computer to reveal the screen), tablets (with the screen on the outside) or have separate screens. However, even within these definitions there are variations, with some clamshell designs having swivelling screens, for example.

In-car use

If you want to use the portable player in a car you need to think how you will mount it. Clamshell players need to be mounted open so that you can see the screen, but this means having a carrying case (or similar) attached to the seat in front to sit them on. It also means that the body of the player will be sticking out into the car. Tablet players, on the other hand, often come with straps specifically for this purpose and may be less prone to damage.

A separate player with one or more screens is an alternative option, although you need to consider where you will put the player itself so that it is safe but still allows cables to reach the screen(s).

You should check how many screens and headphones are supported if you want more than one person to be able to watch it.

Screen size

There are various screen sizes available on portable DVD players, although 7 inches is now very common, and is OK for in-car use. Consider where you will actually use the player most of the time and make sure the screen size is adequate, bearing in mind that larger screens cost more and drain battery power faster.

Battery life

Getting decent battery life is important for any portable device and DVD players are no exception. You don't want the player to stop working in the middle of a pivotal scene in your film.

Check the battery life claims for the portables you are considering, but remember that this will be affected by a number of things, such as:

  • the brightness of the screen
  • how many screens are being powered
  • whether you are using speakers or headphones (the latter will draw less power)
  • the age of the battery
  • how you have treated it (if it is not fully discharged before recharging it can affect the subsequent life).

You should also look at alternative power sources. Can you plug it into the mains or even a car battery via the cigarette lighter socket?

Ports and sockets

It may surprise you to learn that you can get a variety of sockets and ports on portable DVD players, which increases their flexibility. USB ports and memory card readers will let you view images from your digital camera or even video from your camcorder, but make sure what you get will match the equipment you have already, and that any USB device can work without having to load any drivers or software.

Video and audio sockets can also let you use the DVD player as a games console. Again, you need the right equipment and cables to work with it.

What equipment have I already got?

There is no point in buying a top-end DVD player if you haven't got a reasonably new TV and have no intention of upgrading it. Many of the higher-end features rely on a similarly-specified television. Similarly, if you want to use a portable player at home too, match its features against those of any TV, games console or PC you have.

Progressive or interlaced scan

Standard analogue television signals in the UK have a resolution of 625 (576 visible) horizontal lines. The lines are ‘interlaced', which means that the odd numbered rows are created first and then the even numbered rows – it's just done so fast that you can't really see it happening from directly in front of a TV, though you may notice flickering if you stand to one side.

Some DVD players can create all the lines at once using what is known as progressive scan technology. This gives a very smooth image which is good for fast-moving footage. Even if the quality isn't quite as high as High definition TV (because the resolution is lower – see HDTV), if you have a digital television, then it's worth considering a DVD player that offers progressive scan output. Always check to make sure the units are compatible, including checking the connectors.

High definition TV (HDTV)

Standard DVD player resolutions are 720 pixels across and 480 vertically (so written as 720x480). HDTV creates images using either 720 or 1080 vertical lines of information. The 720-line format uses progressive scan technology with an overall resolution of 1280x720 and is written as 720p. The 1080 version is usually interlaced (so is written as 1080i) and has an overall resolution of 1920x1080. There is a progressive scan 1080 specification (1080p) but it's very rare.

If you don't already have a television capable of displaying High Definition images, then there is no point in buying a DVD player that uses one of the two competing high definition DVD technologies: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Blu-Ray discs have five times the storage capacity of standard DVDs; with HD-DVDs offering less of a boost but carrying less of a price premium.

Just like the competition between VCR technologies many years ago, there is no way of knowing which technology will ultimately win out, so you could be left with a unit that won't play high resolution films by the time you get round to buying your HD-ready TV.

If you do have an HD-ready TV, then Blu-Ray or HD-DVD discs on a compatible player will let you see fantastic images, if the films have been formatted correctly. But there aren't many films currently available in either format and unless you buy a dual standard model (if you can find one), then you still need to consider whether you want to take the risk of ending up with a redundant player.

Instead you could consider a DVD player that offers upscaling. This means it outputs standard definition video signals that are converted to High Definition resolutions, to offer you more detailed images. If the upscaling is done well it can give offer an improvement on standard DVD output. However, as CRT TVs don't have a fixed pixel count (unlike LCD or plasma displays) you may get a less consistent result and should check any available reviews for guidance.

Connectors

Before you buy a DVD player, check the connectors on your TV. Your options will vary, but here are the most common ones to look for:

Socket Use How to spot one
Component video (RCA, YPbPr) High quality video input as it has three sockets for different colour and brightness signals. Can be progressive or interlaced, so this needs matching with the TV. Component video socket
Scart Most common connection option. If possible look for Scarts that support RGB signals (splitting the video signal into red, green and blue) for better pictures. Consider using a gold-plated Scart lead for better connections. Scart socket
S-video Good quality video connection but not as good as Scart RGB. Has separate connectors for colour and detail information. S-video socket
Composite video Common, low-quality video connection. Useful if you don't have enough Scart sockets. Composite video socket
HDMI High definition digital video and audio input. One of two required on HD-ready TVs. HDMI Socket
DVI Digital video input for HD video only, not audio. The second one required as part of the HD-read specification. DVI Input
RCA Can be used to connect to older TVs that don't have one of the other, better connection options. RCA Inputs
Audio Various options: make sure what you buy matches what you have on your TV, hi-fi and/or home cinema system.  

Scart may be the connection most people use, but not all DVD players are supplied with a Scart cable, so make sure you have one to hand when you are ready to hook up your new toy.

Widescreen playback

Some DVD players offer the option to alter the aspect ratio of what's being shown on the screen. This can be useful if what's on your DVD doesn't match your TV format, especially if you have a ‘standard' 4:3 TV but intend to watch a lot of films that are usually recorded in widescreen (16:9 or even wider). However, some TVs have this function built in anyway.

Audio

You can either output DVD audio via your television or through a separate audio system. Most pre-recorded DVDs have soundtracks that are recorded in Dolby Digital – which can transmit mono, stereo or up to 5.1-channel surround sound - and sometimes also in the better DVD-Audio. In either case you will need compatible equipment to get the most out of surround sound audio. You will need amplifiers and speakers, and may need an external surround-sound decoder too if this isn't built in to the DVD player. (5.1 means that the sound is recorded specifically to output through five full-bandwidth speakers and one low frequency subwoofer).

DVD players can almost always play audio CDs too, but check this and make sure that the player is compatible with other format tracks you want to play, such as DVD-Audio, SA-CD and MP3 files.

How often do I want to use it?

The more you want to use your DVD player, the more time you are likely to spend getting to grips with extra features and functions. If you are only an occasional user, you'll simply want something that is easy to use, and should read any available reviews to see if you can assess this.

All users should try to find out if the remote control and front-panel buttons are clearly marked and easy to use (particularly if you have larger fingers). Backlit buttons can help you to use the remote in the dark.

Bookmarking and resume functions

Bookmarking lets you mark places in a DVD disc so that you can find them again quickly. Some players will let you bookmark several discs and remember the bookmarks after a disc is removed.

Resume means the player will start paying a disc from where you last stopped it. Multi-disc resume means that the player will remember where to start playing a specific disc, even if it has been taken out and then reinserted.

Other features and special effects

Other features to look out for include:

  • pause
  • forward and reverse scan at multiple speeds
  • slow motion
  • frame-by-frame advance
  • picture zoom and panning.

Can I play DVDs I've bought abroad?

DVD prices in other countries can be markedly lower than in the UK. It's also common for DVDs of the same film to be released on different dates globally. To stop buyers taking advantage of this, the film industry encodes DVDs so that, assuming most people buy their DVD players locally, they can only play DVDs bought locally too.

DVD international regions map

Regional encoding splits the world into six regions:

  • Region 1 is US and Canada
  • Region 2 is Europe (including UK), Japan, South Africa, Middle East, Greenland
  • Region 3 is South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, parts of South-East Asia
  • Region 4 is Australia, New Zealand, Latin America
  • Region 5 is Africa, India, rest of Asia
  • Region 6 is China

The region should be marked on every DVD. If you see Region 0, then the DVD should work in any player.

So-called multi-region players should play any DVD. You should always check that these carry a manufacturer's guarantee, though, as if a player had been "upgraded" from single-region to multi-region by a vendor and not the manufacturer, then it can invalidate the warranty. To counteract this issue, manufacturers have added another level of encoding to DVDs called Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE) but some vendors claim their players can play all these discs too.

Can I record TV programmes?

To record a television programme you will need to buy either a DVD recorder or a DVD player with a hard disk drive included. The former lets you record onto DVDs, while the latter lets you record onto a hard drive within the player. Some mid-range and high-end players offer both features.

If your player includes a hard drive, you can usually record from the hard drive onto DVD discs later. It will also let you watch a programme from the beginning as it continues to record to the end (this is called catch-up or time slip), or watch a programme you've recorded while you record a second one, or even pause what you are watching (because it will continue to record and then you can use the catch-up feature).

A built-in Freeview unit will let you record free-to-air channels directly on to DVDs and an electronic programme guide (EPG) should offer easy scheduling of any recordings you want to make. However, as soon as you add more functions to any device it can become more complicated to use, so check the reviews to see how easy they are to use and find out if they offer any onscreen menus to make life easier.

Video Plus

If you want to record TV programmes you may want to look for Video Plus. This lets you record non-digital channels by typing in a number (published in many TV listings guides) instead of using the timer.

What else should I care about?

DVD standards

There are several different DVD recording formats and not all players will play every type, although the range they can cope with is improving. All players should play pre-recorded DVDs, but if you want to view DVDs recorded by friends or family, check what format they have been recorded in. Most DVD recorders can record more than one format of DVD.

  • DVD+R and DVD-R are single-session recording formats – you can only record to such a disk once. The disks are cheap and good for archiving but can't be reused.
  • DVD+RW and DVD-RW let you record multiple times on the same disk.
  • DVD-Ram is very flexible, but less players will play back DVD-Ram discs than the other types. If you only plan to watch your recordings yourself, though, it is attractive as you can start watching the beginning of a programme while the machine is still recording the end of it. Also, when you delete something from the disc, the rest of the content is reordered so there are no gaps left on it.

DivX and XviD

DivX and XviD are competing compression standards for video. If a video is compressed using one of these it takes up much less room on a disc but with no degradation in quality.

THX

THX is a quality standard. THX-certified products offer a minimum standard of video and audio, so that what you watch and hear is of a high standard and not affected by poor reproduction (provided that the DVD is THX too or otherwise good quality). There are three categories for home theatre products:

  • THX Integrated Home Theatre Systems which covers complete systems
  • THX Select and Select2 for individual products for small to medium-sized rooms
  • THX Ultra and Ultra2 for high-end and large home theatre products.

You can read more about THX, how it certifies products and why on the THX website (www.thx.com).

DVB-T

This stands for Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial, which is the standard for broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television channels.

Multiple-disc players

Some DVD players offer the option to load more than one disc at a time. This may be attractive if you want to use it as a jukebox or just don't like getting up off your sofa.

Recording pre-recorded DVDs

Don't assume that buying a DVD recorder will let you copy DVD films. This is illegal and most are copy-protected.

Record time vs quality

Most DVD recorders will let you trade recording quality for extra recording time. Generally, even lower quality DVD recordings will be better than equivalent videos, but you can push this too far and end up with a very long but poor quality recording.

Auto-power off

This will put your machine into standby mode if you leave it idle for a set period.

Combined DVD and VCR players

If you have lots of videos that you still want to play, then you could consider a combined DVD and VCR unit. If this includes a DVD recorder then you may be able to record your old videos onto DVDs, bearing in mind any copyright issues.

A combined unit will make cabling easier, but does mean that if one element fails, you will lose both functions if the player has to be sent away for repair.

This buying guide was last updated on 21 March 2007 by Dan Blows.

Dan Blows is the CRM Manager at PriceRunner, and is a big gadgets fan. You can ask him a question by sending him a message in the forum).