1.5.1 Which player should I buy?
Description
This article is from the DVD Formats FAQ, by jtfrog@usa.net (Jim Taylor) with numerous contributions by others.
1.5.1 Which player should I buy?
There are many good players available. Video and audio performance in all
modern DVD players is excellent. Personal preferences, your budget, and
your existing home theater setup all play a large role in what player is
best for you. Unless you have a high-end home theater setup, a player that
costs under $400 should be completely adequate. Make a list of things that
are important to you (such as ability to play CD-Rs, ability to play Video
CDs, 96 kHz/24-bit audio decoding, DTS Digital Out, internal 6-channel
Dolby Digital decoder) to help you come up with a set of players. Then try
out a few of the players in your price range, focusing on ease of use
(remote control design, user interface, front-panel controls). Since there
is not a big variation in picture quality and sound quality within a given
price range, convenience features play a big part. The remote control,
which you'll use all the time, can drive you crazy if it doesn't suit your
style.
In certain cases, you might want to buy a DVD PC instead of a standard DVD
player, especially if you want progressive video. See 1.40 and 4.1.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself.
- Do I want selectable sound tracks and subtitles, multiangle viewing,
aspect ratio control, parental/multirating features, fast and slow
playback, great digital video, multichannel digital audio, compatibility
with Dolby Pro Logic receivers, on-screen menus, dual-layer playback, and
ability to play audio CDs? If so, this is the wrong question to ask
yourself, since all DVD players have all of these features.
- Do I appreciate special deals? If so, look for free DVD coupons and free
DVD rentals that are available with many players.
- Do I want DTS audio? If so, look for a player with the "DTS Digital Out"
logo. (See 3.6.2.)
- Do I want to play Video CDs? If so, check the specs for Video CD
compatibility. (See 2.4.5.)
- Do I need a headphone jack?
- Do I want player setup menus in languages other than English? If so, look
for multilanguage setup feature. (Note: the multilanguage menus on certain
discs are supported by all players.)
- Do I want to play homemade CD-R audio discs? If so look for the "dual
laser" feature. (See 2.4.3.)
- Do I want to replace my CD player? If so, you might want a changer that
can hold 3, 5, or even hundreds of discs.
- Do I want to control all my entertainment devices with one remote
control? If so, look for a player with a programmable universal remote, or
make sure your existing universal remote is compatible with the DVD player.
- Do I want to zoom in to check details of the picture? If so, look for
players with picture zoom.
- Do I want to play HDCDs? If so, check for the HDCD logo. (See 2.4.13.)
- Does my receiver have only optical or only coax digital audio inputs? If
so, make sure the player has outputs to match. (See 3.2.)
- Do I care about black-level adjustment?
For more information, read hardware reviews at Web sites such as DVDFile,
DVD Resource, and E-Town, or in magazines such as Widescreen Review. You
may also want to read about user experiences in online forums at Home
Theater Forum and DVDFile.
See sections 3.1 and 3.2 for specific information on what audio/video
connections are needed to fit into your existing setup.
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