Links - Accessories - Home Cinema - DVD Players
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These are pretty much the starting point for any Home Cinema system, as they produce the source for everything else.
DVD players range in price from less than $100 to as much as $1000, so it depends on how you are going to use it how much
you need to spend. In addition to DVD-Video playback, many DVD-Video players can also play back Audio CDs and Video CDs.
Some are able to playback audio CD-Rs and CD-RWs, if you're into recording such media. A few can even play HDCD enhanced
audio CDs, while some can play the new Super Audio CD (SACD) format, a new high-resolution and multi-channel audio format
that supports up to six discrete channels of music. DVD-Audio/Video players can play back DVD-Audio discs as well as DVD-Video
discs. DVD-Audio is the other high resolution and multi-channel audio format that is based on the DVD physical specification.
For the real Home Cinema fanatic, devices are now becoming available that include integrated hard drives so that you can
store your DVDs and CDs in easily accessible libraries, not forgetting the inclusion of DVD drives in computers and the new
DVD Recorders.
If you're looking for a basic DVD player to connect to a TV that is 27-inch or less in size and you don't have a Home Cinema system, then just about any DVD player will provide a "good" picture. A similar statement can be made for sound quality if the sound is reproduced only by the TV's speakers. Home Cinema requires a higher quality source so you should buy carefully. Check out the quality on a similar sized display to the one you plan to use before you buy. To maximize the benefits of DVD's high quality picture, pay attention to the video processing circuitry and look for certain special effects capability, zoom capability, progressive scanning capability, and the array of video outputs. For good video reproduction, most DVD players use 10-bit video digital-to-analog converters (DAC) and video processing chips that runs at 27MHz. The picture from a 10-bit DAC model more closely resembles the fine light gradations and color fidelity of the film source. The 27MHz video processing speed allows for detailed decoding of the compressed MPEG-2 video signal. DVD players with these features will produce pictures that will still vary in terms of quality and characteristics, partly due to video processing for output to a 4:3 aspect ratio TV. The reference quality progressive scan DVD-Video player pushes the state-of-the-art to 14-bit DAC and 108 MHz video processing. Consider too the best type of video signal for you display device and if it accepts component input, then make sure that your DVD player can deliver it. The same goes for surround sound features. Be warned that not all devices are multi-zone, and will only play videos designed for the local area. This will prevent you playing videos zoned for other parts of the world. |
| Digitrex | DVD Players and Recorders |
| JVC | DVD Players and Recorders |
| LG Electronics | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Mitsubishi | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Panasonic | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Philips | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Samsung | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Sanyo | DVD Players, Recorders and VCR combo devices |
| Sharp | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Sony | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Teac | DVD Players and Recorders |
| Thomson | DVD Players |
| Transonic | Budget Models |