Consumer Video DVD Players & Recorders

Learning About DVD Video Players

DVDs have replaced VHS as the mainstay format for movies and even entire seasons of TV shows. They have yet to be overtaken by Blu-Ray disc players, so many people still keep a DVD video player in their entertainment center. There are different types of DVD players available, and the newer models often have functions beyond just movie playback.

Types of DVD Players

When shopping for a DVD player, you might see terms such as progressive scan or interlaced. These indicate what types of video technologies the player uses.

Progressive scan sequentially draws the lines of each frame whereas interlaced draws even and odd lines alternately. Progressive scan DVD players work best with HDTVs and are incompatible with certain cable connections such as S-video or RCA. Upscaling DVD players can connect to an HDTV using an HDMI cable and improve the picture and sound quality of your movies.

There are also portable DVD players and DVD, VHS, or DVD Blu-Ray player combos. A multi-disc DVD video player holds up to six discs at once so you can choose between movies or play a whole season of a TV show without having to load discs one at a time. DVD players come in a variety of sizes, with compact players available that are an ideal fit for smaller shelves.

DVD Player Formats

Many DVD players support other formats besides DVD. They'll usually also play music CDs, and a DVD player with a USB port can import photos to display a photo slide show, or even rip CDs and transfer tracks to the external drive. If you want to play your own homemade media, look for a player that can play CD-RW or DVD-RW discs. Another thing to pay attention to is DVD region codes. Some older DVD players may only play DVDs manufactured in certain parts of the world. Region 1 comprises the United States and Canada while Region 2 includes many European and some Middle Eastern countries. Some newer models of DVD players are multi-region, allowing them to play virtually anything.

How to Connect a DVD Player to a TV

Some DVD video players connect to TVs via color-coded cables, and it's quick and easy to match the cable ends to the line-in jacks on the back of the TV. The TV and DVD player should be powered off when you connect. Alternately, when you connect with HDMI, there's just one cable to go into one port. Many TV consoles and stands feature cable management openings that cords can be fed through, making connections even easier. A DVD player with HDMI output needs only the HDMI cable to connect.

When you're ready to enjoy superior home entertainment, browse through the wide selection of DVD video players available from B&H Photo and Video.