When DVD players were introduced in the 1990s, who knew that within a matter of years, they’d be a must-have technology? As with all new technologies, there was a chance that DVDs would fail to capture the imagination of the public.
DVDs could have gone the same way as laser discs, a technology that didn’t really catch on and which in turn, went the same way as Betamax before it. Larger than CDs and with a lower capacity (you had to flip the disc over to watch the second half of the movie), laser discs have gradually dropped out of the market. DVD movies, on the other hand, are encoded in MPEG-2 format, which enables film companies to fit an entire movie onto a single disc.
Originally developed as a storage alternative to CDs, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) discs are read in a similar way by using lasers; the difference is that DVDs use a laser with a shorter wavelength than CDs.
DVD players have been built into games consoles like the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox; DVD-ROMs are almost standard in new PCs, with DVD Rewritable drives becoming more common.
In fact, DVD is so popular these days that the price for a standard player has come right down and it’s possible to pick up a decent one for under EUR200 – with a brand name you’ll recognise. Compare this with prices as recently as three years ago and you’ll see just how affordable the technology has become.
So has the time finally come to ditch VHS altogether? There are quite a few advantages that DVD has over your standard VCR. For a start, there’s the durability of the discs. Although DVDs may be more susceptible to scratches than tape, it can be replayed over and over again without degrading.
Image quality is something else to be taken into account. DVD gives a far superior picture to VHS. The best way to illustrate this is to look at the horizontal resolution, which is how video picture detail is measured. Unlike TV broadcasts, which only have 330 lines and VCRS (240 lines), DVD has about 500 lines. The more lines you have, the better and more detailed the picture. Furthermore, with DVD players that support the new PAL progressive scan standard, you can watch your movies in High Definition TV – although your TV will have to support it.
If you are a sound buff, DVD is the perfect medium for you. DVDs come with Dolby Digital soundtracks. If you have the proper sound equipment – decoders, speakers, etc – you can really take advantage of the cinema-style sound. Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital 5.1 multi-channel sound are the most common. Dolby Pro Logic uses four channels – left, right, centre and a rear channel – while Dolby Digital has left, right, centre, rear left, rear right and a low frequency subwoofer channel. DVD players will usually have a built-in decoder to take care of the sound, but you can get a player with a digital output to hook up an external decoder.
Less important, but still a convenient extra, is that you can forget about the endless waiting while you fast forward or rewind – an annoying trait of tape. DVD discs are usually split into different chapters, making it easy to select a particular scene that you want to watch at the click of a remote control button. Once you’re done, there’s no need to remember to rewind it.
Multi-region
DVDs are split into six regions. Region one covers the US and Canada, while Europe falls into region two. Both the disc and the DVD player have the codes built into them; for the disc to play, the codes must match.
This system is an attempt by the movie studios to control the release of films and stop movie fans getting a sneaky peak at them in advance. As most movies would be released in the US before Europe, it logically follows that they would be available on DVD before the European release date too.
So how does it all work? Well your DVD player is encoded for use in a particular region, as are the discs. When the disc is inserted into the player, it automatically searches for the code and if the code doesn’t match, it won’t play. There are ways around this: Region-free and multi-region DVD players. Region-free players are encoded with Region 0; multi-region players allow you to change the region code, either automatically or manually, to fit whatever region disc you are trying to play.
This can cause its own problems, thanks to yet another studio-led protection measure known as RCE (Region Code Enhancement). When you insert an RCE disc into your DVD player, it looks for a code. If it doesn’t find one, or finds more than one, the disc won’t play. Warner Bros, Columbia, New Line and some MGM discs have all used RCE in the past.
Multi-region players appear to be the better way forward, although there’s no guarantee that all RCE discs will play. These players allow you to change the region on your DVD player through a series of button-presses on the remote control.
‘There seems to be a big demand for DVD players with this functionality,’ says Paul Williams of the electronics distributor, 3D Logistics, ‘possibly because great DVD movie bargains and new releases can be found whilst on holiday abroad (USA, Far East, etc) or online’. Of course, there is also the option of adding a chip to the machine that will make it a multi-region player. The drawback of this is that it may invalidate your warranty.
You’ll also need to take into account that there are different picture formats in some countries: The US and Japan have NTSC, while Europe uses PAL; France uses SECAM. If you want to watch DVDs designed for different regions, your TV will have to be capable of decoding NTSC. The good news is that most new PAL TVs have multi-standard decoders built-in, but it’s wise to check beforehand.
Money talks
The hip and fashionable may turn their noses up at owning a sub-EUR100 DVD player. After all, you get what you pay for, right?
Not necessarily. What you may find is that the higher-priced DVD players are packed with extra functions your EUR60 DVD player may not have, but that you don’t want or need.
‘Lower prices usually mean fewer media compatibilities and less connectivity. It is important to buy the unit capable of performing to your expectations, so don’t expect optical or RGB outputs (important for achieving the very best picture quality) if you have paid the very lowest price!’ says Williams. ‘The great news is even the cheapest DVD player would knock the socks off the quality of almost any VCR.’
What features do you sacrifice if you opt for a lower-priced player? Are you simply paying for a brand name if you opt for a more expensive model, or if you choose the budget route, will you be depriving yourself of features that could become the application of the future? DVD players these days can come in a standard player that will simply play your DVD discs, while more advanced players will play MP3 CDs, have better connections or even play DVD audio.
Other players have extra functions such as playing Video CDs, Super Video CDs and DivX formats. Video CD is a standard for displaying audio and video together on a CD, compressed into MPEG-1 format; Super Video CD is an enhanced version of this. DVD players also can play CD-Rs that you create on your own computer and while DVD Audio may not be high on your list of priorities now, there is the argument for ‘future-proofing’ your technology purchases. DVD Audio gives a higher sound fidelity than your standard CD and even surpasses the audio found on DVD-Video discs.
Given that DVD can provide stereo and multi-channel sound, that’s exactly what we can look forward to in DVD Audio discs. Although these discs may not be exactly taking over the music industry at present, who knows what could happen in the future?
Another reason for the price difference is the number and type of connections included with the player. Although the standard is a Scart connection, you can go for the more high-end component, which is required for high definition TV; first check your TV will support this type of connection.
The best thing to do is look hard at what you want to use the DVD player for. If you are satisfied with just using it for watching movies, a cheaper priced model will probably be more than sufficient.
‘Look at the different media that the player can play. Most people just want to playback their DVD movies, but DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-RW, VCD and MP3 are useful to have,’ says Williams. ‘There has been massive interest in the whole DivX and MPEG-4 arena which may soon become a standard feature on most players due to compression opportunities – not at entry level. If you are planning on having a home cinema setup, better ensure you buy a 5.1 channel capable product. Also, with the increasing adoption of digital cameras, it is useful to have MPEG and JPEG as these will turn your DVD and TV into a photo album complete with zoom, pan and rotate.’
On a budget
With a budget of up to EUR100 you can get a good enough DVD player. Depending on the brand name you opt for, you can get something basic or grab a few more functions while you’re at it. At the lower end of the scale, you can get a player that supports DVD Video, plays CDs and is compatible with MP3 discs. One of the best budget players we saw was the Ronin P807, which plays back DVD, CD, VCD, SVCD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, MP3 and JPEG formats. It’s a multi-region player, so you can play those discs you bought when you were on holiday in the US. It also has six phono sockets on the back for full Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.
If you are willing to spend up to EUR200, you can get a few extra features for your cash, such as the ability to play DivX films, or make coaxial connections. The Hitachi DVP335 DVD player offers both optical and coaxial out, and even has a screensaver option. The Kiss DP-1000 is a multi-region player that offers DivX 3.11, 4 and 5; MPEG-4; Xvid, which is an MPEG-4-compliant codec (a technology for compressing or decompressing data); MP3 playback; and is compatible with JPEG format. Its progressive scan capability (with component output) gives a higher quality picture, while the Dolby Digital sound will help recreate the cinema experience in your living room.
The DivX capability may come in handy if you want to play films on your TV that you’ve downloaded from the Internet.
The Philips SVS625 (EUR139.99) is an ultra-slim player with RGB out via Scart. This type of connection is a step up from your standard Scart connection, giving a better picture. It also supports picture CD playback, so your DVD player can turn itself into a photo album for a slideshow.
You could also spend a bit more to get a multi-format player. Sony’s DVPNS330 (EUR179.99) is a multi-format player that allows you to play both DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs. It comes with advanced smooth scan and digital theatre sound.
Once you go over the EUR200 mark, you can get extras like an Ethernet connection, a hard drive so that you can record directly to the machine and even web radio functions. Such features are found on the Kiss DP508. You’re also more likely to find component connections for progressive scan on the machines, although some cheaper machines do offer that capability too.
The verdict
If you want all the extras, a EUR100 player will never do the job. You’re better off not spending your money on something you might ultimately be disappointed with; add a little bit more to it to ensure your DVD player will keep you entertained for hours, if not years.
Record – not fade away
Of course, your DVD player will never replace your video recorder. After all, it can’t record Eastenders for you, or that all-important Champions League match. For that, you’ll need to invest in a DVD recorder.
Buying a DVD player or recorder may not be altogether straightforward. Think back to Betamax versus VHS days. There is currently a battle between different standards on the market, each fighting to be the one that stays. There’s DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DVD-RAM, all incompatible standards. DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW are quite similar, while DVD RAM is encased in a cartridge.
Originally, different technology companies lined up behind each of the standards: Panasonic, Hitachi and Toshiba supported the DVD RAM standard; Sony and Philips backed DVD+RW; while Pioneer, Sharp and Thomson backed the DVD-RW standard.
There is some good news for the consumer. All DVD machines support DVD-Video, which is the format that pre-recorded DVD movies come in. The problems only arise when you record your own discs. If you record on a DVD RAM disc, your home movies or taped TV programmes won’t play in a DVD player that only supports DVD+RW. It’s all very confusing.
To complicate things even further, the companies are beginning to spread their support across the different formats. There are a few DVD players that support both +RW and -RW standard. Companies like Sony have released these please-all players onto the market, making it a little easier for consumers who aren’t quite sure what format will be the victor.
Sony’s first dual home DVD recorder, the RDR-GX7, supports both +RW and -RW standards, and DVD-R. The device costs about EUR1,199, but if that is a bit too pricey for your pocket, there is an entry-level alternative, the RDR-GX3. Available for EUR749, the GX3 records in both RW formats and DVD-R. It plays back DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs.
DVD recorders with hard drives are another option for consumers. Panasonic is offering a DVD recorder with a hard drive that can record to both DVD-RAM discs and DVD-R, or to the hard drive in MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 format. The DMRE100HEBS’s MPEG-4 recordings can be transferred to an SD card, while MPEG-2 can be converted to MPEG-4 and then transferred to the card. At present, it’s not clear what format will win out. Consumers can only wait and hope they’ve gone for the right one.
DVD demystified
We explain the jargon behind the technology.
Coaxial connection: Digital audio connection for surround sound.
Component video: Divides the signal into luminance (brightness), red and blue, giving a better picture with more detail.
Composite video: Combines the luminance and chrominance (colour) parts of the video signal.
Decoders: Converts Dolby Digital and DTS sound signals into surround sound.
Dolby Digital: 5.1 channel surround sound, with left, right, centre, rear left, rear right and subwoofer channels.
Dolby Pro Logic: Provides four-channel surround sound from a stereo signal, such as DVD or videotape.
DTS: Digital Theatre Systems, a 5.1 channel surround sound format.
DVD: Stands for Digital Versatile Disc.
High Definition TV: Gives a more detailed picture, with a progressive scan input rather than interlaced pictures.
MPEG-2: The compression format used to fit an entire movie onto a single disc.
Multi-region player: A DVD player whose region can be set manually, through a series of codes entered on the remote control.
Progressive scan: Scans the image progressively instead of interlaced. The picture produced fills the screen every 1/60th of a second, instead of half an interlaced picture in the same time frame.
Region-free player: A DVD player with a region set to 0 meaning that it should be able to play DVDs from all six geographic regions.
Region codes: Codes used to control the release of DVD movies around the world. There are six region codes. Europe is in region two.
S-video: A type of video connection that separates video signals into luminance and chrominance.
Useful contacts:
Hitachi Meritec 01-2781828 www.meritec.ie
JVC 01-4094920 www.jvc-europe.com
Kiss 3D Logistics 01-6202762 www.3dlogistics.ie
Mitsubishi Electric 01-4198800 www.mitsubishi.ie
Panasonic 01-2898333 www.panasonic.ie
Philips 01-7640000 www.philips.ie
Pioneer AV Import 01-2405600 www.avimport.ie
Sharp Sight & Sound 01-2838974 www.sightandsound.ie
Sony 01-4131700 www.sony.ie
12/01/04
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