DVD players

[Bob Keelan]

I'm thinking of picking up a DVD player for the family this Christmas but have no idea what I'm looking for. What features/brands should I look for? Followup question: Right now my home theatre system goes through my VCR player. How does a DVD player fit into the mix? Thanks for you help and happy holidays, bob

[aliengroover]

Umm...when you say it goes "through your VCR", what do you mean? I have my DVD player hooked up directly to my TV, with an optical digital out to the theater system. The VCR, the same. Depending on your TV, you can use the normal Video, Component, or S-Video interfaces, video being the least in quality (and still way better looking than a VCR). If you don't have the proper connections on your TV, you'll need an RF convertor ($25-30). You can't hook it up through your VCR (stupid copy restrictions). In terms of what player to get...it doesn't make any sense in buying a pricier player with progressive scan unless you have the TV to match, or plan on buying a TV to match. And, unless you're strapped for space, don't get those "two in one" deals. You don't need those to tape a show and watch a DVD at the same time, as is always hyped in their promos. DVD players are at the point now where even the "cheaper" ones don't freeze up as much. It used to be that even some more expensive players would freeze on "visual intensive" movies like Blade (some mag testers used that as a reference). You can spend less than $150 nowadays and walk away with something that will last you a few years. And when you do upgrade, trust me, extra players are a godsend. An alternative, if you have kids or are young at heart, get an XBox. Fully functioning player (with $25-30 option) with typical zoom features, etc. It's actually a very nice player, and very good looking one to boot. And in it's downtime, you can play great, though addictive, games. Good Luck! Peace

[Bill Foster]

What aliengroover said. Unless you have an excellent TV/Audio system (HD for tv). The budget priced DVD players are probably not going to be the weak link. I have a $150 DVD player hooked up to my sys and it is just fine... I have an audiophile/videophile friend who disagrees tho!! Bill

[Bob Keelan]

Thanks for the tips. Basically my signal chain is cable box to VCR to TV with the audio going from my VCR to the amp. I'm just a little confused on how I would get the DVD into the chain. bob

[spokenward]

bob, please save yourself a few minutes at the store - stop right now and look at the back of your TV. I'll wait right here... you need video inputs on your TV. A DVD has 3 separate and redundant outputs for video. composite (yellow pin RCA), S-Video (DIN style socket connector) and Component Video (3 pin RCA color-coded as Red Green and Blue). Audio travels separately. You have Stereo audio (Red and White RCA) or a compressed digital bitstream passed through a S/PDIF presented on a single RCA (Coaxial- color-coded orange) or optical (Toslink) connectors. If you want multi-channel audio you want a home theater receiver. This will have Dolby Digital logos. And, hopefully, DTS logos and will support 5.1 audio (six channel surround - Left, Right, Center, Left Surround, Right Surround and a Subwoofer for Low Frequency Effects). For DVD players - the Toshiba's are generally pretty good. Just buy one - it won't be the last DVD that you buy. Buy a set of connecting cables to match the best input that you have on your TV (basic - AV, better - S-Video, best - component). They make a substantial difference. Remember that your audio can be routed anywhere, to a stereo or to your TV. Audio from VCR's has sucked for the last 25 years. DVD's don't have to suck. merry etc. Pat

[Bob Keelan]

Thanks, I'll go take a look. My TV and receiver are about 8 years old. It is a surround receiver but I'm not sure about this 5.1 business. At the time I bought the stuff the salesman told me to rig up the sound from the VCR to the receiver. I suppose if I go from the TV to the receiver this would solve all my problems. thanks for the help & happy holidays bob

[aliengroover]

Yeah, Spokenward is dead on with the Toshiba statement. Great players. Peace

[Jeff Leites]

I went through this last January. My TV is about 20 years old, so no inputs besides the antenna. At first I fed the DVD player into the VCR inputs. That worked for the first movie I rented, but on the 2nd, I learned, the hard way about the copyright protect thing. I bought an RF modulator to put the video on Ch 3, and use an antenna switch to switch the TV antenna input between the VCR and the RF modulator outputs. (I do want a new large screen TV, but I'm waiting for more HDTV models to appear at lower prices.) I don't run the DVD audio through the modulator, because I run that right into the A/V receiver (which can handle all the audio/video (but not RF) switching from your various devices to your TV). I bought the least expensive progressive scan DVD player I could find (It does me no good now, but I wanted to have it for when I got a digital TV). At the time it was a JVC for around $250 - $300 (just saw it closed out for $150). It has the DD and DTS decoders, but I don't think that they are needed, since the A/V receiver has the decoders too. It's only needed for decoding audio DVDs (which I don't have anyway), because the output from the audio DVDs doesn't come out the player's digital output to the receiver (at least on this player), but comes out the 6 5.1 audio outputs of the player. That's another thing to consider, the formats that the player will handle, if you are interested in using it for more than DVD (Video-CD, CD-R, MP3, SACD, DVD-audio are some of the other formats). As far as the 5.1 goes (you said you weren't sure about it, so forgive me if I'm telling you something you know), surround sound has gone through several generations, the current is Dolby Digital and Digital Theater Sound (DTS), they have 5 (5.1) or 6 (6.1) discrete audio channels plus a subwoofer channel (the .1 part). Right, center, left, rear side surround, left side surround and rear center (for 6.1) plus sub It is an entirely different experience then the previous Dolby Pro Logic, or a TV surround sound broadcast (so I highly recommend you also get a 5.1 or 6.1 receiver and speakers).

[fantasticsound]

If you don't have a home theater sound system, and an additional line input is available on the TV, go directly into it. That would be the preferred method. You probably won't be videotaping from the DVD player, so running through it is unneccesary. If no line input is available on the TV, you should be able to run the DVD player through your VCR via the RCA-jack, line input. The video inputs on most (if not all) VCR's do not send signal through the circuitry that the copy-protect screws with. It affects the picture only if you attempt to record the DVD to your VHS. The only caveat is, you have to turn on your VCR and put [i]it's[/i] channel to line input (possibly #1 or #2, etc.) to view the DVD player. We're using our Playstation 2 as a DVD player, but I would recommend getting a dedicated player. Although there is a DVD remote available from Sony, it requires you plug an infrared receiver into one of the controller ports. Just one more thing to mess with when switching between games and DVD. Not to mention Sony will take you for a pile of $$$ for this add on. Someone gave me another, non-Sony remote for the Playstation 2, but it doens't work well and the controls are cryptic. (They don't always do what the label states. :( )

[aliengroover]

Plugging the DVD player into the VCR is not a viable option. If it was, they wouldn't sell those RF things like they do. I'm by no means and expert, but I've spent too much time selling and setting up systems to know what works and what doesn't. I have a remote for my PS2, too. It cost me $15. There's a slot in the infrared unit for the controller, so you don't have to do any switching. The player on there is weak compared to the X-Box's, but it gets the job done, and again, is better than the tape. Peace

[Botch.]

Here's a vote against, believe it or not, Sony DVD players. Mine (a 5-disc changer) replaced my CD player, both my old VCR and DVD player run thru the TV A-OK. What I can't believe on the Sony is I have to press every control TWICE to make them work, Play, Pause, Drawer Open, etc. Also the player is completely random as to which direction it'll play discs, ie. if I put a CD in slots 1,2, and 3, half the time it'll start playing 1, then 2 and 3, and half the time it starts with 3, then 2 then 1! :freak: :freak: WTF!?!?! The third problem is fast-forwarding, it only runs about double speed, there's no way to jump halfway through a program with any ease. I've always considered Sony to be one of the better brands, just make sure you play with whatever you buy in the store for a bit.

[Jeff Leites]

[quote]Originally posted by aliengroover: [b]Plugging the DVD player into the VCR is not a viable option. If it was, they wouldn't sell those RF things like they do. I'm by no means and expert, but I've spent too much time selling and setting up systems to know what works and what doesn't.[/b][/quote]That's the "Macrovision" http://www.nerd-out.com/darrenk/600/macrovision.htm copyright protection. It not only prevents you from copying a DVD, it prevents the VCR from just converting the signal to video to pass through to it's own video output jack without messing it up.

[Bob Keelan]

Ok, I think I got plenty to think about now. :D Let me get out there and see what I can do. I might be calling on you again around Dec. 26. :confused: Thanks for your advice & happy holidays, bob

[fantasticsound]

[quote]Originally posted by Jeff Leites: [b] [quote]Originally posted by aliengroover: [b]Plugging the DVD player into the VCR is not a viable option. If it was, they wouldn't sell those RF things like they do. I'm by no means and expert, but I've spent too much time selling and setting up systems to know what works and what doesn't.[/b][/quote]That's the "Macrovision" http://www.nerd-out.com/darrenk/600/macrovision.htm copyright protection. It not only prevents you from copying a DVD, it prevents the VCR from just converting the signal to video to pass through to it's own video output jack without messing it up.[/b][/quote]...And yet, I just hooked my PS2 through a second VCR and... [i]what do you know???[/i] Worked like a charm, using Monsters, Inc. as the test subject. (I mean, if Disney ain't copyprotected, what is? ;) ) I can't speak for stand alone players, and I am not fond of using the PS2 as my main DVD, but it works whether I plug it in through the VCR or direct into the TV. YMMV, of course. ;)

[Jeff Leites]

[quote][b]...And yet, I just hooked my PS2 through a second VCR and... [i]what do you know???[/i] Worked like a charm, using Monsters, Inc. as the test subject. (I mean, if Disney ain't copyprotected, what is? ;) ) I can't speak for stand alone players, and I am not fond of using the PS2 as my main DVD, but it works whether I plug it in through the VCR or direct into the TV. YMMV, of course. ;) [/b][/quote]Well, like the web page I referenced said, the copyright protect requires three things, 1. The Macrovision circuit in the DVD player, 2. Macrovision activated by code in the DVD (it's only turned on when the movie company pays a fee for each DVD for the right to turn it on), 3. A VCR that can't handle it (most). You't think Disney would pay the fee, but they were practically giving away Monsters, in fact I did get our copy for free by prepaying for future rentals at Blockboster.

[spokenward]

studios pay for Macrovision on a title by title basis. Cnet reports that Macrovision encoding is about 5 cents for each disc created with its technology. Pat

[Hanshananigan]

Consumer Reports has a decent primer about what all the technical DVD options are, as well as the usual reviews of products.