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How to Buy a DVD Player
How to Buy Headphones for a Portable DVD Player
How to Buy a Portable DVD Player

The prices for DVD players range from about $80 to over $1000.  Consumers can buy a DVD player of good quality for as low as $100 to $200.  As with any electronics product, shoppers need to determine which features they want in a DVD unit before they buy.  Listed below are some common considerations.

1.  Type of DVD Unit:

• DVD Player:  Most will play DVDs, and CDs, as well as your own homemade discs.
• DVD-VCR Combination Unit:  If it is important for you to be able to also play VHS tapes as well as DVDs, you should buy a DVD player that is a combination unit.
• DVD Player/Recorder
• HD DVD:  These offer a high-definition format for those individuals with a high definition television. Blu-Ray is a competing format with equally excellent picture and sound quality.  However, many current players play only one or the other.  HD DVD or Blu-Ray.  However, consumers will be able to buy dual compatibility DVD players later in 2007.
• Portable DVD Player:  A compact, lightweight player that usually has adapters for the cigarette lighter in a car and a mounting kit.  Many also have dual headphone jacks.

2.  Disc Player: 

• Single play, 5 disc changer, and "multi-disc" players that can store a few hundred discs are available.  Single play is generally the least expensive.  Multi-disc players can save space as they also act as a storage unit. Consumers who want to use their new unit as their primary player for CD music often choose to buy a DVD player with multi-disc capabilities which allows them to easily store and find their favorites within their music collection.
• Carousel type changers tend to be more reliable and less expensive. Tray-type changers are sometimes slower and nosier.

3.  Video:

• Quality:  Minimum 10-bit video processing is recommended. 
• Some players offer a zoom feature which allows viewers to examine video more closely.
• Search features; check the fast forward and reverse scan features and how well they function.
• Progressive scan, if you have a compatible television (ED or HDTV) offers better picture quality than interlaced scan.
• Video Connections- It is important to determine how the device will connect to your TV or other display before you buy.  Inputs and outputs must match up.  However, this should not be terribly difficult as most DVD players have a variety of connectors.
  • Component video is currently the highest quality.  To make use of this type of transmission you must have a television or projection system with component-video inputs and then buy a DVD player with component-video outputs.
  • S-video is the next best quality transmission. If your TV offers S-video inputs, you should buy a DVD player with S-video outputs.
  • Composite transmission is a step lower in quality but still much better than VHS and laserdisc.  All DVD players should have composite video outputs.

4.  Audio

• The audio output format of the DVD player you buy will need to match the input format on your AV receiver/TV: coaxial or optical.
• If you are an "audiophile" and want to play CD's on your DVD player, getting a player with HDCD decoding allows the best audio quality.
• If you want surround sound and have an amplifier that is digital ready with 5.1 channel input, you will need to buy a DVD player with built in surround sound decoding.
  
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To listen to a portable DVD player privately in a public area, headphones are necessary.  Here are a few things to consider when selecting headphones.

• For those who will be using their portable DVD player to entertain two viewers at a time it is important to assure that the device has 2 headphone ports on it; otherwise a splitter (Y-plug) will be needed.
   
• Various styles of headphones offer different advantages.

Any style of in-the-ear headphones can help to offer small devices which are inconspicuous.  They are often the headphone of choice during activity, but in the case of use with a portable DVD player this is generally not a concern unless it is used for listening to music. Ear bud style headphones are often less comfortable and offer lower quality sound than in-the-canal type headphones.  On the other hand, in-the-canal headphones generally require more frequent cleaning. Both require a good fit to offer the best quality sound.

Around-the-ear headphones with earcups can be quite secure and reduce the intrusion of outside sound without consuming additional battery power although they tend to be a bit more noticeable to the wearer than in-the-ear models.

Over the ear headphones help reduce the risk of hearing loss as the signal from in- the-ear devices is amplified by several dB. For comfort, padding over the earpieces and an adjustable headband is recommended.  Some users feel that sound quality with over the ear headphones is superior and helps to reduce noise escaping which can disturb others. Some models even offer behind the neck or headband-less styles for added wearability which allows users to don a hat and avoid disturbing their hair. These types of headphones tend to be lighter but also more fragile.

Wireless headphones free the user from wires but have the drawback of using a great deal of battery power in conjunction with a portable DVD player which already consumes a great deal of energy.  With wireless headphones, users are also given freedom to move about when listening to music via their player.

Noise canceling headphones are effective at eliminating environmental noise by creating an out-of-phase signal to cancel unwanted outside noise.  As this is not a passive passive process, additional battery power is consumed to achieve this effect.

• A final, but important consideration in selecting headphones for a portable DVD player is to assure that it is compatible with the device.  The cord on the earphones must obviously be capable of connecting to the player or an adapter will be needed, adding more weight and bulk where it is not wanted.
  
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