| << Buying Guide |
Shopping Tips >> Once upon a time there
was the humble DVD player, which replaced the even more humble VCR (video recorder),
and buying a dvd player was easy... Now, when it comes to home entertainment,
you have everything to consider from home cinema systems to dvd players and dvd
recorders to speakers, amplifiers and even plasma televisions. Phew! This
modest guide to buying a DVD system will help you to buy a dvd player or home
cinema system or dvd recorder..., or at least put you in the right direction.
(If you want to find out much more, then please visit the DVD
Buying Guide links below.) How Do I Know Which DVD System to Buy?Once,
DVD Players could be thought of as just superior alternatives to video recorders,
but now DVD systems are becoming as diverse and varied as Hi-fi systems. That
means you have a choice of DVD Player; DVD recorder - players that
record DVDs like video recorders can record onto videos; portable DVD players;
DVD home cinema systems - all-in-one home theatre system; televisions
- plasma, LCD, and more conventional CRT; home cinema separates (best quality)
that include: amplifiers, speakers, even leads & cables. So really,
it's more about what you can afford and how much of a home cinema system you want
to invest in. (And only you know that.) If price is your main concern,
then why not use a comparison shopping engine (like the popular Pricerunner,
below) and find yourself a bargain! www.pricerunner.co.uk
Like any newly-changing technology, DVD systems are always reducing in
price and increasing in specification. So you can buy DVD players for £30,
but do realise you get what you pay for! (Sound and vision quality will probably
be better in a less cheap DVD player.) For more help: -
Visit Amazon's DVD Guide,
again. As it says in the guide: "[the guide can] help you locate the best
player for your system. [And] by having all of the facts at your fingertips, you
can be sure of buying a DVD player that best meets your needs and budgetary constraints."
- Consider the opinions of other shoppers, via sites like Amazon
(who also rate their products by Best-selling or Average Customer Rating), or
consumer opinion site Ciao
In
truth, there are new DVD players coming out all the time. It's beyond the scope
of this guide to keep completely up to date with all the latest models, I'm afraid.
Here are a few of the best-selling DVD Systems at Amazon right now (read
the product reviews):
in association with  What
About Recordable DVDs?Recording onto DVD is where the fun with DVD
systems really begins (that and having your own home cinema!). Unfortunately,
there are several competing recordable formats right now, with no one format being
the obvious de facto standard. If you want to know what re-writeable format
a DVD player will be able to play then visit DVDRHelp And
until the formats settle down it's hard to recommend a particular recordable DVD.
(Ideally, I'd recommend a recordable DVD player that can record on more than one
of these formats; e.g. DVD Ram or DVD-R or DVD-RW...) Again, relying on
the opinions of other consumers will help you here! (And if you want to know more
about dvd recordable formats read this guide
to recordable blank DVD media .)
So, what
is a DVD Player?Well, this is how Amazon UK answer it: "DVD
(Digital Versatile Disc) [is a] disc-based medium [that] delivers video quality
twice as good as conventional VHS tape and unlike VHS tapes, the discs will never
wear out with repeated viewing. What's more, the format allows for different versions
of a film or additional material because a DVD can store data on both sides of
the disc and on multiple 'layers'. Why should
I want a DVD Player? Again, from Amazon: "When it comes to
audio, DVD is a winner as well. DVD can deliver two channels of standard CD-quality
sound and several configurations of Dolby Digital, from mono sound to 5.1-channel
surround. Most DVDs offer multiple language and subtitle options and a host of
other features, including alternate sound tracks that can be used for an isolated
music score or a forum for the director, the writer, the stars, or a noted film
critic to engage in running commentary on the on-screen action." I
couldn't have put it better myself. :-) Amazon's DVD buying guide goes on
to explain pretty much all of the basics regarding DVD players, including the
following topics: . User Interface .
Video Performance
. Video Connections .
Widescreen Playback
. Surround Sound .
Audio Connections
. CD-quality Audio & Beyond . Multi-region Playback The
guide highlights the many important differences in features and overall performance
of DVD players. So I highly recommend that you check out the Amazon
DVD Player Buying Guide Where Can I Buy
a Cheap DVD System? Well I can recommend Amazon,
Comet,
Ebay,
Empire
Direct..., and you can use Pricerunner to compare prices or you could take
a look at these vendor
sites. More DVD Player Buying GuidesStill got questions?
Get in touch
(I might be able to help.) | 
