DVD Player



A DVD player is an electronic device that plays discs according to the technical standards, incompatible standards, and 2 distinct standards of both the DVD Audio and DVD Video. There are certain tasks that a DVD player should accomplish. It should be able to read a DVD disc’s ISO-UDF version 1.2 format. It should have the capability to optionally decrypt data using Macro vision and/or CSS. It should read and obey the “regional lockout codes" of the DVDs. If the player doesn’t have the authority to play the DVD, it is responsible for displaying the warning message.

A DVD player should also have the ability to decode the MPEG-2 video stream using either 8 Mbit/s or 10 Mbit/s (maximum) for continuous and peak sessions, respectively. In addition, it should also decode sound in AC-3, PCM or MP2 format and output on a stereo connector, electric or optical connector. Lastly, it should produce a video output signal whether it’s in analog or digital type. Analog would pertain to SECAM, PAL or NTSC formats on SCART, S-Video, component or composite video connectors. Digital pertains to HDMI or DVI connectors.

DVD Player History and its Successors

It was in November, 1996 in Japan when the original DVD player was introduced. It was only until March, 1997 when the first batch of DVD players became available in the United States.

The DVD player has 2 successors. This is the Blu-ray Disc player and the HD DVD player. However, last February, 2008, Toshiba announced the cease of production for HD DVD products and possibly Blue-ray players.

Currently, there are already portable DVD players. Most of the brands available in the market feature stereo speakers and LCD screens. They are generally powered by lithium ion batteries, making them convenient for travel and long road trips.

In addition, there is the invention of software DVD players. This is a type of program the enables users to watch DVD videos on computers with a DVD-ROM drive. Good examples are MPlayer, VLC media player, PowerDVD, DVD Player, and WinDVD.

DVD Player Manufacturers

China is considered as the largest producer of DVD players. It was estimated that they were able to produce over 30 million players in 2002, summing up to about 70% of the world output. Since producers are required to pay the patent holders of DVD technology such as Time Warner, Toshiba, Philips and Sony with a $15 to $20 US license fee for each player, China was able to avoid such fees with their recently developed successor to DVD players. They call this EVD or Enhanced Versatile Disc players. This is only being sold in China since 2004.

The Price of DVD Players

DVD players vary in price, depending on its optional features as well as the brand and where you are buying them. The estimated price of DVD players would range from 30 to 80 Euro in the UK, about Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000 in India, or $50 to $600 in the United States. The prices of DVD players are generally cheaper than VCRs.