DVD player

A DVD player ( and DVD player or DVD player often called ) is a player for DVD video.

Function

DVD players are specifically designed on a DVD disc for playing videos and are usually connected to a TV. DVD players are backward compatible with CD players, including regular audio CDs to play. It is often forgotten that there is for DVD-Audio, a different type of player, also called a DVD player.

Current devices can depending on the equipment VCD and SVCD as well as highly compressed movies in Xvid, MP4, play DivX, Nero Digital or WMV9 format. In addition, newer DVD players can play and view image files in JPEG format even music in MP3 and / or WMA format. Many DVD players can regional code -labeled DVDs only play if they are even labeled with the same region code, but there are, for example, in Malaysia also called " region - free player " who do not respect this flag and play all DVDs.

DVD Player for Europe are equipped with a SCART connector, the rest of the world with RCA jacks for composite video (yellow) and analog audio ( red and white), some also with the SCART and RCA jacks, some DVD players moreover, even with S-Video or the appropriate terminals for higher resolution component video or HDMI. Some have ports for USB storage devices, and the most common memory card and can play media from these data.

After many years Blu- ray players and the PlayStation 3 on the market that can play DVDs with the AVCHD format, will now soon also DVD players come on the market that support this format. Other so-called " universal player " also master audio media such as SACD ( Super Audio Compact Disc) or DVD-Audio, which offer better quality than conventional CDs, which is why they are most commonly found in high-end audio systems or home theaters. More exotic DVD player can also receive video streams from the PC via Ethernet or Wi-Fi and play.

Sound

Produces sound have DVD players usually next to the SCART output on an analog two-channel RCA output and a downmix function. Thus, if a Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround or other multi-channel audio format is available on the media, this will be distributed over two stereo channels ( via the SCART output ).

Are recent DVD player with built -in surround decoder have usually a so-called six-channel connection or 5.1 output, recognizable by six separate RCA connectors, the left with front, front right, subwoofer, center, surround left, surround designated right. With the appropriate cables to connect to the dedicated 5.1 input of an AV receiver is possible to enjoy surround sound can.

Some devices also have an optical or coaxial digital output. With the appropriate digital cables can be connected to a suitably equipped AV receiver, which surround sound playback is also possible.

DVD players are available in different versions:

• Single device ( stand-alone )
• The compact combination of AV receiver and DVD player is referred to as DVD receiver.
• A portable device, eg small LCD (Portable DVD or TV - DVD combos ).
• Integrated into other devices (cars or game consoles such as Sony's PlayStation 2).
• As a function of a PC with built-in DVD drive (DVD -ROM or burner) together with a media player software and a file format appropriate codec.
• Blu -ray Disc Player: These are usually backward compatible, so they can also be used as a DVD player.
• Karaoke DVD Player: This feature adjustable microphone inputs and can so-called CD Gs ( Graphic - CDs) play.

History

The first DVD players - the course could play audio CDs - initially came only in Japan in November 1996 on the market, costing the equivalent of about 700 to 900 €, in the U.S. they were then in March 1997 - initially only in 7 cities - sold in late 1997 then anywhere in the U.S.. In Europe DVD player came in 1998 and in Australia in 1999 on the market. The observed decline in prices from the beginning of the DVD player accelerated further when in November 2000, the game console Playstation 2 was brought by Sony to market worldwide, as this unit can also play DVDs. 1999 the cost of a DVD player in the German-speaking area about 500 €, now inexpensive devices can be purchased at prices from 30 €.

Pioneer sold from November 1996 ( three weeks after the first DVD player) in Japan, the first DVD / LD / VCD / CD combo player models that can reproduce both laser discs and DVDs. The first model was the DVL -700, it then cost about U.S. $ 1200. The last model DVL -919 was built from 1999 to 2009 and cost around 900 euros, of this model in 1999 there were also a version DVL- 919E for the European market, which supports PAL and NTSC.

In 2011, already had 37.14 million people in Germany have a DVD player in the home. In this figure, the Playstation 2 is not taken into account, the world's 154 million were sold by the 2000-2012.

DVD -player games

Using a DVD player can also play DVD - known player games, which are served by the DVD player remote control. These types of games are usually located in the quiz area (eg Millionaire? ). However, this can affect drive- damaging in the long run, because the laser must be constantly on the DVD jump back and forth. The drives are not designed for the player.