DVD Players FAQ

Visit the following sites for even more FAQ answers:

DVD FAQ
DVD Demystified - Official Internet DVD FAQ for the rec.video.dvd Usenet newsgroups.

DVD Players Frequently Asked Questions
Crutchfield Advisor - The all-information website from the A/V experts.

DVD Basics FAQ - Answers to Basic Questions About DVD and DVD Players
About.com - Home Theater: Home Theater Video Basics

Frequently Asked Questions - DVD Players
About.com - TV / Video: DVD - VCR - DVR

• Typically, each DVD player is given a code to only play disks from a particular region.  This allows motion picture studios to control release dates and to sell exclusive distribution rights in different countries. 
• Multi region DVD players allow you to play all DVDs from regions 0 to 6.  The region codes are as follows:  
  1. U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
  2. Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
  3. Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
  4. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
  5. Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
  6. China
  7. Reserved
  8. Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)

• Multi region DVD players can also be called the following names: 
  • all region dvd player
  • all zone dvd player
  • zone code free dvd player
  • region 0 dvd player
  • multi zone dvd player
  • multi code dvd player
  • region code free dvd player

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• In interlaced scan, for each image, only the odd, then the even lines are drawn alternatively.  Interlaced scan is used in standard TV systems (NTSC, PAL, and SECAM).
• In progressive scan, all the lines of each frame are drawn.
• Most DVD content comes from film, which is inherently progressive, and the video is interlaced before being put on DVD (480i), where i stands for interlace.
• A progressive scan DVD player takes in the interlaced video from the DVD and converts it back into the original progressive video (480p), where p stands for progressive.  Therefore, the video will have more detail.
• All our full size DVD players are progressive scan.
  

• It is easiest to compare image detail from the number of pixels.  The higher the number of pixels, the more detailed the frame.
  

  TV:

• NTSC (480i):  ~129,600 pixels
• PAL/SECAM (576i): ~201,600 pixels
  

  DVD:

• NTSC (480i): 345,600 pixels
• NTSC (576i): 414,720 pixels
  

  HIGH DEFINITION:

• HDTV/HD DVD/Blu-ray (720p): 921,600 pixels
• HDTV/HD DVD/Blu-ray (1080i/1080p): 2,073,600 pixels

• An upconverting DVD player fills in the missing pixels necessary to output images with the same number of pixels as high definition sources.  Therefore, the images are more detailed.
• Only high definition TVs can display signals from high definition sources.

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• These are different ways to connect your DVD player to your TV.  Compatibility depends on DVD player outputs and what your TV can input.
• Here’s is the list from highest to lowest video quality: HDMI, Component, S-Video, Composite

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• They are two different incompatible television systems, therefore, two types of DVDs are used for each.
• NTSC is the TV format used in Canada, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, United States, and other countries.
• PAL is the TV format used in most of Europe, most of Africa, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, North Korea, and other countries.
• All our DVD players play both NTSC and PAL DVDs.

• There are two types of LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays): active (TFT) and passive matrix.
• Passive matrix is cheaper, but has many disadvantages when compared to active matrix.  It is not as sharp and has a narrower viewing angle, longer response time, and poorer contrast ratio.
• Contrast ratio controls the range of the brightest and darkest colours.
• Our portable DVD player, RJ 1700 PDVX, has TFT LCD to provide quality images.

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DivX:


• One of the most popular file formats used to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.


Quarter PixEL (QPEL) and Global Motion Compensation (GMC):


• Some DivX use QPEL and/or GMC to further reduce the size of the video.
• Both require much more processing power which most DVD players do not have.
• Smaller sizes enables more or longer videos on your DVDs, flash drives, memory cards.
• All our DVD players (except portables) play DivX with QPL and GMC.
  

• Digital audio outputs provide better sound quality than analog.
• Digital Optical, Digital Coaxial, and Analog Surround can produce surround sound.
• Compatibility depends on what the DVD player can output and what the speakers input.

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USB:

• Accepts mass storage devices such as flash drive.
• Load your pictures/movies into your USB and play them off of a DVD player with USB.

Card Reader:

• Load your pictures/movies into your memory card and play them off of a DVD player with a card reader.

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• Sing to pre-existing songs, as the lead singer.
• Microphone required for karaoke.
  
• Echo/Reverb makes a singer sound fuller and richer to hide imperfections.
• Delay affects the time between echoes.  This a feature only found on premium karaoke players.

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