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DVD Players Reviews
Updated August 2007 Many reviewers have relaxed their coverage of standard DVD players in favor of high-definition Blu-ray and HD DVD players. You might consider a high-def player if you own an HDTV, but be aware that there are two competing and incompatible formats involved (remember VHS vs. Betamax?) and it is unclear which will prevail. Furthermore, prices for high-definition DVD players start at about $300. Right now, many experts say that most people are just better off waiting until the dust settles on the format war, and when prices drop. If you're interested in a high-def player, see our companion report on HD DVD and Blu-ray players. While a lot of reviewers are no longer covering many standard DVD players, Consumer Reports magazine still tests and rates regular DVD players. We wish the discussion of individual players was more detailed, but Consumer Reports rates more current standard-definition DVD players than anyone else. CNet.com does not review nearly as many standard DVD players, but the discussions are far more informative. Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity is ideal for readers wanting to dig into the numbers behind DVD player performance, but these reports might be too technical for some. On the other hand, the editors are not bashful about saying which DVD players are great and which are not. Videophile magazines like Home Theater and Sound & Vision review some standard-definition DVD players, but concentrate more on high-definition and luxury DVD players. Even if you don't buy a high-definition Blu-ray or HD DVD player, reviews say you can still get a great DVD picture on an HDTV by using an upconverting standard-definition DVD player. These process the resolution of a standard DVD disc (about 640 x 480 pixels) to fit the available pixels on your TV. While it's not really a high-def image, experts do say that if you own an HDTV, an upconverting standard DVD player can make the most of regular DVDs. If you don't own an HDTV, you really don't need an upconverting DVD player, but this feature is now almost standard, even in budget DVD players. These days, DVD players offer a standard range of features. A few try to
distinguish themselves with extras. Unfortunately, sometimes the more unique
DVD players falter in testing when it comes to their basic purpose -- delivering
the best image quality possible. An example is the is the Helios (formerly NeoDigits) X5000 (*est. $630 direct
from manufacturer). At first glance, the Helios X5000 is a compelling product.
What sets it apart is its streaming and Internet capabilities. It can connect
to a PC via Wi-Fi or Ethernet and stream content to your TV. For HDTV owners,
it can scale DVDs and streaming video to up to 1080p resolution (if your TV
supports that resolution), and if the streaming video is HD, it can be played
at its native definition. (The Helios X5000 can't play high-definition Blu-ray
or HD DVDs, however.) It can also connect directly to the Internet (there's
a built-in browser) and stream online TV and other video, Internet radio, podcasts
and more. Unfortunately, several reviews say the Helios X5000 is not a very good DVD
player, and both Audioholics.com and About.com note that it was not able to
pass many of the benchmark tests on the Silicon Optix HQV test disc (one of
the standard test discs used by professional reviewers). Audioholics.com's
Tom Andry says that "disappointing is probably the least insulting" word
he could use to describe the test results. In real-world viewing, Andry says
that the image is actually "stunningly vivid and detailed" when still,
but that resolution drops noticeably when images are in motion. That's a byproduct
of the X5000's poor deinterlacing performance, says Andry. But even that was
not the deal breaker. Instead, Andry is more unhappy with the player's numerous
crashes, DVD menus that failed to operate properly and occasional dropped video
frames. Andry, along with several other reviewers, also had some problems with
the X5000's Internet features.
... Continued
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
Although we found few reviews for the latest standard DVD players, the Philips DVP3140/37 seems to stand out in reviews as a great low-cost pick. Among upconverting DVD players, the OPPO DV-970HD and OPPO DV-981HD have received excellent reviews, and most experts say they perform comparably with higher-end DVD players. OPPO is also unusual in that an HDMI cable is included in the box. The Philips DVP5960/37 is an inexpensive upconverting DVD player that might not satisfy videophiles, but provides pretty solid image quality for nonpicky viewers. Advertisement
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ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
