DVD players: How to buy
Check for cables
A good Scart lead is a must if you want a good picture
Check if the player comes supplied with a Scart lead - most don't. A decent Scart costs around £10 and is essential if you want a good picture. High-definition players usually come with an HDMI cables. If they don't a new HDMI cable costs £20 to £40.
Surround-sound
There are 2 types of digital surround-sound connections – coaxial (wire) or optical (fibre optic). If you have a surround-sound system, buy a player with the same connections.
Disc loading times
Compared to a VCR where you just pop-in a tape and press play DVD players can be slow to load and start playing a disc – there’s usually a menu you have to go through first too. Try it out in the shop to make sure it's not too slow for you.
Layout and feel of remote
A remote should be sensibly laid out and comfortable
The remote control is your interface with the machine and finding one that is sensibly laid out and comfortable is crucial to ease of use.
Check on-screen menus
It’s through the on-screen menus that you’ll be interacting with the player. Design and layout of these will affect how easy the player is to use.
Prices
Prices continue to fall for DVD players. It is likely that in the next year or two they will be superceded by newer technologies like PVRs, video on demand and the new high definition DVD formats. It may well be worth haggling to get a better price.
Our research shows that if you're prepared to ask, some stores will match their website prices, which are often less for the same products.
Buying 'multi-region' players
DVD films are coded according to which part of the world they're sold in. In theory, they'll play only in machines sold in that region.
You can buy multi-region players, which have been converted 'chipped' so they play any DVD. This is handy if you want to see the latest American imports, but the conversion process may invalidate the manufacturer's warranty.
Alternatively, some DVD players are built as multi-region compatible although you may have to pay a bit extra for them.