Coca-Cola denies US consumer group’s claim that its colouring ingredient causes cancer; yet the company says it will modify its drinks in India like it has in California
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Movie stars
The best DVD players for watching movies at home or on the move – plus advice on how to get the best picture and sound
The price of DVD players and discs has dropped significantly in the past couple of years, and it is now the movie format of choice for many, if not most, urban Indian families.
But which DVD players are the best? To find out, we tested eight of the most popular models and found that while most offered good audio and video quality, none performed exceptionally well. A few, such as the Samsung DVD-C370 and Pioneer DV-120K-K, consumed considerably less power than others. Our experts also found that some players came with instruction manuals that were hard to understand.
Disc Compatibility Controls
DVD region codes: So that movie studios can control the content, release date and price of DVDs in different countries, they have divided the world up into different regions. For example, the US is in region 1, Europe in region 2 and India in region 5. DVDs are encoded to ensure they can only be played in particular regions. However, six of the eight DVD players we tested will play DVDs from several regions.
DVD types: DVD players play more than just film DVDs. It can also play homemade DVDs – blank DVDs burnt by you, perhaps with camcorder footage or other video on them. There are different types of DVDs – DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM. Make sure that your player is compatible with the discs you want to play. However, most newer models are compatible with different DVD formats.
Other types of discs: All DVD players can play standard CDs. Some can also play newer types of audio discs (DVD-Audio and SA-CD), which claim to offer better sound quality. Some models can play discs containing MP3 files, or Jpeg picture files, so you can show your holiday snaps on your TV screen, for example.
Auto power-off: If you leave your DVD player on when not in use, this energy-saving feature will put it into standby after a certain period.
Black-level control: This adjusts the picture’s black level and is useful for watching movies with particularly dark sequences, such as The Matrix.
Bookmarking: DVD players with bookmarking let you mark favourite scenes or places in a disc so you can quickly find them again. More sophisticated DVD players will let you bookmark several discs. Some players will ‘remember’ your bookmarks even when the DVD is removed.
Resume: The player starts the disc where you stopped it (instead of at the beginning each time). Models with multi-disc resume remember where to start playing the DVD even after you’ve removed it and reinserted it.
In India, the standard cable you get has three connection points. There is a composite video connection (yellow) to transfer video from DVD player to the TV, and stereo audio connections (one red and one white) to transfer sound. However, video quality can be increased by using a component cable instead. This has red, green and blue tipped connection points and is available at any electrical store. Some DVD players we tested had an HDMI port to connect your player to a high-definition TV for better video quality. But we found that the video quality on our Right Choice Samsung DVD-C370 was not as good with an HDMI cable as with a component cable. However, there may be DVD players with good HDMI connections that produce better quality pictures than a component cable. If you don’t have an HD-ready TV, stick to a component cable for the best picture.
Right Choice DVD players
65% LG DV388H
For features
Rs.3,350
The LG DV388H is a slim player with a front-loading disc tray and single HDMI port. The player comes with a dual disc playback and karaoke features.
The instruction manual is a 26-page booklet that is fairly easy to understand, except for its tiny font. The player has full HD upscaling (up to 1080p), and plays several formats, including DivX and Windows Media.
The player is fairly intuitive to use, and the remote control’s transport and navigation buttons are well grouped, with clear symbols. However, some of the buttons are very small, and the front panel display is small, dim and reflective. The LG fares poorly on power consumption: it consumes 6.5 watts when it is in ‘on’ mode, which is far higher than the other two Right Choices.
Karaoke Yes
Multiple regions Yes
Resume Yes
65% Pioneer DV-120K-K
For low power consumption
Rs.3,845
This Pioneer DV-120K-K comes with a feature that lets you copy audio files from a disc to a USB device. Like the LG, it also has a karaoke feature.
The picture quality of this DVD player is smooth, but the sound quality is poor, and it did not match up to hi-fi standards in our tests. While it consumes 5.2 watts on regular mode, it more than makes up for this by consuming just 0.57 watts when on standby. But the manual is poorly presented, with small, hard-to-read fonts.
On the whole, the player is fairly intuitive to use. The remote control is good, and very responsive. The player also scans fast. The buttons, too, are well grouped.
However, the labelling on the remote control is not very clear and the device is angular and thick, making it uncomfortable to hold. Also, the eject button is small, with poor labelling.
Karaoke Yes
Multiple regions Yes
Resume No
65% Samsung DVD-C370
For bookmarking
Rs.2,900
The Samsung DVD-C370 scored well on picture and sound quality and produced respectable resolution and colour balance. The player also claims to be dust-proof, which is good in a country like India. The player consumes 3.2 watts of power in the ‘on’ or ‘idle’ mode, and only 0.58 watts when on standby mode.
The display is quite large and easy to read. There is a large disc drawer and well-placed eject button on the remote control and front panel. The front panel buttons, too, are of a good size, and provide good tactile feedback.
This Samsung model is, however, difficult to use. Unlike the other two Right Choices, it won’t play DVDs from other regions. The instruction manual is poorly presented. The fonts are tiny and lack detail in places. The remote control is small, with poorly delineated transport buttons.
Karaoke No
Multiple regions No
Resume Yes
Right Choices
72% Sony DVP-FX720
For great picture quality
Rs.12,000
The Sony DVP-FX720 makes a good effort with a nice, quite natural-looking image on its seven-inch screen. It’s certainly superior to most models on test.
The sound from the internal speakers is average, and disc noise, unlike that of some other players, is acceptably low. Use a set of high-quality headphones, and the experience is transformed. It’s quite easy to use – the controls on the front panel are well laid out, though this is less true of the remote. Features include resume, which is useful for picking up a film from where you left off, and an input for video and audio so you can watch video from another source – an MP3 player, for example. The battery life is a healthy 4.3 hours.
70% Sony DVP-FX870
For its large screen
Rs.14,600
The eight-inch screen is bigger than that of the Sony DVP-FX720, and displays quite a natural-looking picture.
The sound from the internal speaker is average, and disc noise is acceptably low. As with most players, using high-quality headphones will greatly improve sound. There are two headphone jacks so two people can listen at the same time.
Other useful features included are resume, and an input for video and audio. There’s also a 180-degree rotating screen, although this isn’t a particularly useful feature. As with most players, you can power it via the mains or a car cigarette lighter, in addition to the supplied battery, which has the longest life on test.
HOW WE TEST
Viewing and listening tests
Viewing and listening tests in our purpose-built room form the backbone of our DVD player testing.
The DVD players are connected with a component cable to a high-quality 40-inch Sony TV for the viewing test. At the same time, a high quality ‘reference’ DVD player is connected to an identical 40-inch Sony TV so the viewing panel can compare picture quality side-by-side at the same time. This makes it easier to compare against a very high quality picture, and spot flaws.
Our expert three-person panel assesses the picture quality of the DVD players, using various extracts from My Name is Khan, James Bond, Sense and Sensibility and The Matrix Revolutions. They look for vivid pictures with natural colours and lots of detail. Special test discs with colourful, complex patterns and captions are also used.
Another expert three-person panel rates the sound quality of each DVD player, using six different types of music, speech and sound effects. The DVD players are connected to a high-end hi-fi/speaker set up.
No bias
We mask out brand names on every DVD player to eliminate any bias, and sneak in the same DVD players twice to ensure consistency. No conferring is allowed, and our testers complete a lengthy score sheet that our statisticians analyse to ensure the ratings we publish represent real differences in DVD players.
Real-life use
We perform more than 50 technical tests that explore the DVD player’s capabilities and limits, plus around 250 feature checks, where we test and log what each player can and cannot do. Our ergonomics experts then go through an extensive process, trying out each player’s functions and features in the way consumers would – assessing how easy and intuitive each player is to use, and whether there are any significant drawbacks that would prevent us from recommending it.
Power consumption
Although DVD players don’t consume a lot of power, there are differences between models. We measure how much power each player consumes in ‘on’ mode (not playing) and in standby mode.
We use a special test disc to see how the players cope with fast action pictures such as car chases or explosions, compared with a high-quality TV. A panel of experienced viewers also rates the picture quality by watching scenes from various movies. They give more than 180 ratings while assessing picture detail and accuracy of colours. Sound quality We check the quality of stereo and movie sound. Our experts take more than 100 measurements on whether everything from whispering voices to helicopters sound real. Our testers also assess films and audio CDs on the players, listening for good, well-distributed sound with no unwanted background noise. Sound quality with the headphones supplied is variable, but all players sound much better with a set of high-quality headphones bought separately.
Picture quality
FEATURE EXPLAINED
When shopping for a DVD player, ask the shop assistant if you can inspect it before buying, and use this checklist to find out if it has all the features you want Remote control Look for a remote control that’s sensibly laid out and comfortable to use. Check that the buttons are of a good size, clearly labelled and that they provide some tactile feedback. On-screen menus The design and layout of the on-screen menus determines how easy a player is to use. Look for well-laid out, readable menus. Try navigating through a few tasks. Trying it without referring to the instruction manual should give you a good idea of how intuitive the player is to use. USB port Many new DVD players feature one or more USB ports. These allow you to connect other digital equipment, such as cameras or music players, and view pictures and listen to music through your TV. Some let you view videos in AVI format. Surround-sound There are two 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 as those on your system. Optical is the more common type. Usability Great picture and fantastic sound are important, but so is ease of use. Check out our ratings to find out which players are the most user-friendly.
FAQS
Virtually all DVDs have surround-sound tracks on them. If you intend to use the DVD player with a surround-sound system you’ll need one with a digital output that’s compatible with your surround-sound amplifier. Some camcorders also record in surround sound, so you can give a cinematic feel to your home movies. There are two types of output – coaxial (wire) and optical (fibre optic) – so make sure you get the correct type. Some players have a built-in Dolby Digital surround-sound decoder, but you’ll still need additional surround-sound amplifiers and speakers to get the home cinema experience, so there’s really not much advantage over using an external decoder. However, on occasion, a DVD-Audio surround-sound decoder is also built in. This means that DVD players that can play audio discs recorded in the higher-quality DVD-Audio format can also decode the surround-sound tracks that often come with these discs. This makes more sense, but you’ll still need external amplifiers and speakers to hear this surround sound. To find out more, read our report on home theatre systems (August 2010).
All DVD players can be connected to external surround-sound decoders (Dolby Digital 5.1 etc), amplifiers and speakers so you can experience ‘cinema-like’ surround sound in the comfort of your home.
Blu-ray players produce better picture and sound quality than standard DVD players and are slowing gaining popularity in India The price of standard DVDs and DVD players has fallen as Sony’s Blu-ray technology becomes more widespread, popularised by its PlayStation 3 gaming console, which doubles up as a Blu-ray movie player. Though they are the same size as DVDs, Blu-ray discs can store much more data, so movies watched on Blu-ray players have better picture and sound quality – they can offer 7.1 sounds, whereas DVD is limited to 5.1. However, 7.1 speaker systems are rare. Blu-ray technology also has some extra features not found with DVD – BD-Live-enabled players, for example, let you connect to the internet, download extras such as games and trailers, and even interact with other connected users. Blu-ray is gaining popularity with movie fanatics and technophiles and will one day usurp DVD technology as the medium of choice. Luckily, Blu-ray players also play standard DVDs, so your DVD movie collection isn’t likely to become obsolete any time soon. If you own a high-definition TV and want the best picture quality (and price isn’t an issue), buy a Blu-ray player. The bigger your LCD or plasma TV, the more apparent the superior quality of Blu-ray becomes when you compare it with DVD technology. TVs larger than 42 inches are the best for watching high-definition content. For the results of Which? tests of 30 Blu-ray players. Some of the more popular Blu-ray player brands in India include Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer and Samsung. The Sony BDP- S370 is priced at Rs.9,990, while the Samsung Blu-ray players start at Rs.11,990 (Samsung BD-C5500). The most expensive Samsung Blu-ray player costs Rs.30,000. The Panasonic DMP-BD45 costs Rs.16,240 in India.
DVDs and DVD players use a system of regional coding. DVDs released in one region won’t usually play in DVD players sold in another, so you sometimes won’t be able to play DVDs from the US in an Indian-bought DVD player. However, many DVD players available in India are multi-region, including two of our Right Choices, the Sony and Onida. If you don’t want the hassle of DVD regions, be sure to check if the player you’re looking to buy is multi-region. Players that aren’t multi-region need to be ‘hacked’ to play regional DVDs, either by inputting a code with the remote control (see www.dvdreviewer.com), or by modifying the internal components through a process called ‘chipping’. You can buy pre-chipped DVD players in India, but be aware that chipping usually invalidates the manufacturer’s warranty.
Useful gadgets if you want to catch up on films when travelling Most portable players we tested have a video input, which means you can use them to watch your MP4 player videos. Portable DVD players also play other audio discs, as well as those containing MP3 files. Most portable DVD players can also read DVDs and CDs that contain Jpeg picture files.
You can use a portable DVD player to watch movies on the move. This usually comes with an LCD or LED screen attached. Nearly all of them have a cigarette lighter adapter for use in your car. Some players even have kits that let you mount the portable DVD player on the back of a car seat headrest. Front seat passengers can also use a portable player.
MP4 players differ from portable DVD players in that they play computer files (in the same way that MP3 players play music ), rather than discs. Portable DVD players are relatively bulky, typically weighing around a kilo – and you’ll have to carry discs around with you. MP4 players are generally smaller and more portable but their screens are less suitable for extended viewing. In general, portable DVD players offer better picture quality. Although many portable DVD and MP4 players can play music, MP4 players often boast more features, such as FM radio and, in some cases, even a microphone, which can be used for voice recording. Some of them can also directly record from FM radio.
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