| A DVD player is a device for playing discs | | | | and AOL Time Warner) as well as for MPEG-2 |
| produced under the DVD Video standard. Most | | | | licenses. To avoid these fees, China has |
| hardware DVD players have to be connected to | | | | developed the EVD standard as an intended |
| a television set; there are also some small | | | | successor of DVD; as of 2004, EVD players |
| portable devices which have an LCD screen | | | | were only being sold in China. |
| attached. A DVD player has to complete these | | | | |
| tasks: | | | | Software DVD players are programs that allow |
| | | | users to view DVD videos on a computer with a |
| Read a DVD disc in ISO - UDF version 1.2 | | | | DVD-ROM drive. Some examples are the VLC |
| format | | | | media player and MPlayer (both free |
| | | | software), as well as WinDVD, PowerDVD and |
| optionally decrypt the data with either CSS | | | | DVD Player. [1]. |
| and/or Macrovision | | | | |
| | | | Successors |
| decode the MPEG-2 video stream with a maximum | | | | |
| of 10 Mbit/s (peak) or 8 Mbit/s (continuous) | | | | There are two successors to the DVD player: |
| | | | the HD DVD player and the Blu-ray Disc |
| decode sound in MP2, PCM or AC-3 format and | | | | player. Neither format is dominant over the |
| output (with optional AC-3 to stereo | | | | other in terms of consumer adoption as of |
| downsampling) on stereo connector, optical or | | | | January 2007. |
| electric digital connector | | | | |
| | | | Portable DVD Player (commonly abbreviated as |
| output a video signal, either an analog one | | | | P.D.P.'s) is the name given to any portable |
| (in PAL, SECAM or NTSC format) on the | | | | device that plays DVDs. Most PDPs have an LCD |
| composite, s-video, or component video | | | | screen attached to them. The most common PDP |
| connectors, or a digital one on the DVI or | | | | screen size is 7", although some are as large |
| HDMI connectors | | | | as 12". |
| | | | |
| Most DVD players also allow users to play | | | | Price Range |
| audio CDs (CDDA, MP3, etc.) and Video CDs | | | | |
| (VCD) and include a home cinema decoder (i.e. | | | | Prices of portable DVD players vary depending |
| Dolby Digital, Digital Theatre Systems | | | | on the screen. They usually retail for about |
| (DTS)). Some newer devices also play videos | | | | $80-200 USD. It was invented so that people |
| in the MPEG-4 ASP video compression format | | | | could bring it anywhere they go with out a |
| (such as DivX) popular on the Internet. | | | | fuss. |
| | | | |
| As of 2005, retail prices for such a device, | | | | Screen Quality |
| depending on its optional features (such as | | | | |
| digital sound or video output), start between | | | | The biggest complaint users have is the |
| 30 and 80 USD/euros. They are usually cheaper | | | | current video quality of the LCD screens. |
| than VCRs. | | | | Many believe new technologies are being |
| | | | developed including portable HD-DVD players |
| By far the largest producer of DVD players is | | | | and portable Blu-Ray players that would have |
| China; in 2002 they produced 30 million | | | | High Definition screens attached to them. The |
| players, more than 70% of the world output. | | | | biggest challenge is to put the same High-Def |
| These producers have to pay about US$20 per | | | | quality images one could find on a 50" screen |
| player in license fees, to the patent holders | | | | onto a smaller screen. |
| of the DVD technology (Sony, Philips, Toshiba | | | | |