BS: About DVD players

Subject: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 11:49 AM

I would like to get a DVD player at some point... but I don't know if it will work with my television, which is about 10 years old. Is there some special sort of hookup for it or something, or does it connect to your TV just like a VCR? I might be able to convince Mister to spend the money on a player, but I can tell you right now he ain't going to spend the money on a new TV. Any and all opinions/facts/technical advice appreciated. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: GUEST,john in hull (biscuit broken)
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 12:06 PM

For the best picture & sound quality you should use a "scart" lead, this is a lead with a chunky 21 pin plug at both ends.However if your TV does not have the relevant socket for this, you can can use the standard TV aerial input(put the aerial lead into the DVD player, then put the DVD lead into the aerial socket.To make the most of the high picture quality from the DVD, consider buying a widescreen TV when you have enough money, you can find a watchable one for around 3-4 hundred pounds.john

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: GUEST,john in hull again
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 12:12 PM

I don't know were you live but if it's available were you are, check out the "Toshiba 210" it has won the best buy award in Home Cinema magazine (UK), it's available for around 200 pounds.john

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: GUEST,john again!
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 12:20 PM

Another advantage of the Toshiba 210 DVD is that it also plays CDs, CDRs, and MP3 encoded discs, alternatively if you are on a small budget look at the "Limit DVD8080" it is a remote control Multi Region player and it is only 80 pounds from Richer Sounds. (www.richersounds.com).john

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 12:33 PM

I have a 32" television, it's just an older model. Sure, I'd have the latest in home theatre technology if it were only up to me. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 01:45 PM

Oh, and get one with an optical output if you want to record CD's to minidisc, unless your CD player has one.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 02:51 PM

We have a Samsung combination unit that does VHS and DVD (also plays CD's). It has a ton of features and plays extremely well. It's hooked in the same way as our previous VCR's. We have a ton of VHS stuff and it's equally obvious that DVD's are going to replace the VHS at the video stores, so this was an good choice for us.

My biggest problem is keeping Tristan, my MR/DD 10 year old, from loading "other" things into the VCR. He knows how to use them and plays his tapes and all, but evidently it must be a good place to hide pencils, marbles, toy trucks, and the remains of a PBJ.....which is what I removed from our old one which for some reason had quit working..........Oddly though, after removing all the junk, it works again and it's hooked into the other TV for the kids to use. Tris isn't allowed to touch the new one!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 25 Jan 02 - 03:30 PM

Spaw, about how much does a unit like that cost? I have heard about those but not looked into them. I know DVDs have got really popular but I'm not convinced yet that they'll phase out VHS altogether, because of the recording factor....maybe when someone comes out with a camcorder that burns a CD... anyway I have a huge video collection, but I did just buy Snow White on DVD. Collector's edition and all that. :-)

My old boss said his little girl once put rocks in the VCR.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Amergin
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 02:38 AM

i saw one at bestbuy.com for about 284 bucks....

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 02:52 AM

Kim, this is the one that we have and with shipping we paid about $265.00 as I recall. We like it for the reason you mention, kinda' hedging our bets in a way. VCR quality is great, much better than most of the ones we have had.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 26 Jan 02 - 11:54 AM

Typical of Britain-the dollar price is the same as the pound price! They are about £270.00 here! I make that about £90.00 cheaper in the states.(can't afford one of those-never mind)But dual format machines are really good. pity "they" don't invent dual format first and then make individual units.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Dominic
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 10:21 AM

Being a confirmed skin flint and gadget freak, this I'm aware can present a wee problem or two, but there is a handy internet based solution at hand. www.scan.co.uk, although primarily devoted to great value computer hardware do remarkably cheap DVD players. For £95 + Vat you can treat your self to a multiregional player boasting 5.1 surround sound.

Getting a multiregional player can be worth its weight in gold as its means that for us poor bugger's living in the UK who seem to be destined to be shafted by the pounds too dollars pricing system can order cheaper films over the web from the US and Canada

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: GUEST,ta2
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 10:57 AM

for a few quid extra get a dvd that plays u.s. as well as european dvd. Then you can buy dvd's much cheaper from the states

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 11:54 AM

Wait a minute..........Are you telling me there is a difference between DVD's as well or is that just a joke? Surely there can't be.........

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From:
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 01:47 PM

I HAVE A TOSHIBA 200 WHICH IS REGION 2 AND MULTIREGIONAL. WILL I BE ABLE TO PLAY THE DYLAN DONT LOOK BACK DVD? APPARENTLY IT ONLY SAYS REGION 1 ON THE DISC. HAVE I GOT THE WRONG PLAYER?

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 06:04 PM

Thanks for the heads-up about Scan, Dominic - It's only about 10 miles up the M61 from me - Think I'll get one!

Question for you video/audio buffs. I see Dominic mentions 5.1 surround sound - is that what is described on the ad a 5.1 Channel output? If so can I get my TV, cable box and old video to play through the surround sound as well? The TV has 2 x scart sockets, the Video does and the cable box (NTL) does as well. How would I configure this plethora of scart leads? And what is the collective term for lots of scart leads anyway :-) ?

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 27 Jan 02 - 06:13 PM

It is a lot harder to put foodstuffs into a DVD but it is possible to use the drawer as a step up to get to the shelf with the DVD's on ....... caught the bratling just in time....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 28 Jan 02 - 05:35 PM

Now I'm really confused. I knew videocassette formats differed between the US and Europe but I don't know about this DVD thing - thought CDs was CDs!

We just got a new VCR about a year ago so I doubt I could convince Mister on a new dual-function unit! I did see a DVD player at Circuit City for about $90, though.

I don't really understand what John in Hull was saying about the connection - can someone splain it to me in technical dummy terms?

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: sophocleese
Date: 28 Jan 02 - 06:13 PM

Well according to the guys at a couple of electronics shops locally its not worth getting a dual DVD VCR unit at the moment as they are expensive to repair and for the same price you can get both a decent VCR and a decent DVD player which will be easier to fix.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 29 Jan 02 - 05:49 AM

There are no actual differences between UK and US DVD formats, but DVDs are REGIONised. This is a purely artificial ploy by the DVD producers to establish price differentials between Countries/Areas for the DVD disks themselves - rather like the difference in car prices between the UK and the rest of Europe. Manufacturers claim that it makes them harder to "pirate" - but price fixing and profit is the real reason.

This also applies to SONY PS2 games.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 29 Jan 02 - 07:56 AM

Kim-In simple terms, it's just like a video.But if you want the best sound & picture quality use a scart lead. Digital connections are for the sound, as Eric mentioned optical are the best, you can also push the sound through an AV Amp for more channels/better sound. There are 6 DVD regions, a region 1 disc will only play in a region one player etc.Although some players can be hacked to play any discs by pressing the remote control keys in a certain order.Alternatavley you can can have buy a Multi Region player or have your player "chipped" to enable it to play any disc.john

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 29 Jan 02 - 10:11 AM

Okay. I think I get it, at least a little. :-) Thanks everybody.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 29 Jan 02 - 11:02 AM

Kim - If your TV doesn't have a SCART socket but does have Video and Audio IN sockets (Probably PHONO sockets) you can get a SCART to PHONO lead which should give you the same quality. You will have to select the A/V input from the TV though.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 29 Jan 02 - 09:40 PM

There is currently a special offer in Tesco, they are selling a Dolby Digital (good sound) DVD player and 20 DVDs for 22 pounds.

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 29 Jan 02 - 09:43 PM

Sorry that should say 200 pounds not 22, it's late here and I,m tired!

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: allie kiwi
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 12:32 AM

The regionalised DVD's suck. They also regionalised the extra language tracks avaialable on them. So while in the USA/Canada (apparently) you can choose English, Spanish or French soundtracks, down here in the antipodes we get the lovely choice of Hebrew, Flemish and Czech if we dont want the English track. (I kid you not).

Really great for bringing up our kids bi-lingual in Spanish!

Allie

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 10:14 AM

Hey, I think Czech would be fun.........

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 06:05 PM

Been and got a Scan one! 112 squids of good value it seems. Apart from I will now spend a b!"£$y fortune on DVD's:-( Just bought the Crow and the Maltese Falcon to start the collection.

Wired up the DVD scart to scart #2 on the TV and the audio/video jacks on the DVD to the Video - we can now recored anything from anywhere! (Except where the DVD's are elec. watermarked. Grrrrr.) TV auto switches to AV2 when DVD's are played. AV1 when the cable box is on. And I can still record terestial while watching cable or vice-versca. Eeeeeh - I surprise meself sometimes!

Just need a DTS now - anyone know if there is a good widescreen TV with on-board Dolby 5.1? Or do I just go back to Scan and splash out anothe 150 on one of theirs?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Kim C
Date: 31 Jan 02 - 10:52 AM

Dave, have you got too much time on your hands? ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 31 Jan 02 - 11:04 AM

Dave-get a Philips 32PW9616, it has Dolby Digital, and exellent picture, it's 1600pounds, but shop around & you will get it a bit cheaper, have a look at Currys.john

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Amergin
Date: 31 Jan 02 - 04:46 PM

Subject: RE: BS: About DVD players
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Feb 02 - 10:45 AM

Thanks John - I think I suffer from the complaint Kim says though - too much time. Not too much money:-( N'err mind eh? Those 6 little numbers may pop up yet!

I've not realy got too much time btw - I just stay up till 3am doing bloody stupid things with TVs and 'puters and sleep all day at the office;-)

Zzzzzzzzz.....