DVD Players

DVD players were invented in 1994 and were set to replace the VHS tape players.  In 1994, DVD players were very expensive as were the disc required to play in them.  The first DVD player was placed on the market in March 1997.  For the following decade, DVD players became mass marketed which increased the quality and decreased the price.  Today, most American household have at least one DVD player in them home and some even have them built into their cars.  VHS tape players have become obsolete and replaced by the digital format offered by a DVD.

A DVD is very similar to a CD with one big exception.  The DVD has a much larger data capacity.  A standard DVD can hold approximately seven times more data that a CD.  This increased capacity means that a DVD has enough room to store a full-length MPEG-2-encoded movie as well as a lot of other information.  A typical content of a DVD movie includes up to 133 minutes of high-resolution video, a soundtrack that can be presented in up to eight languages using Dolby digital surround sound, and subtitles in up to 32 languages.  A DVD can also be used to store almost eight hours of CD-quality music on each side.

There are many advantages to using a DVD over its VHS predecessor.  A DVD picture is better quality and can have Dolby Digital or DTS sound which is similar to the sound experienced in a movie theater.  Most DVDs have an on screen index which will identify significant scenes in a movie.  These scenes are represented with a picture.  Using the remote control, the viewer may select a part of the movie they want to view without the need to fast-forward or rewind.  DVDs are smaller and easier to store than VHS.  DVDs must be handled carefully, as they are pone to scratches which interferes with their play quality.

DVD players are compatible with audio CDs.  This means that the user is able to play music on DVD players as well as watch DVDs on their computer.  Most DVD movies are formatted so that the viewer can choose to view it in wide screen or TV size format.  DVD movies offer a variety of languages and subtitles in which to view them in.  The variety of languages makes DVDs marketable in nearly every country in the world.

The newest, enhanced version of the DVD is called a Blue-Ray Disc.  Blue Ray disc players allow for a higher definition of picture quality and sound over the DVD.  They are currently far more expensive that the DVD, but will most likely replace the DVD in the future.  Currently, DVD players and DVDs are relatively inexpensive and widely available.  There are several options available to obtain DVDs.  They can be rented through local grocery stores or purchased at nearly every general merchandise outlet in America.  The convenience, quality, and price of DVDs have made it the most popular choice in home viewing entertainment.