DVD Players Test

Reviews on DVD Players

"OPPO DV-983H DVD Player"

Published on: 5/2008

On test: Oppo DV-983H

Dubbed by many as the best DVD player around, the OPPO DV-983H DVD Player quality shines above the rest. So what is the secret to its success? → More

"Yamaha DVD-S661 DVD Player"

Published on: 4/2008

On test: Yamaha HiFi DVD-S661

With supermarkets selling DVD players for next to nothing (we spotted one in Tesco for just £15) it's getting harder to justify forking out for a more expensive spinner. But anyone with an ounce of common sense can see the benefits in splashing out on a good quality deck from a well-known brand - not only are you likely to get superior pictures and better build quality, but you'll also find features and format support that you probably won't at bargain basement prices. So with this in mind, we're taking a look at Yamaha's entry-level DVD-S661, which isn't cheap but boasts a healthy-looking feature list, and hopefully the company's wealth of AV experience will result in a strong performance. → More

"Toshiba SD-280E DVD Player"

Published on: 4/2008

On test: Toshiba SD-280E

The SD-280E is the first new DVD player to roll off Toshiba's 2008 production line, and we were first in line to take a look. It's a distinctly entry-level affair, with a stripped down spec and ultra-low price, making it a perfect player to accompany a second TV in the bedroom or the kitchen. Despite its simple spec, there are actually two players beneath it in the pecking order - the SD-180E (which only boasts a JPEG viewer) and SD-185E (with DivX and JPEG playback). The SD-280E goes one step further by adding MP3 to the compatibility list. → More

"Pioneer DV-600AV DVD Player"

Published on: 4/2008

On test: Pioneer DV-600AV

We all know that Pioneer can conjure up incredible high-end DVD players (Exhibit A: the DV-LX50) but when the company turns its attention to the lower end of the price scale, it gives the AV community cause to celebrate. Every year the Japanese brand packs its budget decks with a dazzling array of features that make them really stand out from the crowd, combining them with slick performance and unbeatable ease of use. But with several other players on the market from the likes of OPPO and Denon boasting similarly impressive attributes, does the DV-600AV do enough to keep the competition at arm's length? Let's find out… → More

DVD Players

DVDs have replaced the traditional VHS to such an extent that some shops in England have taken the bulkier, easily broken blank video tape off the shelves and now exclusively stock DVDs and CDs. The trend to opt for a DVD player has perhaps reached its zenith but there are now more and more affordable home cinemas systems and DVD recorders on the market that demand for DVD based systems will continue to be high for as long as DVDs continue to be made. DVD technology offers a very good picture and sound quality using the DVD's native MPEG2 compression format and modern DVD players are also capable of decoding the newer compression formats like DivX, XVID and even WMV9, which offers high density 1080 quality from file sizes no larger than standard DVD movies. DVD players are often ''slim'' and so take up less space and are less obtrusive in modern homes. When buying a DVD player you should take care it has all the necessary connections, RF is rare and almost non existent, but there are different formats such as composite, SCART, component video and S-VHS so be sure to check which are supported by your television. Component video offers the highest quality but SCART is most common and should be found on all television sets made in the last ten to fifteen years. What can also be considered the most important thing when looking for a DVD player is whether the remote control fits easily in the hand, but thankfully these are often kept just as sleek as the players themselves.