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DVD Player

 
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This page relates to a hardware
Hardware

Hardware is a general term that refers to the physical cultural artifacts of a technology. It may also mean the physical components of a computer system, in the form of computer hardware....
 device used to play DVDs. For the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
 software program
Computer program

Computer programs are Instruction for a computer. A computer requires programs to function. Moreover, a computer program does not run unless its instructions are executed by a Central processing unit; however, a program may communicate an Algorithm#Formalization of algorithms to people without running....
, see DVD Player (Windows). For the Apple
Apple Computer

Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer Inc., is an United States multinational corporation which designs and manufactures consumer electronics and software products....
 software program
Computer program

Computer programs are Instruction for a computer. A computer requires programs to function. Moreover, a computer program does not run unless its instructions are executed by a Central processing unit; however, a program may communicate an Algorithm#Formalization of algorithms to people without running....
, see DVD Player (Apple).


A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD Video and DVD Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards.

D player has to complete these tasks:

tionally, most DVD players allow users to play audio CD
Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
s (CDDA, MP3
MP3

MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a digital audio Encoder format using a form of lossy data compression. It is a common audio format for consumer audio storage, as well as a de facto standard encoding for the transfer and playback of music on digital audio players....
, etc.) and Video CD
Video CD

Video CD is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc. VCDs are playable in dedicated VCD players, most modern DVD-Video players, personal computers, and some video game consoles....
s (VCD
VCD

VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic F.C., semi-professional football team* Video CD...
).






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This page relates to a hardware
Hardware

Hardware is a general term that refers to the physical cultural artifacts of a technology. It may also mean the physical components of a computer system, in the form of computer hardware....
 device used to play DVDs. For the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
 software program
Computer program

Computer programs are Instruction for a computer. A computer requires programs to function. Moreover, a computer program does not run unless its instructions are executed by a Central processing unit; however, a program may communicate an Algorithm#Formalization of algorithms to people without running....
, see DVD Player (Windows). For the Apple
Apple Computer

Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer Inc., is an United States multinational corporation which designs and manufactures consumer electronics and software products....
 software program
Computer program

Computer programs are Instruction for a computer. A computer requires programs to function. Moreover, a computer program does not run unless its instructions are executed by a Central processing unit; however, a program may communicate an Algorithm#Formalization of algorithms to people without running....
, see DVD Player (Apple).


A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD Video and DVD Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards.

Technical Details

A DVD player has to complete these tasks:
  • Read a DVD
    DVD

    DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
     disc in ISO – UDF
    Universal Disk Format

    The Universal Disk Format is a format specification of a file system for storing files on Optical disc. It is an implementation of the ISO/IEC 13346 standard ....
     version 1.2 format
  • optionally decrypt the data with either CSS and/or Macrovision
    Macrovision

    Macrovision Corporation is a globally-operating, U.S.-based company that develops and markets License, access control, and secure distribution technologies for electronically delivered creative works....
  • read and obey the DVD's Regional lockout
    Regional lockout

    Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country....
     codes and display a warning if the player is not authorised to play the DVD
  • decode the MPEG-2
    MPEG-2

    MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of Lossy compression video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission bandwidth....
     video stream with a maximum of 10 Mbit/s (peak) or 8 Mbit/s (continuous)
  • decode sound in MP2, PCM or AC-3
    AC-3

    AC-3 can be:*Dolby Digital, audio codec.*AC-3 algorithm , constraint satisfaction problem solving algorithm....
     format and output (with optional AC-3 to stereo downsampling) on stereo connector, optical or electric digital connector
  • output a video signal, either an analog one (in NTSC
    NTSC

    NTSC is the analog television system used in most of the Americas, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Burma, and some Pacific island nations and territories ....
    , PAL
    PAL

    PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a color-encoding system used in broadcast television systems in large parts of the world. Other common analog television systems are SECAM and NTSC....
     or SECAM
    SECAM

    SECAM, also written S?CAM , is an analog television system first used in France.A team led by Henri de France working at Compagnie Fran?aise de T?l?vision invented SECAM....
     format) on the composite
    Composite video

    Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulation onto an Radio Frequency carrier wave....
    , S-Video
    S-Video

    Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video, and sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Super Video" and also known as Y/C, is an analog signal video signal that carries the video data as two separate signals, lumen and chroma ....
    , SCART
    SCART

    SCART is a France-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual equipment together. It is also known as P?ritel , 21-pin EuroSCART and Euroconnector....
    , or component video
    Component video

    Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more components. In popular use, it refers to a type of Analog signal video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals....
     connectors, or a digital one on the DVI
    Digital Visual Interface

    The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard designed to maximize the visual quality of digital display devices such as flat panel Liquid crystal display computer displays and digital Video projectors....
     or HDMI
    High-Definition Multimedia Interface

    HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It represents a digital alternative to consumer analog standards such as Radio Frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, and Video Graphics Array....
     connectors


CD/DVD/RMVB playback

Additionally, most DVD players allow users to play audio CD
Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
s (CDDA, MP3
MP3

MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a digital audio Encoder format using a form of lossy data compression. It is a common audio format for consumer audio storage, as well as a de facto standard encoding for the transfer and playback of music on digital audio players....
, etc.) and Video CD
Video CD

Video CD is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc. VCDs are playable in dedicated VCD players, most modern DVD-Video players, personal computers, and some video game consoles....
s (VCD
VCD

VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic F.C., semi-professional football team* Video CD...
). A few include a home cinema
Home cinema

Home cinema, also called home theater, are entertainment systems that seek to reproduce movie theater quality video and audio in a private home....
 decoder (i.e. Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital

File:Dolby-Digital.svgDolby Digital is the marketing name for a series of lossy data compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories....
, Digital Theater Systems (DTS)). Some newer devices also play videos in the MPEG-4 ASP video compression format (such as DivX
DivX

DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to video compression lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality....
) popular on the Internet, as well as the RMVB
RMVB

RealMedia Variable Bitrate is a variable bitrate extension of the RealMedia multimedia container format developed by RealNetworks.As opposed to the more common RealMedia container, which holds streaming media encoded at a constant bit rate, RMVB is typically used for multimedia content stored locally....
 video compression format.

Output

Most hardware DVD players have to be connected to a television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 set; there are also some small portable devices which have an LCD
Liquid crystal display

A liquid crystal display is an Electro-optic modulator shaped into a thin, flat panel made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a Light#Light sources or reflector....
 screen attached.

Portable DVD Player

Portable DVD players that are capable of playing DVDs. Most have an LCD screen and stereo speakers and are usually powered by lithium ion batteries. Portable DVD players are often used for long road trips and travel.

Prices

, retail prices for such a device, depending on its optional features (such as digital sound or video output), start between 30 and 80 USD/Euro
Euro

The euro is the official currency of 16 out of 27 European Union member state of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain....
. They are usually cheaper than VCRs.

Manufacture

the largest producer of DVD players is China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
; in 2002 they produced 30 million players, more than 70% of the world output. These producers have to pay US$15-$20 per player in license fees, to the patent
Patent

A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor or his assignee for a term of patent in exchange for a disclosure of an invention....
 holders of the DVD technology (Sony
Sony

is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
, Philips
Philips

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , usually known as Philips, is a Netherlands electronics company. It is one of the largest electronics companies in the world, founded and headquartered in the Netherlands....
, Toshiba
Toshiba

is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company's main business is in Infrastructure, Consumer Products, and Electronic devices and components....
 and Time Warner
Time Warner

Time Warner Inc. is the world's third largest media and entertainment Conglomerate by market capitalization , headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City....
) as well as for MPEG-2
MPEG-2

MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of Lossy compression video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission bandwidth....
 licenses. To avoid these fees, China has developed the Enhanced Versatile Disc
Enhanced Versatile Disc

The Enhanced Versatile Disc is an optical medium-based digital audio/video format, developed to provide a means for playing HDTV content using existing optical media....
 standard as an intended successor of DVD; , EVD players were only being sold in China.

Software

Software DVD players are programs that allow users to view DVD videos on a computer
Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
 with a DVD-ROM
DVD

DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
 drive. Some examples are the VLC media player
VLC media player

VLC media player is an open source, free software media player written by the VideoLAN project.VLC is a portable multimedia player, encoder, and streamer supporting many audio and video codecs and file formats as well as DVDs, Video CD, and various streaming media Communications protocol....
 and MPlayer
MPlayer

MPlayer is a free software and open source media player . The program is available for all major operating systems, including Linux and other Unix-like systems, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X....
 (both free software
Free software

Free Software or software libre is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things and to prevent consumer-facing hardware...
), as well as WinDVD
WinDVD

WinDVD is a commercial video player and Audio player Computer software for Microsoft Windows. It enables the viewing of DVD-Video movies on the user's Personal computer....
, PowerDVD
PowerDVD

CyberLink PowerDVD is a commercial media player for Microsoft Windows and Linux . The latest version of the software is PowerDVD 9. Several editions of the software are sold including: Ultra, Deluxe and Standard....
 and DVD Player
DVD Player (software)

DVD Player is the default DVD player in Mac OS X. It supports all the standard DVD features such as multiple audio, video & subtitle tracks as well as Dolby audio, DVD@ccess Uniform Resource Locators and closed captions....
.

History

The first DVD players were introduced in Japan in November 1996, and DVD players were first available in the United States in March 1997.

Successors

There are two successors to the DVD player: the HD DVD
HD DVD

HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical media optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.HD DVD was supported principally by Toshiba, and was envisaged to be the successor to the standard DVD format....
 player and the Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc data storage device medium. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs....
 player. On February 19, 2008, Toshiba announced it would cease production on all HD DVD products ultimately naming Blu-ray players the successor to DVD players.

See also

  • CD
    Compact Disc

    A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
  • CD-ROM
    CD-ROM

    CD-ROM is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains Computer data storage accessible to, but not writable by, a computer. While the Compact Disc format was originally designed for music storage and playback, the 1985 Yellow Book standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of Binary file....
  • DVD Audio
  • VCR
  • DVD recorder
    DVD recorder

    A DVD recorder , is an optical disc recorder that records video onto blank writeable DVD recordable. Such devices are available as either installable drives for computers or as standalone components for use in studios or home theatre systems....
  • HD DVD
    HD DVD

    HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical media optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.HD DVD was supported principally by Toshiba, and was envisaged to be the successor to the standard DVD format....
  • Blu-ray Disc
    Blu-ray Disc

    Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc data storage device medium. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs....
  • Video scaler
    Video scaler

    A video scaler is a device for converting video signals from one size or display resolution to another: usually "upscaling" or "upconverting" a video signal from a low resolution to one of higher resolution ....
  • Comparison of media players
    Comparison of media players

    The following comparison of media players compares general and technical information for a number of software media player programs.For the purpose of this comparison, "video players" are defined as any media player which can play video, even if it can also play audio files....