HD and Blu-Ray DVD Player Review

Editor’s Note: These products have been discontinued and are no longer available. You can still read our original reviews, but TopTenREVIEWS is no longer updating the information for these products. Check out our Blu-Ray Players review for more up-to-date information.

With the popularity of HD TVs and the FCC changing to digital signals, it is only a matter of time before high definition Blu-ray DVD players take over our home entertainment centers.

High definition is the way of the future. Its media is becoming more affordable than ever and are expected to replace standard DVDs entirely. Blu-ray Discs can currently hold up to five times more digital information than a regular dual-layer DVD. This enables the disc to produce a better picture quality, enhanced audio, detailed graphics and more special features.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to high definition, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which HD player is right for you.

What to Look for in a High Definition DVD Player

High definition players are available from a variety of manufacturers; however, the best high definition players support Full HD 1080p resolutions, a variety of outputs including HDMI, easily navigated menus, and upconversion to make your current DVD collections look even better on your high definition display. Sony’s Playstation 3 also doubles as a Blu-ray Disc player, making even video games a feature on some HD players.

Here is the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used while evaluating High Definition players:

Outputs
The number of outputs a DVD player has the more versatile it becomes. Standard outputs should include at least one composite, component, S-Video and HDMI port.

Dynamic Range
Dynamic Range is the difference between the loudest and quietest signals. Typically, higher decibels are better.

Video DAC
The video DAC enables the video and picture information encoded on the DVD to play on the television. This feature is needed regardless of the television brand or style.

Signal-to-noise Ratio
The signal-to-noise ratio compares the level of wanted noise, like dialogue or music to the level of background noise. Higher ratios provide better sound quality.

Audio DAC
The audio DAC enables the audio and sound information on the DVD disc to play through the television or stereo. All DVD players, standard and high definition, require this feature.

Video Upconversion
Video upconversion digitally enhances the resolutions of your standard definition DVDs to ensure they look their best on your HD TV.

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