The year is 1990 and if you anyone in the U.S. if they’ve heard of or seen a Digital Video Disc or DVD player, you’re certain to get back a no answer. Believe it or not, DVD technology that so many of us take for granted, has only been around in the United States since 1997. The original introduction of the DVD player to the public was the year before, 1996, in Japan. How did DVD players come to be?
The history of the DVD player can actually be traced back to the days of the compact disk or CD player as a natural outgrowth of the public interested in a player to include audio and video. CD players are still around today but supposedly the DVD was believed to be the replacement for the CD. However, this has not happened yet. And, interestingly enough, the DVD player has given birth to the HD DVD and blu-ray DVD technology.
As you may now know, most DVD players have the capacity to connect to a television and, unlike VCRs with VHS tapes, DVD players can be small and play standard size DVDs or mini DVDs. DVD players can also play CDs. Sounds like there’s more than enough to meet the eye of anyone searching for a DVD player.
In order for a device to be classified as a DVD player, it has to follow some basic technical guidelines:
· Be able to read a DVD disk in ISO\
· Output a video signal that is either analog or digital in nature
· Decipher sound on some sort of connector such as a stereo connector
· Read, interpret and follow the DVD’s regional lockout code and post a warning if the DVD cannot be played due to lack of authorization
No one can say for sure what’s next for the DVD player. But there’s no need to glance over your shoulder to see where the DVD has come from and how far it’s gone. Today, DVD players are as much a part of home entertaining as entertainment itself. Additionally, DVD players have all but completely replaced VCR usage in public schools on all levels.
The DVD player can have expertise that includes reading and writing DVDs, giving the player owner options that previously were impossible with VCRs. We see such options in TiVo, the DVD that allows recording from live television that can be paused and resumed.
If you are a VCR owner contemplating upgrading your system to a DVD player but wondering if the upgrade is valid, consider the fact that most video rental stores have converted the majority of their rentals to DVDs. Your new DVD collection will take up a fraction of the space of your old VHS tapes collection. DVDs offer clarity in sound and pictures that is not possible with VHS tapes. Your DVD is less likely to break than your VHS tape. Netflix and other services offer DVD rentals without even having to leave your home.
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