Home Video Player Buying Guide

Your choice is likely to be based on two things. Firstly, your current equipment and how a new product would fit into your current system and secondly, what you feel would best suit your needs. This guide will aim to explain your options so that any choice you have to make is as simple as possible.

DVD Players

DVD players have been with us for over ten years now, and they are coming to the end of their life. Because of this, prices are at an all time low. A DVD player can be bought for around 30 pounds and a DVD recorder for less that a hundred. DVDs themselves are available from as little a three pounds while new releases are only just above a tenner.

Another option is to buy an upscaling DVD player. These machines take the data from the DVD and increase the resolution giving the impression of high definition without the cost. It is fair to assume however that this option is only relevant over the short term as the difference in price between an upscaling player and a full on Blu-Ray player is relatively small.

Blu-Ray Players

Blu-Ray players are finally entering into the mainstream. It took a while but prices are starting to become reasonable for both the player and disc making Blu-Ray a sensible choice for anyone with a high definition TV.

Unfortunately for manufacturers of Blu-Ray players the physical storage of data looks likely to be superseded in the coming years by other options either using hard drives or internet streaming. This trend mimics that of the one seen with computer technology where cloud storage of data is becoming more and more widespread, allowing for files to be accessed anywhere without a physical container (such as an SD card, CD-rom, floppy disc or memory stick).

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs)

A DVR is such a device that may be seen as a successor to Blu-Ray. This works by recording programmes from the TV onto a hard drive. Sky is a popular provider of DVRs through its Sky+ service but standalone models can also be bought for use with other TV sources. The advantage of these devices is that once you have purchased it you can record instantly without requiring blank discs or tapes. They are however limited in their storage space. They also cannot allow access to any content that hasn't already been available to view as it was player on the TV.

Video Streaming Devices

Video Streaming Devices, it could be argued, is where TV watching is heading. These boxes are connected both to an internet source and your TV where they show a menu screen of different 'channels' which are effectively websites. By browsing these channels you can then find content which is streamed over the internet connection and played on your TV screen. This way of finding content has shot into prominence following the steady increase of internet speeds. Given a couple of years it is more than likely that high definition content could be seamlessly streamed in the majority of homes. This development allows for the sale and rent of brand new films as well as content from individual publishers, YouTube and the current TV channels.