In this age of internet-streamed movies, who would have thought that the humble DVD is still selling well. Walk into any Big W or JB Hi-Fi stores, and you will see DVD movies piled high. Indeed, JB Hi-Fi currently has 8,349 DVD movie titles and 3,455 TV series titles on their website. 

Why do people still buy DVDs?

Sometimes, people buy a DVD because the title they want is unavailable on streaming platforms. Alternatively, they only want a certain title, not a subscription to other titles they don't want. Often titles are dropped from a streaming service as their deal with a movie studio runs out.

Some collectors want a complete set and some just like owning something physical rather than having virtual access.

Some even buy them for audio and video quality, although a Blu-Ray player will provide better quality. The DVD still competes with the streamers, especially as their entry-level subscription quality is impacted by compression to minimize the internet bandwidth needed.

The offline ability of a DVD means that on Australian road trips phone internet allowances will not be destroyed, and intermittent reception is irrelevant. Pop the kids’ favorite program in the in-car DVD player and experience at least an hour of peace without the dreaded “are we there yet?” question.

Some content you are unlikely to find on streaming are special features, often packaged within the DVD. This includes documentaries on making the movie or the director talking about the film.

What can I play DVDs back on?

If you own a DVD collection or want to start one, the good news is that DVD players are still available and not much more expensive than DVD disks.

DVD players can be found in PCs, built into TVs or projectors, stand-alone DVD players and portable DVD players (great for in-car use). Portable DVD players are most likely to be available with an integrated screen, providing an all-in-one solution for video playback.

A Bluray player will also playback a DVD, giving you more flexibility with your playback options. Blu-ray disks offer higher resolution video, up to 4K or 8 times that of a DVD.

In the past, DVDs were region-specific, meaning that if you bought a DVD in America, you could not play it back in Australia. Now almost all DVD players will support any region playback.

DVD resolution is good, but TVs have come a long way with increased resolution. The modern DVD player also does video upscaling, which means that the player's quality is enhanced from 720 to 1080P resolution to provide an improved image.

Modern players easily connect with a single HDMI cable which means no more worrying about how to connect which wire to where. The HDMI cable also allows the transfer of audio encoding. Assuming you have the audio equipment to reproduce it, you can take advantage of Dolby Digital and DTS HD to have sound effects bouncing around your room.

Your DVD player can also become a media player for the playback of your music, photos and videos stored on a USB memory drive.

How do I decide which DVD player to buy?

When you are ready to buy a new DVD player, you should take the following factors into account when making your purchase decision:

•   Region free – gives you peace of mind the player will playback any DVD

•   Warranty – buying a reputable brand with an Australian long warranty will ensure you have backup if anything goes wrong

•   HDMI support – some players only offer the old RCA connections, which are complicated to connect with multiple cables

•   Size – consider where you will place the DVD player and its aesthetics

•   Portability – a portable DVD player that can be used in a car but also with its own batteries, is also suitable for airports and plane trips

•   Remote - can you adjust your TV or soundbar volume with the DVD remote

•   USB – will the DVD support a USB drive and have a media player to take advantage of content

After deciding on your DVD player, you will need an HDMI cable to connect your player to the TV. Due to the resolution requirements, any DVD cable will be suitable.

A set of headphones is also a good idea if you go the portable route for movies in the car. Not only will you not be disturbed by the Wiggles for the thousandth time, but the kids are not listening to what you are saying.

HINTS

Laser has a range of DVD & Blu-ray player solutions available from leading retailers and online. The range comes with a 3-year Australian warranty and all the latest features to ensure simple connection and playback of your DVDs. Laser DVD Players are Australia's most popular DVD brand.

SUMMARY – DVD player

DVDs continue to be a popular means to watch movies and other video content, especially when you have no or limited internet.

A DVD player is cheap to purchase, and modern models are easy to connect to and have some smarts to improve playback.

We recommend you buy a region-free model from an Australian brand that will support the product.