Should a HDMI DVD Player Be Your Next Home Theater Purchase?

 by: Kenny Hemphill

Thinking about getting an HDMI DVD player? Whether you've heard t he buzz surrounding the latest generation of DVD players or have an HDTV and want a player to connect it to, the information on this page will help.

HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. Its the standard connector for high definition TV and video kit and is a lossless, all-digital audio/ video interface which as well as supporting HD content also carries standard definition (SD) and enhanced definition (ED) video.

Deciding which HDMI DVD player to get is becoming more difficult as more and more devices arrive on the market. Prices range from a very reasonable $200 or so for the Toshiba SD-5970 to a couple of thousand dollars for devices at the high-end.

The Toshiba HDMI DVD player, like the other high definition players, up-converts the DVD-Video content on regular DVD discs to either 720p or 1080i high definition resolution. As well as do everything you would expect of a DVD player, the Toshiba SD-5970 has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. Its progressive scan output, when connected to an HDTV using the HDMI connector, provides twice the number of scan lines present on a normal DVD picture. This means higher resolution, sharper and flicker free images which have none of the motion artifacts, such as stepping, often seen on less expensive DVD players.

Also, the SD-5970 performs, what's known as 3:2 pulldown reversal. This basically means that it corrects the distorion which is caused by translating 24 frames per second film to 30 frames per second video.

The Toshibe SD-5970 is relatively inexpensive for an HDMI DVD player, yet it marks a huge leap in terms of improvement in image quality. More expensive players are better still and best of all, becasue this is a relatively new market prices are sure to fall making even a very good HDMI DVD player within the reach fo any DVD enthusiast.

About The Author

Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner (http://www.the-hdtv-tuner.com).