Our correspondent takes a look how DVD players are evolved and the options available in the marketWith the sun blazing away to glory outside,the summers become the best time to fall back on your sofa and catch up on all movies you have been dying to watch. But,if you have been planning to upgrade your DVD players for your indoor pursuits,be informed that technology too has upgraded itself with a set new generation players that give you a better visual experience and multiple source options. If you are wondering whether standalone DVD players are losing their sheen,with most of them being sold in combo offers (like home theatres) these days,Riyaz Ahmad,a retail executive at Jumbo Electronics,has the answer. "The sale of DVD players is still impressive. While high-end consumers are going in for home theatres and combo offers,the average consumer still prefers the standalone DVD player. Portable DVD players too are slowly finding their footing in the market," he says. But an executive at eZone,another major electronics outlet,adds that players with additional features like DivX compatibility and USB ports are drawing more consumers. He has seen a gradual shift in customer preference with many now opting for portable players,even as the home theatre segment continues to build on its fan base. The Sunday Express takes a look at DVD players available in the market: PHILIPSDVP 3986With DivX "Ultra",the model displays an active item menu to facilitate movie viewing with a high quality picture. It also offers high definition JPEG playback with a 5.1 channel audio output for surround sound. Rs 3090. DVP 3258Compatible with the DivX,CD,VCD and MP3 disc formats,this model also comes with a USB port. So,with the hi-speed USB 2.0 link,all you have to do is plug in your USB device,select the movie,music or photo and play away. Rs 3,990.DVP 5996With HDMI digital video and audio connection,the DVP 5996 is like stepping into another home entertainment arena. Karaoke Scoring,an advanced feature that automatically rates your singing,serves well as the product's USP. You can also convert the contents of your favourite CDs to MP3 files and store it directly on a thumbdrive or on your portable media player through a USB cable. Priced at Rs 4,990,the product is in many ways Philips' answer to Sony's DVP NS 708.DVP 6620This single disc DVD player is compatible with CD/MP3/ WMA/VCD/ DivX (MPEG 4) and JPEG. The player comes with HDMI and is powered for high definition video upscaling. With a slim design and optional wall mounting,this model is ideal of LCDs and Plasma screens,but comes without a USB port. Rs 4,490. LGLG DV 259/257/325With high definition JPEG playback and a 5.1 channel audio output for surround sound,the product allows you to play dual discs. Loaded with the DivX facilty,it comes at a price of Rs 2,750 onwards.LG DV 388Loaded with all the features offered by the versions mentioned above,the LG DV 388 is packed with USB and HDMI options. The additional features make this model dearer,available at Rs 3,790. SONYDVP NS 508Offered at Rs 2,790,the product comes with all the other playbacks (DVD,VCD,CD,MP3,JPEG) except for the DivX facility.DVP NS 608Packed with all the features offered by its DVP NS 508 model,this Sony product offers DivX playback. Rs 2,990.DVP NS 708This High Definition DVD player is,perhaps,Sony's truly power-packed model. With all playback facilities (including DivX) on offer,the product comes loaded with HDMI connectivity. While the Rs 5,115 may sound a shade too high,you also get an HDMI cable for free. SAMSUNGP480RLoaded with all the common features of today's conventional DVD players,including the DivX playback,this model's USP is the FM radio tuning facility. Even without the HDMI facility,the USB interface makes this model a decent buy at Rs 2,880.P182RPacked with features,similar to the earlier model,the P182 offers a compact design and is available at a slightly higher price of Rs 3,000.
