DVD or Blu-ray players?

Home Cinema systems come with either a DVD player or Blu-ray player, which form the hub of the system. It's worth understanding the difference between them to ensure you get the most from the experience.

DVD Players

• A standard DVD player will play all your pre-recorded discs, with surround sound capability, through the accompanying speaker system
• Most DVDs include a 5.1 soundtrack, but even if used with a 2.1 system the decoding software will make the sound experience far better than that from the TV speakers

 

 

Blu-ray players

• The DVD of the 21st century, Blu-ray allows you to display movies in full high definition through a HD TV
• All major movies are released to Blu-ray disc, so you can enjoy the latest blockbusters in stunning detail
• If you already have a large collection of DVDs, the Blu-ray player will give them a new lease of life by upscaling them to near HD quality

 

3D Blu-ray players

• Many Blu-ray players now support 3D
• A 3D TV is required to view 3D Blu-ray content. Please see our 3D TV guide for more information

 

 

 

 

Connecting up your Home Cinema system

Connecting up a Home Cinema can seem daunting at first, but the reality is that they're fairly straightforward.

• Most use colour coded connectors and labelling to ensure you connect the correct speakers to the correct inputs
  
• Once all the speakers are connected to the player all you need to do is connect the player to the TV

Generally DVD systems will connect using SCART and Blu-ray will connect using HDMI. It's important to check you have the correct inputs available on your TV for the type of system you are buying.