Best DVD Players for Your TV in the UK

Recently, the Panasonic company has introduced a new DVD player capable of upscaling images up to 1080p high-resolution. Of course, like any other DVD models, this player can't be compared to Blu-ray world with 4K resolution. But it will definitely appeal to users who have a substantial collection of CDs and DVDs and now want to watch old films on a large screen rather than playing them on a computer. Also, this very model can be a perfect choice for those individuals that have older TV equipment with no intention of HDMI ports. This player has a Scart output and accordingly can give your old TV a new lease of life.

Speaking about the picture quality this player delivers, it's clear with vivid colours, sharp details, and good contrast. The picture is particularly great when you use the HDMI connection, and the image is upscaled up to HD (1920 x1080p). The Panasonic DVD player raises the quality by correcting pixel units and brightness signals.

The player is versatile enough to play films and music from USB, CD, DVD, CD/DVD RW, Xvid, MP3 and JPEG plus formats. And in any case, you can resume your disc from where it’s stopped even after a power failure. The player automatically creates the chapter mark on certain intervals of the content.

If you have no time for yourself let along visiting cinemas but you still want to be able to enjoy watching your favourite movies in great quality, the LG DP542H player should be right up your alley. This model will provide you with an immersive viewing experience in near HD quality any time you want. Just connect the player to your TV using one HDMI cable and you're good to go - no more wires and unnecessary cables required. What's also important is that the HDMI cable is of high quality and perfectly transmits both picture and sound ensuring that your video content is produced without sound lugs. Plus, the player uses the progressive scan technology which allows it to convert older movies into near modern HD quality.

The LG DP542H player includes a remote control so you can adjust the settings on your system without coming up to TV. And you can also control the player using the buttons on the front panel. Next, the LG DP542H player has an LCD screen: it displays the play time and doubles as a clock when the player is turned off.

It is also important to note that the LG DP542H reads all disc formats and supports all video formats. And, you aren't going to be limited to viewing movies from CD and DVD discs only. Along with the control buttons and the screen is a USB port which allows you to connect different media devices.

The Majority Scholars DVD player is a popular choice of many users not without a reason. It has as many features as some of the more expensive players yet it comes at a considerably lower price. Let's check out the key features this player offers.

First things first, the Majority Scholars DVD player can play audio and video recordings from almost any disk or flash drive. The quality of the image totally depends on the video source you use and, obviously, your TV. The connection type also matters. For better results, it's recommended to connect the player via a HDMI cable (not included in the purchase). Although this player doesn't have an upscaling feature to convert the resolution of your old favourites into a higher one, you can improve the picture quality manually by adjusting the brightness, sharpness, contrast, gamma, and colour settings. Video quality isn't the only thing you can adjust on the system. Other settings designed to tailor your viewing experience include the following four menus:

• General menu lets you set up TV values, angle marks, select a digital filter and save the minute you’ve stopped watching a film so that you can continue watching it from the exact point later.
• With audio settings, you can switch between audio channels and turn on the stereo mode.
• Dolby Digital menu will help you improve audio and create fine and detailed sound when you need to reduce the bass and make it softer. A handy option when you want to watch a horror at night time.
• Preference set-up includes switching between TV types (PAL and NTSC), subtitles, parental control, and password set-up.

As for the design, this player is simple and compact, which makes it a good fit for almost any interior. It is also equipped with a quite large LCD display for more convenient viewing. The control panel is not cluttered and all buttons are neatly arranged on the front. If we had to name one thing we didn't actually like about this player, that would be the fact that the control buttons do not stand out well against the control panel making it less convenient to manipulate. That said, an issue as minor as that is not enough to detract from the many advantages the Majority Scholars DVD player has, especially seeing as it comes with a remote control which you can use instead.

Would you like to get a DVD player that will let you rewatch your collection of films in better quality and won’t cost you an arm and a leg? If so, the DVPSR760HB.CEK player is a perfect match. Though not 4K, this model uses upscaling feature and is able to significantly enhance the native quality of images making them look closer to Full HD.

Like most modern DVD players, the DVPSR760HB.CEK allows for adjusting the settings on the system: changing background colour, switching subtitles, as well as adding effects to images. All changes are easy to do manually, but if you don't want to engage in the setup process, the player offers a custom picture mode. Whatever mode you choose, the content will be of great quality.

Aside from several picture modes, the DVPSR760HB.CEK allows for slowing down or accelerating the playback of movies or sport matches - you can play movies at 1.5x default speed. Also, the player supports most any popular formats and can play movies back from multiple sources including a flash drive.

The great thing about the DVPSR760HB.CEK is that it takes the most out of its compact design. Small and sleek, it needs very little space under your TV and it uses only one HDMI cable allowing you to cut down on wires. Plus, the HDMI output makes it possible to connect this player to your home theatre system and experience the surround sound with crisp picture detail.

The memorising option is sure the one we particularly liked in the DVPSR760HB.CE. The player can remember the place you’ve stopped on 6 different disks and resume movies exactly from those points you've watched last time. Agree it's a nice feature to have. Another feature worth mentioning is parental control which can be useful if you have kids and want to protect them from the adverse media effect.

Are you satisfied with only playing DVDs? Or would you like to up the ante by getting a versatile player allowing you to plug a karaoke microphone and sing your favourite songs? If so, we have a stellar offering for you - the Grouptronics GTDVD-181 multi-regional DVD & Karaoke player with a rich set of extras. As the name suggests, it's a multipurpose device that can be instantly transformed into a karaoke CD and DVD machine. Simply plug in the microphone into the side of the player, insert a karaoke disc, and turn it on. Within a few seconds, you'll see the words and hear the clear audio played through your TV to sing your heart out. The player supports CD-G, Karaoke CD-G, and Karaoke DVD formats.

Besides that, the GTDVD-181 player supports a wide array of other formats including home-made CD-R/RW and DVD±R/RW, MP3, WMA, or JPEG. It also plays VCD files, AVI Xvid, and MPG videos from a USB flash drive. Yet, the best bit about this device is that it plays region 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 DVD discs in upscaled definition and near BluRay quality. So, if you're looking for a versatile player that can support DVDs from other regions, this is a good choice.

What is nice, if you eject the disc from a semi pause position, it'll resume again at that point with all the previous settings remaining intact (subtitles, chosen language, etc). With that, DVD reacts instantly and quietly to any remote command.