5.1/ 6.1/7.1: A reference to the number of audio channels that a film soundtrack or DVD decoder may deliver. These consist of front centre, front left, front right, rear left, rear right, subwoofer. In the case of 6.1 an extra rear centre channel and in the case of 7.1 an extra rear left and an extra rear right channel are added.

Bitstream: The method a DVD player uses to carry multi-channel sound to the decoder. Bitstream signals are carried using digital leads, usually into the back of a home cinema amplifier with a suitable connection. 

Built in decoder: Some DVD players have a built in digital sound decoder, outputting a decoded Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack through six phono sockets. These can be connected directly into a six channel power amplifier or into an existing Dolby Pro-Logic amplifier with a six channel input facility.

CDR: Compact Disc Recordable. A type of CD that you can make yourself at home. Can be recorded on only once.

CDRW: Compact Disc ReWriteable. A type of CD that you can make yourself at home. Can be rerecorded on over and over.

Coaxial output: A digital output found on many DVD players. Connect it to the coaxial input on a suitable home cinema amplifier for Dolby Digital or DTS multi-channel audio.

Component video: A picture signal format, superior to either composite or S-video types. Component video inputs are most commonly found on plasma, LCD screens and projectors as the format supports high-bandwidth, suitable for high-definition signals.

Composite video: A picture signal format. The lowest quality output available from a DVD. Still gives good results, but to benefit from the high resolution which DVD supports, use the S-video, RGB, component or HDMI connections if your display will accept the signal. Composite video signals are most commonly carried along a scart or single phono lead.

DAC: Digital to Analogue Converter. It is the system employed to convert digital data (1s and 0s) into analogue format and the quality of the DAC can strongly influence performance.

DVD players feature audio & video DACs. Often the amount of data the DACs can process, the speed at which they can process that data and the inherent quality of the DAC can facilitate more advanced features and more faithful conversion of the data, delivering superior pictures and sound.

DivX: A compression technology commonly used by computer owners to share and store longer video files (such as TV programmes and films) in a small space. DivX files can be burnt onto a CD or DVD and played in a compatible DVD player.

Dolby Digital: A multi-channel sound format which is the standard in Europe and the most used in the world. This format can potentially support any number of channels: mono, stereo, 3 channel surround, 5.1 & 6.1 surround being the ones you will find most.

Visit Dolby Digital online here.

DTS: A multi-channel sound format capable of delivering superior sound to Dolby Digital. All the DVD players and home cinema amplifiers on this site support both Dolby Digital and DTS.

Visit the DTS homepage here.

DVD-R: Record once DVD format which is the accepted standard for home DVD recording.

DVD-RW: The most flexible DVD recording format, with its rerecordable nature, combined with a recorder's "VR" mode, non-linear, MiniDisc style editing can be made to a disc's content. Most new DVD Players will playback these discs.

DVD+R: A record once DVD format which some prefer, as such discs may play back in early DVD players not specified for recordable discs.

DVD+RW: Re-recordable version of the DVD+R.

DVD Audio: An audio only version of the DVD format. Discs look the same, but carry music only in a multi-channel format and with higher resolution compared with that of CD.

Visit the DVD Audio homepage.

HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface - the new Scart. The HDMI connector is a digital interface which has global backing as the universal digital connector for home entertainment products. Capable of carrying a very large data rate, it can carry picture, sound and other information between the latest generation of DVD players, plasma screens, computers and more - with the best performance yet.

JPEG: A compressed image format, commonly used by computer and digital camera owners. A DVD player with JPEG playback can read JPEG data files stored on a CD or DVD and display them on your screen, often as slideshows and/or browsable thumbnails.

Jug shuttle controller: An ergonomic controller which enables easy navigation around a disc's contents.

MP3: A compression technology commonly used by computer owners to store large numbers of sound files in a small space. MP3 files can be burnt onto a CD or DVD and played in a compatible DVD player. It is possible to burn 4.7GB of MP3 files onto a single DVD - this can equate to thousands of music tracks on a single disc.

MPEG-2: A multi-channel sound format. Rarely used and largely redundant.

Multi region: A DVD player which is "multi region" will play discs from more than one region in the world. No manufacturer can supply a "DVD" player as multi-region. That is because the DVD specification requires regional coding on all players and recorders - any player not conforming to this specification cannot be called a "DVD" player. Therefore, in the case of multi-region players, we perform a modification to work around the regional protection. This will be different for each machine, but these days this can usually be done with a simple software upgrade which does not require the removal of the cover or making any mechanical changes.

See Region.

NTSC: Stands for National Television Standards Council. A video standard used is some countries (including America and Japan).

Optical output: A digital output found on many DVD players. Connect it to the optical input on a suitable home cinema amplifier for Dolby Digital and DTS multi-channel audio.

PAL: A video standard used in some countries (including Britain).

Progressive scan: delivers a superior picture from those DVD players (and other devices) which support it. Commonly delivered via a component video or HDMI connection, progressive scan delivers the entire video frame (all the lines) in a single scan of your screen. Traditional "Interlaced" scanning - found on most televisions since its invention - delivers a single frame in two successive passes - one for even lines and one for odd. This is quite tolerable on most domestic televisions, however modern, larger displays benefit from the superior image delivered using progressive scan technology.

RCE: Regional Coding Enhancement. An addition to some DVD releases which can prevent some multi-region DVD players recognising non-native discs. As a matter of routine we check our multi-region modifications with RCE discs and, to date, have never had any trouble with these.

Region: In order that the film industry can protect its own interest in staggering the release dates of productions and to protect local copyright holders, the world has been divided into six DVD regions. The concept is that a DVD player bought in England (region 2) will not play a disc bought in America (region 1), for example. However, this has proved very unpopular and as a result, we offer all our DVD players with a "Multi-region" option, which disables the regional limitation otherwise built-in to all DVD players, allowing you to play discs from other regions.

This is usually achieved without removing the player's cover and is perfectly legal. The same guarantee applies to our multi-region players as to our region 2 only players and this service is often provided free of charge.

The world's regions are:

(1) USA and Canada (2) Europe, Middle East, Japan and South Africa (3) South East Asia (4) South America and Australia (5) Africa, Most of Asia and Russia (6) China.

RGB: Stands for Red Green Blue. A picture signal format. Better than composite or S-video, many DVD players will output an RGB signal (usually via a scart socket). To gain the benefit you will need a television with an RGB input. RGB signals are usually carried along a scart lead.

S video: Or Super Video. A picture signal format. Better than composite, but not as good as RGB, component or HDMI. S video can also refer to a socket type (see below) which supports the signal, although an S-video signal can also be carried via a scart connection. To gain the benefit you will need a television with an S-video input (either a dedicated S-video type socket - see below - or a scart socket which supports an S-video signal).

SACD: Stands for Super Audio Compact Disc. An audio format which delivers a much higher resolution then that of standard CD and a more "live" sound. The format also supports multi-channel sound and is therefore considered a large improvement on standard CD.

See a list of Super Audio CD titles.

Scart: A type of connection which has become the standard in Europe (sometimes referred to as a "Euro-connector"). Scart leads have many connections and can therefore carry many different signal types including: stereo audio, composite video, S-video & RGB. They simplify connection by enabling one lead to carry many signals.

Super VCD (or SVCD): Improving on the existing VCD format, delivering superior sound and picture and easier navigation around a disc. Still not as good as DVD though.

Video CD (or VCD): A disc based video format, most commonly used in parts of Asia. Not as good as DVD.

WMA: Windows Media Audio. A compression technology commonly used by computer owners to store large numbers of sound files in a small space. WMA files can be burnt onto a CD or DVD and played in a compatible DVD player. It is possible to burn 4.7GB of MP3 files onto a single DVD - this can equate to thousands of music tracks on a single disc.

Xvid: A compression technology commonly used by computer owners to share and store longer video files (such as TV programmes and films) in a small space. DivX files can be burnt onto a CD or DVD and played in a compatible DVD player.