DVD technology is getting more and more popular
Sudibyo M. Wiradji, Contributor, Jakarta
Even though many home entertainment owners are hanging onto their VCDs or video cassette recorders (VCRs) for one reason or another, DVD technology is becoming more and more popular in Indonesia.
Prior to the emergence of VCD and DVD technology, entertainment enthusiasts were only familiar with video cassettes using analog technology with its VHS and Betamax systems for home video viewing.
However, frequent use of the cassettes will wear out the tape causing distortions to the quality of the picture it produces. The advent of digital technology in the music and entertainment industry in the 1980s has improved analog technology. DVD players started to appear on the market in the late 1990s in line with the advancement of computer technology. But the new video technology only made it to Indonesia's shores a few years ago.
The launch of more sophisticated audio and video technology such as VCD, DVD and SACD does not mean the end of the world for CD players. With slight modifications, CD players will still be able to win the heart of music, audio and video lovers.
By equipping CD players with a 24 Bit/96 kHz digital to analog converter (DAC), the Musical Fidelity A3.2 CD player can, for example, produce a better quality of sound compared to even more sophisticated VCD and DVD technology.
DVD, which stands for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc, is similar to a CD (Compact Disc) but it has a much larger capacity to hold data. Technologically speaking, a standard DVD holds about seven times more data than a CD does. This huge capacity means that a DVD has enough room to store a full-length, MPEG-2 encoded movie, as well as a lot of other information.
Commonly, a DVD player produces a much higher quality picture and resonance, compared to the VCD or video cassette recorders, which is the primary reason why a DVD player is preferred more even though you have to have a TV with three output portals in order to produce clearer motion pictures.
DVD players commonly feature a Dolby Digital decoder, which allows the DVD player to decode the Dolby Digital information from a DVD and convert it to six separate analog channels.
Others feature a Digital Theater System (DTS), which allows the DVD player to decode DTS information from a DVD and convert it to six separate analog channels. Usually, all DVD players are DTS compatible. But when it comes to the sounds that the DVD player produces, this will entirely depend on the quality of your TV and the sound system.
DVD players usually also feature simulated surround sound. If you are going to hook the DVD player up to a TV or a stereo system with only two speakers, a DVD player with simulated surround processing will give you some sense of surround sound without the extra speakers.
DVD players of various brands and models are available at electronics shops around town. They include Sony, Phillips, Bang & Olufsen, Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic, JVC, Pioneer and Polytron. But when it comes to price, the saying 'ada harga ada rupa' (the quality lies in the price) also applies to electronic goods, such as DVD players.
You can find DVD players priced below Rp 1 million on the market, but the quality of a machine of an unknown brand is questionable. "It is different from a well-known brand that costs more. It has longer durability, and as long as you take care of it well, you'll be able to use it for 10 years," said one audio-visual equipment shop assistant.
On average, prices for branded DVD players range from Rp 1.25 million to Rp 10 million, depending on the brand, series and model. If you want to own a DVD player but are on a tight budget, you can go cheaper. The TCL TDE F-60, for instance, will only cost you Rp 1.25 million, while the Hyundai HV-510 will set you back about Rp 1.37 million. The Samsung DVD-S128 costs Rp 1.35 million, and the Toshiba SD2550b sells for Rp 1.55 million.
But if money is not an issue, then you can invest in a machine with a higher price. The Panasonic DVD-R45 costs Rp 3.44 million, the Yamaha DVD-5510 goes for Rp 3.15 million and the Pioneer DV- 633A is Rp 4.75 million.
A sales executive at PT Sarana Elektrindo Utama which sells equipment manufactured by Bang & Olufsen of Denmark said that despite the high price, a DVD player from Bang & Olufsen was in big demand because discerning audiophiles and videophiles do not consider money an issue.
"The superiority of our product is that it has advanced technology and allows for a higher quality picture and sound. But many also enjoy its design," a spokesperson from the company said, adding that the machine was designed for the future.
She said that Bang & Olufsen started to have an authorized dealer in Indonesia only one year ago. The price of a Bang & Olufsen DVD player is about S$2,200.
A source at PT Sony Indonesia said that despite the declining trend in the price of several brands of DVD players, the company did not want to follow suit.
Prices for Sony DVD players range from over Rp 1.5 million to over Rp 2 million, depending on the model and series.
Sony, one of the pioneers in developing DVD players, sells a DVD player with the ability to play CDs, VCDs, Super VCDs, CD Recordables, CD Rewritables, DVD+Rs, DVD-Rs, DVD+RWs, MP3s and DVDs.
The Sony DVD player's precision drive system and its exclusive precision Drive 2 pick-up mechanism ensures excellent readouts and superior picture quality. "With the Dynamic Tilt Compensation System, it can accommodate scratched discs," a spokesman from PT Sony Indonesia said.