DVD Products
Americans spend more money to power DVD players when turned off than when actually in use. If all DVD sales carried the ENERGY STAR, it would mean 6 billion pounds less air pollution — the same as taking 75,000 cars off the road.
Earning the ENERGY STARmeans products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
- When they’re off, ENERGY STAR qualified DVD products use as little as one quarter of the energy used by standard models.
- ENERGY STAR qualified DVD players come with all the latest features, including progressive scan.
Remember, saving energy prevents pollution.
By choosing ENERGY STAR, you are helping prevent global warming and promote cleaner air without sacrificing the product quality and performance you expect.
What else should I look for?
In addition to energy performance, there are many other important operating and convenience features to consider when shopping for DVD Players
Single vs. Multiple Disc
Single disc players hold just one disc at a time, requiring you to manually change one to listen to another. Multidisc players typically hold three or more (five is common) discs in a carousel. DVD players are available that hold large numbers of DVDs and CDs, eliminating the need to store discs separately. For a system that can handle multiple discs, “play exchange” is a useful feature to have; it allows you to remove or exchange discs while another is being played.
Thinking about using your DVD player as a CD player? Most all new DVD players can also play CDs. If you plan to frequently use your DVD player to play CDs, you may want to consider a multidisc player.
Multiple Format Capabilities
Many DVD and CD players also can play home-recorded CDs on CD-R (recordable) or CD-RW (rewritable) discs or MP-3 formats. Be sure to understand which formats a particular DVD player can play back.
Progressive Scan
Your TV picture can update images by either an interlaced signal or a progressive scan. Standard analog screens use an interlaced signal, which updates half of the scan lines (i.e. every other scan line) every 60th of a second. A progressive scan signal updates all of the scan lines in the same amount of time, so it creates a picture having a noticeably sharper image with less flicker.
You can only tap into the benefits of progressive scan DVD by using a digital TV.Even if you don’t have a digital TV now, it may make sense for you to consider a progressive scan player, since your next TV may be digital. All television broadcasters are required to go digital in 2006, and though your old analog TV will still work, all new televisions will be digital.
Things to Consider When Shopping for Combination Units
In addition to energy performance, there are many other important operating and convenience features to consider when shopping for home electronics.
Considering a Combination Product such as a TV/DVD or Cordless Phone/Answering Machine? Here are some brief descriptions of the benefits of combination and standalone products.
Benefits of Combination Products
Combination products save space, simplify set-up, require fewer cables, are more portable, use fewer remotes, and usually consume less energy in standby mode than separate components.
Benefits of Standalone Products
Standalone products, i.e. separate components, often offer more features and versatility, are easier to repair or replace, and the price of buying standalone products could be less than buying a combination product.
Tip: Know what features you want in a product before purchasing (e.g., you may have a hard time finding certain features in a combination unit) and take some time to price out the combination unit vs. individual components.
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