The Definitive Portable DVD Player Glossary, Every Feature Explained

Like all electronic products, features for portable players are also full of jargon. As a reseller of portable DVD players it is important for you to understand these clearly for two reasons:

Here is a list of terms which should help you go from zero knowledge to expert in no time:Modulation/Demodulation: This is a method of transferring digital data stream and converting it into an analog stream.MPEG 1, 2, 3 & 4: These are compression standards for audio and video set by the Moving Pictures Export Group. The numerals refer to versions with MPEG 1 being the 1st and MPEG 4 being the latest. These standards apply across all transmission and distribution platforms.FFT Pattern: FFT refers to Fast Fourier Transform which is the algorithm used to unscramble the digital signals broadcast by television stations and broadcasters.** Media Formats **** But why do YOU have to know all this? **HDMI: High-Definition Multimedia Interface is an audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data.Bit rate: Bit rate is a measure of the rate of information content in a video stream. It is quantified using the bit per second (bit/s or bps) unit or Megabits per second (Mbit/s). A higher bit rate allows better video quality.SVCD: This stands for Super Video Compact Disk. This is a successor to the VCD and was meant to challenge the DVD format. Quality and storage capacity is superior to a VCD, but lower than the DVD.NTSC: Developed in the USA, it is an analog color encoding system for broadcast television. Primarily used in the US.* RFFEC: Forward Error Correction is a system sending extra data with transmissions so that the television stations can quickly establish the cause of errors and fix them.DiVX: This is a compression technique that converts lengthy video sequences into smaller parts without loosing too much detail. It uses the MPEG-4 compression standard.ATSC: Advanced Television Systems Committee standard defines a digital broadcast standard for the US, Canada, Mexico and one or two other territories.* SCARTThe ability to either plug into existing gaming systems or in fact have a built-in gamer goes a long way in making a sale.It is the digital alternative to analog standards such as:The digital consumer is aware of the interoperability between various digital formats and is generally looking for products that can double up in more than one function.MP4: This is another name of the MPEG 4-Part 14 standard created by the Moving Pictures Expert Group standards. This standard specifies compression for both video and audio. Commercially a number of manufacturers use MP4 on products that can playback both audio and video. However, this is misleading as MP4 products must be able to playback files with the extension .mp4.NES/SNES: Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Nintendo Entertainment System. These are gaming consoles released by Nintendo in the early 1990s. Many third-party devices come with these built-in, including portable DVD players.Aspect Ratio: Aspect ratio is the fractional relation of the width of a video image compared to its height. The two most common aspect ratios in home video are 4:3 (also known as 4x3, 1.33:1, or standard) and 16:9.For example: a portable DVD player with a big enough screen to play back stills from a digital camera might mean the consumer will prefer to spend less on a camera with a big screen and use the portable DVD player instead for viewing pictures.* Coaxial cableDVD RW/ DVD+RW/ DVD-RW: These three terms essentially mean the same thing. These are rewritable DVDs. They can be rewritten close to a thousand times, making them very useful as backup media. The + and - and competing standards, though it is generally accepted that + is superior and therefore the industry standard for rewritable disks.WMA: Windows Media Audio is an audio data compression standard developed by Microsoft.* VGA** Miscellaneous Terms **ESP Protection: Electronic Skip Protection basically ensures playback of audio/video is skip free especially when mobile...say in a car.By knowing what the terms mean you are a long way towards knowing who to aim particular portable DVD players at and what features to play up and which points to ignore.AV Out: Audio/Video output point for connecting DVD player to home TV, car system etc.A FFT pattern is used in DVB-T transmissions and usually refers to signals being modulated for 2048, 4096, or 8192 carriers (2k, 4k, 8k mode, respectively).HDMI connects digital audio/video sources such as set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players, personal computers (PCs), video game consoles (such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), and AV receivers to compatible digital audio devices, computer monitors, and digital televisionsS-Video: Separate Video is an analog video signal that carries the video data as two separate signals, lumen (luminance) and chroma (color).* Composite videoSD/MMC/MS Card Reader: Secure Digital/Multimedia Card and Memory Stick are all types of flash memory used in portable electronic devices from MP3/MP4 players, digital cameras, camcorders, mobile phones etc. A card reader for these devices ensures content on them can be played on the DVD player.So get out there today, start studying up improve your listings and start selling to a wider market. Your bank balance will love you for it.PAL: Phase Alternating Line is an analog color encoding system used in broadcast television is large parts of the world. DVDs with PAL encoding will only play on players that can decode this signal.* Savvy consumers knows and understand electronics and are looking for an equally adept sellerA portable DVD player that accepts multiple video formats including NTSC, PAL SECAM etc. makes it more useful.* D-TerminalScreen resolution: This refers to the number of rows and columns of pixels in the LCD display. So a screen with 800x600 resolution means it has 800 rows of pixels and 600 columns.JPEG: This is a compression standard for photographs and is used by most digital cameras. Having this lets the user playback pictures from the camera on the portable DVD screen.CD-R: A CD-R (recordable) allows for content to be written once and read many times. This type of disc stores all types of media files.VCD: Also known as Video Compact Disc is a format for storing video on CDs, and is not dissimilar to a VCR in that you cannot skip chapters or view rich data, just fast forward and rewind.* Component videoGaming is another "nice to have" feature on a family vacation.MP3: Designed by the Moving Pictures Expert Group, this is a standard for audio files compression.USB: Universal Serial Bus is one of the most common interface devices on a variety of platforms from computing to audio/video. With the USB you can hook up a whole host of devices to the DVD Player including mobile phones, laptops, computers, mp3 and MP4 players etc.SECAM: Developed in France, it is an analog color encoding system for broadcast television. It is primarily used in France, parts of Eastern Europe some former French colonies.DVB: Digital Video Broadcasting is (or will be) the industry standard for digital video in many countries around the world. It is used for satellite, terrestrial and digital terrestrial for portables (including mobile broadcasts).CD-RW: This is a rewritable medium that allows for content to be written many times and read many times. The CD-RW can also be used to store different formats of content.* Novices need help understanding which product is right for themThis differs from composite video which carries picture information as a single lower-quality signal, and component video which carries picture information as three separate higher-quality signals. S-Video carries standard definition video (typically at 480i or 576i resolution), but does not carry audio on the same cable.XVID: The opposite of DiVX, is a compression technique and a direct competitor for DiVX. It also does video compression based on the MPEG-4 standard. The difference between the two is DiVX is proprietary while XVID is distributed under Gnu or is free to use.Signal to Noise Ratio: Signal-to-noise ratio compares the level of a desired signal (such as music) to the level of background noise. The higher the ratio, the less obtrusive the background noise is.Similarly most family vacations today have a camcorder as a must have. For these consumers the ability to playback home videos on a larger screen is a must have.This is possible with the addition of the SD/MMC/MS card reader.** Disc Formats **DVD: Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Discs. They look like CDs but store six times more data and can display video in chapters.The ability to receive multiple TV input signals is essential given the changes taking place in broadcast technology. With Digital TV broadcast signals replacing analog across the world, it is essential that the portable DVD player have the required inputs to play the different TV formats.** External Ports **** TV Encoders *** S-VideoAV In: Audio/Video input point to connect external devices like a video cam direct to the playerCD: Short for Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer.

So get out there today, start studying up improve your listings and start selling to a wider market. Your bank balance will love you for it.

Author: Rose Li

PowerPoint to DVD Creator

Microsoft PowerPoint has dramatically changed the way in which academic and business presentations are made. Suppose you need to create PowerPoint DVDs, aside from being very popular, the most common reasons that users want to burn PowerPoint slides to DVD are usability, portability, and storage. Since DVD is fast becoming the preferred video format for all kinds of consumer applications, as well as computer peripherals, saving ppts to DVD makes good sense for storing and sharing them with others. PC-created DVDs can be shown on other PCs that support DVD or on consumer DVD players. (and, of course, create some for your own archiving and enjoyment).

The DVD movie disc can include an interactive menu linked to any video you want to present, and after you output your PowerPoint slides as still images (File > Save As and change the file type to BMP, JPG or TIF), you can import these into the DVD as slideshows. And with DVD/VCD, you can attach music and narration to accompany your slides show, which will really add to the ambience.Here I recommend presenters to use the PowerPoint DVD authoring and burning software. What I mean by this is that instead of simply packing their presentation to a CD or DVD and thereby needing to transfer or install it to another laptop in an emergency, burn a true DVD movie disc with most of your content and narration record, so that your boss or your friends can show it on a standard DVD player or leave it behind for a client or audience after the show.A disc burned correctly like that in a DVD burner will play through most consumer DVD drives and is easy to set up connected to a computer monitor or even a large-screen TV.

Many programs will enable you to create and burn such a PowerPoint DVD disc. At the low end there's ProDVD's PowerPoint DVD Maker. If you want a more practical tool, I recommend Wondershare PPT2DVD (http://www.ppt-to-dvd.com)

Author: Lisa Janice

CD Maintenance � How to make sure you CD stays in good shape

As we all know CDs & DVDs are prone to scratching, marking, cracking & breaking.

Manual Tower DuplicatorsFirst, think about the type of music store you envision. Don�t have capital for a storefront or room for inventory? Self storage is the perfect place to store your inventory. Will you specialize in one type of instrument? Or have a variety of percussion, keyboards and guitars. Look into wind instruments, musical accessories like shakers and tambourines, amplifiers, cases, DJ equipment, electric guitars, microphones, and string instruments. The possibilities are endless, but try to form a niche. To make your store unique, stick with where you have the most experience. If you�re like most online entrepreneurs, you might be a bit strapped for cash. Have any other skills? A way to increase profits is to offer local classes to music students or clubs and perhaps even rent some of your inventory out to them. Your online business can start on a part-time basis from home. A self storage can safely keep any inventory you�re keeping and is easy to access once you make that first sale.Flash Duplicators and PrinterZeus Series � Mid-Range CategoryWhen you remove your discs from their CD Jewel Cases or DVD box then you risk the centre-hub cracking or breaking. This will lead to disc failures. Especially for console playing or DVD films. Having looked around for a remedy to this common problem, we have found a solution...Brief Introduction to our CD DVD and Blu-Ray duplicators and publishers.The Apollo Dual Printer Autoloader connects to an existing PC and can only be configured with (2) SpeedJet Inkjet Printers. The Apollo Dual H is a very simple and basic printing system and cannot queue print jobs nor be networked. The SpeedJet printer uses standard off-the-shelf HP ink cartridges, which makes consumables widely available.Dual Printer Autoloaders

It�s in the form of a metal reinforced centre-hub. It�s easy to attach and will reduce the stress that is normally applied when removing CDs or DVDs from Jewel Cases or DVD Boxes. This will prevent the discs from cracking at the centre. �Hurray!� I hear you say.

Author: Keith McGregor

Self Storage For Musical Instruments

If you are a musician, you are bound to have a lot of musical instruments, which can vary from your current musical accessories to your collectibles. You can never seem to get rid of your old instruments, and your emotional attachment with them necessitates a secure self storage.

Keep your CDs in there Jewel Cases. If not there are PVC wallets which act as ample protection or Card Wallets. For you DVDs you must keep them in their DVD boxes or, as previously mentioned, PVC Wallets and Card wallets will do.The systems within the Olympus Series are fully automated self-contained CD DVD publishers with Blu-Ray disc options and contain a fully embedded PC complete with Windows XP Pro and PoINT Publisher Software. The systems are completely standalone with asynchronous duplication and printing highlighting the key features. Because of its modular architecture Olympus Publisher with PoINT Software will adapt to your requirements and fit well into an existing networked environment. The software consists of the server component, which controls the actual recording process as well as a set of applications for the definition of the disc contents. The PoINT server controls the hardware and administers the job list. For optimum performance, the 2-drive systems include a 160GB HDD, 4-drive systems include (2) 160GB HDDs, and the 7-drive systems include a 40GB HDD for the operating system and (2) 250GB HDDs for storage.

Once you get going, start a VIP club or offer discounts to regulars and students to make them feel special. Everyone loves a good deal and it�s a great way to get your customers to keep coming back. In the age of the Internet, anyone can have an online business. It doesn�t cost much to start one, and with facilities like self storage units, your overhead is marginal. Make sure you�re always updating your website to keep up with current technology and trends. The music industry changes constantly and your online instrument business should always reflect changes to keep up. Perhaps the greatest benefit of an online musical instrument business is that you have something of value to share with the world, which can potentially generate income for you for the rest of your life.

Author: Jacques Barb

Automated Duplication Systems- A Comprehensive, Inside Look at All Pro Solutions

Introduction to All Pro Solutions, Inc.

It�s in the form of a metal reinforced centre-hub. It�s easy to attach and will reduce the stress that is normally applied when removing CDs or DVDs from Jewel Cases or DVD Boxes. This will prevent the discs from cracking at the centre. �Hurray!� I hear you say.All Pro Solutions is a leading manufacturer and innovator of CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Disc duplicators and publishing systems. Offering the largest selection available along with one of the longest warranties in the industry at 3 years on all robotics, All Pro Solutions is setting the standard for the duplication industry. From low-end, entry-level duplicators to highly advanced and network-based, mission critical Blu-Ray systems, All Pro Solutions has everything covered!The Tower Duplicator Series consists of standalone, manual-load duplicator towers ranging from 3 to 10 drives. The M255 towers are daisy-chainable, starting with the M255-PRO as the master tower and allowing the user to add on subsequent M255 towers. Up to 255 towers can be connected together!Operators wishing to wrap small to medium quantities of disc cases can now achieve a quality finish equal to the standard of more expensive finishing machines, with the Case Wrappers from All Pro Solutions.The systems within the Hera Series are fully automated self-contained CD DVD duplicators with Blu-Ray disc options and do not require connection to a PC. The systems are completely standalone with synchronous duplication. The newest addition to the Hera Series is the LightScribe option, which enables you to copy and print by running the duplication job, then flipping the finished stack over and running a print job. Each system includes a 160GB internal HDD for storage (500GB for BD), and can be upgraded to larger capacities.The Zeus Series Printer Autoloaders are fully automated and can be used with the inkjet, thermal, and dye-sublimation disc printers we carry. Each system includes a 160GB internal HDD for storage, and can be upgraded to larger capacities. The networking software comes standard and allows for connectivity into any local or remote network by connecting the Zeus system to a PC via high-speed USB 2.0 connection just like the network version of the Zeus Publishers. Users can operate the systems directly from the connected PC or send image files to the Zeus HDD to operate later in standalone mode. Up to (4) different Zeus systems can be connected to the same PC and run simultaneously for those high volume needs!Therefore, you revive your discs using these kits. However, I suggest you look after your CD or DVD by putting them back into their Jewel Case, DVD box, PVC Wallet or Card Wallet. Keep them in a dust-free environment or storage case.The Zeus Dual Printer Autoloader can, however queue multiple jobs AND be networked into any existing local network in very much the same way as all other Zeus Series systems. Users can operate the Zeus Dual directly from their connected PC or from a remote PC on the network. The software is very intuitive and user-friendly. The Zeus Dual is compatible both the EnduraJet inkjet printer as well as the Teac P55C printer. The EnduraJet incorporates a 4-cartridge HP printer engine in which the cartridges are proprietary to All Pro Solutions.Olympus Series � High-End CategoryAre you an Internet savvy person with a passion for musical instruments? Being an online retailer of musical instruments is a great business venture for the musically inclined entrepreneur looking for a way to make some real income off of their interests. Musical instruments provide the art form that is music to our ears. And people love them so much; they even decorate their houses with instruments, even if they don�t play them, to impress guests to their homes. Actual musicians are just trying to find ways to purchase them at a cheaper rate. Of course, they�re looking online.For the Blu-Ray Disc duplicator options, there are towers in 3, 6, and 10 drive configurations, together with an internal 500GB HDD for storage needs.Keep your discs playing longer...Once you get going, start a VIP club or offer discounts to regulars and students to make them feel special. Everyone loves a good deal and it�s a great way to get your customers to keep coming back. In the age of the Internet, anyone can have an online business. It doesn�t cost much to start one, and with facilities like self storage units, your overhead is marginal. Make sure you�re always updating your website to keep up with current technology and trends. The music industry changes constantly and your online instrument business should always reflect changes to keep up. Perhaps the greatest benefit of an online musical instrument business is that you have something of value to share with the world, which can potentially generate income for you for the rest of your life.Hera Series � Entry-Level CategoryHowever, do not panic! There are plenty of repair kits around to eliminate this problem and allow you to perfrom that all important cd copying or dvd copying. If you�ve thought you�ve lost a CD forever due to mark or scratch, think again!Users can go with a Zeus Dual or Apollo Dual with only one printer, and then add the same model later on down the road when the volume increases.The systems within the Zeus Series are fully automated self-contained CD DVD publishers with Blu-Ray disc options and do not require connection to a PC. The systems are completely standalone with asynchronous duplication and printing highlighting the key features. Each system includes a 160GB internal HDD for storage (500GB for BD), and can be upgraded to larger capacities. The Network versions allow for connectivity into any local or remote network by connecting the Zeus system to a PC via high-speed USB 2.0 connection.CD DVD and Blu-Ray Disc Packaging SystemsThese tabletop disc wrappers are dedicated to small or medium scale production of discs and is a cost effective solution, providing professionally finished packaging for short run work, at a tenth of the cost of industrial equipment. The result is a professionally folded and sealed case suitable for even the best retail presentations and all this for a fraction of the cost of outsourcingThe Flash Duplicator Series duplicators consist of SD memory card, USB drive, and CF (Compact Flash) duplicators. The SD duplicators are available in 3, 7, and 11 target configurations, while the Compact Flash (CF) duplicator is configured with 7 targets. The USB duplicators range from 3 targets all the way to a whopping 118 targets for the serious USB duplication needs! Also available, is the new P55C-ST6 Dye-sublimation Printer that prints on (6) USB Flash Drives at one time. The printer includes (1) Photo Ribbon set.If you leave discs out near your PC or stereo, dust will settle or the data side will get scratched or marked. Now the best ways to prevent this happening are simple. They may sound straight forward but you�ll be surprised how many times CDs & DVDs are not protected properly. Following these simple steps will ensure you can use your CD's and DVD's for dvd copying and cd copying for years to come.The NEW LS towers consist of LightScribe drives which enable the user to copy their discs, then flip them over and print a label directly to the special LightScribe media. A full-featured disc labeling suite is provided with each tower and is compatible with multiple operating systems.

Get a deeper look at All Pro Solutions at http://www.all-pro-sol.com and http://www.allprosolutions.com

Author: Christian Czentye

High Definition DVD: A Primer

High definition DVD, also known as HD-DVD (which actually stands for High Density DVD), is one of two competing high definition storage formats - the other being Blu-ray (http://www.the-hdtv-tuner.com). The need for a new, high capacity storage format, has been primarily brought about by the rapid rise in popularity of HDTV in Japan and the US. HDTV has much higher bandwidth than either NTSC or regular DVD discs, so in order to record programs from HD-DVD higher capacity discs, of at least 30GB, are required.

High definition video is also being used increasingly to make Hollywood movies as it offers comparable quality to film at much less cost. Therefore, the studios plan to release future movies on one or both high definition formats.1.Quicker access to saved data via the LAN.DVD�s are also smaller to store - an important consideration if your storage space is limited - and are way more convenient. By that I mean you can jump from �chapter� to �chapter� or segment to segment with the click of your remote, eliminating all that fast forwarding and rewinding that�s necessary with a VHS tape. The amount of data you can cram onto a DVD is vastly superior to what can be included on a VHS tape - which is one reason you can see a movie, plus all those cool special features like cast interviews and how they made the movie and how they did the stunts - all of that can be included on a single DVD.

High definition DVD currently supports a number of compression formats, including MPEG-2, VC1 (based on Microsoft�s Windows Media 9), and H.264 which is based on MPEG-4 and will be supported by the next version of Apple�s QuickTime software, which will be included with Mac OS X Tiger.

Author: Kenny Hemphill

Are You DVD Crazy?

Time was we - avid consumers of video products and technology - would spend hours and hours collecting and taping VHS versions of movies and television shows - which was the state-of-the-art technology at the time. But times have changed, and now DVD�s have swept the marketplace clean, and forced us to re-evaluate our movie collections and home theatre equipment. Now we�re dissatisfied with the quality of our existing collections, and we just can�t wait to convert all those VHS tapes to DVD�s. How did this happen to us? And so quickly!

When purchasing a NAS solution keep security in mind and check out vendors that include native encryption using the system.Whatever the outcome of this latest �format war� - we as consumers will be caught right in the middle, as we usually are - which I guess is what we deserve for being �DVD crazy.�The �format� war between VHS tapes and DVD�s is all but over - with DVD�s the clear winner. Not only is the DVD technology cooler than VHS - it now has the unquestioning support of the movie industry. Many studios aren�t releasing new movies in VHS format - they�re skipping that format entirely and sending out new releases in DVD format only. And many movie rental companies are slowly dispersing their inventory of movies in VHS format - and stocking only DVD format movies for rental. So even the movie studios and rental places appear to be �DVD crazy.� Can�t say that we blame them!_________________________________________________NAS offers the following advantages -NAS system performance is dependent upon the drive support, the number of disks in use as well as the overall capacity. SATA hard disks that offer excellent low-cost mass storage are most preferred. SCSI hard disks are also available. Because the NAS utilizes the LAN for data transfer often there is a chance of a bottleneck developing some time over the LAN, generally it's the network interface that creates problems. If utilizing a NAS, search for products which support Gigabit Ethernet for speedy data transfer as well as numerous connections so that network load is spread and interface redundancy is supplied.These types of properties of NAS storage plus its low cost of ownership ensure it is well suited for SMBs. A twin benefit of Raid 5 NAS is the fact that it enables administrators to either enhance or consolidate the storage infrastructure. Storage growth is practically unlimited as one is free of the restriction of storage capabilities of individual servers as well as the amount of drives they are able to hold. At the same time, one NAS set-up is good enough to replace several data file servers that are operating separately, this leads to consolidation. NAS is often run on commonly accessible os's for example Windows. NAS status could be checked out via everywhere on the LAN, this gives storage administrators a chance to diagnose problems and alter NAS configurations when required.As consumers - and videophiles (is that even a word?) - we�re usually the first one on the block to come home from the store with the latest technology and coolest gadgets, so in all respects we have to add ourselves to that �DVD crazy� category. We ran right out and experimented, then purchased, the latest in DVD technology - DVD players and recorders, even an integrated VCR that interfaced with the DVD recorder so we could convert all those VHS tapes to that great new DVD technology. We just couldn�t wait to update our collections.Now a new �format� war appears to be brewing - between the �Blu Ray� technology and the HD-DVD technology for High-Def DVD�s. We talk about this in greater detail in one of the other articles on our website, but essentially DVD�s of today are read and written by a red laser - the new technology uses a violet-blue laser that can be focused more tightly, thus more information can be packed onto a single DVD. Blu Ray technology is backed by several hundred movie studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, music studios, etc., so it enjoys widespread industry support.

For a more detailed version of this article in html & pdf format go to: http://www.mx123.com/cms/2006/10/03/are-you-dvd-crazy/ we are always adding new content to the site so come check us out!

Author: Robert Barnard