HDMI DVD Player
Updated: 05-14-2010
Today many consumers are buying large high definition televisions that can display crisp and vibrant pictures. Several people make the mistake of using their old DVD player and wondering why the picture quality is not as good as they expected. You must buy an HDMI DVD player to get the most out of your new HDTV.
HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. Think of HDMI as sending at lot more information to your television than your old standard DVD player. High definition televisions can "slurp" up 1080 lines of information for each picture frame where older televisions could only handle 480 lines of input. You paid for a better TV and HDMI can supply the proper information to get the best picture possible. Make sure you buy an HDMI cable along with the DVD player. Yes, I know it is more expensive, but it will allow for an excellent movie experience as compared to an S-Video or Composite cable video connection.
The HDMI DVD player uses "upconvert" technology, which will take your normal DVDs and convert them to 1080 lines of information. Think of it as a picture than needs some pixels filled in. The software inside the HDMI DVD player "guesses" at what data needs to be added to fill in the 1080 lines of video. It is an excellent way to enjoy HDTV without having to buy an expensive HD DVD player and purchasing your entire DVD library. I have a 50 inch Sony HDTV with an HDMI DVD player, and I absolutely love it! We often prefer to watch movies at home rather than the theater.
I am sure that a High Definition DVD player will provide a better video picture, but at what cost? A new HD DVD player will cost several hundred dollars compared to an HDMI DVD player that is less than a hundred dollars. On top of the extra expense for the player, the HD DVD movies cost double what a normal DVD does. Also, don't forget the expense to replace your current DVD library.
If you have a little patience, my suggestion would be to wait a few years for the High Definition DVD war to settle down. Eventually, HD DVD players and HD DVD movies will be affordable. For me and my family we are perfectly happy with our HDMI "up-convert" player.
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12-19-2011 by Robbie, Los Angeles CA
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Question: Personally, I think buying a Blu-ray DVD Player which has gone down in price would be more sensible than buying an HDMI DVD player. Blu-ray players are backwards-compatible with DVDs and will upconvert them through HDMI cable. Why not just by a Blu-ray DVD player?
Answer: I agree with you as long as you are willing to pay the extra money for the Blu-ray DVDs. The Blu-ray DVD player is still about $50 more than a nice HDMI DVD player. But you make a great point, one which was not as valid when I first wrote the article several years ago.
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12-10-2011 by Karen, Alabama
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Question: I just got a new HDTV and I have an old standard DVD player. When hooking up my DVD player, I get black and white picture that is really fuzzy and no sound. Would buying an HDMI DVD player correct this problem? We also have a surround sound and karaoke machine hooked up to the TV if that helps with the answer.
Answer: Most likely buying a new HDMI DVD Player would correct the problem and your movies will look a lot better. However, your old standard DVD player should work fine as all HDTV are able to except 480 standard input. I assume you are using component or s-video to connect your standard DVD player to your HDTV. Sometimes you need to tell your television that the signal is standard and not HD. This is done through the TV menu (I would refer to your user manual). It is strange that you don't have sound, especially since you most likely connected that directly to your sound system. I would double check that you have the correct sound input source selected on your sound system. Good luck.
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12-07-2011 by Tim, Potomac MD
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Question: Does the price of the HDMI cable matter? Specifically in term of picture quality? I can buy a HDMI cable for $5 while some Monster HDMI brand cables cost $30 and up.
Answer: This is a great question and I have written an article on whether a more expensive HDMI cable is worth the money?
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11-17-2011 by Rick, Pinellas Park FL
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Question: I have a Sony HDMI DVD Player (ns75h) which has an HDMI output. I just recently purchased a Phillips 32 inch flat screen HDTV (32pfl3506) which 3 HDMI input connections. I've tried to connect the DVD player output via the HDMI and into all 3 of the HDMI inputs on the TV and I get no picture. I have switched the source on the TV to the appropriate setting (HDMI 1, 2, and 3). What am I doing wrong?
Answer: First off, make sure that you are using a standard DVD as this DVD player does not play Blu-ray DVDs. I would use the component video output connections (red, green, and blue RCA jacks) and see if that works. Make sure you change the TV input to the appropriate setting. It could also be that your HDMI cable is broken, and testing the component video would prove this. If the component video test doesn't work, then most likely it is your DVD player. If the component video test does work it is most likely your DVD cable. Good luck and I hope it is just a bad HDMI cable.
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11-15-2011 by Tim, Potomac MD
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Question: I have an old DVD player with a built in home theater system. I want to buy a Blu-ray player and connect my Blu-ray to the old DVD player so that I can use the sound system of my old unit. The only way to connect it is through an RCA jack. Will the surround system work if I connect my Blu-ray using an RCA jack to my old DVD home theater system?
Answer: Yes, this will work. You will have to select the correct auxiliary input on your home theater system (assuming it has audio inputs). You are losing 5.1 digital sound by doing this and RCA cannot transmit 5.1 dolby digital sound, however you will get stereo sound to your theater system.
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07-28-2011 by Linda, Richmond CA
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Question: I have an older TV from 2005. It is an 1080p HDTV, but there is no HDMI input. I would like to get a Blu-ray DVD Player, is there anyway that I can still get the high definition without the HDMI connection?
Answer: Yes. I assume that the HDTV has Component Video Cable inputs. Most Blu-ray DVD Players have component output which will produce an excellent high definition picture.
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07-06-2011 by Scott, Indian Trail NC
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Question: My laptop and DVD player have HDMI cables. If I connect them will I be able to use my non HD Television that is connected to my DVD player as a monitor for my laptop?
Answer: No. Connecting your laptop to your DVD player will not do anything because you are connecting two outputs together. The HDMI output of your DVD player only can transmit a signal from your DVD player to the television. It cannot be used as an input.
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06-20-2011 by Bob, Kansas City MO
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Question: I have an older TV with only RCA inputs. Is there a way to use an HDMI DVD player on it? A cable or converter?
Answer: Yes, most HDMI DVD players have RCA output as well as HDMI and component outputs. However, there is no reason to buy an HDMI DVD player when you have an old TV that has standard definition. I would only recommend getting and HDMI DVD player if you upgrade to a high definition television.
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06-15-2011 by Woody Covington, KY
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Question: We bought a Samsung LED TV series 4. We only have a Philips DVD player. What is the most affordable player to buy in order to obtain a better picture quality?
Answer: I would at least buy an upconverting HDMI DVD player. This will cost between $50-$100. If you want to go the next step up then buy a Blu-ray high definition DVD player which will cost you over $100.
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06-10-2011 by Woody Covington, KY
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Question: I have an older TV with no HDMI connections. I now have a satellite receiver and DVD player with HDMI connections and RCA cable connections as well. Is there anyway to get an HDMI signal to my older TV and get a better picture? Or do I need to buy a new TV with HDMI connections on the TV itself?
Answer: You will have to buy an new TV with HDMI inputs to take advantage of HDMI and get a better picture quality. I would not recommend buying a converter as you can always use the S-video or RCA outputs of the DVD player and satellite receiver.
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06-01-2011 by Kim, The Villages, FL
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Question: I have a 42 inch Panasonic Plasma TV and I bought a new Phillips DVD player that has HDMI connection. The reason I did this is because my old DVD player did not format movies to the size of the screen and I was told this one did but alas, I'm right back to where I was but with a new DVD player and HDMI cable. Much to my disappointment, it stayed a wide narrow screen with heads cut off at times. Any suggestions?
Answer: It sounds like the formatting is incorrect. Try changing the format/zoom size. Usually there is a "zoom" or "format" button on the DVD remote which will change the aspect ratio and/or zoom in and out to allow you to see the full picture.
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05-10-2011 by Jesse, San Jose CA
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Question: I am about to buy a new HDMI DVD player. I have an HDMI input on my monitor but I want to run my audio using RCA to create a headphone listening station for an exhibit. Is it possible to run audio over RCA while running video over HDMI from the same DVD player.
Answer: Yes, most HDMI DVD players have multiple audio output sources. I believe you will find HDMI, optical, digital, and RCA audio output options on most DVD players.
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04-17-2011 by Eyal, Tel Aviv, Isreal
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Question: I have a Samsung 24" computer screen with HDMI input. Will it be possible to connect to it an HDMI DVD player and use it as a HDTV?
Answer: Yes, but I would recommend using you computer's DVD player rather that hooking up an external HDMI DVD player.
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02-28-2011 by Juan, Miami FL
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Question: I want to buy an HDMI DVD Player and am wondering if I can connect it to my TV using RCA cables?
Answer: Yes, you can. However, there is no reason to buy an HDMI DVD Player and then use composite RCA cables (yellow, red, white). If you are going to upgrade to an HDMI DVD Player, than you should take advantage of it with a high definition TV and HDMI or component RCA cables.
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10-20-2010 by Jim, Eagle River, AK
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Question: Are you still answering questions?
Answer: Of course!
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05-17-2010 by Andy, Queens New York
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Question: I have a Sony LCD connected to my HDMI DVD Player. To get the best home theater sound do I need to buy a HDMI Receiver or can I keep using my old receiver?
Answer: No, you do not need an HDMI Receiver to get the best sound. Most HDMI DVD Players have both an optical and digital output that can be accepted by most receivers. Both the optical and digital outputs from your DVD player will produce excellent sound quality.
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01-27-2010 by Randy, Shakopee MN
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Question: I just purchased a DVD player with HDMI capability but I do not have a HDTV yet. Can I still use the DVD player on my old TV?
Answer: Yes. HDMI DVD players allow you to select the between 480, 720, and 1080 output scan rates. Connect your DVD player using component or S-Video (assuming these are available) and select the 480 scan rate. This will enable you to use your your new DVD player with a standard television.
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11-07-2009 by Andy, Minneapolis MN
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Question: I have a 3 year old plasma television that does not have an HDMI input. I do have multiple RCA inputs and additional monitor type inputs. Are there any HDMI to multiple RCA jacks or HDMI to monitor input type connections available?
Answer: As long as your plasma television has 720 or 1080 display options, then you have a high definition television. Buying an HDMI cable will not really help. I suspect your plasma up-conversion is not that great, especially when you watch standard TV programming. The only real way to get a better picture is to upgrade to HD programming and also buy a better HDMI DVD player.
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10-24-2009 by Earl, Baltimore MD
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Question: Can I play a Blue-Ray disc on a HDMI player?
Answer: No, a Blue-Ray disc is an high-definition or HD format. A HDMI DVD player is not an HD DVD player.
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09-07-2009 by Marco, Victoria
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Question: I have a HDMI DVD player, and a HDMI TV, but my home theater system is old. It only has 5.1 analog inputs and a separate auxiliary audio inputs. What is the best way to connect everything? Do you recommend to change my home theater system? Will I be losing picture and surround sound?
Answer: You will not loose any picture quality if you connect your DVD player directly to your TV. As for the sound, it depends on the quality of your sound system and how picky you are about crisp surround sound. I would make the decision independent of your HDMI TV and DVD player as whether to buy a new sound system.
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Question: I have a HDTV and a HDMI compatible DVD player, but the picture quality is playing in black & white with flashing color bits. I have bought a HDMI cable, but still the same quality. This DVD player works ok on a non HDTV. Can you see what the problem is?
Answer: This is a tough question to answer. If the DVD player works on a non-HDTV with decent quality (meaning the picture and color look good) then it sounds like your up-convert in your DVD player is broken. I say this because it appears to work on a standard television, but not another HDTV. Another option is the actual HDMI input on your HDTV could be broken.
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06-30-2009 by Shawn, Phoenix Arizona
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Question: Is there way to go from HDMI into S-video? I have a laptop which has only a HDMI output, which I would like to hook up to an older TV without an HDMI input. Would a home receiver convert the signal? What are my choices?
Answer: I do not know of any device that would convert HDMI to s-video. I am not sure there is much demand for such a device as it would result in a loss of picture quality. I think your best bet would be a home video receiver, but of course this is an expensive option. I would also consider in upgrading your television to accept HDMI.
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05-25-2009 by Patrick, Lafayette, LA
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Question: I have a HDTV with one HDMI input. I have an older receiver with one coaxial and one optical input for sound. I plan on running the sound from the digital cable box to the receiver via optical cable. I want to run my DVD to the my HDTV using HDMI and sending the sound to receiver through coaxial input. My question is how does my receiver know if the sound is coming from DVD player or the TV?
Answer: You can associate your receiver sound inputs with a digital or coaxial input. Most receivers will allow you to pick a sound input for each video selection. I would refer to your instruction manual for specific details.
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04-12-2009 by Sara, United Kingdom
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Question: I have a HDMI player and all the right cables. I also bought myself an HD DVD, but it does not seem to be working. Can you tell me what I can do to fix it?
Answer: An HDMI DVD player is not necessarily an HD DVD Player. Most likely you bought a "up-convert" HDMI DVD player which is not compatible with High Definitions DVDs.
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12-07-2008 by Bill, New York City NY
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Question: My HDTV only has one HDMI input, but I have HDMI compatible cable service and recently purchased a Blue-ray DVD player. With just one input to my TV it doesn't seem possible to use HDMI for both. Is there a HDMI splitter? Do I need a home theater receiver? Or a new TV? Or physically change the HDMI input when I choose to watch a movie (annoying)?
Answer: Yes, there are HDMI splitters. There are a little expensive, so I recommend putting the $50 (or more) into a receiver.
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