Standard DVD players are still with us even in today’s world, and they serve an important function in some homes. The whole point of cord cutting is to stop paying high prices to the cable and satellite companies, and watch TV and movies wherever and whenever you want, without paying through the roof – and DVDs can still do that.
Keep in mind, DVD content will not look as good as 4K Blu-ray players, and will not even look as good as streaming TV from the likes of Netflix – it’s an ageing technology that doesn’t have HD resolution. However, some of the best DVD players – like our Editor’s Choice LG DP524H, offer an “Upscaling” feature that improves picture quality on standard-definition discs.
Still, many of us have enormous DVD collections at home, and if you dig at pound shops, you can often find real DVD bargains. Plus, you can transfer your old VHS tapes to DVD. And with DVD player prices at an all-time low, you can snatch an excellent device for a bargain.
In this round-up, I will review some of the top DVD players out there, and the things to check before you buy. Obviously, the selection of DVD player models isn’t as extensive as it used to be when the technology was new – so it’s essential to buy the most suitable model.
Cord Buster’s Best DVD Players 2022
1. LG DP542H Multiregion DVD
Editor’s Choice
★★★★★5/5
Excellent picture quality with upscaling and multi-region support.
2. Grouptronics Mini DVD Player
Best Value
★★★★★4.5/5
High quality, compact multi-region player at an excellent price.
3. Denver DVH-1245 DVD Player
Our Rating
★★★★★4/5
Solid player with good picture quality and upscaling.
4. LG DP132 Slim DVD
Our Rating
★★★★★3.5/5
Slim player at a good price from a known company, but not Multi-Region
How To Buy The Best DVD Player: Things To Consider
While there aren’t many DVD devices still being sold today, they still vary in features and quality. But first, let’s touch on the elephant in the room – DVD or Blu-Ray?
Up until a couple of years ago, it was a no-brainer to go ahead and buy a Blu-Ray player instead of a new DVD Player. They’re backwards-compatible with standard DVDs, but they can also play the more advanced, Full HD (and even 4K) Blu-Ray discs.
However… with streaming TV services becoming so popular, Blu-Ray is on its way out – it still offers excellent quality, but the future is in streaming. Obviously, DVD players are not the way of the future either – but if you just want a way to watch your DVD collection, or get a few bargains to watch without paying a monthly subscription to a streaming service – you might as well get a cheap DVD player and skip Blu-Ray, where not only the devices cost more – but the discs do as well.
But before you buy a DVD player… here are some of the things to look out for:
Multi-Region DVD
Back when DVD players were first introduced, they were all region-locked. DVD Regions are a way to control release dates and – let’s face it – DVD prices across the world. The United States (and Canada) are Region 1, while the United Kingdom (and the rest of Europe) are Region 2, and it goes on like this with more regions for the entire world.
The catch is that a region-locked DVD player can ONLY play discs from its own region. So, if you buy a Region 2 (Europe) DVD player, you WON’T be able to play discs that you bought in the US (Region 1) or from any other region other than 2.
Thankfully, Multi-Region DVD players were introduced. These devices can play discs from ANY region, so you don’t have to worry when you buy a DVD, even if you order it from the US or other countries. And while Region Locked players are sometimes a bit cheaper – I would still recommend getting a multi-region one, so you’ll have more flexibility when buying the discs.
As a side note, the whole DVD Regions thing was a bit of a mess – and you might occasionally end up with a Region 1 DVD that doesn’t play well even with a Multi-Region player. That’s the nature of the beast… but most will be fine.
Important Tip
Some DVD Players from big brands are sold as Multi-Region in some stores, and Region-Locked on others (despite them being, on the surface, the same model.) Most of the models I list in this roundup are Multi-Region, and are available from Amazon. If you buy them elsewhere – make sure they’re Multi-Region, because they might not be, despite seemingly being the same model
DVD Connections
These days, we’re used to connecting devices to our tellies with HDMI connections (If your TV runs out of free HDMI ports, see our review of the best HDMI switchers).
But since some DVD players are from a different era, they don’t all have HDMI connections – some only have SCART and Composite (Red/White/Yellow) line-outs, so decide what you need first (depending on the available connections on your TV set.)
DVD With USB Port
If you want to be able to play home videos and other stuff from your computer (MP3, photos, etc’), look for a DVD Player with a USB port. You can then transfer the content you want to play onto a USB stick, and play it on your telly via the DVD player.
DVD Video Formats
This used to be a major consideration with DVD players, though these days, most players can play the majority of video formats – from MPEG to DIVX to XVID and everything in between. Unless you know there’s a very specific and rare video format you’re going to need – you shouldn’t bother yourself too much with this issue. Keep in mind, though, that some of the newer video formats might not be supported anymore.
DVD Upscaling
These days, we’re used to HD (720p), Full-HD (1080p) and even Ultra HD (4K) videos. But DVDs don’t even get to 720p (1280×720) – they can play video at a resolution as high as 720×576. That means discs won’t look very good on today’s high-definition TV screens. Some DVD Players, however, can “Upscale” the video quality up to HD level.
Upscaling mathematically “matches” the pixel count of HD content, and enhances the look of Standard Definition DVDs. Don’t expect too much – your old content won’t “magically” transform into true HD content, but it IS an improvement.
Best DVD Players In The UK For 2022
Best Overall
1. LG DP542H Multi-Region DVD Player
Pros
- Excellent picture quality
- Play video/photos/music from USB
- Solid, slim design
- Comes with an HDMI cable
Cons
- No SCART connection
- Struggles with some video formats (on USB)
- Region 1 discs a bit fiddly
Features and Specs
- Mutli-Region: Yes
- Upscaling: Yes
- Connections:HDMI, Composite, Optical (Audio)
- Audio: DTS Digital Out (Needs Amplifier for DTS)
- USB Connection: Yes
LG DP542H DVD Review
LG are known for making excellent devices, and so this DVD player doesn’t fail. It provides excellent picture quality and upscaling (just remember, this is still a DVD player – you’re not going to get real HD quality no matter what), it plays DVDs from all countries, and you can use the USB port to play videos and photos from your computer.
As far as connections go, the LG’s got the standard HDMI port, and composite for older TVs or sound devices – but not SCART, so make sure you don’t need one. There’s an optical audio port, which can also pass through DTS Digital sound to your amplifier (but the player doesn’t have its own DTS decoder).
As is the case with a lot of Multi-Region DVD players, some buyers reported issues with Region 1 discs, but most had no problem playing DVDs from all regions. (Important: Some retailers sell a different version of this model, which is NOT multi-region.)
The player comes with an HDMI cable, a remote and even batteries for the remote – which improves the value for money even further. If you’re looking for a top-notch DVD player, with most of the features you might need, this one is an excellent choice.
Best Value
2. Grouptronics Compact DVD Player
Pros
- Great picture and sound quality
- Excellent Price
- Play photos/videos from USB stick
- Built-in Karaoke Player
- Compact, takes very little space
Cons
- A bit slow to respond
- Remote control with too many buttons
- No SCART port
Features and Specs
- Mutli-Region: Yes
- Upscaling: Yes
- Connections:HDMI, Composite
- Audio: Not specified
- USB Connection: Yes
Grouptronics DVD Player Review
A good DVD player doesn’t have to cost a lot – and this model proves it. It supports all the features you would expect to find in a modern player, it gives great picture quality – and it’s quite cheap.
True, it doesn’t come from a known brand, the remote control suffers from the Chinese-remote-syndrome (as in – too many buttons you’ll never use), and a SCART port would have been good for backwards compatibility.
But all in all, this DVD player represents excellent value for money, and it even comes with two microphone ports, if you want to use it as a Karaoke machine.
3. Denver DVH-1245 Multi Region DVD Player
Pros
- Decent picture quality and Upscaling
- Dolby Surround Sound built-in
- Play photos, music and video from USB stick
Cons
- No composite connection
- Some say the disc spinning is too noisy
- Struggles with some video formats (from the USB)
Features and Specs
- Mutli-Region: Yes
- Upscaling: Yes
- Connections:HDMI, SCART, Optical (Audio)
- Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 (Optical)
- USB Connection: Yes
Denver DVH-1245 DVD Player Review
The Denver DVD player is a solid machine – most people are satisfied with the picture quality, it has both SCART and HDMI connections (but no composite, so take notice if you have a very old TV or no free HDMI ports), and it even has a nice, slim design.
So why is it in 3rd place? It’s a question of Price vs. the competition – most of the DVD players in this review have a very similar price point. And for that price, you can get more features and slightly better quality from the other players.
Another point to notice, is that a lot of buyers reported a noisy device, mostly when the disc spins and the motor’s running – so be careful if you’re sensitive to such things.
All in all, this is a good DVD player – and if you manage to catch it during a special sale, the value for money would be even better.
4. LG DP132 Slim DVD (Region-Locked)
Pros
- Good price
- Slim, small size
- Rip music from CD to USB
- Play photos, music and video from USB stick
Cons
- No HDMI (comes with RCA-to-SCART cable)
- Not Multi-Region
- No upscaling
Features and Specs
- Mutli-Region: No
- Upscaling: No
- Connections:Composite (With SCART cable)
- Audio: Dolby Digital
- USB Connection: Yes
- Music CD Ripping
LG DP132 Slim DVD Player Review
This is a good little DVD player from LG – literally, as it’s slim and compact. (Though that goes for the remote control as well, and some say it’s TOO small, especially if you have big fingers.)
There’s no HDMI, and not even a direct SCART port – the device only comes with a composite connection (Red/White/Yellow), and a cable that converts that into SCART. That means picture quality is not top notch, but the device itself does a decent enough job when it plays DVDs.
The player has a Music CD Ripping feature, so you can rip music tracks from discs directly to a USB stick, and convert them to MP3s.
Other than that, this is a pretty basic DVD player, without many bells and whistles – but it’s quite cheap, and the lack of extra features makes it easier to use, which is a plus for some.
