Since they share some of the characteristics and technology of CD
players, many of the terms and operational concepts used in a DVD
player are similar to what you may be familiar with from CD players
and changers, or older video disc formats such as Laser Disc.
How-ever, if this is your first DVD product, some of the terms used
to describe the features of a DVD player may be unfamiliar. The fol-
lowing explanations should solve some of the mysteries of DVD,
and help you to enjoy all the power and flexibility of the DVD format
and the DVD.
With the arrival of DVD, disc data capacity has increased dramati-
cally. On a DVD Video disc most of this capacity is taken up by
MPEG 2 video and the multichannel movie soundtrack in Dolby
Digital and/or DTS. This information is compressed.
Aspect Ratio:
This is a description of the width of a video image in
relation to its height. A conventional video screen is four units wide
for every three units of height, that’s why the ratio is called ”4:3.”
Newer wide aspect ratio video displays are 16 units wide for every
nine units of height, making them more like the screen in a movie
theater. The program material on a DVD may be recorded in either
format and, in addition, you may configure the DVD to play back in
either format, depending on the features recorded on a disc.
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI):
HDMI has emerged
as the digital standard for connecting high-definition devices,
displays and components, and provides for the pristine
transmission of high-definition digital video and digital audio via a
single cable. HDMI is the first and only digital interface for
consumer electronics devices that can carry uncompressed high-
definition video, compressed or uncompressed multichannel audio
and command data, allowing customers to obtain pure digital
picture and sound directly from the source (as it was meant to be
seen and heard).
USB On-the-Go:
Due to its widespread acceptance, USB is
becoming the de facto industry standard for connecting peripherals
to PCs and laptops. Many of the new peripherals using USB are
also portable devices.
As these portable devices increase in popularity, there is a growing
need for them to communicate directly with each other when a PC
is not available – for instance, in consumer electronics products.
The USB On-the-Go technology addresses this need for mobile
interconnectivity.
Title:
For a DVD, a title is defined as an entire movie or program.
There can be as many chapters within a title as the producers
decide to include. Most discs include only one title, but some may
have more than one, to give you a “Double Feature” presentation.
Chapter:
DVD programs are divided into chapters and titles.
Chapters are the subsections programmed into a single title on a
disc, and may be compared to the individual tracks on an audio CD.
RGB Video:
This is a new form of video signal that eliminates many
of the artifacts of traditional composite video signals by splitting the
signal into the three fundamental colors Red, Green and Blue
(RGB). With an RGB connection (via SCART), you will see greater
picture resolution and eliminate many picture imperfections such
as the moiré patterns often seen on checkered patterned cloths.
However, in order to benefit from RGB video, you must have a video
display with an RGB compatible SCART input.
Progressive Scan:
DVD offers progressive scan video outputs for
use with compatible high-resolution televisions and projectors.
Before DVD, no consumer medium could store, transmit or display
video with full resolution. To conserve bandwidth, analog compres-
sion (interlacing) is employed: first the odd-numbered lines of a
frame are displayed, followed by the even-numbered lines. The
result is that only half of the video image is drawn at one time; the
viewer’s brain must reassemble the complete image. This is
acceptable, if the monitor is not too large and if there is not too
much motion in the image. Large displays and fast-moving images
reveal the limitations of this system. Thanks to DVD’s immense data
capacity, images are now stored intact (progressively), so that all
the lines in each frame (odd and even) are shown at the same time.
But because most TVs cannot handle a progressive signal, conven-
tional DVD players generate an interlaced output for compatibility.
This JBL DVD player is among the select few DVD players with true
progressive scan video output (NTSC and PAL) for use with compat-
ible TVs and CRT projectors, and with all plasma, LCD and DLP
display devices via the component video output. The result is 40%
greater light output than a conventional TV and a stunningly detailed
high-definition image, along with an almost complete absence of
visible scanlines and motion artifacts. Of course, traditional Y/Pr/Pb
component video, SCART, S-video and composite video outputs are
included for use with conventional televisions and projectors.
Multiple-Angle:
DVDs have the capability to show up to four differ-
ent views of the same scene in a program. When a disc is encoded
with multiple-angle information, pressing the Angle button will
enable you to switch between these different views. Note that at
present, few discs take advantage of this capability and, when they
do, the multiple-angle technology may only be present for short
periods of time within the disc. Producers will usually insert some
sort of icon or graphic in the picture to alert you to the availability
of multiple viewing angles.
Reading:
This is a message that you will see after you´ve loaded
the disc and the tray has closed. It refers to the fact that the player
must first examine the contents of the disc to see if it is a CD or
DVD, and then extract the information about the type of material on
the disc, such as languages, aspect ratios, subtitles, number of
titles and more. The slight delay while the contents of the disc are
read is normal.
Resume:
The operation of the Stop button on the DVD works differ-
ently from what you are used to on CD players. On a traditional CD
player, when you press the Stop button, the unit does just that – it
stops playback. On a CD player, when you press the start button
again, the disc starts from the beginning. With the DVD, however,
you have two options when playing DVD discs. Pressing Stop once
will stop playback, but it actually puts the unit in the Resume mode.
This means that you can turn the machine off and, when you press
play the next time, the disc will resume or continue from the point
on the disc where the Stop button was pressed. This is helpful if
you are watching a movie and must interrupt your viewing session
but wish to pick up where you left off. Pressing the Stop button
twice will stop the machine in a traditional manner and, when the
disc is played again, it will start from the beginning.
In resume mode, the cover of the DVD will be displayed, if
available. Otherwise, the JBL screen will appear.
DivX:
DivX is the name of a revolutionary new video codec which is
based on the MPEG-4 compression standard for video. This DVD
player will playback discs created with DivX software. The DVD
player’s playback functionalities of DivX video discs will vary
depending on the DivX software version used for creating your
movies. For more information about the different software versions
of DivX, please go to www.divx.com
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TERMINOLOGY
