DVD RULES!

Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show promises to dazzle and astound those who make the trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. All 120,000-plus attendees from over 120-plus countries come to see the lastest in cutting edge technology. We are promised the latest and greatest goodies not just for today, and for tomorrow.

And this year's CES was no exception. In the world of DVD, all of the major manufacturers rolled out brand new players. Even though there were no blockbuster announcements, it seemed like all the major DVD manufacturers honed their focus and refined their machines. In most cases, the newer models come fully loaded with more goodies than ever before.

The main advancements in DVD technology were in the area of DVD-Audio to be sure, and Progressive Scan players made another splash. Such models were all over the show floor of CES, and manufacturers were pushing these two latest advancements in DVD technology hard. DVD-Audio sure sounded excellent, but the really cool thing to watch was Progressive Scan. It looked awesome - in every Progressive Scan display, the colors were deep, properly saturated, and downright stunning. Even "Lost in Space" looked, dare I say it, watchable! The best part is that it will be extremely affordable to have both in your home theater system, even if you are on a relatively low budget. Within a couple of months you will be able to pick up a DVD-Audio and Progressive Scan DVD player for as little as $299.95 list.

Oddly enough, despite the abundance of DVD players on display, not many were hooked up to a display device. I know that sounds bizarre given that this is the International Consumer Electronics Show, but that is the awful truth. It is always hard to judge the performance of a DVD player at a trade show like this, let alone when they aren't even hooked up! Even if a DVD player is connected up to a display device (let alone properly calibrated), you don't always get the best picture. So many things at a trade show can mess up the most properly calibrated pictures - ambient light, power surges, and the lack of time to warm up new components are just a few problems plaguing a discerning reporter.

Anyway, what follows is a detailed report of what was on the show floor in DVD players for the 2001 CES. I have tried my best to get accurate pricing on upcoming models, but due to the ebb and flow of the consumer electronics market, they can change by the time they get to a store near you. Also, I will make note of how a DVD player performed if it was hooked up to a display device when possible. So many DVD players, so little time! So, without any further delay, here is what you will be seeing over the next 12 months...

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