In order to function, most DVD players must be connected to a television set. However, there are some small portable devices that have an LCD screen attached.

The features of DVD players can vary. Most DVD players have the following set of standard features: choice of language, automatic selection of video scenes, audio tracks, subtitle tracks, and menus special effects playback such as - freeze, step, slow, fast, and scan. You also have the option of programming them yourself. You can play back selected sections in a desired sequence. You can also randomly play and repeat play.

DVD players can provide PCM stereo and Dolby Digital audio output. Some players can also recognize and output DTS Digital Surround audio tracks. Some can also play back audio compact discs (CDs) and MP3 format CDs and DVDs.

DVD players are also very adaptable. Many films are offered in their original aspect ratio 16:9 ratio. You can tell your player what type of TV you have and it will play back the movie accordingly. If you have a normal 4:3 set, you can watch movies in the standard aspect ratio or letterboxed. Thus making your view more pleasant.

DVD players have Audio and Video Inputs and Outputs. These works as your connections to other components. Video outputs and their audio counterparts are desirable because they allow you more versatility in signal switching of multiple VCR and DVD players. Depending on how you hook up your Audio and Video system, either the TV or your Audio and Video receiver can be used for video switching.

Most DVD players also feature Chapter Numbers. These numbers are recorded on the discs and are used to indicate sections or chapters. Movies are similarly divided into distinct sections. For example, a symphony with four movements will have four tracks.

Again, most DVD players have a built-in Dolby Digital decoder. This is the next step beyond Dolby Pro Logic, offering 5.1 channels of sound. In the Dolby Pro Logic mode, sound comes from the front left and right speakers, the center speaker, and the rear speakers. Using Dolby Digital, the rear channel is now stereo and a separate channel is included for the subwoofer. In other words, you are getting full stereo surround.

To dealing with couch potato children, parents need a Parental Lock-Out or Channel Block facility. All DVD players let you control what your children watch. By accessing the on-screen menu system, you can set specific viewing levels for the player. You can override these controls by punching in a special code that you, as the parent, devise. These controls are designed to help parents manage their children's viewing time.