Video Component
The video component of DVD can also be improved over that of the basic units. Don't like the black bands at the top and bottom of the pictures when viewing widescreen (16:9) DVDs or programming? Look for the screen fit, which adjusts the image size to fit the full screen.

Component video output splits the signal into three component elements, offering more accurate signal transfer than either standard composite or S-Video connections.

Progressive scan is a superior method of presenting a video image. Conventional TV pictures (interlaced scan) are actually two alternating images — each containing half the complete image — switching back and forth sixty times per second. Because we can't follow such rapid motions, our brains combine the two half images and we see a complete image (albeit a flickering one). Progressive scan paints the complete image at twice the rate of one that's interlaced, giving a stable picture that looks far more like film.

Non-Volatile Memory Cards
Some DVD players offer flash memory expansion slots, which allow you to use solid-state non-volatile memory cards to take data from digital cameras, digital camcorders, or MP3 players and display it on a video monitor (or, in the case of MP3, listen to or manage the music files through the player). Memory Stick, CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MultiMedia Card (MMC), and Secure Digital (SD) Card are all supported by various DVD players.

Synchro System
There are also many "ease of use" functions available in DVD players. Some have programmable or learning remotes. Some DVD players have specialized functions, such as zoom, which allows you a closer "look" at on-screen images; or audio scan, which allows you to monitor the audio output at two or three times normal speed. There are also DVD/VCR combination players that combine both functions into a single unit to cut down on clutter and increase interoperability. Similarly, some DVD players are packaged with Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) like TiVO™, allowing users to time-shift broadcast TV. DVD Recorders are just beginning to reach the market, but they're still expensive and don't let you record from copyrighted DVDs.

When it comes to choices, DVD players give you plenty. If you want it, chances are somebody makes it.

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