DVD, or "Digital Versatile Disc," is the latest digital format being used to provide consumers with better quality movies and audio clarity, along with full support for six-speaker surround sound.

There are many decisions that must be made when considering which DVD player is right for you and your family, and today we will help consumers zero in on the perfect DVD player for their needs.

We'll be appending and updating this guide on a monthly basis, to make sure it stays current with new DVD hardware introductions and developments in technology.

Hopefully by the time you're finished reading the guide, you'll be better prepared to decide which features and options your DVD player needs to have in order to better your movie-watching experience.

Let's begin.

Choosing the right DVD player comes down to comparing the features and support levels between the models within the consumer's price range.

Although any DVD player can play DVD movies regardless of its price tag, there are many differences and valuable features that the average buyer may overlook if they're distracted by the lower prices of the economy units.

The major features or options on any DVD player center on the following: