How to Connect a DVD Player to Television

Does my TV have a video connector?

Does my DVD player have a video connector?

If not, then how do I connect with it?

If it is, then how do I connect with it?

When two devices from two different generations are to be connected, these questions are like to pop out in your head. So don’t worry I’m going to give you a complete guideline through which you can hook up your old generation’s DVD player with your new generation’s smart TV in five minutes.

Before I get into DVD installation first I have to acknowledge some video connections.

Contents

1. Analog Versus Digital Video Connection

Today’s videos are made compatible with digital versions. In digital video, pixels are optimized into 1080p, 4K, 8K, etc. 8K is the newest version. This means the picture can be zoomed in to 1080pixel, 4000 pixels, 8000 pixels respectively. So it enhances our picture quality a.k.a. Video quality. Movies released from the past ten to twelve years are an example of this quality. But videos based on analog format don’t facilitate so. As a result, it lacks the picture quality a. k. a video quality. Videos before the digital era are an example of this quality.

Now let’s get to the main business. To set up a DVD player you have to know which type of video does your player support.

2. Analog Video Connector

A. Composite Video Connector

Say your DVD player is an older version. If you check the back of your DVD player you’ll see either a yellow video connector or one green, one blue, one red video connector.

If it is the first one then it is called a composite video connector. If it is the latter then it is called a component video connector.

How to Connect

Each composite video cable has audio input beside the video connector. This input consists of white RCA and red RCA cables. Sometimes a 3.5 mm jack is used instead of RCA for the audio connection. Now

i) Connect one end of the composite video cable to your DVD player and another to the back of your TV set.
ii) Connect audio cable in the same way.
iii) Turn on the DVD player and TV.
iv) If you see the logo of the DVD player on the screen then everything is okay.

Smart TVs with 65 inches have the option to access composite videos.

B. Component Video Connector

It is called a component because it has the component (green, blue, red) of the video connector. Since it divides the video into three different signals and passes it through three different RCA cables, it produces better video quality than composite. Audio connection is the same as composite. It also uses a 3.5 mm jack instead of RCA for the audio connection sometimes.

How to Connect

i) Connect one end of the component video cable to your DVD player and another to the back of your TV set (green to green, red to red, blue to blue).
ii) Connect audio cable in the same way (red to red, white to white).
iii) Turn on the DVD player and TV.
iv) If you see the logo of the DVD player on the screen then everything is okay.

3. Analog to Digital Video Converter

As I mentioned before, digital technology allows us to experience better picture quality using pixels. Now modern video technology is compatible with 4K, 8K, or 1080p. Since you want to enjoy good old movies in a new fashion by connecting your smart TV with a DVD player, you have to convert your composite/component video into digital format. To do so, you need a composite to HDMI converter or component to HDMI converter.

If your player supports both types of quality, you should go with the component type video because as I mentioned before it has better picture quality. Composite video can output video maximum 480p while component supports 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080p. To experience a better quality picture you need at least 1080p, in which way you can get a decent video, and component video does the same.

What the HDMI converter does is upscales the resolution to 1080p. Since the standard resolution of DVD HD is 720×480 pixels for NTSC and 720×576 for PAL in 4:3 or 16:9 you might not get the best video quality as you expect it to be.

How to Convert

i) Connect the component or composite video cables and audio cables (white and red RCA) to the back of your DVD.
ii) Connect the other end-points to the corresponding inputs of the video converter.
iii) The converter has an HDMI output cable connecting to the main TV box.
iv) Check closely what type of power the converter requires, if it is USB compatible, then plug it into USB, if it isn’t then you use a power adapter like 5VDC.
v) Turn on your TV and DVD player.
vi) If you see the DVD player logo on the screen then it has the DVD connection.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these converters are only one-way converters, meaning they can go from analog to digital but not the other way around.

4. Digital Video Connector

If you have bought your DVD player not too long ago then it is supposed to be digital video output. To know that check yours back. If it has HDMI output, then it has a digital output connector.

i) Connect one side of the HDMI cable to the player and another to the TV.
ii) Turn on the DVD player and TV.
iii) If the TV screen shows the DVD logo, then it has the connection.

It is the simplest connection since smart TV is compatible with HDMI cable. You can get standard HDMI-A to cable A in six feet or 21 from amazon Australia.

5. Connect DVD Player With Modulator

Suppose you have only one coax cable to connect to your TV, then what would you do?
Here comes the RF modulator.
Connect output cables (red, white, blue) of your player to the RF modulator.

i) Connect your output RF modulator to the input of your smart TV since both have one single cable.
ii) Then tune in to the channel.

6. Troubleshooting

A. Check Your Power Source

Make sure you connect your DVD player to the power source properly. Because without power, you can not get any signal.

B. Plug in Correctly

Since composite/component is color sensitive, make sure you plug in the cables to both the player and TV correctly. Every corresponding port is colored matching with its corresponding cable.

C. Check the Input Channel

The DVD player doesn’t display on channel input in 3 or 4 like DCR.it is not programmed in default mode. It is labeled as DVD, component, composite, etc.

So select your correct model of player.

D. Try New Cable

If your cable is becoming older, try a new cable if it causes poor connection. It depends on your cable quality. You can’t differentiate between a high-end cable and a loose-end cable. High-end cable costs about 80$ while loose end costs 5$. So you have to depend on the seller in purchasing the cable.

Final Words

Well, that’s it. If you follow these steps, then I think you’ll be able to connect your DVD to the TV.

Without much alterations, you can also connect your Xbox, blu ray, PlayStation, or any other older device. Also, remember that it doesn’t matter whether you have Sony, Phillips, or any other type of player, all have similar connection criteria. The same goes for TV connections. You can connect your TV to Samsung, Sony, LG, etc in similar ways. Moreover, you can check your user manual to guide you through.

Happy watching.