How to Play a DVD on a Television Set

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DVDs are the now-standard medium for displaying movies.

DVDs have completely replaced VHS as the standard medium for viewing movies and other media at home. DVD players have become relatively inexpensive in recent years, with some models retailing for less than $30. If you're looking to start watching some of your favorite DVDs on your TV, you can hook up a DVD player in just a few seconds.

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Step 1

Connect the video and audio outputs of the DVD player to the video and audio inputs of the television set using the RCA video cables. Most DVD players that are not Blu-ray or HD-DVD players use the red, white and yellow RCA cables, so simply match up the colors of the cable heads to the colored rings of the inputs and outputs. They should be labeled on both the TV and DVD player.

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Step 2

Plug the DVD and TV into power sources if you have not done so already and power both devices on.

Step 3

Set the TV to the proper video channel. This will most likely be labeled "Video 1" or "Video 2" depending on how many RCA video inputs are on the TV. The video channel can be selected using the "Source," "Input" or "Video" button on the TV's remote, though different manufacturers may have varying methods (consult the TV's owner's manual for instructions specific to the model). When set to the proper channel, the DVD player's menu should display on the screen.

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Step 4

Press the "Eject" button on the DVD player (it will be shaped like a triangle over a horizontal bar) to open the disc tray. Put the DVD in the tray and close it either by pressing it in or pressing the eject button. The DVD will then begin playing.

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