If you don’t know what to buy as a gift for an older friend or member of your family, why don’t get them one of the easiest to use DVD and Blu-ray players for seniors and elderly? This way they won’t have to go through much trouble in order to watch their favorite shows and movies.
If you thought that DVD and Blu-ray players have already become relics of the past and that no one buys DVDs anymore, you are in for a surprise. DVDs are still selling pretty well, and only recently the video – on demand and streaming subscriptions passed DVDs in sales. My guess is that the older generations like the convenience of a DVD compared to streaming a movie or a TV show. Just put it in the player and press play. That’s all the magic. This is why buying a DVD or Blu-ray player for an elderly person is way better than getting them an Android TV box for example. Before we continue, you may want to check out these Easiest Smartphones To Use For Seniors and The Elderly as well.
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Buying a DVD or Blu-ray player for a senior doesn’t just mean walking into the store and getting the one that fits into your budget. You need to have in mind that seniors are mostly unfamiliar with the newer technology and need something simple. Elder Gadget, a website specialized in reviews of products that are senior friendly, has pointed out few things you should look in DVD players when buying one for an elderly person. It is recommended that you get a player that supports more discs, which is ideal for movie nights or watching TV shows. Easy to operate panel is a must as well as remote with large buttons, which will make the navigation easier. Wide dynamic range control and HDMI compatibility will also be a big plus.
In order to find the easiest to use DVD and Blu-ray players for seniors and elderly we checked the recommendations from Elder Gadget, Touch Brite and users at various forums including Meta Filter, Hot UK Deals, and DTV USA among others. Since there were lots of recommendations that didn’t repeat on many sources, we decided to check the ratings of DVD and Blu-ray players on Amazon and feature the highest rated on our list. Let’s check them out then.
5. Sony BDP-S570
The main features of this Blu-ray player are its fast loading time and excellent video quality. Reviews especially highlight the fact that it’s easy to use but don’t lack the advanced options. Also, it works pretty well on analog TVs.
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4. Sony BDP-S370
Another Sony’s entry on our list of easiest to use DVD and Blu-ray players for seniors and elderly that has all the fancy features like fast loading time, networking, and video streaming. The operating system is said to be pleasant and menus are easy to navigate. The downside to this player is a lack of panel buttons.
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3. Panasonic DVD-S48
In case you don’t need Blu-ray discs support, then S48 model from Panasonic is the best way to go. Besides the price, users praise the speed of disk loading, user-friendly remote and overall simplicity of the player. It doesn’t have the advanced options like some other entries on the list, but that shouldn’t be a problem for most seniors.
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2. Sony BDP-S185
It looks like Sony had in mind the elderly population when it manufactured their DVD and Blu-ray players. People tend to describe BDP-S185 as an entertainment box. It enables the users to stream videos from YouTube or Netflix, listen to the radio and share content on Facebook and Twitter. We don’t know how much will the elderly appreciate these functions, but they will surely like large and conveniently positioned buttons on the panel. Also, the player enhances the image of standard DVD movies, so they will look like they are almost played in HD.
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1. Samsung BD-J5100
Sony was the most featured manufacturer on our list of easiest to use DVD and Blu-ray players for seniors and elderly, but Samsung takes the top spot. BD-J5100 model is described by one user as the best player for basic DVD watching. There are plenty of advanced options and features, so it is up to the user to decide in which way they want to use the player. It can be turned into an entertainment hub, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Loading time is incredibly fast and video quality is said to be amazing. Another positive feature that will appeal to seniors is the remote with big buttons and symbols, so the room for error will be very small.
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