What is the type of connection you are using? If it is HDMI from DVD player, then no it wont work cause that strips line 21. If you are using cable wire connection, then it should work no matter how new the player is. I bought a DVD player last year (2008) and it works fine if i use the RF modulator so that it goes through cable into tv. However, If I use RCA plugs directly into the tv, it does not decode the CC information which is silly to me. The chip is already in the TV, why not use it for all inputs instead of just cable/antenna input?