To DVD or not to DVD. That is the question...May 22 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Owning a DVD player will become as common place as owning a TV. Join in on the fun now :)
Anyone remember laserdiscs? They were to be the wave of the video future. As recently as 1999, they were still being produced in significant quantities. But they were for the audio and videophile elite. The size of the discs, the limited quality increase from VHS and, of course, the limited availability made owning laser discs more of a fad than anything else. But enter the next millennium and the advancement of compression techniques. The result? DVDs. A cd-sized video disc offering stellar video quality with cd-quality sound. At first, no one thought the DVD would take off - that it would be just another laser disc - especially since it was (then) in a READ-ONLY format. But it didn't die off. It soared. Why? Well, that's what this review is going to be about. Why the DVD succeeded while the laserdisc failed. And why having a DVD player is as common place and crucial in today's home theatre set up as having a TV. The Pros You've heard it all before. DVD offers digital quality video with CD quality sound. But what does that all mean? Basically, it's a direct correlation to the VHS counterpart. While VHS VCRs have improved dramatically over the past 10 years, they still suffer from choppy play back, noisy audio and diminished quality from repeated use. DVD players, on the other hand, do not suffer from any of these failings. A DVD, like a CD, doesn't wear out with play. The picture and sound are as crisp during the 100th viewing as they were during the 1st. Video tracking problems which still plague many VCRs today simply don't exist in DVDs. And like the video, the sound from DVDs never fades and has perfect digital clarity, especially with the latest Digital Surround 5.1 and DTS settings. But let's get back to the quality playback of DVDs. If you're watching a relatively new movie, one theatrically released within the past 2-3 years, then you are bound to get a VERY clean copy of the same movie on DVD. Add to that the added benefit of enhanced surround sound (Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS) and you're in for a treat. Many older movies, however, are suffering a little in the DVD market. True, the picture is as clear as possible, and the sound may be up to some level of surround-sound capacities, but the entire effect is only as good as the original. Prime example: 2001: A Space Odyssey. This was one of the first DVD movies I purchased. But it wasn't a good one to highlight the abilities of my DVD player. There is noise in the video and audio that wasn't cleaned up during the transference. Subsequently, you get a movie that improves little from its VHS counterpart. But as DVDs have become more and more popular, Hollywood is taking notice and studios are taking the time to re-release older movies on to DVD with quality surpassing the original theatrical release. That's what DVDs offer - possibilities to improve on the original. And when that is done, the outcome can be magnificent. Another case in point: The Original Star Trek episodes. Consider this: 30 year old television programs that were shot in mono-tone are miraculously transformed into Digital 5.1 DVDs with digitally remastered video. The episodes have never looked better and the sound, while still limited, is vastly improved. Additional pros for DVDs are the additional content that can be included on a DVD. This includes sub-title languages, chapter/scene selection, audio selection, video selection (letter box vs standard) and more. Add to this the plethora of featurettes and games that are now common place on DVD releases and you have much more than a simple movie. You have a complete entertainment package. Try that with a VHS tape :) The list of pros goes on and on. But, as with anything, there are some cons... Cons First, and foremost, is the inability to record on a DVD player. True, DVD-Recorders are slowing creeping into the market place, but they are very expensive. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Remember when CDs first hit the market? Everyone balked at the inability to record on them. But after a while - okay, a long while, CD recorders slowly entered the market place. At first, they were expensive. But a short time later, as the technology improved, CD-burners became common place. Today, CD-recordability is a non-issue. And one day, soon, so will DVD-recordability. So while this is a CON today, it won't be for long. Next, and not really a con, to fully exploit the contents and enhancements of a DVD, you need a decent home theater set up. Unlike a VCR, you can't simply plug in a DVD player (yet). You need (and want) a digital optical interface and a home theatre receiver that can handle the Dolby Digital and DTS outputs that DVDs can offer. Not all of these are stead-fast requirements, but they will enhance the overall experience of watching DVDs. Another con I have is the still limited library of DVD movies. True, the library is getting larger every day, but it still has a long way to go before it catches up with VHS. All in time. Finally, and perhaps the biggest con for DVD players as it was graciously pointed out to me by Epinions user: Greatpilgrim is the expense of converting from VHS to DVD. For those of us who have been amassing a considerable VHS library, it could take literally thousands of dollars to replace them to their superior DVD counterparts. Obviously, their is a direct correlation to the album/CD situation that occurred in the early 80's. As then, it took time, but eventually people did convert from vinyl to CD. Will there be just as easy a turnaround from VHS to DVD? Only time will tell, but I suspect it will be a much longer transition period. Especially since people tend to listen to music / albums more often then they watch movies (on a repeated basis). Summing Up If you want high-quality video and audio, and you're not concerned about recording capabilities, a DVD player is a must for you. They've come down in price enough to justify having one along side your VCR, so the choice is really clear. Get a DVD player for soon, the VHS VCRs will go the way of the DoDo, er, Beta Max...  |
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