To DVD or not to DVD, that is the question...
Jan 05 '01
I wasn't going to get a DVD. I have a perfectly good VCR, I can rent what I like, and I can record. Sure, I heard that the resolution on DVDs were a lot better, but I thought "Gee, I don't have a fancy television, so what difference can it really make?". Besides, I figured, aren't DVD players really expensive, and the DVDs even moreso?
I was so wrong about all of that, it's embarrassing. I received a DVD player as a gift from my brother...a Pioneer DV-333 that I reviewed under that category. Great, I thought, something else to hook up and never use. After the 10 minutes it took me to hook it up, I was amazed. I could use my VCR still - which I had not expected. This way, I can record from my television and not have to play with the wires every time I did it. I can play movies or DVDs, and not have to rearrange anything to do so.
My brother also gave me a couple of DVDs. I loved them right away. I can go to any where in the movie I want to, I can pause without having to worry that I'm hurting the tape or have it go off "pause" after a few minutes. I can scan scenes with the touch of a button, and there's no rewinding - after the movie, you go right back to the menu. I can choose letterbox or pan-n-scan formats, subtitles, different languages, and one DVD I rented even included the movie's soundtrack.
I didn't know that my television was capable of the kind of resolution the DVD player gave me. I thought that I was seeing the best that it had to offer, but apparently not. The picture was incredibly clear - better than I've ever seen at any other time.
Most DVDs have a lot of extras - outtakes, cast and crew biographies, a version of the movie where the director (and others) talk over the movie, discussion various scenes (don't do this with "Mission from Mars" unless you want a really good laugh at some really stupid comments). I found that I watched the movie, then spent an additional hour going through all the fun stuff.
In addition, if you go to the web site http://www.dvdeastereggs.com you will find a huge list of DVD titles, and how to find hidden goodies on your DVDs that aren't on the menu. For instance, on "X-Men", there are two "easter eggs" - places to tab to that don't show up on the menus - and you get a couple of really funny outtakes.
DVDs cost about the same as videocassettes. I picked up quite a few at Best Buy for $15 or less - including some very recent films. These will last a lot longer than videocassettes, and have a lot more on them. The player itself was about $250, just a bit more than a new VCR - and well worth the extra money.
In short, if you really enjoy movies, definitely get a DVD player. You'll absolutely love it!
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Epinions.com ID:
SeashellMiss
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Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 62 members
About Me:
Hi, I'm Amber.
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