DVD Guide
What is the DVD?
DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc and is basically a Compact Disc, but is also so much
more than that. The big thing in Cinema at the mo is digital film and this technology brings
that wonder to your small screen.
But what does that mean?
Better Picture, better sound and the piece de la resistance, instant scene access, just
like skipping to a track on an album. To top it off more and more, DVD's are flooding the
market with incredible special features. 'Making of' Docs, deleted scenes, audio
commentaries by the film's stars and directors can be heard while watching the film,
storyboards and interactive games can be included. All this is accessed from stylish
interactive menus which really makes you feel part of the film process.
Alright, Alright How can I play them?
DVD players are freely available from all electrical and now some high street stores, and
start from £150, obviously the more you pay the better quality you get but remember higher
price players need high price accompanying equipment, like Widescreen TV's, amplifiers and
surround speakers. So many cheaper models do the job with excellent quality. Computers with
a DVD-ROM drive can play them as well as the forthcoming Playstation 2.
So can I then play any disc?
Well it is not quite as simple as that, to prevent sneaky peeks of unreleased films in the
UK the discs are region-coded. The UK is Region 2, so machines can only play Region 2 Discs,
which is shame as some of these DVD's lack the features the of Region One discs released in
America and Canada.
That's a bit of a Bummer, Is there a way around that?
Well it's not all bad news, multi-regional machines can be bought and not for a huge price
and then DVD's can be bought of the net from American and Canadian on-line stores. If you
have a single region player, it is not illegal to have it modified to be multi-regional
though it might invalidate your guarantee.
Well What's Next?
Check out Pupiline's reviews of DVD's and their features, our Charts and the best of the
best guide that highlights the must buy's.
Chris M
Links to check out...
http://www.dvdboxoffive.com - DVD Box Offive
http://www.bigstar.com/dvd - Big Star Movie Superstore
http://www.blackstar.co.uk - Blackstar
http://www.amazon.com/dvd - Amazon.com DVD Section
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