Dowdy Vhs Dead (Buyers Guide: DVD Players)

Member Name: utero

Product:	Buyers Guide: DVD Players
Date:	30/07/02 (520 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Digital Sound, Widescreen, Extras

Disadvantages: Cheap Players, Un-Educated Sales Staff

Ok it's a boring afternoon and you decide to pop a video on. You rent something out from the rental store for a few quid. You pop it in, sit back and enjoy.

But wait the colours are all faded, there's immense bleeding in the reds and oranges and you're trying to enjoy the film while all the time you're trying to forget that low audible hiss that is coming off the soundtrack. Then halfway through you get some nasty lines flickering through the picture.

This is your VCR's way of telling you that it's technology is now only good for taping things off the TV as it's virtually extinct as home entertainment. It tells you that you need DVD.

About 4 years ago the format started with small potatoes in the UK. The first players were reasonable enough but would set you back around £450 upwards. There were also only a handful of studios supporting the format in the UK. It's taken a few years for the format to really explode but now that the major studios are all on board it means the format is eating away at VHS and the technology is coming down.

WHAT IS DVD ?
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DVD technology allows the storage of a film on a compact disc sized format. By using a version of the MPEG format for compression it allows large storage. It works like a cd in effect but has more than one layer whihc allows for more storage. You could go into things like finer lasers etc but then it's not really important.

What is important is that the format doesn't degrade it's picture quality and also allows for multiple audio tracks, subtitles, digital sound and bonus features.

"SOUNDS GREAT!, WHAT DO I NEED?"
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Well of course you need a player but before you go to argos and fork out £100 you really have to consider the options.

There are now a lot of players available for around £100. As the saying goes, you do get what you pay for. Mos
t of these players are cheaply made and have some sub-standard quality and features. There has also been in the past a problem with disc compatibility. I would say that if you're serious about getting a player then you should be looking around the £200 mark minimum and then it should be a brand name.

"SO THAT IS ALL ?"
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Well not really, you have to check that your TV is compatible. Mainly you'll need a Scart socket or an S-Video socket. You could go to the arial socket via a video player but then you also don't put a mini engine in a ferrari do you. It's also beneficial that your TV scart is RGB, that way you'll get the best picture quality if you're player is up to scratch.

"I'VE GOT THE SCART SOCKET!"
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Is your TV widescreen? It doesn't matter if it's not but the benefits are far greater is it is. The majority of releases are in widescreen format. Some of you may dislike those little black bars but sadly you are in the wrong. The widescreen format allows us to see a film how it was originally intended. The Pan and Scan format literally butchers a film. Don't believe me?, then simply grab a copy of the Die Hard SE DVD to see what I mean.

Any decent DVD release will also give you an anamorphic transfer. This basically takes the widescreen format and effectively blows it up, enchancing the picture for a widescreen set without a loss of quality.

This is why a widescreen TV is a must investment.

"I'VE GOT THE CASH, GIVE ME THE PLAYER!"
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Just hold on a minute! There are a few more things you need to check. Does your player have SCART, I hope it does. Can it support DTS and Dolby Digital, if it doesn't at least do Dolby then you really shouldn't bother. Also does it have an optical output for an amp, again if it doesn't the you rea
lly shouldn't bother.

But there is one thing that you really should consider above all else.....

"OH AND WHAT'S THAT?"
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Hollywood is very cagey about protecting it's property and likes to gain the best profit potential out of it's films. Films generally get a release in the US first and then find their way onto a UK shore months later. The theatrical to retail/rental window in the US is quite small and as a result there are some films that get a US DVD release way before the UK theatrical release. Now you could simply import a copy but there is such a thing called regional coding which will mean that your region 2 player will spit out that US disc like it was worthless. That's because there are different regions in the world, the US being Region 1.

Don't worry because a multi-region player is very easy to come by. This allows you to play all DVD discs and enjoy all the cinematic joys at home. Now you might be patient and not really care but let me give you some examples.

Here's some films that I've seen way before their UK releases

VAMPIRES
I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
TIGERLAND
GO
GET CARTER (2001)
3000 MILES TO GRACELAND

Not the best of films I know but Get Carter came out in the US in Feburary of 2001, it's only just got released over here.

Not only that but you can enjoy films uncut. A prime example is The Matrix which was cut in the UK to obtain a '15' certificate. US/Australia can enjoy those tame headbutts while is in the UK can't.

Of course there is also the fact that you'll be opening up your mind to many indepedent and foreign films from around the world that you'd struggle to find here. Not only that but by shopping on the net you can save money by getting your discs cheaper and sometimes packed with more extras.

Frankly if you don't want Multi Reg
ion on your dvd player then it's only you whose losing out.

When buying a player it's best to check how you can select the region on it. If it's automatic then it's ok but there is always a chance that there will be some disc's that won't play. Yes some Region 1 discs come with something called RCE, this basically rejects your disc when it's player. Ideally you want a player where you can control what region you want to play, these are the most reliable when it comes to compatibility.

"WHAT'S SURROUND SOUND?"
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DVD's contain digital soundtracks that can be decoded to play in surround sound. This means that you can get that full on cinema effect in your own home with a home cinema amp. There are two sound formats that are primary on DVD at the moment.

DOLBY DIGITAL is the real standard across most discs. The majority of soundtracks have 5 separate channels of sound. However smoe recent soundtracks now cater for an extra channel of sound in the rear centre. With this format you can get immersed in the epic battles of Gladiator or get thrown into the space dog fight of The Phantom Menace.

DTS is a sound format that is slowly creeping in to the UK. Only a few studios are really embracing the format in the UK with FOX starting to really push it on major releases. In the US it's a bigger thing with a lot of films coming with dual soundtracks, another reason for multi region. DTS always get's the nod over DD in my mind. It has more punch and just sounds better on the ear. The downside is that you do need an amp to decode the signal.

"DTS SOUNDS MY BAG BUT....."
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Yep you're going to need a home cinema amp. These have ome down in price over the past year as well. The amp allows you to decode the signal and really make those DVD's sing. Of course you'll need some decent speakers as well
. In all honesty you're best going to somewhere like Richer Soundsand talking to the guys there about what you need and how much you have. If you have money to burn then go for the best but you also have to consider where the things are going. It's no use having a £2000+ system in a poxy room.

"WELL I'M SOLD, WHAT'S GOOD?"
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Talk to a specialist store like Richer Sounds or read a Home Cinema mag for opinions from those in the know. Personally I don't think you can go wrong with a Pioneer player but that's just my choice.

"WHAT DISCS'S DO YOU SUGGEST TO SHOW OFF?"
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Well if you've got the goods then naturally you have to show them off. There are a few discs out there with some great sound moments.

GLADIATOR is a great reference DVD. It has DTS and DD tracks, top picture quality and a real solid collection of extras. It also feature some great sound moments.

THE MATRIX of course is a bitchin disc only let down by the fact that DTS is nowhere in Warner's plans. It's also a very overrated disc in terms of extras. However it's soundtrack can't be argued with.

SWORDFISH has some great sound moments and none are better that it's explosive opening. Crank it up and sit in the middle as you're treated to a full-on onslaught showing the true effects of surround sound.

SEVEN SE is a great example of how to a DVD package. Of course the films is great but so are the extras.

There are many more great discs out there, those are just a few of my personal faves.

So the advice is research, go forth and multi-buy then cry as you realize that VHS was stunting your entertainemtn growth.

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