An Actual Unbiased Consideration
Jun 05 '01
The Bottom Line In these transitory times, it's best to own both, but DVDs on much better.
This has become a hot topic here at Epinions. People rant about which they prefer and somehow I'm reminded of the whole disco/punk fights which occurred before I was born so I actually know nothing about them.
I'm going out on a limb. I choose both.
DVD is the newer format; therefore, there are fewer titles available. Other than the excellent bootlegs, you can't find the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD (That's right I said trilogy. Fourth movie? What fourth movie? I don't remember any fourth movie). Steven Spielberg balked at releasing his films on DVD and they've just been trickling out in the last year or so. Also no Godfather movies. And don't get started on movies made before 1970.
However, as a format, DVDs are superior. Better picture quality, light years better sound. Widescreen is standard. And don't worry for those of you who still don't grasp why they'd want to lack out the top and bottom of the frame, many DVDs offer a fullscreen version just for the Philistines.
And then there's the concept of bonus features. Most DVDs feature great extras like commentary by the filmmakers. Deleted scenes are lots of fun. Making of featurettes are generally boring, but trailers are a minor, but cool thing to have. These features are especially great when you just watched an amazing movie and don't want to stop watching it; you can explore little aspects of the film.
Then there is what I'll call "the CD factor": Chapter selection. It's great to just be able to watch your favorite scenes without having to fast forward.
And the reason why DVDs are here to stay, unlike their Laserdisc cousins: size! Laserdiscs were larger and more cumbersome than tapes. DVDs take up much less room than either. This makes your storage area a little neater.
Or course, DVDs are somewhat easily damaged. Their delicate nature makes them hard to handle. This can be irritating, but if you're already used to dealing with CDs, this should be no problem.
So I said both. Both have their advantages. Of course, not everybody can afford both. Even I can't, which is why I won a VCR and my roommate owns the DVD player.
If I had to choose, I'd pick DVDs. They're coming out with new ones every week, trumping up the old films with cleaner pictures and commentary. Rental fees are the same on both and DVDs usually cost less than five dollars more if you buy them online.
Especially since DVDs are the future. Think of audiocassettes. Sure they're still out there, but they're dying. A slow and painful death. In ten years, VCRs will be in the same place.
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Epinions.com ID:
CATSocialD
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Member: Adam Rauscher
Location: Los Angeles CA/New York NY
Reviews written: 136
Trusted by: 27 members
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