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 of the 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 off 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.
Links to check out... Play247.com- Excellent site selling Region 1 and 2 discs at very low orices and free shipping Blackstar.co.uk- Excellent choice of Region 2 discs Amazon.co.uk- Good and large choice of Region 2 discs Rewind.org.uk- Compares the extra features of Region 1 ,2 and 4 discs to show you which disc to buy to get all the features Dvdpricesearch.com- Compares prices of Region 1 discs
by ChrisM
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