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(ARA) - Your
next movie-viewing experience doesn't need to include
overpriced tickets, sticky seats and talkative neighbors.
With a new DVD player, you can enjoy all the sounds and
visuals of a big-screen flick in the comfort of your own
home. Digital video disc (DVD) technology is the future of
home entertainment. In fact, no electronic component
delivers more home entertainment bang for your buck than a
DVD player.
Why is DVD Better?
DVD offers movie lovers many things the VHS videotape
format cannot. The greatest benefit is picture quality
that's twice as sharp as standard VHS. Movies on VHS
videotapes often have a noticeable graininess to them --
particularly if they've been viewed multiple times. With
DVD, the colors are rich, and the picture is crisp and
clear -- each and every viewing.
The audio quality of DVD is equally impressive. The
sound is typically CD-quality or better. By connecting
your DVD and television to a home audio system capable of
Dolby Digital surround sound, you'll get an audio
experience as clear and distinctive as you would get in a
movie theater.
Other extras offered by DVDs that enhance the
movie-watching experience include on-screen menus. These
menus provide viewers access to features such as original
movie trailers, interviews with directors and actors,
biographies of movie personalities, as well as scenes that
may have been deleted from the title's original release.
With a DVD movie, you are in control of the action.
Unlike videotape, which can only move ahead or reverse
from one point, a DVD movie allows you to search, scan and
even jump to different parts of a movie.
Becoming Mainstream
DVD players are becoming increasingly popular in the
average American home. According to the DVD Entertainment
Group, consumers bought more than 9.8 million DVD video
players in 2000, nearly three times as many as in 1999.
One reason DVDs are so popular is the fact that DVDs do
not deteriorate over time or wear out from extended use
like VHS tapes do. This makes them a good option for the
movie collector, or anyone with children who watch videos
over and over.
In addition, many DVD video players have parental
control features that prevent children from watching
movies with certain ratings. Some DVD titles come with an
edited version of a film that may be more suitable for
younger viewers.
Key Buying Considerations
As you assemble a home theater system, you might ask
yourself whether you should invest in a DVD player or just
get a new VCR. First, make sure your television can handle
a DVD player before you make a purchase. To take full
advantage of the superior sound and picture quality
offered by DVD, you will need an S-video connection on
your television. If your television is less than 5 years
old, you probably have S-video capability.
DVD players are ideally designed for surround-sound
systems which typically have five speakers: three in front
and two in back, plus a subwoofer. However, even if you
don't have a multiple-speaker sound system, you can still
benefit from the format's superior audio capabilities when
compared to the audio delivered by VHS.
In fact, according to John Damrow, vice president of
merchandising for Fingerhut, a leading general merchandise
catalog company, customers looking to replace their audio
CD player might be better served by buying a DVD player,
which can also play audio CDs. "A DVD player can
provide all the functions of an audio CD player while
opening up a new world of high-quality video programming
with features VHS cannot provide," Damrow says.
As with any technology, increased popularity means
lower prices and better features. For the avid
movie-watcher looking toward the future, the advantages of
a DVD player provide a good investment choice -- and a
great way to skip waiting in line for a $5 tub of popcorn!
For more information on DVD players, visit the
Fingerhut Web site at www.fingerhut.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail:
info@ARAcontent.com
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