DVD’s Future
In reading the mailbag from Issue 29, particularly from the gentleman who is disgruntled about DVD, I feel it necessary to present my views on the format and its adoption. First, we are presented with the trend showing that the format will more than likely go through an evolution which will require the purchase of new players. I understand the angst one might have over this, but I see a greater good. For starters, even if WG-4’s recommendation of not including DTS in the new DVD-Audio specs comes about, we must remember that this happened before in DVD-Video and in a year DTS ended up a part of the format. This leads me to believe that manufacturers will either do the same thing or even include it from the start, despite the minimal mandatory requirements to maximize profits. Also, we must realize that we do not have to purchase every incarnation. I have heard many parallels drawn to personal computers, and therein lies my point. I, along with I suspect most others, do not purchase a new computer every time a new technology comes about, rather I wait until I feel the time is right based on those advancements. I own a DVD player without DTS. I do not plan on buying a new one just now, either, but will probably wait until some of the DVD-Audio mess is worked out and I can at least see another plateau in the technology, and then enjoy DTS DVDs (there will also be a much larger selection by then as well). What reasons are there to buy DVD now, with HD on the horizon? To begin with, DVD as it stands now, seems to show most films up to a certain period of time, that is to say fairly recently, in the best possible way. Old movies especially, probably cannot stand to be much clearer, based on the source materials. When HD comes, I will surely buy some new copies of some of the DVDs I own now, but not all, because I enjoy them as they are, and more importantly could not see a significant improvement in many. The most important factor to take in mind with DVD is that in order to advance into the digital age, all media now must be unified into one format. DVD will become recordable, will have better than CD quality sound for music, and will most likely bear HD quality. Why is this necessary? Because then the public at large can invest in one player for all their needs and then focus their spending on HD televisions which will take a long, long time to come down in price to where NTSC sets are, if they ever do. To fully take advantage of technology, they will want receivers and speaker systems as well. And, of course, there will be yet more digital technology available. This brings me back to my ideas about being forced to buy new players. With technology unifying, one may have to buy a new DVD player, but eventually with Super DVD, they will not have to buy new VCRs or CD players either, and their old DVD and CD libraries will not be so obsolete, as they do look wonderful and sound as good as they are. One last point I would like to make deals with the studios and the way they release and re-release titles. As technology improves, of course they will put out new editions, but I do not think that is the average consumer’s worry. I think with the coming of HD, people worry that they will not release their films in near theatre-quality format. I think this opinion is partially true. They will not right away, which is another reason to enjoy DVD as it is now. They will release their films like this for some time before doing so on HD, but I think eventually they will. They are businessmen, and this precludes them supporting it fully right away as they want to maximize revenue, but eventually that will be the only way to release their libraries yet again. They also are dealers in an art form. While they may lose sight of this a lot of the time, that fact will catch up to them. The public will eventually demand better quality, as will the artists who will want their work preserved the best possible way for future generations. Often technology on the market is behind where it is in the labs or even in some other incarnation on the shelves, because it takes time to develop it commercially. LaserDiscs, without mass penetration, lasted 20 years. The DVD market has already grown faster than any other format and will not go away, even with HD around, until the market is fully ready to do so.
Nathaniel Lloyd, Boston, Massachusetts
Editor Gary Reber Comments:
Thank you for your thought-provoking letter and contribution to the dialogue. I agree with much you have stated, and I believe others will be in agreement as well.
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