1) what kind of criteria should we be looking for? Technical, aesthetic, etc....

2) Any particular companies that are the "best"?

3) Since I'm new to the DVD scene also, do we have to flip DVDs partway through a movie, a la laserdics? My cousin had to do that partway through every movie, and that was so annoying. What are the time capacities for DVDs nowadays?

2) I have a PC DVD-ROM drive, so I can't answer that one.

3) There ARE some DVD's that are "flippers". They're generally disliked, because you can store the same amount of data one a dual-layered disc (most "flippers" seem to be single layered), which you don't have to turn around. There are two-sided DVDs which have the widescreen version on one side and the pan & scan version on the other. I don't care for the 4:3 pan & scan versions, but I don't have to watch them, after all. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is an example for this.

Some discs do however yes, contain the full screen version on one side, and the widescreen on the other. Some have the movie on one side, supplements on the other. These latter two options you should not shy away from....

Also new to the DVD world are discs now as DVD-18. The mini series Stepehen King's The Stand was the first such release on this special disc with a capacity of just over 8 hours (4hrs per side).

It'll be the upcoming release of Terminator 2: Special Edition that is REALLY going to make DVD-18 big. Also the DVD-18 of Men In Black.

You may also want to consider a carousel player (5 or 6 DVDs/CDs).

"The Stand" truly does make excellent use of the technology available. Half the mini-series is on side 1 and the other half on side 2.

The DVDs I've seen have all featured very sharp images. Many of the studios have gone back to their vaults and restored their titles from the original negatives. Some look better on DVD than they ever looked in a theater!

As for DVDs, there is no better value for your money than what the DVD with extras can offer. Everyone except Disney seems to accept and use that premise in their marketing.

I think at least European releases are sometimes still produced as flippers. But then, code 2 DVDs are generally not as good as the US releases. That's why it's so important in Europe to have a codefree player.

That is crazy. The same thing happened to my Panasonic, the optical pickup needed to be replaced. It was bad from the very day I bought it, it would constantly freeze on certain frames and nothing I could do, short of power cycling it, would help.

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Isn't DVD-18 a 2-sided, double-layered disc? Or do I confuse something?

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That's correct, It is essentially a 2 sided dual layer disc. HUGE capacity.

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I think at least European releases are sometimes still produced as flippers. But then, code 2 DVDs are generally not as good as the US releases. That's why it's so important in Europe to have a codefree player.

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Damn right. I in fact own a region1 only Panasonic A310 player as ai refuse to be a part of region 2. The PAL video format also upsets me with it's 4% speedup. R1 all the way. Hehe, I just got 3 Kings and The Insider this morning. Yeah!

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Anyway, "Fight Club" is reportedly coming out in June, featuring TWO seperated DVDs, filled with tons of extra material

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June 6th the 2 disc fightclub is released. Anamorphic 2:35.1, dolby digital surround ex, 4 commentary tracks, storyboards, trailers, deleted scenes, alternate ending and MORE.

Movie and commentaries on disc 1, suppelemtns on disc 2. Independence Day is also a 2 disc dvd set coming from Fox very soon.

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...as the code 2 disc coming out in May will be a single DVD - one more reason for me to wait for the US release.

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HA, well in England at least this film was hacked by censors, meaning the dvds commentaries will be non existent on the region 2 due to the fact they'd run out of sync with the image due to the edits to the movie. Doesn't surprise me the R2 would be one disd.

Another nice release is "Dragonheart", which I got yesterday - my first code 2 DVD. The original audio track is of course ten times better than the German synch (who can top Sean Connery, anyway), but the German track is fine to have if you want to show it to friends who don't speak English that well. I think (hope) that the PAL speedup doesn't THAT much difference, at least I was able to enjoy the film.

It has a director's commentary track, a 45 minute making of, 7 (!) trailers, 2 outtakes, 2:35 widescreen (wouldn't have bought it otherwise; I think it's supposed to be anamorphic, though it doesn't say so on the packaging - any idea how I can be sure?) and - the RC2 disc only - 7 different language tracks. Of course, I don't understand more than 2 and a half of them. Great image and sound quality, too (and I found out that there has to be something utterly wrong with my surround settings...). Isolated score track would've been fine, though, there are some nice cues that don't appear on the CD.

Well, I'll find out either way soon...

Thanks for the continued suggestions!

Alwin,

Alternate endings 99.9% of the time will sit in the discs supplemental section where you view it seperately from the feature itself.

Dan: I think in the documentary, it says that it was made for the Laserdisc release. But maybe there were different releases. The DVD says "collector's edition", after all - although I've not heard of a "normal" release.

Dragonheart was released on laserdisc as a Special Edition with all the supplements you see on the DVD now but minus the anamorphic transfer a few years back, so yes, the DVD has uses the LDs extras.

There was also a stand alone "movie only" LD of Dragonheart in Dolby Digital, and a "movie only" DTS LD of the movie. I have the latter.

On DVD you have the option of yes, that Colectors Edition, OR a "movie only" DTS DVD.

Dan (again(

NP: The Insider (*****/*****)

The 'burbs has the original ending. In most cases, the original ending contained on a DVD as supplemental material is usually either the ending that was changed as a result of test audience/studio reaction. I don't think there's ever been a case of a different ending being shot just for the home video release. Army of Darkness is another example. The original ending - with Ash in the future - was shown with the theatrical version overseas, whereas in the US, we get the climax inside S-Mart. The 2-disc DVD contains the "Director's Cut" (including the future ending and lods of cut-out scenes), as well as Sam & Ivan Raimi/Bruce Campbell commentary, behind-the-scenes making-of, storyboard photos, trailers, and other neat-o stuff.