[John Corn]

Just when you thought you were ecstatic over your DVD player, a new, even better-looking movie format comes along to confuse the home-video picture.

Thanks to the success of movies on DVD, most people figure that the future of home entertainment is on disc. But new D-Theater digital videocassettes, which look like ordinary VHS tapes, hold up to 50 gigabytes of data - an entire movie in high-definition format, about twice the resolution of DVDs.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techreviews/products/2002-08-27-digital-recorder_x.htm

 

[James_F]

I won't say a word. :bitingmytongue:

 

[MarkA]

DVDs offer many advantages other than quality, but I can see these having a market.

 

[invaliduser88]

Problems with tape:

Tapes wear out

VCR can sometimes eat tapes

Magnetic sources can erase or distort the content of tape

Tape is bulker than DVD. (Can't take it with you to watch on your laptop while on a trip)

Tape must be rewound.

 

[Rick_EE]

One of the things (one of the only things) I disliked about DVD's is stopping the disk, removing it, and returning where I left off.



My kids can run the vcr. Just stick it in and it autoplays. The dvd player I had, the disks often had main menus to navigate.

 

[MarkA]

"One of the things (one of the only things) I disliked about DVD's is stopping the disk, removing it, and returning where I left off."

Huh? Never has been a problem for me. Explain your problem in more detail.

"My kids can run the vcr. Just stick it in and it autoplays. The dvd player I had, the disks often had main menus to navigate."

How old are they? Using a game console is far harder than a DVD player. Generally to start a movie all they would have to do is insert the disc, and push play when the menu pops up (some movies have to be the exception. Like Stuart Little which defaults to 2-ch sound. Talk about a PITA)

 

[James_F]

:tryingtobenice:

How can anyone want to have a VCR anymore? What are you all crazy? Arghh!

 

[Guest]

I'm sure with newer technology DVD will store even more information. They will have HD-DVD in the future I bet.

 

[Rick_EE]

My kids are 5,4, and 1. The 1 year old can run the vcr. We have one of the combo units and he doesn't even have to be on the right channel. Most kids stuff is not on DVD.



I mean you take out the tape, it stays right where you left off. If you put in a DVD you have to search for where you were by chapter.

 

[MarkA]

"Most kids stuff is not on DVD."

Gosh you need to run down to Wal-Mart! While it's true that most VHS are ONLY kids stuff and a couple of the newest releases, EVERY new release (including kids ones) are coming out on DVD. Also, many made-for-video programs, including the VeggieTales (God, even I love the VeggieTales! Who doesn't? ), are now coming out on DVD.

" mean you take out the tape, it stays right where you left off."

DVDs let you do that too I think most SA players let you, and my computer (running PowerDVD 4 XP and ATI DVD) lets you, so I think most computer programs do.

 

[Rick_EE]

The DVD I had did not. I have yet to get a free DVD with a toy. Lots of tapes.



My point is not to say tapes are better, but to show that they are not going away soon and there are some advantages.

 

[lee635]

Until standalone dvd recorders become the norm, tape recorders will have an advantage. And wow 50 gbytes of data, that's a lot of storage....

 

[markh]

James, $54 for a hi-fi 4 head Toshiba VCR to record OTA out here in the sticks.

$399.99 for a SA TIVO + $12 or $13 per month to do the same thing.

Who's crazy?

 

[belsokar]

personnaly, i think DVHS is good for HDTV...do i think it is a format that will last? No...is it a format that I want? No...but it forces HD-DVD into the fray sooner than later...it also forces HD-DVD to hit the market at a reasonable price...basically, its creating competition...which means whenever HD-DVD hits the street, it will have some competition, making it harder for the manufacturers to rape the early adapters...

 

[James_F]

I didn't pay a dime for my DirecTiVo. Anyway a show recorded on a DirecTiVo looks 100% better than any tape recording.

Look I never said that VCRs shouldn't be used for todays recordings. I don't think that they are the furture. Would I pay $60 for a VCR? No, but I do have a working one. :shrug: I get your point, its just that DVHS isn't the solution.