With the invention of the DVD the VCR took a major seat on the back burner. Within a couple months of its introduction the DVD quickly became the staple of the movie market. Not only did the DVD offer stronger quality in sound and video than VCR tapes, you could fit much more onto a single piece of media, thus allowing for dvd movies that once required 2 tapes to be brought down to one regular disc. The disc freed up much needed space on bookshelves and drawers throughout the nation. The introduction of the DVD allowed film and movie makers to push farther into the realm of computer enhanced visual effects.
I have had a VCR/DVD player for four years. In the past year we have used the VCR portion maybe five times. We rent or buy dvds and are able to see all the latest movies and to view them in pristine color with outstanding sound. We are now looking to buy another DVD player with HD and use the current one is a spare room. The cost is below $300 and with the availability of HD almost universal, we will enjoy the experiences of our own movie theater.
DVD technology has changed the face of home theater watching. In the past, VHS tapes would lose quality over time as they were played over and over. However, now, with DVD video, movies never lose their quality. DVD movie also introduces additional features, like deleted scenes, easter eggs and other interesting supplementals to movies which were not possible with VHS tapes.
When you buy dvds you have to make sure that the region code of that movie is compatible with that of your player. Especially make sure you don't buy a blu ray movie instead of a regular dvd. There are eight region codes dividing the world in eight copyright zones. This code has been introduced to protect the copyright of the content publishers. The coding of DVDs also help to ensure that a majority of the people who want to enjoy a clear picture, the must buy dvds that are not pirated.