HELP: What should newbies to DVD know?? (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

Hey Guys.
Some of you might have seen the HTF project thread "WHAT EVERY HT NEWBIE SHOULD KNOW". We're hoping the HTF community can compile a good primer of knowledge HT newcomers should understand.
So far the information has been dominated by hardware and technical format posts- and I wanted to make sure the SOFTWARE tips get their place as well.
Just so you know, no one has yet addressed the topics of:
THX certification (most newbies think its a sound format)
Why do dvds come in different kinds of cases?
DVDs to show off video quality.
What are laserdiscs, and is there any reason to own them anymore? (how does laser compare to DVD?)
and anything else you can think of.
Come on SOFTWARE GURUS, share a quick nugget of knowledge with all the HT newbies!!
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=55635
-Vince

 

[Jack Briggs]

Hey, Vince: I'll chime in here in an hour or two. Great idea, btw! JB

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Vince,

I threw down a simple look at DVD types and the reason behind the layer shift. I could be all F'ed up so someone edit my stuff. I hope it helps!

Take care,

Chuck

 

[David Lambert]

Just curious...isn't all of this already covered in Jim Taylor's excellent DVD FAQ?
No offense...

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I could be all F'ed up so someone edit my stuff.

Could someone check Chuck's layer description and email him to let him know if he left anything out or made mistakes? Thanks!

-V

 

[Paul_D]

I figured I'd just suggest the common questions from the newcomers to the software area and give members a chnace to provide a decent introduction to the concepts.

Super idea. I've contributed a Criterion breakdown.

 

[Keith_R]

I contributed a bit on easter eggs, what they are, how to find them etc.

 

[Greg_Y]

Vince, I sent you an e-mail concerning two things about the FAQ. Thanks.

 

[Artur Meinild]

Greg - your breakdown of the different Evil Dead / AOD releases is genius. These titles are asked about once a week, very useful.
I don't really feel I can add anything to that thread, but the ones who have contributed so far has done a very good job!

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Here is the current table of contents, and I'm sure you can see topics that are missing from a basic newbie primer:
Table of Contents
I. General Concepts
Home Theater Means Accuracy & Calibration
Who Invented DVD?
HDTV Overview
DVD vs. CD, they look the same
DVD vs. VHS, why we need DVD
Why DVDs are letterboxed
Why Some DVDs aren't letterboxed
Common Film Aspect Ratios
Music Listening as Part of Your Home Theater
II. Software Concepts & Specifics
Anamorphic DVD
Dolby Digital Audio Format
DTS Audio Format
Understanding older Surround formats and modern 5.1 (and 6.1) formats
A 7.1 format
Layer Change Pause, Dual/Single Layered DVDs
HD-DVD: High Definition DVD
The Criterion Collection, and its purpose
Twin Peaks on DVD, and proper viewing order
Evil Dead on DVD buyer guide {!GREAT INFO!}
Great sounding DVDs to show off my system
Easter Eggs on DVD?
Why are DVDs released on Tuesdays?
III. Hardware Concepts & Specifics
Understanding of Basic Hardware
General Hookup Tips
DVD setup with 16:9 TVs.
Amplifiers & Preamplifiers
Why You Need So many Speakers
Do I really need a subwoofer??
More on the purpose of Subwoofers
Dipole Type Speakers
Basic speaker designs and functions
Line conditioners and surge protectors
Color and Video Signals
IV. Shopping, Buying, Choosing
How to decide what to buy (best bang for the buck)
More advice on picking components
Choosing Speakers
Isn't Bose the best?
Advice on Auditioning and Shopping
More Auditioning Tips
More Auditioning/Shopping Tips
Budgeting for HT, what you need
Specific Components Suggested
V. Advanced Concepts
Amplifier Wattage and how it realted to actual speaker output
What's an OHM?
Crossovers
-Vince

 

[Bruce F]

Vince...

I haven't clicked on the links specifically to read them yet. But reading through the topic list, it strikes me that if I were a newbie (and thinking back to when my sister first got DVD), one of the topic headings that would have been useful would be "Why you can't hook up your DVD to your VCR"

Which would lead in to a brief discussion about Macrovision, I guess.. but it is such a common mistake by DVD newbies who don't read the manuals. Of course, I'm the kind of person that likes to know "why" things work or not, beyond knowing that they don't. It would be one of the first things I'd be looking for in your document. It may well be that you covered it, but the topic heading doesn't really nail it down to what I think it should be.

Just my 2 cents. I'm going to go back and read the whole thing this weekend (I'm in crunch mode at work right now) and see if I can give you any other tidbits that strike me.

Bless you for working on this. A grand idea!

 

[Ryan L B]

what does bare bones, J6P, special edition, pan and scan, fullscreen mean. I asked my folks these questions and nobody knew any of these things.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

LAST CALL GUYS!
This goes into the archives on May 1st, and I'd still love to see some of these topics covered:
- good looking DVDs to show off my display device (heck, this was discussed just last month- one could compile the better titles from that thread, add in the suggested titles on the ISF site, and look like a genius!).
- Why the different DVD packages, and who came up with this cardboard crap?
- What's an SVS?
- Composite vs. Svideo vs. Component Video Connections
- Macrovision
- Sources for DVD reviews or specs on the web (trusted review sites)
- Special Edition vs Bare-Bones, definitions (Different Brandings: Infinifilm, 5-star, Ultimate Editions, etc)
- Why expensive DVDs on Ebay (Spinal Tap, Killer, Salo)?
- What is seamless branching?
- Anything else newbies might find helpful
Come on, take 10 minutes and give something back to the HTF community that has helped you so many times!
-Vince