Issue #1

In the tradition of people writing for web pages it always seems the best way to start out is to introduce one's self. In that tradition, my name is Ken Pierce, and I'll be a contributing editor here at dvdfuture.com. I hail from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where DVD and CD prices are the best in the world. It's probably because the weather has a tendency to get cold, and that means people stay indoors. My background is in computers, with a minor in entertainment junkie. I've always loved the entertainment industry, and particularly the film industry.

I became enamored with DVD a few years back when I heard it was coming. I had begun seriously thinking about a laserdisc player, because VHS tapes just weren't cutting it for my home video needs. As I started doing research on laserdisc, I came across several articles about the new format "in the pipe", DVD. I decided to hold off on the laserdisc player until I could see what DVD had to offer. I had no idea DVD would be so late, but in the end it was worth the delay.

I decided not to purchase one of the first generation of DVD players, knowing full-well what first generation technology can be like. I also could see that there weren't a lot of titles on DVD yet, and I wanted to be sure that the format would gain at least the laserdisc-style niche following before laying down my hard-earned cash. After all, who wants to dump money on a format which could be the next eight-track?

I had a good idea what features I wanted in a DVD player. First and foremost was component video outputs, because I knew I'd be purchasing a High-Definition Television Set at some point down the road, and wanted to have the best possible signal to put into that set. Other features which were nice, but not necessary, included a Dolby Digital decoder with analog outputs and of course the pre-requisite excellent picture and sound quality. I eventually decided to go with the Toshiba SD-3107 DVD player, which was one of the top players at the time. In a textbook example of Murphy's Law, about a month after I purchased my 3107 the SD-3108 with DTS sound appeared. Oh well, can't win 'em all. The 3107 offered most of the features I was after, including the component outputs. It doesn't have a Dolby Digital decoder built in, but that wasn't a prerequisite because I didn't have a Dolby Digital-Ready receiver anyhow. That just means I'll have to pick up a DD receiver at some point down the road.

Overall, the Toshiba SD-3107 has proven to be a very good player for me. The jog shuttle on the front is handier than I thought it would be, especially when looking for that elusive frame with the "flub" in it. My only complaints would be with layer changes, which seem a little slow on the player. If anyone has any suggestions for calibrating this like you can on the Sony players please feel free to email me.

On the movie front, I immediately began a DVD collection. I picked up three DVDs with the player, The Crow, Scarface and Dante's Peak. Upon getting the player home, the first thing I did (obviously) was hook it up, and my wife and I sat down and watched The Crow. The picture and sound were amazing, and this isn't even a DVD that really takes advantage of the format. Needless to say, we were hopelessly hooked. Since that day, our collection has grown to its current 46 titles, with an average of a title a week being added to that. The format has proven good enough that we're replacing favorite titles we already own on VHS with the DVD version, including movies like Trainspotting, Scream and Pulp Fiction.

In future, I'll be submitting articles on a number of different subjects, including a close examination of some movies and their DVD editions, the state of the DVD industry, DVD publishing, DVD problems, the studios and their DVDs, and many many more subjects. I'm a person who is known for having an opinion, and trust me, I'll be posting it. Also, Calgary is a bit of a hotbed for film productions these days, and if I can swing it I hope to get some interviews from various people in the film industry regarding their feelings toward DVD and where they'd like to see it go. Anyhow, until next time, go watch a movie!