On March 25th, Palmer Video in Midland Park, NJ began renting both DVD software and players. (Other chains making the same offer are Super Video, Great American Video, and Video Video.) For $24.95, you can take home a Toshiba 2006 player and two DVD movies for two days. Each additional movie rents for $3.49; I took a total of four (all they would allow). What a great way to see what DVD is all about without having to make a big investment!

I was very anxious to evaluate DVD on my system which includes a Faroudja Line Doubler, an NEC Data Grade Projector, and a Stewart VideoTech screen measuring 8 feet wide by 4.5 feet high (16:9 ratio). The audio portion includes a Shure Dolby Pro Logic Decoder, a Carver THX certified 5-channel power amp and M&K; speakers all around, including the powered sub.

I adjusted one of my projector’s stored configurations to reduce the projected screen height to a 16:9 aspect ratio so I could take advantage of DVD’s anamorphic mode.

I sat through Goldeneye, Batman, Eraser, and Bladerunner. As I mentioned in a previous message I’ve had experience with some serious digital signal processing, so I watched with a critical eye.

Any doubts or questions I may have had about DVD were totally swept away. I’ve spent a lot of time with VHS, S-VHS, LD, and D2, but DVD simply produces the best video picture I have seen short of HDTV. DVD worked well with the line doubler to present an image as close to film as I’ve achieved yet. I was surprised at just how impressive DVD is: the sharpness and level of detail, the color purity, the complete absence of noise, and the complete lack of color smearing all amazed me. And I did not notice one digital artifact.

(There was a scene in Eraser that threw me for a while. Toward the end of the film, the Arnold walks to the left of the screen with rustling leaves behind him. There were significant distortions in that scene. I went back and looked at it again and realized that the director may have shot that scene over the flames of the burning car. I think I was looking at scintillation. Did anyone see Eraser in a theater who can confirm? Or am I looking at MPEG-2 gone South? If it is scintillation, it was not presented well; but, if this is the worst DVD has to offer, it’s trivial compared to the benefits.)

I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m sold. I already placed my order for a Sony player, and I’m planning to buy as many DVD movies of interest as are offered (BTW, our local CD World in Totowa is now selling DVDs at 20% off list). If the format fails (and I sure hope it doesn’t), at least I’ll have some really good source material until HDTV takes over in five to ten years.

Regards to all,

Dan