Willamette Week | Gift Guide 3

dvd
BY DAVID WALKER

DVD Players. What's the next item to join your turntable and eight-track in gathering dust? Your VCR. Major studios are phasing out VHS tapes, and retailers are starting to clear shelves for DVDs. Now is the time to invest in a DVD player. DVDs provide better picture and sound quality than tapes, as well as such cool features as multiple language tracks, wide-screen presentation and automatic scene selection.

*Low-end DVD Players
Purchasing a DVD player is more complex than buying a new car. There are so many models, with so many features, that it can get overwhelming. Decent players like the Philips DVD 711 ($200, Circuit City, various locations) will serve your basic viewing needs.

Mid- to high-end DVD Players
Players with multi-disc carousels are hot commodities in the DVD world. Sure, not too many people will use them to watch several movies back-to-back or in random scene-shuffling mode, but multi-disc DVD players can replace CD players. The Sony DVP-660--a five-disc player ($350, Best Buy, various locations) is typical of models available.

Movies on DVD. Good movies provide about two hours of entertainment, but a good DVD--loaded with bonus features--can keep you busy for days. Audio commentary from filmmakers and cast, deleted scenes,
trailers and behind-the-scenes footage are some of the great bonuses to be found on better discs.

Digital Versatile Discs
Finding the best DVD to give as a gift depends on the taste of the gift recipient. Some of the best discs out there--in terms of bonus material--include Casablanca, Silence of the Lambs, Jaws, Fight Club, Out of Sight, Taxi Driver, Brazil and The Matrix. Disc prices generally range from $10 to $30. Circuit City, Tower Video, Suncoast Motion Picture Company and Fred Meyer usually have the best selections. Savings up to 50 percent can be found on the Internet at DVDexpress.com and Buy.com.

DVDs for Kids
Children of all ages can enjoy some of the great DVDs that are out there. The Toy Story Box Set ($70, Suncoast Motion Picture Company) features both Toy Story movies and an extra disc of bonus material. The Powerpuff Girls is available on DVD, with each disc including 10 episodes and bonus materials ($20, Tower Video). The Wizard of Oz Collector's Edition ($50, Suncoast Motion Picture Company) includes a second disc of bonus material featuring deleted scenes, documentary and production notes.