Alan Smithee

The first Panasonic demo disc includes a very fast-moving clip from "Twister" (in 4x3 pan and scan) that looked incredibly awful in the stores I saw it at. I thought they were brave to include a clip like that which showed off the format's shortcomings so easily. Most of the video footage shot for the disc had very little motion. When I got ahold of that disc and watched it at home, I have to say the "Twister" clip didn't look so bad however.

I remember buying Twister on laserdisc for 15 bucks (a low price at the time) from a Blockbuster that was clearing out their LDs in favor of DVDs, and I was extremely angry that they would do that. I'd heard of some stores dumping LDs even BEFORE DVD had come out, but they were that sure DVD was going to kill it off. I actually have more of the early DVD titles on laserdisc than I do on DVD. Ironically Twister was one of the first DVD titles, but was also one of the last HD-DVDs released (and one of the few that I don't have as I haven't been able to find it very cheap.)

The Matrix was the first DVD to sell over a million copies. Kind of funny seeing it in stores now, is there anyone out there who hasn't bought it yet that still wants it?

dvdshonna

The first Panasonic demo disc includes a very fast-moving clip from "Twister"

I had forgotten about the "Twister" demo. First time I saw a DVD player on display,
and it had those digital "blocks" or "squares" you sometime see on fast moving
pictures.

Thinking back, I believe that "Twister" demo had a lot to do with me holding off on the DVD
format for a few years. Did anyone actually look at that demo before they released it for
public display?

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Trading DVDs

DonnachaOne

Had the sequels not almost completely destroyed that film's legacy and continued place in pop culture, it might still be something people constantly watch, buy, and recommend. The first film is still great stuff.

brayzie

I started hearing about DVD players around 2000-2001. I went to Circuit City and they had the original Nosferatu on DVD for only $19.99. I was thinking this was awesome for some reason, even though for years you could buy it on VHS at Thrifty's for $4.

Anyways, I saw that they had all these special features like documentaries, commentaries, etc, so that sealed the deal for someone like me. I also thought the format and amaray cases looked slick.

The store guy recommended a Panasonic over the Sony. The first DVD I bought for it was The Crow Collector's Edition. The menu screen seemed so cool at the time, and TWO DISCS!

From then on I was spending all my money on DVDs. The Crow Collector's Edition, Akira barebones edition, THE KILLER (best DVD I own), A Better Tomorrow, Hardboiled, T2 Ultimate Edition, were bought in those order.

Unlike VHS I never rented DVDs thinking that the scratched up discs would somehow ruin my player. I would just buy what I wanted to watch.

Seeing The Terminator Special Edition with its foil cover at Wherehouse seemed like the best DVD ever. The menu screen was awesome and even my cousin was wow'd by it.

My experience with DVDs peaked when I bought Blade Runner The Final Cut 4-disc set. A work of art, with an amazing set of special features and great menu design.

RoadToPerdition

15 years later and they still haven't solved the problem of floaters.

davidh777

I have the snapper DVD and the HD DVD set; have been debating the BD set for a while now

Xiroteus

December 2004 because overall prices where not as insane as they were before and used prices were finally better, funny thing that just seven years later I can now get used blu-rays cheaper then I got used DVDs back then, prices did start dropping fast. Even these days I rarely go past ten dollars for a movie.

Regulus

In August of 2004 I went "Totally DVD" for the first time, and it wasn't voluntary. Hurricane Francis had just roared across Florida, the Cable Reception was out for nearly two weeks. I took out $100.00 and purchased a dozen movies on DVD to tide me over until service was restored. It hit me, it was fun watching TV without any Commercials, which had gotten pretty insane in 2004, but nowhere near what was about to happen over the next couple of years. Fortunately by then, prices of DVDs of Movies and TV Shows had dropped to the point where I could shift my entertainment expenses to them from Pay-TV. My Signature bears Testimony to how well I've done since then!

UAIOE

I remember when it came out on DVD, that was pretty much the "must own" movie of late 1999. It was like that was the required purchase when you picked up a DVD player.