Jim Scholtz wrote:
> I must say that, until today, I've been viewing all this DVD craze with
> some hefty spectism - probably due to my age and my unwillingness to leet
> go of video (VHS format). On the Today program this morning I saw a DVD
> video camera that will be going on the market soon for $1500-$1800. Now,
> presumably, when it comes on the market, VHS, C-VHS and 8mm video cameras
> will hit the wall price-wise and come tumbling down (heck, they're already
> available for $400+). The fact that DVD wasn't easily a recordable medium
> has put the stops on it consumerwise in the recent past - as was the
> problem with laser/magnetic discs in the 80s. I also happened to see the
> new DVD title - Star Trek the next generation - ressurection shown at
> K-Mart. The store had a "comfy" chair and surround sound equipment set up
> with a 54in TV in front - all you needed extra was beer and chips to
> provide the ultimate viewing experience!! Also that title was being sold
> for $20 and they were all sold out. I was sin heaven and my son wanted to
> buy everything!! Luckily, he has very little money. I am convinced that
> DVD is here to stay. I'm not so sure that the medium is more archival in
> nature than VHS, or more stable/indestructible or longer-lasting (remember,
> archivists said video seems to be outlasting some CDs - the pits on some
> music CDs seem to be "popping" up in irregular fashion. I'm not quite ready
> to give my VHS player and titles to the dump yet and think that, with the
> number of VHS recorders currently in homes today, that VHS will still be
> around for the next 5-years but the market certainly is going the DVD way.
> Now, we'll just have to convince the educational vendors to retool for DVD
> duplication instead of VHS - that may take a while, because it's a costly
> retooling. Jim Scholtz.