There is so much to learn about DVD and often your question will relate to a situation individual to your particular home theatre setup or the DVD you are watching. If you can't find what you need below we suggest you search the web or see your local Hi-Fi dealer.

Customers outside of Australia - Please note that outside of specifying the Region(s) and System for a particular title we are unable to offer any advice on the compatibility of our discs for your player. See your local Hi-Fi expert if you are in any doubt.

What is DVD ?

What is Regional Coding and why does it matter ?

Audio Performance Issues

Video Performance Issues

Compatibility Issues

Region Coding

Special Options

DVD Audio

Superbit DVDs

UMDs for PSP

HD-DVD

Blu-Ray Discs

3D Blu-Ray Discs

Digital Copy's

DualDisc

SACD

Ultraviolet

DVD Glossary

 

What DVD Is

A DVD looks like a CD but is a much more powerful medium, packing in 25 times the information that a CD does. A DVD can hold up to 17 gigabytes of data that typically includes a full-length motion picture on just one of its four available tracks, multichannel surround sound as well as a dubbed soundtrack for several languages. DVD's use an entirely new disc structure and a new compression standard, MPEG II. DVDs are a future-proofed medium, using advanced technology that takes advantage of the performance of features of high-resolution televisions, theatre-quality sound systems and advanced 3-D arcade-quality game consoles.

Most of the DVDs that we carry are coded for Region 4 and are not intended (and unsuitable) for sale outside of Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean.

Q: What's the big deal about digital technology?
A: Digital technology reduces vast amounts of information to a single bitstream that requires much less storage space. That's the big deal.

Q: What is a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) and what are the benefits over videotape and Laserdisc?
A: A DVD is a CD-sized disc that's capable of storing almost five gigabytes
of information per side. Most full-length movies will fit on one side of a DVD, with up to 500 lines of resolution (compared to VHS' 250) and multichannel audio, plus a host of features like interactive menus, subtitles, additional language tracks and director's commentary.

Q: How are DVDs able to store so much more information than a compact disc (CD)?
A: Information is recorded on both CDs and DVDs through a series of pits embedded in the disc. Because the pits on a DVD are so much smaller, it can hold up to seven times as much information as a CD.

Q: What is a dual-layer disc, and what are the benefits?
A: One of the great benefits that DVD offers is its ability to store information on both sides of the disc and in two layers on each side of the disc. Although no one has been able to practically create a dual-layer, dual-sided disc yet, many studios have used single-sided dual-layer discs for movies that won't fit on one side of a single-layer DVD. The movie is stored on two layers sandwiched on one side of the disc, both of which your DVD player reads seamlessly. This way, you don't have to flip the disc over to continue watching the movie. For movies that aren't too long to fit on one side of a disc, some studios have chosen to put the pan & scan and letterbox versions on two layers on one side. On these discs, as soon as you put the DVD in the player, it will ask you which format you want to see the movie in, then read that layer.

Q: Why are some DVD players so much more expensive than others?
A: The more expensive players offer faster processing, which gives you smooth fast-forward and reverse search, and faster menu response. You'll also see component video outputs on the back of these high-end players. Some even have separate optical pickups for playing DVDs and CDs, which are supposed to give you better sound. According to the DVD spec, all NTSC DVD players have an internal Dolby Digital decoder, but in most cases this decoder only outputs stereo (two-channel) audio. If you want multichannel sound, you can plug a digital connector into an external decoder to get 5.1 channels. Some of the more expensive players have a full internal 5.1-channel Dolby Digital decoder, too. If you have one of these players, you don't need to invest in a Dolby Digital processor, but you do need a processor that will accept multichannel inputs. However, keep in mind that you won't want your DVD player's internal decoder to be the only Dolby Digital in your system. Somewhere down the line you'll want a Dolby Digital receiver to take care of processing for other digital sources, such as HDTV.

 

 

Audio & Video Performance

Q: What is the difference between Dolby Pro-Logic and Dolby Digital?
A: The Pro Logic, or Dolby Surround, sound you've heard on videotapes and laserdiscs in the past is what's called a "matrixed" soundtrack. The left, center, right and surround tracks are combined into two channels in the studio, then decoded by your Pro Logic receiver out to the original four in your home theater. But Pro Logic doesn't give you stereo surrounds like Dolby Digital, and sometimes the channels leak into each other.

Dolby Digital provides "discrete" channels of information that aren't combined then extracted again like Pro Logic. Though the original channels are combined into a bitstream, the information is compressed instead of "matrixed." For this reason, 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtracks provide stereo surrounds, and the channels don't bleed into one another. A seperate ".1" subwoofer track provides more well-defined bass, too.

Here's a blow by blow definition of many of the popular sound formats you'll see:

Dolby Digital Mono This program features a mono soundtrack encoded to AC-3 bitstream. When played through Dolby Digital equipment, sound will be heard from the center channel speaker only. If no center channel is available, both the left and right front speakers will play the same monophonic sound.

Dolby Digital Stereo This program features a stereo soundtrack encoded to AC-3 bitstream. When played through Dolby Digital equipment, sound will be heard from the front left and front right speakers only.

Dolby Digital Surround This program features a matrixed surround soundtrack encoded to an AC-3 bitstream. When played through Dolby Digital equipment, sound will be heard from all five system speakers. The surround information will be monophonic.

Dolby Digital 4.0 This program features a discrete four channel soundtrack encoded to an AC-3 bitstream. When played through Dolby Digital equipment, sound will be heard from all five system speakers. The surround information will be discrete monophonic.

Dolby Digital 5.0 This program features a discrete five channel soundtrack encoded to an AC-3 bitstream. When played through Dolby Digital equipment, discrete sound will be heard from all five system speakers.

Dolby Digital 5.1 This program features a discrete 5.1 (5 speakers + subwoofer) channel soundtrack encoded to an AC-3 bitstream. When played through Dolby Digital equipment, discrete sound will be heard from all five system speakers and the subwoofer.

PCM This program features an uncompressed digital stereo soundtrack for improved fidelity. When played, discrete stereo sound will be heard from the front right and front left speakers.

DTS This program features a discrete 5.1 (5 speakers + subwoofer) channel soundtrack and must be played through DTS-capable equipment. When played through DTS equipment, sound will be heard from all five system speakers and the subwoofer.

DTS-ES The DTS-ES program includes the introduction of the new DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 format, which employs a new, proprietary technology for the playback of discrete, 6.1-channel content from DVDs and CDs. This latest innovation from DTS is the first of its kind, and it elevates the performance standard for playback of the DTS 6.1-channel Extended Surround format introduced in motion picture theaters last year.

Dolby Digital EX Dolby Digital EX is an enhancement to the very popular Dolby Digital. Dolby Digital contains a 5.1 sound format with 3 speakers in the front, 2 in the back/rear (called the surround), and a single bass unit. The EX adds a third channel to the surround giving a listener a 3 in the front, 3 in the back, and 1 sub listening experience. EX/ES sound formats are better than their 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS relatives. Dolby Digital EX is also often referred to as Surround EX, Dolby Digital Surround EX, EX, DD-EX, DDEX, and Dolby Digital 6.1, which are all synonyms. Just the same, DTS ES is also DTS-ES.

 

 

Q: Why Are All DVD Disks Labeled "Dolby Digital" But Some Do Not Play in 5.1 Channel Surround?
A: Some DVDs play back in 5.1 channel surround, some in Dolby Surround, and some in mono or stereo. All DVD discs, however, are labeled Dolby Digital because Dolby Digital was selected as the primary encoding system for the DVD standard. But Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital 5.1 do not mean the same thing. In this case, Dolby Digital is the "carrier" or vehicle that contains the sound track. The sound track can be anything from mono to 5.1 channel sound, but it is always encoded in Dolby Digital on a DVD disc. Some disc packages identify the sound track contained on the disc, some do not. Dolby Digital is capable of downmixing a sound track. For example, if the DVD has a 5.1 channel sound track, it will also be able to play in Dolby Surround, stereo or mono. But if the disc only has Dolby Surround, it cannot "upmix" to 5.1 channels.

 

Q: Why isn't working?
A: To enjoy DTS sound, make sure of the following:

DISCS: The discs you are playing must be encoded with DTS. The DTS logo will appear on the box.

DVD PLAYER: The DTS logo will appear on the front of the DVD player if it is capable of decoding DTS discs. The DVD player must also be connected to the receiver with a digital cable (coaxial or optical)

DVD PLAYER - DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT SETTING: The Digital Audio Output setting of the DVD player must be set to "DTS On/Yes".

 

 

Q: What is an anamorphic DVD?
A: When a widescreen movie is transferred to home video, the black bars at the top and bottom of the picture are usually encoded along with the movie. But when a film is anamorphically transferred, the picture is squeezed to fit into a 4:3 frame, then unsqueezed by your DVD player. This way, instead of lines of resolution being used on the letterbox area during the encoding process, the unsqueezed picture uses the full resolution of the entire screen because the player generates the black bars. If you're fortunate enough to have a 16:9 TV, the TV will stretch out the picture to fill your screen so there are no bars. However, if you tell your DVD player that you have a 4:3 TV, the DVD player will format the picture for letterbox display on your screen.

 

 

Video Performance

Q: What is the difference between PAL and NTSC ?
A: PAL is the format used in Australia, parts of Asia, and some European countries. PAL stands for Phase Alternation Lines (625 lines) and offers more picture detail and wider luminance (color signal) bandwidth. PAL has been adopted by almost all 50 Hz countries in the world.

NTSC is the format used in the United States and Canada. NTSC stands for National Television Standard Committee which established the American TV broadcast TV standard as a 525 line broadcast. The NTSC system has higher frame rate (60 Hz) which reduces visible flicker and picture noise.

PAL delivers a scanning/frame rate of 25 fps (frames per second) with 625 lines, while NTSC delivers a scanning/frame rate of 29.97 fps using 525 lines. A TV signal is made from interlaced half-frames, hence the 25 fps in 50 Hz countries, and 30 fps in 60 Hz countries. The color information of the signal is also encoded differently. Although most TVs have the ability to display both 50 and 60 Hz signals, without proper decoding of the PAL or NTSC signal the color information will be lost and the picture appears black and white. These technical differences are the reason for an intrinsic incompatibility of PAL and NTSC DVDs/DVD Players/TVs/Games/Games consoles.

Most DVDs and ALL games sold by dvdorchard are designed for PAL systems and will not work with NTSC systems (unless you have a PAL converter). Most if not all DVD Players sold in Australia are PAL/NTSC compatible - check with your manufacturer; Most TVs sold recently in Australia are Multi System - PAL/NTSC compatible - but once again check with your manufacturer. All Games and Games Consoles sold in Australia are PAL only.

A problem that is indirectly related to PAL and NTSC is the power supply. Countries that use the PAL standard usually have AC current of 50 Hz, with voltages of 220 V or more. In contrast, countries that use the NTSC system use AC current of 60 Hz, with voltages of around 100-120 V. This means that if you intend to buy a peice of electrical equipment from a different country, you may need a voltage converter (a step-up or step-down transformer, respectively).

 

 

Q: What are the benefits of having a DVD player with S-video and/or component video outputs?
A: Laserdiscs and videotapes are encoded as composite video, which combines the color and brightness information into one signal, while DVDs are encoded as component video, which keeps the color information separate, like the RGB signal of your computer. By keeping the color separate, it allows your DVD player to deliver a purer signal to your TV, resulting in richer color definition and a sharper picture. Although some of the latest TVs to hit stores feature component inputs, if your TV is a few years old, you'll still get a good picture by using the S-video inputs on your TV and DVD player. (S-video features separate color and brightness.) If you're planning to upgrade to HDTV, make sure your DVD player has component-video outputs.

 

 

Q: What's the difference between pan & scan, full-frame, widescreen and letterbox movies?
A: All of these terms refer to the aspect ratio of a movie, which is defined as its width-to-height relationship. Your television has an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4:3), but many movies are 1.85:1 and even 2.35:1. If you're watching these "wider" movies in their original aspect ratio, which doesn't match that of the TV you're watching it on, you'll see black bars at the top and bottom of the picture. How tall the bars are depends on how wide the movie is: a 1.85:1 movie will have much shorter black bars than a 2.35:1. This format is referred to as "letterbox." Some people call 2.35:1 or wider movies "widescreen," then call the narrower movies "letterbox." Unfortunately, there's no standard for how these two terms are used. But when you see them on DVD packaging, know that you'll see the black bars at the top and bottom of the picture.

Both "pan & scan" and "full-frame" refer to movies that fill up your TV's 4:3 screen, but there's a very distinct difference between the two kinds of pictures. Pan & scan movies are wide movies that have been modified to fit into the 4:3 aspect ratio. This is achieved by sometimes cutting off the edges of a certain scene or panning across a scene to include actors that wouldn't fit into the narrower frame. If you have a choice between a pan & scan movie and its widescreen counterpart, buy the widescreen version because you'll experience the movie as it was intended to be seen. On the other hand, full-frame movies were originally shot 4:3 then "matted", meaning the extra material at the top and bottom of the frame was masked off in theaters. When these movies hit home video, you're actually seeing more of the frame than was meant to be seen. However (like widescreen and letterbox) pan & scan and full-frame are often used interchangeably, so pay close attention to the box to make sure you're getting the picture you think you're buying.

 

 

Compatibility Issues

Q: Why do I have problems playing current titles on my DVD-ROM drive?
A: Certain titles have conflict problems with particular drives. This is more of an issue with the drive manufacturer than with the company that makes the title. Usually, the problem comes from a driver, which is the programming that recognizes the disk in the drive and transfers the data to your computer. Drive manufacturers are constantly discovering driver problems and frequently post updated drivers on their Web sites. These are easily downloaded and installed on your computer. If not, contact your drive manufacturer and alert them to the problem. Chances are, they will have an updated driver created to correct the problem in very little time.

 

 

Q: What is DTS ? I already have a DVD player; what do I do?
A: DTS stands for Digital Theater Systems, a sound format already very prevalent in movie theaters. DTS soundtracks are also now available for the home on DVDs. In order to hear the DTS soundtrack, you'll need a DVD player with a DTS digital output and a DTS processor. Many new receivers have a six-channel input that will allow you to hook up a stand-alone DTS decoder.

 

 

Q: Will current DVDs be able to play on HDTV?
A: Current DVDs are the state of the art in today's television technology, offering the best-quality picture available on modern TV sets. High-definition TV sets will offer backward-compatibility with today's TV signals and, therefore, will give high-quality reproduction of today's standard-definition DVDs.

 

 

Region Coding

Many of the DVDs that we carry (sell from our stock) are coded for Region 4 and are not intended (and unsuitable) for sale outside of Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean.

Q: What is regional coding, and what does it do? Is it possible to change the regional coding of my DVD player?

A: Regional coding limits which countries a disc can be used in. A disc coded for North America (region 1) will not generally play back on a player sold in Australia (Region 4), and vice-versa. Often this situation can be remedied via a few keystokes on your remote control - www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks has a lot of interesting information along those lines.

Right now the world is divided into eight regions as below:

1. Canada, U.S., U.S. Territories
2. Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East (including Egypt)
3. Southeast Asia, East Asia (including Hong Kong)
4. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, Caribbean
5. Former Soviet Union, Indian Subcontinent, Africa (also North Korea, Mongolia)
6. China
7. Unspecified - Reserved for special use
8. Reserved for cruise ships and airlines