WHERE DID THE DVD COME FROM? AND WHERE DID THEY GO FROM THERE?

DVDs rolled onto the scene looking shiny, new, and smart. Compared to the VHS tape, the DVD had features that made people take a liking to them near instantaneously: they were compact, had menus, and didn’t need to be rewound after every watch. Once they hit the market, it really felt like the future of home video had arrived. The reign of the DVD lasted for quite a few years before being challenged, and even then, these discs have remained on the shelves in many households.

So let’s take a look at where this technology came from and where it went from there.

WHAT IS A DVD?

A DVD (which stands for Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is a digital optical disc originally capable of storing up to 4.7 GB of data, more than six times what a CD could hold. Its data is read with a laser. The standard DVD is 4.7 inches in diameter and 0.047 inches thick. The standard DVD weighs 0.56 oz.

INVENTION OF THE DVD

Unlike some technological inventions, the DVD didn’t burst into existence due to just one or two inventors or corporations. The technology itself didn’t come without precedent either: using laser disc technology was invented in 1958 by David Paul Gregg and James Russell. Then the LaserDisc (LD) was produced by MCA in 1978. Then there was the Video CD (VCD). Finally, in 1993, two new disc formats hit the market: the Multimedia Compact Disc (MMCD) and the Super Density (SD) disc.

There have been quite a few media format wars (e.g./ Betamax VS VHS, LaserDisc VS DVD, Blu-ray VS HD-DVD), and the MMCD versus SD battle is one of the lesser known ones in comparison, yet it’s the reason DVDs became what they became. Sony and Philips backed the MMCD, while quite a few other companies (including Time Warner, Toshiba, Pioneer, and JVC) supported the SD. Eventually, Sony and Philips threw in the towel, and the SD format won. Ideas were combined, compromises made, and a single, coherent format was born: the DVD.

In November of 1996, the DVD format was officially launched in Japan. The first major release of DVDs were from Warner Home Video, which hit in December, 1996. After making their debut in Japan, they spread across the world. DVDs were released on March 24, 1997 in America.

Fun Fact! Some of the first movies available on DVD were A Time to Kill, Blade Runner: Director's Cut, Eraser, The Fugitive, and - of course - Twister. “Cow…Another cow.” “Actually, I think that was the same one.”

EVOLUTION OF THE DVD

DVDs quickly became the most popular method of watching movies at home. You could almost hear VHS tapes weep as DVDs took over shelves in video rental stores. Movie studios quickly adopted the DVD, and consumers drooled over this compact, inexpensive (compared to LaserDiscs), and feature-rich format.

It’s also important to note that single-layered, single-sided discs were the standard technology. Even these could hold more data than a VHS tape, but then it got better: Dual-layer recording hit the market, turning a 4.7GB disc into an 8.5GB disc. Though that may not seem like much now, these discs created a wonderful way to store data.

And thanks to Redbox and Netflix’s DVD rental service, DVDs became more popular than ever. They also became the standard for video game consoles and for Windows computers - both for computer games and for storage. Plus, with the PlayStation 2’s release in 2000, you could watch DVD movies on the console as well as play games, which only increased DVD sales.

DECLINE OF THE DVD

In an attempt to improve upon the technology, the HD DVD was invented by Toshiba. As a successor to the DVD, it only lasted roughly two years before it fell in a format war to the Blu-ray. The DVD lost popularity and soon became thought of as outdated technology.

But it’s certainly not dead. While DVD sales have declined due to Blu-rays, streaming services, and downloads, most households even now keep at least a handful of DVDs on their shelves. Many Hollywood movie studios are still releasing movies on the DVD format to this day, and quite a few of the movies you get on Blu-ray will also come with a DVD in the case. Blu-ray players can play DVDs as well, making it easier to keep your old DVD collection instead of tossing or donating it away.

SUMMARY

The DVD may now be thought of as obsolete by some, but DVDs and DVD players are still extremely useful. They’re superior to any downloadable or streamable file type and offer a better video and audio experience. DVD players don’t require an internet connection or subscription to a service, and they let you own your own collection of movies and TV shows - after all, streaming services don’t have every movie out there.

Thanks for reading! We hope you learned something new about DVDs. If you have DVDs that you’re wanting to watch but nothing to play them on, then we encourage you to check out our wide selection of refurbished DVD players here. Have a great day! 

https://spencertified.com/collections/dvd-players