Customer Reviews

The Digital Bits Insider's Guide to DVD

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have to they did a great job on this book. I love the site and the book is great as well. A great amount of time and work was put into the book and it shows. This is a great book for all,especially new DVD users.But it still has great info for hardcore fans as well. I know that I will be letting friends know if they want to learn about DVD, to go get this book and check out your site as well.It is kind a like a special edition book version or companion piece to your site.

With almost 30,000 main stream DVD titles al ready released and many many more smaller inde releases, why not take a look at the top 100 so far? This book is packed with a lot of information for anyone that is interested in ever keeping some of their favorite movies on the digital format. There is also a slew of cool behind the scenes information on what goes into making great DVD's and all...
What I enjoy from these writers is their candid reviews on movie or other dvd's, it all seems real without any ideas held back. They tell you exactly how they see it, instead of hearing a whole lot of baloo from the popular movie "critics" or reading mediocre explanations that try and appease the entertainment/movie industry... these guys shoot from the hip. AND they know their stuff. If you want an honest, educated and informed look at DVD'a and part of the industry, definitely get yourself a copy. It is truly for anyone interested in dvd's... whether you consider yourself a long time collector, new to dvd's or at any level!

Wonderful as I expected. As an avid reader of their website, I welcomed this book with the same care as any good book I read. Hey, if you guys ever need donations or extra money for your website, don't be hesitant to ask.

This book is the perfect book for both DVD lovers and people who are looking to get into DVD's for the first time ever. Bill and Todd do a terrific job explaining how DVD works, why DVD is great, and most importantly - how to get started on your own DVD home theatre and collection. I have already recommened this book to some of my friends who are a little confused about DVD's and even though I consider myself a DVDphile I still learned more than a thing or two. If you are, want to be, or will be a fan of DVD's then this book is a must for you.

A friend recommended this book to me, being new to DVD. I was hesitant and afraid I wouldn't get much out of it, but boy was I wrong! I can't recommend it enough to anyone who is interested in DVD. I couldn't put it down, the writing style is very conversational and easy to understand. These guys obviously know what they are talking about and explain complicated principles in an easy to understand manner. The Alien section was fascinating, I really had no idea what all went into making DVD's. I was not aware of their website before this book, but be sure I will be a frequent visitor now! Nice job guys. :o)

If you've ever tried to explain to your friends how DVD works, what equipment they should buy, or why there are little "black bars" on the bottom of the screen, of if you've ever tried to convince your parents to get a widescreen instead of a 4:3 DTV, this is the book for you.

Also, if you've ever wondered what all these Surround Sound modes mean or what anamorphic means, this is the book for you.

Finally, if you've ever wondered what equipment or DVDs to buy, this is the book for you. Anyone building a home theater or DVD collection should start at this book before making purchases you won't be happy with!

There is also a discussion of all the new Audio standards like DVD-AUDIO and SACD, as well as the next generation of DVD, HD-DVD.

This is a MUST-HAVE book for anyone, whether you have a hardcore DVD collection or if you're still on BETA. It's a great book - very funny and well thought out. It's all written for the common man...it's honest and practical. It's very easy to flip through, and I find myself reading pages and then chapters.

The guys at TheDigitalBits.com have put together this book to try and give an honest look at a rapidly chaning market. They deserve kuddos for recognizing that this kind of book is needed.

I don't have a home theater system, wouldn't know where to begin. But they lay it out it very easy terms, having already done the thinking for you. I don't know what to look for when I watch a disk, but they do. and they tell me.

This is a book that gives me the quick and dirty AND the nitty gritty all in one very easy to read manner. Not an easy feat, but one they do easily.

MUST BUY!

This book is excellent. It explains technical DVD terms in a manner that the average joe can understand, and it has some very informative reviews of different DVDs. If you're a fan of the Alien film series, this book has a section on the making of the upcoming Alien Quadrilogy box set, and it rocks! Their website is awesome and I recommend it and this book to any hardcore DVD fan.

I got this book in my stocking and it's really fun read! I learned alot about DVD, and got some good ideas about titles to buy that I wouldn't have thought of. It reads easily, and is easy to understand for beginners, and I think has lots of good information for people who already know a bunch too. I have reccommended it to all my friends - give it a try! A+++

The authors did a great job of laying out all the technical info on how DVDs work and are produced in an informative yet entertaining way. Here are some of the ares covered:

- The evolution of the format
- How DVD works
- What aspect ratios are and why they're important
- Explains the different sound formats on DVD
- Explanation of Region Codes

The great thing about this information is it's either in the past or standard to DVD so it's not likely to change. This will be useful info through the life of the DVD format.

Next on the list is a discussion on setting up a home theater. Everything is covered from recievers, speakers, DVD player, TV even the cables you'll need and best style of room. They're honest in how much this is going to cost and separate the guidelines into four price ranges. It helps to keep the book current in passing years by not talking about specific brands, but features that are important.

As a way of describing the process of how a DVD special edition is created, the book then goes into an in-depth interview with the creator of the ALIENS QUADRILOGY set due later this year. It's a fascinating look at the hard work and amount of time invloved in creating a truly comprehensive set. Some might find it a bit distasteful that this section is all about a specific DVD, but in focusing on one you get a full picture of the process.

After all this great information we get the least helpful (and by far the largest) section of the book - DVD reviews. They offer things like the best DVD sets ever, best sci-fi movies on DVD, best dramas on DVD etc. All this information though in-depth can be found on their web site and many others for free. I read 4 or 5 of these and skipped the entire section.

The book redeems itself near the end when it discusses teh future of DVD. Namely HD DVD, recordable DVD and high resolution audio. This section helps you get a handle on the near future of the format, but is also the sectin with the thinnest information since they of course can not predict the future.

I'd reccomend this book to those interested in creating a home theatre and those interested in learning a bit of the technical side of the DVD format. The book is most hurt by the lenghty DVD reviews that add little to the books value but much to it's length.