Darrel Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (June 03/02) - It wasn't all that long ago when classic movie lovers had to hope their Hollywood favourites would show up on the late, late show.

Even then, time had taken its toll on the celluloid performance.

Much the same as the snap, crackle and pop of wax played on old turntables, the movie would often look grainy, and/or colourless, with an equally poor soundtrack.

But, thanks to the magic of digital video disk (DVD) players, those days are gone forever.

Many of the classics from Hollywood's Golden Era have been digitally remastered, colourized where warranted, and burned to DVD.

The results are impressive to say the least.

Home DVDs can also go a long way towards making up for the lack of movie theatres in the North.

The devices deliver a superior sound and audio performance to that of VCRs, and, when used with a home theatre sound system, deliver the experience of theatre viewing to your living room without the hassles of tickets, lineups and transportation.

Many good-quality DVD players can now be purchased for less than $200.

The sky's the limit when it comes to pricing with home-theatre systems.

However, a solid, 50 watt, surround-sound system with five front and rear speakers and a sub-woofer can be had from many retailers for less than $400.

Audio and videophiles, who look upon price as no object, can go into the stratosphere of price tags when selecting their equipment.

The decision is a personal one and depends mostly on what you expect from a home system. More and more Northern retailers are carrying DVDs, which are also readily available on the Internet or through video clubs.

The pricing is reasonable and shipping costs are minimal in most cases.

Many of today's DVDs also offer the bonus of many extras on the disk.

Previously unseen footage, alternate endings, theatrical trailers, multi-language, the "making of" features, artwork, and interviews with writers, directors, producers and stars are the norm on many of today's disks.

The vast majority also offer scene selection, as well as music videos produced for the movie.

Most DVDs also come in your choice of wide- or full-screen viewing.

And, when used with a home-theatre system or hooked up through your regular home stereo, DVD players also spin your favourite CDs.

If you're a movie buff -- or someone who prefers superior sound-and-video quality while watching today's top hits or the classics of a bygone era at home -- the DVD player has the ability to even the playing field with Southern viewers and bring the magic of Hollywood to your door.