But they'll come down. Though people sometimes compare the DVD versus VCR revolution to audio CDs versus LPs, Adams said the movement is really more akin to CDs versus audiocassettes. But now with cheap, recordable CD drives coming in, we're finally seeing the audiocassette disappear. DVD video players can play both DVD movies and audio CDs. Though both discs are the same size, a DVD has seven to 14 times the data capacity of a CD, and can hold up to four hours of full motion video.
Some players come with multi-disc changers for sorting and cataloging discs.
Others allow you to bookmark favorite scenes, scan or freeze without flicker, lock out films you don't want your kids to watch, and connect to the Internet. MacAdie is one of several local DVD dealers who said sales of players have increased steadily in accordance with national trends over the past two years. But that's getting there. That number jumped to 14 percent by the end of 2000 and is predicted to reach around 23 percent by year's end, Cusick said. That's because video dealers recognize DVD as the wave of the future, and are currently walking a fine line between accommodating customers who've already embraced the technology without alienating those who haven't.