WIDESCREEN TELEVISION
Regional coding is a system implemented by the film companies to allow them to control when films are released throughout the world. It stops people watching movies earlier than the film companies intended.
There are six regions:
All UK DVD players are automatically coded to region 2.
If you aren't currently within the UK or are unsure, please refer to you DVD Instruction Booklet for conformation of your DVD player's regional settings.
Region 0 discs are essentially uncoded (no regional coding) discs and will play on any DVD player.
The term "aspect ratio" refers to the proportions of the picture you are viewing, ie, the relationship of the width of the picture versus the height of the picture. The most common aspect ratios used for standard televisions and widescreen televisions are shown below:
WIDESCREEN TELEVISION
There are a number of different variations of Dolby:
Dolby Surround® is the earliest form of surround sound. It is a three-channel process meant to recreate a theatre experience.
The Dolby stereo track is channelled into the front left and front right speakers. A mono signal is created electronically by comparing the differences between the left and right stereo signal. This is then fed to both rear speakers.
Dolby Pro Logic® is an advanced version of Dolby Surround, adding a centre channel speaker for music and effects. It is a
four-channel system that directs the information to certain speakers. The four channels are the set of front speakers, one
centre channel speaker and one rear speaker.
Dolby Pro Logic II® is a dramatically improved, updated matrix surround system, based on the principles used to develop the original Dolby Pro Logic decoding. It provides you with multichannel surround sound from any stereo source. Pro Logic II further enhances the sound with a full-range stereo surround output and a greatly improved steering logic, resulting in high channel separation and an exceptionally stable soundfield.
Dolby Digital® is a multichannel format introduced in 1996 and presents 6 discrete audio channels. (Also described as 5.1) 5 of the 6
channels carry the entire bandwidth of sound with the 6 the speaker or LFE (Low Frequency Effects) Channel carries all the low-bass sounds. This enables you
to maximize your action-adventure sequences with fuller explosions and sound effects. You are still able to hear bass sounds from your left and right front
speakers even without a subwoofer, but you won't experience the full impact of audio without a subwoofer.
Dolby Digital Surround EX® adds to Dolby Digital 5.1 movie soundtracks a third surround channel, reproduced by speakers positioned directly behind the audience. This extra rear surround channel works with the usual left and right surround channels to produce an intensified realism that draws you even further into the action.
There are two different variations of Digital Theatre Surround sound.
DTS Digital surround and Dolby Digital are almost the same. The basic difference between these two formats is the method of compression used to fit the original audio data files onto the DVD. In theory, DTS sound should reveal slightly better quality than Dolby Digital as it is less compressed, however in most cases you would be very hard pressed to tell them apart. This does however mean that since DTS sound takes more space to store on a DVD, there is sometimes not enough room for the same extra features that are to be found on non-DTS discs.
The DTS and Dolby formats are not compatible, and require their own branded decoding chips on AV receivers and processors, as well as separate digital outputs on DVD players. DTS and Dolby Digital will continue to co-exist in the marketplace.
DTS-ES represents the world's first 6.1-channel Discrete Surround format. Expanding upon 5.1 surround, it adds an additional dedicated centre surround channel. A new DTS-ES receiver is required to experience the full discrete 6.1-channel mix. At the same time, all DTS-ES discs will be fully compatible with 6.1 Matrix decoders and 5.1 Digital Surround.
THX is a set of technical specifications designed to standardize the performance of surround sound. George Lucas developed these standards shortly after the film "Star Wars" was created. He did so in order to standardise the audio and video experience in theatres across the world so that his films would be represented as they were made, essentially trying to recreate the original.
Manufacturers of all theatre and A/V products have been giving a set of performance specifications that their products must meet in order to qualify for THX certification.
THX is a certification that can be an indication of how well a product has been built - although it should not be the only indication. Some manufacturers choose not to participate in the certification program, preferring instead to build their product to their own specifications.
What do the certificates mean?
Certification is a legal requirement for all DVDs and videos released within the UK, including their respective bonus features. The aim of certificates is generally to restrict certain age groups from watching certain films, although they can also be used as an indication of a films content for prospective viewers.
For further information or details on film classifications please visit the British Board of Film Classifications web site.
Superbit™ titles utilise a high bit-rate digital transfer process which optimises video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.
Basically the disc space normally used for value-added content and multiple audio streams is now being used for optimising the picture and sound. Superbit™ DVDs are encoded at approximately double their normal bit-rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD-Video format. The result is picture quality that provides outstanding detail.
Superbit™ DVDs play on all current DVD players and do not require any additional equipment. Currently DVDs are encoded to optimise space for the feature plus added value and audio streams. The Suberbit™ collection converts the physical space ordinarily devoted to added value to higher bit rate video transfer and both Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS audio.
When is a certain title released?
As soon as we receive any information on any new title from the appropriate distributor we will publish that information on the web site. Unfortunately if the title you are looking for is not on the web site we have no information about it or its release date.
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