Re: Pricing of DVD vs. Video.

[Jon Blake <jonb@u.washington.edu>]

I usually just lurk here soaking in the wisdom of others. On this issue,
as a one time media libarian, I'd add another consideration on the VHS/DVD
pricing issue.  Consider replacement cost as an issue. That cost is not
only caused by the expected oxide dumping of the tape from repeated uses,
and the "eating" of the tape from a funky VHS machine (remember the
machine must take a bunch of tape out of the cassette, wrap it around at
an angle on the spinning drum that holds the playback heads, then stuff it
all back into the cassette when play is done- actually anytime one presses
"stop"-- the whole thing is a Rube Golberg affair).  The DVD format
doesn't have the physical contact/media manipulation business and is a
less complicated mechanical device with much less maintenance.

To my mind all of this adds up to a no brainer if facing a choice of
formats, almost regardless of price.

HTH - Jon

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Jon Blake				jonb@u.washington.edu
Scholarly Communications Librarian	(206) 543-4548
Head, Periodicals/Binding
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA  98195-2900

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