last updated May 3, 1999
The best way to view Monty Python films at home is on DVD and laserdisc. Laserdisc is over 75% sharper than VHS, and DVD is well over twice as sharp as VHS. A sharper picture means you can see more detail. There are other advantages, too.
This page shows what Monty Python and Post-Python titles have been released and announced on laserdisc and DVD, and tells you what supplementary features they have.
Released DVDs Quick List
Announced DVDs Quick List
Monty Python on DVD & Laserdisc
DVD
Laserdisc
Never Released on
Laserdisc or DVD
Post Monty Python on DVD & Laserdisc
Directed by Terry Gilliam
DVD
Laserdisc
Directed by Terry Jones
Starring John Cleese
Starring Michael Palin
Starring Eric Idle
Starring Graham Chapman
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Where to Buy
Glossary
Monty Python
The Life of Brian
The Meaning of Life
Post-Python
Time Bandits
Brazil (Universal Studios)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Fisher King
12 Monkeys
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Monty Python
Flying Circus -- (date unannounced)
And Now For Something Completely Different -- (August)
The Holy Grail -- (postponed, date unannounced)
The Life of Brian -- (Anchor Bay Special Edition) (date
unannounced)
Post-Python
Brazil (Criterion Collection) -- June 29th
Monty Python on DVD & Laserdisc
Flying Circus - DVD (television episodes)
A & E Home Entertainment. Sometime in the fall of '99, but the official announcement will be made at the VSDA industry convention (ends July 10th). Will include all episodes, but I'm not sure if that includes the 2 German episodes or just the 45 English ones. Will include many supplemental features. For more information, see http://www.digitalbayou.com/news.htm.
Once you have these DVDs, you'll probably want to sell your Flying Circus laserdiscs.
And Now For Something Completely Different - DVD
Columbia Tri-Star. Sometime in August '99, but no exact date has been announced yet. Columbia Tri-Star makes all their DVDs anamorphic, so this edition will have phenomenal resolution on a computer screen or widescreen television. Columbia Tri-Star usually includes both letterboxed and pan & scan versions.
Once you have this DVD, you'll probably want to sell your And Now For Something Completely Different laserdisc.
Columbia Tri-Star. Originally scheduled for release on March 16th, 1999, then delayed with no announced release date. On March 19th, a rumor surfaced that it was cancelled, but Columbia Tri-Star denied the rumor. But then Columbia Tri-Star's Marketing and Sales department confirmed the cancellation. But after that, Columbia Tri-Star's production department insisted it was merely postponed due to a rights problem. Given that Columbia Tri-Star's left hand doesn't seem to know what its right hand is doing, I'll put my money on the production department as being more likely to be correct. I'm guessing that their Marketing and Sales department has decided that a cancellation and subsequent new announcement would be better for sales than a long postponement. No news about when it might get released has surfaced.
Columbia Tri-Star makes all their DVDs anamorphic, so this edition will have phenomenal resolution on a computer screen or widescreen television. Columbia Tri-Star usually includes both letterboxed and pan & scan versions. This edition will include production notes and the theatrical trailer.
This DVD will be the best way to view Holy Grail, but be sure to check out the extra goodies included with the Criterion Collection Holy Grail laserdisc. You'll probably want the extras on the laserdisc even after you have the DVD.
Anchor Bay, released May 4th, 1999 (originally April 27th, postponed on April 27th to June 1st -- Welease Bwian! Welease Bwian! -- but then released early -- Vewy Well! I shall welease Bwian! -- mine shipped on April 30th). Image quality is okay -- somewhat sharper than the Criterion laserdisc, though the colors are not quite as rich. Audio quality is fine, but not quite as good as the Criterion laserdisc. Letterboxed, but not anamorphic. Single-sided, single-layer disc. Supplementary features include only the trailer and bios. Liner notes? You get a card listing the chapter titles.
This DVD is the best way overall to view Life of Brian, but be sure to check out the wonderful extra goodies included with the Criterion Collection Life of Brian laserdisc. You'll enjoy the slightly better color and sound, too.
Anchor Bay has also announced a Collector's Edition DVD of Life of Brian, but has not announced a date or any details. My advice: don't wait for it unless they announce a date and what it will include. Anchor Bay is hardly a videophile's idea of a great studio; their idea of a "Collector's Edition" could be underwhelming. It would be nice if they arranged with Voyager to include all the extras on the Criterion Collection Life of Brian laserdisc, but it could easily end up being nothing more than the trailer and a few stills.
Image Entertainment, released on March 18, 1998. Almost exactly 1 year after the first DVDs were released, The Meaning of Life was the first Python title to reach DVD. The picture quality is good. Unfortunately, it is not anamorphic, and has no supplementary features. It is letterboxed, and since all VHS and the only laserdisc edition have been Pan & Scan, this DVD is the first and only way to see The Meaning of Life letterboxed at home.
Once you have this DVD, you'll probably want to sell your Meaning of Life laserdisc.
Flying Circus - Laserdisc (television episodes)
Paramount, 1987 - 1990. Of the original 45 English Flying Circus episodes, 30 were released on laserdisc. In most cases, the laserdiscs do not have the same episodes as VHS volumes of the same volume number. Picture quality is better than the VHS videocassettes, but the source material is limited as these are old television programs. Chapter encoded only by episode, not by sketch -- and since volumes 5 - 13 have only one episode per side, they are not chapter-encoded at all. All of the Flying Circus laserdiscs are out of print and hard to find, but you can build a complete collection within a year or so if you keep an eye on eBay. Expect to pay around $50 each.
For a comparison of what episodes are on what volume numbers on laserdisc vs. VHS, and what order the episodes were written in, see my Flying Circus Episode Table.
- Volume 1. Includes episodes 17, 14, & 29 (in that order). Released in 1987.
- Volume 2. Includes episodes 15, 20, & 31. Released in 1987.
- Volume 3. Includes episodes 22, 28, & 25 (in that order). Released in 1987.
- Volume 4. Includes episodes 32, 24, 33 (in that order). Released in 1988.
- Volume 5. Includes episodes 30 & 16 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 6. Includes episodes 39 & 21 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 7. Includes episodes 30 & 16 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 8. Includes episodes 9 & 1 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 9. Includes episodes 5 & 6. Released in 1990.
- Volume 10. Includes episodes 8 & 7 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 11. Includes episodes 2 & 11 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 12. Includes episodes 12 & 13 (in that order). Released in 1990.
- Volume 13. Includes episodes 19 & 27 (in that order). Released in 1990.
Episodes 3, 4, 10, 18, 23, 26, 34 - 36, & 40 - 45 were never released on laserdisc. Some of the sketches from these episodes may also be on the Parrot Sketch Not Included laserdisc, but I haven't checcked. Even if you have a complete laserdisc Flying Circus collection, you'll still want VHS volumes 7, 8, & 18 - 22.
The two German Flying Circus episodes have never been released on laserdisc, except for the sketches that appeared on Parrot Sketch Not Included. Note that you can buy the complete German Flying Circus episodes on VHS from Guerilla Films -- in fact, they are the only complete episodes that are currently in print in any format.
And Now For Something Completely Different - Laserdisc
Columbia Tri-Star, 1994. Letterboxed. Excellent picture quality. Chapter-encoded by sketch. No supplemental features. Currently in print.
Holy Grail - Laserdisc
RCA/Columbia, by 1984. Pan & Scan. Analog mono sound. Picture quality better than VHS. Not chapter-encoded, disappointing in such an episodic film. Watch for laser rot. Out of print and hard to find, but you probably don't want this edition anyway.
Criterion Collection, 1993. Like all Criterion releases, picture quality is excellent. Letterboxed. Digital mono sound. Currently in print. This is the one you want, and you'll want to keep it even after the (postponed? cancelled?) Columbia Tri-Star Holy Grail DVD finally gets released. Supplemental features include:
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones talking about the movie and each other.
24 seconds previously deleted from the Castle Anthrax scene, in which Carol Cleveland asks the camera, "Do you think this scene should have been cut?"
Original theatrical trailer, which includes a very brief parody of The Seventh Seal.
The Japanese version of the first French castle scene, translated back to English in subtitles, resulting in interesting changes to the dialog. Reminiscent of Mark Twain's translation back into English of the French translation of his "Famous Jumping Frog of Calavaras County".
Dozens of photographs taken during the filming.
Columbia Tri-Star, 1994. They seem to have used the Criterion transfer above for this edition, but include no extras. Don't save ten bucks on this edition; get the Criterion.
The Life of Brian - Laserdisc
Paramount, 1991. Good picture quality. Pan & Scan. Digital mono sound. Currently in print, but you don't want this edition; you want the Criterion edition below.
Criterion Collection, 1997. The Voyager Company really outdid themselves with this edition. It's not just a great laserdisc, it's a brilliant example of how laserdiscs -- and DVDs -- should be made.
Excellent picture quality -- this new transfer was made using the original negative. Letterboxed. Digital stereo sound made from the original stereo tracks. Currently in print. Supplemental features include:
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Eric Idle talking about the movie.
Another full-length running commentary on an another alternate audio track, with John Cleese and Michael Palin talking about the movie.
A third full-length running commentary on a third alternate audio track, with Graham Chapman talking about the movie from his grave.
Sorry, I lied about that third track.
The Pythons, a 50 minute documentary on the making of the movie and on the Pythons in general, which I think originally aired as a television special. Wonderful; worth the price of the disc all by itself. Note, this is not the same as Life of Python.
Five deleted scenes, each with commentary on an alternate audio track:
Three shepherds (Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Eric Idle) sit by a campfire and discuss their fondness for sheep at interminable length while behind them an angel gives the Good News to two other shepherds (John Cleese and Graham Chapman). The angel tells them to spread the Good News. Cleese and Chapman approach the other three in the dark to tell them, but Palin thinks it is a wolf and throws a rock, breaking Cleese's nose. Cleese and Chapman decide not to share the good news with these three.
The kidnapping of Pilate's wife, who is played by the same extremely tall man who says "Won't haggle?" in another scene. The rebels hadn't planned on such a formidible hostage.
Eric Idle as Otto, leader of the Suicide Squad, introduces himself and explains his squad's mission to Brian. We get a better look at the squad's uniforms and of their insignia, a combination of a Cross of David and a swastika.
Judith releases some doves, which is a sign for John Cleese (as a sort of wilderness guru character) to do a sort of calisthenic that resembles his Silly Walk, which is a sign for Otto to command the Suicide Squad to march -- into a wall.
Michael Palin as a souvenier shop owner tries to sell Judith a broken cross.
Four original radio ads for the movie, starring:
Terry Gilliam's mother, who fears her church choir friends won't approve of the movie.
Eric Idle's mother, who hopes Eric will make enough from the movie to stop evading taxes and move back home.
John Cleese's mother, who at 102 years of age hopes John will make enough money to keep her from becoming homeless. This one is hysterical and won an award.
Michael Palin's dentist, who hopes Michael will make enough to pay for required dental work.
Original theatrical trailer.
Needless to say, you're going to want to keep this wonderful laserdisc even after you have the forthcoming Anchor Bay Life of Brian DVD.
The Meaning of Life - Laserdisc
MCA, 1985. Very good picture quality for it's age. Pan & Scan, cutting off about 39% from the sides. Analog mono sound. No supplemental features. Watch for laser rot. Though much better than the VHS edition, there is no longer any reason to have this disc since the Meaning of Life DVD was released.
Live at the Hollywood Bowl - Laserdisc
Paramount, 1991. Full frame. Picture quality is better than the VHS videocassette, but limited as the source material is a videotape. Not chapter-encoded, disappointing in a 81-minute collection of short sketches and songs. No supplemental features. Out of print and hard to find, but keep an eye on eBay and you'll eventually get one inexpensively. Expect to pay around $25.
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball - Laserdisc
Out of print. Expect to pay $75. Full frame. Picture quality is better than the VHS videocassette, but limited as the source material is videotape. No supplemental features.
The Secret Policeman's Private Parts - Laserdisc
Source material is videotape. Full frame. Picture quality is better than the VHS videocassette, but limited as the source material is videotape. Chapter encoded, the better to jump directly to the Bookshop sketch with John Cleese and Connie Booth. No supplemental features. Out of print and hard to find. Keep a eye on eBay and expect to pay around $40, but you may have a long wait.
Life of Python - Laserdisc
Paramount, 1994. No supplemental features. Very good picture quality. Digital stereo sound. Full Frame. Not chapter-encoded. Currently in print.
Parrot Sketch Not Included - Laserdisc
Paramount, 1994. No supplemental features. Very good picture quality, but the source material for many of the sketches is limited. Digital stereo sound. Full frame. Not chapter-encoded, disappointing in what is mostly a 75-minute collection of short sketches, especially since some of the sketches are available on laserdisc only on this title. Currently in print.
Never Released on Laserdisc or DVD
Flying Circus
Episodes 3, 4, 10, 18, 23, 26, 34 - 36, & 40 - 45 were never released on laserdisc. Some of the sketches from these episodes may also be on the Parrot Sketch Not Included laserdisc, but I haven't checked. Even if you have a complete laserdisc Flying Circus collection, you'll still want VHS volumes 7, 8, & 18 - 22.
The two German Flying Circus episodes have never been released on laserdisc, except for the sketches that appeared on Parrot Sketch Not Included. Note that you can buy the complete German Flying Circus episodes on VHS from Guerilla Films -- in fact, they are the only complete episodes that are currently in print in any format.
I certainly hope these 17 episodes -- as well as the other 30 -- make it to DVD.
Post Monty Python on DVD & Laserdisc
DVD
Criterion Collection, officially released on March 30th, 1999, though mine was shipped to me 10 days earlier. Excellent picture quality; absolutely beautiful. Single-sided, dual-layer disc. Letterboxed. Not anamorphic. Supplemental features:
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, John Cleese, David Warner, and Craig Warncock.
A 3 minute behind-the-scenes montage.
Original theatrical trailer.
Once you have this, there will be no reason to keep your Criterion Time Bandits laserdisc. However, you will want to keep your Paramount remastered Pan & Scan edition, as that will still be the best way to view the Pan & Scan version of this title, which is (surprisingly) more enjoyable.
Anchor Bay, released May 4th, 1999 (originally scheduled for April 27th). I haven't seen it; not sure if it's the same transfer as the Criterion. Supplemental features include only the trailer and bios.
Universal Studios, released March 31st, 1998. Excellent picture quality. Letterboxed. Not anamorphic. This is the 142-minute director's cut, not the 131-minute original theatrical release as incorrectly noted on the package. Supplemental features:
Production notes
Cast profile
Theatrical trailer
Criterion Collection, scheduled for release on June 29th, 1999. A 3-disc set, with the same contents as the 1996 Criterion Collection 5-platter laserdisc box set. This is the 142-minute director's cut (letterboxed). Not sure yet if it will be anamorphic. Supplemental features:
The 97-minute "Love Conquors All" version edited by Universal, which was never released theatrically but is sometimes aired on television. This version is Pan & Scan, but does not cut anything off of the sides; it only adds material to the top and bottom, sacrificing the compositional integrity. Note that this is not simply a trimmed version, the Universal editors also added footage not used in the other versions.
The 97-minute version has never been released anywhere in letterboxed format.
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track of the 142-minute version (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam talking about the movie.
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track of the 97-minute version (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Gilliam expert David Morgan talking about the movie.
A making-of documentary made during filming.
A documentary about the conflict between Gilliam and Universal over Brazil.
Profiles of the screenwriters, the musical composer, and the costume designer.
Lots more, I'll try to itemize it better sometime.
Adventures of Baron Munchausen - DVD
Columbia Tri-Star, officially released on April 27th, 1999; mine was shipped to me on the 23rd. Beautiful -- besides being sharper than any of the laserdiscs, it also has much better color. Anamorphic, so this edition has phenomenal resolution on a computer screen or widescreen television. Letterboxed, on a single-sided, dual-layer disc. Supplemental features include only the theatrical trailer and bios of Gilliam and Idle.
This DVD is the best way to view Baron, but be sure to check out the extra goodies included with the Criterion Collection Baron laserdisc.
Columbia Tri-Star, released on February 16th, 1999. Includes both letterboxed and Pan & Scan versions. The letterboxed version is anamorphic, so this edition has phenomenal resolution on a computer screen or widescreen television. The only supplemental feature is the theatrical trailer.
This DVD is the best way to view Fisher King, but be sure to check out the extra goodies included with the Criterion Collection Fisher King laserdisc.
A DTS version is also available for those with $10,000 home theaters.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - DVD
Laserdisc
Jabberwocky - Laserdisc
RCA/Columbia, 1984. Picture quality better than the VHS videocassette edition. Analog mono sound. Not chapter encoded. Watch for laser rot. Out of print and very hard to find; expect to pay $200 or more.
Time Bandits - Laserdisc
Paramount, by 1984. Picture quality better than the VHS videocassette edition. Pan & Scan. Analog stereo sound. Watch for laser rot. No supplemental features.
Paramount, 1995. Remastered. Very good picture quality. Released in both Pan & Scan and letterboxed editions -- and believe it or not, the Pan & Scan edition is more enjoyable. Digital Dolby surround sound. No supplemental features. Currently in print.
Even after you have the forthcoming Criterion Collection Time Bandits DVD, you'll still want the Pan & Scan version of this edition, as it will remain the best Pan & Scan edition. Note that this Pan & Scan version does not remove anything from the sides, only adds interesting stuff to the top and bottom.
Criterion Collection, 1998. Picture and sound quality same as Paramount's 1995 edition. Letterboxed. Supplemental features:
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, John Cleese, David Warner, and Craig Warncock.
A 3 minute behind-the-scenes montage.
Brazil - Laserdisc
MCA, 1986. Pan & Scan. This is the 131-minute original theatrical release, and the only way to see that version (if you want to). Currently in print.
The 131-minute version has never been released to home video in letterboxed format.
Criterion Collection, 1996. A huge box set of 5 discs. Excellent picture quality. This is the 142-minute director's cut (letterboxed). Currently in print. Reviewed by The DVD-Laserdisc Newsletter. Supplemental features:
The 97-minute "Love Conquors All" version edited by Universal, which was never released theatrically but is sometimes aired on television. This version is Pan & Scan, but does not cut anything off of the sides; it only adds material to the top and bottom, sacrificing the compositional integrity. Note that this is not simply a trimmed version, the Universal editors also added footage not used in the other versions.
The 97-minute version has never been released anywhere in letterboxed format.
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track of the 142-minute version (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam talking about the movie.
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track of the 97-minute version (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Gilliam expert David Morgan talking about the movie.
A making-of documentary made during filming.
A documentary about the conflict between Gilliam and Universal over Brazil.
Profiles of the screenwriters, the musical composer, and the costume designer.
Lots more, I'll try to itemize it better sometime.
Criterion Collection, 1998. A subset of the 1996 Criterion edition and much less expensive. Includes the 142-minute director's cut. Currently in print. Supplemental features:
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam talking about the movie.
Original theatrical trailer.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - Laserdisc
RCA/Columbia, 1990. Pan & Scan. Digital Stereo audio. Good picture quality. Out of print.
Criterion Collection, 1992. Letterboxed. Digital Stereo audio. Excellent picture quality. Out of print. Supplemental features:
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam talking about the movie.
Another full-length running commentary on another alternate audio track with the producer, Gilliam's nemesis, talking about the movie.
A short comment by Eric Idle.
Deleted scenes, including one where a soldier explains why they can't engage in warfare on Wednesdays.
Storyboards for canceled scenes, including a parody of the dining scene in Tom Jones.
Outtakes of Robin Williams as the Moon King.
History of the Baron Munchausen legend.
Excerpts from earlier Baron Munchausen films, including one financed by the Nazis during the Third Reich.
Theatrical trailer.
Lots more. When I rented it, I wasn't yet planning on this web page. I'll rent it again soon (or maybe buy a used copy), and itemize it better.
Columbia Tri-Star, 1995. Letterboxed. Excellent picture quality, even better than the 1992 Criterion Collection edition. Includes a 3-minute behind-the-scenes promotional film.
The Fisher King - Laserdisc
RCA/Columbia, 1992. Pan & scan. Picture quality inferior to subsequent releases. Digital Stereo audio. Out of print.
Criterion Collection, 1992. Letterboxed. Excellent picture quality. Digital Stereo audio. Currently in print. Supplemental features:
Seven deleted scenes.
Four scenes with commentary by Terry Gilliam.
Costume tests -- don't miss Robin Williams'!
Three theatrical trailers.
Columbia Tri-Star, 1996. Pan & Scan. Picture quality still inferior to Criterion Collection's 1992 edition above.
12 Monkeys - Laserdisc
MCA/Universal, 1996. Letterboxed. Very good picture quality. No supplemental features.
MCA/Univeral, 1997. "Signature Collection". Letterboxed. Excellent picture quality. Dolby Digital sound. Supplemental features:
Production photos
Conceptual drawings
Promotional materials
"Making of" documentary
A full-length running commentary on an alternate audio track (use the remote to switch back and forth between it and the main audio track as desired) with Terry Gilliam and producer Charles Roven talking about the movie.
A DTS version is also available for those with $10,000 home theaters.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Laserdisc
Universal, 1998. Letterboxed. Good picture quality. Digital audio. No supplemental features.
Laserdisc
Erik the Viking - Laserdisc
Image Entertainment, 1990. Pan & Scan. Good picture quality. No supplemental features.
Ripping Yarns, Personal Services, and Wind in the Willows (Mr. Toad's Wild Ride) have never been released on laserdisc or DVD.
(under construction)
Privates on Parade
Clockwise
Fawlty Towers
The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation As We Know It
Silverado
A Fish Called Wanda
(under construction)
The Missionary - ld is pan & scan, no chapter encoding, 1995(?).
A Private Function
American Friends
(under construction)
The Rutles: All You Need is Cash
The Mikado ('87)
Nuns on the Run
Splitting Heirs
Too Much Sun
Mom and Dad Save the World
Casper
(under construction)
The Odd Job
Yellowbeard
Laserdiscs are 12" silver discs with movies recorded on them. Like CDs and DVDs, they are read by a laser beam. On the average, they are offer over 75% better picture quality than VHS videocassettes, though since both laserdiscs and VHS have improved markedly over the last two decades, early laserdiscs are sometimes little better than recent VHS videocassettes. Audio quality is orders of magnitude better than VHS, especially on recent discs. Laserdiscs have been around since 1978, about as long as VHS, but due mainly to their higher cost they have always been a small, niche market.
DVD is well on the way to replacing laserdiscs (and will eventually replace VHS, too), but there are thousands laserdisc titles released since 1978 that have not been released on DVD, and many of these will probably never be released on DVD. For the Monty Python fan who wants to enjoy all the Python and Post-Python canon in the best home-video quality possible, owning both DVD and laserdisc players is a no-brainer.
On the average, DVDs have over 25% better picture quality than recent laserdiscs. Here's a chart to help conceptualize the relative video quality of VHS, laserdisc, and DVD:
(note, this chart applies only to NTSC, the television standard in America; it does not apply to PAL, the standard in Europe)
Here's another way of looking at it:
DVDs offer no improvement in audio quality at all compared to recent laserdiscs -- both are much better than CD audio, though you need a home-theatre sound system to get better-than-CD sound.
You can find used and out-of-print laserdiscs at eBay and Jeff's Used LD/DVD Finder.
You can buy used laserdisc players at eBay, too; you can find a good one for $200 or so. Make sure to get a player with "composite" or "S-Video" video-out connections; the older "VHF" (cable) and "UHF" (antenna) connections compromise video quality (but first see what connections your television has). For those who prefer to buy a new one, Pioneer has two laserdisc players, and two combination laserdisc/DVD players, currently in production.
For more information, see the Laserdisc FAQ, the DVD FAQ, and The DVD-Laserdisc Newsletter.
Some DVDs are encoded in a special way that provides up to 33% additional resolution for letterboxed movies when viewed on a widescreen television set or on a computer screen. See World's Easiest Explanation of Anamorphic DVDs for details.
Here's a chart that illustrates how much anamorphic DVDs increase resolution of letterboxed movies, when viewed on a computer screen or on a widescreen television. Note, these numbers are approximate:
As you can see from the chart, if the Meaning of Life DVD had been anamorphic, we could enjoy it at 331,277 pixels (approximately) instead of only 248,458. Columbia Tri-Star's Life of Brian DVD will be anamorphic -- approximately 331,277 pixels. Though there won't be any difference on a standard television, the difference will be clear on your computer screen or on a widescreen television.
- Meaning of Life DVD on a standard television: 248,458.
- Meaning of Life DVD on a computer screen or widescreen television: 248,458.
- Life of Brian DVD on a standard television: 248,458.
- Life of Brian DVD on a computer screen or widescreen television: 331,277.
Like DVDs, most laserdiscs made since the early 1980's have chapter stops, the better to move directly to favorite scenes. But unlike DVDs, there is no on-screen menu; the menu is printed on the jacket and is accessed numerically via the remote.
Early laserdiscs were susceptible to a problem known as laser rot, in which the aluminum layers on which the data is encoded, inside the outer protective plastic layer, oxidize. That's right, it rusts. The effect resembles colorful snow, and can be anywhere from very slight to complete destruction. Often there is visible evidence (on the side opposite the one labelled as the rotted side, of course) that looks like a very light coffee stain. The problem happens when the glue holding side A and side B together allows air to contact the aluminum. Rot is common among laserdiscs made in the late 1970's and early 1980's, but after that the manufacturers started using better glue and better quality control, and the problem became rare. It's very unusual to find a rotted laserdisc made in the 1990's. But use caution if you're shopping for a very old laserdisc.
Most movies made since the mid-1950's are wider than a standard television set. When making a home video edition, studios must choose between chopping off the sides, moving back and forth to keep the main action in view (called Pan & Scan), or leaving blank horizontal bars at the top and bottom of the image (called letterboxing). Given a choice, most movie buffs prefer letterboxed. The widest American movies are 74% wider than a television set (the widest Monty Python movies are only 39% wider), and the best directors tend to make full use of the wide screen. As a result of cutting off visual information from the sides, some scenes in the Pan & Scan version of some movies are boring or don't even make sense. More often, they are just less interesting. That said, it's worthwhile having both, as some DVDs do, because the Pan & Scan version offers higher resolution for the portion of the screen it does show. For a favorite movie, many film buffs will watch the letterboxed version, then scrutinize favorite scenes and frames in the Pan & Scan version to get more detail.
There is one important exception for Monty Python fans. Some directors frame their shots for widescreen, but include more on the film negative at the top and bottom, simply making sure to exclude such distractions as microphones, etc. Then, the Pan & Scan version simply adds the extraneous material to the top and bottom, sacrificing the composition for the sake of not having to cut anything off of the sides. In some cases, it's a mixture -- the Pan & Scan version adds some extraneous material to the top and bottom, and cuts some off the sides. In the case of Terry Gilliams' Time Bandits, the Pan & Scan version cuts nothing off of the sides, and is actually more enjoyable than the letterboxed version. Time Bandits is very unusual in this regard. See The DVD-Laserdisc Newsletter, April 1995, page 4.
Full Frame refers to movies that were originally made the same width as a television, so nothing is cropped and you see no blank horizontal bars at the top and bottom. For the Monty Python fan, this refers to those titles that were made for television or whose source material is videotape. More broadly, it also refers to movies that were released theatrically the same width as a television, which was standard until the mid-1950's.
Of related interest to those with DVD drives on their computers is "window boxing" and overscan. Overscan refers to how almost all televisions show the picture too large, cutting off part of the image -- as much as 20% of the total picture -- from all four sides, the better to look impressive when naive customers compare them to competitors in a store. Since some directors use even the very outer edges of the frame, some home video editions place blank bars on all four sides -- called window-boxing. Examples include The Art of Buster Keaton and Blade Runner. By playing a DVD on your computer screen, you completely eliminate overscan, and notice even the slightest window-boxing.
Most DVDs, and some laserdiscs, include more than just the movie. Most have the theatrical trailer. Some have running commentary by the director or a film historian on an alternate audio channel. Some have outtakes and deleted scenes. Some DVDs have a Pan & Scan version on one side, a letterboxed version on the other side. Some have "Making of" featurettes. Some have filmographies and biographies of the director and actors. Some have a gallery of still pictures. Some have games and computer screen savers.