During nearly two decades of existence, the DVD has been the most popular video format within digital technology worldwide. It has many capabilities that older formats do not have. The DVD format was introduced in Japan in December 1996, then in North America in March 1997, and in Europe in March 1998.
DVDs can carry parental control features, limiting access to age-appropriate content. They support anamorphic widescreen, designed for 16:9 television sets when watching a DVD with a film presented in widescreen. The aspect ratio of the film can also be 1.85:1, 2.35:1, etc., but the anamorphic feature can only extend the screen by just over 200 pixels wide, since the resolution of a typical DVD is 480i/480p.
DVDs hold a capacity of up to 4.7 (Single Layer) or 8.5 (Dual Layer) gigabytes, depending on how much capacity the film contains. Most films are stored in Dual Layer discs; if so, about halfway through the movie, a layer change occurs.
A DVD can have up to 8 audio tracks, 32 subtitle tracks, and 9 video angles. Sometimes, an audio or subtitle track can be identified as an "unknown language", usually if no dialogue is spoken or if the subtitle track is really a DVD cursor.
Beware -- DVDs do indeed have regional lockout. The region codes are listed as follows:
| 1 | NTSC | United States, Canada, U.S. territories |
| 2 | NTSC | Japan |
| PAL | United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia | |
| 3 | NTSC | Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, sometimes Thailand, Vietnam |
| PAL | Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam | |
| 4 | NTSC | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela |
| PAL | Australia, New Zealand | |
| 5 | PAL | Russia, Africa, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, India |
| 6 | NTSC/PAL | People's Republic of China |
Often times, DVDs from the six major film studios may be coded for more than one region and therefore contain warning screens designed for DVD players coded for each region. If this happens, these DVDs may be RCE (Regional Coding Enhancement) protected.
If you insert a DVD that is RCE, you may see this message.
.VOB_20160203_073308.922.jpg "Region Code Enhancement (1999).VOB 20160203 073308.922.jpg (74 KB)")
Same thing here, except if the DVD is from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Of course, the NTSC and PAL formats also do matter. NTSC is used in North America, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Latin America; all other countries (Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, etc.) use PAL. DVDs carry up to 99 titles and have selection menus, which is the reason why we get special features of films like in laserdiscs.
Audio CDs and VCDs are backwards compatible with DVD players.
Titles released on DVD[]
Movies[]
Note: The first production date of a DVD is determined by when all content on the disc was last modified. This means that all content you see in the DVD was filmed or created prior to this date.
| Title | First produced | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Mulan | August 13, 1999 | November 9, 1999 |
| Hercules | August 30, 1999 | November 9, 1999 |
| The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | September 9, 1999 | November 23, 1999 |
| A Bug's Life (Collector's Edition) - Disc 2 | September 20, 1999 | November 23, 1999 |
| A Bug's Life (Collector's Edition) - Disc 1 | September 21, 1999 | November 23, 1999 |
| The Little Mermaid | October 1, 1999 | December 7, 1999 |
| Tarzan | December 19, 1999 | February 1, 2000 |
| Tarzan (Collector's Edition) - Disc 1 | February 25, 2000 | April 18, 2000 |
| Tarzan (Collector's Edition) - Disc 2 | March 1, 2000 | April 18, 2000 |
| Pocahontas | April 13, 2000 | June 6, 2000 |
| Toy Story | August 9, 2000 | October 17, 2000 |
| Toy Story 2 | August 17, 2000 | October 17, 2000 |
| Toy Story 2 (from Ultimate Toy Box Collector's Edition) | September 15, 2000 | October 17, 2000 |
| Toy Story (from Ultimate Toy Box Collector's Edition) | September 19, 2000 | October 17, 2000 |
| Supplemental Features for Toy Story & Toy Story 2 | September 29, 2000 | October 17, 2000 |
| Dinosaur - Disc 1 | December 11, 2000 | January 30, 2001 |
| Dinosaur - Disc 2 | December 19, 2000 | January 30, 2001 |
| The Emperor's New Groove - Disc 2 | April 5, 2001 | May 1, 2001 |
| The Emperor's New Groove - Disc 1 | April 13, 2001 | May 1, 2001 |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas | July 9, 2001 | November 20, 2001 |
| Shrek - Disc 2 | August 8, 2001 | November 2, 2001 |
| Shrek - Disc 1 | August 28, 2001 | November 2, 2001 |
| Atlantis: The Lost Empire | November 13, 2001 | January 29, 2002 |
| Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Collector's Edition) | January 10, 2002 | January 29, 2002 |
| Monsters, Inc. - Disc 2 | May 22, 2002 | September 17, 2002 |
| Monsters, Inc. - Disc 1 | May 28, 2002 | September 17, 2002 |
| Ice Age - Disc 1 | July 18, 2002 | November 26, 2002 |
| Beauty and the Beast - Disc 2 | July 19, 2002 | October 8, 2002 |
| Beauty and the Beast - Disc 1 | July 26, 2002 | October 8, 2002 |
| Ice Age - Disc 2 | August 8, 2002 | November 26, 2002 |
| Lilo & Stitch | September 13, 2002 | December 3, 2002 |
| Treasure Planet | February 25, 2003 | April 29, 2003 |
| Spirited Away | March 5, 2003 | April 15, 2003 |
| Kiki's Delivery Service | March 7, 2003 | April 15, 2003 |
| Castle in the Sky | March 14, 2003 | April 15, 2003 |
| A Bug's Life (2003 Collector's Edition) - Disc 1 | April 7, 2003 | May 27, 2003 |
| A Bug's Life (2003 Collector's Edition) - Disc 1 | April 16, 2003 | May 27, 2003 |
| The Lion King - Disc 2 | May 29, 2003 | October 7, 2003 |
| The Lion King - Disc 1 | May 31, 2003 | October 7, 2003 |
| Finding Nemo - Disc 1 | July 24, 2003 | November 4, 2003 |
| Finding Nemo - Disc 2 | July 25, 2003 | November 4, 2003 |
| The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2003 DVD) | September 15, 2003 | N/A |
| The Lion King 1½ - Disc 2 | December 2, 2003 | February 10, 2004 |
| The Lion King 1½ - Disc 1 | December 5, 2003 | February 10, 2004 |
| Brother Bear - Disc 2 | January 2, 2004 | March 30, 2004 |
| The Cat in the Hat | January 6, 2004 | March 16, 2004 |
| Brother Bear - Disc 1 | January 12, 2004 | March 30, 2004 |
| Home on the Range | May 26, 2004 | September 14, 2004 |
| Shrek 2 | June 27, 2004 | November 5, 2004 |
| The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Special Edition) - Disc 2 | June 30, 2004 | August 31, 2004 |
| Aladdin - Disc 1 | July 8, 2004 | October 5, 2004 |
| Aladdin - Disc 2 | July 9, 2004 | October 5, 2004 |
| The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Special Edition) - Disc 1 | July 13, 2004 | August 31, 2004 |
| Mulan (Special Edition) - Disc 2 | October 26, 2004 | |
| Mulan (Special Edition) - Disc 1 | July 22, 2004 | October 26, 2004 |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - Disc 2 | November 29, 2004 | February 22, 2005 |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - Disc 1 | December 3, 2004 | February 22, 2005 |
| The Incredibles - Disc 2 | December 4, 2004 | March 15, 2005 |
| The Incredibles - Disc 1 (Full screen) | December 14, 2004 | |
| The Incredibles - Disc 1 (Widescreen) | December 21, 2004 | |
| Ice Age (2005 re-release) | December 29, 2004 | February 8, 2005 |
| Pocahontas (10th Anniversary Edition) - Disc 1 | February 15, 2005 | May 3, 2005 |
| Pocahontas (10th Anniversary Edition) - Disc 2 | March 1, 2005 | May 3, 2005 |
| Toy Story (10th Anniversary Edition) - Disc 2 | July 12, 2005 | September 6, 2005 |
| Toy Story (10th Anniversary Edition) - Disc 1 | August 2, 2005 | |
| The Emperor's New Groove: New Groove Edition | September 3, 2005 | October 18, 2005 |
| Tarzan: Special Edition | September 7, 2005 | October 18, 2005 |
| Toy Story 2 (Special Edition) - Disc 1 | October 18, 2005 | December 27, 2005 |
| Toy Story 2 (Special Edition) - Disc 2 | October 19, 2005 | |
| Chicken Little | December 15, 2005 | March 21, 2006 |
| My Neighbor Totoro (2006 DVD) - Disc 2 | December 16, 2005 | March 7, 2006 |
| My Neighbor Totoro (2006 DVD) - Disc 1 | December 19, 2005 | |
| Howl's Moving Castle - Disc 2 | ||
| Howl's Moving Castle - Disc 1 | December 24, 2005 | |
| The Little Mermaid: Platinum Edition - Disc 1 | June 16, 2006 | October 3, 2006 |
| The Little Mermaid: Platinum Edition - Disc 2 | June 23, 2006 | October 3, 2006 |
| Cars (Widescreen) | July 18, 2006 | November 7, 2006 |
| Cars (Full screen) | July 26, 2006 | November 7, 2006 |
| Ice Age: The Meltdown | September 1, 2006 | November 21, 2006 |
| Meet the Robinsons | July 11, 2007 | October 23, 2007 |
| Ratatouille | August 30, 2007 | November 6, 2007 |
| Horton Hears a Who! | August 8, 2008 | December 9, 2008 |
| WALL-E | August 29, 2008 | November 18, 2008 |
| Bolt | January 21, 2009 | March 24, 2009 |
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | August 13, 2009 | October 27, 2009 |
| Up | August 20, 2009 | November 10, 2009 |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | November 14, 2009 | January 5, 2010 |
| The Princess and the Frog | January 13, 2010 | March 16, 2010 |
| Ponyo | January 15, 2010 | March 2, 2010 |
| Toy Story 3 | August 16, 2010 | November 2, 2010 |
| Despicable Me | September 30, 2010 | December 14, 2010 |
| Tangled | January 16, 2011 | March 29, 2011 |
| Rio | May 26, 2011 | August 2, 2011 |
| The Lion King (Diamond Edition) | June 18, 2011 | October 4, 2011 |
| Cars 2 | August 15, 2011 | November 1, 2011 |
| Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas | October 6, 2011 | November 26, 2011 |
| The Smurfs | October 7, 2011 | December 2, 2011 |
| The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol | ||
| Hop | January 18, 2012 | March 23, 2012 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic | January 27, 2012 | February 28, 2012 |
| The Lorax | May 25, 2012 | August 7, 2012 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: The Best Night Ever/A Canterlot Wedding | June 19, 2012 | August 7, 2012 |
| Brave | August 29, 2012 | November 13, 2012 |
| Arthur Christmas | September 14, 2012 | November 6, 2012 |
| Ice Age: Continental Drift | September 21, 2012 | December 11, 2012 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: The Crystal Empire | September 28, 2012 | December 4, 2012 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 1) | October 8, 2012 | December 4, 2012 |
| Hotel Transylvania | December 7, 2012 | January 29, 2013 |
| Wreck-It Ralph | January 3, 2013 | March 5, 2013 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Magical Mystery Cure | February 22, 2013 | April 30, 2013 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 2) | March 11, 2013 | May 14, 2013 |
| My Little Pony: Equestria Girls | June 10, 2013 | August 6, 2013 |
| Epic | June 24, 2013 | August 20, 2013 |
| Monsters University | August 14, 2013 | October 29, 2013 |
| Despicable Me 2 | September 13, 2013 | December 10, 2013 |
| The Smurfs 2 | October 14, 2013 | December 3, 2013 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 3) | December 2, 2013 | February 4, 2014 |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 | December 5, 2013 | January 28, 2014 |
| Frozen | January 20, 2014 | March 18, 2014 |
| The Lego Movie - Disc 1 | April 22, 2014 | June 17, 2014 |
| The Lego Movie - Disc 2 | April 25, 2014 | June 17, 2014 |
| Rio 2 | May 6, 2014 | July 15, 2014 |
| Toy Story of Terror! | June 23, 2014 | August 19, 2014 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 4) | October 10, 2014 | December 2, 2014 |
| My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks | October 27, 2014 | October 28, 2014 |
| Big Hero 6 | December 23, 2014 | February 24, 2015 |
| Toy Story That Time Forgot | August 19, 2015 | November 3, 2015 |
| Inside Out | September 1, 2015 | November 3, 2015 |
| My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Friendship Games | September 5, 2015 | October 13, 2015 |
| Minions | October 2, 2015 | December 8, 2015 |
| Hotel Transylvania 2 | November 17, 2015 | January 12, 2016 |
| The Good Dinosaur | December 21, 2015 | February 23, 2016 |
| The Peanuts Movie | December 22, 2015 | March 8, 2016 |
| Zootopia | April 8, 2016 | June 7, 2016 |
| The Angry Birds Movie | June 29, 2016 | August 16, 2016 |
| Ice Age: Collision Course | August 3, 2016 | October 11, 2016 |
| My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree | September 14, 2016 | November 1, 2016 |
| Finding Dory | August 23, 2016 | November 15, 2016 |
| The Secret Life of Pets | September 15, 2016 | December 6, 2016 |
| Storks | November 1, 2016 | December 20, 2016 |
| Moana | January 6, 2017 | March 7, 2017 |
| Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade | January 19, 2017 | March 7, 2017 |
| Sing | January 30, 2017 | March 21, 2017 |
| The Lego Batman Movie - Disc 1 | April 12, 2017 | June 13, 2017 |
| The Lego Batman Movie - Disc 2 | April 24, 2017 | June 13, 2017 |
| My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Magical Movie Night | June 12, 2017 | August 8, 2017 |
| Smurfs: The Lost Village | June 23, 2017 | July 11, 2017 |
| Cars 3 | August 21, 2017 | November 7, 2017 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 6) | September 11, 2017 | November 7, 2017 |
| Despicable Me 3 | October 6, 2017 | October 27, 2017 |
| My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) | November 7, 2017 | January 9, 2018 |
| The Lego Ninjago Movie | November 16, 2017 | December 19, 2017 |
| Coco | December 20, 2017 | February 27, 2018 |
| Ferdinand | January 18, 2018 | March 13, 2018 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 5) (2018 DVD) | February 3, 2018 | N/A |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Season 7) | August 6, 2018 | October 9, 2018 |
| Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation | August 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 |
| Incredibles 2 | September 4, 2018 | November 6, 2018 |
| Olaf's Frozen Adventure | September 14, 2018 | November 13, 2018 |
| My Little Pony: The Movie (Japanese version) | October 24, 2018 | December 5, 2018 |
| Smallfoot | October 24, 2018 | December 11, 2018 |
| My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Two Season 8 episodes | November 1, 2018 | January 1, 2019 |
| The Grinch | December 21, 2018 | February 5, 2019 |
| Ralph Breaks the Internet | January 9, 2019 | February 26, 2019 |
| Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | January 24, 2019 | March 19, 2019 |
| The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | March 12, 2019 | May 7, 2019 |
| The Secret Life of Pets 2 | July 5, 2019 | August 27, 2019 |
| Toy Story 4 | August 2, 2019 | October 8, 2019 |
| The Angry Birds Movie 2 | September 11, 2019 | November 12, 2019 |
| Frozen II | December 30, 2019 | February 25, 2020 |
| My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip | February 12, 2021 | March 17, 2021 |
With 4K Ultra Blu-ray titles hitting stores as of 2016, DVDs are expected to decline in sales. However, they still continue to appear in many stores today.
Trivia[]
- Many (if not all) Spanish-language DVDs sold in the Americas are coded for both Regions 1 and 4.
- Any DVD containing Traditional Chinese, Korean and/or Thai subtitles are guaranteed compatible with Region 3 players.
- Until 1999, anything with Korean subtitles were region-locked to South Korea. Afterwards, DVDs with available Korean subtitles popped up on Taiwanese and Thai imports.
- Some Chinese-language DVDs are coded for both Regions 3 and 6.