Why the difference in DVD's and VHS

L

lanklam

Member
Call me a little behind the times...but I have no interest in buying a DVD player. (My boys have Playstations to play them on... if I have too.) I rarely watch TV, and I use my VHS player only for my workouts. Why the difference in offering more in the DVD format? I'm a little confused.

Are the DVD's better and offer more? I'm very disappointed in this, especially since I have invested a lot of money in the VHS tapes I already have. I'm not against technology (I'm a Systems Manager at a Wind Turbine Plant in California.) I just don't understand... it's only a workout tape. Your not noticing quality or sound when your sweating like a pig, and screaming bloody murder at the end of a set!

I guess my question is: Are you getting that much more from the DVD's? Explain a little bit more clearly what that is?

I won't be happy...but if it's worth it...I quess I will have to get one...and sooner than later my VHS tapes will find a home next to my 8 track tapes.....ha, ha
 
DVDs are the best since you can customize your workouts from different DVDs (u need a dvd changer for this). selecting only the chapter(s) you wish to do in the order you wish to do them, all without having to fast forward or rewind. u also have a music only or instructor-only option - in case u don't like the music; just play ur own (not all workout dvds have this though). DVDs last longer than VHS tapes (no more molds, no more wear and tear!). I personally think sound and video quality is important. Cathe's DVDs are the best :) Anyway, in a couple of years, VHS tapes in general will be RIP - industry reports say the sales are on a decline.
 
I second the emotion for DVD's over VHS. Cathe in fact is not just riding the wave, she IS the wave in terms of creating incredible options for the DVD's that go way beyond just performing the workout as originally filmed. In addition to what SlimandFit mentioned, the premixes that Cathe is putting onto her later releases also increase your options.

A good high-quality programmable 5-disc DVD player can be found easily for under $200.00; I got mine this past December at Best Buy for $168.00. It's whole new world with that thing.

A-jock
 
Hi A-jock, what is your name brand dvd player? I really want to buy one and I don't know what to get. I've been using my kids playstation 2 better then nothing for now. Thanks.
 
I was a die-hard VHSer until I dropped Ab Hits for the second time (having already replaced it another time after I dropped it) and realized that I had paid for the thing three times when all was said and done. I got a Sony 5-disc changer, and have never looked back. It fit perfectly alongside my VCR and there is no more rewinding and fast forwarding. Jumping from disc to disc is super easy, plus you get the bonus workouts. I replaced all my tapes with discs and just can't believe how archaic VHS seems now. The discs take up no space at all. The only thing I use the VCR for now is recording t.v. shows. It honestly changed my workout world!
 
RE: Barbara - mine's a Sony

Hi, Barbara! I have a Sony-Something-Or-Other; it's a 5-disc, programmable player with disc- and chapter-skip features. It also has a really cool feature: you can bring the disc to the exact point where you want to start playing it, even if it doesn't start at the beginning of a chapter, start playing it and then quickly "stop" playing it, AND (this is so cool) the player "remembers" where it left off, so when you put that disc in even days later, it will automatically go to that point in the disc! So cool when you want to begin a workout segment in the middle of a chapter rather than the beginning.

I don't have the model name or serial number, but here's what you should do: print this response with the above-noted features; go to Best Buy, Circuit City or any other gizmo joint; look for any sales associate named "Todd" or "Eric"; and give Todd or Eric that list. For some reason, all gizmo-joint sales associates are under the age of 22, and 75% of them are named either "Todd" or "Eric". (92% here in the Minnesota Twin Cities.) Todd/Eric should be able to get you what you need.

A-jock
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RE: Barbara - mine's a Sony

Thanks Annette! Thats funny, my son is name Eric, I guess everybody likes the name Eric. I live here in NJ, not too many Eric's. Thanks again:)
 
Hello,
I hope this makes you feel a little better. I just discovered Cathe about four months ago. I bought six videos and then I started reading about the Intensity series and the wonders of owning a multi-disc DVD player. I began researching and almost bought a single-disc DVD player, but someone on this forum told me to go for the 5-disc DVD player and I am so glad that they did. The options are endless. You can take anywhere from 2 to 5 DVD's and program your DVD player or just hop from chapter to chapter to create an entirely new workout (your favorite portions from any Cathe workout) without the hassle of popping videos in and out and rewinding and fastforwarding. Also, with Cathe's Intensity series and the Body Blast workouts she is filiming this summer the premixes are many! For example, if you buy the Cardio and Weights video you have a great workout. If you buy the DVD you get Cardio & Weights and Imax 2 and at least 8 premixes. An example of a premix is cardio only from C&W or heavy weight work only from C&W or Blast only from Imax 2. You just couldn't fit all that onto one VHS tape. I hope this answers some of your questions. I now own the Intensity Series on DVD and I purchased the Cardio Kicks and Circuit Max DVD even though I already had Circuit Max on video. I preordered the Body Blast DVD's. I do not regret getting the DVD player at all and look at it as a lifetime investment in my health. If you really don't want one and don't think that you would enjoy making up your own workouts or using the premixes then continue to enjoy your video player!
Well, I think this was entirely too long. I hope some of your questions were answered.
Angela :7
 
Just so you know...I recently helped a good friend pick out her programmable DVD player and the young men at Circuit City and other electronics stores[in our area] had no clue what we were asking about when we mentioned programmable across DVDs. Some of the DVD boxes indicate they have this feature, but they are referring to playing CD's not DVDs (many DVD players also play CDs). For this reason you need to read the fine print. I honestly believe the only two companies who still have DVDs with this feature are Sony and Pioneer. I have the Pioneer and it works great on Cathe's but my Firm's will not cross program across more than one DVD. My friend's Sony works great. There is some information at Video Fitness on programmable DVDs that may help. She ended up ordering hers from Amazon since the stores did not carry it.

This feature will probably become obsolete since us video exercisers are the only people on the planet who need this feature. No one wants to rearrange the order of a movie!
 
Durability is an issue here. My VCR just ate my CTX Kickbox tape. I just don't see that happening with a DVD player. I also like the ability to quickly change the order of my workout. If I want to do biceps, triceps, and shoulders from Pure Strength (which is part of my current rotation), I can quickly choose the segments I want. If I wanted to do that with the tapes, I would have to take the time to fast-forward to the segments I want. When I get some of her step tapes on DVD, I'll be able to combine different segments from different workouts to make a new workout.

There's also a space issue-- DVDs take up much less room. In fact, if you wanted to, you could put the DVDs in one of those CD notebooks.
 
You WILL be happy when you get one! I, too, was hesitant as I have a nice collection of workouts on VHS. But I decided as of Cathe's Body Blast Series that I would make the leap and purchase all future workouts on DVD's.

During the BB pre-order I bought Terminator so I had to get the player! So on Monday, I bought a Sony 5-disc DVD player for about $180 at Best Buy and did the Gauntlet on Wednesday. I really enjoyed the mix and look forward to the other two. I still enjoy the "as filmed" workouts but I also like the variety the mixes offer. I look forward to trying some of the posted mixes...or creating my own when I have enough DVD's to work with. I will still use my VHS collection and only replace them when they break or wear out (well...maybe I'll spring for the IS on DVD...maybe!!)

Bottom-line: the quality is better, they last longer, there's the programmable option, they take up less space...and it really is the way media is going now. You won't regret changing over to DVD's!
 
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. I treasure my Cathe workouts and would hate it if they wore out. I saw a news segment on TV one time that said if properly cared for, a DVD can last up to 300 years. I wonder if they exaggerated but that's what they said.

Plus, Cathe's DVD are top of the line in quality and mix&match and pre-mix options. DVD makes an already amazing workout even better as you can change the order of the workout or combine different sections from different workouts to create a "new" workout. Also, when your trying to learn a tricky step pattern, all you do is press the A-B Repeat button on your DVD remote control and you get an instant replay of the move you're trying to learn.

Also, I hate it if I'm working out to a VHS tape that I've used many times, and the picture quality is starting to look fuzzy and blurred. Each time you pop a DVD in the picture is clean and crisp as the first time you put it in the player.
 
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