This year is being called the year of DVD (or digital versatile disk). DVD really caught on this past holiday season. A report at TechWeb states that U.S. consumers bought more than 487,000 DVD players in the fourth quarter of 1998 and that DVD rentals were up 50 percent. DVD Defined If you are wondering what all of the hoopla is about, Whatis.com sums up DVD technology: "DVD is an optical disk technology that is expected to rapidly replace the CD-ROM disk (as well as the audio compact disc) over the next few years. The digital versatile disk (DVD) holds 4.7 gigabytes of information on one of its two sides, or enough for a 133-minute movie. With two layers on each of its two sides, it will hold up to 17 gigabytes of video, audio, or other information." We couldn't have said it better ourselves. You can think of DVD, which was developed by Sony and Philips, essentially as a faster CD with greater storage capacity. If you'd like a quick-and-easy reference, Philips provides a comprehensive FAQ that answers everything from "What is DVD?" to "Is DVD compatible with CD?" Check out DVD User, which proclaims "resistance is futile," if you are in the market for a DVD or DVD-ROM player and are unsure which to buy. This site has plenty of product reviews. Another good resource is Windows Magazine's DVD Debuts feature, which chronicles the development of the technology and helps you decide if you are ready to upgrade to DVD. Buying DVDs Online Here are some places where you can buy DVD movies online (which doesn't necessarily mean they have our endorsement -- we have not made any purchases from the stores listed here):

DVD Express

MegaDVD

Best Buy

Reel.com

NetFlix