:)

From my German perspective:

First half of the 2000s. I would say early 2000s, but I haven't started to buy DVDs before 2004.

Even though DVDs were existant in the late 90s, it was quite uncommon to have a dvd player in my environment.

Well, I'm from the Pacific Northwest of the US. I was 12 at the end of 1999 and it seems to me that DVDs were just beginning to be bought by the general public. I would say that by 2001, it was common for people to use DVDs at home, although VHS still had currency. By 2003, it seems to me that DVDs had eclipsed VHS completely.

When I was ordering a VHS via Amazon in late 2001 it felt so normal to buy it...it did not feel 'old schoolish' then. It must have been shortly after that that DVDs became popular for most people.

2000, the same year I brought my first DVD "A Clockwork Orange".

I would have to say early 2000's.

I first heard about DVDs in 1998. By 1999 people were talking about them, it was the 'new hot thing.'

2000/2001 were the 'explosion' years. By around those years, DVDs became 'normal' for the public.

I was a staunch vhs'er but even I caved in and bought my first dvds in 2000 / 2001... Willow (1987) and Not Without My Daughter (1991).

I first heard about DVD via a McDonald's contest where a DVD player was one of the prizes, and that was 1997. None of my relatives had a DVD player until 2001, and my immediate family first got one in 2002, so the early 2000s basically. But heard many commercials in 1999/2000 that said "on DVD and video", with the "video" referring to the VHS format which was still the majority until 2002. The final new movie to get a VHS release was in March 2006, and by then DVD was pretty much at its high point, since new formats such as HD DVD and Blu-Ray had arrived. But since this is the "more than a decade" forum, I feel that the future of DVD will probably die a slow death similar to CDs currently and cassettes, as mobile platforms and contemporary TVs support streaming, along with Blu-Ray for those who want a hard copy and Blu-Ray is pretty cheap nowadays ($30-$40 for a basic player used and working), which will slowly fade out DVD. Kmart recently cut back on selling DVDs, and its likely going to mean other chains will soon follow suit. Even Blu-Ray's future is in jeopardy, since that could mean that having a hard copy will require burning one via a legal download.

Interesting act: more than half of all US homes still have at least one VCR, meaning there is a good back market for classic titles. That means that DVDs and Blu-Rays will still be in many homes a decade from now based on this fact, even though their time in the spotlight (especially DVD) are likely waning.

In summary:

1995-1996: Based on some technology magazines, DVDs are seen as the wave of the home video future. VHS sales at their absolute peak.
1997-1998: DVDs enter the market and while sales are initially slow and have typical early flaws, those who enjoy them say that they aren't looking back on them.
1999-2000: Huge growth spurt and VHS suddenly feels that its days are numbered, though many still used them due to familiarity/resistance to change. VHS tapes now common at secondhand/thrift stores.
2001-2002: DVD outpaces VHS sales and is the new home video leading format.
2003-2004: VHS fades into irrelevance and DVD is in its true heyday. However, there is talk about future formats such as HD DVD and Blu-Ray.
2005-2006: While DVD is still king, the new format war of HD DVD and Blu-Ray offer a sequel to the VHS/Beta wars of the late '70s and early '80s.
2007-2008: Blu-Ray prevails and starts to make a serious impact on DVD's popularity, though the transition at this point is gradual.
2009-2010: Blu-Ray increases its popularity as players become cheaper and DVD's gradual decline begins in earnest, as many start appearing in thrift/secondhand stores. Meanwhile, talks of streaming online thanks to mobile device growth adds a new frontier in the future of video distribution.
2011-2012: Pretty much the peak of Blu-Ray's popularity. DVD's slow decline continues, and streaming services start to become more popular.
2013-2014: The future of optical media in general is dim, though hanging on being a viable alternative, in particular Blu-Ray. Streaming distribution becomes mainstream.

I think 2003 was the year our family stopped buying VHS and started using DVDs instead. I remember them being fairly common in 2001, but the players for them were expensive.

For the first few years of the ascendancy of the DVD, my family and I just used my brother's PS2 as our DVD player. I think a lot of people did this, since, according to the PS2 Wikipedia page, a PS2 cost the same as or less than a stand-alone DVD player during that period from about 2000 to 2004.

I first heard about DVDs in 1998. By 1999 people were talking about them, it was the 'new hot thing.'

2000/2001 were the 'explosion' years. By around those years, DVDs became 'normal' for the public.


and CDs were still popular too.

and CDs were still popular too.


Cd's aren't as popular anymore.  :D

Cd's aren't as popular anymore.  :D


I kind of hate CDs today. There are sometimes only 45-50 minutes on one disk - that's waste of memory. I prefer high quality mp3 files... :)

I first heard about DVDs in 1998. By 1999 people were talking about them, it was the 'new hot thing.'

2000/2001 were the 'explosion' years. By around those years, DVDs became 'normal' for the public.


I agree with 80s fan and others on here.  2000/01 was when DVDs became more norm. 

My family was a little late to the party...I don't think we got our first DVD player until '04 or maybe even '05. Before that we only had my brother's PS2 if we needed to watch a DVD.

Cd's aren't as popular anymore.  :D


lately CDs have become cheaper in price.

My family was a little late to the party...I don't think we got our first DVD player until '04 or maybe even '05. Before that we only had my brother's PS2 if we needed to watch a DVD.


Mark, you can also watch DVDs on a PS3 too.

I first started seeing DVDs in 1998 but only a very limited amount. The first DVD that I ever purchased was a copy of Scar Face, in 2001 or so...I still have it 8). By 2005 most of the video stores and electronic retailers had made DVDs their primary video stock. 

For fans of music and artists, I hope cds stay around forever (and dvds for that matter). There's nothing like appreciating album art in it's "full" sized glory, flicking through the sleeve notes and seeing the album tracks in one quick glance. I love tangible products and I love browsing record stores. It's what music collecting is all about surely?

By 2005 most of the video stores and electronic retailers had made DVDs their primary video stock. 


and that's how it's going to be.

For fans of music and artists, I hope cds stay around forever (and dvds for that matter). There's nothing like appreciating album art in it's "full" sized glory, flicking through the sleeve notes and seeing the album tracks in one quick glance. I love tangible products and I love browsing record stores. It's what music collecting is all about surely?


In a way I miss old records and Victrolas and the smell of inside the record sleeve.

My first DVD player was 2004, how's that for backwards?  :-[ I don't even own 100 movies on DVD and it's all Blu Ray now that's "in". I would guess DVD's were first starting to get popular 1999-2000?

My first DVD player was 2004, how's that for backwards?  :-[ I don't even own 100 movies on DVD and it's all Blu Ray now that's "in". I would guess DVD's were first starting to get popular 1999-2000?
At the purchase price of a DVD, Blue Ray is twice as much.

My parents bought our first dvd player in 2004, but we got the ps3 on 2003 and it played dvds. I remember the vhs section at blockbuster was very small in 2003, because the dvds were taking over. Anyway... who buys those things nowadays? there's p2p...  ;D  I can't remember the last year I bought a DVD, maybe it was 2009.  :P