Even 10 years into its lifespan, the DVD format is getting better every day-and as a result, more complex. This is largely due to the introduction of the hi-definition format Blu-Ray Disc; studios must create hi-def masters of all their new films for this format, and a down-converted version of this is used for DVD, which means video quality is getting better.

I've been using an A-F scale for all components of my DVD reviews, but lately, I've been finding this scale to be inadequate. You can grade a movie with the A-F scale very efficiently, but video, audio, and extras quality are a bit different. A video quality grade of "A" can be given to multiple picture-some of which are less deserving, but don't merit a lower grade either. It doesn't allow for enough flexibility, which is why the Video, Audio, and Extras portions of DVD reviews will now be graded on a 1-10 scale.

My HD-DVD reviews from 2007 were also graded 1-10, but as many of you may know, HD-DVD has been discontinued, and I will not be writing any more reviews on the format. I have yet to attain a Blu-Ray player, and if I ever do, I will come up with a new scale for that format. But regular, standard-def DVD's will now be graded on a 1-10 scale.

The film review portion of the review will still be graded A-F.

Besides changing the scale on the technical ratings, I've also decided the format of my reviews needs a makeover. Currently, I start the reviews with all ratings, and then launch into the review. I put the DVD technical ratings at the top to remind readers that this is more than just a movie review; that is an advantage, but it also has a serious disadvantage. The review is all one large piece, not broken up into smaller sections. Since the film review portion is usually just an edited version of the theatrical review, many readers have probably read and will want to skip this, but the current format can make it hard to do so.

Thus, the review will be broken into a few segments, each introduced in bold font. The rating for each individual category will be presented at the end of the segment. Here is an example:

DVD Review

The first lines will be a brief introduction.

The Film:

Here will be a review of the film. When the review is complete, the next line will read the rating:

Film Rating: A-F

The Video and Audio:

This section will talk about the A/V quality of the disc. Two separate ratings will be presented at the end.

Video Rating: 1-10
Audio Rating: 1-10

Extras and Presentation:

Here, I will discuss the extras like I normally would. However, I've added something new: presentation. Some DVD's can have good A/V and Extras, and poor presentation. Presentation includes the packaging, menus, etc. Some DVD's utilize cool packaging, while others utilize poor packaging. It can affect one's thoughts about a DVD either negatively or positively, so it will be part of the extras rating; if the packaging is totally standard, it will not affect the rating. If a DVD's menu screens are really cool or overwhelmingly lame, that will also affect this rating. The quality of the scene selection and inserts (like little pages with the chapters listed) will also be taken into consideration.

Extras Rating: 1-10

Closing Thoughts:

Here, I'll sum up my thoughts about the DVD in a few short lines, and finally, give the set an overall rating. This rating will NOT be a simple average of the numbers-the individual ratings will play a part, yes, but this rating is my decision on the value of the package.

Overall Rating (Not an Average): 1-10

That's the new format; it breaks the review into easy segments that presents all information very clearly. Those looking to read about just the extras, or just the A/V, can jump to this point easily. The new points to consider in the Extras and Presentation will add extra value to the reviews. Also, expect more pictures other than just the DVD cover; I plan to also have pictures of other parts of packaging, and maybe even the menu screens (if I can find pictures). The new format for reviews serves to do many things, but in the end, I'm aiming for a maximum amount of clarity and information, and I think the new format will give that.

I will have two new DVD reviews up by the end of the week which will utilize this new format. The first will be the 2-disc special edition There Will Be Blood, and will hopefully be posted on Wednesday. The second, posted by Friday at the latest, will be the comedy Walk Hard, which is also a 2-disc set. These two might be posted visa-versa, but they are coming by the end of the week.