DVD Or VCR?

SALESPERSON: May I help you, sir?

SIMON: Yes, I want to buy a VCR.

SALESPERSON: Well, we have many models to choose from here.

Do you have a particular brand you want?

SIMON: No. I only want it to be a very good one. The best.

It's a graduation gift for my son.

SALESPERSON: I see. And does your son have a VCR now?

SIMON: Well, he uses our VCR at home.

But he's going to university in the Fall, so he needs his own VCR.

SALESPERSON: Does he watch a lot of movies?

SIMON: Yes, he sure does.

In fact, he wants to become a movie producer himself.

He wants to study film at the university.

SALESPERSON: I would like to make a suggestion then, sir.

SIMON: Please do.

SALESPERSON: If your son wants to study film,

probably he will start to collect movies himself.

SIMON: Yes, I know that. So I want him to have a good VCR to use.

SALESPERSON: May I suggest you consider buying him a DVD player instead?

SIMON: DVD? Isn't that like a CD?

SALESPERSON: It is very similar. The technology is the same.

SIMON: Why is a DVD better than a VCR?

SALESPERSON: For one thing, sir, the quality of the image is usually better.

That's because it's digital.

SIMON: But isn't it more expensive?

SALESPERSON: It is a little more expensive, sir.

But there is one important advantage which your son might appreciate.

SIMON: What's that?

SALESPERSON: If your son starts to buy video tapes, he can't keep them very long.

SIMON: And why not?

SALESPERSON: Video tape breaks down after fifteen years.

So if he collects a lot of tapes, after fifteen years they will all start to rot.

SIMON: Hmm. Is that true?

SALESPERSON: Yes, it is, sir.

SIMON: Well. And what about DVDs?

SALESPERSON: This is the excellent thing about DVDs.

If your son starts to collect DVDs, they will last forever. They will never rot.

SIMON: Hmm. He might really appreciate that.

I