Film and Video Formats

DVD

DVDs come in 6 regional formats. Region 1 is North America, Region 2 is Europe, etc. Region 1 DVDs, for example, can only be played on a Region 1 player or on a code free player, which is a player that has been modified to play discs from all regions.  Lilly’s DVDs that need a code free player are labeled with the sticker “Requires Code Free Player”.   Lilly has 3 code free players for your use in its viewing stations.  Region codes are usually indicated on the back of the DVD box by a number superimposed over a globe (pictured below).

VHS

Usually called “video tapes,” these come in several formats. They all look alike, but only the NTSC format will play on VCRs sold in North America. The PAL (Europe) and SECAM (Asia) formats require a special multi-format player to play on American TVs. PAL & SECAM tapes are indicated by stickers on the cassette and on its case.  Lilly has many titles in these formats.  Lilly’s viewing carrels have four Tri-Standard VHS players that can play multi-region VHS tapes.

VCD

VCDs look like DVDs (and are called DVDs in the online catalog) but are inferior in picture and sound quality. It usually takes two VCDs to hold the same amount of data as one DVD. You also cannot change subtitles, language, or anything else on these discs. They are like video tapes in this respect. The advantages are that there are no region codes so they will work on any player (including most computers with DVD players) and many titles (especially Asian titles) are available in this format that are unavailable in any other format. Lilly has several hundred VCDs in our collection.  These are marked as DVDs, but usually do not have the same functionality as a standard DVD.

LaserDisc

Called “Video Discs" in the online catalog, these 12-inch discs look like silver versions of vinyl LPs. Lilly has one LaserDisc player for the collection of about 500 titles, located in cluster A of the viewing carrels.  All LaserDiscs have been sent to storage in the Library Service Center (LSC).  As with all LSC materials, you may use the “Request” link next to an item’s catalog listing to request the item to be retrieved and delivered to Lilly or the library of your choice.

U-Matic

This is an old format. The tapes are ¾ inches wide as opposed to the ½ inch wide VHS tapes that are the current standard. Physically the cassettes are much larger than VHS tapes and require a special machine to play. All of Lilly’s U-matic tapes have been transferred to the Library Service Center, and can be requested through the online catalog. Lilly has one U-Matic player for viewing these tapes; arrangements may be made with library staff for its use.  Call the front desk at (919) 660-5995, or email lilly-requests@duke.edu.

16-Millimeter Films

 Lilly's collection of 500 16-millimeter films have been transferred to the Library Service Center (LSC), our off-site storage facility. Patrons needing these films should submit an electronic request at least 3 days prior to the date they wish to view them.  You can submit a request to LSC by clicking on the “Request” button under “Get It @ Duke” in the item’s online catalog record.

To reserve 16-millimeter viewing equipment, and a location to view a 16-millimeter film, please notify AV Specialist Ken Wetherington two days in advance of your showing.  You may also contact Ken with any questions about 16-millimeter materials the library holds.