On March 5th, DreamWorks Home Entertainment released Steven Spielberg's latest film (and masterpiece), A.I. Artificial Intelligence on VHS and DVD. For those of you who have not yet experienced the Digital Versatile Disc revolution, this 2-Disc set could well be the perfect excuse to trade your hard-earned money for one of those sexy and now affordable players. And in the process change forever the way you experience movies at home.

For all film lovers, a DVD player has become a must over the past few years. Just listing some of the features on offer would have any movie buff reaching for his/her credit card, or apply for one. Imagine: the best picture and sound on one hand, and on the other, a virtual backstage pass to almost every single aspect of the moviemaking process: directors and actors' commentaries, deleted scenes, alternate endings, making of documentaries, multi-angle segments, storyboards, etc, etc The possibilities are seemingly endless, DreamWorks' recent release Shrek going one step further by allowing, if played on a DVD-Rom drive, to re-record certain scenes of the groundbreaking CGI film with your own voice.

Serious film nutters (such as myself) could only resist the temptation for a short time: within months after their appearance on the market, I used my brand new Visa card for the very first time to eagerly purchase one of these babies, soon followed by a 5.1 Dolby Digital system. Since then I have been spending more than I should on the shiny little discs, much to the horror of my neighbours who do not seem to understand why a T-Rex attack should be played at full volume at 11:00 PM on a weekday. In repeat viewing mode.

During my DVD honeymoon, when few titles were available and the discs less than perfect, I was amazed with the quality of the presentation and I was desperate to watch one of Steven Spielberg's films on this new medium. None were available in the early days, maybe due to Spielberg's support for the rival DIVX. When this format died its quiet death, our favourite studio began to embrace DVD in a spectacular way, offering some of the best releases so far thanks to beautifully animated menus and the wealth of extras available. But still Spielberg's films remained not to be found to my great despair, having been one of the Bearded One's most enthusiastic followers ever since my father took me to the cinema to watch E.T. back in 1982.

And then one day it happened: while reading a DVD magazine, my eyes were attracted to an ad for upcoming releases, including the words 1941 - Collector's Edition. A few minutes and a phone call later, the precious item was ordered and thus began an agonizing wait for my first Spielberg DVD. A couple of days later, I was tearing to shreds a small brown parcel and loading its content in my player. 1941 wouldn't find its wayto my personal Spielberg Top 5 movies but I was dead excited at the prospect of watching it on my home theatre system. What a shock it was: not only was the film fully restored, with crisp images and a stunning 5.1 remix, but it was actually a new cut of the movie, with about 30 minutes of additional footage. This new version runs for an amazing 2 hr & 26 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie much more than I had before when I saw it on TV or VHS, and I was therefore already pleased with my new acquisition. Then I started to delve in the special features and found more than I was hoping for: a fascinating 90 minutes documentary on the making of the film, including Spielberg's home movies and behind-the-scenes footage shot in the cherished Super 8 format while on set. This is an absolutely priceless feature that all Steven's fans will want to check out, and the DVD is worth buying for these memory snippets alone. Add to that deleted scenes (on top of the ones already put back in the film), trailers, hundreds of production photographs and storyboards, (not-so-nice) 1979 original reviews, and advertising, marketing and publicity material, not to mention John William' fabulous score on a separate audio track and you have a top package for one of Spielberg's relative box-office failures.

This was going to be hard to beat, but some time later came Jaws: Anniversary Collector's Edition. This absolute classic is a must-have on DVD. Jaws is arguably one of Spielberg's best films, and this edition does not disappoint. The new 5.1 mix grabs you from the opening credits: underwater sounds unnoticed on previous viewings surround you from the rear speakers and then that theme begins There is something special about watching one of your favourite movies on DVD for the first time. I had seen Jaws many times before, but this was an incredible experience. The sharp, crisp, colourful picture gives the feeling that the movie was shot yesterday, and certainly not 27 years ago. It was like watching the movie for the first time again. Truly astounding. But then as we know, the fun doesn't end with the movie on DVD. The making of documentary kicks off the start of an impressive list of extra features. Full of anecdotes, this hour-long feature will del ight fans of the film. Richard Dreyfuss' recollections of the mechanical shark's bad fortunes are priceless. On set footage and new interviews with Spielberg and cast and crew members makes for fascinating viewing. As if that was not enough, we are then treated with Deleted Scenes and Outtakes, some of which are worth checking out, such as Brody's gun failing to fire repeatedly, or Quint sabotaging a kid's effort to play the flute by singing like a maniac. Also on offer: lots of information about sharks, trailers and enough production photographs and storyboards to keep you busy for a while. A highly recommended disc!

Already responsible for those two glorious editions, Universal kept on bringing the goodies with Jurassic Park and The Lost World Collector's Editions. Both discs contain over 60 minutes of extra footage and feature a killer sound, as my neighbours could testify. The JP films sound effects, when played at full volume (as they should be; personally I like my dinosaurs LOUD), really place you at the centre of the action. Each step of the T-Rex makes the whole room shake. Now that's what I'm talking about! It reminds you of when you saw the movie in a theatre, your jaw on your knees and popcorn falling out of your mouth. In short: "WOW!". You don't have to switch off your phone during these films: you'd never hea r it anyway. And they're great icebreakers too: people will be banging on your door, begging you to stop or to let them come in and share the fun (err, maybe not). In-depth documen taries, rare pre-production meetings and location scouting footage with Spielby & Co, animatics, facts and trivia, trailers, photos, storyboards, design sketches and conceptual paintings round off the impressive packages. Not to forget 2 deleted scenes on The Lost World disc: an InGen board meeting, and an amusing introduction of Roland Tambo and his mate Ajay, set in Africa. It establishes their friendship (and therefore explain why Roland looks so upset after Ajay's death), and proves for those who had doubts that you shouldn't piss off a frustrated gamekeeper. So should you buy both DVDs then Well, I'm sure that lots of people agree that The Lost World is the weakest film in the series, but as a Spielberg completist I'm afraid I'll have to say yes. Sorry.

The last Spielberg film released on DVD by Universal is Always. I like this film and until I watched it again on this format I remembered it as being much quieter. Which is not the opinion of my neighbours - bless them: the 4.1 surround sound explodes during the firefighting scenes. Oops, I had forgotten that Of course, by the end of the movie you're going "Hmmm this is better than I remembered" That's the power of DVD, man. Enjoy! Unfortunately the only extra features are 2 trailers. Too bad, as the amazing fire sequences deserved to be looked at in more detail.

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment also released their Spielberg films on DVD. Let's start with the superb 2-Disc Collector's Edition of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This is Spielberg's definitive cut of his masterpiece, removing the superfluous final visit of the Mothership and adding scenes that were excised from the 1980 Special Edition. Which gives you a better version of the film, and yet another jaw-dropping DVD. Most of us have seen this classic on TV, but the added power of the digital sound in all its glory and the crystal-clear picture makes this an altogether different experience. Very unpopular with my neighbours, Barry's abduction scene has to be heard to be believed. As for the extras they're a dream come true for any fan. A 100 minutes documentary makes up for the absence of commentary (sadly, a standard on all Spielberg releases apparently he doesn't like them). Covering every single aspect of the project from pre-production to the finished film, it makes rewarding viewing and features interviews of Spielberg on the set of Saving Private Ryan. 11 fascinating deleted scenes, an original 1977 featurette and trailers are also included. Buy it.

CTHE's other release is the more forgettable Hook. The only real turkey from dear old Steve is only slightly improved on DVD, which says a lot! Probably more popular with kids, Hook is sometimes emba rrassing to watch for an older viewer, especially the Lost Boys scenes, but has occasional flashes of brilliance. A major disappointment. Columbia must feel that way too as the Region 1 DVD offers only trailers as bonus features. The Region 2 version is slightly better with a short featurette, photo galleries, an easy set top game and nice animated menus. If you are more than 5 years old, you have to be a fan to buy this. Well I have it, so there you go.

Warner Home Video have 2 Spielberg classics in their DVD catalogue. The Color Purple is currently available as an extra-free (apart from the trailer) disc, but a Special Edition is coming later this year, so let's skip this one.

Recently released, Empire of the Sun, a misunderstood darker epic, is more satisfying: an entertaining look at the making the film takes us on location in China and gives the rare opportunity to watch Spielberg at work, directing young Christian Bale. On top of this 45 minutes documentary are the trailers only. This could have been better, but is still an interesting package.

Spielberg's more recent films are out on DVD from DreamWorks Home Entertainment. Amistad receives the same treatment: a 30 minutes making of and a trailer. Fortunately, the documentary again gives us glimpses of Spielberg busy on the set. The film itself was not a blockbuster, but another example of Spielber g's extraordinary ability to switch genres completely. Half courtroom drama, half history lesson with strikingly shocking scenes, it had trouble finding an audience but remains nonetheless a moving and powerful experience.

Finally, the disc that made me the most hated guy in my street: Saving Private Ryan. The D-Day scene (almost 30 minutes) is already a reference in 5.1 sound, you will be playing it to all your friends only to watch their reaction. Bullets fly across the room, explosions shake the sofa you're almost there with the guys. Even during quieter scenes, the sound effects are stunningly realistic. Sometimes you have to check if it's really raining outside or if it's just the film. The final battle gives the speakers another good workout, and the perfect picture captures all the graphic violence in shocking detail. It's another must-have film in your DVD collection. After the movie, surprise! Master Spielberg appears on the screen for a special message, also accessible from the special features menu. The documentary "Into the breach" features real footage of D-Day and focuses on historical anecdotes similar to Ryan's story. It is very interesting but unfortunately the making of the film is only glanced at. It would have been fascinating to see how they shot the open ing scene, maybe in a future Collector's Edition Nevertheless you have to have it.

Only 11 of Spielberg's films have been released on DVD so far, but 2002 should keep us fans happy. Duel, Schindler's List, The Color Purple: Special Edition, the Indiana Jones Trilogy, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial should all be available before the end of the year. Which is very good news indeed, and another reason to invest now in a DVD player. But before all that, A.I. which is out on DVD now. This one calls for repeated viewing for its sheer brilliance, and the extra disc will offer more features than any other Spielberg DVD so far. I can't wait. My neighbours are going to love me.