It will take years for movies, TV shows, other video programming, and computer software to become widely available.

Vagueness of spec. and inadequate testing of players and discs has resulted in incompatibilities. Some discs don't function fully (or don't play at all) on some players. It has built-in copy protection and regional lockout. It uses digital compression. Poorly compressed audio or video may be blocky, fuzzy, harsh, or vague.

The audio down-mix process for stereo/Dolby Surround can reduce dynamic range. DVD doesn't fully support HDTV. Some DVD players and drives may not be able to read CD-R's. Very few players can play in reverse at normal speed.