High definition DVD players are available throughout Greece. One can find the leading brands that are sold in Greece. Samsung, Philips, Sony, Aiwa, you name it and you can find that the brand has a significant presence in the Greek market. The Greeks have traditionally been known to love entertainment, since time immemorial. If it weren’t for the ancient Greeks, we wouldn’t have known such things as the Olympic Games. The ancient Greeks’ passion for art and entertainment has continued to the present generation and Greeks continue to love their movies and art. The Greek film industry is decades old and movies have been a popular form of entertainment in Greece since the early 20th century.

With an entrenched film culture, it’s no surprise that Greece likes to watch movies on DVD. Most of the latest DVD releases are available in Greece. There is also a large collection of Greek DVDs available.

As is the case with other European markets, the Greek market is flooded with Chinese high-definition DVD players. These players have captured the imagination of people looking for relatively inexpensive options when it comes to home theater systems. The important thing to mention is that the quality of HD DVD players is quite good.

Leading retailers in Greece stock the latest models of HD DVD players from leading brands like Philips, Sony, Samsung, Thompson, Aiwa to mention just a few. As the statistics show, these major brands sell the most high-definition DVD players. The reasons are easy to understand, as the cheaper brands do not offer the kind of warranty or after-sales service that these larger brands offer. It should be noted that even the smaller players, popularly called ‘no name’ DVD players, also work well and are considered a cost effective proposition in Greece. With the increasing penetration of the Internet, many Greeks also prefer to buy their HD DVD players from major online retailers. This also allows them to discover the latest from other parts of the world, as well as exposing them to more options.

The standard electrical standard is 230 volts. Clearly, most HD DVD players available on the Greek market follow this specification. It is always better to check the specifications of your DVD player, if you want to play it in Greece, after you have bought it elsewhere.

A walk through the streets of Athens would reveal that there are several shops stocking the latest high definition DVD players in Greece. There are supermarkets, hypermarkets and department stores that sell DVD players. The variety available is huge. One can get a DVD player in a wide range of prices. For example, you can get a standard high-definition DVD player for around $100, or look for higher-end models that will set you back more than $300. Burning DVDs are increasingly the popular choice of consumers in Greece.

There are practically hundreds of shops selling Greek DVDs in Athens. From old classics to the latest movies, they can be found all over the city. You can even get the latest Hollywood movies in Greece quite easily. The release date is usually in conjunction with the rest of Europe, or sometimes simultaneously with the worldwide release of DVD titles. Greece follows the PAL format, as do most other European countries. You can also find NTSC standard discs that are widely sold in Greece. You can also find DVD audios with traditional Greek music. Tourists to Greece almost always buy some DVD or other related to the history of this ancient country. If you are one, check the format. Though with the region free DVD players in vogue, you don’t need to worry about the aspect of video signal formats as they can play any DVD.

Although the high definition DVD market is on the rise in Greece, on the other hand video piracy is rampant in the country. The figures show that around 50% of the discs are pirated. The period of time during the 2004 Athens Olympics saw the police take tough action to end the threat. The problem is attributed to the Greek government’s lax laws regarding copyright offences. Around 90% of music discs are recorded using CD-Rs. The piracy rate is well above the average rate prevailing in Europe. Pirated games that can be played on high-definition DVD players have flooded the market. Most of them are imported from Asia. CD-R recording is also on the rise. This is also one of the main problems faced by the Greek Film Association. Illegal DVD duplication in large numbers has affected the industry as a whole.

Greeks are often passionate about their movies and this explains the rise in home theater sales. Home theater systems made their debut in Greece, along with other European countries. Since then, they are perhaps the most popular source of entertainment. People love to watch the latest movies on their fancy HD DVD players. Game consoles and game stations are also very popular, especially among the youth of Greece.

The Greek tradition in cinema goes back a long time. The Greeks started making movies almost simultaneously with Hollywood. World War I saw a hiatus in cinema in Greece, which was gradually picked up later. The rush of Hollywood blockbusters and, ironically, the introduction of high definition DVD players and the easy availability of the latest DVD titles have now contributed to the declining rate of film production in Greece. Greek production companies like Finos Films, in fact, no longer exist.