Kelvin Smith Library
If you want to watch anything in the library remember to bring your own headphones, either bluetooth or wired, see the link below to learn how to hookup your headphones.
Step 1: The library lends movies including: blu-rays, DVDs, videotapes (Steps 1 - 4 for videotape use). Now, most of the videotapes that we lend are NTSC, the North American Standard. These play on your standard VHS player, which are available in the Kelvin Smith Library.
Step 2: As for other standards, such as PAL (Phase Alternate Line used in most European countries) or SECAM (Sequential Color and Memory), you can watch these on certain VCRs which have been unavailable since the pandemic.
Step 3: On the back of the videotape case, the box will indicate if the video is full frame/standard or wide screen. Almost all movies now are wide screen, so if it says 'standard' expect the media to be a relatively square shape.
Step 4: Remember to rewind your video after use!
(Steps 5 - 9 for DVDs only)
Step 5: When you're looking at DVDs, realize that DVDs exist as NTSC and PAL as well, so there are such things as international DVDs. Your computer does have a DVD player, you do not always need to watch these in the library. Remember, that if you don't have a DVD player, the library also does lend them out.
Step 6: On the back of the media, it will tell you what region the DVD is in, we are in Region 1. Other regions (not including Region Free or All) can only be played in international DVD players, which we do supply in the Freedman Center.
Step 7: Technically, when you insert an international DVD into your computer, it could either play it fine or convert your computer's region to that indicated region forever. It will warn you before it takes this action, but you always want to be careful.
Step 8: If the DVD is specified as a PAL it will not play in your regular DVD player. However, if you go to the Freedman Center, we have regular VCR, regular DVD players, and an international DVD player ("Region Free DVD Player").
(Steps 9 - 10, for Blu-ray)
Step 9: Blu-ray is always in HD standard so you don't have to worry about that, however some Blu-rays are '"Region Coded". Unlike the regions of DVDs, there are only regions of Blu-ray: A, B, or C (sometimes it will say A, B, and C which means the media is encoded for the world and can play anywhere).
Step 10: You need to have a Blu-ray player to watch, which we do lend out, but the library does not have any international Blu-ray players.
If you have any additional questions, please contact freedmancenter@case.edu