Ever since the introduction of DVD Media, the high quality alternative to video, Formula One fans around the world have waited eagerly for the chance to use the latest technology to fuel their love of the sport. The Official 2000 Formula One World Championship Review brings recent F1 action to your DVD player for the first time.

Since 1981, at the end of each season fans have been able to purchase an official review, usually on video tape media format. The review covers each race from the season, showing all the best bits of action and forming a great way to review the season.

2000 marks the first time the review of the year has been produced for normal video and DVD. So what is it all about, is there a noticeable difference, and is it worth the extra money? You can expect to pay around £19.99 for this particular DVD. So what do you get for your money?

This particular DVD is created under Region 2 restrictions, so Multi Region players should have no problems, and there is also an alternative option which I will detail at the end of this review. The DVD comes in a typical standard black DVD case. The cover, attractive if but simple, gives an introduction as to what to expect: "All the excitement and exhilarating drama of the F1 Grand Prix 2000 season is contained on this disc, featuring over 4 hours of footage."

Inside the case, the disc is contained along with a leaflet showing further information about the DVD contents. After inserting the DVD, and hitting play, you are presented with the main menu screen, which features all 17 Grands Prix. Each Grand Prix is represented with a waving flag of the country, together with the Grand Prix's name. The menu is well presented, and features slow motion blurred general F1 action behind.

For the purpose of this review, I selected the "Qantas Australian Grand Prix". The Grand Prix menu is next, and you now have two options. "Interactive Version", or "Continuous Version". I will begin with the Interactive Version.

The interactive version is exactly what the name says, a way of interacting with the review of this particular race. Due to the way DVD media can store so much more data than video, this has allowed DVD creators to let the viewer take partial control over what they see. The interactive menu comprises of a list of Chapters. Each Chapter is a particular event in the race. Below each chapter, are 5 different options: "Super", "Track", "OBC", "Pits", and "Data".

"Super" is a standard review version of the event. This version contains the standard video footage, along with the standard commentary. "Track" is similar to "Super", except there is no commentary, so all you hear are the cars, the crowd, and other associated track noises. "OBC" is short for On Board Camera, this option shows a series of pre-selected onboard camera shots from pre-selected drivers during the event in question. "Pits" is pre-selected views of pre-selected teams in their pit environment during the event. And finally, "Data" is the FIA Timing screen, again during the event in question. You can see the timing screen update in real time.

So, lets take for example, the start of the Australian Grand Prix. This is contained under "Chapter 2 - Race start / Alesi starts from the pits".

I select this chapter, and I have all 5 of the above views to pick from. The Super view is just like your normal race review, along with commentary. The track view is the same or similar video, but without the commentary over the top. Now for the onboard camera, OBC. For this particular chapter, this shows the start from the nose of David Coulthard, in second place, and runs right up to turn 2. An impressive view. Selecting Pits shows the start from the pits, where Alesi makes his pitlane start, along with a view of team owner Alain Prost in the garage. And finally, data, showing the data screen during the start.

Flicking through the chapters, you can pick the events you wish to watch, and also pick which particular view of the action you wish to see. The Australian Grand Prix contains 17 chapters of action, from start to finish.

The ability to select onboard video of most of the events, allows you to capture an impressive view of what happened, and also experience what it was like for the driver. The pit view allows you to capture some amazing reactions to events by team owners, and other team personnel, and places you in the garage, as if you had been standing watching the event unfold. The data screen allows you to see the timing screen, giving you the ability to check race order, positions, and for example, the gap between one driver and another at that particular time.

The interactive version is amazingly flexible, and allows the viewer to pinpoint a particular event in the race, and view it from a number of angles. Not all of the race events have all five camera options available however. It is also noticeable that the onboard footage can be a little short at times, but it is still very impressive. The drivers featured with onboard footage are pre-defined, you can not for example pick which onboard camera or driver you wish to view from, but the creators seem to have done an excellent job in picking for you.

So what about the Continuous option we saw earlier?

Simply, this is a continuous version available of the five different options. For example, you can select to watch the continuous version of the Super camera, which will then allow you to sit back, and watch the race as if it was a full review, complete with commentary. The race will flow from start to finish, without the need to select chapters or cameras. If you select the continuous versions of the other four (Track, Onboard, Pits, Data) cameras, you will again see a continuous, start to finish view from those options. With Onboard in particular, this will show the entire race, in segments, from onboard cameras only.

The continuous option of the Super camera is the normal review you would expect to see if you purchased a review, so don't worry, if you are not interested in interaction, this is the option for you.

With both versions, unfortunately, due to the limitations of DVD media, an entire race of constant no gaps footage can not be contained. The current DVD media simply can not hold that much information, especially with 17 races to cover. But hopefully, in the future, individual races will be possible on their own discs, to allow for a lot more coverage.

The 2000 Formula One World Championship Review DVD is a valuable asset to any Formula One fan's collection. It offers a great way of either watching the entire season, or picking out one particular race. You can even pick out one particular event, for example, Mika Hakkinen making his breathtaking pass for the lead against Michael Schumacher at the Belgium Grand Prix, or Schumacher winning the US Grand Prix. You can capture events from amazing angles, witness incidents in detail you never saw originally, see how various teams react to drama on the track, and experience Formula One in the current digital age.

If you are one of the lucky people to currently have Digital Formula One coverage, you will already be used to most of the camera angles contained on this DVD, but for people without the luxury of Digital Coverage, this finally gives you the chance to experience the sport from this amazing view point.

This DVD is in my opinion well worth the purchase, and will become a great way of collecting the action from each season, year by year.

The DVD can be purchased online from UK based Duke Video, who also stock previous F1 reviews on normal video format, ranging back to 1981. Duke successfully delivered my copy within 3 days, to my UK address.