Face it, moviegoers: Buying a ticket, getting a tub of buttery popcorn and a soda, and watching a film with an audience is slowly becoming a thing of the past. With living rooms being the dominant venue for viewing, now is the perfect time to start taking pride in your own DVD library -- which, sadly, means your much beloved VHS copy of Porky's Revenge may have to go.

To kick things off, search out must-have classic and contemporary titles from some reputable sources (sorry, folks, but IMDb ain't gonna cut it). In addition to its recently revised "100 Best" lists, the American Film Institute has released several user-friendly "best of" lists arranged by genre, performer and a bunch of other categories. For foreign and art films, try They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?'s "1,000 Greatest Films" section. And Roger Ebert's continuing series "Great Movies" provides insightful, engaging and unpretentious introductions to many revered classics.

Readers take pride in their books; DVD enthusiasts should do the same with their collections. Having a stylish shelf to display your DVDs is a must (check out IKEA for some affordable options). Besides, you shouldn't shell out for The Martin Scorsese Film Collection just to have it gather dust on your floor. And never mind the implication of anal-retentiveness or OCD, it's time to alphabetize your DVDs, pure and simple.

Avoid buying DVDs at face value from retail chains like Borders or Best Buy. Amazon.com usually includes a 25 percent or more discount on pre-orders for new releases. Another well-stocked online store, deepdiscount.com, carries new titles at outrageously low, marked-down prices, with free shipping and handling to boot. Amazon, eBay and Netflix also sell very affordable used DVDs (and offer nice return policies). Recently we picked up Zodiac for a mere five bucks on Netflix.

A common complaint among DVD aficionados is how studios release souped-up "Special Editions" to replace older discs with nary a supplement. Any bonus features, so the reasoning goes, ought to be included the first time around. Worse still, studios occasionally unveil new editions with the exact same bonus material, merely to cash in on a theatrical or seasonal tie-in. Case in point: the "His and Her Valentine's Day" editions of The Princess Bride. But the solution is simple for collectors who need all the accompanying bells and whistles: Make inquiries, whether online or elsewhere, to ensure that you're getting a definitive DVD. (One caveat: Sometimes an upgrade is mandatory, especially when a film you love is inducted into the estimable Criterion Collection.)

An ancient consumer adage applies to DVD box sets: You get what you pay for. Higher-caliber sets collecting the works of auteurs (e.g. The Stanley Kubrick Collection) or legendary stars (Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, et al.) employ the finest available source material and are generally worthy additions to your library. However, beware the dirt-cheap, 10-disc box sets containing, say, vintage kung-fu or animation.

Betamax vs. VHS. VHS vs. Laserdisc. Laserdisc vs. DVD...every generation has its own electronic format war, and the latest match-up, Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD, ended with the former victorious. Technophiles may rejoice and update their collections; but for the time being, standard DVDs remain the primary source for new and old films.

Is your copy of The Big Lebowski beginning to skip? Did your girlfriend roll her eyes after you popped in Old School for the 37th time? It might be time to broaden your cinematic horizons. If you dig Wes Anderson movies, there's plenty of literature that'll suggest similar work (and let's be honest, saying "I like Rushmore" without anything else to back it up is kind of a conversational non-starter). Consult the annual edition of Halliwell's Film, Video & DVD Guide and critic David Thomson's incredibly entertaining The New Biographical Dictionary of Film for additional ideas on how to expand your DVD collection and unleash your inner-cinephile.

Use dvdtalk.com's extensive release schedule and news section to keep tabs on when your cherished but unattainable favorites finally escape the dustbin of VHS. Who knows, your "yeah, it's brilliant, but it's a shame it hasn't had a proper DVD release" comment just might impress the girl you're chatting up. And if not, at least you can come home to a great collection of movies.