There's at least one area where it has not paid off to be an early adapter: your DVD collection.

Last week brought the fourth edition of "Rocky"; this week, shoppers and 007ophiles are confronted with "The James Bond Ultimate Edition Vol. 3" and "Vol. 4" coming on the heels of "Vol. 1" and Vol. 2" (MGM).

Except for the 1977 spoof "Casino Royale" — no relation to the quite brilliant film of the same title in theaters now — and the 1983 "Thunderball" remake "Never Say Never Again" (Sean Connery's last stand), the four box sets contain every Bond film till now.

Each film has been gorgeously remastered frame by frame and appended with never-seen special features. In this case, "Ultimate" would seem to actually be ultimate, at least until the Blu-ray versions come around.

"Vol. 3" contains a superior Connery in 1963's "From Russia With Love"; the underrated 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" with George Lazenby; 1973's big, loud and forgettable "Live and Let Die" and 1981's far better "For Your Eyes Only," both with dapper but dull Roger Moore; and Pierce Brosnan's first, and impressive, turn in the tux, 1995 "Goldeneye."

"Vol. 4" has the granddaddy of them all and Connery's first Bond, 1961's "Dr. No," as well as his first farewell, 1967's very good "You Only Live Twice"; 1979's gimmicky "Moonraker" and 1983's far better "Octopussy," both featuring Moore, and 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies," in which Brosnan teams up with martial-arts beauty Michelle Yeoh.

The only issue, of course, is that this is the third go-around for Bond boxes.

Even more troublesome is MGM's decision, yet again, not to package the films in chronological order.

There is a reason for this: An all-Moore Vol. 3 would be as unattractive to most Bond lovers as an all-Connery Vol. 1 would be irresistible. In time, the upgrades will all be available individually, but for now, tomorrow will have to wait.

'WORLD TRADE CENTER'

Oliver Stone's 9/11 drama "World Trade Center," based on the true story of two Port Authority cops (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena) trapped in the rubble, the wives (Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal) who wait anxiously and the rescue responders who work tirelessly to find and save them, is so emotionally gripping that most people didn't appreciate the craftsmanship that went into its making.

The DVD (Paramount) allows a full appreciation, while the making-of extras on the two-disc "Collector's Edition" show us what went into the making of this fine tribute.

It also includes interviews with the people who are portrayed in the movie, except for one courageous rescue worker who has never come forward.

ALSO NEW

New Blu-rays of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "The Transporter," "The Omen" remake, "Ice Age: The Meltdown," "Kiss of the Dragon" and "The Fantastic Four" (all Fox) are dramatically ordinary but visually exciting.

Ridley Scott's Crusades epic "Kingdom of Heaven," now available on Blu-ray in Ridley Scott's "Director's Cut" (Fox), is something like a revelation.

One of the summer's best surprises, "The Devil Wears Prada" (Fox), with Meryl Streep as the fashion-editor boss from hell and Anne Hathaway as her rode-hard assistant, is new to disc.

The NASCAR comedy "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" with Will Ferrell as the driver hero and "Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen is available in PG-13 and unrated versions (Columbia-TriStar).

Perhaps the most overlooked item in the glut of computer-animated, animal-populated family comedies released this year was "Barnyard" (Paramount) and — as proven by the DVD — for good reason.

TV ON DVD

It may be its wholesomeness or familiarity that prevents "The Andy Griffith Show" from being placed on every list of the Top 10 TV sitcoms in history, but a new set called "The Complete Final Season" (Paramount) makes its quality obvious.

It contains the 30 half-hour episodes of the show's ninth and final season, broadcast in 1966-67.

"Andy Griffith," a spin-off of an episode of "The Danny Thomas Show," would spawn a couple of spin-offs itself.

One was "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.," starring Jim Nabors as Mayberry's beloved slow learner. That show's "Complete First Season" (Paramount) is collected on five discs. (Editor's note: Nabors now lives in Honolulu and is staging his final holiday show at the Hawai'i Theatre)

FAMILY PICK

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" — An adaptation of the first novel in C.S. Lewis' series about four English siblings who escape into a magical kingdom after they're sent to stay with a reclusive uncle during World War II.

Distributor Disney hoped to establish a "Lord of the Rings"-type franchise. Sequel plans are pending, but the film still rated a "Rings"-style, four-disc extended version treatment (Disney).

The new cut restores about 30 minutes of footage that was trimmed from the 134-minute version shown in theaters.