Posted on 06/15/2006 8:01:01 PM PDT by Lunatic Fringe
The new souped-up DVD formats, which allow for crisper images, mind-numbing audio and added room for bonus features like extra movie scenes or director commentary....
Alright, now here is my problem. I have a very high-quality DVD player, connected to a top-of-the-line TV and sound system (think of the mother of surround system/home-theater thingimajigs). ALright. Thus I have very crips sound (where one can hear everything from the footfall of an ant to the second coming), perfect HD picture, etc etc. The DVDs I have (like everyone elses) also have Director commentary, extra movie scenes, deleted scenes, etc etc etc (I believe nowadays very few DVDs lack such features, with some actually having more extra features than the actual length of the movie).
Question: Why then should I invest between 400-900 bucks on HD-DVD/Blu-Ray? Apart, obviously, from the need to 'awe my enemies and impress my friends' or any other tagline from the ad section of 1980s comic books? Why should I buy the next-gen DVD formats when what I currently have apparently gives me what these new things are promising?
Freeper assistance on this please?
"Holy schmoke," they sez to themselves. "We can shuffle things around and move our squatters off of half our frequencies, and then auction 'em off to the highest bidder. We'll make Millions!" (Aide whispers into Fed's ear.) "Uhh, we'll make BILLIONS!!!"
"And this digital hooey gives us the perfect opportunity to do it!"
"Crisper video" can only mean high-definition. "Mind-numbing audio" can only mean more channels.
We still have no cable and only get free air local stations. We are proud when the people faces don't warble in three different directions.
Honestly, I do believe it all boils down to Sony etc being able to make formats so complicated that it slows down home recordings. Huge amounts of data take extra time to decode and process/burn.
That would defeat the purpose.
Haven't you heard, the Federal Government is going to fund and adapter for people so they won't lose access to television once the move takes place.
Well, I may be biased since I've been watching hi-def movies and TV for almost the last year by way of digital cable, but I think the difference between even anamorphic widescreen DVD and true hi-def is clear to anyone with eyes. The detail level is just that much higher - high enough in some cases to reveal the limitations of the original film media. Also colours are better rendered in the hi def format, and more realistic. I'm not really a videophile, but I think anyone can appreciate a better quality picture. I mean, how many of the people reading this are still using a VGA (640x480) video card and monitor? And it definitely becomes noticeable when you go to large screen sizes, which are increasingly common. Everyone says the same thing: once you've seen a movie or sports on a decent sized hi-def screen (with a true hi-def feed), you don't want to go back.
I think the DMCA says you can execute someone that does that.
Technically, you're right: true HD is better - but I've found that an anamorphically-encoded DVD rendered through an upconvert engine produces an excellent picture on a reasonably-sized HDTV (42-50 inches). And - as you note, the potential for additional quality is frequently limited by the specifications of the source material. Old film prints, even digitally remastered can look grainy or fuzzy. So, as I said, I don't think HD DVD or Blue-ray is worth it at $500-$999. Now, when you can buy one at WallyWorld for a buck and a quarter (in two years' time), I'll be right there in line!
Good post. I am hooked on HD. I record alot of the movies on HBO and Showtime HD. I get the great HD picture (which is breathtaking compared to even the digital cable feed) and dolby 5.1 audio which is also available on my cable system if you invest in a fiber optic lead. I plan to do this until the HD DVD thing works itself out. I can live with the picture quality of regular DVDs until then. I would sure pay a couple of hundred bucks for Hi-Def DVD but not a grand.
I watched the replay of the US Open on ESPNHD last nite. Nothing like watching golf (or any sporting event) in HD. I hope the weekend telecasts on the broadcast network is also in HD. I have those set to record so it will be a good weekend of playing and watching.
Having an HDMI input on your display will be a prerequisite for either format.
And what percentage of monitors already sold as high definition have this feature?
I don't know the answer to this question, but I suspect a lot of people are going to be disappointed.
Definitely agree on the pricing on the blu-ray/HD-DVD players at this time. I didn't pay much more than that for my TV.
I'm pretty sure that some of the hi-def movies on the movie network are actually up-converted DVDs, but some are definitely HD transfers. And some of the original programs, like Stargate Atlantis, or Rome, look absolutely fantastic in HD.
As far as sports go, they look great in HD. I'm not even a soccer fan but I've been watching some of the World Cup series in HD, and it looks great.
Oh, btw, I watch a 34" HD tube TV from about 5-6' away, and I can definitely tell the difference, but quality anamorphic DVDs DO look almost as good as HD - just lacking a little of the crispness and detail. But then my TV "only" has a horizontal resolution of about 1000 or so (34" Panasonic 1080i widescreen direct-view tube). My next TV will probably be a flat panel (LCD or plasma or maybe one of the new technologies coming along) of 40" or more, with full HD resolution (1920x1080).
I'm fortunate in that I waited to buy an HD set until the need for HDMI with HDCP became clear. Although at this time my cable co's HD PVR will output all programming in the clear at full HD resolution on the component output.
I moved from VHS to DVD because of the size of the storage medium, clearly better quaility of picture, and the bonus material found on DVD.
That was a lot of extras for swtiching from one technology to another. I do not see the same advantage for moving from DVD to either of these new technology. I am happy with what I have now, I can affort to wait.
All this and no mention of the differences in how the formats will use content restrictions to kill fair use and possibly make that shiny new HDTV you just bought obsolete.
"I've still got my Sony Beta. It's the best format, you know."
I used to have one and I loved it. They just stopped carrying the Beta tapes.
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