Beleafer

Sorry..this is probably a huge newbie type question...but, I was curious about the ability to watch present day DVD's on new HDDVD equipment when it is released. Can I still enjoy my DVD collection in any future HDVD players?

Thanks for any info.

Spiky

That's the plan.

woofman

Yep, current dvd's will be backwards compatible, and I read somewhere that most HD- DVDs will have DD and DTS soundtracks.

canaryfarmer

Isn't a DTS soundtrack required on HD-DVD discs? (like Dolby tracks are on current DVDs) DTS mono, baby!

Brian Shannon

Maybe?

personally I will worry about it when there is hardware to look at and hd media to play on it. IMHO that will be at least several years away. I plan to enjoy when I own now.

splattii

Depends....HDTV dvd's will be good, but I'd go with Blu Ray. There are going to be two standards much like Beta Vs VHS.

Blu-Ray is vasty superior with 25GB single layer and 50GB dual layer discs. They also have three layer hybrid dics with two 4.7 GB DVD layers and one 25GB HD layer. This is what they have now. There are 100GB four layer discs in the works too and we may even see 200GB eight layers discs in the future. Meanwhile HD-DVD struggles with 30GB. Oh, and in addition to MPEG-2, Blu-Ray supports the same MPEG-4 codecs as HD-DVD. No one seems to get this fact nor the fact that Blu-Ray discs cost the same to manufacture as HD-DVD discs these days. It seems everyone's info is just a bit out of date. The tables have turned. The only thing going for HD-DVD is the name. Yes, I will admit that sadly sometimes this is enough when dealing with the average consumer.

digitalfreaknyc

Maybe you missed it but that's happening this year.

I've already started "getting rid of" my single layer discs

nightmaster

The concept of no backwards compatibility would be a disaster for the HD hardware makers.
IF there were by some ridiculous chance no backwards compatibility I know what I'll be doing- buying half a dozen or so new standard DVD players and putting them in my closet, waiting for my beck and call years down the road.

cultshock

The Blu-Ray recorders I've seen all have the DVD logo on the front. I don't believe that they would be allowed to have that if the machines didn't not actually have the ability to play current DVDs.

So to answer the question: Blu-Ray-definitely backwards compatible, HD-DVD-will almost surely be backwards compatible if they want to compete, or want the format to succeed at all.

Qui Gon Jim

This is pure conjecture, as it is impossible to say which is better until there is a product to review.

Also one advantage that HDDVD has is that current pressing equipment can be retrofit to press new discs, BR cannot.

Josh Z

Blu-Ray's advantages at this point are still only theoretical. No one has seen the finalized versions of both products side by side to be able to compare. I expect that what will really happen will be similar to DVD-Audio and SACD, where we have two formats with very different technical attributes that are virtually indistinguishable in quality to the consumer.

You're forgetting two important factors:

1) A product's quality rarely is the determining factor in its success, or else Betamax would have won over VHS.
2) Whenever Sony attempts to create a product market for itself, it always loses: Betamax, MiniDisc, SACD, etc. They always lose.

fitprod

For the 1,000,000,000th time! (Not really, but it feels like it...)

HD-DVD & Blu-Ray players will be required to decode the DTS stream, this does not mean HD-DVD or Blu-Ray discs will actually contain a DTS stream.

fitprod

Qui Gon Jim

No shit. Never before has the statement "Search is your friend" been more applicable than here.