T2: Extreme Ed High-Def DVD question
 

I just noticed on the main page the section where its talking about if you have a 2.4Ghz PC or better and Windows XP then you can get a sneak peek at one of the big HD Formats jockeying for pole position in the all to near High-Def Format War: Windows Media Video High-Definition. And then it states that there is only 2 other DVDs with 'Windows Media Video High-Definition' versions on them: Terminator 2 Extreme Edition being one of them.

Well my question is do I have to have at least a 2.4GHz pc w/ XP to experience the High-Def video or is already playing it when I pop in my dvd player while I watch on my 27in. tv (cause I didn't notice any difference in video quality other than being good like any of my other dvds)? I don't own a HD-TV yet, soon I hope. Can anyone shed some more light on this...

At the moment there is no such thing as HD DVD video in your dvd player. The fact that you did not notice a difference has to do with the size of your tv and type of output capability you have.

so it's basically only viewable on your pc with Windows Media 9 then I guess. thanks for the info...

Correct

is it viewable for people who have dvd players such as the vinc bravo d1, momitsu v880 (?), or samsung 931 that can scale the image to 720p or 1080i (or custom res's in the case of the d1 or momitsu)?

I don't believe so. I remember reading something to the effect that it requires Windows Media 9. It is not something that a standalone player can do.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...m/HDVideo.aspx

Totally Not true... All these players do is Upconvert to 1080i... They are still encoded in 480 lines of resolution.. There is no such thing as HD-DVD yet, atleast not true HD-DVD... Those players still are displaying something encoded in 480p and althought it make look better, its not HD-DVD

Exactly. T2:EE and the new IMAX DVD must be played using WP9 for Hi Def viewing. And just a head's up, if you don't want studdering or skipping during the movie while it's playing, make sure you're running around a 3ghz rig for Hi Def viewing.

I think on the back of the T2 Extreme case, it requires a 2.8GHz proc with 512MB ram to play it. I played it back on my P4HT 2.8 and it does certainly look damn good

It does require top of the line hardware to run properly! It brings my 2800+ (@ 3200+) and Radeon 9700 Pro to its knees.

silly amd! hahhaha!!

Yeah it sucks buying hardware that is half the price with better performance. Intel is ripping P4 owners!

And so the war has begun ;)

I have a WS nottebook computer which features kickass picture & sound quality. I tested out the T2 SE release & thought the picture & sound quality was great from what I sampled. None of the 'defects' everyone else complained about(EE,artifacts etc) were present. A solid transfer I think.

Now if I did get the new Extreme Edition. Would the picture & sound quality be noticeable different & possibly better or will I not notice anything at all?

It can be found for $14 at Target,which is a steal considering Best Buy & other stores are still charging $20+ for it. But I don't want to waste money rebuying a movie I own which features no obvious difference + is actually inferior in terms of extras compared to the great SE release!

OK, I don't have either, but I've got the Extreme Ed on my DVDAF wishlist over the UE because the Ex Ed has the James Cameron commentary which most agreed is pretty good.

I guess it's a matter of perception about the extras though, if a DVD is released with a second disc with a bunch of featurettes and stuff, but no commentary, I still feel slightly cheated of a "proper" SE. But that's just me.

Hmm. I have a 2100+ clocked to about 3500+ speeds and an overclocked Radeon 9700 NP (past pro speeds though) and it runs flawlessly. I guess ymmv though.

Can you output to a hdtv if you have tv out and get a hd signal?

Yes . . .

If you have a home theater pc running Windows media 9 connected to your hdtv!

Yes, but you'll want to use the DVI or VGA connections.

Runs fine on my AMD 2600+ with 128 meg Radeon 9500 Pro and 512 megs ram on HTPC.
Only complaint is no dolby digital sound is being passed through the s/pdif output, so I have to connect via analog or use Logic 7 in my receiver to emulate my 5.1 output.
The license issue is a real pain too, it seems that when installed the license is only good for 5 days and must renew itself via internet.
The forced Interact viewer stinks too, but all in all it looks good on my X1 projector at 100" 16x9.

Bravo is coming out with the D3 DVD player ($349) sometimes in April. The D3 will be able to play HD WM9 contents on DVDs. More details can be found at the DVD forum at www.avsforum.com. Furthermore, 19 more WM9 DVDs are scheduled for release. Most are documentaries and Imax movies.