Will several SD DVD titles be on ONE HD disc?
 

I was just thinking about this. This probably will not happen due to the nature of companies not wanting to cut into their bottom line, but still, I wouldn't mind having 3 movies in SD on a HD DVD disc which would eliminate a lot of bulk. If you think about it, how many series and sequels are out there.

I'd rather they concentrate on putting HD content onto the discs. Could you imagine the hassle with marketing that idea?

This is one thing I would like to see happen.

With the amount of content these formats can hold (23 hours of SD content on a 50GB blu ray) you can fit an entire TV series on a single disc (around 70 (23-min) episodes!). However, charging the same price for 1 Blu Ray disc as they do for a 10-disc DVD set. Most studios are the opposite in trying to spread content out as much as possible and milk you over and over for it (see: Anime DVDs :( )

Maybe once the prices came down and HD/BR had been embraced by the mainstream consumer, those cheap-ass collections (50 Horror Movies, 4 Movies, etc) would be able to take advantage of the larger storage aspect.

The problem is, that idea goes against everything HD DVD and BD stands for and is being advertisedas doing. They don't sell the disc based on storage they sell them based on the highest quality audio and video. I doubt any of the big studios would ever even consider doing this, let alone release something. Brentwood or some of the other small studios may try it, but I don't expect FOX or WB or Sony etc. to try it.

This could happen, but only when the format is very mainstream which may never happen.

I would love to see this happen. All seven seasons of Buffy on seven Blu-ray discs instead of 40 DVD's.

However, for a show like Buffy, which was shot on 16mm and 35mm film, I would want to see that in high definition. Except, I believe all the SFX shots were rendered in video, so, that may not be a possibility.

I thought we we're promised this!
 

I remember 4-5 years ago when HD and Blu-ray were first being discussed that storage capacity was actually a major selling point for the new systems capacity. I remember several articles back then telling me to imagine entire TV seasons of my favorite show being released on one disc. One newspaper writer dreamed of all seven TOS Star Trek movies on one disc.

If the major studios were to follow through on this original promise of the new formats, SD DVD content could help bring HD and Blu-ray into mainstream. You wouldn't need to buy an HD set to view your SD DVD content. Why not take the most popular TV series (X-Files, Star Trek, Friends, Seinfeld, West Wing, etc.) and release them packed into a handful of HD or Blu-ray discs and see if it spurs player sales. At the right price point, you would pull a lot of fence-sitters into the market.

Not only were the SFX shots rendered in video, but all the editing and post-production was done in the video realm. Series' like these would have to be re-assembled from scratch.

I know I wouldn't mind having an entire season on one disc. If the quality comes out looking like standard definition DVDs, this shouldn't be a real problem when it comes to certain tv shows.

This was all conjecture on the part of journalists and columnists, as you point out. I don't think the studios ever promised the creation of a ton of SD content consolidated on one HD disc.

The problem I see is that "same content, less discs," really isn't a big enough incentive to cause people to pay hundreds for a new player. When choosing between a multi-DVD set that a person can take home and play and a single-disc HD set of the exact same content that requires that person to spend a few hundred dollars more to play, I don't see them going for the single-disc. Hell, even if they already had an HD-disc player, I'm not sure the single-disc would have more appeal over the much more compatible DVD set, which could be played in portable players, at friend's houses, and even on the competing HD-disc player.

Because the studios would rather resell those in HD. Most of those shows have already been remastered in HD, and for Star Trek the studio is even creating new CGI effects in HD for the show.

Creating an SD set on HD-DVD or BD would also directly compete for shelf space and shelves with the existing DVDs. Retail stores are already unhappy about having to carry two formats of the same films in HD, they'd probably balk upfront to carrying a film or show in SD in three different formats. Plus there's development, manufacturing, storage, and distribution costs for these discs, which would be effectively taking time, space, and money away from other SD projects that would contain completely different product than what's already available.

I really don't see studios eager to sell a single-disc version of their content for any less than the multi-disc version. Remember that the main appeal of the HD formats for the studios is the ability to sell or resell content at a new, higher pricepoint than the rapidly dropping in price DVD market.

The problem wouldn't be whether or not the show was processed in video, but whether that video was SD or HD.

Even if it was only SD, shows like Cheers and Seinfeld have already been remastered in HD. It takes work, but it's possible. SFX heavy shows like Buffy would have an extra hurdle, since the SFX would have to be re-rendered, but it's not an insurmountable challenge.

The only shows I see as never having a chance of being released in HD are shows that were either shot directly in SD video, or shows where the final SD video master is all that's left.

I could see this happening with older material the studios have no intention of ever putting out in hi-def. Especially Universal, all Abbott & Costello movies on one disc, The Munsters, etc. The format(s) would have to become pretty mainstream for this kind of stuff to get a release.

Why do you think those titles will never be released in HD?

Because they use analog tape masters for the standard dvds. They won't spend the money to make the HD masters. I believe WB makes new masters for everything they put out so their classic stuff might make it to HD.

I want to see Sanford & Son, The Jefferson's & Maude in HD!

I don't see how people are gonna plunk down tons of money for an HD-DVD player just so they can get their favorite show on 1 disc. That is totally not worth it.

I agree, total waste of good money.

Unless they already own an HD-DVD player, in which case it would be well worth it IMO.

Well, I can't speak for everyone who owns an HD player, but I most likely wouldn't buy any HD disc that had a full season of SD on it. It's a nice thought, but I'd be hoping that show would get a proper HD release instead...and if it's something that's already out, I see no need to buy the 'one' disc version over the multi discs sets I already have and I'm sure the studios would still charge the same price for these as they do now for a single season, not worth it to me... to each their own though. I don't care about the extra capacity of high def discs in terms of HOURS of content...I care about QUALITY of content.

Since HD/Blu-ray sales aren't that great based on the quality of video/audio that they are currently marketing, maybe they should market the capacity aspect.

This is a miniscule number of people and they are probably budget-minded. I can see this happening in 5 years or so, but not nowadays. And, if anyone does it, it will be BD with their promised 200GB discs.

And if they put a few movies on an HD disc that's SD content, then you'll run into the same problems you get when you're in Wal-Mart for example or anywhere else that sells multiple movies in one package at a cheap price. You may already own some where you may want others, and in the end you may not feel the price justified because you may already own some of the films on the package.

Besides that though, throw me in the camp that I don't want to own any high definition player just for the fact that some room on my shelves can be saved.