Has the new medium blown anyone away yet?
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Has the new medium blown anyone away yet?
Just wondering if the new releases have floored those who have them. If not, will they with future releases and why haven't they as of yet?
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On the technical end of things (video and audio)...? Absolutely, I'm deeply impressed.
Extras aren't taking advantage of the new format, at least not yet. I'm not overwhelmed by the selection of movies at present, but all that'll come in time.
Extras aren't taking advantage of the new format, at least not yet. I'm not overwhelmed by the selection of movies at present, but all that'll come in time.
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Originally Posted by scott1598
Just wondering if the new releases have floored those who have them. If not, will they with future releases and why haven't they as of yet?
#4
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I think the factor involved with people not being blown away is that they've seen HD before. When DVD came around, not everyone had seen Laserdiscs so the difference in quality was jaw dropping.
The people buying HD-DVD players already have HD sets and probably watch a decent amount of OTA/Dish/Cable HD content, so its not revolutionary to their eyes.
The people buying HD-DVD players already have HD sets and probably watch a decent amount of OTA/Dish/Cable HD content, so its not revolutionary to their eyes.
#7
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It has depended on the film. Goodfellas was really impressive when I watched it recently. Really a great looking transfer into HD and a film that took advantage of it more than I expected. However, I rented Training Day and visually it really didn't impress me. Maybe I am just getting used to HD DVD now or maybe it was a combination of it being such a mediocre film.
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Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
No one can deny how great it looks and sounds. The only problems people have are with the player.
I have seen three separate HDDVD displays at Best Buy, Tweeter and (one other place I can't remember, probably a local A/V place) all hooked up to large 1080p displays. I had a real hard time seeing any difference from what I've got at home. I was specifically looking for greater detail and a picture that would "jump" out at me, but I never did. Several people that stopped by didn't really see the difference (and many said there were better pictures in the store on other HD displays). Maybe when material like LOTR comes out it will have the qualities I'm looking for. Right now, it doesn't.
And that's what HDDVD/BR have to worry about. VHS - DVD is so apparent that anyone could see it. It's much more subtle with HD DVD/BR. It's going to be hard to convince the average consumer that has just spend $1500+ on an HD display in the past 2-3 years to spend $3000+ on a 1080p display plus another $500 on a player.
I would have liked to see these companies spend another year refining the technology (and maybe even unifying the format) because right now, it's just not making anyone run out and adopt.
#9
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I can't stand watching most of my dvds after watching every HD-dvd release so far. I felt exactly the same way when I tried watching a vhs tape a few months after getting a dvd player back in 1998.
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I haven't seen a demo of HD-DVD yet and I don't know anyone personally that has but I can't wait to see it for myself. The differences in opinions I've read so far is amazing. I've read statements that say that it looks so much better than the very best OTA HD, which is usually considered the least compressed compared to cable or sat. Then I've also read statements like Josh's above that make it seem like it looks like a really well authored SD-DVD or one played on a very good scaler. It makes you really wonder how varied the setups are that people are judging these on. I would think the improvement in detail from the increased resolution and the use of VC-1 along with the improved color saturation and accuracy of ATSC over NTSC would make it a no brainer.
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I also checked out the HD-DVD Demo at best buy and was supremely disapointed (and this is on a 1080p LCD). A couple of the scenes were literally downright GRAINY as hell. What they were thinking by including those clips into the demo, i'll never know. Truely, no reason to upgrade just yet. I know a lot of early adaptors will disagree, but thats why they're early adaptors and not the general population.
#12
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Honestly, one thing that is going to hurt HD DVD and Blu-ray is HD video cameras. People are starting to see stuff on Discovery shot this way and sporting events shot this way and this will be their expectation of how every HD movie on disc should look. Unfortunately film is still going to look like film. Some movies will be softer and some will show more grain. The fact is this is what they are supposed to look like in most cases and for people that love film HD discs really bring out the best of these movies.
However, people are expecting the image to pop the way it does with the things shot with HD cameras and I'm worried that studios will start to use even more edge enhancement and artifical means to satisfy the masses.
However, people are expecting the image to pop the way it does with the things shot with HD cameras and I'm worried that studios will start to use even more edge enhancement and artifical means to satisfy the masses.
#13
Yes, I am blown away by HD-DVD. That's why I will continue to support the format. The catalog log will keep growing each week. People just need to be a bit patient. Things will really start kicking for HD-DVD once Batman Begins, Harry Potter, and the almighty King Kong arrive this Summer. It's also good to know I can watch these HD movies at half the price of BD.
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Originally Posted by DVD Josh
I have seen three separate HDDVD displays at Best Buy, Tweeter and (one other place I can't remember, probably a local A/V place) all hooked up to large 1080p displays. I had a real hard time seeing any difference from what I've got at home.
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
It's very rare to get any indication of quality from the way the vast majority of retailers have their TVs setup.
I'm not saying it didn't look nice, but it didn't blow me away. I'm sure once the remastering process is more refined and players have new technology in them it will be better, but right now, no sale.
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Originally Posted by DVD Josh
but Tweeter is a dedicated A/V store
I wasn't impressed with HD DVD until I was in my house watching it on my TV.
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Originally Posted by DVD Josh
I'm sure once the remastering process is more refined and players have new technology in them it will be better, but right now, no sale.
#18
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Originally Posted by darkside
Honestly, one thing that is going to hurt HD DVD and Blu-ray is HD video cameras. People are starting to see stuff on Discovery shot this way and sporting events shot this way and this will be their expectation of how every HD movie on disc should look. Unfortunately film is still going to look like film. Some movies will be softer and some will show more grain. The fact is this is what they are supposed to look like in most cases and for people that love film HD discs really bring out the best of these movies.
However, people are expecting the image to pop the way it does with the things shot with HD cameras and I'm worried that studios will start to use even more edge enhancement and artifical means to satisfy the masses.
However, people are expecting the image to pop the way it does with the things shot with HD cameras and I'm worried that studios will start to use even more edge enhancement and artifical means to satisfy the masses.
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Originally Posted by DVD Josh
And that's what HDDVD/BR have to worry about. VHS - DVD is so apparent that anyone could see it. It's much more subtle with HD DVD/BR. It's going to be hard to convince the average consumer that has just spend $1500+ on an HD display in the past 2-3 years to spend $3000+ on a 1080p display plus another $500 on a player.
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Originally Posted by RoboDad
I dunno. My wife is about as "average consumer" as they get, and she had no trouble seeing a big difference between HD-DVD and "regular" DVD, even on the Best Buy setup (admittedly, our local Best Buy has its demo set up on a nice Pioneer plasma display).
I walk into the BB in CT and they have a whole Magnolia section and it looked absolutely amazing. Sad that NYC has to learn from CT.
I honestly have no idea what DVD Josh is talking about.
Or maybe he's just pissed about having to change his name to HD-DVD Josh.
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Most people are gonna get acquainted with HD at a BB...and their display looks the same as DVD quality. I was not impressed whatsoever with what they were displaying.
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Originally Posted by paulringodaman
Most people are gonna get acquainted with HD at a BB...and their display looks the same as DVD quality. I was not impressed whatsoever with what they were displaying.
Luckily, I saw a demo months ago that Toshiba had set up and saw how amazing it can look. That was enough for me to warrant a purchase.
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Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
What "new technology" is that?
Some of the discs have some of these things, none of them have everything yet. And the current player has little to offer. The technology has been created, and made available to the HDDVD/BD mfgrs, but they really haven't used it yet.
I saw HDDVD at UE on a calibrated 1080p DLP. It looked nice, but my calibrated DLP looks just as nice for OTA HD and often amazing for DVD. (with fewer rainbows) Both mine and UE's are Toshiba displays, too. There is no denying that HDDVD looks better, but it isn't enough to make me run out the door and buy it, not til the audio can also blow me away. Although, if my local Costco has the black version, that could be tempting. That means I wouldn't be throwing money out the window. I may have to think about that seriously.
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Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
What "new technology" is that?
1080p
Properly encoded discs
Audio Formats that actually work right
Hardware that isnt buggy
etc etc.
You're so full of bs for HD-DVD that you have to reply to a statement with a question, this is the 2nd or 3rd time you've done this, cupcake. Get with the program, knocking anything you post down to shreds is getting increasingly easy.
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Originally Posted by Blitz6Speed
1080p
Properly encoded discs
Audio Formats that actually work right
Hardware that isnt buggy
etc etc.
Properly encoded discs
Audio Formats that actually work right
Hardware that isnt buggy
etc etc.
The format war will not be decided by first-generation players.