jiggawhat

I got this over from DVDfile and it compares both dvd and hd-dvd. It's by no means the end all be all on the subject but I found that the guy did an excellent job. Take a look.

I wish there were more comparisons like these out there so people can make up there minds on whether they really want HD or not.

Now I hope someone does a comparison against HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray vs DVD. Hopefully when Warner starts releasing their blu-ray stuff I can finally decide one whether I'm going to upgrade myself too. Right now I'm leaning towards HD-DVD so I guess we'll see what happens by the Holiday Season.


http://forums.dvdfile.com/showthread.php?t=59152&page=1

digitalfreaknyc

Obviously not as "night and day" when it's not blown up. I prefer those LOTR comparisons that were up.

jiggawhat

Those Last Samurai pics are sweet though.

digitalfreaknyc

Yeah. As has been commented on in that thread, they're doing more harm than good. Tiny pictures do NOTHING.

digitalfreaknyc

Pictures don't mean anything. Unless they're screenshots, who cares? They need to be screenshots that are large enough to compare with SD and see the difference. You compress anything small enough and the quality will always look better than it is. This is like sending someone a mono mp3 audio file of a 6.1 DTS presentation.

And my picture size is nothing compared to some people's. Mine is only 51" and it hasn't been calibrated but there's STILL a big difference between SD DVD and HD.

BravesMG

I'm just echoing everyone in this thread and the linked posts, but the difference between my SD DVDs and HD DVDs is so much more pronounced than those shots I can't even explain it. I'm on a 50" TV and every time I pop in a SD DVD, I feel like I need to put glasses on.

Rusty James

I watch my HD-DVDs on a 42" screen, and the difference there is *dramatic*. I, too, have trouble watching an SD DVD right after an HD disc, because it looks so... blurry.

The Bus

I'll take some screenshots. I just turned on the HD-DVD player, so I'll have some pictures in a day or so once it's done booting up.

* ducks *

HN

agreed. I find it easier to compare/see the difference:

http://www.cornbread.org/FOTRCompare/index.html

Anubis2005X

Hmm, those photos didn't really help his case in my opinion... I agree that there IS a nice difference between DVD and HD-DVD. However, photos really won't do it justice...

DJ_Longfellow

Yeah, the LOTR pics didn't really impress me much either....they seem a little better, but I guess you have to see it in person. Still not $400 better for me (plus HD-DVD discs)

Spiky

Photos will never help, they tend to show the capability of the camera and photographer, not the TV or whatever. Those particular photos look like crap, all of them. In the Unforgiven comparison, the DVD is apparently more accurate and higher resolution! Doubtful. Seriously, if you judge by those you are doing yourself a disservice, no matter which way you decide. And the LOTR shots that are somewhere were also done poorly, photoshopped as poorly as possible to make the DVD look crappy.

I don't know why anyone would try to convince Vandelay of anything, he won't even admit that HD has higher resolution and better color than SDTV. Save your breath for something you can accomplish.

awmurray

These picutures are worthless.

Would you judge two digital cameras based on pictures of their output by a third digital camera? That's exactly how ridiculous it is to compare HD to SD using a camera.

This place (and AVS) is literally littered with people who can see a night and day difference between HD DVD and SD DVD.

If you really are interested you should go to a BB and see it yourself. Even on the bad setup most of them have (42" Westinghouse 1080p LCD) you can see the difference.

I was skeptical at first, too. But once I saw it in action I was immediately sold.

The Bus

I took some photos and it honestly shows my lack of capability as a camera operator. You can see a difference but it is nothing I would post; if anything I might need to align my TV as I'm noticing things in a 6 megapixel image I didn't before at 9 feet away.

Vandelay & everyone else: The best I can do is this HD-DVD vs. DVD comparison that uses photos and simulated images. If someone has some links to high quality movie stills (good enough to use for that), I can put some of those in there as well. Feel free to link this or contact me for suggestions/corrections.

Spiky

Even with the explanation, you really shouldn't call it a HD vs SD comparison when it is just photos you found on the net or wherever.

AFAIK, there aren't any HD drives in computers, yet. Maybe in Japan. A screenshot isn't possible. Prior screenshots have all come from HDTV channels or DTheater tapes.

digitalfreaknyc

Actually, all the pictures in the original link are screenshots, I believe.

They were taken with the Toshiba laptop.

paulringodaman

I actually see the difference....will I be running to Best Buy to rebuy all the shit I already have...no!!

jiggawhat

For me, I wasn't sold on the difference at Best Buy. It was too small a difference for me. Granted their setups are not the best to judge by, but I can say I was not initially impressed. The Rundown when it was shown on HBO-HD was superb when I saw it. Now that was a difference that I could really see in comparison to DVD.

I just wanted to add that I hope the difference is the same on HD-DVD with a decent setup.

flashburn

This isn't directed at you digital....but anyway..

Regardless, if you take a 1920x1080 image and shrink it down to 852x480 (or whatever) OF COURSE it isn't going to maintain its resolution. You would need to compare the original 1920x1080 image against the SD DVD 852x480 one, or "upconverting" the SD DVD image to 1920x1080 and compare the two. You aren't going to see much of a difference between SD DVD and HD DVD if you reduce the resolution of the image.

BravesMG

I just got The Rundown last week for HD-DVD and it is spectacular, probably the best video quality HD-DVD I've got. I've seen it on HBO HD and it is a good upgrade on my Sony 50" SXRD TV.

awmurray

I don't think so... he says (in post 13):

And for anyone who hasn't seen HD DVD in person on a good display, the difference is much bigger than what any of those photos show. There really is no substitute for seeing it for yourself.

Cinemaddiction

I've seen it in person, but should I not be impressed by the "Serenity" caps?

PirateHunter

Hey all,

I’m the “screenshot taker guy” from the File. I just wanted to clarify that these are taken with a camera off of a 110” projection screen.

These do not adequately represent HD-DVD. As others have said, you need to see it in person.

awmurray

Not necessarily... but if you're impressed by the pics, you'll be even more impressed in person...

flashburn

Then why post them at all? As others have said, you are doing more harm than good.