I just recently finished a survey with a company I've been involved in for many years. They asked about DVD purchasing, how much TV is watched, use of VOD and specifically about HD discs (both formats).

I've been part of these in the past and they are usually pretty spot-on with what happens down the line (as far as products released, etc). As far as I can tell, there is no "bad" news as neither format was disparaged or focused on more than the other. The poll was possibly from WB (as it was WB-centric) but it mentioned some other properties as well.

The good news? They seem to be at least considering a very wide number of shows and types of shows. Everything from new shows in all genres (drama, sci-fi, animation, comedy) to old shows in the same genre.

If what happened in the past is any indication, it will take a while for this to make it to market but we could see some WB shows this summer.

I hope they release more. I bought Smallville Season 5 on HD-DVD, so I did my part. Universal is reportedly prepping Battlestar Galactica Season 1 for release this year. And I hope they go day-and-date for Heroes Season 1 and The Office Season 3 in the fall.

Call me crazy, but I can't see buying into HD on a Tv series unless it's certain the whole series will be out in HD.

Case in point, I dojn't see any reason to buy Sopranos S6.1 in HD or BD until the other five are out as well.

If BSG starts at S1 I may consider that.

I'll pick up any season of The Office on HD for just about any price.

Prison Break and 24 Blu-ray will be starting at Season 1.

I'd also love to see The Office in HD. House wouldn't be bad either.

Ditto. I just re-watched the entire S1 and S2 over the last 10 days. Good stuff.

I won't buy tv shows on regular dvd anymore. Waiting for them to get to HD-DVD

I'm trying to do the same, but I'm so backed up it's a tough call. I've got Prison Break and 24 seasons 4 & 5 on DVD to watch, it's hard to watch them knowing that they'll be released on HD-DVD, not to mention the other 20-30 sets I'm trying to get through.

for newer shows I get it, but for older shows I don't see the point. Everyone rightfully is concerned about OAR (original aspect ratio). Doesn't the same concept somewhat apply to original video resolution? For any show that wasn't broadcast in HD, not sure I care to buy it in HD.

I'm not sure if you just meant HD in general but those two shows are Fox shows and will only be on blu-ray.

Sorry about that, I misspoke, I meant to refer to all new HD/BD releases.

I would, if it were older shows, in their original resolution, at over 20 episodes a disc (for half-hour shows).

No.

If Image can get a significantly higher resolution version of, say, The Twilight Zone while maintaining its original aspect ratio (and they have HD masters of just that sitting around), what's the harm?

Yup.

BTW, do they have any of the old shows on 16:9 (but only aired as 4:3)? If so, what would be the "OAR" be in this case?

As Adam said, no. The original video resolution was a limiting factor of the transmission and receiving equipment, not of the original image. For shows shot on film, the original resolution has always been much higher than what has been shown in Standard Definition. It's like complaining about seeing a 70mm print of Lawrence of Arabia because most theaters only showed 35mm prints when it first was released.

If "original video resolution" had really been a concern to anyone ever, people would've been ranting about PAL versions of originally NTSC resolution shows for decades now. For shows that were shot on SD video, or for some arcane reason the creators prefer in SD, then keeping it in SD is fine. However, if the show originally had more image detail than SD could deliver, I don't see the harm in creating HD versions that can deliver that extra detail to us.

I always have considered the OAR of a show to be the AR the show originally broadcast in, just like the OAR for a film is the AR the film originally was projected in. For example, Robocop has an OAR of 1.85:1, even though Criterion released it in a "director's preferred" AR of 1.66:1.

Later seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slater were shot on 16:9 film with a centered 4:3 intended frame. 4:3 is the OAR of this show since that's what it originally broadcasted in, even though the 16:9 version was later shown overseas. In this case, the OAR is the show's creator and producer's preferred aspect ratio for the show as well, so I'd expect any HD versions to stick to the "true" aspect ratio of 4:3 instead of an open-matte 16:9 ratio.

With shows that have simulcast in 4:3 analog and 16:9 digital, I'd say that both are the show's OAR. In this case, the preference of the show's producers would decide which aspect ratio is ultimately the "best" to view it in. Shows like LOST or HOUSE have had their definitive aspect ratio defined by the producers for the DVD releases.

so when can I order these?

They're supposed to be out by the spring. So within the next 5 months we should be able to pick them up. I just hope 24 Season 1 gets better audio and extras on Blu-ray. It was a rush job on SD-DVD.

Knowing Star Trek TOS is coming to HDDVD in 4Q '07 is what pushed me into getting a player this last weekend.

Having since found out Band of Brothers is coming too makes it all the better.

I don't necessarily buy that argument. The studios certainly won't, the whole point of getting these discs is seeing the shows in a quality you never have before.

Take, for example, Knight Rider. They show it occasionally on Universal HD. It looks gorgeous. The film elements aren't damaged at all.

Now, as far as Knight Rider goes it was filmed in technicolor. Universal HD shows it in 16:9. It didn't "feel" wrong to me so I don't know if it was open matte (sideways) or if it was chopped on the top and bottom. I couldn't tell.

Give me every season of The Office (BBC or NBC, really) and I'll be happy.

Also, it wouldn't surprise me to see Friends as one of WB's first TV on HD offerings, given that it's been named on various lists for a long time now. I believe they shot it on film, and it could probably look pretty great (especially since the first few seasons on DVD don't look so good).

Really, I'll take pretty much any show I buy on an HD format, even if it's just a matter of putting all the episodes from a season in SD on one HD disc (like with The Golden Girls, shot on video...if I'm not mistaken, HD won't make that look any better).

Give me Arrested Development, Futurama, Freaks and Geeks, Cheers, Frasier, NewsRadio, Friends, Twin Peaks, etc., etc.

The OAR is the aspect ratio that the movie/show was composed for, regardless of how it may have been originally presented, which is not necessarily always true to the directorial intent.

RoboCop played theatrically in the US at 1.85:1 but in Europe at 1.66:1. Paul Verhoeven says that he composed for 1.66:1 but protected for 1.85:1. Therefore, the OAR is 1.66:1.

It is really going to depend on the show. For instance I waited a long time to buy Star Trek on DVD because I simply refused to pay more than $30 a season. This is not one I'm going to go out and rebuy in HD for $100 a season.
Price is going to be a factor and how much I enjoy the show. For more recent shows like the Office I would want them in HD, but the show really doesn't scream out for HD. I sometimes watch it in HD and sometimes in SD. It really doesn't matter that much.

What all this rambling means is I'm not paying $50 for a season of TV in HD if the standard DVD version is half the cost.

was just throwing out an idea mostly

anyways, the harm would be in that in general right now hidef content is priced higher than standard dvd, but i'll agree that we're a long time away from not having tv on dvd as an option

in general i'll agree that most content will look better, but even though older shows may have been shot on film, it doesn't mean that their directors ever considered that they were making a product that would be viewed in such a quality. not sure if that would ever make a difference, but they may have done some more editing or reshooting if they thought a film-quality product was being produced?

i do like the idea of more episodes per disc.

in 5 years are we going to be asked if we want to rebuy star trek on 4k digital discs? i don't mind the option, but for now I'll pass on hidef tv (as it becomes available) except for the recent shows that were shot with hidef broadcasts in mind (that may actually make me postpone buying some on standard dvd)

It's doubtful. HDTV is a broadcast standard resolution, and it took the FCC about 50 years to establish a broadcast resolution higher than NTSC.