----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
I used to collect too and it didn't last long for all the reasons
stated. For the last 13 years I only buy that which I can't rent.
I understand the collectible function of all of these formats but what
drives your passion?
Better pictures and sound or owning the movie?
My main concern as an owner is that there will be enough HD DVD movies
to justify the cost of the hardware.
Let's see, 2 movies so $250 per movie; that is pricey.
20 movies this year works out to $25 per movie; now that is getting
resonable for the best on the planet!
Hmmm... Last Samurai and Serenity was simply fantastic!!! The $250 ain't
lookin too bad, can only get better, and is still a better deal with far
better support than my D-Theater investment.
I loved laserdisc too... looks pretty shabby these days... would ya'll
prefer going back and keeping your collections?
Richard Fisher
www.HDLibrary.com Published by Tech Services
A division of Mastertech Repair Corporation
Larry Megugorac wrote:
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> Rodolfo,
>
> Come on now, I know you had CaddyShack in VHS, SVHS LD and DVD Like I did.
> You just know that you're going to buy it again in HD DVD or Blu-Ray or
> both! Ha!
>
> Seriously though I have a pretty good stack of LD's that even include the
> Hole Grail (for the time) Criterion Discs that need a new home. I have long
> since tossed the Pioneer Elite player out!
>
> If anyone on this list is interested in these discs please let me know!
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Larry
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
> Rodolfo La Maestra
> Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 12:22 PM
> To: HDTV Magazine
> Subject: Re: A first volley in an absurd DVD war
>
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> Robert.
>
> Good analysis as usual.
>
> When DVD has demo to me by Toshiba (Craig Eggers himself in 1996 in NY,
> audio/HT Show) I had the
> same reaction as yours. I said to myself, what I am I going to do with my
> collection of letterboxed
> LDs?, replacing them? no way (and I do not have the thousands you have on
> that Great Wall).
>
> I even exchanged letters with WSR's Gary Reber over 10 years ago about why
> in the world DVD is
> introduced as just NTSC 480i in 1997 when a year later, Nov 98 to be exact,
> we have HDTV 1080i?
>
> I made the point that HDTV will establish the initial footprint itself not
> with TV content but with
> pre-recorded content, and it did, most of the 15 million HDTVs sold between
> 1998 and 2004 where sold
> to consumers that wanted 480p widescreen anamorphic movies played on their
> HDTVs, a poof of that is
> that only 800,000 ATSC tuners where sold on the same period, HD cable was
> still dormant, HD
> satellite was the king of premium distributed HD content, although with a
> handful of channels and
> the effect of their butcher knife playing games with compression.
>
> So I held my purchases of LD in 1996 and I also held the immediate shift to
> DVD, in rebellion, if
> you know what I mean, I felt betrayed by the technology evolution, that we
> know can never be
> stopped. Then I started to collect DVDs of the newer movies only. I would
> probably do the same
> with Hi-Def DVD as starters, then I will look back at the entire collection
> of 3 formats and decide
> what to re-purchase in the newer format, if any.
>
> As you know, watching the differences of any of the 3 formats on a 42"
> plasma is not as noticeable
> as watching them on a 120" screen, not even with a 1080p projector. The
> resolution grain opens
> dramatically, format weakness and limited SD original resolution pops out,
> no matter how good the
> scaler is, there is nothing like 1080p original resolution.
>
> The scaler processor has the work to create ("invent") additional 1.7
> million pixels over LD and 1.4
> million pixels over DVD to get to the 2 million your 1080p baby projects. A
> lot of magic out there,
> the photo-shop touched images (but this one are in movement, which is worst)
> are blown up to a huge
> screen. Too many rabbits are needed on that magic hat to get my attention
> after seeing 1080p in
> action. As you also mentioned, I would probably be looking forward to play
> that 1080p movie as the
> only pleasure.
>
> However, Hi Def DVD will produce several times fold of HDTV sales ,
> "resistance is futile".
>
> That will help the transition to Feb 2009, the CEA predicted just 50% growth
> for this year and the
> next, I predicted 100% minimum, check my analysis on my report. According
> to the recent CEA press
> release the 100% I predicted is already happening in the 1Q06 (over 1Q05).
> That was without Hi Def
> DVD, this will only get better, it would not be for the format war.
>
> Just a clarification on your note, 1080p discs are already here, 1080p
> outputs on players are not.
> In other words, if you are planning to buy players in both formats as you
> said, there is no reason
> to hold your media purchases, they are already 1080p for when you have the
> player, but honestly,
> this is like buying and storing the hi-octane gasoline now for your future
> Ferrari.
>
> I would wait until they shape their act regarding their chosen codecs on the
> discs, especially audio
> lossless, I would wait until more hybrid selections become available as
> well, and unless the waiting
> is too long I would wait until Blu-ray uses the 50GB potential of both
> layers, so the discs could
> have multiple video/audio hi-bit codecs. The reason I could wait is
> because my HT is being built
> on the new house and I have no reason to accelerate the media purchases, the
> projector is not even
> out yet.
>
> Regarding the HD DVD players, the problems of firmware, freezing due to
> remote keys, time to load
> and play, Dolby True-HD at 2CH only decoding, to mention a few, are more
> related to the player but I
> know their improvement phase would create an opportunity to also improve the
> media, and we both know
> that the major investment of many HT videophiles is on media, look at your
> wall of LDs, at $45 a pop
> average (which I also paid), and just letterboxed, so rushing into buying
> discs now might not be the
> best move even when they are 1080p already.
>
> Additionally, just look at the history of gradual appearances of DTS 5.1,
> and 6.1 soundtracks to
> AC-3 LDs (the same with DVDs), look at the reissuing of the same DVDs as
> special editions, or as
> superbit (which brings the possibility of VC-1 of MPEG-2 at more room for
> less compression with dual
> layer 50GB BD), look at the trial run Toshiba did with anamorphic LDs, most
> videophiles did not even
> knew they existed (unless you owned a 16x9 NTSC Toshiba RPTV in the early
> 90s, way before HDTV).
>
> They were all phases of improvement that will happen again with Hi Def DVD,
> but now more complex
> with different HDMI versions (specs and chips), multiple audio and video
> codecs, codecs that the
> public at large never had the chance to actually test on their home setting
> and verify if the more
> sophisticated compression of VC-1 using half the space is "really" better
> than MPEG-2 (Sony's
> choice), as MS and the DVD Forum said.
>
> Holding your purchasing of HW and SW "for a bit longer" is wise not just for
> the player risk, make a
> mistake on the format selection and you are in for a potential loss of a lot
> of money in media
> investment on top of the looser player cost.
>
> Having said that I will see you this Sunday at Tweeter, we waited long
> enough, just kidding.
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Rodolfo La Maestra
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
> Dr Robert A Fowkes
> Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 5:33 AM
> To: HDTV Magazine
> Subject: Re: A first volley in an absurd DVD war
>
>
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> At 06:57 AM 5/13/2006 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>I can't stand to watch SD DVDs anymore. After watching HD DVDs there just
>>isn't any comparison. From now on if the movie is only out on SD DVds I
>>won't watch it. I'll buy a few(probably 1 a week) but rent mostly. I used
>
> to
>
>>rent DVDs alot from Netflix starting in early 1999. I will be renting alot
>
>>from them again with the HD DVDs they have.
>
> I'm reminded of what happened when DVD players were introduced in
> 1997. With a very large LD collection, my initial reaction was to
> say "I'm only going to buy new titles on DVD and not replace my LD
> titles" because it appeared to me that LD quality, while not quite as
> good as DVD, was still "O.K." to me. What I failed to realize at the
> time was that (1) The quality of the early DVDs would improve
> remarkably over the next few years so that LD was no longer even
> close (except for DTS sound) and (2) Another huge improvement that
> DVDs offered were its navigational features via menus and
> extras. True, you could go to "Chapter Stops" with LDs but it was
> cludgy at best, not to mention the limitations of side changes and
> multiple LDs for a movie longer than 2 hours. I still have my LDs
> thanks, in part, to new scaling techniques that have improved the
> picture a bit more and also because there are still a few titles that
> are only available in that format. But I will be the first to admit
> that my LD viewing sessions are now far and few between.
>
> Now that HD discs have started to appear it seems as though the same
> arguments are cropping up all over again. While my initial reaction
> is to say that "I'm going to wait" it isn't really based on whether
> HD discs offer that much more clarity over SD discs. Without a doubt
> (and verified by several friends whose opinions I value and who have
> already pulled the trigger purchasing the early HD-DVD machines) the
> picture on the HD-DVDs is better - by far - than SDs. Add to the mix
> (no pun intended) the new sound formats and you have some major
> potential upgrades here. And also without a doubt I'm going to get a
> player sooner than later. But not just yet. There are a few things
> in play here that justify, to me, the wait (and anyone who knows me
> knows I'm usually the first kid on the block to get the new
> toys). For one thing, unlike the LD to DVD transition - this time
> there is a format war and all the lunacy that this brings. Secondly,
> the early HD-DVD players with their ridiculous start up times bring
> back memories of LD loading times, etc. Definitely not a step
> forward. And the lack of software is a bit ridiculous (probably a
> bit related to the format wars) considering the leap in picture
> quality and features. Yes, I know that all this will change over
> time, especially when Blu-ray is introduced and there is real
> competition for the buyer's dollars. Players will get faster and
> cheap, titles will flood the market and we will reminisce fondly over
> the "old days" of SD DVDs.
>
> Yes, I will get an HD player (probably even one of each format unless
> the "uber-machine" makes it to market that plays everything) but not
> this weekend. I'm not only positioned to be able to enjoy the full
> benefit of HD discs but, based on the output of the current HD-DVD
> players my viewing equipment exceeds what HD-DVD is providing. With
> a fully compliant 1080p input capable display (HP MD5880n) I really
> want to wait until the material provides 1080p content. Yes, I know
> that the 1080i output of the current players is better than the 1080i
> output of most other HD signal sources (HD television in its many
> flavors) and friends have told me "you've got to see how much better
> it is!" But the fact remains that in a month or two 1080p DVDs will
> be here whenever Blu-ray gets off its butt. I already have access to
> some 1080p content via WMVHD titles (ironically there are about as
> many WMVHD discs available at this writing as there are HD-DVD titles
> even though I know this will change) so I have seen the "future" of
> display imagery. 1080p into a 1080p capable set is even more
> impressive than full bandwidth 1080i into the same set. And I also
> am looking forward to what I consider to be one of the other
> breakthroughs (besides image quality) of the high capacity discs -
> the new menu options and overlay capabilities. To me, this is as
> significant a step forward in HT viewing as the transition from LD
> chapter stops to DVD Menus was a decade ago. Maybe even more so!
>
> So I'm definitely not a Luddite regarding HD disc technology. I'll
> probably wait a month or so until Blu-ray is introduced because then
> things should really get interesting. Not only will I have my 1080p
> cake at that point but I'll be able to eat it!
>
> Ain't technology grand? It never stops. <g>
>
>
> -- RAF
>
>
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