HD-DVD a thing of the past?

[tsmooth]

I am a netflix member and enjoy the money it saves for renting HD-DVDs. This was the email I received today from them:

You're receiving this email because you have asked to receive high-definition movies in the HD DVD format. As you may have heard, most of the major movie studios have recently decided to release their high-definition movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. In order to provide the best selection of high-definition titles for our members, we have decided to go exclusively with Blu-ray as well.

While we will continue to make our current selection of HD DVD titles available to you for the next several months, we will not be adding additional HD DVD titles or reordering replacements.

Toward the end of February, HD DVDs in your Saved Queue will automatically be changed to standard definition DVDs. Then toward the end of this year, all HD DVDs in your Queue will be changed to standard definition DVDs. Don't worry, we will contact you before this happens.

Have any of you heard about this change? Great, now it sounds like Blue-ray will have a Monopoly by the end of the year.

 

[timm]

Have any of you heard about this change? Great, now it sounds like Blue-ray will have a Monopoly by the end of the year.

GREAT!!! Maybe the format war will go away - and 1 SUCCESSFUL format will be left. ....

Tim - an owner of a SACD/DVD-A player....

 

[Burke]

I got that notice today as well.

Looks kind of like Blu-ray is going to win.

 

[theWB]

The company I work for, Sam's Club, will carry only Blu-Ray movies as well.

 

[Craig]

I think the SACD/DCD-A war lasted longer.

I'm still using regular DVDs. The main reason I haven't upgraded to the HD video format is because my TV only does up to 1080i. Is a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD a better picture than upscaled DVDs on a 1080i TV?

 

[theWB]

I think the SACD/DCD-A war lasted longer.

I'm still using regular DVDs. The main reason I haven't upgraded to the HD video format is because my TV only does up to 1080i. Is a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD a better picture than upscaled DVDs on a 1080i TV?

Craig,
I haven't upgraded either, The picture is better with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD but I don't think it's that much better. You can use the players with your 1080i tv, the lines of resolution are the same. With 1080i, (interlaced), every other line of resolution is refreshed every second, with 1080p, (progressive), every line of resolution is refreshed every second. The new thing with LCD tv's is the 120hz rated tv's which is suppose to eliminate the motion blur which LCD tv's are known for.

 

[Veritas]

Craig,
I haven't upgraded either, The picture is better with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD but I don't think it's that much better. You can use the players with your 1080i tv, the lines of resolution are the same. With 1080i, (interlaced), every other line of resolution is refreshed every second, with 1080p, (progressive), every line of resolution is refreshed every second. The new thing with LCD tv's is the 120hz rated tv's which is suppose to eliminate the motion blur which LCD tv's are known for.

The picture on many films is much better. In fact, it is to the point where my fiance (who is not into this stuff) complains every time we watch a standard definition DVD. And that's not telling her that I'm not putting a HD DVD in she just notices the difference in picture quality often asking, "Is this out in HD? We can go buy a copy real quick."

More importantly for us audio guys most HD DVDs and Blu Ray discs have lossless audio.

Now I just have to wait for Panasonic to come out with the BD50 and snatch one up to compliment my HD DVD player.

 

[tsmooth]

I would have to agree, I finally got my 5 HD-DVDs in the mail last night (HD-DVD owners you know what I am talking about) and went right to watching. They sent my Troy DC which I already own on DVD. I was comparing DVD upconversion with my Denon to the HD-DVD playing throught my Toshiba HD-A3. BIG DIFFERENCE in sight and sound. If you really want to see a difference, trying watching "Planet Earth" on a standard DVD (upconverted) and then watch it in Blue-ray or HD-DVD. Eventhough HD-DVD is on the way out, I still think the $130 for a Toshiba HD-A3 with 7 HD-DVDs was a steal.

 

[kcl]

I seriously doubt if I'll go to high-def DVDs for quite some time. Even though both my TV and projector (see my system link below) support high-def in 760i and 1080p, respectively, I'm quite happy with the picture I get generated to either via my Lumagen VisionPro HDP video processor. (Well, that plus I've already got over 1000 'standard' DVDs in my library! ) I've plugged in both an HD-DVD and Blu-Ray player and there's very little difference between what they gave me and what I've already got.

 

[Reverb2009]

GREAT!!! Maybe the format war will go away - and 1 SUCCESSFUL format will be left. ....

Tim - an owner of a SACD/DVD-A player....

The format war is over... Blu-Ray won.

Toshiba hasn't officially thrown in the towel yet but most retailer's are clearancing out HD DVD in favor of Blu-Ray. Circuit City has the HD DVD players on clearance, Best Buy has there display models discounted to sell, Frys Electronics is clearancing players.

Warner Brothers, New Line, and HBO moving to Blu-Ray exclusive has shifted the entire industry to do the same.

 

[jk319]

I have both formats, but have been pulling and supporting for BD the whole way. Now I don't have a great selection of titles, but the few HD-DVDs I do own seem to be mastered better, more pop and color, like Batman Begins or the Bourne Series, or Unforgiven. I probably have 3x the BDs, but still have to get thru some of them (Im waiting for a very particular reason!).

More importantly for us audio guys most HD DVDs and Blu Ray discs have lossless audio.

that's what Ive been excited about too. Just don't know when Ill upgrade the pre.

Now I just have to wait for Panasonic to come out with the BD50 and snatch one up to compliment my HD DVD player.

Make sure it does not have a -5db cut via HDMI in the LFE as does the Pana 30 which I own. Some speculate that it will not fix this issue. Even if it did still have this issue, its still sort of a sweet-spot buy...


hey kcl, how much are those Lumagen processors that everyone seems to use? How much improvement for the pq do you guess it may offer for someone who will only use hi-def sources. Thanks!

 

[benleeys]

I seriously doubt if I'll go to high-def DVDs for quite some time. Even though both my TV and projector (see my system link below) support high-def in 760i and 1080p, respectively, I'm quite happy with the picture I get generated to either via my Lumagen VisionPro HDP video processor. (Well, that plus I've already got over 1000 'standard' DVDs in my library! ) I've plugged in both an HD-DVD and Blu-Ray player and there's very little difference between what they gave me and what I've already got.

Envy your G90. To me, that's video nirvana. :bowdown:

 

[risabet]

The format war is over... Blu-Ray won.

Toshiba hasn't officially thrown in the towel yet but most retailer's are clearancing out HD DVD in favor of Blu-Ray. Circuit City has the HD DVD players on clearance, Best Buy has there display models discounted to sell, Frys Electronics is clearancing players.

Warner Brothers, New Line, and HBO moving to Blu-Ray exclusive has shifted the entire industry to do the same.

This doesn't necessarily translate into market success though it is certainly a step in the right direction. BRD may remain a niche market.

Is clearancing a word?

 

[ralflar]

Difference between HD and upscaled SD content

If the HD transfer was done well, and if the screen is of sufficient quality and resolution (1080p), HD will win over upscaled SD. The larger the screen the more evident is the advantage of HD content.

A really good upscaler and deinterlacer can do amazing things, though.