View Full Version : Convince me not to buy an HD-DVD player
My Opinion Matters
7/30/2007, 07:21 PM
Toshiba HD-A2 for $238 and five free HD-DVD movies.
Go on, convince me.
SoonerKnight
7/30/2007, 07:24 PM
Wait! Remember the VHS and Beta days don't buy HD when it may not las wait until it sorts itself out in a couple of years. Trust me you'll regret it if the other format because the main thing.
Toshiba HD-A2 for $238 and five free HD-DVD movies.
Go on, convince me.
My Opinion Matters
7/30/2007, 07:27 PM
Wait! Remember the VHS and Beta days don't buy HD when it may not las wait until it sorts itself out in a couple of years. Trust me you'll regret it if the other format because the main thing.
Buying a HD-DVD doesn't render my existing DVD collection worthless. Considering HD-DVD players play movies in the traditional DVD format, and that I'm in the market for a new DVD player, I'd be foolish not to buy, right?
RIGHT?
SoonerKnight
7/30/2007, 07:33 PM
BlueRay is better but expensive when the price comes down and with the money Sony spent to push BR I am waiting because that is where it is at. Japan uses BR not HD so I would better just like Beta got the crap beat out of it so will the HD-DVD.:pop:
Buying a HD-DVD doesn't render my existing DVD collection worthless. Considering HD-DVD players play movies in the traditional DVD format, and that I'm in the market for a new DVD player, I'd be foolish not to buy, right?
RIGHT?
My Opinion Matters
7/30/2007, 08:12 PM
Simply stating "Blu-Ray is better" sounds pretty arbitrary to me. What are you basing this on?
Picture quality? They're both capable of true hi-def up to 1080p. So that's a wash. I'm not sure how much validity there is to the assertion that the Japanese only use Blu-Ray, but even if it were true, I don't live in Japan...and don't plan to in the immediate (or distant) future. You do realize Toshiba is a Japanese company, right?
I know at this point does Blu-Ray enjoys slightly better support from the American studios, but the discrepancy between BD support and HD-DVD support isn't enough to scare me away.
The biggest difference (I believe) is that blu-ray has more storage than HD.
http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/
Almost 2 years old, but the charts at the bottom are kinda helpful.
SoonerKnight
7/30/2007, 08:24 PM
Just saying and it is my opinion that Blu-Ray is better. I have seen both and really like Blu-Ray. The HD not so impressed. As for Japan I was stationed there for three years and as their market goes eventually so does are. As for Toshiba yes I am aware of them being a Japanese firm however I am sure the HD did not originate their and Sony has the exclusive on the Blu-Ray. Also, Sony is a big company with the resources to influence the market but so is Microsoft so as the articles I have read about Sony getting Blu-Ray into the PSP 3 is an attempt to get the market to buy their products. I believe that you will see only one format survive So I am going to wait awhile. You have to wonder why so cheap for HD and much more for Blu-Ray? I have a 55" HD T.V. and may go HD but I really like Blu-Ray and hope for the price to go down. I also have read that eventually they may have players that can read all three formats!
Simply stating "Blu-Ray is better" sounds pretty arbitrary to me. What are you basing this on?
Picture quality? They're both capable of true hi-def up to 1080p. So that's a wash. I'm not sure how much validity there is to the assertion that the Japanese only use Blu-Ray, but even if it were true, I don't live in Japan...and don't plan to in the immediate (or distant) future. You do realize Toshiba is a Japanese company, right?
I know at this point does Blu-Ray enjoys slightly better support from the American studios, but the discrepancy between BD support and HD-DVD support isn't enough to scare me away.
My Opinion Matters
7/30/2007, 08:27 PM
The purchase I'm concerned with isn't really Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD, it's upconverting DVD player vs. HD-DVD. As the cheapest Blu-Ray players are $500, they are out of the question.
SoonerKnight
7/30/2007, 08:33 PM
The purchase I'm concerned with isn't really Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD, it's upconverting DVD player vs. HD-DVD. As the cheapest Blu-Ray players are $500, they are out of the question.
Heck $500! That is nothing I have not seen them below a $1000 in Denver.
bluedogok
7/30/2007, 09:58 PM
The Sony Blu-ray players just went through a price cut about a month or so ago, even the Sony store here had it for $499 and every ad in the Sunday paper did this week.
I bought a Denon upconverting DVD when the HD-DVD was still $800 and the Blu-ray was $1,000. Now, I would just buy the HD-DVD since it plays regular DVD but I also plan on getting a Blu-Ray as well. I am still not sure if Sony will win this battle, they did real well trying to lock the market down with Betamax, didn't they you would think they would learn from their joint venture on audio CD's. I think as long as both are stubborn they will both be around awhile. The rental market and widespread licensing is what gave VHS the advantage but the market is different now, although Target recently announced they were going Blu-ray players only and expanding the BR movie selection. Blockbuster said they were expanding BR sections because they rent out more than HD-DVD.
(ExtremeTech - Target Bets It All on Blu-ray (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2163316,00.asp))
PrideTrombone
7/30/2007, 09:59 PM
If you buy it I will punch you in the jaw. :)
yermom
7/30/2007, 10:16 PM
just get a PS-3 if you want to play BR discs ;)
soonerloyal
7/30/2007, 10:36 PM
Hold off for a while longer and let'em work the kinks out. Check out Consumer Reports before you buy.
I'd buy an HDwhatsits in a New York minute, if I thought my bad eyesight could tell any difference. But since I'm legally blind in one eye, I figure I'd be wastin' my dough.
Y'all oughtta see me parallel park. :eek:
Frozen Sooner
7/30/2007, 11:21 PM
I'm the wrong guy to ask. I've got an HD-A1 and a PS3. :D
I generally find the PQ on HD DVD releases to be slightly superior to BD movies, but a lot of that is just the care taken with transfers-on movies that have been released in both formats, it's a wash. AQ is generally a tad better on BD, as they usually include uncompressed 5.1 sound on BD releases.
Regardless, it looks like both formats are here for the next couple of years, so feel free to buy an A2 if the choice is that or an upconverting player.
Go for it, but buy some HDDVDs with it, because it takes a while to get the free ones.
Widescreen
7/30/2007, 11:50 PM
I believe Blockbuster recently said they were going BD-only. If Universal starts releasing their films in BD, it's over, IMO. $238 is a good deal but don't be surprised if a year from now, the discs you have are the only ones that will play on it.
Frozen Sooner
7/30/2007, 11:55 PM
I believe Blockbuster recently said they were going BD-only. If Universal starts releasing their films in BD, it's over, IMO. $238 is a good deal but don't be surprised if a year from now, the discs you have are the only ones that will play on it.
Blockbuster announced that it would only roll out BD in new locations. There's a bunch of Blockbusters that already stock both, as well as Blockbuster Online.
Target is also BD-only.
However, it's not like regular DVDs are going to stop working on his HD DVD player. His choice isn't between a BD player and an HD DVD player. He's choosing between an upconverting DVD player and an HD DVD player. That being the case, the HD-A2 is a VERY good upconverting player (as good as you'll really get at that price anyhow) and offers the extra of being able to play HD DVDs as well. Really a no-lose proposition for him.
And Universal ain't going neutral anytime soon. Much more likely that Disney will go neutral first, but I don't think that's happening soon either.
Widescreen
7/31/2007, 12:04 AM
We'll see. I predict HD-DVD will collapse by 1/2008. However, that still doesn't mean $238 is a bad deal.
My Opinion Matters
7/31/2007, 12:34 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but Blu-Ray doesn't play standard definition dvd's, right?
Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but Blu-Ray doesn't play standard definition dvd's, right?
The PS3's Blu-Ray does.
Frozen Sooner
7/31/2007, 12:51 PM
Legacy support for DVD is included in the BD spec, as it is in the HD DVD spec, so all BD players support DVD.
The PS3 is a very good upconverting DVD player, but the HD A1 is a smidge better to my eye. Not sure about the A2, but I would assume it uses the same upconversion algorithms.
NormanPride
7/31/2007, 01:40 PM
Legacy support for DVD is included in the BD spec, as it is in the HD DVD spec, so all BD players support DVD.
The PS3 is a very good upconverting DVD player, but the HD A1 is a smidge better to my eye. Not sure about the A2, but I would assume it uses the same upconversion algorithms.
Video snob. ;)
SoonerBOI
7/31/2007, 02:04 PM
I have a HD-A2, sometime last week when I turned it on, it did not have video or audio. Funny thing is I loaded the 1.5 and 2.0 firmware update. Oh well...
Widescreen
7/31/2007, 03:42 PM
Legacy support for DVD is included in the BD spec, as it is in the HD DVD spec, so all BD players support DVD.
The PS3 is a very good upconverting DVD player, but the HD A1 is a smidge better to my eye. Not sure about the A2, but I would assume it uses the same upconversion algorithms.
How is the UI on the PS3 for playing movies? Do you have to navigate through a bunch of crap to get to the movie disc functions or does the system detect that it's not a game and automatically present the movie UI?
TUSooner
7/31/2007, 04:05 PM
books > TV
Ok; its weak....
Frozen Sooner
7/31/2007, 04:09 PM
How is the UI on the PS3 for playing movies? Do you have to navigate through a bunch of crap to get to the movie disc functions or does the system detect that it's not a game and automatically present the movie UI?
With firmware after 1.7 (I think) if you just put the movie in the player it'll auto-run.
So it'll just go to the BD menu. Works just like any other player so far as I can see except it won't allow an IR remote.
Frozen Sooner
7/31/2007, 04:32 PM
By the way, I just bought Shaun of the Dead (HD DVD exclusive), Hot Fuzz (HD DVD exclusive), and 300 (features that are HD DVD exclusive such as PiP green screen etc) today. So I don't know that I'd write HD DVD off just yet.
Which isn't to say that there isn't a bunch of BD-exclusive movies out there. I have both PotC movies and a bunch of other BD-exclusive stuff at home.
My Opinion Matters
7/31/2007, 04:53 PM
It's foolish to write off either of the competing formats at this point. Right now, DVD still obliterates both HD and BD in sales, something to the tune of a 95% market share still. I think they are obvious parallels that can be drawn between the HD vs BD war and the VHS/Beta, but its really an entirely different ball of wax this time around. There's a lot more at stake than supremacy in the home theater circuit, we're also talking about the future of how all information and entertainment media is stored and transferred. Don't forget that the major technology and chipmaking firms such as Microsoft and Intel have thrown their hat into the HD-DVD ring. I'm probably in the vast minority on this, but because the market is so diverse I'm one of the people that thinks both formats are sustainable long-term.
RFH Shakes
8/1/2007, 11:01 AM
We'll see. I predict HD-DVD will collapse by 1/2008. However, that still doesn't mean $238 is a bad deal.
I don't know about that. The pron industry is backing HD-DVD.:texan:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070112-8602.html
They also backed VHS when it was taking on beta.
Widescreen
8/1/2007, 11:33 AM
I don't know about that. The pron industry is backing HD-DVD.:texan:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070112-8602.html
They also backed VHS when it was taking on beta.
Possibly, but I saw on G4 the other night that the Japanese pr0n industry is going BD exclusive. Each camp seems to have their pr0n backers. :D
Frozen Sooner
8/1/2007, 12:30 PM
I don't know about that. The pron industry is backing HD-DVD.:texan:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070112-8602.html
They also backed VHS when it was taking on beta.
The impact of porn is vastly overrated in the DVD market in the day of free and widespread availability of internet porn.
Plus, the main reason that porn went VHS in the 80s was JVC going to them and offering like 5 years of free tapes to go exclusive.
But 1/2008 is way too early for either format to collapse. Hell, there's a couple of manufacturers putting out new players in 4Q2007.
soonerinabilene
8/1/2007, 12:33 PM
Mortal Kombat on the sega genesis is the greatest game evar.
I disagree. Its a very good game, but I believe donkey kong is better.
Sorry, for some reason this popped in my head when i was reading your post about which one is better.:)
My Opinion Matters
8/1/2007, 09:45 PM
Update: I've purchased the HD-DVD player. The picture looks pretty suh-weet on the 47" Toshiba 1080p LCD.
I have a confession...I was going to buy it anyway :O
Update: I've purchased the HD-DVD player. The picture looks pretty suh-weet on the 47" Toshiba 1080p LCD.
I have a confession...I was going to buy it anyway :O
Then convince us not to track you down. ;)
Frozen Sooner
8/1/2007, 09:54 PM
Update: I've purchased the HD-DVD player. The picture looks pretty suh-weet on the 47" Toshiba 1080p LCD.
I have a confession...I was going to buy it anyway :O
Congratulations. You've made a pretty darn nice purchase. And you're officially an early adopter.
What HD DVDs did you get? Just popped 300 in a second ago-I can tell you that Hot Fuzz looked great. Universal did an outstanding job with it.
My Opinion Matters
8/1/2007, 10:02 PM
Congratulations. You've made a pretty darn nice purchase. And you're officially an early adopter.
What HD DVDs did you get? Just popped 300 in a second ago-I can tell you that Hot Fuzz looked great. Universal did an outstanding job with it.
You know the one guy that still hasn't seen 300? That's me.
I picked up Batman Begins on HD-DVD. I've double-dipped on it, but I seem to have an unhealthy-obsessive-fanboyistic fixation on that movie. Nothing else yet...Considered The Departed, but the asking price seemed a bit steep and the features a bit scant and superfluous (having standard-def on the same disk seems like a ploy to charge more.)
Batman looks and sounds pretty damn amazing.
bluedogok
8/1/2007, 10:04 PM
I haven't either.......
Frozen Sooner
8/1/2007, 10:18 PM
You know the one guy that still hasn't seen 300? That's me.
I picked up Batman Begins on HD-DVD. I've double-dipped on it, but I seem to have an unhealthy-obsessive-fanboyistic fixation on that movie. Nothing else yet...Considered The Departed, but the asking price seemed a bit steep and the features a bit scant and superfluous (having standard-def on the same disk seems like a ploy to charge more.)
Batman looks and sounds pretty damn amazing.
Honestly, I'm not a huge 300 fan myself, but it has some nifty features on HD DVD that I wanted to check out (such as PiP with the green screen and the ability to recut the movie.)
Batman Begins has gotten a bit of a knock as a soft transfer, but I just don't see it. Particulary when Bruce Wayne is fighting Ras al'Ghul on the ice I think it looks VERY crisp. I think people are just used to edge enhancement sometimes.
Audio-wise, the Dolby TrueHD track is VERY nice. Go out and get yourself an HDMI receiver-I don't think the A2 has analog 5.1 outs, right?
Oh, and 300 looks very nice on HD DVD. Unfortunately, most of what's on screen is half-naked dudes.
soonerboomer93
8/1/2007, 10:33 PM
are any br or hd-dvd drive region free?
(at least the ones in the US)
Frozen Sooner
8/1/2007, 10:41 PM
Region encoding is not included in the HD DVD spec. So all HD DVD drives are region free when it comes to HD DVDs.
Region encoding is part of the BD spec.
soonerboomer93
8/1/2007, 11:00 PM
oh, then I might buy an hd-dvd when I get back to the states
since I have a bunch of dvd movies/tv shows I bought here (I have a region free player here)
Frozen Sooner
8/1/2007, 11:05 PM
Well, I don't know if they're region free for DVDs. I just know that HD DVDs themselves don't have any region coding.
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