The Home Entertainment Format Debate

[JackBauer24]

So what is your preferred format of choice for owning and watching movies and TV shows?

[Kapit]

DVD, at the moment. The new wave is too expensive and too undecided for me to bother investing in right now

[leiaorgana]

HD-DVD

:)

[RollaFett]

Gotta go with standard DVD right now. If the hi-def format war doesn't make losers out of both sides (which is a possibility), I'm thinking that Blu-Ray will come out on top and I'll eventually drift to that. That said, it will be awhile, because I don't think prices will drop far enough soon enough.

[Kommandant Felix]

I prefer the age of the VHS...more durable.

[Kapit]

I prefer the age of the VHS...more durable.


What? You mean to throw? Cause the tape doesn't last for more than a couple years...

[Morridini]

DVD all the way.

The new HDs are just way too expensive atm, especially the HDTVs (2000 US$ for the chepaest one, that's just silly).

[Sarah-Leia]

DVD.

[RollaFett]

DVD all the way.

The new HDs are just way too expensive atm, especially the HDTVs (2000 US$ for the chepaest one, that's just silly).

HDTV's are much more affordable than that. We just got one in the spring for $1,000, and we could've gone much much cheaper. Seriously, you can get a decent HDTV just a couple hundred dollars. For example:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Advent-15-LCD-HDTV-Monitor-L1510A/sem/rpsm/oid/163703/catOid/-12869/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

[Jjm3233]

DVD, until a winner is decided.

[Morridini]

HDTV's are much more affordable than that. We just got one in the spring for $1,000, and we could've gone much much cheaper. Seriously, you can get a decent HDTV just a couple hundred dollars. For example:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Advent-15-LCD-HDTV-Monitor-L1510A/sem/rpsm/oid/163703/catOid/-12869/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Yeah, NTSC HDTVs are cheap, PAL here in Europe, very expensive.

Seriously, cheapest one I saw in the store was 16 000 Norwegian Crowns, which is a bit mroe then 2000 US$.

[Sarah-Leia]

HD TVs I think are extra expensive here.

[Morridini]

Mhm, and where might Hamzo World be?

[RollaFett]

Well, sure they're expensive on Hamzo World. Just the shipping alone must be through the roof.

[RollaFett]

Yeah, NTSC HDTVs are cheap, PAL here in Europe, very expensive.

Seriously, cheapest one I saw in the store was 16 000 Norwegian Crowns, which is a bit mroe then 2000 US$.

Ahhh...still, that surprises me that they'd be that expensive. Overall, the technology can't be very different. Why do you think it's such a drastic price difference?

[Horse_Head]

Beta!

[Sarah-Leia]

Mhm, and where might Hamzo World be?

Well, sure they're expensive on Hamzo World. Just the shipping alone must be through the roof.

:rofl: Shipping, yeah, then there's Hamzo tax! :rofl: You guys got a laugh out of me. What an accomplishment.

I'm in Australia. :w00t:

[Morridini]

Aha.

Ahhh...still, that surprises me that they'd be that expensive. Overall, the technology can't be very different. Why do you think it's such a drastic price difference?


Norway.

[Sarah-Leia]

Actually, saw one for AUS$2000

[Solo]

DVD. Easy to find and cheap to buy. I do not prefer HD. Too expensive at the moment. Rather than paying 2000 USD for HD, I'd prefer having a nice vacation.

[JackBauer24]

I was at Best Buy this weekend and they had a set up of a HUGE HDTV and a BluRay player, with clips from Pirates of the Caribbean playing. Best looking picture I've ever seen. I was drooling, I wanted it so bad. But the TV alone would cost me about 6 month's pay, so I could never afford it.

[Orandhite]

DVD for me too. I can't be bothered with a format war, just pick one and stick to it!

Have not actually seen any real HD TVs or DVD, so am not yet convinced about whether they are worth it.

[RollaFett]

Well, I can say that an HDTV picture is absolutely fantastic. I've had a set since April and it kicks ass. I also bought a new standard dvd player along with it, but it upconverts to HD.
The thing that bugs me, however, is the lack of HD tv channels. There simply are not enough of them right now, so that may be reason enough to put off investing in an HDTV for the moment.
BTW, this is my TV: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Toshiba-32-LCD-HDTV-32HL67/sem/rpsm/oid/175552/catOid/-12869/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Of course, upon further investigation, I see that my current set is now on sale for $855 (I paid $1,000), and includes a free HD upconvert dvd player! GRRRRR!!!!

[Javen]

I've only noticed HD on my satellite. Sure, it looks good, but I refuse to go spend my life savings on HDTV or a HDDVD. It is just gadgets I do not need.

[RollaFett]

"life savings" may be overstating it a bit, don't you think? Eventually, you're most likely going to be in the market for a new TV. You don't think you'd go HD at that point? I'm not talking in the next 20 minutes, but sometime down the road.

[Orandhite]

England is going digital next year I think - I have a digital TV at the moment - but my TV feed links from a central aerial rather than one on the house. So the signal is not great and we do not get all the digital channels. I am going to get an aerial on the house which should give me a much better signal, then I might think about going HD. Problem is we have only been in our new house for a year, so have been spending money on that, which leaves none for any toys!

So is the difference between DVD and HD similar to the difference between VHS and DVD?

[RollaFett]

You could say that. But it varies.

A standard dvd on a standard tv set looks fantastic because you're watching a digital source.
Now, an HD tv signal on an HDTV looks better because you're watching HD source through an HD tool.
In the end, standard DVD is always going to look terrific, and will be quite good enough for many, many people. I do not plan to move to HD-DVD or Blu-Ray anytime soon, because with the upconversion capabilites of many standard dvd players, my standard dvds still look awesome on an HDTV.

[Orandhite]

Ah yes, I seem to remember someone at work saying something about most people not noticing the difference between DVD and HD.

Me on the other hand - now I would definitely see the difference! And the fact that it would be a new toy would be awesome!

I think it will be something I upgrade to in the future, but probably when the aerial gets sorted out and also seeing whether the HD/Blu-Ray war settles down at all.

Dammit! Now I want to go buy some hardware! :D

[Javen]

"life savings" may be overstating it a bit, don't you think? Eventually, you're most likely going to be in the market for a new TV. You don't think you'd go HD at that point? I'm not talking in the next 20 minutes, but sometime down the road.
Maybe. If anything I do want a flat panel TV sometime. Just cause it would be cool to have it hang it on the wall.

[Master Magnus]

Standard DVD. The format war has to settle (and flat-screen television to develop a little more) before I will even consider to buy a high definition DVD. Oh, and I also use the VCR a lot.

[RollaFett]

Un-friggin-believable. A 3rd, yes, a 3rd hi-def format may be coming, folks.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa143.html#avi

[JackBauer24]

Excuse the language, but F*** THAT!

[Morridini]

Sure why not.

Two HD formats is already ridiculous in itself. So if we already have two, there's nothing against having a third, or a fourth, or a fifth.

[Orandhite]

Man, that sucks. We already have to decide between different brands of gadgets, but now we have to choose the media as well! ARGH!

[RollaFett]

That's why it's simply best to wait it out. Hopefully, the holiday shopping season will make an impact, one way or the other.

[Orandhite]

^ Ah, now you've reminded me it's Christmas soon, so it's nearly present time! Woohoo!

[Master Magnus]

Un-friggin-believable. A 3rd, yes, a 3rd hi-def format may be coming, folks.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa143.html#avi
Yes, this format was introduced last year but I really don't think it can compete with the blue laser HD formats (that is merely an opinion though).

[Orandhite]

Does anyone know if there are any figures for sales of HDDVD and Blu Ray format discs?

[Kapit]

From http://www.highdefdigest.com/tags/show/Disc_Sales



New data released Tuesday [Aug 14] by Home Media Research provides a first look at actual disc sales numbers for the first half of 2007, and it's more good news for Blu-ray.
The research arm of Home Media Magazine says total sales of Blu-ray discs for the first six month of 2007 totalled 1.6 million units, compared with 795,000 HD DVD discs sold in the same time frame.
While Blu-ray's 2-to-1 disc sales lead over HD DVD in 2007 has been known for months now, these figures are the first hard look at exactly how many discs have been sold by each format so far this year.
Of course, these numbers remain tiny compared to standard-def DVD sales. Both high-def disc formats combined have reportedly accounted for only 2.5% of overall disc sales so far this year.
Still, with overall DVD sales in a continued slump, high-def remains the one clear growth area for the home entertainment industry. As such, retailers are said to be making more room for both next-gen formats as we head into the crucial fourth quarter holiday shopping season.
What effect the increased shelf space, a packed release slate, and lower player prices will have on disc sales for the second half of the year remains to be seen, but needless to say, we'll be tracking developments as they happen. Stay tuned!