Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Fox Promises Expanded Blu-ray Support in 2008.....

[RoyalBoyle78]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Circuit City, Amazon Join $198 HD DVD Player Club (UPDATED)

Wal-Mart isn't the only retailer offering Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player at the record low price of $198.
ADVERTISEMENT

As we've previously reported, the discount retailer made headlines last week when it confirmed that it would carry Toshiba's second-gen 1080i HD DVD player for less than $200.

Now both Circuit City and Amazon.com have joined the fray, offering the same deck for a penny less (at $197.99). Even better, unlike Wal-Mart, both retailers have extended the discounted price on the HD-A2 to online sales.

At press time, it wasn't clear how long these retailers plan to stock the discounted player. We do know that Toshiba plans to release a new comparable entry-level third-gen player (the HD-A3) sometime in November.

Speaking with Fortune Magazine last week, a Wal-Mart spokesperson disputed earlier reports that the player would only be made available in limited number, saying "There are no limited quantities for stores or purchases."

Thats sounds like a great deal, but is this HD-Dvd player any good, I se 1080i is the highest res it supports, my set is 1080p Native, so would it be worth it to purchase this in the long run?

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Thats sounds like a great deal, but is this HD-Dvd player any good, I se 1080i is the highest res it supports, my set is 1080p Native, so would it be worth it to purchase this in the long run?

Yes.

The difference in 1080i and 1080p is so small that you'd need super eyes to really tell the difference.

[RoyalBoyle78]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Yes.

The difference in 1080i and 1080p is so small that you'd need super eyes to really tell the difference.

I may pick one up then, Is HD-DVD and blu-ray equal, I mean whats better?

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Thats sounds like a great deal, but is this HD-Dvd player any good, I se 1080i is the highest res it supports, my set is 1080p Native, so would it be worth it to purchase this in the long run?

It doesn't matter that its 1080i, movies still look great on here. Is your TV upconverts signals to 1080p, then you will still reap the benefits of 1080p, which is very minimal.

I may pick one up then, Is HD-DVD and blu-ray equal, I mean whats better?

For the most part they are equal PQ and SQ wise, but one area where HD-DVD beats BD imo is that their DVD's are packed with features and special interactive options. There are many ***cough, FOX, Lionsgate, Sony dvd's cough*** that are the movie only with either no features or just a handful when compared to SD-DVD version.

I personally enjoy both and hope soon that one emerges as the winner, but I doubt that is going to happen soon enough.

[SLAYER]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

I may pick one up then, Is HD-DVD and blu-ray equal, I mean whats better?

Read reviews for both @ www.highdefdigest.com, and scan through engadgethd.com every now and again. Decide for yourself.

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

Face-Off gets SOLID review from Hi-Def-Digest:

VIDEO: 4 & 1/2 STARS..

'Face/Off' arrives on HD DVD with a 1080p/VC-1 transfer that delivers everything fans have wanted and more. Colors are vibrant, black levels are deep, and contrast is perfectly balanced -- the previously-released DVD looks like an aging VHS tape by comparison. There's a convincing illusion of depth and I found myself noting background details for the first time since I saw the film in theaters. I didn't catch any artifacting or crush issues and I was pleased to see that Woo's quick camera never took a toll on the smooth and stable image. Facial textures, on-screen text, and the sparks in the high-rise gun battle are crisply rendered without a hint of pixelation. Best of all, fire and explosions are invigorating, splashing the screen with color and life. By the time I noted the individual feathers on the director's trademark slow-motion doves, I was convinced this transfer was something special.

AUDIO: 5 STARS

Believe it or not, the audio package is even stronger than the video transfer. 'Face/Off' features a bombastic DTS ES 6.1 surround track (1.5 Mbps) and a confident Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mix (1.5 Mbps), neither of which disappoint. 'Face/Off' isn't a quiet movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I was happy to find that the chaotic soundscape never muffled important lines or key effects. More importantly, the soundfield genuinely transports the listener into the film. Directionality is amazing and sounds whiz and streak between the channels naturally. I can't praise these tracks enough -- these aren't just impressive catalog mixes, they go toe-to-toe with the top tier tracks available on HD DVD.

OVERALL:

Your enjoyment of 'Face/Off' will ultimately come down to how easily you can overlook its occasionally outlandish plot. Thankfully, this HD DVD release doesn't require any technical leaps of faith. It includes an excellent video transfer, a set of powerful audio tracks, and a healthy collection of supplements. This is a noteworthy treatment of a classic catalog actioner that's sure to make fans extremely happy.

Can't wait to watch this-1 again over the weekend. Face-Off is 1 of my favorite Woo movies..

[Gagnon39]

HD DVD Question.

I recently bought the 360 HD DVD player and have been pleasantly surprised. But I'm wondering about some of the HD DVD's. Are older movies such as Full Metal Jacket honestly going to look much better than the old DVD's? I ask this because I know most movies now are filmed in 1080p, but twenty-five years ago the quality of the cameras weren't as good as they are today. So my question is simply, is it worth it to buy older movies that are "HD"?

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: HD DVD Question.

I recently bought the 360 HD DVD player and have been pleasantly surprised. But I'm wondering about some of the HD DVD's. Are older movies such as Full Metal Jacket honestly going to look much better than the old DVD's? I ask this because I know most movies now are filmed in 1080p, but twenty-five years ago the quality of the cameras weren't as good as they are today. So my question is simply, is it worth it to buy older movies that are "HD"?

For some, yeah. Some older movies have looked amazing.

Use www.highdefdigest.com for reviews, great site to get info on both formats.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: HD DVD Question.

I recently bought the 360 HD DVD player and have been pleasantly surprised. But I'm wondering about some of the HD DVD's. Are older movies such as Full Metal Jacket honestly going to look much better than the old DVD's? I ask this because I know most movies now are filmed in 1080p, but twenty-five years ago the quality of the cameras weren't as good as they are today. So my question is simply, is it worth it to buy older movies that are "HD"?

I like to use Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and The Warriors (1979) as 2 examples of movies from the 70's that look just incredible with the new transfer.

[SLAYER]

Re: HD DVD Question.

Toshiba HD DVD A2 for $98.87, this Friday @ Wal-Mart

Also, a lot of titles will be at $14.87 (including movies like Clerks 2, Casino, The Big Lebowski, etc.).

[RockyTop1]

Re: HD DVD Question.

Toshiba HD DVD A2 for $98.87, this Friday @ Wal-Mart

Also, a lot of titles will be at $14.87 (including movies like Clerks 2, Casino, The Big Lebowski, etc.).

Beat me to it.

Honestly? $100?!?!

This could be huge.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: HD DVD Question.

Toshiba HD DVD A2 for $98.87, this Friday @ Wal-Mart

Also, a lot of titles will be at $14.87 (including movies like Clerks 2, Casino, The Big Lebowski, etc.).

Even that Acer laptop at $348 is not that bad of a deal. I know a friend that has one of those and he says that its worked great and he has had their previous model for a year or so especially if your just surfing the net.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: HD DVD Question.

Beat me to it.

Honestly? $100?!?!

This could be huge.

Now that makes sense with all those picture of the HD-DVD A2's stocked up at Walmarts. This is an excellent deal, I paid $400 for the thing back in Feb/March..............I guess about $60 less when you count the 2 free movies that came with it of my choice + the 5 free promotion that they were doing at the time.

[RockyTop1]

Re: Official Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Thread

So what's the deal on this player? What is it missing from the newer players other than 1080p?