High-Def DVD Players Headed for Stores

[b&w]

Ohhh..yeah..let the format wars begin YET again..

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=598&ncid=790&e=10&u=/nm/20040815/film_nm/film_highdef_dchttp://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=598&ncid=790&e=10&u=/nm/20040815/film_nm/film_highdef_dc


High-Def DVD Players Headed for Stores

Sat Aug 14, 9:12 PM ET


By Jill Kipnis

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Toshiba/NEC plans to have its high-definition DVD hardware on retail shelves in early 2005.


The manufacturing partnership announced at a Tokyo showcase the last week of July that HD DVD players will be available next year in the United States and Japan. The Toshiba/NEC format is endorsed by the DVD Forum, an international association of 200 companies.

The rival Blu-ray HD format -- which is backed by 13 manufacturers, including Sony, Samsung, Philips, Dell and Hewlett-Packard -- is expected to introduce its players in the States by the end of 2005. Blu-ray hardware has already launched in Japan.

So far, the only home-video distributor to officially endorse one of the HD formats is Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, whose parent company, Sony, is a key proponent of Blu-ray.

Reuters/Billboard

[JonUrban]

PLEASE - - Stop the insanity!!!

[JohnG]

I know, in a way, this sucks.

I'm all ready to buy a Denon 3910 universal player this Fall and then the announcement that HD-DVD players will come out in 6 months....yikes!

Here comes another format war where early purchasers could lose big time.

Think I'll stick with the tried and true for the time being.

[Beatlelennon65]

I am really happy with dvd, so I will hold off a few years on this. The way I see it, I will get a hdtv around 2007 once the price has dropped and they have all the bs out of the way. By that time, hd-dvd (or whatever they are going to call it) will be more mainstream and it will be time to buy a bunch of stuff again. I really cant think of that many titles that are going to require another purchase though. Of course, there will be exceptions. Just how could can an old movie look?

[Aquateen]

Great, now I can have even more confused people a work :( Obviously we haven't seen these units in action but so far I have no been to impressed with the upsampling-HD players out there.

[Khorn]

I am really happy with dvd, so I will hold off a few years on this. The way I see it, I will get a hdtv around 2007 once the price has dropped and they have all the bs out of the way. By that time, hd-dvd (or whatever they are going to call it) will be more mainstream and it will be time to buy a bunch of stuff again. I really cant think of that many titles that are going to require another purchase though. Of course, there will be exceptions. Just how could can an old movie look?

I guess, since I already have an HDTV I look at it a bit differently. I want high def DVD as soon as I can reasonably get it. I don't have to worry about a universal player 'cause my audio and video systems are in separate rooms. I don't care which system prevails as long as it's the highest quality without compromise.

[SamS]

I'm all ready to buy a Denon 3910 universal player this Fall and then the announcement that HD-DVD players will come out in 6 months....yikes!


I'm looking hard at this model too. I say go for it. Even if you see HiDef DVD players on the store in a year (unlikely IMO), it will still be a long while until the software catches up and the players will be very expensive initally.

I was an early adopter of DVDs, but that's because they were a huge step up in convenience from VHS. It's still too early to see how many good looking HiDef DVDs will be available and if the players are up to snuff.

Notice we haven't decided on a format yet ;) Getcha a DVD-3910 and enjoy great picture and sound while they sort this on out.

[James RD]

I have a friend who's late father always had a black and white TV. A few years ago my friend asked his father (who was very well off, BTW) why he didn't get a nice, big color set.

His answer: "I'll wait until they perfect them."

[JohnG]

.

Notice we haven't decided on a format yet ;) Getcha a DVD-3910 and enjoy great picture and sound while they sort this on out.


Yep, I'll probably get the 3910 by Christmas time. It has all the features I need.

Your right, it will be a few years till HD-DVD has enough software.

[JohnG]

I have a friend who's late father always had a black and white TV. A few years ago my friend asked his father (who was very well off, BTW) why he didn't get a nice, big color set.

His answer: "I'll wait until they perfect them."



Or as Ralph Kramden once said "I'm waiting for 3D television". :)

[-=Rudy=-]

The manufacturing partnership announced at a Tokyo showcase the last week of July that HD DVD players will be available next year in the United States and Japan. The Toshiba/NEC format is endorsed by the DVD Forum, an international association of 200 companies.

Yeah, the same "forum" that helped push a rival recordable DVD format...and even THAT is still an unresolved issue, and why we always have to worry about DVD+R or DVD-R working in our DVD players. :rolleyes: Plus, there's no mention of studio backing...so where does software come from?

So we have two competing HD DVD formats. A solution to a problem that doesn't exist, at least for the Joe Sixpack crowd. Millions of standard DVD players and discs out there now, and the majority of the public sees nothing wrong with what is essentially a "new" playback format that has replaced VHS as the format of choice. Even the HD sets are in a state of flux.

HD DVD will look really cool, but my early adopter days are over. I'd rather see one of the HD formats die off so the industry can standardize on one, OR they make players capable of both HD formats, which I can see happening a few years down the road. Another "universal" player, in other words. ;)

FWIW, I believe Sony is also offering a Blu-ray DVD computer recorder. Not cheap either!

[JohnG]

I agree, its best to sit this one out (unless of course you have a very fat wallet).

I'm still trying to get on board HDTV (by buying a HDTV and then upgrading my cable).
The HDTV world is changing so fast...the models are coming hot and heavy now...that I just can't pull the trigger.

One minute I think the new Sammy's with HD3 are good enough...then I see the new Mitsu DLP's with HD2+....then there are the new Sony LCD's...then 1080P is right around the corner with an even better TI DMD chip.

Aghhhhhh!!!!

[SamS]

I agree, its best to sit this one out (unless of course you have a very fat wallet).

I'm still trying to get on board HDTV (by buying a HDTV and then upgrading my cable).
The HDTV world is changing so fast...the models are coming hot and heavy now...that I just can't pull the trigger.

One minute I think the new Sammy's with HD3 are good enough...then I see the new Mitsu DLP's with HD2+....then there are the new Sony LCD's...then 1080P is right around the corner with an even better TI DMD chip.

Aghhhhhh!!!!

Tis true, HDTV is still evolving, but this is definitely a time to jump in. There is sooo much HD on now that you are missing out. I was definitely an HD "early adopter" getting my set in 2001. Back then, you were lucky to get two prime-time HD shows in one night. Now we have entire satellite systems chock-full of HD programing. You couldn't watch it all if you wanted!

Even though I have the oldest HD technology (55" CRT rear projection), I'll put it head-to-head with those new DLPs/LCDs/plamas. I got a good set initially, and have had an ISF tech tweak it out several times.

[TimM]

I'm not quite as big an idiot when it comes to video as I am with audio, so I THINK I will have enough will power to hold off until this battle has been fought. I already own enough obsolete formats to fill a good amount of closet space and I do not wish to guess again. It appears this will take several years to sort itself out and I will try to exercise patience for a change.

[JohnG]

yep, that the good thing. DVD's look damn good. We can live without HD-DVD for the time being.

[Khorn]

I hope it goes Blu-Ray. I think they will enforce stricter adherence to format standards. We don't want guess how each disc will play on each machine. Unlike High Resolution audio (specially DVD-A) the general viewing public won't stand for wide variations in how or if individual software titles will play on different make machines.
I want high definition video...it IS that much better!

[b&w]

I am really happy with dvd, so I will hold off a few years on this. The way I see it, I will get a hdtv around 2007 once the price has dropped and they have all the bs out of the way. By that time, hd-dvd (or whatever they are going to call it) will be more mainstream and it will be time to buy a bunch of stuff again. I really cant think of that many titles that are going to require another purchase though. Of course, there will be exceptions. Just how could can an old movie look?

Depending on many many variables and "old movie" can look as good, as subjective as that word is, at least from an HDTV transfer resolution/color saturation/etc as a new movie in my opinion. HDTV will be a visual benefit for most movies for the consumer on consumer viewing equipment regardless of age if the transfers are handled with care.

[Michael]

I'm sticking with DVD, I have a ton of DVD's and I'm not about to replace them...

[aashton]

I want high definition video...it IS that much better!

Khorn did you ever try D-VHS DTheater tapes on you High Def set up ?

Andrew :cool:

[Khorn]

Khorn did you ever try D-VHS DTheater tapes on you High Def set up ?

Andrew :cool:

No I haven't but I hear they are great. It's just that I didn't want to get into the "tape thing" again as it looks like High Definition DVD is "round the corner" in one form or another. At least I hope that it is :rolleyes:
They never make it easy do they?

But, then again we are Audiovidiophiles so we must "press on" whatever the hell that means!

[Rachael Bee]

I tried D-VHS D-Theater over 50 times but I didn't inhale. It smokes DVD in pic and sound both. I started using LD in 1986 and DVD when it came out and going back to tape was truly a kulture shock for me. However, I've adapted very well to 1080i video and higher bit-rate audio although it was a horrible inner struggle for about 10 minutes that first time tape. Then I was OK and rather dazzled. The only caveat to D-VHS is keeping the heads clean enough. Tape wear is no major issue as far as I'm concerned. It's slow, kind'a like fosilization, IMO. I also gained the ability to make 1080i tapes of my locals. This is how they're selling HD right now, so this is how I'm buying it. It will spoil ya too!

Look at how small the market for D-VHS is. If HD-videodisc was for sale right now the market would only be incremently larger. Sure, a bunch of us audio-vidiots want it but john Q ain't there yet. HDTV isn't in enough homes yet for D-VHS or HD-videodisc to become a big thing like NTSC DVD is. A few seasons of HD sports and cheap flat panels of some sort will change the market though. That seems to be in motion now.

The studios proably see the small D-VHS market as a barometer of HD demand...?