Classics on DVHS: Will it happen? (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

Sure, eye and ear candy like X-Men and T-2 (which are great films) are on DVHS, but what about older titles?

Would 1.33:1 films such as Citizen Kane, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Gone With The Wind be able to benifit from the quality of DVHS?

Also, is there any indication that any older films will be on DVHS? I really can't justify getting a DVHS player if the only movies availible are from the last 10 years.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have asked myself the same question. I think the answer will depend on whether D-VHS becomes a short-term solution until HD-DVD is available, or becomes a more mainstream product. The early titles will most likely be what we are already seeing -- recent blockbusters that can showcase the superior video of D-VHS. The classics would come much later, just as they did with DVD.

Personally, I am waiting on D-VHS until I see a more comprehensive list of available films. I really do not need another version of Galaxy Quest or X-Men.

 

[MikeEckman]

I personally think that the ball has already been dropped in regards to this new format. Apparently the format launch was a couple weeks ago, and there was absolutely no marketing push by any of the studios. The e-tailers that plan on selling the tapes havent gotten any in stock yet. Most of the people in the media who were initially informed when the format was announced had to wait until just within the last couple days to get their hands on evaluation copies. Theres still only one commercial player available for the format. I worked at Best Buy back in March 1997 when DVD was launched, and I remember there being 5-6 different models that were available a week or two before any software titles even became available.

I personally like what I've been hearing about D-VHS, and really hope it gets the ball rolling on HD-DVD quicker, however, I think that this new format will barely even make a ripple in the home theater community.

 

[Todd Hochard]

Personally, I am waiting on D-VHS until I see a more comprehensive list of available films. I really do not need another version of Galaxy Quest or X-Men.

Same here. Now if Indy, SW:OT, and Schindler's List hit DVHS, I'd buy the recorder tomorrow.
Then again, these movies probably won't benefit THAT much from DVHS over DVD, so just get them out already!

 

[Brian McHale]

IMO, this format will never be more than a small niche player, giving rich kids something to show off on their hi-def TVs. There are so many advantages to a format like DVD that tape can never provide. If you gave me a D-VHS machine for free, I still wouldn't want to watch it over DVD.

Here's my list of reasons why 99% of people will never be interested in this product:

1. You need to rewind it.
2. No random access (takes too long to reach any given scene); related to #1.
3. Tape dropouts.
4. Tape jams.
5. No direct access to extras, if any are ever offered.
6. You need to rewind it.

The original question was: "Classics on DVHS: Will it happen?" My response: no. I believe you'll only see high tech reference/demo quality movies. And I would be shocked if any non-widescreen movies ever showed up on D-VHS.

 

[Alex Spindler]

No need to get into personal preference regarding DVHS here.

I would be surprised if non-showcases arrived until the format was mature. Wouldn't they likely need new masters from most films (even those release anamorphically on DVD)? I know that some of the recent DVD releases of films have been based off of high definition masters, but how many of them are there? If they do, they would probably have to justify the cost with something that will fly off the shelf. And I can't see that happening with a title like Citizen Kane or even lesser known Hitchcock films. Additional, the Joe 16:9 pack mentality may raise it's ugly head with regards to putting 4:3 material on a high definition format. Selling sideboxed or greybarred classic films would be even more difficult than selling letterboxed films today.

Now, I might be taking this wrong way, but unless DVHS enjoys the same rocketship success that DVD has, I can't see it being a media option for those looking for films off the beaten path (or outside of the Blockbuster main walls).

 

[Steve Kramzer]

I would tend to agree with the above posters that we will probably never see 4:3 material on dvhs nor many classic movies, at least not until there is at least some base market. I wouldn't be surprised though to see films like Lawerence of Arabia, 2001, etc as they would really pander to the wow/demo factor of the format.

 

[Brian McHale]

I would be surprised if non-showcases arrived until the format was mature.

IMO, by the time this format matures, there will be some form of HD-DVD available that will all but kill it off. If you had access to a format that had the quality of D-VHS with the convenience of DVD, would you ever choose the tape based solution?

I'm not trying to threadcrap here. The original title asked the question "will it happen?" I don't think it will.