SD DVD Purchasing in Light of Blu-Ray/HD DVD Adoption (1 Viewer)

[Paul Arnette]

Hi all.

I didn't really find a thread that focused on how Blu-Ray and/or HD DVD adoption has affected your SD DVD purchasing. I thought that this thread might not only be useful to the members of the HTF, but could also be of potential interest to the studios as well.

Now that I have taken the plunge with HD DVD, the decision to purchase a SD DVD has become a lot more complicated for me. The studios are doing there part to make the decision as difficult as possible by avoiding day and date announcements on titles, the most notable example of this is V for Vendetta. Furthermore, these studios almost seem to be going out of their way to make the release dates for their titles a mystery. While I'm not really sure how they think this helps adoption of their product, it is a problem we have to live with in the short term and persuade them to fix for the long term.

Of the four HD DVD titles I own, I also own all four on SD DVD. This makes sense because I'm not buying titles to just look at the pretty pictures, if I want to do that I will rent them, but I bought them because I truly enjoy the films themselves. Of those four SD DVD, three of them I hadn't even gotten around to watching. Now, I realize this is a MP (my problem), but it sort of underscores my point. With so much product out there, where do you draw the line if you've taken the plunge on high definition pre-recorded media?

Until recently, I thought I was safe still buying classics on SD DVD. For example, I recently purchased the John Wayne John Ford Film Collection not really expecting any of those titles to be released in HD DVD anytime soon. Low and behold, yesterday I see an unofficial announcement that The Searchers will be coming to HD DVD. So, perhaps classics are still safe, but only the more obscure ones?

I'm almost to the point where I want to hold off buying any new SD DVD, even if it comes from a studio that doesn't support my chosen format (HD DVD), with the possible exception of SD DVDs that come from the independents (e.g. Anchor Bay Entertainment, Blue Underground, Criterion, etc.)

This is a frustrating situation made tolerable by HD bliss, but I could use some suggestions on how to cope, and I'm sure others could too, if you got them.

Thanks.

 

[Lew Crippen]

While I do not yet have either format, I quit purchasing DVDs about two years ago, when it became apparent that I would buy into HD as it became available. At this point, I’m simply waiting for the players to support the new audio formats. As soon as this happens (along with the resolution of a couple of minor issues), I’ll buy the format with the best SD to 1080i/p conversion capabilities. I’ll buy the other format as soon as the disks are available down here. But no more SD DVDs for me.

 

[Elayna Rainwater]

I'm only buying some random TV shows on dvd. Waiting for the big A titles in high def.

 

[Cees Alons]

What may ease the blow, are the reports about the sensational up-converting powers of the Toshiba HD-A1 (and -X1). Some people "don't believe" they are watching SDVD.

So your collection (and mine) may perhaps not become totally worthless after all.

That said, I started slowing down my SDVD purchases a bit, but if a highly desired movie gets released (e.g. The Shooting Party), I don't hesitate.


Cees


PS: I don't have a HR-player yet, but I'm about to start by importing a HD-A1.
C.

 

[Jim Douglas]

I'm only buying some older SD TV seasons and a few movie westerns and it's been like this for over a year now. Anything else I'm holding off for HD. I'm hoping a few of the newer TV seasons will have HD releases upcoming so I hold off on those also.

Hopefully all releases will pick up for HD-DVD this fall.

Jim

 

[Paul Arnette]

I need a display with HDMI so bad! :crying:

 

[DeeF]

I have over 2,000 DVDs. Fortunately, my taste runs to older American films, usually 4:3 black and white, and I don't really think most of these will be improved by high-definition, if they make it onto the format at all.

The smallest percentage of my collection are the modern films, so if I start to buy these in HD, it won't be a repeat buy.

The films I'm really looking forward to rebuying are the large format, widescreen color films of yesteryear. The Searchers seems to be the one which is announced, but here's a group of movies I'll definitely be buying when they are available:

Lawrence of Arabia
My Fair Lady
Vertigo
North by Northwest
Gigi
Ben-Hur
etc.

Yes, I like epics and musicals too.

 

[Harminder]

I still buy TV on DVD. However, my SD-DVD movie purchases have now stalled. I do not want to invest into any SD-DVD movies when I know that it has a chance to show up on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD in the future.

 

[Lew Crippen]

It is interesting to read everyone’s strategies. I thought some about TV, but as a good many series were shot in 35mm, I hold out for some very fine HD releases. And many of the newer TV series are being shot in either 35mm or digital HD of some type, so again there is hope for some good HD.

As for classic movies in B&W and 1.33:1 or 1.66:1, I look forward to HD for them as well. Movies like Touch of Evil or The Conformist for example have the potential to be outstanding in HD.

I too look forward to the upconverting potential of the new players. My two displays are already 1080i, one of them with HDCP, DVI, so I won’t need to change either of them quickly.

 

[MatthewA]

Filmed TV shows in HD should look great, providing the elements are in decent shape.

Videotaped shows will look about the same as they did on DVD but whole series could fit on one or two 30gb HD-DVDs or one 50gb Blu-Ray discs.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

To me this is a non-issue!

With SD-DVD titles running around $16 when they street, if there is no HD-DVD equivalent of a favorite movie in sight, I'll simply purchase the SD-DVD iteration and enjoy it. When the HD-DVD version comes out (and in the case of the Sony/MGM/Fox/Disney studios it may be a while!) I'll purchase it and retire the SD-DVD version to the bedroom (or trade it in to a used DVD store or eBay it).

Even if I end up purchasing both the SD-DVD and HD-DVD iterations of the movie, I'll still pay less than what I would have paid for the equivalent Laserdisc of the title back in, say, 1992.

I think a lot of us have really gotten spoiled by the great quality that DVD provides at such a minimal cost. I still remember paying $70 for Star Wars on VHS tape ... or $40 for a 10 minute Castle FIlms "Home Edition" of a favorite film.

We're all really in a "win-win" situation as far as I'm concerned!

 

[AaronSCH]

I thought that I would be picky about SD DVD purchases since diving into HD DVD. However, I am no longer purchasing anything in my once beloved format and have begun the process of parting with many of them. Even my best looking DVDs look flat in comparison to all my HD DVD titles. I thought my wallet would get a break, but no such luck, I have been grabbing these puppies up as soon as they are available.

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

The last SD DVD I purchased was on May 16 and that was added to a collection of 1700+ discs. I don't even read the HT Software - "Film and Documentary" threads anymore, because I don't want to know what I'm missing. My interests have turned solely to looking for High Definition media on both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats. My mind is now set on the premiss that all the tltles I'm interested in will eventually be available in high definition.:rolleyes

Money saved by not buying these new SD DVD releases has been channelled towards equipment upgrades that now gives me, true 1080P processing, pixel adaptive deinterlacing and a 48 frame per second film rate for quality performance of high definition film sourced discs, turning the current 1080i output signals of the Toshiba and Samsung players into true 1080P signals my projector can use now and equaling the maximum resolution potential encoded on HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. At least for the current titles that are available. IMO, funds used with the future in mind and much more practical than any new SD DVD purchases.

Paul

 

[Daniel-M]

I haven't bought a DVD since January. Although the big reason is because of HD, there is another reason which is double dipping. I am tired of buying one edition then a better one is released a year after. In the immediate future the only puchases i ahve planned are Simpsons-seasons and Arrested Development. We'll see what happens

 

[John H Ross]

My SD-DVD purchases haven't slowed down at all. I'm spending about $100 per month on the format. In fact I'm still replacing VHS and laserdisc movies on DVD! Plus I'm buying a lot of older films that I don't already own while they're dirt cheap at Amazon. Just this week I imported a rather magnificent Anamorphic DVD of "True Lies" with DTS sound from Japan and I'm loving it. And I have an equally marvellous-sounding Superbit/DTS edition of "Last Action Hero" on the way. I'd rather do that than sit around dreaming about what the title might look/sound like on some HD system or other (bearing it mind that it might not look ANY different on my 28" display!)

If I was buying HD discs I'd probably be in 100% double-dipping mode for a LONG time - I might even be falling into the trap of buying crap like Tomb Raider again!! Where's the fun in that?

John

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I still plan on buying SD DVD's, especially of older films. I just hope that more newer releases come out on High Def day and date with regular DVD's.

 

[Bob_L]

I was watching a film documentary on PBS a few weeks ago in HD and they showed some HD clips from old B/W movies. My first thought was, "This looks GREAT! I can't wait until they get these classics onto a hi-def DVD format." Trust me, an HD disc format will make 4:3 B/W classics look SPECTACULAR.

 

[Pete T C]

I won't buy anything on SD DVD anymore unless it is a really rare film. (i.e. RAD)

 

[Brent M]

I find it funny when people start acting like regular DVD is as bad as VHS now. Sure HD-DVD and Blu-Ray look better, but who cares if there isn't any decent software to play on the machines? I know it will come in time, but so will robots and flying cars. I'd rather live in the present and enjoy the movies I want to see on regular DVD than buy Hitch and 50 First Dates on Blu-Ray just so I have something to watch in HD. There is exactly ONE Blu-Ray title I'd even be interested in buying right now and that's The Terminator. There are actually a few HD-DVDs that interest me, but it's only like 12-14 titles and that's just not enough to get me excited about buying a new player yet. I can live with 720p upconverted DVDs for the time being and not regret it one bit.

 

[Pete T C]

The point is, why buy it on DVD when you know you are going to want to double dip on HD DVD when it comes out?