[LaMarcus]

Movies I'd definitely buy again are:

Lord of the Rings 1,2,3
X2
Matrix 1,2,3
The Fifth Element
Fight Club
Finding Nemo
Pirates of the Caribbean
Star Wars (all)

Movies I proably buy again are:
Underworld
LXG
Terminator 2,3
Miniority Report
Blade 1,2

What about you guys?

[Joshua Clinard]

Assuming the HD-DVD's had significantly better picture, and assuming I had the equipment to display a better picture, here are my top choices. I am sure there are more, but I'd have to think about it.

The Sound of Music
Star Wars - All
Toy Story 1 & 2
Finding Nemo
Monsters. Inc.
Indiana Jones Trilogy

P.S. This should go in the software forum.

P.S.S. The link to your web site in your sig is typed incorrectly.

[Rob Gardiner]

I would start with 70mm pictures such as Lawrence and Spartacus and 2001.

[Joseph Bolus]

Quote:

If HD-DVD came out tomorrow ...

I would immediately, of course, replace all my Star Wars Original Trilogy DVDs ... Oh, wait!! We're still waiting for the first release of those films to SD-DVD!

Seriously, as soon as the HD-DVD decks come down to under $500.00 (2007?) *and* I'm sure that that format has beaten out Blu-Ray, then I'll probably purchase one just to use as an enhanced DVD player.

I would then selectively start replacing my "fav" DVDs' based on the transfer quality.

For example:

The Sound of Music would be replaced in a heartbeat, since I've never liked the SD-DVD transfer of that movie.

True Lies would be replaced since the current DVD is non-anamorphic.

Same with Titanic, Armageddon, and The Abyss.

Throw in all the Indiana Jones movies, Star Wars movies, and Disney animateds, and that would do it for me.

Of course, after I purchased my new deck anything that I purchased new from that day forward would be on the new format.

[Jeff Ulmer]

Considering I have watched most of my collection only once, it would be a slim few for starters, most of which probably wouldn't make it out on HD-DVD for quite some time such as Zardoz or The Swimmer.

[george kaplan]

Well, I'd upgrade any and all dvds in which there was significant picture quality improvement.

As far as which ones to upgrade first, that's really a moot point. It's not like there's going to suddenly be hundreds of films on HD-DVD to choose from. They'll trickle out like dvds, and some won't come out for years after the format launch. So the ones I'd upgrade first would be whatever came out first (that I was interested in). It's highly unlikely that would include anything like Star Wars.

[Brook K]

I would upgrade most of my classics and Criterions, but would be less likely to upgrade the 80's and newer films for awhile. But like George says, I'll probably be able to buy 5 different iterations of Lord of the Rings HD before I see something like The Merchant Of Four Seasons or My Life To Live become available.

I can't wait to see what Technicolor films like The Red Shoes look like in Hi-Def.

[Ernest Rister]

What Ten Titles In Your DVD Collection Would You Double-Dip For in Favor of a New HD-DVD Version?

For myself, some obvious choices:

What Dreams May Come
Lawrence of Arabia
2001: A Space Odyssey
Apocalypse Now
Tron
Amadeus
Fantasia
Finding Nemo
Empire of the Sun
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Live in NY City

[Brian W.]

I'd double-dip for anything that was a favorite. I hail from the laserdisc era, so double, triple, or even quadruple dipping is nothing new to me. Between laserdisc and DVD, I've owned five different editions of The Wizard of Oz, and four each of West Side Story, Gone With the Wind, and 2001.

But my most-wanted HD double-dips are:

Lord of the Rings Trilogy, preferrably extended versions
Close Encounters
The Sound of Music
West Side Story
2001: A Space Odyssey

Those are the only ones I can think of that I'm really dying to see in HD.

[Paul_Scott]

probably most of them eventually,
but the films that would make me initially want to invest in the gear would be

The LOTR trilogy
Superman The Movie
Jaws
Alien
Oklahoma (assuming i actually owned the current crappy disc)
King Kong ('76)

i'm actually very happy with some of the current discs.
they look great (and more than watchable) on a large screen.
there is also a point where i wonder just how much of an improvment HD will bring to old catalog titles (where my interest lies) that are being mastered from faulty/worn/dupey source prints- think of things like Imitation Of Life or Bridge On The River Kwai.


however once you start to view HD material, it becomes harder and harder to switch back to standard def material, and not notice its shortcomings.
thats why i will probably take a while to upgrade.
i'll need to be able to replace a lot of titles quickly with their HD counterparts before i'm willing to buy into the process- hopefully by that time the cost of the gear will have come down quite a bit as well.

[BryanV]

I know this has nothing to do with the topic but I've been wanting to ask you Mr. Rister if you have ever been invited to do a commentary or if you have done one that we are not aware of. I bet you would do not only and informative job but a very entertaining one as well.

as for your topic:

I would probably purchase most of my top ten list in HD. In addition to standards like Star Wars and the other major blockbusters. No way that I could think of just ten.