http://dvd.ign.com/articles/393/393023p1.html?fromint=1
I'll quote the text here in case the article goes away:
Quote:
April 09, 2003 - Today the final specs for Artisan's upcoming re-re-release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day arrived and they confirmed a long-running rumor that the DVD would include a high-definition version of the film using a Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 file.
This may sound strange to you, but it is actually quite cool. Microsoft has developed a low-bitrate HD compression codec that is just now being experimented with on some Artisan DVDs. It allows high-def quality video on the same amount of disc space as a regular single-layer DVD. Artisan's Standing in the Shadows of Motown includes a Windows Media Player 9 version of the film in high-def on disc two. Not only does it look incredible; it only takes up about 3 gigs on the disc.
Naturally, you'll need some horsepower to correctly run these files on your PC. You'll need at least a 1.8ghz Pentium 4 with a nice chunk of RAM and a 5.1 compatible soundcard to take advantage of the audio. However, if you have all of that the high-def version looks a lot nicer than running the regular DVD on your PC.
Here are the complete, and final, specs for the upcoming T2: Extreme Edition
2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer digitally mastered from a brand-new 1080p, 24sf high-definition digital telecine transfer.
Dolby Digital 5.1 EX audio.
Dolby headphone audio track
All-new audio commentary by James Cameron and co-screenwriter William Wisher.
Extreme interactive mode with graphic commentary and behind-the-scenes footage
16 minutes of additional scenes.
"No Feat But What We Make": an all-new documentary.
"T2: On the Set" retrospective montage
"T2: High Definition": the complete theatrical version of the film in Microsoft Windows Media 9 series, playable in high resolution and 5.1 sound directly from your PC
Infiltration Unit Simulator and T2 FX Studio: morph your imported images into a T-1000 or T-800 Terminator
Skynet Combat Chassis Designer: Construct and field-test your own ultimate fighting machine and track your progress online
THX optimizer
Metal collectible sculpture embossed package
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Interesting isn't it folks. Apparently, while all the powers that be wrangle and argue and politic away with our precious HD-DVD format wobbling in the balance...Artisan has just decided to go ahead and
give us 1080P HD right now on their T2 multi-disc UE edition! (along with the usual 480P version for standard playback).
Nothing too radical here in terms of technology...they're using Microsft's new super-duper compression algorithm to squish all that HD content down on a regular red-laser DVD. Not necessarily ideal...yet since there *is* a D-VHS of this title floating around it will be interesting to compare (though the D-VHS is probably mastered from their older transfer of the film...we'll have to find out for sure before we can consider it an apples-apples comparison). Who knows...Maybe Microsoft has come up with a miracle compression algorithm that really can do HD justice at SD-DVD bit-rates. Wait and see...
You can only play the HD version on a PC...so hook that PC up to your projector or HDTV and have fun. Regardless of how you or I feel about studios taking the "cheap" way out with HD content super-compressed onto red-laser discs...if it looks better than SD-DVD or even delivers something close to D-VHS image quality...we won't exactly be crying the blues considering that we're basically getting a 1080P HD version as an "extra feature" on the DVD for FREE!!
-dave
