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The D-Theater movie listings thread... (1 Viewer)

Ron Boster

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 10, 1999
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1,145
Somethimes it sucks to be an early adopter/niche consumer. I feel like we have to beg to get products they should be bending over (backwards) to give to us. ;)

Ron
 

Troy LaMont

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 11, 1999
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849
I feel like we have to beg to get products they should be bending over (backwards) to give to us.
So true it's sickening!

So in an effort to find out what's going on with Dreamworks, I called them. I got the Dreamworks operator and I tried to explain that I was a consumer and wanted to find out some more information about D-Theater releases. She kept telling me that this was a movie company and that I would have to have a name in order to speak to someone. After going over the consumer part again and again, she finally gave me the Dreamworks/Universal consumer number.

I called. The guy who I spoke with had no idea what D-Theater was, so after a brief education we were on the same page. I told him I was trying to find out about future releases on the format. He did take my information and advised me that he'd check into it to see what he could find out. We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's too bad we can't get some answers or more releases on this format.

Troy
 

Rob Tomlin

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Jan 8, 2000
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I am becoming increasingly concerned that the studios are going to stop supporting this format altogether. Call me paranoid, but the lack of any announcements from Dreamworks in several months is not a good thing.

There are ton's of titles that Universal could be giving us, but aren't.

Fox is doing the best job, but even they don't have any current titles announced for upcoming release.

As I have said before, it sure seems as though the demand exceeds the supply for D-Theater tapes.
 

DaViD Boulet

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Feb 24, 1999
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Heads up. Gary Reber at Widescreen has just announced that DVE both 1080i and 720p versions are pending release 6/10.
GRRRR :angry:

just have to point out that the above philosphy is exactly the PROBLEM with current HD mastering and D-VHS in particular. NOTE: this is not an anti-D-VHS post, this is an anti bad-HD-mastering post.

Please allow me a moment to rant! (thanks :D )

There should be absolutely no dual-mastering of "1080i" vs "720p" for film-source material on D-VHS. There should be only ONE HD encoding for film based material on D-VHS and it should be full 1920 x 1080 resolution images in 1080 24p form.

Progressive-encoding of native film source material uses LESS bandwidth that is needed for a 60Hz 1080I signal (which has had 3-2 pulldown already applied...how stupid is that?!?). Also, 1080P encoded images have the ability to look much sharper than "1080i" images because they will not be pre-filtered in the vertical domain as is typically done with "1080i" signals to reduce aliasing/scan-line flickering on interlaced displays. D-VHS is compatible with 1080 24P encoded content...so why are we still looking at 1080I/720P tapes?!?

Ok, rant over!

:)
 

Rob Tomlin

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But isn't it true that the JVC D-Theater deck doesn't have the capability to output 1080p?

If it doesn't have that ability, what would be purpose be in having the D-Theater version of DVE in 1080p?

If I purchase one of these tapes (still debating it), I would buy the 720p version, since it is a perfect match for my 720p Dwin front DLP projector.
 

DaViD Boulet

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Feb 24, 1999
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hey Rob,

all current D-theater decks can playback 1080 24P encoded movies and output a traditional 1080I 60Hz signal via their analog component outputs. How's that for backwards compatibility?

to get the source 1080 24P native signal you'd use the firewire output and feed a device with an MPEG2 decoder (like Samsung's HD decoder). This is how Joe Kane was able to view 1080 24P from D-VHS software and others at AVS have had success.

Point is that you now have an HD image that has more than *twice* the resolution of 1280 x 720. Your next digital projector will likely be full 1920 x 1080 resolution so why cripple the software now? Even if something optical like HD-DVD comes out...as long as those D-VHS titles sitting on your shelf were encoded in full HD resolution (1080 24P) they could look just AWESOME for years to come. As it stands now, there's a good chance that D-VHS titles will pale in comparison to HD-DVD if for no other reason than all the unnecessary downfiltering/scaling that's been applied during mastering. BluRay at native 1080 24P will smoke the image quality of a "filtered" 1080I or 1/2 res 720P image any day of the week.

IMO, regardless of the resolution limiations of one's current display system, it makes the most sense that any software one invests is encoded in the highest-resolution possible. 5 years from now when you have your new 1920 x 1080P digital laser projector...it will be abundantly *clear* just why it mattered.
 

Bjoern Roy

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 15, 1998
Messages
315
Since today, DVD Empire lists these new titles:

Nov 25th:
- Moulin Rouge
- X-Men 2

Dec 16th:
- True Lies
- Speed
- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Wow!

Moulin Rouge is in my Top 5. X-Men 2 and True Lies are in my Top 25. Speed was a good action flick, IMO. And i found LXG much less of a 'bomb' than most. I liked quite a few things about it, actually.

Together with the October titles Brotherhood of the Wolves and Mullholand Drive which are also in my Top 25 and The Ring, which i also like a LOT, i have to say that this a fine time for ME.

I don't give a f*#k if only 'few' D-theater titles are released. With DVD, it takes sometimes 1-2 years and thousands of titles to be released to get 5 titles out of my Top25 and 1 titles out of my Top5 !

Happy camper here. :D

Movie taste differs vastly, i know many will find all of the titles complete crap. Too bad. Don't care.

Regards
Bjoern
 

Larry Sutliff

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Jun 17, 2000
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Moulin Rouge
- X-Men 2

- True Lies
- Speed


Whoa! Now these are the kind of titles that will make me interested in D-VHS. Now that I have an HDTV, I'm hankering for some good HD software. But I'm not too keen on tapes, and the selection of D-VHS titles have been less than desirable for me. But if these types of films are released on a regular basis, I may cave in and get it!
 

Tony Kwong

Supporting Actor
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Jun 20, 2002
Messages
521
Not my favroite film but last week I was thinking about all of the Fox Films and what to get and I was saying "I' bet they will release Speed and True Lies" and bam! Here they are!!!! I am really surprised about Moulin Rouge thou.
 

Dave Anderson

Second Unit
Joined
Apr 8, 1999
Messages
348
Damn damn. This list is getting tempting. I'm telling you, Fox should have announced ALIENS! Argh. I would be so there, so friggin there.
 

Mark_Wilson

Screenwriter
Joined
Jul 27, 2000
Messages
1,798
I was thinking the Alien Quad. was noticibly absent. They've all but announced it'll be on DVHS. Guess all those other releases were on the burner first.
 

Greg Black

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 13, 2000
Messages
346
I'm very tempted to invest in D-VHS now that I have an HDTV, but a) they're tapes b) they're expensive tapes, and c) I'm afraid that I'll never look at regular DVDs the same after I see a D-Theater movie.

Also, I've already blown thousands of dollars on my current DVD collection. In a few years, HD-DVD will be out, and I would probably view the DVHS tapes just like I did my VHS movie collection once I got into DVD.

By the way, most of my VHS movie collection was widescreen VHS. :D
 

Tom Blizzard

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 6, 1999
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124
Location
Florida
Real Name
Tom Blizzard
Ahhhh Greg,
Go for it man. Just like the rest of us. You will NOT reget it. Wow, the things you will see in the movies that you have on DVD that you NEVER saw in the lower DVD resolution, you won't believe!

You just can't watch a D-VHS movie before you watch a DVD. The other way around is fine.;)
 

Rob Tomlin

Senior HTF Member
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Jan 8, 2000
Messages
4,506
Great news!

X-Men 2, True Lies and Speed are definite purchases for me. The Ring is a possibility.
Wow, the things you will see in the movies that you have on DVD that you NEVER saw in the lower DVD resolution, you won't believe!
You've got that right!

Last night we had 4 friends over to watch Terminator 2 on D-Theater projected onto a 9 foot screen. When the T-1000 first makes his appearance (naked), we noticed a certain "appendage" that none of us had noticed before!

I have seen this movie numerous times on DVD on a smaller 46" HDTV and don't recall seeing this. I'm sure that it was a combination of the D-Theater resolution and the bigger image, but you definitely notice things that you never noticed before!

And I didn't know that T2 was rated XXX! :wink:
 

Nick Sievers

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2000
Messages
3,480
Rob, i've noticed that since the days of VHS on a small screen. :b

I've been thinking about getting into D-Theater, I don't even think you can buy them here yet and with HDTV not in my area for a long time I would really like to experience some HD material on my projector.

Where is a good place to read up on D-Theater and get some prices for players?
 

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