Hddvd (1 Viewer)

I'm a bit confused as to whether or not the impending release of HDDVD will in effect cause my current dvd collection to become obsolete in much the same way that my VHS tapes became obsolete with the advent of DVD?

In the long run, most likely yes; in the short run, most likely no.

Did your VHS tapes spontaenously erase themselves, burst into flame or stop playing the day DVD was released? If you still have a VCR (or a VCR/DVD combo unit) you can presumably still watch old tapes and record new ones.

The new hi-def DVD players (Blu-Ray or HD-DVD) will play standard discs, and either the players or your HDTV should be able upconvert the 480p output of the DVD to the native resolution of the set. Will they look as good as native HD discs? No. Will they look a lot better than they do now? Almost certainly. Whether or not the quality differences make your existing discs "obsolete" in your eyes is a decision you'll have to make based on your own tastes. For most of us the difference between VHS and DVD was so great that our tapes became instantly unwatchable (to us) and we replaced them with DVDs. Watching both HD program material and SD DVDs on my (720p) HDTV, I don't see enough of a difference to make replacing hundreds of DVDs anything like a no-brainer.

Regards,

Joe

I regard my collection as an evolving, constantly changing thing. I always buy, sell and trade, so it won't be different this time. As new high def dvds come out, I will evaluate on a case by case basis whether it's worth upgrading. I think it's a mistake to think in terms of "all or none".

Each & every one of your SD-DVD disc is completely safe!
Until, you get one or more HD disc players.
And, you replace, each one of your SD-DVD discs with an HD disc of the same title.
Should be years away!
Could be decades away!
Enjoy your DVD's now & for years to come.

I would not bet on SD becoming obselete any time soon. It is a real possibility that SD could remain the king and HD a niche market. Whether people will rush out and replace every dvd in their collection is a real question mark. If Hollywood insists on retaining pricing power rather than giving that power up then it will slow or doom HD among a broad section of the population.

Also whether all titles that are currently on dvd will be released in HD is another question. Since HD shows more of a film's flaws than SD does, it may cost more to bring a film up to HD quality. That may tip some films from a dvd release to a dvd non-release. SD hasn't even released all of the films that were originally released on videocassette. Even if I were going to HD, I would still continue to buy classic and obscure films that are released on dvd.