Better get it now DVD's? (1 Viewer)

[WilliamMc]

Although I had surround sound back when no one knew what it was, i'm very late comming to DVD. I had decided long ago that I wanted no part of home video unless it was on a 10 foot Projected screen! Well, the dedicated theater is now being planned, and i'm very anxious to build a library. It looks as if I couldn't have picked a worse time. I think I may wait for the HD dust to settle before really getting serious about a big collection. My main concern is the future availability Of current titles. Will most of these titles be released again in a HD format? Are there any titles that you would be concerned about? I currently have purchased some older 80's concerts as there not very popular, and there really isn't much out there in this genre. I don't want to risk it because big concerts will get heavy use in the new theater. Thoughts?

 

[Paul_Scott]

like DVD, i would expect just about everything to get released on an HD format eventually.
the big stuff certainly will, but like we've seen with dvd, it may be a long frustrating wait for your favorites to finally show up...and then when they do will there be issues with the presentation?

as for what to buy now-stuff goes out of print all the time and is usually eventually replaced by a superior presentation. lower profile titles, obscure catalog titles, schlock, Criterions and other licensed material may be the stuff most likely to not migrate over to a new format in a timely fashion.
licenses lapse and studios like Fox and Universal which are both licensing material to AB and Criterion may not be of the same mindset when HD gets here.

stuff i would be particularly worried about missing out on is TV material-especially limited appeal cult material. i don't know if in 3 or 4 or 5 years that shows that sold only to a small band of rabid fans on dvd would be seen by the studios as worthy of revisiting on a new, more expensive format.

i dunno, this is all uninformed musing.
short answer is buy what you like. stuff goes out of print unexpectedly all the time. sometimes you'll be lucky sometimes you won't.

 

[Rolando]

I would agree not to go crazy but do get the titles you like.

There have been serious talks of an HD format since at least 2000 and every DVD I bought it was with the knowledge that the HD version could come out the following year.

I was more than OK with it. If I could buy a DVD for $30 (prices back then) and sell it for $20 to $25 to get the HD version I could live witht he $5 to $10 loss as a rental fee not to have to deprive myself of the movie in the meantime.

 

[AlanP]

Let's face it, there will always be something bigger and better on the HORIZON !!!!!!! All you have to do is look back at the Betamax, 30 years ago, then VHS, now DVD.........tomorrow is another day and the next big thing.....

 

[Dan_J_H.]

When DVD'S came along, I sold all my laserdiscs on Ebay. I agree about enjoying DVD'S for now. There are always people who are hold-outs (and still buy) older formats after new ones come out.