DaViD Boulet
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http://dvd.ign.com/articles/393/393023p1.html?fromint=1
I'll quote the text here in case the article goes away:
I'll quote the text here in case the article goes away:
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
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
