Technology is moving *too* fast (1 Viewer)

[Jonathan Dagmar]

Sometimes I feel like technology is moving far too fast these days. HDTV is here, and while I can not say it is ready for prime time, I certainly can't afford a HDTV set, and if I could, could not yet justify it do to the limited programming thus far. So while at this point it is a toy for those with copious ammounts of disposable income, in 5-10 years it will be commonplace. Now it's not that I think that is a bad thing, I think it's great, but I can't help bu be a little bothered by the fact that my collection of DVDs is going to be obsolete so soon. With movies already being broadcast over HDTV that have a better picture than my DVDs do, well, it's a little annoying really. Sure HD-DVD will likely become a reality at about the same time as HDTV becomes common, but what then? Am I going to have to rebuy all of my movies in a new format so soon if I want the best quality available?

I like techonolgy, I really do, but I grow weary of the accelarated upgrade cycle we have these days. It started with computers, and now it's spreading to everything. I can't help but wonder, will HDTV last for the 50+ years that NTSC did, or will we all be upgrading again in 15 years or less?

 

[Carl Johnson]

Why would a 15 year lifespan for HDTV be a bad thing? By 2018 television sets will probably be gone anyway, it'll be like Back to the Future II where your 25 favorite channels are projected onto the living room wall.

 

[John Watson]

Echo that Jonathan! I read a book called SPEED by James Gleick several years ago. All about the disorienting impact of hyper change.
Most upgrading is a racket, with no meaningful increase in productivity or utility. Usually a negative from my point of view, with attendant new bugs, glitches, incompatibilities, and incomprehensibilities.
Anyway, I've had 18 good years with cd, and never got into video cassette, and am looking forward to 15 or so years with my little dvd collection. If necessary, I'll buy a new TV and DVD player when I see a significant decline in sales of todays standard offering sets and players, so as to be able to continue with using my DVD library for 10 or more years.
And I may be buying a new turntable this year as well! Actually my library of books looks better and better every day.
As to home viewing, how much better can it get? Maybe TV with smellorama? Frankly, I don't care. (I successfully ignored quadraphonics 20 years ago.)
BTW, I've been reading about HDTV around the corner for 15 years!

 

[Ted Todorov]

I'm all for technology being updated at the fastest rate possible. I'm a computer programmer and I sure as hell wouldn't want microprocessor staying the same so as not to render computers instantly obsolete.

The fact is, no one forces you to upgrade. I just want the ability to do so if I wish. Also, with the rapid forward movement of technology come radically lower prices. Things that would have cost $100 000+ ten years ago, are now available for $500. The faster HDTV proliferates, the faster prices will drop to the same level that current, low def. TVs go for...

Ted

 

[RichardJS]

The thing that worries me is compatability between new technologies.

- The fact that my HDTV could be rendered effectively obsolete in just a couple of years because of copy protection issues.

- Some proposed standards for HD-DVD would not be compatable with existing DVD's meaning players would not play both.

We need to encourage equipment manufacurers to develop the new technologies, while maintaining a reasonable amount of backward compatability (IMO).

Richard

 

[Jason Seaver]

Am I going to have to rebuy all of my movies in a new format so soon if I want the best quality available?

There's the rub, isn't it? If you want to have the best version available, yeah, you're going to "have" to rebuy everything. But if what you have is good enough on certain titles (I'm not replacing my Atari 7800 Ms. Pac-Man just because an Xbox version exists), then, why upgrade just because an upgrade exists?

 

[Ted Todorov]

The fact that my HDTV could be rendered effectively obsolete in just a couple of years because of copy protection issues.

This however has nothing to to do with advances in technology, it has to do with vast advances in stupidity. Hollywood, since the days of their frantic efforts to ban the VCR is continually trying to machine gun themselves in both feet at once.

Ted

 

[Jeff Kleist]

- Some proposed standards for HD-DVD would not be compatable with existing DVD's meaning players would not play both.

No, what they mean is that you wouldn't be able to graft a DVD layer onto them. It will be a trivial matter to make HD-DVD play DVDs. Both technologies are and will be based on MPEG, and worse comes to worse all they'll need is to add another laser on just like they did for CDs

 

[Grant H]

As far as I'm concerned the technology moves too slowly.
I've got my HDTV (reasonably priced at Circuit City for the size and type I wanted; gotta love discontinued items )
Now I want my HD-DVD!! I have already taught myself to holdback on titles that I view as more collectible than re-watchable (i.e. James Bond movies I'm not especially fond of). Figure I'll round out such "collectibles" whenever they hit HD-DVD and just buy DVD's of movies I really, really like. I confess I'm a sucker for DVD's under $1- though.

 

[Ted Todorov]

duplicate

 

[Chad A Wright]

This is what I love about DVD. For me, the movie is everything. The picture quality of most DVDs is good enough that I would be happy if it was never released again. When HD-DVD rolls around, I will no doubt buy a player and begin buying movies for it. However, I won't be upgrading any of the titles I have on DVD. I am fine wiht the quality of them now. My hope is that HD-DVD players will be compatible with current DVDs. If that happens, I'll be fine.

 

[Jonathan Dagmar]

See, I actually hope HDTV and HD-DVD take a long time to become standard. 10 years at least. But when they do come, I want them to come at the same time. I don't want to be in the position again where the broadcasts coming over TV are better quality than the movies i can buy (ie; VHS vs cable)

I'm not anti-technology, but as a person who is far form rich, feeling forced into upgrading all the time is really frustrating. I gave up on computer games because of it and turned to consoles again.

One thing I have heard is that HDTVs and HD-DVD players of the future will probably make my current DVDs look even better, I am not sure how it will be possible, but if it is, I welcome it.

 

[Jeff Kohn]

Am I going to have to rebuy all of my movies in a new format so soon if I want the best quality available?

So let me get this straight. You want to have the best quality available, but you want to be able to stick with your existing DVD's? So you don't want to see HD-DVD become available because then your DVD's are no longer "the best"? That makes no sense. You can't have it both ways: either you want the best quality possible, or DVD is "good enough". If the former, you should be eager to get into HD-DVD when it comes out. If the latter is true and you want to stick with your DVD's, the only thing you're losing with the introduction of HD-DVD is bragging rights (since your DVD's are no longer "the best quality available").

Personally, I can't wait for HD-DVD, especially if we get the Toshiba-backed blue-laser format with high bitrate 1080i (3:2 film encoded of course). That's not to say I plan on replacing my entire DVD collection, though. I'll probably only replace the DVD's that I really really like and watch again and again (which in all honesty is a relativly small percentage of my entire DVD collection, I used to buy way too many DVD's when I first got into this hobby). But the sooner HD-DVD arrives, the sooner I can start buying higher quality discs, rather than putting more money into the existing DVD technology, which while good is not as good as I've gotten used to with HDTV.

 

[JohnDMoore]

I don't mind technology advancing, as long as HD-DVD will be backwards-compatible. And come in similar packaging. I want my collection to reside all together...

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

HDTV was here a year and a half after DVD hit the shelves. DVD has been obsolote since 1998.

I was willing to have my laserdiscs declared obsolete then so I could replace them with HD versions.

I'm still waiting.

Charlie

 

[Todd Hochard]

Charlie- Get a D-VHS deck, a Showtime subscription, and get busy.
Technology marches on. So be it. You don't have to be at the forefront of it, but you want to be. That's the real rub. If you MUST be- my advice is to get a better job. Feeling forced to upgrade, is likely largely a part of being a member of this forum.

One thing I have heard is that HDTVs and HD-DVD players of the future will probably make my current DVDs look even better

HDTVs of the present make DVDs look better than they do on analog TVs. I enjoy my HDTV, even without HDTV. Progressive scan DVD looks very nice. And, if HDTV stopped today, I'd be fine with what I have, and what I've spent. Luckily, I don't have to be, as I've got 8 HD channels to watch. Mind you, most of the programming stinks, but...
For me, DVD is just at that "good enough" level. But, I look forward to when HD-DVD gets here, even if I don't buy in right away.
Todd

 

[Dave H]

Sometimes it does feel like tech is moving so fast, but that is good! And, we do havea choice to buy now or later. As far as DVD, I have no problem knowing one day I will sell all my 130 DVDs (most likely on Ebay for 60-80% of what I paid for them). However, I do think this will be at least 5-8 more years away. And, when HD-DVD does arrive, you know it will takes years for certain titles to arrive. Look how long it took for existing titles to arrive on DVD and there are still many haven't been released.. Also, there will be a learning curve with HD-DVD. I mean compare 1997 releases to 2002-2003 releases. There is a big difference in improvement. (Even compare 1980 VHS releases with present day ones and you will see improvements. Just the nature of technology). I might wait a few years after HD-DVD is released before I hop onto it because of this.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

I do think that it's moving swiftly, but I also don't really sweat it much either. I saw a show about technology recently centering on HT, computers you name it, and some students at MIT said that in the near future you'll be able to have a cell phone chip implanted inside one of your molars! And a computer screen implanted into the retna of your eye! I'm not shittin ya!

Now, that's very cool and all, but do I necessarily want or need those things, no, so I won't buy them. I guess my point is pick and choose what you think is really necessary and buy it and don't feel overwhelmed too much.

As far as replacing my dvd collection with the next best thing goes, i've done it twice now, once with LD from VHS and then from LD to DVD and i'll do it again, that doesn't phase me. It's just the nature of the beast being in this hobby of movie collecting.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

in the near future you'll be able to have a cell phone chip implanted inside one of your molars!

Great, I will be making long distant phone calls all through the night because I'm a teeth grinder.
I for one love technology and wish some of the stuff that they have shown on past tv shows like Next Step would be here already. The faster technology progresses, the cheaper the high end of today becomes.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]