Will you be rushing into the new Hi-Def formats in 2006? (1 Viewer)

[Nils Luehrmann]

I missed Parker's post, so thanks for the link, but I don't understand the criteria you used to select which posts to remove... Parker said that the posts should only be "will you or won't you buy not about why you won't., so looking at the posts you chose not to remove I am not seeing how they follow Parker's guideline?

Instead of arbitrarily deleting the opinions people have shared in those posts, is it not possible to simply move those posts to the threads you feel they are best suited for?

 

[Cees Alons]

We're trying to allow some clarification of someone's own vote.
But no discussions then (anymore) about other's opinions or challenging said clarifications. Certainly not here.


Cees

 

[JeremyErwin]

I think I dragged some people into a discussion of DVD-Audio (versus SACD). Now, moderation related meta-posts such as mine are always prime candidates for deletion, so I'll just explain why I'm sitting on the fence:

I don't want to invest a lot in buying an orphan player. I don't want to commit to a format that will die. There go my enthusiast credentials...

Ah, well. I think I'll wait until both machines are compared by reputable reviewers. All this talk of VC-9 and MPEG2 is just theory. Until I can compare the picture and sound quality of HDDVD and BluRay to each other and to a DCDi DVD player, I don't really think I can commit.

Isn't that one the credos of this forum-- audition before you buy?

But perhaps I'll buy a PC (probably a mac). and a player will come with it, and my allegiance will be decided by default. My Dad switched to CDs because of CD-Rom, and he upgraded to DVDs because his powerbook came with one. I expect that a similar accident will bring one of the formats into my life.

 

[Don Solosan]

Maybe we should form some kind of support group.

"I just wandered into Best Buy to pick up a printer cartridge and wandered into the video section and... they're showing The Matrix in high def! Help me!"

"Brent is only five minutes away, and I'll stay on the phone until he can get there. Now, you have to be strong. Turn around and walk away!"

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Maybe another poll could be started up the last week of this year.

Glenn

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I've been mulling over both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD all week. I was gung ho for awhile about getting into both of these formats right away, but the more I think about it, the more I think I'm just going to wait a year or so and see how this whole format war settles. I've been getting a headache lately trying to make heads or tails out of downrezzing, HDMI/DVI, AACS, et cetera ad infinitum. I had the HD-DVD player pre-ordered on Crutchfield, but I canceled it this morning. I'm sitting this one out until there is a sure winner(if both formats don't end up demolishing each other in this war).

My Oppo and Zenith upconverting players will keep me happy in the meantime.

 

[EricRWem]

I'm definitely with that 79 percent that are waiting.

As a gamer, I'd get a PS3 anyways, so I'll enjoy whatever BR benefits that brings me, and possibly this XBox360 HD-DVD attachment? But beyond that? I won't make any serious and dedicated investments towards either format for the forseeable future.

 

[Greg T]

Although I also prefer one format....or at least a universal player...I will be buying the first B/R player from Onkyo,Pioneer Elite,Sony ES or Denon...that has full 1080p and all 8 analog outs required for 7.1 192/24 audio.

I am a forward thinker and will support the format with the best specs, most hardware support and studio support.

But its very telling that 79% on an A/V board will wait it out....when some people think Joe 6 pack may have a say

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I wonder when Sony, Toshiba et al will start marketing these things. I haven't seen a single ad in one home theater magazine or one any HT websites. How do they expect people to get interested if they aren't even aware that new formats are coming?

 

[Ted Saint]

In my less than humble opinion, based on a lifetime of materialism and techno-fetish, these new video disk formats will tank, or at best be a minor niche market.

These super DVD's will have improved image quality, sound quality, storage capacity and copy-protection. The problem is that unlike VHS vs DVD, most people do not, and will not in the next 5-10 years, have TV's of sufficient quality to display the picture-quality difference. Because DVD is so good to start with, most who do see a difference will not deem it significant. There are still many who aren't impressed with DVD-quality over VHS-quality, and that difference is substantial, even on the most modest and inexpensive TV. The improvement of these new critters over DVD will not be noticeable...in typical and prevalent living rooms.

With sound, like video, most consumers don't yet have the equipment (surround sound), and even those of us who crave good quality sound won't notice the quality difference with the new disks. This is because when watching a movie we are not focused on the audio. It is secondary. Only critical listening on a very good (expensive) surround sound system will demonstrate a difference. If we are critically listening, then we are not watching the movie.

As far as copy-protection and inhibiting piracy goes, yeah there's a huge benefit with the new shiny coasters, but if most people don't bother then the piracy market doesn't matter...in the big picture.

I'm not against change or improvement, but in this case the technical advancements are far outpacing the majority of consumers' needs, and willingness to spend on the unneeded. Ten years from now, most of us will finally have TVs that can display all the glory of current DVD. Maybe then a jump to then next quality level will be worthy of serious discussion.

"To put the above in perspective, I have a 5 year old JVC 32" D-Series SDTV, an Optoma DV-10 EDTV FP, a Logitech Z680 Surround set-up, and a separate CD audio-only Harmon Kardon/JBL L100T3 system for "critical" music listening. -Wayne"

 

[Greg T]

I forgot to mention, I will be buying my next Dell pc with BD drive , as well as a PS3 for my kid....so I guess you could say I am buying three BD drives