What is coming next year in the world of DVD

Vancouver

Vancouver

Full Audioholic
OK...I have heard of Blue laser, HD DVD player coming out next year and I am looking for a clear answer, so I can decide my next purchase.

Right now I have a HDTV Panasonic Plasma with a cheap Progressive scan DVD player and fear I am not getting top picture out of my TV ( i see slight "gohsting"). I am saving up for a Denon 2910 hping it will give me an killer picture.

Should I wait and buy something that is coming out next year? Are these new "HD DVDs" going to look better then Superbit DVDs? How many tittles will be HD? Wont directors have to start shooting in 720p etc in order to get HD DVDs?

Clarity would be great.
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
Not to worry about the source material; outside of porn, not much is shot on video. ;) The film camera's most movies use has much more resolution than even the highest current hi def tv formats. Lucas did shoot the newest Star Wars prequels with HD video cameras, and likely the future will one day belong to video as opposed to film. But we're not there yet.

I don't see how anyone can really answer your question with confidence I'm afraid. DVD was a such a huge success because is was a quantum leap over videotape, in all ways. It's got better a better picture, better sound, is more durable and doesn't need rewound. DVD was head and shoulders above anything most people had ever seen and represented a change in the way the public viewed movies at home.

Neither HD-DVD nor Blu-ray represent that type of paradigm shift. Sure it offers a better picture for those with an HD set, but it's essentially still just a DVD. In a sense it's a victim of the DVDs success, much as SACD & DVD-A are victims of the CD's success. The unprecendented flexibility, durability & convenience are the big draw for consumers, and DVD already has that.

Plus, DVD already had a foot in the door before any serious challenger came along (once DIVX tried to compete it was already too late, although it probably delayed the ascendencey of DVD by at least a year). With HD-DVD vs Blu-ray, potential customers know they'll be treated to a format war right from the start. With only 20% or so of American homes having an HD set, both sides are gonna need the fence-sitters to commit pretty quickly.

I'd say there's almost no doubt that some hi def DVD format will succeed, but which one? Microsoft is backing HD-DVD, and they're a huge company. Still, Disney & Sony are committed to Blu-ray. In fact, the Playstation 3 will reportedly feature a Blu-ray drive. This is shaping up to be a clash of the titans.

I'm the quintessential "early adopter," but this is one war even I might sit out. Unless someone comes up with a universal player that will play both (plus all the 'white elephants' of the past for good measure), I'll sit back and hold my fire til I see the whites of their eyes. :rolleyes:
 
Vancouver

Vancouver

Full Audioholic
Well written Bob. So in yoru opinion should I invest in a good DVD player like a denon 2910? or wait
 
F

flyv65

Full Audioholic
Since Rob hasn't answered yet, I'll give you what I did in your position. I've got a Panasonic 36in, 4:3 HDTV that is about 4 or 5 years old. The set has composite, s-video, and component inputs, and displays 480i, 480p, and 1080i. Since I figured it would be about 5 years before the Format Wars end and I'll be able to afford to buy a new deck (and matching TV), I bought the 2910 after spending a good two hours comparing the picture/sound with the 3910. In all honesty, I couldn't see a difference at 480p, and the music for both was so close I counted it a draw. I've been running the 2910 at home now for about a month and a half and I have no complaints whatsoever-its been phenominal for movies, all the music formats, and some picture CDs we compiled this past summer. I'm kind of a gear whore and I really wanted to see a difference on my setup between the 2910 and the 3910-but I didn't...and I couldn't justify $600 for the Denon Link alone.

Bryan...I can wait five years...
 
Y

Yamaman

Junior Audioholic
Hey Vancouver,

I got it! As I recall, you're an avid gamer. Just buy the PS3 (blue laser) and the X-Box 2 (HD DVD)! Problem solved! :D

Yama
 
Rex

Rex

Audioholic
flyv65 said:
Since Rob hasn't answered yet, I'll give you what I did in your position. I've got a Panasonic 36in, 4:3 HDTV that is about 4 or 5 years old. The set has composite, s-video, and component inputs, and displays 480i, 480p, and 1080i. Since I figured it would be about 5 years before the Format Wars end and I'll be able to afford to buy a new deck (and matching TV), I bought the 2910 after spending a good two hours comparing the picture/sound with the 3910. In all honesty, I couldn't see a difference at 480p, and the music for both was so close I counted it a draw. I've been running the 2910 at home now for about a month and a half and I have no complaints whatsoever-its been phenominal for movies, all the music formats, and some picture CDs we compiled this past summer. I'm kind of a gear whore and I really wanted to see a difference on my setup between the 2910 and the 3910-but I didn't...and I couldn't justify $600 for the Denon Link alone.

Bryan...I can wait five years...
The only thing that sticks in my mind between the two is that the 3910 has firewire and the 2910 does not.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Blu-Ray is definitely coming - but if it makes it here next year is a big question. Both HD-DVD and BD (Blu-ray Disc) are going to be competing for top dog... But, while BD has more support from companies, apparently HD-DVD is doing better in Japan in sales.

Go figure...

I personally am leaning towards BD as new technology allows it to play all my existing DVD content and it looks like as a standard there won't be BD players, but BD recorders. So, they expect people to be able to play and record HD material.

The Blu-ray technology offers about 30%+ more storage capacity per disc which is what really is going to make a difference in the long run I would think. Longer movies and movies encoded at a higher bit-rate mean that the final video looks better than it would on HD-DVD. Going down the road, more storage space means that more can be put on every disc. More, more, more!!!

But, which will be the format war winner? It is hard to say - but I for sure am done buying DVD players for a while and will likely move into BD shortly after it becomes available if prices are reasonable.
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
Man, I have no clue which new standard will prevail. For the most part I echo BMXTRIX's view that Blu-ray is the better mousetrap. But I have two reservations: first is cost. The players will cost more, and the media is significantly more advanced, ie more expensive to make. Will they eat the cost or pass it along to us? The public is used to paying $15 for a movie, and I doubt they'll fork over $35 no matter how pretty it looks. My second worry is sound; HD-DVD is already confirmed to incorporate MLP in the mandatory standards. This means DVD-A quality sound, even for movies if the studio wishes to do so. Now there's no reason Blu-ray can't do this, but so far they "haven't decided" what, if any, hi res sound format to use. Since Sony is BR's stakehorse, they might adopt DSD. But who knows?

I'd hate to ever warn someone off from buying a nice current player. After all, it may be a couple years before there's much to watch on hi def disc. But on the other hand, I wouldn't risk much of my own money on an expensive player right now. I think you can safely assume it'll be at least late '05 at best before any new format and another year or so before it can really get a library going.

So many of us gearheads upgrade components every year or two that maybe it won't matter, anyway. ;)
 
Rock&Roll Ninja

Rock&Roll Ninja

Audioholic Field Marshall
Well, In Japan where Blu-Ray has been out for awhile now....

*Is backwards compatible with DVD
*Can record HDTV!

The pre-recorded Blu-Ray movie doesn't yet exist in Japan as the machne is primarily a HDTV disk recorder. When it crosses big blue we can expect studio movies for sale as well (all pre-release promotion focus heavily on HD disks, not recording). If it does not play DVD's, then you know Sony is just boneing you.


As for your 'ghosting" TV: Have you adjusted your TV with a calibration DVD such as Sound & Vision, Avia, or Ovation?

After that I'd suggest a professional calibration.

Followed lastly by a video upconverting player w/ a DVI output (such as the $250 Samsung).

EDIT: According to DTS; their lossless "DTS-HD" has been approved for Blu-Ray. Supposedly as good as DVD-A. We can also expect Dolby Digital (As Blu-Ray players overseas need it for DVDs) and Sony Dynamic Digital Sound compatibility will prbably make it on there too.

Now lets hope Bram Stoker's Dracula gets a better transfer when they master the BR disk.
 
D

djoxygen

Full Audioholic
Rob Babcock said:
Now there's no reason Blu-ray can't do this, but so far they "haven't decided" what, if any, hi res sound format to use. Since Sony is BR's stakehorse, they might adopt DSD. But who knows?
Didn't DTS-HD (aka DTS++) get approval as a Blu-Ray audio format? I don't know how that compares to MLP, but it should clear the bar for what we consider "high-res" audio.

One other note, all the audio and video codecs/formats that are part of either spec aren't mandatory for the software, only for the hardware. The media publishers can choose among them, but the players have to decode whichever the publishers choose. That means that your video could be MPEG2, MPEG4/H.264, WMV-9 (or whatever its current marketing name is) and your audio could be DD, DTS, MLP, or even CD-quality PCM stereo. Just because a format supports it, doesn't mean it's what you'll get when you're heading home from Best Buy.
 
Duffinator

Duffinator

Audioholic Field Marshall
Vancouver, if you are upgrading just for DVD you may want to hold off for another year. I'm also looking at purchasing a Denon 2910 but I'm mainly doing it for the multichannel audio formats. I currently have a Sony CDP-C535 CD player that is 11 years old. It still works fine but of course doesn't do multichannel audio. I can justify the expense of the 2910 because I plan on it being my main audio player for 10 years. :eek: When HD or BD DVD becomes available I'll focus on just the video side of the player and not worry if it plays all the audio formats.
 
Rob Babcock

Rob Babcock

Moderator
Unless I'm remembering wrong, DTS++ is still a lossy codec. Sony themselves has said they "may incorporate" a lossless audio format, but to my knowledge haven't committed one way or the other yet.
 
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