What would you do?

[Earfull]

So I have my new HT room all done. (Denon 3805, Panasonic S77, Panasonic AE900 projector).
With HD on the horizon, I'm wondering if this is a foolish time to be buying & amassing regular DVD movies - only to find them near worthless when HD does come out.

What do y'all think?

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I say avoid a large collection. Even when HDwhatever is introduced, it will still takes years to get the entire back-catalog onto the movies. The first to come will likely be the action/adventure films, then comedy, drama, foriegn, etc etc...

So if you buy the LOTR: extended mega box, ultimate 10-disk Matrix box, the Rocky boxset, the Alien quadrilogy, and 6 Star Wars films, don't be disappointed when they all get the HD treatment by 1st Quarter 2006.

I've sold off my 300+ collection to under 100. I'd like to get 30 or fewer before I have to dump them at the FYE for $.50 store credit.

Exception: Alot of 4:3 TV programming won't look any better on HD (since alot is mastered on SD tape), so I'm not going to suggest you not collect TV series on DVD unless the show was native HD, in which case you'll wanna wait.

 

[Jedi2016]

I'm only replacing a handful of my DVDs with HD versions (LOTR, SW, etc). But it hasn't really slowed down my purchase of DVDs.. I don't even have an HDTV yet, and it could be a year or so before I get a hi-def player, so there's no real reason to stop buying them.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

So I have my new HT room all done. (Denon 3805, Panasonic S77, Panasonic AE900 projector).
With HD on the horizon, I'm wondering if this is a foolish time to be buying & amassing regular DVD movies - only to find them near worthless when HD does come out.

What do y'all think?

Don't worry about it. It will take years for the dvd-hd thing to take hold. just look at dvd-a and sacd, they have been out for quite awhile and the selection is still very small. Until the masses want it that's the way it will stay. Few and expensive for awhile and then players will get cheaper and cheaper, and the movies will get cheaper and cheaper and then, maybe years from now the masses will jump in with both feet and the selection will get better and better.

Your old dvds will not be worthless. It's not like they are on tape that degrades. Just upgrade the movies with great special effects or great scenery. Why upgrage an Adam Sandler movie?

but hey, I've been wrong before...

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

There's a good article in this months issue of PC World on the new formats.

From what I've gotten from it, and from info up to this point, players will start out around $1000 early next year, and drop in price rapidly as the XBOX 360 and PS3 are released.

A big benefit with the new formats will be personal recording and storage. We'll start to see more and more digital camcorders capable of 1080i, which can be stored on HD DVD or Blu Ray discs. This technology is needed as current hard drives aren't anywhere near large enough to store this info.

All the players will be backwards compatible, just like the XBOX 360 and PS3, but you'll see DVD's go the way of cassettes when cd's came out - sooner than you think!

Honestly, I see no relation of sacd's and dvd-a's to hd-dvd and blu ray. The investment in the new technology dwarfs that of sacd/dvd-a. 2006 will be an eye opener, for sure.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

There's a good article in this months issue of PC World on the new formats.

From what I've gotten from it, and from info up to this point, players will start out around $1000 early next year, and drop in price rapidly as the XBOX 360 and PS3 are released.

A big benefit with the new formats will be personal recording and storage. We'll start to see more and more digital camcorders capable of 1080i, which can be stored on HD DVD or Blu Ray discs. This technology is needed as current hard drives aren't anywhere near large enough to store this info.

Hopefully this technology will solve alot of space related problems.

All the players will be backwards compatible, just like the XBOX 360 and PS3, but you'll see DVD's go the way of cassettes when cd's came out - sooner than you think!

Maybe, the big differance is tapes wear out rather quickly and/or get eaten buy the tapedeck. Then you need to replace them. cds don't wear out like tapes or get eaten. So...no need to replace with sacd or dvd-a...unless your an "Audioholic".

Honestly, I see no relation of sacd's and dvd-a's to hd-dvd and blu ray. The investment in the new technology dwarfs that of sacd/dvd-a. 2006 will be an eye opener, for sure.

My mother (read the masses) couldn't care less about the new technology. She is not going to want to buy a new universal player. Heck,the one she has now isn't universal.

My point is that I think the masses drive the bus and it will take some time. Not until a large quantity of people upgrade their players will this really take off. Thats why I think it will be more like sacd or dvd-a...no need. My mothers player will have to break before she will by another. By then the universal dvd-hd player will be whats available (and much cheaper)and thats what she will buy, and then and only then will she buy dvdhd movies, if its not to expensive.

Some people here are acting like dvds will be useless. Why? If players are backwards compatible we can still use them correct? Whats the sense of upgrading a goofy comedy to hd anyway? Save your money for more important things like the hdtv most people don't have.

Your right though Buckeye, 2006 should be interesting. Feel free to say "I told you so" if your right!

 

[BMXTRIX]

Oh come on, I think this is a bottom line issue:

Will YOU get a HD disc player soon after they are released?

Or - a PS3 w/Blu-Ray built in?

Do you care a lot about the quality of the videos you purchase?

Do you buy a lot of 'small' name movies to own?

If you are definitely getting a player, and you are definitely into the box office smash hits, than odds are good that you will benefit greatly from holding off on purchasing many DVDs.

For me, I have no intention of buying another DVD. I haven't bought one for over a year now. I have Blockbuster Online and 3 movies in my family room right now to watch. Why do I need to own them? The really good ones I am putting on a list and will get when they are available in HD.

Sure, maybe it is a year without owning a new DVD of my own. But, I don't need my collection to grow a ton. I just want to always have something to watch, and that's taken care of.

Unlike HD-DVD and SACD, I would expect that almost every major movie release will be available in HD. They are being mastered to computer in HD, they are completely ready to be released in HD. Unlike the music choices, which require very careful studio setups and work to get a quality HD product, DVD is a huge step DOWN for movies and the industry is ready and waiting to step the quality of their releases up on all titles! I think we will have a lot of content available to us, very early on.

 

[gellor]

The potential to push the new format does not rest solely on the heads of the audio/videoholics, but on the computer enthusiast as well. (particularly with the recent announcement of HDMI video cards)

Also, a lot of companies out there are using DVD arrays to perform backups of data servers because they're cheaper than tape and still hold reasonable amounts. I bet a lot of IP-based companies will be interested in upgrading, as well as home users to be able to back up data and move large files.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I all boils down to TV size.

Do you have a 36" TV? Then DVD is fine for you.

Do you have a front projector? Then HDDVD/BRD is the logical choice for you.

 

[j_garcia]

Do you still own VHS tapes (not D-VHS)? If so, then you REALLY shouldn't worry about it.