Not long to go now before we'll have HD-DVD to play with. Initial prices are much lower than expected, which is a nice surprise. Toshiba look to be getting the ball rolling with their HD-A1 player at $499. You can visit the Toshiba HD-DVD website to see a list of early titles that will be available for the format here. Regular price on HD-DVD disks looks to be around $30 and around $25 from discount retailers. So not much different to DVD prices. Disks and players should be available by the end of this month.

I can order one of these players for £370 including taxes, import duty and delivery from www.movietyme.com . At this price it makes a format war largely irrelevant. I'm tempted.

Allan

They may well be cheap, but a display that can handle HD isnt.

I'm using a 1280x720 DLP projector here (Optoma H79) so I'm ready to go. I don't actually have a DVD player as such, I'm using a HTPC, and have been downloading high definition clips off the net to show through the projector. For anyone using a projector or large screen plasma - we're in for a big treat.

My previous projector was a 1024x576 and even when down-scaled to this resolution the difference compared to DVD on a large screen was obvious.

As for display costs, I'm not sure what a HD-Ready plasma would be, maybe £1500? I know you can get HD ready projectors starting at around £1200.

Allan

It won't be for anyone: HD will only be available at the DVI/HDMI output of the player and will be protected, so only HDCP complient displays (and also switch, processor...) will be able to show HD.
If your DVI input is not HDCP you won't see anything.
Analog output of the HD players will be seriously downgraded.
Price will be a problem, standard new released DVD are 15-20$ here so the 25-30$ will slow the introduction.
And finally, even on a large screen (110') with high-end projectors (Runco) the diference is not so big between a standard DVD played by a high end player as the DVD5 (upscaled to 720p)and native 720p or 1080i material from a computer.

Manu,

Fully compliant HDCP connector on the H79 so I'm ready to go. In fact most projectors sold in the last couple of years have HDCP. My previous NEC did and that was more than two years old.

So, you won't be getting one then?

Allan

manu
what scaler are you using with a dvd5
neil

Allan:
No i won't in the next few months. But i'll be happy to try one of these HD-DVD against my setup.

I'm not sure at all HD will take over:
broadcasting: yes we have about 10 chanel in supposed HD, but only big events (like the olympics), a few talk-shows and PBS or Discovery are really HD (and worth it, IMO). Most of the time the broadcast is in 480p. The offer is too small to justify a new TV by the majority of consumers.
DVD movies: history has shown, only a change in physical format can give enough reasons for consumers to adopt a new technology. Improvments into the same format, or similar, have failed.

I know you have choosen a future proof unit, we are not the ones who will make a format a success or not. HD-DVD (and blue-ray, by the way) will take-off if consumers decide it is worth it.

Neil:
I use the Runco scaler built in the external video processor of my projector (VX1000HD).
When the Naim scaler will be available, i'll be able to use a lower model with the same picture quality.

The key of success is to price the HD DVD movie discs at the same prices as the current DVDs and the sale will catch on rapidly. In Canada, newly released DVD are about 25 canadian dollars and the price drops to about 15 dollars in a year time.

It wouldn't do any harm either if the disks were made available from the usual rental outlets. I don't always want to buy the disk for every movie I watch at home.

BTW, cost of newly released DVDs in this country is around 35 canadian dollars.

Allan

quote:

Originally posted by Allan Probin:
It wouldn't do any harm either if the disks were made available from the usual rental outlets. I don't always want to buy the disk for every movie I watch at home.

BTW, cost of newly released DVDs in this country is around 35 canadian dollars.

Allan

Allan, move to Canada then

There are also a number of HDCP DVI to VGA (therefore HDMI as well) converters on the market - so you can use an older projector/plasma or ever PC monitor without a problem.

I fear these units will be illegal in North America.

I agree with you all, one of the reason the DVD has caught is because it has been introduced quite fast in the rental business: the medium was easier to handle and finally more reliable than VHS tapes.

IMO, HDDVDs must replace standard ones on the shelves, if you give the choice with different prices, customers will go for the cheaper.

Even more than the gramophone, Home Theatre is a mile away from perfection. Most people actually don't seem to worry, and I don't either, so long as it is alright and does not give me a headache to look at.

Will HD systems ever take over? I don't know, but they must dispose of normal DVD if it is ever to become a reality for most. I would always choose the cheaper issue in the case of a film, given how fine DVD is as it stands now.

Not perfect, but more than good enough, I personally think.

All the best from Fredrik

I'm certainly interested in this new technology having had HDTV for the last couple of years. DVD isn't that far behind so before buying I would want a home demo to compare quality.

Also the availability of films in that format would have to be high. Does anyone know if they are going to continue with region coding for either this or blu-ray? I can understand the region coding on new releases since release dates can be months apart in different regions of the world, but why put a region coding on the great escape? If they didn't bother with region coding this could help in availability of more films especially in Europe since it is likely more films will be available in North America at the start.

quote:

Originally posted by Manu:
I fear these units will be illegal in North America.

They are already availble!

quote:

Originally posted by Occean:
There are also a number of HDCP DVI to VGA (therefore HDMI as well) converters on the market - so you can use an older projector/plasma or ever PC monitor without a problem.

Er...HDMI has key revocation. Once the keys (in these boxes) are known to be leaked, they may (unlikely I know) be revokved thus rendering the box useless.

quote:

Er...HDMI has key revocation. Once the keys (in these boxes) are known to be leaked, they may (unlikely I know) be revokved thus rendering the box useless.

I have just read about this scary stuff

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=99025

They're here!

Picked up my Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD today!

I want one. Is anybody else even remotely excited about this?

Allan

Allan,

I'm not.

I've got at least 400 DVDs, probably more. I will look at upscalling when I replace my current Plasma, probably in a couple of years.

From what I am reading the gap in quality between standard def upscaled and the Hi-Def formats is marginal.

I am very happy with my PQ. I know of NO-ONE else who has a set-up remotely close to mine. Doesn't speak of a ready market interested in quality. When it comes to quality I like what Bob Stuart said, 'In the race between DVDA and SACD the iPod won.'

It could be that in the race between HD-DVD and BR standard def DVD will win. I will not rush at replacing my software and become embroiled in ANOTHER format war.

At least with DVDA I am now burning my own DVDAs!

Martin

I've got hundreds of DVDs also and I'll hapilly strive to get the most out of them that I can but if this format is superior in every way to what we can achieve with DVD then I'm in. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching the DVDs I've got but I'd rather buy/rent a movie in HD if I've got the player to do it

Just to put this into context, these things cost about the same as a NAPSC! Who wouldn't want to buy one of these and a few disks to see what the format is like. If you don't like it, push it out on ebay, you might lose 50 quid. Who cares?

I want my freakin' HD now!! <calm down. calm down>


Allan

allan
have you ordered sky hd

neil

Allan,

I genuinally look forward to your review in due course.

In a couple of years I'll re-assess the situation.

.....mind you I thought that there was no way I'd buy the DVD5, so who knows.

M

I think I'll wait and see what the Naim scaler card is like...though it would be nice to know a bit more about it than 'it's coming real soon now'.

And might pick up a cheapish HD player in a year or so just to see what all the fuss is about.

Roy.

Sorry about the outburst earlier. I've calmed down now

Neil,

I'm tempted by the Sky HD service, if only for 12 months for the novelty until a HD disk catalog is established. To be honest I don't watch much TV and I'm not interested in sport. I am interested in the movie channles but new movies tend to be out on DVD first so I tend to watch them that way. What might persuade me is if I can rewatch back releases of films I like in HD. If you've got yours yet, what's the quality like?

From what I'm reading from people who've managed to get their hands on a HD-DVD player, it's better than broadcast HD, D-VHS or any other HD format we've had so far. If these kind of reports continue I'm gonna crack soon.
Ok, I admit it, I'm a bit of a junkie for this kind of stuff. But aren't we all, thats why we post here and own DVD players that cost thousands.

Allan

quote:

Ok, I admit it, I'm a bit of a junkie for this kind of stuff. But aren't we all, thats why we post here and own DVD players that cost thousands.

Allan

Hello,

My name is Martin and I am an audioholic.

allan
theres rumours that the 140gb harddrive space(300gb / 160 for sky+use /140 for sky use) is for hdmovie downloads on release day which would delete themselves after a set amount of time/watches
if its true ,no more going to the cinema , mine gets installed on 22 may

neil

well have to have a listen /watch of each others
systems soon ( when u get the toshiba)

If anyone wants to see HD satellite broadcasts (1080p) on a hi-res D-ILA projector we're running a Naim open day on the 19th May in Berkshire. See header posting under HiFi Corner "555 open day 19th May...."

I have to agree with manu (and others) on this issue. The mass-market will decide which format is dominant. There is a massive installed base of DVD players, DVD game consoles, and computer DVD drives. DVD's are ubiquitous and cheap.

I can sympathise with techno-excitement (I am a techno junky myself sometimes) but often the realities outweigh the "promise" that new tech offers.

Aside from that, the acid test will be in comparative tests between HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, and good old upscaled DVD. Not to mention what works together in practice and what doesn't (compatibility issues mentioned above).

In the same way that we have seen a continuance in mining the full potential out of Red-Book CD performance...DVD is still on a roll. It's easy to forget that the pixel resolution is only part of the issue. The initial chip-sets for the HD players will be capable but not likely the peak potential of the format...especially at the cheaper end of the scale. In the same way that a 4-cylinder engine can out-perform a V-6 with the right engineering...electronic "engines" run very differently within the same format. In other wor