Page 1 of HD DVDs

Hello,

Does anyone know if normal DVD-Video media, when played on a HD-DVD player to a HD-TV, will output a HD picture?
Will films have to be released in HD format, or will existing DVDs work?

Thanks,

Neil

A normal dvd disc will not show HD through a HD player and tv. It will just show standard Def. If you want HD you will have to buy the film on either Blue-Ray disc or a HD-DVD disc. They are the two compeating formats.

All the best,

Dr 42%er.


It`s not easy being different. It`s not easy being cool....but somehow I manage....

That`s clear.
Thankyou!

Neil.

And of course you will need a HD-DVD/BlueRay player to play the discs.

All the best,

Dr 42%er.


It`s not easy being different. It`s not easy being cool....but somehow I manage....

Yes, I`ve seen the Samsung and Toshiba players out there (Samsung being my preferred option because it has DVD-A and SACD too), but knowing that I need new media now, I`m slightly put off.

Are there many films available?

Thanks for your help,

Neil.

Neil,

If you mean the Samsung 850/950 & Toshiba 350 DVD players, then these will `upscale` your current SD DVD`s to nearer HD quality (they are not true HD DVD players)

To obtain proper HD quality you will need to wait a while and pay alot more for the forthcoming Blu-Ray & HD-DVD players.

As far as I know, BR & HD players will still play the current DVD`s as well as their new media.

If I`m wrong I stand corrected on the above.

Regards.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 29th March 2006, 02:17

The 4 conditions to be able to watch something in HD.

1/ The event/programme has to be filmed using HD technology.
2, It has to be broadcast in HD.
3/ The media player(DVD player, Sky/NTL digibox etc) has to be HD enabled.
4/ The TV has to be HD ready.

Just a thought from the first condition. Can a film/programme not previously filmed using HD technology be converted into one that can be broadcast in HD ?

Pete

Quote:
If you mean the Samsung 850/950 & Toshiba 350 DVD players
I did mean those actually! Thanks for the post, because reading the specs, that`s not the message that Samsung and Toshiba are getting across.
I admit I should have read more technical websites really.

Thanks also faust...regarding your point 1/This means that watching my fave DVDs in HD/BR is quite some way off or even not possible at all then?; assuming movies were not filmed in HD??
What are Sky doing with their HD Movies channel? Is this a fudge to HD or real?

Thanks again,

Neil.

However, please bear in mind that till the famed BD player from Sony ($999 on amazon.com to preorder) or the HD-A1 from Toshiba ($499 on amazon.com to preorder) come out and you get a good collection of HD movies, it doesnt make any sense. In the meanwhile, you can invest in the Samsung 850/950 type of players. These take a normal picture and upscale it to HD (of course you need an HD compatible TV). This provides a much better picture than normal DVD players via SCART or even progressive scan DVD players via component output. HD is going to be a true step above.

You dont need to "record" in HD as the recording is as uncompressed as it can get. If you would convert a movie from its normal print to a full uncompressed format for playing through a player, it is rumored that it would take close to a terabyte in space. Even HD uses a compression algorithm to record onto a HD-DVD - though the quality is much better.

Sky`s HD channel is on the way. It is going to be "true" HD as the bandwidth needed to beam HD is being readied right now. Of course you will need HD compatible TVs and HD descramblers.

The comparison between HD and normal media is akin to that between CD-Audio and mp3 files where one is uncompressed and the other one is compressed. You lose a lot of information in mp3 which you dont realise unless you have ultra sensitive ears or a true audiophile quality music system. Originally recorded CDs (not ones burnt from mp3) sound so much better.
T¦M3CH4S3R

"I am worst at what I do the best, for this gift I feel blessed. I found it hard... it was hard to find. Oh well, Whatever! NEVERMIND"

Thankyou timechaser!

Your analogy of MP3-Audio(burned to CD) and CD-Audio I think is particularly interesting because to listen to either of these formats, you don`t have to have any `specialised` equipment...so if you want to listen to CD-Audio on crap equipment, the listener probably couldn`t tell the difference between an equivalent MP3 burned CD.
The same can`t be said for HD.

(well I thought it was interesting if nobody else did :/ )

Neil