W0W!1! SCIENC3!1! Blu-Ray FTW!

[havocSchultz]

So... which film is it to be for you guys?

Deepthroat...



just imagine the...possibilites...

[Tubbs Tattsyrup]

It'll probably be one of the following:

Star Wars
Lord of the Rings
Terminator 2
Batman Begins
Spiderman 2

Just anything with spectacular visuals really. For your first HD disc you want a demo disc. Any of the above will be demo-disc quality, I'm assuming. I saw the BB trailer in 1080p (on Apple's website) and holy Jesus, it's beautiful. It really does make DVD look like VHS (almost) by comparison.

[havocSchultz]

i'll just wait till james cameron's next films comes out - and then buy that one - that'll be a brilliant test for the system - and by then - the players and everything will have lowered in price and/or i'll have finally saved up enough money to buy one...

[The Vicar]

The Holy Trilogy. And maybe the Prequels.

That is defintiely the only thing i am rebuying.

As long as an HDVD player plays regular ass DVD whats the point?

Does anyone need a High Def copy of Big Momma's House?

Does anybody need a copy of that, in any form?
Brrrrrr.

[sleepflower]

I have a little dilemma, I am moving house soon and don't want to take all of my VHS tapes with me, especially as I no longer have a working player.

These are all films I really want to keep. So I worked out it'll cost me about £150 to get them all on DVD instead.

The only thing is, because these are all films I want to keep, shall I wait and get them on HD, and discard the tapes now.

Not all of them are visual films, but most are.

Is there a list of what will be released? I really want Brazil, and I need to replace the die hard trilogy. At around 15 quid for al 3 shall I just get the DVDs and then the HD later?

DVD isn't bad quality?

Also films like fortress and no escape may not come out.

Trainspotting is'nt that visual but clockwork orange isn't.

Hmm, I could add a poll and list the films isnt many) and vote on which to get on HD?

Oh im uselesss....

[RogueScribner]

There is no point in going HD without knowing who (if anyone) will win the current format war. Not all titles may appear on one format or the other.

There is no point in going HD without a hi-def TV. You'll just be paying more to see the same picture.

The transition from VHS to DVD is like scaling Everest. The transition from DVD to hi-def DVD (in whatever format) is like going from the bottom floor to the penthouse. Sure, the view is better, but the address is the same.

[Tubbs Tattsyrup]

Trainspotting is'nt that visual but clockwork orange isn't.

^^^ one of the most bizarre things I have ever read. ^^^

[tapehead]

what are the movies - it might not be worth it - you're only talking ten or twenty, right?

[John-Locke]

Why are you just upgrading from VHS now dude? Thats just strange. And don't blame being a student before, you should have gone to DVD back in the mid 90's, get with the times brother.

I suggest you get a Laserdisc player, anything with a bit more technology might come as a shock to your system.

[tapehead]

or a DVD recorder - dub the tapes and dump them, then save your monies for a PS3 or hold out for a Blu-ray drive

[sleepflower]

Sorry about the odd typing about Clockwork Orange, I meant to say that is visual.

Yeah there are only around 10-20 films.

I went to DVD looong ago, just never replaced the films I already had on VHS, as I could watch them on my VCR. That is now broken, and the option of getting a new one is a painful thought.

Dubbing them all seems a little pointless as the cost is so low for the DVDs in question, though I did consider it. Most are ex rental VHS too, so god tape.

I only had very few titles as my next door neighbour as a kid had more titles than HMV. You should see his DVD colllection now! He prob spends £100 a month for the past 6 years.

The titles are as follows.

The Club (havent found it on DVD yet)
Carnival of souls (same)
Radiohead - 7 television commercials
No Escape
Fortress
Trainspotting
8mm
Bringing out the dead
clockwork orange
Man bites dog (havent watched yet, so reluctant to swap)
funny games (havent watched yet, so reluctant to swap)

Hard Boiled (havent watched yet, so reluctant to swap)

Pulp Fiction
die hard
talented mr ripley
Dune
shooting fish (not that fussed)
escape from new york
magnum force
dirty harry
the dead pool
oasis - live by the sea
MASK (not jim carrey, the kids cartoon)
Basil the great mouse detective
dead ringers (not fussed)
Brazil
in the mouth of madness

Also I have load of tapes of films recorded off of TV, I don't think im that bothered about them too much, though a couple I might buy.

The big annoyance I still have some work on VHS from when I was 17-18 that I want dubbing.

And rogue, Im not saying whether HD is the massive leap or not, it's the fact that some of these are films I want to keep forever, and in such a case, there is less point having them in DVD AND HD. Clockwork Orange on HD (drools) Im a keeping that on the VHS too, beautiful plain cover from ex rental.

Oooh I now have the OST on vinyl. Im hanging the cover on my wall in a frame.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Mate, I'd just keep them all for now. What inconvenience is another box gonna make when you're moving and travelling for just a few hours at the most? Got nowhere to store it? How about in your parents loft for now?

How much time have you got to do all this if you're moving? Seems like such a waste of money to buy all this stuff then just dump it and rebuy it all again. You've seen all the films anyway.

If you wanna convert them, have you time? If not, you could do this all later.

[Seppuku]

Why are you just upgrading from VHS now dude? Thats just strange. And don't blame being a student before, you should have gone to DVD back in the mid 90's, get with the times brother.

I suggest you get a Laserdisc player, anything with a bit more technology might come as a shock to your system.

In his defense, about half of my collection is still VHS as well (and the only duplicates I have are <sorta> the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indiana Jones trilogy) . . . I started buying DVDs as soon as they became relatively mainstream, but as I'm sure you know, updating can be damn expensive! No matter how much of a movie geek you are, sometimes affording rent, booze, food, and textbooks triumphs over having 2 copies of the same film

(::sniffle:: . . . I still don't know how I live without the Back to the Future DVDs, nor how I live with Dr. Strangelove, Citizen Kane, Breakfast Club, the Terminator movies, and so many others sans awesome special features ::sniffle::)

Well you could always join some stupid internet forum full of people with no lives who just keep on getting excited everytime a femal poster comes online and ends up asking asl all the time.

Oh, on second thought, why don't you come here, and play with my Snake!?

?????????????????????

Sorry, I always wanted to do a Kirk. And I can tell you people, I only just managed to come back from that place. It's dark. There are snakes. And also a LOT of terrified puppets....

[Iconoclastica]

Why are you just upgrading from VHS now dude? Thats just strange. And don't blame being a student before, you should have gone to DVD back in the mid 90's, get with the times brother.

I suggest you get a Laserdisc player, anything with a bit more technology might come as a shock to your system.

Hahaha . . . my parents still only have an old laserdisk player . . . with two films, I believe - the wizard of oz and gone with the wind :-p.

In his defense, about half of my collection is still VHS as well (and the only duplicates I have are <sorta> the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indiana Jones trilogy) . . . I started buying DVDs as soon as they became relatively mainstream, but as I'm sure you know, updating can be damn expensive! No matter how much of a movie geek you are, sometimes affording rent, booze, food, and textbooks triumphs over having 2 copies of the same film

(::sniffle:: . . . I still don't know how I live without the Back to the Future DVDs, nor how I live with Dr. Strangelove, Citizen Kane, Breakfast Club, the Terminator movies, and so many others sans awesome special features ::sniffle::)

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Why are you just upgrading from VHS now dude? Thats just strange. And don't blame being a student before, you should have gone to DVD back in the mid 90's, get with the times brother.

I suggest you get a Laserdisc player, anything with a bit more technology might come as a shock to your system.

In his defense, about half of my collection is still VHS as well (and the only duplicates I have are <sorta> the original Star Wars trilogy and the Indiana Jones trilogy) . . . I started buying DVDs as soon as they became relatively mainstream, but as I'm sure you know, updating can be damn expensive! No matter how much of a movie geek you are, sometimes affording rent, booze, food, and textbooks triumphs over having 2 copies of the same film

(::sniffle:: . . . I still don't know how I live without the Back to the Future DVDs, nor how I live with Dr. Strangelove, Citizen Kane, Breakfast Club, the Terminator movies, and so many others sans awesome special features ::sniffle::)

Well you could always join some stupid internet forum full of people with no lives who just keep on getting excited everytime a femal poster comes online and ends up asking asl all the time.

[Iconoclastica]

::looks at feet::


So, um Kirk . . . I've always wanted to know . . .


a/s/l?

[sleepflower]

Mate, I'd just keep them all for now. What inconvenience is another box gonna make when you're moving and travelling for just a few hours at the most? Got nowhere to store it? How about in your parents loft for now?

How much time have you got to do all this if you're moving? Seems like such a waste of money to buy all this stuff then just dump it and rebuy it all again. You've seen all the films anyway.

If you wanna convert them, have you time? If not, you could do this all later.

My parents live further away than where I will move to, and if they are in storage, I will not watch them. I have no VCR! this is the big reason. Buying one before I move will be silly. And for the amount of tapes I have that are work based, I may as well wait and borrow one. Less of an option when I say (can I borrow it for a month so I can transfer LOADS of movies). Time versus money, a DVD at 5.99 is not worth 4 hours hassle converting.

These are films I definitley want again, in a digital form. I want to offload as much stuff as possible.

But which ones do I get now, nice and cheap, and which do I wait for HD?

[tapehead]

4 hours hassle? set it up and leave it run. Seriously, if you're a student your College or University library is likey to have a vast collection of film on laser disc or DVD that you can borrow and possibly even copy for 'research purposes' and they might be worth more as a trade. But if they have sentimental value you should definitely keep them. Watch Man Bites Dog today, it's a fantastic mockumentary that shouldn't be on your shelf un-watched. Also, 'Hard Boiled' is the best John Woo movie I've seen, some of the coolest tough guy shit and shoot outs you'll ever see - watch it now.

[sleepflower]

4 hours hassle? set it up and leave it run. Seriously, if you're a student your College or University library is likey to have a vast collection of film on laser disc or DVD that you can borrow and possibly even copy for 'research purposes' and they might be worth more as a trade. But if they have sentimental value you should definitely keep them. Watch Man Bites Dog today, it's a fantastic mockumentary that shouldn't be on your shelf un-watched. Also, 'Hard Boiled' is the best John Woo movie I've seen, some of the coolest tough guy shit and shoot outs you'll ever see - watch it now.

Well all well said. Though as previously mentionjed, I aint got no VCR to play em on!

Unfortunately not a student no more, so no DVD library, though I am on a rental system, so might rent and copy. Good idea. A couple do have some sentimental value, but moreover they will have extra features on the dvd.

Its the few lie excape from new york and brazil. Get the DVD or wait?

[RogueScribner]

You can find a new VCR real cheap these days at the big chain stores. Just wait for a holiday sale or something and you can probably get one for $20.

That's if you want to preserve and watch your VHS collection forever.

But really, why would you? All of your favorite movies are so much better on DVD!

[tapehead]

The 3 disc Criterion edition of Brazil is truly magnificent and you would throw down your vhs and stamp on it when you see it

[sleepflower]

The 3 disc Criterion edition of Brazil is truly magnificent and you would throw down your vhs and stamp on it when you see it

Yeah i really want it. But will I still want it when the HD version comes out?

[sleepflower]

You can find a new VCR real cheap these days at the big chain stores. Just wait for a holiday sale or something and you can probably get one for $20.

That's if you want to preserve and watch your VHS collection forever.

But really, why would you? All of your favorite movies are so much better on DVD!

I DONT want to keep them on VHS. The question is, DVD or wait for HD. and which ones.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

The 3 disc Criterion edition of Brazil is truly magnificent and you would throw down your vhs and stamp on it when you see it

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute!!

There DOES exist a Special Edition of this film!!!!!???????

Man, thank God I DIDN'T buy the 1 disk a while back. I thought it'd be the 21ist year this year that there'd be a SE!!!

Tell me more! I WANT IT!!!!!!

(In a non sexual sense f course)

[sleepflower]

The 3 disc Criterion edition of Brazil is truly magnificent and you would throw down your vhs and stamp on it when you see it

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute!!

There DOES exist a Special Edition of this film!!!!!???????

Man, thank God I DIDN'T buy the 1 disk a while back. I thought it'd be the 21ist year this year that there'd be a SE!!!

Tell me more! I WANT IT!!!!!!

(In a non sexual sense f course)

I think it is region one only, and forgive me if I am wrong, but is it the original extended version? as well as the shorter?

[tapehead]

Criterion edition - I'm not going to link you to the internet market named after a large river in South America, but it's there, in original aspect, containing the studio cut, Gilliam's own, documetary pieces... so much lovely stuff I haven't watched it all

[TheBaxter]

1st: you need to know that HD players will be backward-compatible with DVD so if you ever do get an HD player you'll still be able to play DVDs on it. And if you could bear to go this long watching these movies on VHS, you probably won't notice any difference between DVD and HD.

2nd: it will probably take a couple years at least before the format war gets decided one way or the other. any HD discs you buy over the next couple years could end up being obsolete, whereas DVDs won't be obsolete no matter which format wins.

3rd: some of those titles are pretty obscure, and some stuff (like the music videos) may never be released on HD. so a lot of those discs, you may have to wait several years before they're available in HD, if ever. remember, there are still some titles that aren't available in DVD yet, and DVD has been around 10 years or so.

4th: in the end you probably won't notice much of a difference between HD and DVD unless you have an HDTV 40" or larger and are sitting less than 3x the diagonal size from it. those TVs are still expensive, and i'm guessing money is an issue here or you wouldn't even have to ask the question in the first place, it would be a no-brainer to upgrade to DVD now and then upgrade to HD again later.

So if I were you, here's what I'd probably do. Buy one of those combo VHS-DVD players for about 80 bucks. You can keep watching your VHS tapes, and just upgrade the discs where you think the better DVD quality will matter, or where the VHS tape has worn out. otherwise you could just upgrade it all to DVD, but i can't see any good reason to wait for HD in your case.

for the record, i've stopped buying DVDs myself and am waiting for the HD format war to end before i buy anything new. but i pretty much have all the films i want on DVD already, which isn't many, and the rest i rent or watch on HD cable. when the format war is decided, i'll get an HD player and i'll upgrade my 30 or so DVD collection to HD as they become available. i've got a large enough TV and money isn't an issue for me though.

[sleepflower]

1st: you need to know that HD players will be backward-compatible with DVD so if you ever do get an HD player you'll still be able to play DVDs on it. And if you could bear to go this long watching these movies on VHS, you probably won't notice any difference between DVD and HD.

I would notice the difference, it is all about quality. I notice the difference heavily between DVD and VHS, it's just I owned them already on VHS. Now I am moving and want rid especially as my VCR just broke and I do not want to replace.

2nd: it will probably take a couple years at least before the format war gets decided one way or the other. any HD discs you buy over the next couple years could end up being obsolete, whereas DVDs won't be obsolete no matter which format wins.

2 Years is a long time for me. I do not want to be bogged down with multiple players, though I am going to buy a PS3 when they come out. Possibly just after xmas when they will undoubtedly drop a little in price.

3rd: some of those titles are pretty obscure, and some stuff (like the music videos) may never be released on HD. so a lot of those discs, you may have to wait several years before they're available in HD, if ever. remember, there are still some titles that aren't available in DVD yet, and DVD has been around 10 years or so.

Those I am going to keep on VHS, and Radiohead I think I will stick to DVD.

4th: in the end you probably won't notice much of a difference between HD and DVD unless you have an HDTV 40" or larger and are sitting less than 3x the diagonal size from it. those TVs are still expensive, and i'm guessing money is an issue here or you wouldn't even have to ask the question in the first place, it would be a no-brainer to upgrade to DVD now and then upgrade to HD again later.

Not too long after HD s available I am hoping to get a good TV, I am hoping Easter next year at the latest. Money is a slight issue, just do not want to spend £150 then buy them again in HD, as I know I will want a couple of these movies in the format.

So if I were you, here's what I'd probably do. Buy one of those combo VHS-DVD players for about 80 bucks. You can keep watching your VHS tapes, and just upgrade the discs where you think the better DVD quality will matter, or where the VHS tape has worn out. otherwise you could just upgrade it all to DVD, but i can't see any good reason to wait for HD in your case.

I do not want to buy a new VHS macine. At all. Hence the upgrade. I already have a nice sony DVD player. I want to upgrade all of my tapes to DVD, but I will also want some of them on HD, the question is, should I wait for some of them for HD and not bother with DVD, and just wait the extra 8 months. I hate waste.

for the record, i've stopped buying DVDs myself and am waiting for the HD format war to end before i buy anything new. but i pretty much have all the films i want on DVD already, which isn't many, and the rest i rent or watch on HD cable. when the format war is decided, i'll get an HD player and i'll upgrade my 30 or so DVD collection to HD as they become available. i've got a large enough TV and money isn't an issue for me though.

I have also been doing this. I only buy the DVDs I really want.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

I got this in an e-mail from one of the trade magazines I subscribe to. It doesn't really mention the technology going into home players but it sounds like they are leaving that door open. It's likely that they want to see how the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD slap fight goes down before they try to position themselves in the home entertainment market. 300 GB on one disc could surely make for some spectacular presentations. Is this how we will get every scrap of Star Wars on a 2-disc set? I'm not really holding my breath for any of the hi-def formats just yet but I will be watching to see where it all ends up.


Maxell Showcases the Future of Storage Media With Holographic Optical Recording Technology

Maxell Corporation of America's Professional Media Products Division has entered into a joint venture with InPhase Technologies to bring a revolutionary technology to market - holographic media. Holographic media - with its enormous 300 GB storage capacity, its speedy 160 Mbps transfer rate, and its superior archival life - is certain to make a compelling choice for the next wave of optical storage users. The first generation of Holographic Media is scheduled for release in late 2006.



Holographic recording technology utilizes a laser beam to form and store data in a number of 3D hologram images of data pages into the same location. Each location can hold hundreds of pages of data and an entire 5 1/4 inch-diameter optical disc can store millions of pages. Each piece of holographic media, which gives you approximately 5 hours of high definition on a single disk, is capable of custom encryption - an essential element in the fight against piracy.

This holographic recording technology will revolutionize the long term archival storage industry with media and drives for high capacity, rapid access and low cost data storage. Holographic recording is a blend of photography and digital recording. The drive is a digital data-camera that records images of bits. The media is film-like, a photo-polymer, that is sensitive to a particular wavelength of laser light.



Combining high storage densities, fast transfer rates, with durable, reliable, low cost media, make holography poised to become a compelling choice for next-generation storage and content distribution needs.

Professional video applications are migrating to the digital world. You will be able to record, edit, distribute and archive on the same medium. The unique ability of storing data throughout the depth of the media and not on the surface, greatly reduces the threat of piracy. Holographic watermarks can also be used to check the authenticity of the media, making this technology extremely viable for film and game distribution.

"Holographic media makes it possible for HD content and millions of pages of information to be held on one small, relatively inexpensive disc," said Tony Petruzziello, director of sales for Maxell Professional Media Products Division. "Imagine having a person's entire medical history, complete with MRI data, on a single disc. Imagine having a year's worth of satellite imagery data in one small transportable place, or having the ability to store hours and hours of High-Definition video footage on 5 1/4 inches of disc space. This will all be possible with Holographic media; it's a glimpse into the future."

The flexibility of the technology allows for the development of a wide variety of holographic storage products that range from handheld devices for consumers and storage products for the enterprise. Imagine 2GB of data on a postage stamp, 20 GB on a credit card or 300 GB on a disk. All that is possible with holographic storage.

Click here to find out more information on Maxell and the future of storage media with Holographic recording technology.

[Chairman Kaga]

I think it is a great advance for digital storage and archiving but I don't think it will be any use to the home user. I don't think the average person thinks in their mind
"Gee I wish this here High Definition DVD could store 5 hours of movie on one disc."
I am not convinced that ejecting discs is enough of a hardship for the average consumer.

[sleepflower]

It is more likely to benefit Film and TV production, as HDD recorders are not removeable.

There are apparently problems with the technology, in that even one spec of dust messes up the writing and reading of data.

Inside the machines are a complex system of mirrors.

Looks good for archiving, yet to see if it has the durability to be used as a regular medium.

I personally wish Blu-Ray had stuch with the casing on their discs. For now, until I see this scratchproof disc of theirs, I aint using it to archive unless I do two copies. One scratch and you lose A year of work!

[Theta]

This looks INTERESTING but is in no way ready for prime time. Still, fascinating tech.

[kortanaskew]

Probably the Star Wars films.

But I might also rebuy classic films that had to be put on two discs because of their length.
LOTR extendeds for example. And Titanic maybe.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

This article doesn't mention Maxell or InPhase but there are some interesting numbers and applications discussed. I'm beginning to think that the hi-def format war is going to be especially ugly.

[moose4787]

Being the early addapter that I am, I was very happy to see over this past weekend that my local best buys and circut citys have taken down most if not all of there hd-dvd stuff and have replaced it with blu-ray. Also all of the guys at the stores that I talked to were saying that BLU-RAY is the way to go.

[tapehead]

duplicate thread there, moosey boy?

EDIT: no more posts here I say - although I suppose we can keep editing these two - how many edits on two posts can you do any way....


wanna find out?

[havocSchultz]

duplicate thread there, moosey boy?

Whatever do you mean...?

or do you mean this...?

or maybe you mean this...

[moose4787]

it may be a duplicte but there has not been one chat dovted to the blu-ray player, also some of thoese listed links have not had a post in like a year.

[havocSchultz]

it may be a duplicte but there has not been one chat dovted to the blu-ray player, also some of thoese listed links have not had a post in like a year.

The oldest one is from September of last year... the other 2, the last posts are from May, and June, of this year I believe...


it's been a short year...

[Chairman Kaga]

havoc stop raining on this Sony rep's parade.

[Shane]

Go Thread!!!!!

[TheBaxter]

it may be a duplicte but there has not been one chat dovted to the blu-ray player, also some of thoese listed links have not had a post in like a year.

probably cos most people here are too smart to buy one of these while there's a format war going on. there's not really much to talk about when nobody has one.

the samsung BR player that just came out is supposedly very poor quality, sounds like it was rushed into production before it was ready. personally, i'm waiting until i can get a good quality player under $500 that either a) plays both BR and HD-DVD or b) plays whichever format wins the format war (which means waiting til one or the other goes away).

[TheBaxter]

I recently noticed that Blockbuster Online is also offering Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. wonder how long it wil be til they offer them for rent in stores too, if they haven't already. i haven't looked for them specifically when i've been in the store, but i will next time. if it's anything like DVD though, some stores might have them and some stores won't in the beginning.

[Bob Samonkey]

Betamax Rocks !!!!!!11

[mushookie]

I don't trust Blu-Ray because of ^^ Beta Max!

They made that era, if they make the HD era as ALF as the Beta max era, I WILL KILL!!!!

[Roybertito]

^You mean the VHS era... ?

I give up.

[mushookie]

NO....BETA MAX......and Roy.....stop posting after me!!!!

You're a Post Whore too!

[Petri]

What? Who's a post whore?

[havocSchultz]

I don't trust Blu-Ray because of ^^ Beta Max!

They made that era, if they make the HD era as ALF as the Beta max era, I WILL KILL!!!!

huh...what betamax era...

you mean when beta first came out - and technically - was still used in alot of news shows etc till recently because of the superior quality of it to vhs... vhs was fuck loads cheaper - that's why it won out... kinda how things look to go for this whole Hblu-D-Ray debacle or whatever...

dvd isn't as good of quality - but it's cheap - so there's a much bigger profit margin...

and wait... isn't there already 3 existing blu-ray/hd-dvdvdhdvdhdvd thread-hd-ds going already...

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

Read the list here. There are some things mentioned that I hadn't thought of and reaffirmed my decision to let the dust settle before leaping into an HD format. Maybe if Sony and Toshiba take a big enough bath on this they will finally take the hint and stop fucking the consumer.