So I took the HD-DVD plunge

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I'm not sure if HD-DVD is the same way, but I was watching that movie with Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx (something about jets) on Blu-Ray, and it looked like complete crap. Worse than a regular DVD playing beside it. I think it might have been because the movie was encoded in MPEG-2 and not H.264?

I looked at some HD movies at Best Buy, and didn't see anything to signify how they were encoded. Anyone know a way to tell the encoding method?

It's not the same. Bluray looks like crap compared to HD-DVD... at least for the moment.

 

[Shlong]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I'm not sure if HD-DVD is the same way, but I was watching that movie with Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx (something about jets) on Blu-Ray, and it looked like complete crap. Worse than a regular DVD playing beside it. I think it might have been because the movie was encoded in MPEG-2 and not H.264?

I looked at some HD movies at Best Buy, and didn't see anything to signify how they were encoded. Anyone know a way to tell the encoding method?

It's not the same. Bluray looks like crap compared to HD-DVD... at least for the moment.

I think older Bluray sucked because of the encoding but I remember reading somewhere that the newer Bluray discs are virtually identical if not a little better than HD-DVD in terms of Picture Quality.

 

[acemcmac]

upconverting dvd players are indeed amazing. Woudln't an HTPC playing a DVD in VLC perform the same function though?

 

[Jawo]

Glad you like it, OP! Now if I only had $500 laying around and an HD-ready tv, I would participate in the next VHS-Betamax battle

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I'm not sure if HD-DVD is the same way, but I was watching that movie with Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx (something about jets) on Blu-Ray, and it looked like complete crap. Worse than a regular DVD playing beside it. I think it might have been because the movie was encoded in MPEG-2 and not H.264?

I looked at some HD movies at Best Buy, and didn't see anything to signify how they were encoded. Anyone know a way to tell the encoding method?

look at review sites. dvdtalk.com thedigitalbits.com etc. yes the mpeg2 films on bluray look like garbage. hddvds been coming out ahead on the image quality.

Originally posted by: lokiju

Originally posted by: TheCrackedJack

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Ouch.

Sounds mind-numblingly expensive.

$414.00 including free movie and 4 yr warranty. I wouldn't say that's too bad for a 1st generation product.

Considering I paid nearly $300 for my very first DVD player, I'd say that was a pretty good deal you got there.

I hope HD DVD beats out Blu Ray in the end, it'll save us consumers a lot of money.

yea my first dvd player cost 300. still works go figure. while the one i got for 40 dollars died after playing maybe 5 dvds generic pos.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Shlong

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I'm not sure if HD-DVD is the same way, but I was watching that movie with Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx (something about jets) on Blu-Ray, and it looked like complete crap. Worse than a regular DVD playing beside it. I think it might have been because the movie was encoded in MPEG-2 and not H.264?

I looked at some HD movies at Best Buy, and didn't see anything to signify how they were encoded. Anyone know a way to tell the encoding method?

It's not the same. Bluray looks like crap compared to HD-DVD... at least for the moment.

I think older Bluray sucked because of the encoding but I remember reading somewhere that the newer Bluray discs are virtually identical if not a little better than HD-DVD in terms of Picture Quality.

Identical should be the correct term. HD-DVD has been using the VC-1 codec while Blu-Ray has been using MPEG2. After the heat that their $1000 player has been taking over picture quality, the studios are rushing to get movies with VC-1 codecs out the door...some have even delayed movies to change from MPEG2 to VC-1.

 

[frankgomez75]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
You should try out an upconverting DVD player, maybe you won't be so impressed after seeing the picture from one of those.

2million mega pixels vs .3 megapixels "upconverted". maybe on a rather sh*t tv.

IDK... I use a HTPC with a 7900GT vidcard with Nvidias latest drivers, Theatertek 2.4 for dvd playback, FFDShow to apply filters to clean up the pic and upscale the video from 720x480 to 1440 x 960, calibrated my 720P DLP HDTV set using Digital Video Essentials and have a beautiful picture. I took a look at the HD-DVD Players and I do like the picture quality and can observe and notice the improvement in picture quality.

The display is a very important factor in the equation. If you watch a DVD on a small screen and compare it to an HD-DVD I think the difference is not worth the upgrade. The payoff is when you view the image on a large screen like 50+ inches.... otherwise to me it seems like a total waste of money to buy an HD-DVD Player if viewing on a small screen. BTW small screens don't equate to sh*t tv sets. But thats my opinion.

 

[squirrelman]

Originally posted by: TheCrackedJack
...
-It's slow to start up and load a disc (basically a pc so it has to boot up)
-HDMI loses sync at certain moments so I decided to switch to component
-Poorly designed remote.

Does this mean that you are able to watch HD-DVDs at full HD quality over component? I thought I was screwed because I have a 2 year old Sony Grand Wega with no HDMI just a DVI something and Component.

 

[TheCrackedJack]

Originally posted by: squirrelman

Originally posted by: TheCrackedJack
...
-It's slow to start up and load a disc (basically a pc so it has to boot up)
-HDMI loses sync at certain moments so I decided to switch to component
-Poorly designed remote.

Does this mean that you are able to watch HD-DVDs at full HD quality over component? I thought I was screwed because I have a 2 year old Sony Grand Wega with no HDMI just a DVI something and Component.

Of you can watch them at full HD quality through component Nobody has ever enforced the downconversion over component and they don't seem to be in the near future.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: TheCrackedJack

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
You should try out an upconverting DVD player, maybe you won't be so impressed after seeing the picture from one of those.

The HD-A1 is an upconverting DVD player My main problem with SD DVD (besides the lower res.) is how lacking the color is. With HD it's just jumps out and pops off the screen. Once you've seen an HD-DVD movie, it's hard to go back to regular DVD.

But then again, if you have never seen HD-DVD, you are completely satisfied with regular DVDs.

 

[ScottFern]

Are you running it on 1080i set or a 1080p set? My TV is only 1080i and I have a HD-A1 but yet to play a HD-DVD movie yet.

 

[TheCrackedJack]

Originally posted by: ScottFern
Are you running it on 1080i set or a 1080p set? My TV is only 1080i and I have a HD-A1 but yet to play a HD-DVD movie yet.

1080i. Why haven't you played an HD-DVD movie yet?

 

[BatmanNate]

I don't know much about HD-DVD so bear with me. Does this player support MPEG4? Also, can you burn h.264 encoded files to disc and play those? And I assume it plays old SDDVD's too and upconverts to 1080i? How much do movies usually cost in HD, and can you rent them?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
I don't know much about HD-DVD so bear with me. Does this player support MPEG4? Also, can you burn h.264 encoded files to disc and play those? And I assume it plays old SDDVD's too and upconverts to 1080i? How much do movies usually cost in HD, and can you rent them?

It supports MPEG2, h.264, and VC-1 (a MPEG4 codec). If you can afford a HD-DVD burner and the software that goes with it, I suppose you can burn a h.264 video. It does upconvert to 1080i. Yes you can rent them. They cost $20-$30 right now.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
yea my first dvd player cost 300. still works go figure. while the one i got for 40 dollars died after playing maybe 5 dvds generic pos.

My first DVD player cost $300, but it was a Sony so you know how that goes...

C 13:00

 

[Jules]

Originally posted by: Eeezee
WTF, Aeon Flux? That movie sucked. If anything, your $414 player is essentially a $450 player once you include the cost of that movie. That's right, I'd have to be paid at least $36 just to agree to own that POS movie.

did you bother reading what he posted?