HD DVD Player Addon - getting it?

R

Ruined

CAGiversary!
Poll: Are you planning to get the 360 HD DVD Addon by XMAS?
$199, comes with King Kong and Media Remote.

(I voted no, I already have a Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD standalone)
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']I guess it depends on who wins the "Format Wars." So I'm unsure at the moment.[/QUOTE]

I agree. I also don't own a HDTV and don't feel like re-buying certain movies over again on the new format. Not to mention HD-DVD's are a bit more than the standard format.
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']I guess it depends on who wins the "Format Wars." So I'm unsure at the moment.[/QUOTE]

Get ready for a long long wait.
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']I guess it depends on who wins the "Format Wars." So I'm unsure at the moment.[/QUOTE]

Sony come out with a good, winning format? MWAH HA HA! :rofl:

Seriously, unless they get their shit together with BluRay, they are going to lose.
 
I want to just to support MS and my beloved :360: but I have a fear that I'll miss out on sound quality. I know that it will be in Dolby 5.1 but they have new sound formats for a reason. So not sure...
 
[quote name='LinkinPrime']I want to just to support MS and my beloved :360: but I have a fear that I'll miss out on sound quality. I know that it will be in Dolby 5.1 but they have new sound formats for a reason. So not sure...[/QUOTE]

Do you have a Dolby TrueHD capable receiver?

Also, wouldn't the 360 be able to output Dolby Digital Plus? Isn't it basically just a slightly higher bitrate than standard Dolby?
 
Nah, $200 is too much to pay for something where I can't get the entire HD-DVD experience. I'll just wait for the standalone's to drop somewhat in price. Plus my Denon upconverting player is working well enough for now, and I'm saving to buy a bigger HDTV (23 inches is beginning to seem painfully small).
 
[quote name='Saucy Jack']Do you have a Dolby TrueHD capable receiver?

Also, wouldn't the 360 be able to output Dolby Digital Plus? Isn't it basically just a slightly higher bitrate than standard Dolby?[/quote]

Not yet, but if I would upgrade to HD-DVD I would upgrade all the way and get a new receiver that can output those sounds. :D
 
Still debating on whether HD-DVD is worth the price of admission on a 32" HDTV...i'm afraid that the smaller real estate is going to yield little to no difference from upscaled DVDs.
 
I'll probably get one eventually, but I'm fine with upscaled DVDs for now. Even if the HD-DVD player was cheaper, the HD-DVDs themselves are too expensive and I'm certainly not buying my movies over again for a third time.
 
even though I have a 1080p set the battle is leaning towards bluray so i'd rather not jump on the HD-DVD. Realistically I think we're going to end up with a similar result as DVD+-R's
 
[quote name='Zoglog']even though I have a 1080p set the battle is leaning towards bluray so i'd rather not jump on the HD-DVD. Realistically I think we're going to end up with a similar result as DVD+-R's[/QUOTE]

Who said the "battle" is leaning towards Blu Ray?
 
I vote NO, for one I don't have an HD yet, but think ill be getting one soon. And two i'm not positive HD-DVD will win the format war. And thirdly im not real fond of playing DVD's on game systems, i prefer the standalone versions.

ALthough i am semi interested in getting one
 
I plan on picking it up, and will prob pick a few HD-DVDs that day also (Corpse Bride, Serenity, V For Vendetta, and Batman Begins)
 
[quote name='JDMxB']Still debating on whether HD-DVD is worth the price of admission on a 32" HDTV...i'm afraid that the smaller real estate is going to yield little to no difference from upscaled DVDs.[/QUOTE]
As a former owner of a 30" CRT-based HDTV....you will definitely notice a difference.



Interesting poll results so far, almost an exact 3-way tie. The undecideds will wind up deciding the majority on this one.
 
[quote name='PenguinMaster']I'll probably get one eventually, but I'm fine with upscaled DVDs for now. Even if the HD-DVD player was cheaper, the HD-DVDs themselves are too expensive and I'm certainly not buying my movies over again for a third time.[/QUOTE]

This is how I feel. I've got too many movies to start rebuying them... I don't even want to think about it right now.
 
i dont plan on rebuying my dvd's (only a few exceptions) but i definitely would purchase the newer movies from here on..

i dont even feel right buying a dvd anymore
 
wow talk about neck and neck

About 70 votes and all even

I voted no. I used to work at best buy and bought a TON of dvds....only to watch them once and never again. Watching a movie again without waiting a few years isnt something i can do. So then i switched to online renting services and that has worked better.

Also from reading boards i realized people bought a shit load of vhs tapes and had to rebuy the dvds. Now they are going have to rebuy the same thing on HD DVD. Its nothing but a hassle.

That being said the last dvd(non tv boxset) that i bought has had to be....3 years ago i think. I plan to keep it that way :/
 
No, I don't plan on supporting any next-gen format until there is a clear winner. Even then I'm not sure if I'm ready to move beyond good ol' DVD.
 
Why would anyone rebuy the movies? All next gen DVd players upscale regular dvds, sure it may not look quite as good or have the interactive features and so on, but to rebuy somehting at $20+ just for that? Rediculous, it's not nearly on the same level as rebuying like what VHS to DVd was, not even close.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']Why would anyone rebuy the movies? All next gen DVd players upscale regular dvds, sure it may not look quite as good or have the interactive features and so on, but to rebuy somehting at $20+ just for that? Rediculous, it's not nearly on the same level as rebuying like what VHS to DVd was, not even close.[/QUOTE]


From a technical standpoint hd-dvd/blu-ray is a far bigger leap over dvd than dvd was over vhs.

What some people forget is that when dvd first came out there were a lot of people hesitant to move to it thinking that vhs was good enough.
 
[quote name='Weedy649']

I voted no. I used to work at best buy and bought a TON of dvds....only to watch them once and never again. Watching a movie again without waiting a few years isnt something i can do. So then i switched to online renting services and that has worked better.

[/QUOTE]

You would have to be either an idiot or extremely loaded to rebuy your dvd collection in HD-DVD. All indications are that older movies don't look all that much better on HD-DVD anyway.

Most people, that know what they are doing, will only be buying new releases in HD-DVD, or never buy anything, just rent.

I voted not sure, because I don't know when I'll be getting my HD projector, to justify the purchase of the drive.
 
[quote name='qpid']From a technical standpoint hd-dvd/blu-ray is a far bigger leap over dvd than dvd was over vhs.

[/QUOTE]

I would disagree. VHS's looked like crap, were 90% full screen, had crap sound, no bonus features, no chapter stops, rewinding, are easier to store, and the quality degraded after each use. The only difference with the HD discs are improved picture and sound, which of course you need the proper equipment to see. If you don't have an HDTV, you won't notice a difference in picture quality and if you don't have new surround sound receivers there wont be a difference in sound. Even if you played the same movie on VHS and DVD on a standard TV, the DVD would look so much better.

The manufacturing of VHS's have nothing to do with dvds. HD-DVDs can use the same method as DVDs. People use DVDs everywhere from their mini-van to their portable dvd player and when you have something that small you're not going to notice much a difference from 480p to 720p/1080i.
 
[quote name='pinoy530']I would disagree. VHS's looked like crap, were 90% full screen, had crap sound, no bonus features, no chapter stops, rewinding, are easier to store, and the quality degraded after each use. The only difference with the HD discs are improved picture and sound, which of course you need the proper equipment to see. If you don't have an HDTV, you won't notice a difference in picture quality and if you don't have new surround sound receivers there wont be a difference in sound. Even if you played the same movie on VHS and DVD on a standard TV, the DVD would look so much better.

The manufacturing of VHS's have nothing to do with dvds. HD-DVDs can use the same method as DVDs. People use DVDs everywhere from their mini-van to their portable dvd player and when you have something that small you're not going to notice much a difference from 480p to 720p/1080i.[/QUOTE]

He said "from a technical standpoint", not "from a user experience standpoint."

I believe he's referring to the fact that HD-DVD is 6x the resolution of a standard dvd. Which is technical, and is technically a much greater difference than the one between VHS to DVD.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']He said "from a technical standpoint", not "from a user experience standpoint."

I believe he's referring to the fact that HD-DVD is 6x the resolution of a standard dvd. Which is technical, and is technically a much greater difference than the one between VHS to DVD.[/quote]DVD is only roughly 3x greater than the resolution of VHS, while like Thrustbucket said, HD-DVD is 6x greater than the resolution of DVD.

As for older movies not looking better in HD than what's available now, check out the reviews at www.highdefdigest.com

Read the reviews regarding video for movies like The Searchers or Blazing Saddles. Although not perfect, sounds like they're still a vast improvement over current DVD versions.
 
I've already picked up four HD-DVDs, with another two on pre-order, in anticipation of the HD-DVD drive.

If anyone wants to see the difference, and is an IGN Insider member, do this:

1. Go to the Videos section of the X360 page and choose a game of your choice.
2. Download the 640x480 version of a WMV video and watch through your X360
3. Download the 1280x720 version of a WMV video and watch through your X360
4. Drool at the difference :drool:

That will give you the best idea of what kind of difference you should expect. For someone who has given up buying standard DVDs for the past couple years for watching the HD feeds on cable/satellite, an HD DVD format is something I've been really anticipating for a while now.

Jeremy
 
Not getting one anytime soon since I don't use my 360 on HDTV and I'm fine with regular DVDs for now. Maybe when the price drops a bit.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']He said "from a technical standpoint", not "from a user experience standpoint."

I believe he's referring to the fact that HD-DVD is 6x the resolution of a standard dvd. Which is technical, and is technically a much greater difference than the one between VHS to DVD.[/QUOTE]

Well, I guess it depends which "technical standpoint" you are talking about. If you're just talking about resolution wise, yeah its greater.

I was talking about the overall advance in the technology with movies. You're still getting the same thing but with improved A/V and technically they're made similarly too. "HD DVD has been designed to be as close to current DVDs as possible, and so, production lines do not have to be changed to produce HD DVD media." (from Davisdvd.com) Not a single VHS factory could have continued to make dvds. VHS to DVD is a greater jump in technology than to HDDVD.

I mean the gap in technology between an '88 car and a '98 car is bigger than a '98 car and an '02, even if the horsepower gap between the '98 and '02 car is bigger.
 
I just got a 720p projector a couple weeks ago and would love to start renting HD movies from netflix, but until MS fixes the washed out VGA output on the 360 I wont be picking this up. Component looks great but I need VGA since I am using my 360 as an upscaling DVD player. Was hoping the fall update would fix the problem but no dice.
 
[quote name='pd4ever']I just got a 720p projector a couple weeks ago and would love to start renting HD movies from netflix, but until MS fixes the washed out VGA output on the 360 I wont be picking this up. Component looks great but I need VGA since I am using my 360 as an upscaling DVD player. Was hoping the fall update would fix the problem but no dice.[/quote]


the strange thing is that i remember the 360 looking wonderful on my pc lcd so i think the one with the washed out vga colors may be my hd tv... it looks great as well on component but doesnt look as sharp or bright on vga..
 
I voted NO and I think my case is the same for many budget gamers, I would like to have one but for what do I need a HD-DVD player if I don't have a HDTV Plasma/LCD/DLP Set ???????

Is already too frustating to play my favorite videogames on a regular TV, I would like to buy me a HDTV but can afford it right now, so having to invest on a format that may-may not win the next home video wars is not a good thing.

I was expecting for the Xbox 360 to have it already included and if they are coming out with a Xbox360 2.0 with a HD-DVD drive already included I'm selling my console and all my games and take my budget ass to BB and buy me a PS3
 
[quote name='pinoy530']Well, I guess it depends which "technical standpoint" you are talking about. If you're just talking about resolution wise, yeah its greater.

I was talking about the overall advance in the technology with movies. You're still getting the same thing but with improved A/V and technically they're made similarly too. "HD DVD has been designed to be as close to current DVDs as possible, and so, production lines do not have to be changed to produce HD DVD media." (from Davisdvd.com) Not a single VHS factory could have continued to make dvds. VHS to DVD is a greater jump in technology than to HDDVD.

I mean the gap in technology between an '88 car and a '98 car is bigger than a '98 car and an '02, even if the horsepower gap between the '98 and '02 car is bigger.[/QUOTE]

I see. So you are basically saying that until movies come on flash sticks the size of credit cards, or some other new innovative format, it isn't a big enough difference in technology?
 
[quote name='pinoy530']Well, I guess it depends which "technical standpoint" you are talking about. If you're just talking about resolution wise, yeah its greater.

I was talking about the overall advance in the technology with movies. You're still getting the same thing but with improved A/V and technically they're made similarly too. "HD DVD has been designed to be as close to current DVDs as possible, and so, production lines do not have to be changed to produce HD DVD media." (from Davisdvd.com) Not a single VHS factory could have continued to make dvds. VHS to DVD is a greater jump in technology than to HDDVD.

I mean the gap in technology between an '88 car and a '98 car is bigger than a '98 car and an '02, even if the horsepower gap between the '98 and '02 car is bigger.[/QUOTE]

Actually, HD-DVD has seamless branching and can support more interactivity than standard DVD. Blu-Ray does too, through Java, although the edge has gone to HD-DVD's iHD through the first wave of releases.

[quote name='pd4ever']I just got a 720p projector a couple weeks ago and would love to start renting HD movies from netflix, but until MS fixes the washed out VGA output on the 360 I wont be picking this up. Component looks great but I need VGA since I am using my 360 as an upscaling DVD player. Was hoping the fall update would fix the problem but no dice.[/QUOTE]

A lot of people complain about the "washed-out" look of the VGA signal, but I don't buy it. After properly calibrating my HDTV settings I say the quality is better than component. On a calibrated component signal the contrast is too strong without a good color balance. Only on truly bright scenes does the VGA start to lose depth, but it's because that was the original intent of the source material.

My advice is to pick up a home theater calibration DVD like Avia's Guide to Home Theater to get the most out of your picture. And get familiar with your settings - sometimes there is a lot of auto-correction settings that should be turned off.

Jeremy
 
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