Got blu-ray is it worth buying HD-Dvd

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s1hastie

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Got the ps3 on its way and have been buying up a few blu-rays for it.

Now I know from what I have read that HD-DVD is on the way out.

Just wondering is it worth buying a HD-DVD player? I see they have come right down in price and you can pick them up fairly cheap now.

Just wondering if there is any films that are on that format that arent or wont be released on blu-ray.

Or if there are any films that are better on HD than Blu-ray, I have heard Terminator 2 is an example of this (although it does beg the question how many versions of this film can I own! already have a few)

Cheers
 
Got the ps3 on its way and have been buying up a few blu-rays for it.

Now I know from what I have read that HD-DVD is on the way out.

Just wondering is it worth buying a HD-DVD player? I see they have come right down in price and you can pick them up fairly cheap now.

Just wondering if there is any films that are on that format that arent or wont be released on blu-ray.



Cheers

Hi mate. :)
I guess,eventually all the films currently only available on HD DVD will be released on Blu-ray :smashin: it just depends how long your prepared to wait.
You could keep an eye on the classifieds as well :cool: just in case of a bargain. :)
All the best.
 
Hi mate. :)
I guess,eventually all the films currently only available on HD DVD will be released on Blu-ray :smashin: it just depends how long your prepared to wait.
You could keep an eye on the classifieds as well :cool: just in case of a bargain. :)
All the best.

Cheers think ill keep an eye on there for a cheap player as it seems the hd dvds can be picked up quite cheap now, just having a look on the classifieds on here and some good deals.
 
I also think there is the possiblity of a few titles not making it from HD-DVD to BR, and certainly without the same 'special features' or soundtracks.

I'm not so sure we'll see a StarTrek Original series boxset on BR for example??

Or will Titles that had better releases on HD-DVD than the already released BR's (due to profiles) be re-released?

Even if the exact same releases do eventually come to BR, with the current price of HD-DVD players I still think there's a good reason not to buy the same title for more on BR, when it can be picked up on HD-DVD for far less.

Lets not forget region coding too... some titles may get a BR release with all the same bells and whistles, but only in the US, the EU releases are sometimes missing lossless soundtracks etc, so again a region free HD-DVD release is a great alternative.
 
I'm not so sure we'll see a StarTrek Original series boxset on BR for example??


You will but not for a while. It wouldn't surprise me if the BDs come out when the new film does. Hopefully before then though.
 
One thing to to think off is the BD version could just end up being exactly the same as the HD DVD so, why wait what could be months or years for the BD when the HD DVD version is now (and really cheap). Also, things like picture quality would be the same anyway. Is it really worth waiting all that time for one or two different special features that may or not may happen?
 
Do HD-Dvd combo discs play ok on a bd player? I've just taken delivery of 6 HD-dvd's and 5 are combo's, all of which are recent releases too..

btw.. I received my HD-DVD (EP35) player the day WB pulled out... I've no regrets, I'm getting cheap disks from the internet and it is a great upscaler, I've got another EP35 on it's way for a backup. So yes if you've got the funds I'd certainly do it. If I ever decide to go Blu then I'll get a US player then there'll be very little region coding to worry about...
 
Do HD-Dvd combo discs play ok on a bd player? I've just taken delivery of 6 HD-dvd's and 5 are combo's, all of which are recent releases too..

The SD side will work if the disc region matches the player.
 
I've done this before.

What's a disc worth with a film you like in high def?

Let's say £15 - that's about what you'll be paying for a new BD.

Well, there are plenty of HD DVD sales around where the discs are £5. You can get a player for maybe £50.

So 10 films and a player will be £100.

As far as I can see it, you buy a player and films at that price and you're way ahead of the game. The 10 films should cost you £150, and you get a very good player thrown in for free. Even if you already have a BD player and never buy another HD DVD you'll be better off buying that lot.

It's a question of whether or not you can find the films you want at the price you want.

Oh, and you should perhaps worry about whether or not all the current HD DVD exclusives will make it to BD anytime soon.

Universal have already announced their first release list, and it doesn't include the Bournes.

Meanwhile Paramount have announced their first releases, and as far as I can remember it doesn't include Transformers (if that's your cup of tea).

Those films will come, but will many of the smaller titles/lower sellers make it? And if they do, how long will it take?

Steve W
 
The idea that studios will have gone to the trouble of making HD transfers of movies and then NEVER releasing them on the higher-selling format is illogical bordering on fanboyism. They all want the money back that they spent making the HD transfer, and the only way to do that is to sell on BD.

What you have to think about, how many "must have" movies are there on HD-DVD currently that you absolutely cannot wait for for a year or two? Let's be realistic, it's not that many. So what you're looking at is keeping a whole seperate player around for the sake of maybe a dozen movies. How long are you going to keep it there under your TV, gathering dust for the sake of those few movies? 3 years? 5 years?

Then of course in a year or so when they come out on BD then you'll just have to buy them again, unless of course you want to keep the HD-DVD player around for a few more years.

Waste of space, waste of an HDMI socket.
 
The idea that studios will have gone to the trouble of making HD transfers of movies and then NEVER releasing them on the higher-selling format is illogical bordering on fanboyism. They all want the money back that they spent making the HD transfer, and the only way to do that is to sell on BD.

What you have to think about, how many "must have" movies are there on HD-DVD currently that you absolutely cannot wait for for a year or two? Let's be realistic, it's not that many. So what you're looking at is keeping a whole seperate player around for the sake of maybe a dozen movies. How long are you going to keep it there under your TV, gathering dust for the sake of those few movies? 3 years? 5 years?

Then of course in a year or so when they come out on BD then you'll just have to buy them again, unless of course you want to keep the HD-DVD player around for a few more years.

Waste of space, waste of an HDMI socket.

Well, I've got over 150 HD-dvd's (as well as over 150 blu-rays) and I certainly would think of the player as 'wasting space'. Takes up very little room in a set up and the advantage is you can have 'ALL' the movies in glorious high definition here and now - why wait??
Will certainly not be left gathering dust as both players are in constant use!
 
The idea that studios will have gone to the trouble of making HD transfers of movies and then NEVER releasing them on the higher-selling format is illogical bordering on fanboyism.

The idea that a speculative HD DVD release which only managed to sell a few hundred will be one of the first BD releases by a studio is illog...oh, you get my drift.

:thumbsup:

Blu-ray Disc pressing capacity is apparently very stretched at the moment, and will be for some time.

Studios are, as you point out, in the game of making money. Given the choice between pressing 1,000 extra copies of Cloverfield and 1,000 copies of a re-release, back-catalogue title, which flopped big-time on HD DVD, and which do you think they'll go for?

Making a high def transfer is only part of the production process. Apparently it's the glass masters on HD DVDs/BDs which are one of the biggest cost factors.

I suspect that's why Paramount have announced immediately that they're re-releasing all the old Blu-ray Disc titles they once published (they already have the masters), but have been slower to announcetitles from their HD DVD-only period, despite some of those being their biggest sellers.

Not fanboyism - just common sense.

What you have to think about, how many "must have" movies are there on HD-DVD currently that you absolutely cannot wait for for a year or two? Let's be realistic, it's not that many. So what you're looking at is keeping a whole seperate player around for the sake of maybe a dozen movies. How long are you going to keep it there under your TV, gathering dust for the sake of those few movies? 3 years? 5 years?

Then of course in a year or so when they come out on BD then you'll just have to buy them again, unless of course you want to keep the HD-DVD player around for a few more years.

Waste of space, waste of an HDMI socket.

You've side-stepped the cost issue. You'll almost certainly be getting the HD DVDs for £10 a disc cheaper. Each.

If there are only a few which will take a year or two to arrive, then there must by definition be a load you think are coming out soon.

I have c.75 HD DVD. If I were to buy them from scratch (going back to the OP's predicament) and saved £10 each by buying them on HD DVD instead of BD, I'd be £750 better off.

That might not be a lot of money to some, but...

As for having to re-buy on BD. Why? Under my TV I have an A/V amp, a Sky HD box, a UK PS3, a UK HD-XE1, and a multi-region SD DVD player. They look fairly neat, and I see no need for selling the XE1 - particularly as it's a very fine SD DVD player indeed.

The XE1? A waste of an HDMI socket?

Any other XE1 owners care to comment on that one? :rotfl:

Steve W
 
An excellent post Pecker, it echoes my sentiments entirely. Why wait 12-18 months to pay 3 times the price for a, most likely equivalent, release on BD. Buy now and enjoy HD now. Fanboyism? Of all the posts in this thread there is only one that smacks of fanboyism, can you guess which onkeh?;)
 
:rotfl: No way in hell is my XE1 going anywhere.....thats one neat/serious bit of kit right there. I will definitely keep buying hd-dvd's.......the quality is up there with the best and it's cheaper :thumbsup:......what more do you want.
 
Cheers.

I found it a great shame that someone should come to the thread and try to resurrect images of the old format war with terms like 'fanboyism'.

I don't see how extolling the virtues of £5 for a disc over £15 for a disc is 'fanboyism'.

I don't see how it can be called 'fanboyism' to suggest that some poor-selling HD DVDs may not get an immediate BD release.

I have had a PS3 (purely for BD duties) since release day in the UK, and every film that comes out on BD that I like.

It's the future of high def viewing. :thumbsup:

No-one was knocking Blu-ray Disc, or comparing the format with HD DVD technically.

It was purely a question of whether or not buying a HD DVD player at the moment was a good investment.

I supported my opinion with facts, rather than hurling abusive terms.

Steve W
 
The Heroes boxset on HD DVD cost me £23. That's still a lot cheaper than the DVD boxset(s) let alone what it will be on blu-ray.
 
Waste of space, waste of an HDMI socket.
If I got rid of my HD DVD what exactly do I do with that space and the socket? I'd have an empty space gathering dust and an empty HDMI socket. I already have one free HDMI on my TV with nothing connected.

On my amp on the HDMIs I have Virgin cable box, PS3, E1. That's the three HDMI's used up though I still have component free.

Then from the amp I have one HDMI to a HDMI on the TV and the TV still has a HDMI free.

I also have a Thor two HDMI to one HDMI adaptor unused.

Either way if I throw out the E1 I still haven't gained anything.

I also have a Shuttle PC connected via D-Sub to the TV that can handle anything else.
 
I think its a certainty that Star Trek TOS will appear on BD at some point.

Unless you are a real die hard fanatic like me the major reason for buying the CGI upgrades is because they are in hi-def.

Although the standard dvd side is definitely ian improvement over the existing sets its seeing it in HD that did it for me.

I think all we will be waiting for is the BD market to be big enough for Paramount to decide its worthwhile for them to continue the remastering.

However the longer the delay the longer I can justify keeping my HD DVD player I got for £60 just to see ST in HD.

But as I already have the whole series on the regular dvd sets I wont be rebuying on dvd only just for a few new planet scapes and flybys- its the HD quality that interests me
 
I think its a certainty that Star Trek TOS will appear on BD at some point.

Unless you are a real die hard fanatic like me the major reason for buying the CGI upgrades is because they are in hi-def.

Although the standard dvd side is definitely ian improvement over the existing sets its seeing it in HD that did it for me.

I think all we will be waiting for is the BD market to be big enough for Paramount to decide its worthwhile for them to continue the remastering.

However the longer the delay the longer I can justify keeping my HD DVD player I got for £60 just to see ST in HD.

But as I already have the whole series on the regular dvd sets I wont be rebuying on dvd only just for a few new planet scapes and flybys- its the HD quality that interests me



I'm going to guess that the price of Star Trek TOS on HD DVD + a cheap EP30 will be less than the price of Star Trek TOS on Blu-ray Disc.

Or thereabouts.

Steve W
 
Well, I've got over 150 HD-dvd's (as well as over 150 blu-rays) and I certainly would think of the player as 'wasting space'. Takes up very little room in a set up and the advantage is you can have 'ALL' the movies in glorious high definition here and now - why wait??
Will certainly not be left gathering dust as both players are in constant use!

I never suggested existing owners ditch their collection, I was talking about buying into it at this stage.
 
I never suggested existing owners ditch their collection, I was talking about buying into it at this stage.

But surely if there is films out on HD DVD already that can be bought for just £4+. That has to be better than paying 2 or 3 times the price for the same thing on BD as well and wait a lot longer. It is a no brainer to me. It's annoying to find HD DVD cheaper than SD DVD now.
 
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