Community weekly poll: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player?
- 5/23/07 2:23 PM
WoW -- a killer post! Thanks very much.
by Cadillac84 - 5/24/07 11:34 AM In reply to: You could wait...and miss the experience by csmarkhamLots of great stuff -- facts, remenisences, opinions, predictions and philosophy! (and I'm being totally serious!)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and hope that many others will read it as well.
My "Barney" TV and non-upconverting DVD player are presently out of use. Maybe the next church bazaar?
Thanks again. It was a great post!
C
Maybe it's me...
by Ed Mueller - 5/24/07 11:39 AM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Maybe it's just me, but I'm not floored be either HD or Blu-Ray. It just isn't that much better than a properly upconverted Standard DVD. Am i the only one that isn't impressed?
Probably is you, Ed
by someoldguy - 5/24/07 1:22 PM In reply to: Maybe it's me... by Ed MuellerI had a lucky convergence of tax return, my 20 year old SDTV blow up and an really great offer by Dish Network who were trying to get their first generation HDTV receivers into as many homes as possible. The package included the receiver and a 34" CRT-HDTV and cost $999.00 delivered and installed. The TV is HUGH and weighs 175 pounds, but the picture is gorgeous and holds up[t to my friends much newer, and bigger, plasma and LCD models. Most of these friends bought into HDTV after spending way too much time at my house watching my setup.
I expect to be watching this TV for at least 10 more years. I see no comparison between SDTV and HDTV. If you cannot tell the difference, OK; you'll save a lot of money for a while but perhaps a trip to the optometrist is in order. Right now the big blue box will sell a decent 30 or 32 HDTV for a few hundred dollars and those prices keep falling. I have upgraded my satelite receiver and dish and receive over 20 HD channels.
As far as HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray goes, I plan on purchasing one of the new black XBOX360 Elites next month and pop the extra $199 for the HD-DVD add-on. Here's why:
I'll have full 1080p functionality, HDMI connectability (BTW, MS released a software upgrade las November for their regular core and premium XBOX's that upgrade them to 1080p among other things and the component connections do allow for acceptable HD viewing) and the ability to record Hi Def programming on the 120 gig detachable USB hard drive. It'll work well with my new, fast Vista computer which means I can download High Definition movies directly to the XBOX's hard drive or my computers HDD, for that matter and watch them on my 3 year old HDTV, which means that, strictly speaking, I really won't need a High Definition DVD player at all. I don't see Sony offering any of this with their Blu-
Ray or PS3 any time soon, if at all. As far as having discs with standard DVD's on one side, it works for me. I already own a few of those in anticipation of the upcoming purchase. My current DVD player will move into my kids room and hook up to their Sony SDTV. They can watch the same movies in their room, all my old DVD's will play on the XBOX360 and we'll all be happy.
Others have covered why HD-DVD is a better deal. I did a lot of reading on this, too and have come to conclusion that much of Sony's claims regarding Blu-Ray and the PS3 amount to touting vaporware, at least at this point. Given the prices for what you actually get as opposed to what you are promised, I can't see wasting money on Sony right now.
(NT) Hear Hear! Both formats obsoleted by downloadable content
by lorax1284 - 5/24/07 1:38 PM In reply to: Probably is you, Ed by someoldguyStandard
by prince10bee - 5/24/07 12:43 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm fine with @ least a 20" standard TV and with the standward 100 channels or so. I don't need all this fancy HD stuff.
I can hack an XBox 360 HD-DVD drive into my HDPC for $200?
by lorax1284 - 5/24/07 1:18 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Voids the warranty... but I can take an XBox 360 read only HDDVD drive and "IDE" it into my HTPC that has HDMI / HDCP support, and watch HDDVD now, for only $200?
Instead of $600 for a PS3? Or $1000 for an Blu-Ray player? or instead of $800 for a Blu-Ray RW drive?
Seems relatively cheap for nerds to get into HDDVD, compared to Blu-Ray (unless you already own a PS3).
I'll wait and see what the adult film industry supports... as goes adult content, so goes the high tech industry
Why bother to hack?
by geroper - 5/25/07 8:28 AM In reply to: I can hack an XBox 360 HD-DVD drive into my HDPC for $200? by lorax1284I bought the XBox 360 Elite for a couple of reasons, only one of which was the Blue Ray, others were a large hard drive, and the 1080i/HDMI interface to my 56" DLP TV. I'll rive to locate adjacent to the TVso it can act as a "peer" from my MediaCenter PC/server located in another part of my home. Sure it was >$500, but I still feel like I got my money's worth without having to hack anything!
Nope
by mattkenseth17 - 5/24/07 1:39 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have no plans of buying wither Hi Def disc format, because I do not own an HDTV. That just is not in my budget.
Neither one, thanks.
by mrzonker - 5/24/07 2:32 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
For a couple reasons.
1.DVD is good enough for the movies I watch. FX doesn't do much for me and HD doesn't improve the plot or make a lame movie any more appealing.
2.I'm already getting frustrated with the DMCA/encryption limitations on DVDs - you can't copy them to an ipod or a computer without going into legal gray area. HD and Blu-ray are even worse thanks to DRM schemes. Over the next few years I think portably will become more important. If I'm tied to my living room, why bother.
3.It's not just a new DVD player - if I want to take advantage of it I have to get a new HDTV too. And I might as well get a 7.1 surround sound receiver. Now you're talking $1200 minimum for something I'm pretty ambivalent about. I'm not a cheap guy, and I'm not poor either, but that's a lot of dough. For reference, that's 100 movie tickets, maybe even some popcorn. Thanks anyway, I'll pass.
HDTV picture doesn't even look good
by villandra - 5/24/07 5:26 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
HDTV is not only extremely expensive, like, I've ever in my life spent more than $100 for a TV set, but the ones at Walmart have a picture quality that looks like the surface of the moon. The normal TV's next to the HDTV's have a much softer picture with much more natural lighting. I'm sticking with traditional.
walmart does not have a hdtv signal
by WMJZ - 6/1/07 4:31 AM In reply to: HDTV picture doesn't even look good by villandraWalmart does not have a true hdtv source hooked up to their tv's theey are hooked in series and by component cables not HDMI cables so You are seeing a grainy picture that's why it looks like the surface of the moon,remember wal mart is walmart the kids that hook these up just sell them and do not know the correct way of hookinhg them up.
Good point!
by Cadillac84 - 6/1/07 6:21 AM In reply to: walmart does not have a hdtv signal by WMJZIt would be expensive to set up a good source for the various sets in such an environment. You said it best: "... remember Wal-Mart is Wal-Mart."
What sold ME on HDTV was seeing the Michigan v. Ohio State game on a LCD set in an Office Depot receiving a broadcast HD signal through a rabbit-ear antenna. (!!!) The Notre Dame game was on in the front of the store using the only cable connection available in the store, but these guys in the back wanted to watch the Michigan game and they used a bit of ingenuity to get the set to a place in the store where the signal strenght was adequate. There were occasional artifacts which I attributed to the marginal signal strength, but the picture quality was stunning.
Once you decide to buy a HD television, and after you have watched some of the HD programming (some of which is available FREE of charge OVER THE AIR) -- after you have watched some of that, come back here and vote again on the Blu-Ray v. HD-DVD v. neither one.
Admittedly, there will be people who don't care. Not everyone wants a BMW. Some people don't even want to buy a new car unless the 1955 Fairlane catches fire and burns up in the driveway. So, HD is not for everyone and even for HD owners, not everyone will want a HD video disc player.
Me? Yup, I'll probably have to get both, but I'm waiting for better prices.
No, not buying...
by Ed-duh-win - 5/24/07 5:57 PM In reply to: Are you planning to buy a high definition DVD player? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm not buying either formats. Besides, I still don't even have an HD television.
I'll stick with my good old CRT TV.
Good Ol' CRT's
by someoldguy - 5/24/07 6:32 PM In reply to: No, not buying... by Ed-duh-winWell, as I mentioned above, I own a CRT-HDTV. There aren't all that many models around anymore, but you can find 28" to 32" models that are considerably less expensive than their plasma and LCD counterparts. Negatives are that they are big and bulky and don't look as 'cool' and, except for the picture, won't impress your tech-snob friends and you can't buy huge room-filling monster screens. The upside is the picture---and isn't that what really counts here---is still better than those expensive plasma and LCD screens, plus you can save hundreds of dollars if you shop wisely. I've seen 26" CRT-HDTV's in the $400 neighborhood, they are getting hard to find, I admit. Here's one: http://www.devlib.org/resources/gadgets/hdtv/crt-hdtvs/toshiba-26hf85-crt-hdtv/details/
For that matter, if you are happy with a 19 to 22 inch TV, there are LCD HDTV's for under $300. So there are reasonably priced systems there for limited budgets. Even better deals if your ego will let you buy refurbs or scratch and dents. Another way to save a couple hundred bucks if you are on satelite or cable: Skip the tuner in the set. Buy an HDTV ready set and hook up the tuner your provider gives you. All this takes work, but if you are willing to put in the time, you can do well when that old TV becomes more trouble than it's worth.
Shoulda looked here
by someoldguy - 5/24/07 6:36 PM In reply to: Good Ol' CRT's by someoldguyHere's some info on CRT-HDTV's right here on CNET.com. I shoulda just posted this,
http://reviews.cnet.com/4566-6475_7-0.html?filter=500961_103912_500965_88105_&tag=dffl3_1
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