View Full Version : Hdtv Direct Tv And Dvd Question
royman
03-19-2003, 09:01 PM
If I bought a direct tv HDTV compatible receiver and a local antenna that would be enough to view HDTV on direct tv I know that... but when HDTV compatible DVD's come out do I have to buy a seperate tuner to play the DVD movies in highest possible quality? Will the DVD'S even come out in 1080i?
bpratt
03-19-2003, 09:47 PM
Because HDTV requires such a great amount of space to record a full length movie, current DVDs may not be large enough. Some DVDs using a blue laser have been released. These will store about 4 times as much data as the current red laser DVDs. Probably the HD DVD recorders in the future will use blue lasers.
Currently there are a few VCR recorders that will record HDTV. Mitsubishi makes one that currently sells for just under $500. It requires a fire-wire connection to the TV you are recording from. Mitsubishi also provides fire-wire connections on their TVs with built in HDTV tuners so you can record from their TVs. Standards are still being determined for recording HDTV. Hopefully the recorders being built will connect to a TV using component connections which all HDTV ready and HDTV TVs have. No, you will not need another tuner, just the correct connector.
Who knows where all this stuff will end up. Its still evolving.
royman
03-19-2003, 10:44 PM
Yeah I understand it a lot better now that I have been doing a LOT more reading. I was thinking about getting one of those D-VCR's but they might be replaced by HD-DVD's sometime so I am just going to wait it out before I waste any money...
jp_texas
03-20-2003, 10:13 AM
I am not buying another DVD (I own 3 now) until the hd dvd is released. The last I heard (a week ago) The HD DVD recorder needed to write 22+gigs to record 2 hours of streaming HDTV Or HD DVD format movie. If this is the case the the color of the laser may be a factor but the number of layers on the disk is going to be even more important. Right now I think they use the 4.7 gig single side format. If that is the case they would have to make it 5 layers deep at a minimum to be able to create a single sided 2 hour movie. What ever it is, they have the tech now as you can buy a HD DVD burner or very soon anyway.
Anyone that can correct me would be appreciated. I'd like to think I am wrong about this.
JP
Although there is one HD-DVD burner/player for sale in Japan (for $4k), I think it'll be a couple of years or more before we see HD-DVD in North America. It will take that long to:
1. Get players to market
2. Get the prices to something approaching affordable
3. Get some "software" (movies on HD-DVDs) to market.
Despite the fact that D-VHS has been available for a couple of years, there are very few movies out in this format.
Also, DVD is already such good quality that there will not be the "pent up demand" that there was for the switch from VHS to DVD.
I'm not saying that people like us will not appreciate the fine picture associated with HD-DVD, but many people are probably quite happy with regular DVD pictures on HDTVs.
sledgmb
03-20-2003, 01:35 PM
do you think it would be fair to say that it will be 10 years or so before we se affordible HD-DVD players and a fair amount of HD-DVD's at the local blockbuster? by affordible, i'd say $500 or less for the HD-DVD player.
where do you think the HDTV market will be at that time also...
cpaesq
03-20-2003, 02:00 PM
I think the HD DVD thing will start like DVD in rental stores started.
I want to say 1999
We will see a small section with like 20 movies - dedicated to HD DVD's (I remember when I had more movies than BB)
Will J6P know the diff?? I don't think so... I know people who just got digital cable and think it's the best thing since sliced bread! They don't have a DVD or have a DVD hooked up through a 3 rca composite to coax converter. I have a feeling they will say "What can be better about those new blue DVDs - DVD looks great already"
On the other hand , I have friends who went out and bought a progressive scan DVD player to replace his PS2 as a DVD. He dosen't even have S-vid connections on his tv. I asked him why a progressive scan? - he said I read it was better. I told him that he should upgrade his TV and hook it up via component when he does upgrade. He shrugged off my advice - and said ah it's still a DVD player.
So who knows.. how many stand alone DVD recorders do you see on the market now (2?) They are like $600-900. I would have predicted many more diff models and prices in the $300's by now but I'm wrong....
It should be less than 10yrs though
sledgmb
03-20-2003, 02:06 PM
well, i do have a hdtv. sony kv-32hv600. some on this board would say it's not since it's 4:3, but that's a whole other discussion. anyway, my current dvd player is my xbox...connected via monster component cables. i have a small urge to go out and buy a progressive scan standalone, but i gotta tell you, the dvd picture quality i'm getting now is AMAZING. i really don't think getting a progressive scan player now will result in that much of a difference given my setup. now, when hd-dvd comes out i may jump ship - but xbox2 will probably be out by then and it'll be progressive scan i'm sure. i'm rambling now so i'll go.
jp_texas
03-20-2003, 05:29 PM
If the X-Box upconverts the 480p DVD signal to 720p outputs and your TV converts 720p to 1080i, don't you have the poor mans HD-DVD? lol
JP
Nice try JP, but DVDs are 480i and game players send the DVD signals to the TV at 480i. Games are different.
Progressive Scan DVD players "Deinterlace" the 480i signal to 480P.
There are some very new, very expensive DVD players that have "upconverters" in them that will provide 720P feed to TVs, but here's the catch, only if the original DVD is not copy protected. So far only one movie DVD (Harry Potter) has been issued without Macrovision copy protection.
Again, HDDVD is a ways off yet.
mikehbkwm
03-20-2003, 06:49 PM
yeah the Samsung DVD player that will do that is stupid. Will upconvert 480p to 720p if not copyrighted. I almost fell for that then I saw the disclaimer and thought thats dumb.........
StreetPreacher
04-08-2003, 04:02 PM
Originally posted by 57U
So far only one movie DVD (Harry Potter) has been issued without Macrovision copy protection.
Are you sure about this? Before I bought my new Toshiba 42H82 I had a dvd player hooked up to an ancient 21" tv via a VCR and i'm pretty sure that the LOTR Extended Edition DVD played fine, while most others suffered the macrovision fades.
Then i 'modified' the player to eliminate the problem altogether :).
-Sp
SP. Could be. Perhaps there are now two DVD movies out of thousands that are not copy protected.
