[quote=“Mother Theresa”]Hey, do any of you have a HD DVD player?
How does the price compare to regular DVD players?
Any drawbacks to buying one (beside the price)?[/quote]
Some big US chain stores are selling the players for $100.
Drawback here is, nowhere to buy or rent the discs.
Recommend: just download h.264 rips instead.
[quote]http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=13705
Till recently, we’ve only had access to what I call a “pilot program” for Hi-Def TV. But, as preparations for the launch of DirecTV’s D10 satellite developed, content providers began working at what they’re supposed to. Converting, upconverting, rebuilding their production facilities to offer varying levels of High Definition digital television from scratch.
Some of those channels began to work their way out into distribution. Via cable systems, via DirecTV and DISH Network, 10, 20, even 30 or more national HD channels started to appear in one’s and two’s. Generally limited by available bandwidth, they were what has been called HD-lite.
I’ve been one of the geeks following the testing of D10. Right now, they have 16 transponders hot - each ready to carry about 6 channels of full-blown HD. There are more than that remaining unused - so far - on that bird.
By the end of October, there will be 70 HD channels received from DirecTV. By year end, 100 channels. And D11 launches before Xmas. All broadcast in 1920×1080i and DD5.1. They’re mpeg4 instead of mpeg2; so, recording space per program - on a hard drive - is essentially halved. Technical parameters aside, anyone who’s ever watched HD-lite can see the difference in the new transmissions.
This won’t be a DirecTV exclusive for long. Sooner or later, every distribution system that adds capacity - will add content. Cable systems will have to expand their bandwidth. DISH Network has E12 scheduled to lift off roughly the same time as DirecTV’s D11. Still, DirecTV is first to the table with the most full-quality product - and provides the opportunity for HDTV to be distributed as quickly as it is created. In fact. the slowest part of the process, right now, is content providers coming up with original programming in true HD - or uprez’d into true HD. There’s a lot of stretchovision out there.
Prices for HDTV sets will continue to drop. That decline will probably accelerate as market expansion moves up the curve. None of that is unexpected to experienced geeks.
Some folks still miss black-and-white and monaural sound. Some still record and listen to mp3’s at 64kbps. I don’t.[/quote]
I look forward to the day I can see Chen Shui Bian’s face in all its HD glory.
Honestly, why do you people care? Didn’t anyone read McLuhan? TV was meant to be low res.
[quote=“Muzha Man”]I look forward to the day I can see Chen Shui Bian’s face in all its HD glory.
Honestly, why do you people care? Didn’t anyone read McLuhan? TV was meant to be low res.[/quote]
Haven’t read him (actually never heard of him before) but he is of course entitled to his opinion. In my opinion HDTV is the way to go.
[quote=“Rascal”][quote=“Muzha Man”]I look forward to the day I can see Chen Shui Bian’s face in all its HD glory.
Honestly, why do you people care? Didn’t anyone read McLuhan? TV was meant to be low res.[/quote]
Haven’t read him (actually never heard of him before) but he is of course entitled to his opinion. In my opinion HDTV is the way to go.[/quote]
Yea, Rascal, we know, you’re not interested in seeing CSB in high definition; you’re interested in THIS.
As for me, our DVD player is on the blink and we’ve been thinking of buying a new one. I’ve also been thinking of buying this awesome series from Amazon.com
And, since everyone raves about that series in low-res, I was just thinking how awesome it must be in HD and thinking maybe this is the time to upgrade (so long as the player is also capable of playing low-res, which will likely comprise 90% of my DVD viewing for some time).
Blockbuster rents Blu Ray discs in the USA. Maybe they will do it here one of these years. I did see 5 BR discs for sale once here. Though HD DVD seems to be dominating lately, what with the $98 players and all. Anyway, if you just play h.264 rips, you’re immune to the format war.
I actually agree with Ms. Daniels, too much detail.
Zhonghua now delivers HDTV (1080i) via their data network. They have a demo running at Chili’s in Neo 19. I think they let you try it for free for 6 months, after that its NT$1000 a month. Question is what the channel lineup is like. Well, maybe there is another thread on this topic. Exciting.