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HD-DVD / Blu-Ray scam?

HD43

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Could anyone tell me why HD-DVD or Blu-Ray is any better than WMV-HD or Quicktime-HD that plays at 1080p on my P4 3Ghz with 256MB Radeon 9600 and Avio drivers no problemo.

I can get Terminator 2 in WMV-HD for $7.99 or rip it to a DVD-DL (the entire movie is less than 7GB) and get true 1080p HD on my TV or monitor via my PC using Windows Media Player with K-lite codecs.

Why do I need HD-DVD or Blu-Ray and all the ultra-expensive hardware when the delivery system already exists for my current PC?

Can't we simply re-encode HD-DVD/Blu-Ray files to WMV-HD?

It seems to me it's not about 1080p definition but just mega-huge files and mega-huge expense.
 
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Could anyone tell me why HD-DVD or Blu-Ray is any better than WMV-HD or Quicktime-HD that plays at 1080p on my P4 3Ghz with 256MB Radeon 9600 and Avio drivers no problemo.

I can get Terminator 2 for $7.99 or rip it to a DVD-DL (the entire movie is less than 7GB) and get 1080p HD on my TV or monitor using Media Player Classic with K-lite codecs.

Why do I need HD-DVD or Blu-Ray and all the ultra-expensive hardware when the delivery system already exists for my current PC?

Can't we simply re-encode HD-DVD/Blu-Ray files to WMV-HD?

It seems to me it's not about 1080p definition but just mega-huge files and mega-huge expense.

I'm sure that you could recode or translate the files from a SD DVD and play them in 1080p on your computer or HD TV without to much trouble, but playing it at 1080p dosen't really do as much for the picture quality as upconverting on one of the newer DVD players that upconvert to 1080p. When it is upconverted they use either hardware or a program to look at the picture and smooth and or redifine the pictures edges in an effort to improve the quality of the video. Simply playing it at a higher resolution doesn't improve the actual picture at all, all it does is use more pixles to display the same thing. The problem is that you are trying to make something out of nothing. When a movie is filmed in HD they start out with an extreamly high resolution so the quality is already present. It is fairly easy to reduce quality to make the file size smaller but the smaller you make the file the more quality you loose. And that is basically what they do to make an SD DVD in the first place, the problem is that once you throw away all that information to reduce the size its gone and you can't ever get it back.

If you could actually watch the same movie at the same time on two 1080p 42" monitors, one upconverted from 720 x 480 and the other encoded originally at 1920 x 1080 you wouldn't have any doubt about the diffrence.
 
From Amazon.com review of T2:

I've had 1080p T2 for 3 years. There's no need to buy this expensive version., November 16, 2006
Reviewer: L. Cromwell (Montana) - See all my reviews

Back in 2003 T2 extreme was released which was an excellent version of the movie. Not only did it have excellent extra features, but it had the extended version which is wonderful, and a 1080p version of the original theatrical version (i.e. this one being reviewed) playable via home computer. Now, at the time the requirements were quite steep in order to view the movie, but to todays computer standards it is minimal.

I watched the blu ray version at a friends house, brought over my T2 Extreme edition, played it on his computer next to the HDTV, and compared the two. There was hardly any difference and if there was the hat went off to the computer version.

Why do I mention this? Because this blu ray is over priced and has nothing for extras. You want the best version of T2 you can buy? Then walk yourself down to a local wal-mart and go to the $7.00 DVD rack and pick up Terminator 2: Extreme Edition. You'll want to shoot yourself if you don't do it. HECK, BY 4 OF THEM FOR THE SAME PRICE AS ONE BLU RAY VERSION! There's your Christmas presents!!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/cu...ustomer-reviews.sort_by=-SubmissionDate&n=130
 
Full HD format

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/musicandvideo/hdvideo/t2dvd.aspx

WMV-HD and Quicktime-HD are full HD definition and playable on most computer systems. It's just that the Hollywood movie studios have decided to create a new delivery system (HD-DVD / Blu-Ray) and new hardware (HD-DVD-Blu-Ray players / burners / compatible processors / video cards / software etc.) to make even more $$ and have you work even harder and longer to make more $$ to be able to afford it.

This isn't just about watching the movies you love made nearly 100 years ago ie. Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie (that is still under copyright by Disney) - this is economic and social engineering to make people in the "civilized world" (not to mention hungry people in India and Africa and China) work harder and longer to earn more $$ to be able to watch Mickey Mouse in a movie whose copyright should have expired 20 years ago.

And maybe even a few newer movies too...
 
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Sorry HD43 I didn't quite understand what it was you were doing. I didn't know that anyone had ever marketed any movies that could only be played on your computer. Personally I don't like to watch my movies on my computer, I would much rather kick back in a recliner with some popcorn and a beer. I have never been able to get into computer games or using my computer to watch TV. I use it for work!

If you really want to watch HD movies on your computer then check out HD-DVDWorld.com They are selling most HD DVDs for arround $20.00 That is cheeper than my neighbor hood market sells the standard version. They are charging about $27.00 for the same movie on a SD DVD. And NetFlix charges the same to rent an HD DVD as they do for a SD DVD. So with AnyDVD and PowerDVD you can watch them all for about the same cost.

You can't stop the movie indrustry from trying to increase their profits. It's the American way, so get used to it.
 
Have you any idea what Clone DVD and AnyDVD do?

Or are you really a spokesman for the MPAA.

$20 for a DVD... come on?!!!

Give me a 3 cent blank disc and Slysoft... it's the American way!
 
3 cent Blanks?

Have you any idea what Clone DVD and AnyDVD do?

Or are you really a spokesman for the MPAA.

$20 for a DVD... come on?!!!

Give me a 3 cent blank disc and Slysoft... it's the American way!

I am only a spokesman for what I believe, and I never have nor will I ever be bought for any price!

As for the 3 cent blanks. I once saw a sign in the parts department of a Harley Shop. It said "If you want high quality Oats, then you will probably have to pay a little more for them. However if you don't care if they have already been through the Horse you will probably be able to get them for a lot less."

:confused: So I am confused. If you are putting two hour movies on 3 cent blanks then you must not care much about quality! If you don't care about quality then why are you worried about the size of standard DVDs dropping to 3 or 4 GB?
 
alright...

50 cent blanks.

3 cents was a euthemism.
 
the t2 bluray release is encoded in mpeg2 and on a single layer disc so isnt the best looking disc. You will need to compare the wmv-hd version to the hd-dvd t2 disc which is out in March. The T2 master though in my opinion isnt good enough to be classed as reference quality. Try reencoding the HD-DVD version of King Kong to wmv-HD and to a dual layer dvd. Will be interesting to see how a vc1 with 30mb/s v/s wmv-hd's 8-9mb/s compares.
 
You can create WMV-HD up to 60 mbps if you want - but their recommendation for pre-dual core computers was 8-9 mbps. I created a wmv-hd (720p specs) movie file at 25 mbps with my P4 3 ghz Prescott and my pretty old 256mb Radeon 9600 with ATI Avio HD drivers and it plays fine and smooth. Downloaded HD trailers and movie clips from Microsoft and Quicktime (granted they are low mbps) look great on my 14' screen.

I'm thinking of trying out an Xbox HD-drive etc. and seeing if my current system can handle it okay and not stutter or freeze... but with $100 for the PowerDVD and $30 for AnyDVD-HD it could be a waste of $$. Then I'll have to upgrade my computer or get an Xbox player with an RGB to DVI cable (I believe Xbox has a VGA/RGB output) to maintain the digital image rather than use component to my projector.

But T2 WMV-HD looks fantastic projected big and the HD-sourced (filmed in HD) WMV discs like their nature stuff and extreme sports stuff just blows people away with the quality. And all this works on most computers. Having to conform to new playback specs (not to mention the HDCP requirement, albeit now defunct due to AnyDVD-HD) just totally sucks and is utter BS.
 
WMV-HD titles were compressed with the early non ap wmv9 (wmv3) codec that is not as advanced as VC-1 (wvc1) or H.264. Image quality is better. As well, the support for WMV-HD amongst standalone players is very poor.

Its one thing to have 1920x1080 pixels but its also another thing to have the PSNR and SNR high. :agree:

When it comes to the audio, no compairson. DD+, DTS-HD, TrueHD just lovely.
 
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