How much longer has DVD got?

[TV DVD Fan]

I've noticed, over the past few weeks, DVD news has really been slow on both TSoD and here. Do you think DVD is surely but slowly, silently dying?

HD-DVD is getting ALOT of publicity lately on the Bits and other DVD-related sites. A couple of months ago I was optimistic about DVD and its prosperity, but all of a sudden, I feel that it's overcoming DVD.

Pav, do you see any chance of news in the weekly forecast? It's looking awful cloudy.

[Ant-Lox]

Dvd's are near their peak.....but they will still be hot...HD-DVD & Blue Ray are just upgrades.....I wonder how much better seasons sets will be on HD-DVD & Blue Ray...think about it....they could probably get one 23 episode season on 2 discs..

[Mister Ed]

Yeah, news has been slow. Theres only like four releases that I want in July. In May there was like 15.

[robyrob]

HD-DVD & Blue Ray are the new Betamax.

[vashti1999]

HD-DVD & Blue Ray are the new Betamax.

Let's hope. I mean so that there won't be a fomat change and regular dvds as we know them now will still be the dominant format for a while.

[dlemond]

Let's hope.

I agree.

And whoever is in charge of the new video frontier market is starting to make a bad assumption. That we are all willing to restart our movie/dvd collection because they have miraculously invented a new product.

Nice try.

But no go as far as a somewhat sane person can see. Vinyl to cd took a long time and switching dvds that are the same size is never gonna fly as far as I can see. You have all that free cash to replace your collection right now?

Not a smart move by these people. Especially with battling formats that no one is going to buy. Except rich jackasses that wore really bad 80s clothing and had the first cell phones.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Heck I still got more VHS tapes in my collection than DVDS. I'm very slow to restart a collection it took me years to get.

[TV DVD Fan]

Thanks all for your input. It's good to see that we still have some loyal DVD lovers left :happyface . But is so depressing: whenever I go to THE BITS website, all I see is HD-DVD being talked about. And their website's supposedly a DVD website!

Pat

[big bertha]

I am very happy with my analog tv and my dvds thank you very much. I have seen hd tv and I am not impressed enough to make the switch. Until one of the formats really hits the mainstream I will be forced to make the switch then. But for now I am happy with dvd because I watch alot of older black and white shows and I just don't see what the great improvement would be over dvd for these types of shows.

[theshark8777]

Well in 2009 you will have to dump your analog tv or get a converter box.

[tv star collector]

Heck I still got more VHS tapes in my collection than DVDS. I'm very slow to restart a collection it took me years to get.
Ditto. I have literally hundreds of VHS tapes, compared to only dozens of DVDs.
And, as long as both my VCR and DVD player are in good working order, I am
perfectly happy with that arrangement. I still watch more video tapes than
DVDs (and probably always will) since my collection of tapes is much larger. So
I am hoping that both formats will be around for a long time to come.

[Dr. Thong]

HD-DVD & Blue Ray are the new Betamax.

I read an excellent article on digitalbits.com. I tried to find it so I could link it, but I couldn't. Anyway, it basically said that the author felt that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray won't become the standard. They'll be niche formats for high-end video and audiophiles.

Part of the author's reasoning why is that in order to get the full effect of the high-def formats, you have to have the right player, receiver and HD-TV set that will display the discs in the right way.

Most people wouldn't get the full effect on their existing home systems and being that many have already invested in a home theater system of some sort, they're not going to want to have to shell out more money and re-buy the discs. They're also happy with DVD's quality and most likely won't want to change formats again.

I think DVD will be around for a while myself.

[Dr. Thong]

Ditto. I have literally hundreds of VHS tapes, compared to only dozens of DVDs.
And, as long as both my VCR and DVD player are in good working order, I am
perfectly happy with that arrangement. I still watch more video tapes than
DVDs (and probably always will) since my collection of tapes is much larger. So
I am hoping that both formats will be around for a long time to come.

DVD will probably be around for some time, but VHS is pretty much dead. Fewer and fewer new releases are being issued in the format and many stores don't even carry them anymore. I think within the next two years, VHS will be extinct. It's the nature of the format changes.

So, I would advise buying a good VCR now - if you still can - so you can enjoy your VHS tapes for years to come.

[Stuck In The '70's]

DVD will probably be around for some time, but VHS is pretty much dead. Fewer and fewer new releases are being issued in the format and many stores don't even carry them anymore. I think within the next two years, VHS will be extinct. It's the nature of the format changes.

So, I would advise buying a good VCR now - if you still can - so you can enjoy your VHS tapes for years to come.
I have a VCR/DVD Combo. It's great. You can still find them around. I don't even look for VHS movies anymore but I still get the blank tape to tape off tv.

[theshark8777]

One thing you guys forget to keep in mind, it is actually the movie studios who hold the key to this. If they quit making DVDs for one or both of the new formats, we're screwed. Now this is still years down the road, but chances are good i could happen. I just hope HD DVD beats out Blu Ray. I wont be buying one for a while thats for sure, and probably never if Blu Ray wins the format war.

[Stuck In The '70's]

One thing you guys forget to keep in mind, it is actually the movie studios who hold the key to this. If they quit making DVDs for one or both of the new formats, we're screwed. Now this is still years down the road, but chances are good i could happen. I just hope HD DVD beats out Blu Ray. I wont be buying one for a while thats for sure, and probably never if Blu Ray wins the format war.
Oh The Dvds will give way to something else. It always happens. I don't think it will happen this soon though.

[TVJunkie101]

I personally feel the DVD format will be around for years to come. I'm sure way way way down the line, a new, hotter format will come about, but until then ... I'm sticking with DVDs.

[robyrob]

Oh The Dvds will give way to something else. It always happens. I don't think it will happen this soon though.
i'm voting for hyperion space cubes :grineyes:

[Dr. Thong]

I have a VCR/DVD Combo. It's great. You can still find them around. I don't even look for VHS movies anymore but I still get the blank tape to tape off tv.

I still use the VCR occasionally to record shows. Best way to watch SNL - you can skip through the lame skits. I generally can watch SNL in under an hour now.:D

My roommate uses a DVD recorder with rewritable discs to tape shows.

I like the way TiVo works, but I resent having to pay a monthly "subscription" fee for it. To me, once I buy a device, I should be able to use it free and clear. They try to charge you for everything these days. I guess I'm old-fashioned.

[robby76]

I have no idea what Blue Ray is and I'm guessing HD = high definition? Either way I think that's a sign that dvds will be a mainstay.

Just did some research... if Blu-ray can store everything on one disc, just imagine how boring the packaging will be. I love my multi-case, fold-out, lots of photos and blurb dvds.

[Tymps]

I have no idea what Blue Ray is and I'm guessing HD = high definition? Either way I think that's a sign that dvds will be a mainstay.

Just did some research... if Blu-ray can store everything on one disc, just imagine how boring the packaging will be. I love my multi-case, fold-out, lots of photos and blurb dvds.
I think the only reason tv dvds have slowed down is because of so many series deemed failures or slow sellers by the studio. I'm sure it'll pick up once they decide what to do with many of those series.

[Brad]

I'm all for the existence of a high-definition video format. For those of us with a high definition television, one is definitely necessary.

However, this doesn't mean that you have to throw away your standard DVDs anytime soon. These next-generation formats are backwards compatible.

[Raisingdad2004]

All the players are backward compatible so nobody is asking you to restart a collection like with VHS.

I still use VHS to record because I won't shell out for a DVD Recorder and if I am not mistaken, you can't record something then record more to the end later - its all or nothing, ofcourse with rewritable then that problem is gone.

I don't think either HD/DVD or Blu-Ray will win, what will happen is they exist solely for the high end market until the studios decide to bind together and create one format (hopefully without regional coding) and sell that, that will be years down the line because nobody will change their whole TV system, unless they already have a HD ready set-up they will stay as is.

I doubt we'll even see many TV titles on HD/DVD or Blu-Ray, simply because most TV shows don't benefit from HD and the people who are shelling out that much money are probably more interested in movies than Friends.

[BuddyHinton]

GREAT topic:)

Anyway, i agree with most here. It is an upgrade and not a bonafide replacement. Not to mention, how many shows will be left to buy if/when HD/Blu become any sort of standard? I wouldn't say I am nearing the end of buying which shows I like but by the time the other standards hit, I may be close. How many shows really are there that you want to own that have the quality like Lucy, Gleason, Rockford, etc.? Yes, there are a lot but it's not infinite.

And I WHOLE HEARTEDLY agree... I love my sets with the packaging the way they are, and wading through page after page of menu's if all 24 eps fit on one disc doesn't seem like a plus to me. How about Beavers 30 episodes on one disc!? Lets see where was ep 23? Oh yeah, page 11:)

[JNSBSB]

I read an excellent article on digitalbits.com. I tried to find it so I could link it, but I couldn't. Anyway, it basically said that the author felt that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray won't become the standard. They'll be niche formats for high-end video and audiophiles.

Part of the author's reasoning why is that in order to get the full effect of the high-def formats, you have to have the right player, receiver and HD-TV set that will display the discs in the right way.


Probably not to mention a pretty darn huge living room space(like at least 3x the size of a regular t.v. viewing living room), plus a downward sloping roof, humungous(sp?) powerful THX ultra-3 certified speakers, a THX ultra-3 certified super-duper surround-sound receiver, stadium set seats, cup-holders built into the seats, theater lighting, plush maroon-colored carpeting built onto the walls(not just the floor), a butler who looks like Mr. Belvedere to bring in snacks and food and drinks, and huge space-age looking fans in the roof, all just to enjoy the full benefits of HD-DVD/Blue Ray. Man, have I gotten carried away. LOL.

[Ant-Lox]

I read somewhere that The Sopranos will be on HD-DVD next year..

[Brad]

I read somewhere that The Sopranos will be on HD-DVD next year..

Good. That show has been filmed in HD since day one, and a release on a high definition format would definitely be of some value.

[BuddyHinton]

The Soprano's HD brings up a good question; does everything really NEED HD? I mean a drama like this wouldn't seem to me to benefit from it. Would a clearer picture really do a lot to help someone enjoy the show more?

HD may have a spot when it comes to high budget summer/action movies but most releases just don't seem to need it one way or another.

The Brady Bunch.... in HD! Wow! Hate to say it but these old shows on dvd with my flatscreen already look amazing, if they think I'm gonna lay out 3K to make the picture clearer they have another thing coming.

[Raisingdad2004]

Well, when a HD format is finally adopted as standard, we could be seeing complete sets of shows on 4 discs!

[theshark8777]

Anything that has already been filmed on HD will be worth it to have on an HD DVD, any old 70s or 80s show like the Brady Bunch as you mentioned, will make no difference. If it wasnt filmed in HD, the HD DVD will be pretty much worthless other than fitting more data on the disc. Other than that yes HD blows standard def away on anything.

[TV DVD Fan]

Well, when a HD format is finally adopted as standard, we could be seeing complete sets of shows on 4 discs!


But look at the cons: the set would cost more, you'd have less discs, so no colorful packaging, probably no extras since the focus would be on the whole aspect of drilling a complete season of a series onto one disc and attempting to make a 30-year-old show look better, which as everybody else has said, would be an exercise in futility. Not to mention the biggest boo-boo of all, starting your collection ALLLLLL over again.

I say screw it, I'm staying with what we've got: I'm perfectly content.

JNSBSB, that was hilarious!

[tv star collector]

Since I have been collecting shows on video tape for nearly 25 years, it is
definitely "too late" for me to start my collection all over again. I now collect
DVDS--but I'm also keeping my video tapes as long as I have a VCR to watch them on.

[JNSBSB]

Look at it this way! With high definition tv's, we'll have to sit further back-away from the tv monitor(hdtv), not to mention a living/entertainment room twice the size of an average tv/living room. I'm not about to dig more land and tear up the walls in my living room so I can sit further away from my TV set so I can enjoy HDTV and HD-DVD. Beleive me, I test out TV sets and HDTV sets. I can comfortably stand near a regular tv set without squinting, but an HDTV set, I'm having to go back at least twice as far or risk getting dizzy. I'd say HDTV sets and HD are for those who have really large living rooms/entertainment rooms(like 40'x40' minimum). My living room is more like 27'x26'. LOL

[Brad]

Look at it this way! With high definition tv's, we'll have to sit further back-away from the tv monitor(hdtv), not to mention a living/entertainment room twice the size of an average tv/living room. I'm not about to dig more land and tear up the walls in my living room so I can sit further away from my TV set so I can enjoy HDTV and HD-DVD. Beleive me, I test out TV sets and HDTV sets. I can comfortably stand near a regular tv set without squinting, but an HDTV set, I'm having to go back at least twice as far or risk getting dizzy. I'd say HDTV sets and HD are for those who have really large living rooms/entertainment rooms(like 40'x40' minimum). My living room is more like 27'x26'. LOL

I have a 32" Philips LCD HDTV, and I have to sit no further away from my screen than I did when I had a standard TV.

Anything that has already been filmed on HD will be worth it to have on an HD DVD, any old 70s or 80s show like the Brady Bunch as you mentioned, will make no difference. If it wasnt filmed in HD, the HD DVD will be pretty much worthless other than fitting more data on the disc.

Not necessarily. Shows and movies that were shot on film, rather than tape, can be remastered from the original negatives (if they're available) and look better than they possibly could on SD-DVD.

That said, we need to make sure now that studios don't do us the disservice of engaging in "tilt & scan" (which is the opposite of "pan & scan") when it comes to things shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Universal HD is already doing it with shows like The Equalizer, Knight Rider and Quantum Leap.

[theshark8777]

I have a 57" HDTV and I dont sit any further away either. My living room is the same size it's always been.

[theshark8777]

And yes while it can be up-converted, it's really not the same thing, nor probably worth it IMO. I've watched shows on Universal HD, and they ones that weren't filmed in HD look way inferior. Better than SD yes, but no where near HD quality.

[Jeff003]

I don't see this format dying out anytime soon.HDDVD players are still too expensive and will probebly be for a couple of years.Also everyone myself included doesn't even have a hd tvset.Their too expensive right now as well.I don't plan on buying Hddvd no time soon.I was one of the first however to buy a dvd player when they first come out.

[Dr. Thong]

I think the average consumer is fairly entrenched with their DVD collections and are going to find new formats confusing. This could end up being a niche market as opposed to a mass market thing.

I don't want to end up with a Betamax format, so I'll just keep buying regular DVDs until I can't any more.

[friendsfan77]

I agree.

And whoever is in charge of the new video frontier market is starting to make a bad assumption. That we are all willing to restart our movie/dvd collection because they have miraculously invented a new product.

I agree. I'm not restarting my DVD and VHS collection over because of that. Also the idea of conversion comes up. Why do I need a HD-DVD machine when like 99% of my tapes that I'd like to convert some day are not even in high definition to start with?