http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa98.html#hdtitles

It's really starting to happen now. I know this has been explained before, but are we all going to have to purchase new players to accomodate HD DVDs, and will our SD DVDs still be playable?

Nope it's like the 8-track I presume...We will all have to purchase new HDTV's and then the stuff we have gotten on DVD will be of no good kinda like the VHS is now...

Ooooooo!
Love the titles selected! I can't wait to see:

Waterworld
Van Helsing
Vanilla Sky
Blade
Contact
Red Planet
Spawn
&
Catwomen

In this superior new expensive format. I'm sure it was the lower resolution that caused these flicks to suck the first time around.

HD-DVD players will play regular dvds. Blu-ray players will not. Hmmmm....any bets on which format wins out?

I tried to start a thread on this topic a week ago but Hobbytalk ate my post ! :).

Regarding the selected titles. Most of them don't appeal to me but, obviously, this is only the very first announcement. The ones that do appeal to me: GREASE, THE MUSIC MAN, THE THING.

Regarding Zorro's question...well, there is some complication involved (that's no surprise).

Clearly, if we want to view HD DVD in high defintion, then you'll require a whole new video system. You'll need a new player and an HDTV. That's the simple part.

Now for the variations. The worlds largest replicator of DVDs (Cineram) has indicated that they have developed a system for putting both an HD and SD version of a film on a single disc. This would allow you to buy a single disc which would be playable in standard player or HD player. Later, when you get an HD set, you could play the same disc in HD. That would let you buy HD discs when they become available even if you don't have an HD set up. This is analagous to the current situation where you can buy an anamorphic (enhanced for widscreen TV) disc even if you don't have a widescreen TV. However, given that this is all so new, we do NOT know if this method will be adopted commercially. Just because Cineram can make such a disc, doesn't mean the studios will go for it.

There is a second possiblity that HD DVD will be playable in an HD player but delivering a "downconverted" image to your regular 4x3 set. That would still require a special player. The advantage of that system is that it still allows you to buy and view HD discs in anticipation of owning an HDTV in the future. In other words, you won't have to buy a movie in SD now and in HD later.

The short version is this: Technology EXISTS to handle the situation in multiple ways. But we have to wait for studios and hardware manufacturers to announce WHICH of these technologies they will support for commercial application.

WILL YOUR SD DVD's STILL BE PLAYABLE. Almost certainly for a VERY long time. There is a very, very high probability that HD players will be backward compatible with the current format. So new players are expected to play old DVDs. I can't promise that...I don't own a movie studio...but virtually every pundit is especting backward compatibility.

More importantly, HD DVD is expected to be a niche market for a long time. It will not force SD DVD off the market any more than laserdisc killed VHS (not in the short to medium term anyway). Remember that normal DVD was able to penetrate the market very quickly because it was able to be played on the huge installed base of 4x3 TVs. HD DVD will have to deal with a much smaller installed base of 16x9 sets. This will slow it's growth.

I would expect to see SD DVD remain in production for many years to come and I would expect them to remain playable for many, many more years after that.

Thanks Brent.

Ditto, Brent,
I too appreciate you distilling all the TV and DVD techno-babble into easily understandable concepts!

On the backward compatibility issue, hopefully they'll learn from the videogame-console wars. Sony Playstation seems to be going strong while Nintendo Gamecube is dying a slow death.

Ooooooo!
Love the titles selected! ....

In this superior new expensive format. I'm sure it was the lower resolution that caused these flicks to suck the first time around.

LOL :p

Jim