What's with all the DVD formats?

[hornteacher]

I went to purchase a Christmas present for my wife.  She wanted the new Harry Potter Movie on DVD.  I thought "That's easy enough."  I go to my local store and find no less than SIX versions of the movie!

#1 - Blue Ray Version
#2 - HD DVD Version
#3 - WS Vanilla Version
#4 - FS Vanilla Version
#5 - WS Special Edition
#6 - FS Special Edition

This is getting ridiculous.  It took me half an hour to figure out which one to get.  I still don't understand the difference between High Def and Blue Ray.

[Harry]

For now, stay away from these formats, being Blue Ray, or HD. Next year it should be clear which format will win the battle. In picture quality there is no difference, just a difference in inter active possibilities.
And maybe there will come a third party on the market from China in the war of formats.
Until that time buy a normal version of the film, and simply ignore the special editions.

[Great Gable]

I agree with Harry. Once you get a format war it's best to sit back and wait to see who wins. I am still only buying vanilla DVDs and will do so for the considerable future. Whatever does take precedent will still have to be backwardly compatible anyway.

[Todd]

I'd suggest always buying widescreen since standard 4:3 aspect ratio televisions are slowly disappearing.  The standard editions just have the movie, while special editions usually have other goodies (making of documentaries, etc), so if someone really likes a given movie, the special edition may be worthwhile.  Like with the Blade Runner box-set!

As to the format war, it looks like Blu-Ray has the edge.  The last major studio that has not committed to just one format – Warner – is in talks with Sony and the other companies in the consortium.  If they go with Blu-Ray, the major studios who committed to HD-DVD will almost assuredly jump ship.  (Apparently, the executives and lawyers of Universal and the other companies who selected HD opted for a short-term contract and some hefty revenue sharing.  Doesn't seem like a permanent deal.)  Warner's decision should be made by spring.

[drogulus]

    Get #3. If you're buying it you'll want WS since it has all the picture info, so even if you don't have a WS TV now, when you get one you won't regret buying all those "foolscreen" DVDs. 
     
    I agree about the format wars. I'm waiting, too, though I'm tempted by the LG second generation universal disc player for computers. It's $400, down from over $1000 for the first one. It has better performance, too.

[71 dB]

I went to purchase a Christmas present for my wife.  She wanted the new Harry Potter Movie on DVD.  I thought "That's easy enough."  I go to my local store and find no less than SIX versions of the movie!

#1 - Blue Ray Version
#2 - HD DVD Version
#3 - WS Vanilla Version
#4 - FS Vanilla Version
#5 - WS Special Edition
#6 - FS Special Edition

This is getting ridiculous.  It took me half an hour to figure out which one to get.  I still don't understand the difference between High Def and Blue Ray.

WS Special Edition DVD is the right version before the HD format battle is over. FS versions are for people who don't understand 4:3 aspect ratio is "history".

[Montpellier]

    Get #3. If you're buying it you'll want WS since it has all the picture info, so even if you don't have a WS TV now, when you get one you won't regret buying all those "foolscreen" DVDs. 

Not entirely true.  Many films were made with a mask over the viewing lens but not the "taking" lens.  That's why sometimes a pan and scan showing a full frame gives top and bottom content not shown on w/s.  You still lose image if the original film was anything wider than 16:9

The blu-ray technology just uses a different diode from the red ray ones, its smaller wavelength allows finer resolution so more can be etched onto a disc.  

[drogulus]

Not entirely true.  Many films are made with a mask over the viewing lens but not the "taking" lens.  That's why sometimes a pan and scan showing a full frame gives top and bottom content not shown on w/s.  

 

     Yeah, that's true with some 1.85:1 films, but not the 2.35 films.

     I don't think that extra information on the 4:3 versions is worth anything. It wasn't meant to be seen in the theaters, and it just makes it easier to make DVDs for every format.

[71 dB]

Not entirely true.  Many films were made with a mask over the viewing lens but not the "taking" lens.  That's why sometimes a pan and scan showing a full frame gives top and bottom content not shown on w/s.  You still lose image if the original film was anything wider than 16:9

Not that many actually. Kubrick used to film using 'open matte' technique but most newer movies are "widescreen". In Europe we don't even have FS ("foolscreen") versions available, only WS.

Nothing is lost if the original aspect ratio is wider than 16:9. The picture is fitted to the screen adding narrow black bars above and below the picture area.

The blu-ray technology just uses a different diode from the red ray ones, its smaller wavelength allows finer resolution so more can be etched onto a disc.  

HD DVD is also based on blue laser even if the "marketing color" of the format is red. DVD uses red laser.

[longears]

$0.02 more:  I, too, will sit out the format wars.  Meanwhile, I'm very happy that one consequence has been lowering the price of DVDs to around $5 instead of $10.  My playback equipment upsamples and the picture is good enough that I'd never know the difference if I weren't comparing side-by-side.

Second--the only "Full Screen" DVDs I've bought are a couple of Kubrick's shot in open matte--not the same as pan and scan.  I've never understood why anyone would buy a P&S movie.  Don't they want to see the whole movie, not just (slightly more than) half of it?  When they buy a dozen roses don't they expect to get 12, not just 7?  Would they buy a music recording that only has 60% of the sound?  (Whoops--forgot about all those lossy compression downloads!  )

[71 dB]

$0.02 more:  I, too, will sit out the format wars.  Meanwhile, I'm very happy that one consequence has been lowering the price of DVDs to around $5 instead of $10.  My playback equipment upsamples and the picture is good enough that I'd never know the difference if I weren't comparing side-by-side.

Yes, better wait for the format war to end and HD technology to get (much) cheaper. We should enjoy cheap DVDs today (filthy rich people can jump to HD, if they haven't already).

The difference between SD and HD formats is dramatic if you have proper HD equipment and the viewing distance is small. HD allows us to have bigger "cinematic" picture.

Second--the only "Full Screen" DVDs I've bought are a couple of Kubrick's shot in open matte--not the same as pan and scan.  I've never understood why anyone would buy a P&S movie.  Don't they want to see the whole movie, not just (slightly more than) half of it? 

Many people are amazingly dumb when it comes to these things. The difference of open matte and P&S is far too complex to most I'm afraid.

[Bonehelm]

Yes, better wait for the format war to end and HD technology to get (much) cheaper. We should enjoy cheap DVDs today (filthy rich people can jump to HD, if they haven't already).

The difference between SD and HD formats is dramatic if you have proper HD equipment and the viewing distance is small. HD allows us to have bigger "cinematic" picture.

Many people are amazingly dumb when it comes to these things. The difference of open matte and P&S is far too complex to most I'm afraid.

Approximately when will we know who the winner of the two will be?

[71 dB]

Approximately when will we know who the winner of the two will be?

Approximately one year from now.

[71 dB]

The format war might be over:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/warner-goes-blu-ray-exclusive/

Blu-ray seems to win but of course this is not 100 % sure yet.

[Brian]

Incidentally, there are also the different DVD "regions", so that what's playable on one continent isn't necessarily going to work on the others. For example, on America's Funniest Videos the other day, the host gave an audience member a DVD set as a prize, and the lucky winner said she was from York, England. So the host said something about bringing the laughs back to the UK, and my dad grumbled ... "Yeah, but she won't be able to play it."

*Brian rolls his eyes and waits for HDYouTube*

Incidentally, if Blu-Ray is going to win, can't they change the name to something that sounds ... you know ... not stupid? It sounds like a joke from a cheesy scifi movie, or maybe a toothless farmer's dog from my part of Texas: "Hi, I'm Earl, and this here's my hound Blu-Ray."

[71 dB]

Incidentally, there are also the different DVD "regions", so that what's playable on one continent isn't necessarily going to work on the others.

That's why I have a region-free player.

I hope region-free Blu-ray players will be available too.

[M forever]

I went to purchase a Christmas present for my wife. 

Does that mean that Hilary finally said yes?

[Siedler]

There are some classical HD discs avalaibe from Opus Arte:

[71 dB]

There are some classical HD discs avalaibe from Opus Arte:

No HayDn, HänDel or HinDemith? 

[hornteacher]

Does that mean that Hilary finally said yes?