vs.
The folks from DVDFILE.com bring an analysis of the visual quality of HD-DVD against that of Blu-ray, with results showing one of the formats, Blu-ray, improving its visual quality over time and surpassing HD-DVD. The analysis also shows that the AVC CODEC offers more of a film-like presentation over the VC-1 Codec.
What Have We Learned So Far? – DVDFILE.com: A small analysis of high definition video quality on disc.
I was curious to discover whether or not my ratings were consistent and reliable. Since I routinely watched (and continue to watch) broadcast HDTV, I had a baseline of experience, but HD discs are so impressive compared to DVD that I might have given HD discs in early reviews a higher rating than they deserved simply because I was so initially impressed. If that had happened, after I became accustomed to the look of HD discs, my ratings would have dropped off.
I gathered the video ratings and CODECs from all my reviews, dumped the data into an Excel spreadsheet, and began to analyze. And the results are . . . interesting.
The resulting graph reveals several interesting things. First, for the most part, BD seems to have scored higher than HD DVD in video quality. Second, the trend analysis seems to indicate that BD is improving, while HD DVD had a slightly negative quality trend.
I recommend that consumers support the highest possible quality HD disc format to ensure that when they eventually purchase a sufficiently revealing display, the quality of the discs will maximize the enjoyment factor. Within five years, most of you will purchase displays that will reveal the subtle differences between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. I humbly suggest that your dollars should be invested in the format that is more able to deliver a viewing experience that comes closest to the motion picture theater experience.
Although the author of the article indicates that in five years time consumers will have displays capable of telling the difference, will there still be a format war by that time or will the market move away from disc based media? There is also the issue of dual-format players, which would provide consumers with peace of mind for the future.
I find that HD DVD is better.
I find that upscaled DVD works just fine for now. I’ll move up when the war is over. If history is any indication, the winning format will be the one with the most movie titles at the lowest cost per disk.
#0: “I humbly suggest that your dollars should be invested in the format that is more able to deliver a viewing experience that comes closest to the motion picture theater experience.”
The Motion Picture Association wants you to go to the movies not your living room. Even a format that comes really close to a movie theater experience is a loss for Hollywood because the home couch and popcorn will always be a stronger pull than the theater’s.
#3
I prefer going to the movie theater whenever I get the chances because nothing compares to yelling and laughing and screaming en masse.
Beta had what most people agreed was a slight picture-quality edge over VHS… and it only allowed it to linger-on in the niche-market of people who cared about such “minor” details – while everyone else bought VHS.
I had Beta…
I had [still have] LaserDisc…
I’m tempted to buy-into BluRay just to kill it off, too… 🙂
Which is better? Both. They are fine.
But they are both solutions in search of a problem. When a hybrid player is less than $100, it will be time to buy. In the meantime, DVD is fine. Not only that, but DVD has a better catalog and not just a new release list.
Nothing compares to an arch lamp and celluloid.
An “arch” lamp? 🙂
Is that the kind you hang overhead in a pointy doorway, to drop on interlopers when convenient?
• • • • •
BTW: w00t ß1µ-®∆ ¥!
#6 – You got one right. It looks like constantly beating on you has finally paid off.
#7 – Yes… Arch… Like Arch Nemesis… As in, “all the lamps cowered in fear before the awesome glow of the Arch Lamp.”
Oh who am I kidding?
/Academy Clip on
I NEVER LEARNED TO READ AND WRITE!!! WHAAAAAAAA!!
/Academy Clip off
#8 – You are so cute.
They both look pretty good.
Blu-Ray likes to brag about their disc capacity, but I recall both Sony and Toshiba saying you only need 25GB to do a HD movie.
Even if you can sit there an split hairs that Blu-Ray is better, what does the average Joe / Jane see?
It’s either going to boil down to pricing or “gotta have” movies.
Also Mighty Mouse could beat Superman!
Well for a number of years now, we’ve enjoyed having a single format video medium that fairly good (aka standard DVD). But that wasn’t good enough. And rather than give us another vastly improved upon, single format. They decided to give us two, that once again require separately dedicated players (they thought). Seems to me that this is more about confusing the consumers, and forcing them to buy twice the gear. Than simply just improving the visual screen quality. Back in the days of VHS vs Beta, Sony surprised me by switching over to making VHS machines. Sony invented the Betamax format! Have they no loyalty to themselves?! Fortunately, I picked the winning side on that one. Because I could see that Beta had more overall technical difficulties over VHS, in spite of having better audio quality. But a friend of mine owned both types of machines, because his tape library was about 50-50. And let’s not forget the the UK had a third format (PAL) which was not compatible with either. Another friend of mine, who came over from England, had a VHS/PAL machine to handle tapes sent from relatives, and those made in the US. The only similar monkey business the MPAA pulled on us consumers with standard DVDs, was the inclusion of the region codes. So you couldn’t import DVDs from a cheap source, outside of your “region”, and play them on a single player. Back then, DVD players we’re so cheap that you could afford to by a few to cover multiple regions. The new HD/BD formats will retain the region codes. THAT, they could agree upon! It’s all about making the players too expensive (once again) to own more than one per region code. That’s the real reason, I believe.
Oops, correction.
Back then, DVD players WEREN’T so cheap that you could afford to BUY a few to cover multiple regions. The new HD/BD formats will retain the region codes. THAT, they could agree upon! It’s all about making the players too expensive (once again) to buy more than one per region coding. It’s the anti-competitive pricing scheme that’s driving this new format. Not the improvement in resolution. That’s just an excuse. Right, John?
#12 – Glenn E
“Because I could see that Beta had more overall technical difficulties over VHS, in spite of having better audio quality.”
WTF are you talking about?? Beta had superior audio AND video. The VHS camp was always one or more steps behind Beta in performance and features, and when Sony finally stopped selling the last Beta decks a very few years ago, they were higher-performance than any VHS machine that has ever been built – although admittedly they were expensive…
“Technical difficulties?” WTF does that mean? I’ve personally worked on more than enough video decks to declare that another foolish statement. Betas had a simpler tape path, meaning less strain and wear on the tape and a simpler, more reliable transport mechanism, better tracking and speed stability. VHS fit more tape in the cassette, it’s sole advantage over Beta.
When selling competing formats to the public, tech superiority rarely has anything to do with success. Marketing – i.e. how cleverly and thoroughly the consumer is bullshitted – determines what sells. The typical consumer isn’t remotely competent to judge what is or isn’t technically superior.
I’ll tell you what I think. BluRay looks freakin’ kooky.
The Click trailer looks 3D and just plain weird on BluRay! It’s distracting when I’m trying to pay attention to what’s happening in a movie trailer only to be so distracted by the ‘clarity’ that I notice the actors are stomping around inside of a fabricated sets instead of a real house, office, etc.
Same for the RV trailer. The family is sitting in front of what looks like a matte painting of a beautiful mountain range. So not awesome.
HD DVD, on the other hand, still looks like film. It doesn’t detract, and it looks beautiful.
Can there be too much clarity? I believe so.
I don’t think I’m gonna be much fun when 3D televisions take over the world. Much worse, will I be the old man who complains at his grandkids for playing in the hologram room?
“In my day, we watched High Def televisions, and it was wonderful! None of this hi-fangled playin’ with ‘real’ movies type stuff in yer hologram room. We had to watch a television, and it looked like a movie and not ‘real’, and WE LIKED IT!’
T4NpNd Cool, bro!