First Look at HD-DVD

I've seen a few full-length films in HD-DVD on a large, high-resolution JVC rear projection display, and a few HD-DVD film clips on a much smaller (sub-40") high-resolution Westinghouse LCD display. On highly detailed scenes, images on the comparatively small Westinghous screen looked almost like photographic prints. In both cases, I found the new format compelling.

To me, the gap between HD-DVDs and regular DVDs is almost as startling as the gap between conventional DVDs and NTSC broadcasts. Once you experience the difference, I think there's no going back.

(Scott Wilkinson, Video Editor, TPV, warned me that I might feel this way, and he was right!).

By the way, sound quality on the HD-DVD material I sampled seemed unusually good.

Chris Martens
Audio Editor, The Perfect Vision
Senior Writer, The Absolute Sound

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It's kind of interesting to note how many of the early titles released for HD DVD (the ones I've seen have all been Warner Bros. releases) seem to have gotten out ahead of various vendors' ability to provide their technologies to the disc manufacturers.

For example, I've looked at about 15 titles from Warner and not one of them has the high-def version of DTS sound implemented. And most only have Dolby Digital Plus, with the exception of Phantom of the Opera, which has that and also Dolby TrueHD.

None of the titles have the bonus material in high-def--just the movie.

So the question then becomes, do you really want to spend your money on some of these first releases, which seem to be coming to market before all the technologies are in place, or do you bide your time and see add these titles to your NetFlix line-up until more high-def video AND AUDIO elements are there.

By the way, Dolby TrueHD in Phantom of the Opera is pretty darned remarkable. Anyone else see this yet and have an opinion of the TrueHD implementation?

Arnie Williams
Managing Editor, The Perfect Vision

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