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[HokieJoe]

OMG THE CC COUPON WORKED!!!

I was so reluctant to use the pdf coupon but figured the worst they could do was say no, so what the heck. Plus today's the last day!

So I printed it in color and went to the store. CC's website said the drives were in stock so I didn't panic when I didn't see any on the shelf. I asked the kid at the media register if they had any in stock and he checked - yup, two. So he started to ring me up.

"You're going to ring me up here?" I asked, thinking the girls at the service desk would be better.

"Yeah," he said.

"OK, can I use this?" I handed him the coupons.

He squinted at the page a moment and said, "No, this isn't a DVD recorder."

"No," I said. "This one. Forty dollars off purchases of $199. The drive is $199."

He scanned it and BOOM, it went in!

But I wasn't out of the woods yet. He went to the back to find one and I waited for five minutes before he returned.

"The computer says we have two but I didn't see any."

Pretty soon there's five guys turning the store upside down. I stood there for 10 minutes wondering if I was going to walk out of the store with a player or not.

FINALLY, one of the guys comes out and says, "They were in a tote!"

I'm looking at my new HD-DVD player right now.

Haha, that's cool. I was afraid they wouldn't honor my $40 off coupon because I bought it online but picked it up in-store. Something on the coupon said something to the effect of the purchase having to be made in-store-only.

Well anyway, last night when I went by the store they took it.

I still can't believe I got an HD movie player for $160 with a free movie. I was so happy that I picked up Last Samurai and Sahara. They were all out of LRonImpossible III.

 

[Kolgar]

OK, I'm excited to watch my first HD-DVD movie. But first, a question.

I like the fact that this attachment means less wear and tear on my console's DVD drive. But I hear that due to software decoding, HD movies push 360 really hard.

Anyone encountered problems with overheating? Any fears of shortening the life of the box?

 

[Dracos]

Hokie please give us your feedback on the sound in Last Samurai. On mine I can hardly hear it. The sound is horrible. I don't think it's the disc as quite a few people have said theirs sucks. Let us know about your disc. If yours is messed up then it must be the DD5.1 bug in the software.

 

[HokieJoe]

Hokie please give us your feedback on the sound in Last Samurai. On mine I can hardly hear it. The sound is horrible. I don't think it's the disc as quite a few people have said theirs sucks. Let us know about your disc. If yours is messed up then it must be the DD5.1 bug in the software.

Will do.

As soon as I get a chance to. Gotta' do family stuff this weekend.

 

[Alcibiades]

Hokie please give us your feedback on the sound in Last Samurai. On mine I can hardly hear it. The sound is horrible. I don't think it's the disc as quite a few people have said theirs sucks. Let us know about your disc. If yours is messed up then it must be the DD5.1 bug in the software.

3 Warner titles (Last Samurai, Million Dollar Baby, and Phantom of the Opera), were known to have been mastered at much lower levels than normal. After that they "fixed" the issue and had more normal levels for the sound.

That said, I think turning up the volume is supposed to solve the problem. I have Last Samurai and just turning the knob on my receiver for this movie got it to a good sound level.

 

[Alcibiades]

p.s. I have an HD-A1 though, I guess on top of the lower volume level, there might be an add-on issue, but that would be something different...

no major problem for me after raising the volume, but it is a known issue for those 3 titles since most people don't want to adjust their receivers too much

 

[yacobod]

i picked up the hd dvd drive last night

i picked up MI3 and Chronicles of Riddick in addition to getting King Kong free

my review of it so far is overwhelmingly positive

video looks great

i'm glad i picked it up

 

[Sgt. Killjoy]

if anyone here has impressions of how hddvd looks on a pc monitor compared to dvd, i would love to hear them.

 

[Dracos]

3 Warner titles (Last Samurai, Million Dollar Baby, and Phantom of the Opera), were known to have been mastered at much lower levels than normal. After that they "fixed" the issue and had more normal levels for the sound.

That said, I think turning up the volume is supposed to solve the problem. I have Last Samurai and just turning the knob on my receiver for this movie got it to a good sound level.

Ah well that makes sense. I also turned the volume up, but compared to the SD DVD version, it's still missing what seems like an entire portion of the soundstage. At least it's just limited to these 3 discs then. That makes me feel better as my other HD DVDs are a bit lower but nowhere near The Last Samurai levels. Thanks.

 

[Kiyamon]

I have some questions for those who already have it:

My tv has a native resolution of 720p, will HD-DVD's look better if the 360 is at 720p or 1080i?

Would getting the VGA for a 720p tv make sense or a difference?

On a seperate note... does anybody know of a way to save HD-DVD movies to your hard-drive... like you can do with current DVDs? Thanks.

 

[Kolgar]

Last night my g/f and I watched our first HD movie on this add-on: Batman Begins.

I really couldn't be more pleased. The picture was breathtaking on my 61" 1080p set, especially the long views of landscapes and skylines. Razor sharp and beautiful.

I didn't notice any lowered sound quality either, though I am not an audiophile and my audio equipment is out of date. I enjoyed it very much and the bass made the clock on my wall rattle all the same.

After the movie, I checked the add-on and my 360 (and their power supplies) for heat, but found that they were both surprisingly cool. Of course, I keep everything elevated and on hard surfaces, so that helps, but it was definitely a relief.

This was a great purchase.

 

[Last Hope]

I have not read this thread but incase it has not been posted, I found a really good review a week ago or two. It seems to be what I expected. It plays fine but that is about it. No actual options except pause and the searching works like ass just like it does on the Xbox 360 with any video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FtApxI2os2c

 

[rubso]

Last night my g/f and I watched our first HD movie on this add-on: Batman Begins.

I really couldn't be more pleased. The picture was breathtaking on my 61" 1080p set, especially the long views of landscapes and skylines. Razor sharp and beautiful.

I didn't notice any lowered sound quality either, though I am not an audiophile and my audio equipment is out of date. I enjoyed it very much and the bass made the clock on my wall rattle all the same.

After the movie, I checked the add-on and my 360 (and their power supplies) for heat, but found that they were both surprisingly cool. Of course, I keep everything elevated and on hard surfaces, so that helps, but it was definitely a relief.

This was a great purchase.

Nice, i didn't get my Batman Begins yet, but it would be good if you take some photos of Batman/HD-DVD360 running on your GREAT samsung HDTV, Thanks in advance.
btw, i heard that Batman Begins supports 1080p HD output, have you tried it with the Xbox 360 VGA Cable?

 

[yacobod]

out of the 3 hd dvds i purchased

im gonna say chronicles of riddick has the most impressive PQ

the movie is pretty bad but it looks great

batman begins, superman returns, and the searchers are coming in a few days

so i can compare some more

 

[Chichikov]

My tv has a native resolution of 720p, will HD-DVD's look better if the 360 is at 720p or 1080i?

720p
(technically it depends on your set, but it’s highly unlikely that it will look better on 1080i)

Would getting the VGA for a 720p tv make sense or a difference?

Again, it depends on your TV set, but most likely it will not make dramatic difference.

 

[Chichikov]

I have not read this thread but incase it has not been posted, I found a really good review a week ago or two. It seems to be what I expected. It plays fine but that is about it. No actual options except pause and the searching works like ass just like it does on the Xbox 360 with any video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FtApxI2os2c

This review confuses content with hardware limitations.
Searching actually works pretty well and bookmarks are very nicely implemented.
Also, zoom is supported for hd-dvd.
As for valid criticisms raised, fast forward and rewind are a bit on the clunky side and lack of slow motion is glaring.

 

[SaggyMonkey]

btw, i heard that Batman Begins supports 1080p HD output, have you tried it with the Xbox 360 VGA Cable?

Haven't picked up an HD-DVD yet that doesn't say 1080p on it. Wasn't that sorta the point of the format?

 

[SaggyMonkey]

edit: doublepost.. my bad.. here's a picture of a kitten to make up for it.

 

[Stinkles]

I have not read this thread but incase it has not been posted, I found a really good review a week ago or two. It seems to be what I expected. It plays fine but that is about it. No actual options except pause and the searching works like ass just like it does on the Xbox 360 with any video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FtApxI2os2c

What "options" are you talking about? In fact, what are you even talking about? The "search" on HD DVD is standardized across all players, works in an elegant layer above the video. He bitches that currently there's no slo mo.

I am also very baffled that the reviewer decided that standard uprezzed DVDs look the same as HD DVDs. At that point I was all, "Whu?" Because they simply don't compare.

 

[Chichikov]

Haven't picked up an HD-DVD yet that doesn't say 1080p on it. Wasn't that sorta the point of the format?

<anal>
There are few 1080i next gen dvds out there. And once TV shows start coming out we’ll get much more 720p or 1080i hd-dvd/bluray discs.
</anal>
But yeah, you're pretty much right.

Also, your cat is awesome.

 

[Nozi]

For anyone curious about quality of movies on HD, I've had my Toshiba HD DVD player for a while now and I think Aeon Flux is by far the best looking HD movie and the one to 'show off' the system with. Otherwise Unforgiven looks surprisingly sharp, and Serenity looks amazing in places.

 

[Groovester]

I won't be getting one, unless I pick one up at a used game store when they get to be dirt cheap because of how old they'll be. I'm a game console "completist" meaning that my SEGA Genesis has the CD and 32x add-ons

It would be neat to have for the sheer, "isn't this neat" factor but in all reality, I'll be watching "next-gen movies" on my PS3, if at all, because it's already in the system.

 

[Chichikov]

I won't be getting one, unless I pick one up at a used game store when they get to be dirt cheap because of how old they'll be. I'm a game console "completist" meaning that my SEGA Genesis has the CD and 32x add-ons

It would be neat to have for the sheer, "isn't this neat" factor but in all reality, I'll be watching "next-gen movies" on my PS3, if at all, because it's already in the system.

I was just thinking to myself, sure, this player is fine and dandy, but is Groovester going to get one?
Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[SaggyMonkey]

As someone's that been pretty happy with a DLP 720p set (56 inch) for over two years now, the 360 HD-DVD player is currently the preferred format over the PS3 BRD player until they figure out how to scale the films to 720p correctly. The picture quality on my set of a BRD film (on the PS3) currently doesn't look as good.

 

[Kolgar]

Can someone remind me whether or not the add-on is limited to 1080i output for movies? My TV accepts 1080p over component and I'm wondering.

Regardless, after Batman last night, there's not much more I could ask for.

Edit2: Seems the add-on can only output 1080p over VGA due to ACS rules. (Thanks AVS.)

AVS Add-On FAQ:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748740

 

[jjasper]

I am also very baffled that the reviewer decided that standard uprezzed DVDs look the same as HD DVDs. At that point I was all, "Whu?" Because they simply don't compare.

Do you know anywhere that has pictures of upscaled DVDs side by side with HD DVDs for a comparison. I was going to go get the add on today and rethinking now even though I don't completely believe that review.

 

[Kolgar]

Do you know anywhere that has pictures of upscaled DVDs side by side with HD DVDs for a comparison. I was going to go get the add on today and rethinking now even though I don't completely believe that review.

I don't have photos, but I've watched Batman Begins on my Sony upscaling DVD player and the 360 add-on. No contest, the 360's drive looks amazingly sharp.

Of course, your results may vary depending on your television, its size, the quality of the movie transfer, etc.

 

[joaomgcd]

Can someone remind me whether or not the add-on is limited to 1080i output for movies? My TV accepts 1080p over component and I'm wondering.

Regardless, after Batman last night, there's not much more I could ask for.

Edit2: Seems the add-on can only output 1080p over VGA due to ACS rules. (Thanks AVS.)

AVS Add-On FAQ:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748740

I remember an interview where they stated that, if the TV supported it, the add-on could output 1080p over component, so you might want to look better into that.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

I remember an interview where they stated that, if the TV supported it, the add-on could output 1080p over component, so you might want to look better into that.

It wont, due to dvd company rules. They misspoke. The 360 can do it for non protected content (like games) though.

 

[marwan]

so 1080i movies are non protected, while 1080p movie sare protected? i dont get it! does HDCP apply on HD-DVDs, or is it a Bluray thing only?

 

[joaomgcd]

It wont, due to dvd company rules. They misspoke. The 360 can do it for non protected content (like games) though.

Oh yeah, they must've been talking about games at the time... Sorry about that.

 

[mrklaw]

I watched MI:III last night on the add-on. Generally very impressed and the picture is on a par with what I remember from my A1.

But the sound was pretty flat. Almost like you had dynamic range compression up high. Oddly it made for a relaxing nights viewing without me diving for the remote when big things went 'boom', but it did feel flat.

Anyone else with audio quality issues?

 

[EMBee99]

In the Superman: The Movie HD-DVD, check out when Krypton explodes. You can definitely see a few wrinkles in the backdrop used for the effect (bottom left corner).

This brings up an interesting question...will the increased clarity of older movies show more flaws that a film print or an older, aged negative would hide? And if so, will this alter your enjoyment of the film?

BTW: Superman has never looked better. HD-DVD rules.

 

[TerryLee81]

Just got my player today and I'm VERY impressed.

I have "only" a Philips 720p LCD, but even in 720p, the picture quality is so much better than the one of my upscaled DVDs.

Do you guys stop buying normal DVDs now? I'm seriously thinking about it and I will probably buy only HD-DVDs from now on. But then again, what if BR becomes the accepted format? What a dilemma.

 

[Pug]

mrklaw I noticed with regards to the sound that I have to increase the bass, but as for the channel separation KK is way beyond any DVD I have ever played. I have never heard such clear and crisp effects coming from all the channels. I have a Pani PV500 (720p) and yes its a step up from DVD no doubts but I still have major doubts if either HD medium will actually take off. Friends have noted the quality but nearly all have commented that its not a massive jump over DVD (upscaled 720p) and price does not warrant the purchase. To be honest I can see where they are coming from the HD battle has nothing to do with hd-dvd vs BR and everything to do with verus DVD.

 

[Mmmkay]

so 1080i movies are non protected, while 1080p movie sare protected? i dont get it! does HDCP apply on HD-DVDs, or is it a Bluray thing only?

This is an AACS thing, for both Blu-ray and HD DVD, and has nothing to do with what resolution the movie is stored at on the disc. Also, HDCP is used for transporting movies along digital outputs and isn't used for VGA/Component.

Separate to ICT, which can reduce resolution for analog outputs, AACS also puts upper limits on which analog outputs can display at. VGA is allowed to display at 'commonly implemented' output resolutions as of June 2004, and is largely seen as a loophole. Component however will never be allowed to output higher than 1080i for an AACS protected movie.

http://www.aacsla.com/support/AACS_Interim_Adopter_Agreement_060215.pdf
Pages 92-96

Frankly, Microsoft are confusing the matter by talking about unprotected movies. You won't get a HD DVD movie which does not use AACS, it's mandated into the format. The comment was exclusively addressed to user created content or footage which does not use AACS protection (can be anything from downloadable content, game content, but just generally non HD DVD content).

 

[HokieJoe]

Hokie please give us your feedback on the sound in Last Samurai. On mine I can hardly hear it. The sound is horrible. I don't think it's the disc as quite a few people have said theirs sucks. Let us know about your disc. If yours is messed up then it must be the DD5.1 bug in the software.

Yep Dracos, my disc seems to have the bug as well. No biggy though, as Alcibiades mentioned, I just turned up the volume more.

 

[HokieJoe]

Do you know anywhere that has pictures of upscaled DVDs side by side with HD DVDs for a comparison. I was going to go get the add on today and rethinking now even though I don't completely believe that review.

jjasper, I saw a HD-DVD demo loop being piped to a 61" Pioneer plasma at BB the other night.

O M G

The Pio has a 1366 x 768 panel. Admittedly, the content was video which contributed to the sharpness, but holy f***ing WOW it looked awesome.

 

[Naka]

Do you guys stop buying normal DVDs now? I'm seriously thinking about it and I will probably buy only HD-DVDs from now on. But then again, what if BR becomes the accepted format? What a dilemma.

That comment is how I am feeling. I am really on the fence about this. It would be nice to have the HD-DVD addon and a PS3 for BD support so everything is covered. But how do I gage my movie purchases? I am still debating overall if I should be asking for this addon for Christmas or not. I like thinking that I will be able to watch movies in a superior quality. I dont like having to decide between BD or HD-DVD. Any advice?

 

[marwan]

sorry i cant be bothered to read through 20 pages of this thread so excuse me, but is it possible to make the xbox 360 HD-DVD drive work on Windows XP? where can i find the drivers?

 

[Dracos]

I picked up Miami Vice on HDDVD yesterday and aside from the scenes that are grainy on purpose, the movie looks and sounds fantastic. Definately the best looking HDDVD I own now.

Also for those with Bluray too, the BR versions of The Last Samurai and Unforgiven are MUCH better sounding and the PQ is slightly better as well. Enough to notice.

 

[marwan]

?

 

[Bloodwake]

I'm thinking about picking it up after Christmas.

 

[jjasper]

jjasper, I saw a HD-DVD demo loop being piped to a 61" Pioneer plasma at BB the other night.

O M G

The Pio has a 1366 x 768 panel. Admittedly, the content was video which contributed to the sharpness, but holy f***ing WOW it looked awesome.

Doesn't matter I picked up 2 days ago

I have only watch part of King Kong (holy shit I forogt how long that freakin movie is), but I am pretty impressed. I need to get some more movies. I am thinking these over the next week and as presents for Chirstmas:
MI pack
Polar Express
Superman
Batman

Any other good recommendations.

Also I found the VGA to washed out (similar to games) and component to be superior

Anyone know when we are getting Blade Runner, Matrix, and LOTRs?

 

[yacobod]

if you some impressive PQ/reference quality hd dvds

i would suggest getting

corpse bride
chronicles of riddick
seabisquit
aeon flux

 

[Bebpo]

So as an effect that Sony was probably not expecting, having a Blu-ray player has made me more and more interested in buying the X360 HD-DVD addon to have a wider spectrum of HD movies to watch (I expect this will happen with a lot of owners and probably vice-versa with the HD-DVD addon & the PS3). The only thing its hard for me to justify $200+tax since there really aren't more than 1 or 2 movies I'd buy on HD-DVD at this point (but I'd like to rent and see a whole bunch). So I have two questions:

1. Are there any deals still going on that I can use to get it for cheaper?

2. Does the player still come with King Kong HD-DVD or was that just first-run only?

Thanks,

 

[jjasper]

2. Does the player still come with King Kong HD-DVD or was that just first-run only?

I got mine on Monday and it came with King Kong, I don't know if it was part of the original shipment or one that has been out on the shelf since release

 

[yacobod]

i got mine last saturday and it came with KK

i think the units that come with KK, will have a sticker on the box indicating so

 

[Alcibiades]

Also for those with Bluray too, the BR versions of The Last Samurai and Unforgiven are MUCH better sounding and the PQ is slightly better as well. Enough to notice.

That's interesting, since from what's been said, Warner uses the same master for both HD DVD and Blu-ray, and aside from player difference, they should look EXACTLY the same.

I don't see how they are better sounding either, since they both use 640kps sound streams (Dolby Digital for Blu-ray, and Dolby Digital Plus for HD DVD) and should sound relatively the same. Last Samurai was one of the 3 HD DVDs known to have been authored at a low sound level, so the Blu-ray should be louder at the same volume, but you could turn up the volume on the HD DVD to fix that.

Is there a link to a review that backs up what you claim?

 

[Dracos]

That's interesting, since from what's been said, Warner uses the same master for both HD DVD and Blu-ray, and aside from player difference, they should look EXACTLY the same.

I don't see how they are better sounding either, since they both use 640kps sound streams (Dolby Digital for Blu-ray, and Dolby Digital Plus for HD DVD) and should sound relatively the same. Last Samurai was one of the 3 HD DVDs known to have been authored at a low sound level, so the Blu-ray should be louder at the same volume, but you could turn up the volume on the HD DVD to fix that.

Is there a link to a review that backs up what you claim?

Not that I know of. I still don't get the whole turn the movie up and everything is fine thing. The HDDVD of the Last Samurai is missing something. I just did a comparison earlier today. Even cranking that thing up, it is very hollow. As for the PQ, the HDDVD is slightly grainy. It makes the film look abit older than on the Bluray. It's not a night and day difference, and could very well be the player. It's just an obversation. The bluray version looks slightly better. Sound wise it's alot better. There is definately a problem with the Last Samurai HDDVD version. Mind you I'm not trying to make this a format war thing, just saying that anyone interested in one of those 3 faulty discs, should go with the BR version as the issues have been fixed there.