 |
What is Total HD? |
 |
First announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show
(CES), the Total HD is a disc that’s capable of playing
on both Blu-ray and HD DVD players (one format on each
side). It was initially due to launch in the second half
of 2007, but was then delayed until the beginning of 2008.
It is now on indefinite hold.
|
|
Why are so many HD DVDs and Blu-rays lacking in extras? |
|
While studios will no doubt say it’s so they can offer
the best possible video and audio, it smacks of a
rather cynical marketing ploy to us. When DVDs
first came out, it wasn’t uncommon for a film to come
with no extras at all (also known as a vanilla disc).
That way, when extras were later made available
for special editions, there was more chance of
consumers ‘double dipping’ and picking the more
loaded release. Considering that many Blu-ray
and HD DVDs have been released numerous times
on DVD, it’s somewhat criminal that all these
extras aren’t made available. Some would argue
that it’s picture and sound quality that’s most
important. But hey, that’s why films normally
come with a second disc.
|
|
What is HD VMD? |
|
VMD stands for Versatile Media Disc and is the third
high-def disc format to appear. Created by UK technology
firm New Medium Enterprise, its discs can currently
store 15-20GB on a single layer. While no major American
film studios are currently supporting the new format,
New Medium Enterprise has struck a European deal with
Monolith Films.
|
|
What is encoding? |
|
Encoding is a way of transferring specific information
from one format to another. Both formats currently use
either VC-1, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 (H.264).
|
|
Where can I buy discs from? |
|
While Blu-rays and HD DVDs can be bought from a variety of
retail stores, including Blockbuster (Blu-ray only), Gamestation,
Virgin, Game and HMV, they often tend to feature highly inflated
prices. Your best option is to use internet sites like play.com,
amazon.co.uk or movietyme.com.
|
|
What is compression? |
|
Compression is essentially a way of encoding information by
using fewer bits than an un-encoded version would use. It
can take the form of zipped files on a computer but, as far
as high-definition is concerned, it is used to compress both
video and audio (although audio compression is more common on
HD DVDs).
|
|
Can I play American HD DVDs on my UK player? |
|
All HD DVDs are Region Free, so it’s possible to buy films from
anywhere in the world and not have to worry about them not
working. This is particularly handy for keen moviegoers, as
you can sometimes buy movies around the same time they appear
in UK cinemas.
|
|
What are the types of compression available? |
|
Currently, both Blu-ray and HD DVD use the following three
different codecs: MPEG-2, VC-1 and H.264/AVC. Initial Blu-ray
releases appeared on MPEG-2s, while the majority of HD DVDs
tend to use Microsoft’s VC-1.
|
