HD vs. "standard definition"

[LostEmissary]

Just found some interesting comparisons of HD content vs. SD/DVD content. As good as DVD can look, HD is a whole different animal.

Here's a couple of Hi-Def vs. regular DVD comparisons

Star Wars:
http://csel.cs.colorado.edu/~pmjohnso/swhighdef/

Fellowship of the Ring:
http://www.cornbread.org/FOTRCompare/

zoomed detail example:

http://i4.tinypic.com/6yysu34.jpg

Be sure to click on the images for a full size comparison (the small ones don't really give you the true comparison)

The increased detail is unbelievable, and on a large screen, it makes a world of difference.

Bear in mind these are HDTV feeds, not actual Blu-Ray/HD-DVD vs. DVD comparisons. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will almost always have higher bitrate and quality than HD television feeds (even the best ones).

[Brian]

Great links Emissary! That's the first real side-by-side (so to speak) comparison I've seen and the difference is amazing. I'm still not crazy about the idea of having to buy all these movies again should I actually buy an HD or BluRay player, but it's helpful nonetheless.

Thanks!

[LostEmissary]

Great links Emissary! That's the first real side-by-side (so to speak) comparison I've seen and the difference is amazing. I'm still not crazy about the idea of having to buy all these movies again should I actually buy an HD or BluRay player, but it's helpful nonetheless.
Thanks!You're welcome! And you've stated the exact reason that HD media sucks. It will cost a fortune to re-buy all your favorite movies.

Of course, some movies will benefit more than others from the upgrade.. I don't think comedies or courtroom dramas are "must haves" in HD, but stuff like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and almost any Sci-Fi/adventure type films can potentially benefit a TON from the HD upgrade. Of course, if you don't have a decently sized HDTV it won't be much of an upgrade anyway, but just personally going on the movies I own on DVD and the few of them I've seen in HD over HD Time Warner Cable, I can spot the difference instantly. After watching some HD on television, DVDs look almost blurry. It's amazing how fast we get spoiled.

I think once HD sets go under $1000 for a 60" DLP projection TV, I'll end up going the whole 9 yards and get the new TV, blu-ray player, and a bunch of movies. I really don't have any expensive hobbies, so tech-stuff, especially home theater, is usually where I end up splurging.

[LostEmissary]

Another comparison from Serenity:

http://i25.tinypic.com/1q1y0x.png

All sorts of comparisons in this thread at AVS forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=811102&pp=30. Although, some of the comparisons on the first few pages are comparisons of early HD-DVD releases of films that appear to be nothing more than upconverted or bad transfers.