SEARS sets the record HD vs. BLU RAY

This is what appeared in the Sunday add from SEARS:

HD vs. BLU RAY

HD Advantages: Outstanding picture up to 6 times the resolution of standard DVD video. Delivers high definition 1080 content. Crystal clear, high defenition surround sound that can equal the original studio master.

BLU RAY Advantages: Full 1080p HD output delivers the highest HD resolution available with a 1080p HDTV. DVD upscaling to 1080p optimizes the playback of your existing library of standard definition DVDs. Pristine 7.1 channel surround sound for master quality audio.

Thats exatly how the add reads, no I am not putting any spin on this at all. Now if I am a newbie to this format war, does it not sound as if Blu Ray is better than HD DVD? See thats why I have the bad taste in my mouth over SONY. Bottom line is that both formats are equal, other than the price, and that both HD DVD and Blu Ray carry all these features. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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[Post edited by InvisibleBiker on Dec 30, 2007]

Wow thats pretty bad. Toshiba should make them do an add correction or something. Then again who goes to Sears to buy high definition? Still that should be corrected.

I agree Falcon not a whole lot of people do. However if I am new and looking to get into the world of HD DVD, I am looking at all adds anything I can grab information about HD DVD and Blu Ray. And alot of people wether for Sunday amusement over coffee, do look at the adds.

lol. Surprice.

that is terrible, just goes to show the level of ignorance (or should that be bias?) surrounding the advertising world

I agree with you guys. How dare Sears say:

Quote:

Outstanding picture up to 6 times the resolution of standard DVD video. Delivers high definition 1080 content. Crystal clear, high definition surround sound that can equal the original studio master.

We know that Blu-ray offers at least the same! How can they list these as advantages for HD DVD? Toshiba has hit a new low with this one.

Wonder if $ONY had to splash out a bit for this one???

All is fair in love and war.

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[Post edited by tony1569 on Dec 30, 2007]

Ah yes, spoken like a true Blu-Ray advocate.

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[Post edited by StevePro on Dec 30, 2007]

BLU RAY Advantages: Full 1080p HD output delivers the highest HD resolution available with a 1080p HDTV. DVD upscaling to 1080p optimizes the playback of your existing library of standard definition DVDs.



Umm isnt that a lie, It upscales but how are you getting 1080p performance from a Standard DVD. Why would you buy a Blu ray disc if the normal DVD was the same quality?

Kilgard said -

Quote:
"It upscales but how are you getting 1080p performance from a Standard DVD. Why would you buy a Blu ray disc if the normal DVD was the same quality?"

Well, it's not HIGH DEFINITION 1080p performance, so obviously not "the same quality". Rather, a better overall image presentation of the 480p Standard Definition DVD upscaled (with the latest premium performing chips) to "1080p" output. Its usually an improvement [depends on the player's chip quality], but again, obviously not the same as having the content starting out in full HD 1080p resolution and mastering quality, as we see on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray pure hi-def discs.

-Love Hendrix! (The Loverboy)
~ DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray/KURO Plasma owner ~

Quote:
Umm isnt that a lie, It upscales but how are you getting 1080p performance from a Standard DVD. Why would you buy a Blu ray disc if the normal DVD was the same quality?

It didn't say "performance". It just says it optimizes the playback of standard DVDs by upconverting them to 1080p. Considering all Blu-ray players do this without exception since the birth of the format.... well.... you know.

Well for the common dufus out there they read this and say "Hey wow the Blu ray can turn my old VHS collection into DVD quality thats great."
You know what I mean for people who dont get into the nitty gritty tech spechs this would make them assume the Blu ray can do more than it says.

I hate the way Best buy and these other stores do their pricing now. The whole Before savings. Not like its hard math but they put the normal price then on the side take $100.00 off. Why dont they just put the sale price on the ad. Like this Sears ad, the HD is marked $299.00 but its $50.00 off, wouldnt it just look better to just put $249.00 then you would clearly see the value in it compared to the $150.00 more expensive Blu ray player.

1080p is 1080p. If it upscales to 1080p but it's not the same 1080p that you get from high-definition discs, then how can you call it 1080p? That's more like 1080i.

hoodaguy, you're thinking of the Toshiba HD-A2, HD-A3, and variants that only upconvert standard DVDs to 1080i. The other Toshiba players and all Blu-ray players will upconvert them to 1080p (deinterlaced/progressive).

You'd have to see the two images side by side. 480p (standard definition) is only 480 lines of verticle resolution "progressive". Set side by side next to a 1080p image, the 1080 image would look a little larger than twice the size of the 480 image. Since we're talking about "upconversion" from a 480p image to a 1080p image, the source is still 480, but upconversion smooths out the artifacts you get when viewing a 480 source through a 1080 output device (monitor/HDTV). When you take an image/movie that's been recorded (digitally or otherwise) with a camera capable of 1080 lines of resolution, then the image source is going to be recorded and output at "true 1080", when viewed on a 1080 capable device.

The only difference between 1080"i" and 1080"p", is the viewing all of 1,080 of the verticle scan lines at once (1080p), versus viewing only half of the 1,080 verticle scan lines every split second, thus the "flicker" with 1080i. In other words, if you were to take a standard definition 480p disc, play it on a standard definition DVD player connected to an HDTV, the image would still have artifacts, because the TV is capable of higher definition output than the DVD player. Now, take the same standard definition 480p disc, play it on a HDDVD/Blu Ray player connected to the same HDTV, and the upconversion done by the HD player, will make the image look sharper with less artifacts noticible on the same HDTV. You're right in that it's not a "true" HD image being produced when upconverting because the source isn't 1080, but the output is still 1080 when it reaches your HDTV, so they can get away with lumping it into the same 1080 category.

It can get confusing.



- Josh