Why HD-DVD will win the cult, horror, fringe and classics market, or at least put a second player in your house.

1) If Universal remains an HD supporter, these are but few titles no classic horror-sci-fi collector is going to be without.

Frankenstein-and sequels
Dracula-and sequels
Bride of Frankenstein
The Mummy-and sequels
The Wolfman-and sequels
Hicthcock- Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, Frenzy, The Birds
Jaws
Several Hammer Films
Touch of Evil
Creature From The Black Lagoon
Sci-Fi – This Island Earth, Tarantula, Incredible Shrinking Man.

2) Warner Brothers has the second largest holding of genre titles, and is releasing to both, though wasn't Robbin Hood and Casablanca HD only?

3) If it remains more economically feasible for the independent label to press HD rather than BD, these are the companies more likely to eventually release HD. BD would have to be out-selling by a very large margin on titles available in both formats for them to justify the expense, and the low-priority they would get on a factory's backlog.

Synapse, Blue Underground, BCI, Dark Sky, Kino, Image, Elite, No-Shame, Subversive, Fantoma, Flicker Alley, Severin, VCI, Casa Negra, Milestone, Mondo Maccabro, Barrel, Something Weird, Eureka, BFI, and Grindhouse.

4) Imports. The specialty buyer isn't afraid of Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon DE, or Xploited.com to get those elusive titles. You can already get The Fog (79) Elephant Man, King Kong (76), The Gift, Total Recall, and Basic Instinct on HD import. Currently US suppliers don't handle DVD imports because of PAL conversion, and regional encoding. These issues are not a problem with HD.

5) Collectors won't let go of all their DVDs, they know some stuff will never go HD, so who does the best up-conversion and is perceived to be more “DVD friendly” will make a difference. Right now that's not Sony/BD who has built an “out with the old, and the hell with you” image among collectors.

You may laugh at the market share this represents, but as the growth of HD/BD adoption inches along, this market may represent a lot of players. Genre collectors care about the films first and the technology second. They may see the difference between DVD and Hi-def, but not between HD and BD; and Sony's shaky first pressings have yet to be lived down.

Totally, who ever has Universal's support (HD DVD only atm) will lead in the potential cult, horror, and related movies. How many get released depends on how the format(s) do and who is buying.

You may laugh...

I am amused...don't know about anyone else. I won't be wasting money by replacing laserdiscs and DVDs that continue to function perfectly well.

Genre collectors care about the films first and the technology second.

I think this is true of most collectors - content will be what determines the future of the formats...

Universal has done well releasing 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing and Army of Darkness (though making this a Combo was retarded).

Interesting. The premise is probably true, *if* they put the cult movies out on HD.
I for one would like to see more small, independant labels produce more discs.
J

I'll agree. That is why I sold my Toshiba a few months and bought a Samsung BD player. Everyone has there interests and mine are more suited for the big blockbuster special effect stuff and of course the stupid comedies. I like some classics to but I personally think the best black and white movie of all time is Clerks.

...I won't be wasting money by replacing laserdiscs and DVDs that continue to function perfectly well.
That's what I thought too until both my LD players died. Have you tried to buy one lately? They're even getting scarce on eBay.

That's what I thought too until both my LD players died. Have you tried to buy one lately? They're even getting scarce on eBay.

I still have 3 functional players. I bought 2 additional about 5 years ago. I rotate use among the 3. So far, so good (fingers crossed).

I am amused...don't know about anyone else. I won't be wasting money by replacing laserdiscs and DVDs that continue to function perfectly well.


If your still happy with your laserdiscs, more power to ya; but format after format I've seen the initial, "if they think I'm upgrading they're crazy."

Then ya will get an HD-TV or projector because your old set poops-out, and all the forums you enjoyed start talking about how wonderful the new Vertigo HD or Black Sunday or Horror of Dracula (this time they got the ratio right) look, and ya start seeing HD broadcasts of the films you love that look better than your DVDs. Then DVD forums, and fanzines like Video Watchdog start reviewing the disks.

Now you might be one of the few who sidesteps all this temptation. I'm not, I upgrade my DVDs with new DVDs if I love the film and it looks a lot better. I won't do it with everything, but I know I will with more than I'd even admit to myself.

If your still happy with your laserdiscs, more power to ya; but format after format I've seen the initial, "if they think I'm upgrading they're crazy."

Then ya will get an HD-TV or projector because your old set poops-out, and all the forums you enjoyed start talking about how wonderful the new Vertigo HD or Black Sunday or Horror of Dracula (this time they got the ratio right) look, and ya start seeing HD broadcasts of the films you love that look better than your DVDs. Then DVD forums, and fanzines like Video Watchdog start reviewing the disks.

Now you might be one of the few who sidesteps all this temptation. I'm not, I upgrade my DVDs with new DVDs if I love the film and it looks a lot better. I won't do it with everything, but I know I will with more than I'd even admit to myself.

I've been watching HD since 2002, but that doesn't lessen my enjoyment of laserdisc and DVD.

For the films you truly love and enjoy, why not splurge and enjoy the added entertainment? I really hate double dipping, but I've upgraded my VHS tapes to DVD, why not continue with HD?

BTW, I think HD DVD is appealing to a *much* wider demographic than BD. That is a major issue I have with BD. I may be in my 20s but that doesn't mean I like half the crap that is out on that format.

I've been watching HD since 2002, but that doesn't lessen my enjoyment of laserdisc and DVD.

Hey, I'm conceding you may stick to your guns. I still have an LD player (but no LDs) on the off chance I want to burn one to DVD, I'd sell it, but once in a blue moon it misbehaves, and I'm not going to put it on Ebay acting like it's mint.

I even know people who still buy film, but you can fit them all in one room.