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What are the rarest HD-DVD titles?

post #1 of 79
1/23/10 at 8:13pm
Thread Starter 
I was thinking the other day which HD-DVD titles might be the most rare & coveted. I've seen a few early demo "in store only" discs. Those are cool - the label says you must destroy the disc by a certain date. Is there a collectors market for HD-DVD?
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post #2 of 79
1/23/10 at 9:32pm
There used to be crazy die hard collectors that would pay like $700+ for Taking Lives. Things have died down. Here a rare demo disc went for $125 recently.

Mod edit: No ebay links please

Rare stuff would be..

Anything from Russia
Some Japanese titles like The Tin Drum and Out of Time.
Zombie Farm and Birthrite
Unknow demos. The DTS and Dolby demos aren't rare at all.
Oh and the Jack Ryan Collection is somewhat rare.
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post #3 of 79
1/24/10 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by junglalien View Post

If you can get any of those store demos I'd be happy to buy them off you.

There used to be crazy die hard collectors that would pay like $700+ for Taking Lives. Things have died down. Here a rare demo disc went for $125 recently.

No ebay links

Rare stuff would be..

Anything from Russia
Some Japanese titles like The Tin Drum and Out of Time.
Zombie Farm and Birthrite
Unknow demos. The DTS and Dolby demos aren't rare at all.
Oh and the Jack Ryan Collection is somewhat rare.

I was going to bid on that demo but forgot. Oh well I wouldn't have won anyway.

I think For a Few Dollars More (Italy) is hard to get. Also the Japanese Railway Story docs have been out of print for some time, although nobody seems to be looking for them since they're just docs. Really there's not many rare titles at all that I'm aware of.
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post #4 of 79
1/24/10 at 8:13pm
I am looking for the German CSI NY demo disk that came in an issue of a DE HT magazine, as well as sealed jack ryan collection.
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post #5 of 79
1/25/10 at 5:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceames View Post

I was going to bid on that demo but forgot. Oh well I wouldn't have won anyway.

I think For a Few Dollars More (Italy) is hard to get. Also the Japanese Railway Story docs have been out of print for some time, although nobody seems to be looking for them since they're just docs. Really there's not many rare titles at all that I'm aware of.

Bruce,

Yeah, the Mitsubishi disc is pretty cool-I watched it a few days ago. Similar to other Demos, but I was happy to add it to my HD DVD titles. There are a few more that I'd get, but I don't plan to have all 900+ HD DVD's (I just don't have an interest in all of them), so it's matter of deciding which ones I need to have,at this point.
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post #6 of 79
1/25/10 at 7:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by booji View Post

I was thinking the other day which HD-DVD titles might be the most rare & coveted. I've seen a few early demo "in store only" discs. Those are cool - the label says you must destroy the disc by a certain date. Is there a collectors market for HD-DVD?

As you can see "yes there is" but then there are collectors for EVERYTHING aren't there.

I understand the "collect them all" mentality, having several thousand laserdiscs myself (useless junk now, vs HD DVDs which at least represent "state of the art" in pq and will be watchable forever) but these days I care nothing for any HD DVD that is also available (or will likely BECOME available) in BD.
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post #7 of 79
1/25/10 at 7:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalbabe View Post

Bruce,

Yeah, the Mitsubishi disc is pretty cool-I watched it a few days ago. Similar to other Demos, but I was happy to add it to my HD DVD titles. There are a few more that I'd get, but I don't plan to have all 900+ HD DVD's (I just don't have an interest in all of them), so it's matter of deciding which ones I need to have,at this point.

Hey digitalbabe, glad it was you that got it and that you like it. Demo discs are pretty cool, and some are pretty hard to get for sure. I decided when I passed 500 HD DVDs (I think) that I wanted to get all that I could and started buying all the Japanese docs and the foreign language films. I was such a big HD DVD fan during the format war (and I still am of course), and I feel fortunate that I had the means to be able to acquire what I have now. It's not collecting to collect, it's just that I really enjoy the format, its history, and my small part in it.
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post #8 of 79
1/25/10 at 8:31pm
Thread Starter 
Here are pix of some early HD-DVD demo discs. One has a handwritten serial# on it. This may be the very first HD-DVD release, as it was originally supplied with the first dealer sample HD-DVD players back in March 2006. The sample sets also came complete with a 4 page Demonstration Guide (page 4 shown).
The other 2 Toshiba discs have the "you must destroy" warning - one is dated 7/31/06 and the other 2/28/07. Both have the split-screen HD/SD comparison, plus movie trailers & various video content.
The Universal Branding Trailer disc is a 2 chapter, 5 minute tutorial that promotes "the look & sound of perfect" using snippets of numerous movies.

Hope you enjoy!
Booji
LL
LL
LL
LL
LL
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post #9 of 79
1/25/10 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by booji View Post

Here are pix of some early HD-DVD demo discs. One has a handwritten serial# on it. This may be the very first HD-DVD release, as it was originally supplied with the first dealer sample HD-DVD players back in March 2006. The sample sets also came complete with a 4 page Demonstration Guide (page 4 shown).
The other 2 Toshiba discs have the "you must destroy" warning - one is dated 7/31/06 and the other 2/28/07. Both have the split-screen HD/SD comparison, plus movie trailers & various video content.
The Universal Branding Trailer disc is a 2 chapter, 5 minute tutorial that promotes "the look & sound of perfect" using snippets of numerous movies.

Hope you enjoy!
Booji

Thanks for the pics. I have the fourth one listed, wouldn't mind owning the others as well.
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post #10 of 79
1/25/10 at 10:10pm










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post #11 of 79
1/26/10 at 12:47pm
Please do not post ebay links, offer to sell, trade or buy (outside of classifeds) in this thread.
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post #12 of 79
1/26/10 at 6:38pm
Noticed that there are two versions above of the Universal Branding disc, each with different dates. I wonder if they are different other than the dates, and if so how many more are there (if any).
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post #13 of 79
1/27/10 at 9:37am
I'm not sure how rare the South Park HD DVD is but I have a few copies of that one.
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post #14 of 79
1/27/10 at 6:01pm
How about :Paramount Jack Ryan Collection: Clear And Present Danger, Patriot Games, The Hunt For Red October, The Sum OfAll Fears (HD-DVD). This ended up being kinda rare with Paramount recalling this one almost immediately after being released. I never got this one, I had one in my hands at Walmart, but they wouldn't sell it to me.
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post #15 of 79
1/27/10 at 6:47pm
are these old "pepsi" disc considered rare? common? what about jellyfish resident evil?
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post #16 of 79
1/28/10 at 4:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkmedia2 View Post

are these old "pepsi" disc considered rare? common? what about jellyfish resident evil?

I think they are indeed rare, at least here in the US. I never heard of the "Pepsi" disc. Is that the first pic? What's on it, and how/when did it get released? Thanks in advance.
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post #17 of 79
1/28/10 at 8:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceames View Post

I think they are indeed rare, at least here in the US. I never heard of the "Pepsi" disc. Is that the first pic? What's on it, and how/when did it get released? Thanks in advance.

The "pepsi discs" came with the first HD-XA1 sample players that were distributed to US dealers prior to initial rollout. These sample players and discs were intended for demo only. In fact, these were supposed to be returned to Toshiba by the end of March 2006. Most were probably returned because the sample players could not play normal HD-DVD's, only the demos. The disc has 2 titles - Title 1 is the HD-SD comparison, and Title 2 are some movie trailers. A four page "demonstration guide" was provided, seen below in the pix. Page 4 has more info about the "pepsi disc".





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post #18 of 79
1/28/10 at 8:57pm
sorry, I'm only calling it "pepsi disc" because of the colours! I think there were a few different ones.

I have odd bare unprinted disc with only numbers on it, that cannot be played; I get an error code on my current XA2, but I recall it had demos and other things on them when I originally played it in my Japanese XA1. Maybe it only works on old firmware players.

not related to HD DVD, but I also have a Toshiba Super Density disc! But it does not work in my prototype SD player. SD was Toshiba's aborted format that unified with Sony's MMCD to make DVD.
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post #19 of 79
1/28/10 at 9:35pm
Thanks guys. Very interesting thread on the demos, and I'll be adding those missing titles shown here to the demo list I have in the sticky.
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post #20 of 79
1/29/10 at 7:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laserfan View Post

I understand the "collect them all" mentality, having several thousand laserdiscs myself (useless junk now, vs HD DVDs which at least represent "state of the art" in pq and will be watchable forever) but these days I care nothing for any HD DVD that is also available (or will likely BECOME available) in BD.

Hardly useless junk...my LDs still play fine and look good on an X9 player. Sure, not up to HD standards, but often equalling some DVDs.
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post #21 of 79
1/30/10 at 2:41pm
Didn't mean to offend anyone--was just my way of kicking myself for the buying frenzy I got into w/LDs (hundreds of which I never watched, and now never will).

I sorta wish I had an analog TV setup still for my CLD-3080; I do recall marvelling at how some of my LDs looked at the time. But most I find unwatchable anymore.
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post #22 of 79
2/2/10 at 9:56am
I have always wondered since I was lucky enough to pick up a copy: Would the Japanese import of "Finding Neverland" be considered rare?
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post #23 of 79
2/3/10 at 10:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkmedia2 View Post

not related to HD DVD, but I also have a Toshiba Super Density disc! But it does not work in my prototype SD player. SD was Toshiba's aborted format that unified with Sony's MMCD to make DVD.


That's a blast from the past. I remember the excitement waiting for the new digital video disc format. The idea of having a whole movie on a compact sized disc with LD picture quality, discrete multi-channel surround sound and NO DISC FLIPS or SWAPS was exhilarating.

Boy do I feel spoiled ten years later when I view LD and even DVD as antiquated formats. Never thought we would have a format that studios would be willing to give us HD video and lossless audio to boot.
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post #24 of 79
2/3/10 at 3:34pm
If I may be so bold as to intrude, is anyone able to please, please, pllllease impart any information about a Toshiba demo disc that had the "Greece" piece?
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post #25 of 79
2/3/10 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 
Flacido, here is the video footage of the Greece HD-DVD demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAXuJWxUpgg
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post #26 of 79
2/3/10 at 7:25pm
I had "Peter and the Wolf". Sold it about a year ago for $75.00

Kinda wish I still had it now though.
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post #27 of 79
2/4/10 at 2:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by booji View Post

Flacido, here is the video footage of the Greece HD-DVD demo:

Yes, that's the one. Thank you. I really do hope that my local av emporium had looped just the last four minutes or so otherwise I've got early-onset Alzheimer's. Ah, well, looking on the bright side, I won't have to purchase any more HD DVDs - I'll be able to get away with watching the same ones over and over.
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post #28 of 79
2/6/10 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by booji View Post

Flacido, here is the video footage of the Greece HD-DVD demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAXuJWxUpgg

Anyone know who did the music for the demo and is it commercially available?
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post #29 of 79
2/8/10 at 1:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doitsujin View Post

I have always wondered since I was lucky enough to pick up a copy: Would the Japanese import of "Finding Neverland" be considered rare?

I don't think it's rare, it's still available from Amazon JP for example (in stock and there are 12 3rd party sellers selling it there too). It's among the most commonly seen Toshiba Ent. HD DVD releases in Japanese 2nd hand sources too.
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post #30 of 79
2/8/10 at 7:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharktooth101 View Post

I had "Peter and the Wolf". Sold it about a year ago for $75.00

Kinda wish I still had it now though.

Where did you snag it from? I saw it on PBS in HD once, but they don't seem to run it anymore..
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