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A new kind of DVD?

279 Views 1 Reply 2 Participants Last post by I'mListening, Oct 17, 2001

flapbreaker

Discussion Starter · Oct 17, 2001

Forgive me if this is not new news but I ran across this article while surfing the net and it talked about a new DVD that is supposed to have more detail and still work with current equip. What do you think?

INDIANAPOLISâ€” Representatives from Sony's Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment unit staged a CEDIA press conference to unveil its Superbit DVD encoding process that produces higher resolution video and audio from standard DVD discs.

Columbia executives said special Superbit discs will dispense with bonus features, that are now common to most DVD movies in order to fit the extra information on a 4.7Gb DVD disc layer. Superbit video uses twice the data transfer rate of 3-4 Mbps regular DVDs. Superbit discs will include both DTS surround sound and Dolby Digital surround tracks.

Superbit DVD discs are compatible with all existing DVD players, and new players, particularly progressive scan models. Those with the latest audio decoder chips will derive the most benefit from Superbit content.

Columbia Tri-Star said that while Superbit discs will eliminate extra content, the studio still intends to offer DVD discs and packages that include interactive bonus material. The first Superbit discs will go on sale October 9, which is ironically the launch date of Paramount's Godfather DVD Collection and Disney's Snow White DVD release.

The first Superbit titles will include Airforce One; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Deperado, The Fifth Element, and Johnny Mnemonic.

Columbia will use special packaging and logos to differentiate Superbit discs for standard DVD movies. Also, disc media will have a red-tinted playing surface.

http://www.tvinsite.com/twice/index....cleid=CA159389

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I'mListening

· #2 · Oct 17, 2001

This IS pretty recent news, and unless you are a videophile..like us...you probably wouldn't know these are available at your local Best Buy. As far as I know there is only a few titles available: Johnny Mnemonic, Air Force One, Desperado, Fifth Element and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I picked up Johnny Mnemonic the other day, since I had forgotten most of the plot and story. The video transfer was excellent...reference quality in my humble opinion....without a doubt the best transfer in my collection. The audio, in DTS, was fair...I do have better audio transfers in collection, however.

The film is subpar for a Sci Fi Action flick....I wish I opted for Fifth Element in SuperBit instead....but I just got a copy of Fifth Element two weeks ago! I will probably sell my copy yo a friend and get the new superbit release.

The superbit is great for audio/video philes...great images and audio, without all the "hooplah" trailers, bios, and commentaries. I hope that for all DVDs made there will be a matching SuperBit available. I just picked up a copy of The Phantom Menace.....this baby copuld use the SuperBit technology...you listening 20th Century Fox!!!

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