Digital copies in HD

[ssj5cris]

Is there a way to be able to download the HD version of a digital copy from itunes? It always defaults to SD. Why can't they give us the option to choose which version we want?

[Lnds500]

Originally Posted by ssj5cris

Is there a way to be able to download the HD version of a digital copy from itunes? It always defaults to SD. Why can't they give us the option to choose which version we want?

you'd think that that would be the natural progression of things, but no, studios have decided to give us UltraViolet. Especially now that every iTunes movie can be upgraded from 720p to 1080p for free, it's a waste!

[ssj5cris]

Originally Posted by Lnds500

you'd think that that would be the natural progression of things, but no, studios have decided to give us UltraViolet. Especially now that every iTunes movie can be upgraded from 720p to 1080p for free, it's a waste!

Really? how do you upgrade them?

[Lnds500]

Originally Posted by ssj5cris

Really? how do you upgrade them?

You just download the movie again I think. there are also options which HD version you'd like to download by default (720p or 1080p). I've heard that a lot of shows can already be downloaded and movies are added gradually. This is for the US store at the moment

[ssj5cris]

Originally Posted by Lnds500

You just download the movie again I think. there are also options which HD version you'd like to download by default (720p or 1080p). I've heard that a lot of shows can already be downloaded and movies are added gradually. This is for the US store at the moment

Cool, thanks. It still sucks you can't upgrade the SD versions, not even for a small charge; I'd be willing to pay like 1 or 2 dollars.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by ssj5cris

Really? how do you upgrade them?

Why would anybody possibly want to upscale a digital copy to a lower HD resolution when you already have the blu-ray in full 1080p, and lossless audio? That doesn't make sense. Digital copies are inferior... If this is the case, then why buy the blu-ray in the first place. Just get the DVD and upconvert it.

[NeoMaximuz]

I just checked on my iTunes account, and it does list movies/digital copies that I've redeemed and can re-download, but it only has about 30% of them available. I wonder why?

Anyhoo, it's neat if we will be able to upgrade to HD copies. I never really watch my digital copies on a mobile device, as someone said; we have the Blu-Rays. But it will still be nice, especially on the new iPad.

[Lnds500]

Here's an article explaining the 720p-1080p differences. Sad news are that the 1080p versions are only compatible with iPhone 4S, iPad (2012) and Apple TV (2012). The reason is that Apple has started using High Profile H.264 encoding to reduce file size

Originally Posted by slimdude

Why would anybody possibly want to upscale a digital copy to a lower HD resolution when you already have the blu-ray in full 1080p, and lossless audio? That doesn't make sense. Digital copies are inferior... If this is the case, then why buy the blu-ray in the first place. Just get the DVD and upconvert it.

I'd like to have a version of some movies I own in HD, so I can take them with me on my iPad. The next best solution (in my case) is to download a BDrip and convert it to be iPad compatible. too much hassle for a movie I will probably delete after a while. iTunes copies are hassle-free and their quality is fairly good for their size.

[ssj5cris]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Why would anybody possibly want to upscale a digital copy to a lower HD resolution when you already have the blu-ray in full 1080p, and lossless audio? That doesn't make sense. Digital copies are inferior... If this is the case, then why buy the blu-ray in the first place. Just get the DVD and upconvert it.

Because I don't have a bluray player in my laptop, and even if I did I don't want to haul around all my bluray discs with me, and I'm sure many others are of the same mind; also my screen is HD so I do see a tremendous difference in quality between SD and HD so having the HD option is a wonderful thing.

[Trogdor2010]

Technically you can be able to have quality videos through digital distribution methods that are comparable and be even much better than blu ray, even can come with lossless audio. They just haven't made (rather commercially released) online infrastructures beyond peer to peer (Pirating) sites and select video sites. I think that is a shame.

In the past I have been bewildered by digital copies like the rest of you, I would be more open to this if they were to allow more HD videophile quality content, I would even like to make it an easier way to burn my blu ray collection and have them in a hard drive and add it to a cloud. This will work if they do not turn your physical copy into a useless disc, and have it as two copies (one is a CD-key).

But if companies insist that we can only have low bit-rate quality video streaming, no thanks.

[Lnds500]

1080p video smackdown: iTunes vs. Blu-ray