Just think this was the first Hd home video format.

[sleazypig]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-VHS
Before Hd Dvd Before Blu-Ray this was the hope for bringing Hd movies in to the home. It was being developed just when dvd was coming in to its own. Alas nobody even had the tvs then.

[Blu boy]

one of my friends had one of those with his massive "hdtv" he was pissed that it failled so bad now he waited a little before he bought into this format war after being jipped twice Betamax and this. but he bought blu so he's alright now.

[plee]

Originally Posted by sleazypig

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-VHS
Before Hd Dvd Before Blu-Ray this was the hope for bringing Hd movies in to the home. It was being developed just when dvd was coming in to its own. Alas nobody even had the tvs then.

I was still the only way to record HD material till the HD Tivo units came along. I was tempted to get one since some units could record from component video.

[JadedRaverLA]

MUSE (analog HDTV) LaserDiscs were available in Japan long before D-VHS was introduced. Though I suppose D-VHS was the first format intro'd in America.

[Jim L]

I knew that it was only a stop-gap format to get some HD material.

It was more of a curiosity than anything, as there were not many titles. I knew that it would never take off because tape is so fragile and clunky.

I think I had around 15 titles. I used to order them from BestPrices for ~$25-30.

The definitely looked good, but the best they could do was 1080i with DTS sound. My favorite titles on that format were:

• Alien (Director's Cut)
• U-571
• I, Robot
• Cast Away
• Terminator 2
• Galaxy Quest
• The Beauty of Japan

When I started hearing about Blu-ray, I was ready for it and quickly dumped my player and movies on eBay.

Because it was the only legal packaged HD format available at the time, when those titles went out of print, people were paying unbelievable prices for them on eBay. Luckily I was able to recoup more than my original investment. Some of my movies (Alien & The Beauty of Japan) fetched over $100 each!

Looking back, I can see that Blu-ray is such a better format. It has the capacity and expandability for many years in the future.

[sleazypig]

I think the D stood for dead on arival. Consumers would have had a tough time going back to video tape after the optical disc revolution. This was also released way to soon. But it matches Blu-ray in data storage.

[Apollo 18]

That's crazy. I never heard of the D-VHS before... What's even crazier is that they're titles avalible in D-VHS that aren't yet released on Blu Ray (Master and Comander, I Robot).

[SamInNorthCakalakey]

Which came out first in the previous war, Beta or VHS?

Wonder if the first one out on the market is usually the first to go.

[Cordre69]

I remember seeing them and thinking "Poor VHS. It's being dragged along like Bernie in those movies"

[sleazypig]

I found the article when I was reading about the Beta Vhs wars. Beta even came out with a dvd quality tape

[sleazypig]

Originally Posted by Jim L

I knew that it was only a stop-gap format to get some HD material.

It was more of a curiosity than anything, as there were not many titles. I knew that it would never take off because tape is so fragile and clunky.

I think I had around 15 titles. I used to order them from BestPrices for ~$25-30.

The definitely looked good, but the best they could do was 1080i with DTS sound. My favorite titles on that format were:

• Alien (Director's Cut)
• U-571
• I, Robot
• Cast Away
• Terminator 2
• Galaxy Quest
• The Beauty of Japan

When I started hearing about Blu-ray, I was ready for it and quickly dumped my player and movies on eBay.

Because it was the only legal packaged HD format available at the time, when those titles went out of print, people were paying unbelievable prices for them on eBay. Luckily I was able to recoup more than my original investment. Some of my movies (Alien & The Beauty of Japan) fetched over $100 each!

Looking back, I can that Blu-ray is such a better format. It has the capacity and expandability for many years in the future.

I have Hd Dvd and Blu-ray and you have Alien in HD and I don't. Life is funny sometimes. How is hd Alien.

[Jim L]

Originally Posted by sleazypig

I have Hd Dvd and Blu-ray and you have Alien in HD and I don't. Life is funny sometimes. How is hd Alien.

It was one of the very best movies on D-VHS.

It is also one reason I am very hopeful that when we get it on Blu-ray, it will be a real treat!

• It was a digitally restored version - Fox restored the movie by digitally cleaning (removing dirt and scratches) over 10,000 frames in the movie!
• DTS Sound - it was only a 1.5 mbps track and was incredible. But we will get the DTS-HDMA track on Blu-ray
• It was the Director's cut - It had footage that I have NEVER seen before the D-VHS version. It may exist on a nother DVD version, but it was completely new to me.

[sleazypig]

Originally Posted by Jim L

It was one of the very best movies on D-VHS.

It is also one reason I am very hopeful that when we get it on Blu-ray, it will be a real treat!

• It was a digitally restored version - Fox restored the movie by digitally cleaning (removing dirt and scratches) over 10,000 frames in the movie!
• DTS Sound - it was only a 1.5 mbps track and was incredible. But we will get the DTS-HDMA track on Blu-ray
• It was the Director's cut - It had footage that I have NEVER seen before the D-VHS version. It may exist on a nother DVD version, but it was completely new to me.

I have the alien dvd set and its a cherished dvd set yet i look forward to dumping it for a Blu-ray set.

[Memnoch71]

I remember reading about D-VHS on The Bits. It was interesting, but it was obvious it was a stop gap measure. Glad I waited for the Blu.

[GTP]

Originally Posted by Memnoch71

I remember reading about D-VHS on The Bits. It was interesting, but it was obvious it was a stop gap measure. Glad I waited for the Blu.

I had the JVC 5-u complete with hdmi and 50 movies on that format.
The Best looking titles where from Fox.

I Robot
Man on Fire
X Men 1/2

[Kirsty_Mc]

Originally Posted by sleazypig

I found the article when I was reading about the Beta Vhs wars. Beta even came out with a dvd quality tape

Betamax was always light years ahead of VHS.

• Best picture quality.
• First stereo soundtrack machine (Sony SL-C9UB).
• First HiFi Machine (SLHF-100UB).
• First consumer camcorder.
• First using new tape formulations for improved PQ - Super Beta (Sony SLHF-950UB).
• First to offer broadcast quality PQ - ED Beta (Never made it to the UK).

Years before the CD, DAT and Minidisc there was even an add on to the Betamax for recording digital audio. In the very early days there was even an automatic loader available for the SL-C7 which automatically loaded, ejected and loaded from a bank of tapes offering around 15 hours of recording.

Betamax is the format which SHOULD have won, but didn't. Thankfully this time it looks like the best format has won

[Heavens Downfall]

Originally Posted by Jim L

I knew that it was only a stop-gap format to get some HD material.

It was more of a curiosity than anything, as there were not many titles. I knew that it would never take off because tape is so fragile and clunky.

I think I had around 15 titles. I used to order them from BestPrices for ~$25-30.

The definitely looked good, but the best they could do was 1080i with DTS sound. My favorite titles on that format were:

• Alien (Director's Cut)
• U-571
• I, Robot
• Cast Away
• Terminator 2
• Galaxy Quest
• The Beauty of Japan

When I started hearing about Blu-ray, I was ready for it and quickly dumped my player and movies on eBay.

Because it was the only legal packaged HD format available at the time, when those titles went out of print, people were paying unbelievable prices for them on eBay. Luckily I was able to recoup more than my original investment. Some of my movies (Alien & The Beauty of Japan) fetched over $100 each!

Looking back, I can see that Blu-ray is such a better format. It has the capacity and expandability for many years in the future.

Any chance you still have the player and movies? I would like to see what they looked like. Just curious.

[phlydude]

Originally Posted by Heavens Downfall

Any chance you still have the player and movies? I would like to see what they looked like. Just curious.

I don't think he has them anymore...just a hunch

"When I started hearing about Blu-ray, I was ready for it and quickly dumped my player and movies on eBay.

Because it was the only legal packaged HD format available at the time, when those titles went out of print, people were paying unbelievable prices for them on eBay. Luckily I was able to recoup more than my original investment. Some of my movies (Alien & The Beauty of Japan) fetched over $100 each!"

[thegline]

One of the online rental outfits I subscribed to -- a place that rented non-Region 1 DVDs -- also rented a small selection of D-VHS titles. They went bust early last year and also hocked the whole lot, including the D-VHS stuff, on eBay.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Blu boy

one of my friends had one of those with his massive "hdtv" he was pissed that it failled so bad now he waited a little before he bought into this format war after being jipped twice Betamax and this. but he bought blu so he's alright now.

Hmm, I get the feeling most people who picked Beta-max also picked HD DVD for not learning their lesson the first time.

So far, I picked winners. Very little VHS, but more DVD. In the end, they just become the best losers.