2x Better Quality than DVD?

BHarrison · Jan 30, 2002

Just when you thought you had it all figured out. ...D-VHS. 2x the quality of DVD??

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/01/30/dvhs.htm>http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/01/30/dvhs.htm</A>

GlueGuy · Jan 30, 2002

Looks too expensive (for one), and another: they gave no specs.

HDTV is HDTV, and if a DVD is encoded with HDTV (progrssive scan, max resolution), then nothing can get better than that on that TV.

BHarrison · Jan 30, 2002

...and other than for storage reasons, I can't see going back to magnetic tape.
There's hardly any moving parts in a DVD player. I'm a big fan of the 'less moving parts is mo better' rule.

GlueGuy · Jan 30, 2002

The only ding against DVD was that you couldn't record. However, most of the new ones are cable of reading DVD/R and DVD/RW, etc., so we are getting close to a time when we can kiss the old VCR goodbye. Fine with me...

TerryinMD · Jan 30, 2002

Here are some specs from JVC <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jvc-victor.co.jp/english/products/vcr/D-VHS-e.html>D-VHS</A>

Terry

toddwulf · Jan 31, 2002

I work for Philips Consumer Electronics and here's what I know. We discontinued making VCR's and sold our factories. We have DVD+RW drives today and the R (write once) will be added around March. DVD's (single sided) will hold about 4.7 Gig's of data, double sided when out about 9.4 Gigs. It's fast, efficient and easy. There are 3 DVD formats out there for the write portion-DVD Ram (it's already pretty much dead)-DVD-RW and DVD+RW. Although -RW has been out for about 2 years, and designed as a video format, +RW will actually store 4 hours of video vs. 2 on -RW. +RW was designed from the ground up for data applications and is more robust and easier to work with than -RW. Plus all the CE giant's and PC Cos. are behind +RW.

BHarrison · Feb 1, 2002

Cool. I thought Philips was bought by Thompson? Was that just the broadcast division?

I think JVC is smoking crack. I can't see why anyone would throw money into research for VHS-anything. So it takes 4 discs to hold what 1 VHS will hold. 4 discs will still store in less space, and access time is faster. I don't get it, but that's Me. Someone elses application may lend itself towards D-VHS.

The scary thing is if they're talking about putting 2x resolution on a D-VHS, maybe there's another standard lurking out there that we don't know about???

Steve_in_Ont · Feb 2, 2002

I've heard a bit about this new media, but I think that I'll stay with discs for several reasons:
1. My picture quality is limited by my TV screen (this could change if I mortgage my home to buy a HDTV).
2. I like the instant access to any part of a DVD (no FF & RW except for final location search)
3. I'm going to assume that if DVD player manufacturers find that they are losing the tech-spec battle, then they'll just place the information more densly on CDs, and they'll be back on top again...

GlueGuy · Feb 2, 2002

It may be a non-issue. I read somewhere that one of the Japanese manufacturers (Toshiba? Fujitsu?) was getting close on a new disc format that will hold several times more data than a DVD; single sided. If that becomes real, then tape will be really, really dead.