Clone HD-DVD

[HD43]

Consider this: Once you have ripped an HD-DVD to your HD, for space reasons a transfer to portable media is necessary. That means using at least 3 DVD-DL's for storage, assuming software becomes available to cut the movie.

But if Clone HD-DVD were to encode the files to another format, WMV-HD or Quicktime-HD, this would reduce the movie to somewhere around 7.5 GBs, with no loss in quality, and will fit onto 1 DVD DL. WMV-HD uses a more efficent compression than HD-DVD - see the Terminator 2 WMV-HD DVD for proof. (Some say it is actually better than the Blu-Ray version). Bill Gates was pushing for the use of WMV-HD by the movie studios but they declined.

WMV-HD and Quicktime is practically identical in quality to HD-DVD and Blu-Ray - it's the same specs: 720p and 1080p. And these formats PLAY on most computers via the usual players without any expensive hardware upgrades.

The only feasible and inexpensive way to "back-up" our HD-DVD libraries is to re-encode to another HD format.

The WMV-HD encoder and source is available via the Microsoft website, this should be easy to incorporate into the Clone HD-DVD program. The only problem I have found when encoding WMV-HD is a slight muting of the colors and a brightening of the darker parts of the image, as their encoder has no image adjustment features. But this can easily be compensated for on playback with your monitor or player/graphics card software.

This would make all HD-DVD/Blu-Ray content playable on most computers via Windows Media Player or Quicktime player with no apparent loss of quality - it would still be 1080p with comparable sound quality.

[Androo79]

If you are going to be stuck watching the movies on your PC then why put on a disc at all?

[Old Systems Analyst]

I agree. :agree: When I want to relax and watch a movie I want to kick back in a recliner with a beer and popcorn. Not in an office chair in front of my computer. What I would like is to be able to do is to recode an HD DVD to Blu-ray (there isn't any HD DVD blank media!) and watch it in my easy chair.

[HD43]

Because your PC can be hooked up to your TV or projector if your graphics cards has a DVI out.

You can store movies on your multiple hard drives, I guess, but portable storage would seem to make more sense cost-wise.

[chuckbytes]

I read through the post but don't understand the technical aspects of WMV-HD, is that something that can only be played on a computer.
So I posted a new thread for the lament but thought I would ask here since the topic was close.

Are you saying that to copy an HD DVD it would take 3 ordinary discs. I've never had to cut to more than one blank DVD and was wondering how that would work. Does the HD DVD program do the cutting for you or do you have to designate where the movie should start and stop between discs.

I only use the computer to make the backup and use my HD DVD player to display onto the plasma or 1080p screens, so I need to understand if I have to use 3 discs for 1 HD movie (if so what a waste)
They don't make a carrousel HD player yet. With my ordinary DVD's I could put in 5 discs, so I wouldn't mind so much about splitting over a few discs, but lifting my lazy ass to change discs in the middle of a good scene would be a drag.

I use HDMI to take the signal over from the amp, do computers offer HDMI these days or is it all DVI. I'd love to find a device with a huge Hard Drive to put beside my amp and store the HD DVD data then just play it from that rather than a disc at all. If anyone knows of something like this, please point it out.

[HD43]

Yes - it's called a computer.

But not even the largest hard drive will store most people's HD-DVD collection back-ups.

Hence the WMV-HD suggestion.

[HDnooB]

most HD-DVD's are encoded using microsofts vc1 encoder which delivers the best image quality/size ratio . Think of it as wmv-hd with bells on :) wmv-hd is also limited to about 8mb/s, with vc1 ist more like 30mb/s :) so ya gonna see a hit in quality re-encoding to WMV-HD. Isnt clone DVD a transcoder and not a encoder anyway? What is needed is somthing equivelant to DVDrebuilder for HD reencoding.

[DetroitBaseball]

Yes - it's called a computer.

But not even the largest hard drive will store most people's HD-DVD collection back-ups.

Hence the WMV-HD suggestion.
They have HDDs out that are close to 1 TB and they expect to have a 1 TB drive out soon, so you could store a decent amount of movies on that.

[SlyFox 1]

This just what you need - it holds about 3000 Terabytes
http://www.arsc.edu/resources/silo.html

[HD43]

Now I know where the Terminator came from!

[SlyFox 1]

Now I know where the Terminator came from!
And if 3000 terabytes are not enough , there is an addon for another 10,000 Terabytes.:D

[HD43]

You want fries with that?

[Bathrone]

HD-DVD and BRD titles use VC-1 and AVC. You wont do better than these codecs. Your options are to reduce the resolution and or the bitrate. Both of which will lead to not properly enjoying HD so why bother.

You dont understand that WMV-HD was based off an older WM9 codec that isnt as good as VC-1 and Quicktime uses some features of AVC but not all of them, and again isnt as good as a full AVC profiles implementation.

[BadBoyEddie]

there isn't any HD DVD blank media!

Actually, SuperMediaStore.com carries a few variants:

http://www.supermediastore.com/hd-dvd-disc-high-definition-blank-media.html

BBE

[DetroitBaseball]

Actually, SuperMediaStore.com caries a few variants:

http://www.supermediastore.com/hd-dvd-disc-high-definition-blank-media.html

BBE
Other places have it too, it just costs a lot compared to DVDs.

[HD43]

But someone on Amazon reviewing T2 watched Terminator 2 Blu-Ray side by side with T2 WMV-HD and said WMV was superior.

Isn't there a point where they all appear to balance out quality-wise - 60/70 inch, or something.

It's not like we're all projecting it onto a 14 foot movie screen and need the VERY BEST quality possible...

[Bathrone]

Subjective comparisons are prone to false conclusions. Time and again, objective comparisons using PSNR and the like show AVC and VC-1 to be better than the older WMV3 era stuff.

[linx05]

But if Clone HD-DVD were to encode the files to another format, WMV-HD or Quicktime-HD, this would reduce the movie to somewhere around 7.5 GBs, with no loss in quality, and will fit onto 1 DVD DL.
The WMV-HD encoder and source is available via the Microsoft website, this should be easy to incorporate into the Clone HD-DVD program.

...

The only problem I have found when encoding WMV-HD is a slight muting of the colors and a brightening of the darker parts of the image, as their encoder has no image adjustment features. But this can easily be compensated for on playback with your monitor or player/graphics card software.
As you have found out, there will be some loss in quality. I still think running a cable from your computer is the best bet until other means become more affordable and easier.

[Faye]

http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=9454

Terminator 2 is Bluray MPEG2 encoded. This is why it's not as good as the WMV-HD version.

Wait for the HDDVD in VC-1.

[wdgoldstein]

[QUOTE=Wait for the HDDVD in VC-1.[/QUOTE]

T2 HD-DVD is available from Amazon in France w/English soundtrack (March 5 release date)

http://www.amazon.fr/Terminator-jugement-dernier-HD-DVD/dp/B000L42JP4/ref=pd_ts_c_th_5/402-6811051-9727360

[nwasend]

wow this got of topic, but i would love to get CloneDVD-HD. Hopefully if they do in fact decide to develop it; it will also carry that upgrade option!

[Charlie]

I guarantee that it will most likely be an upgrade on clonedvd2 hd. It'll be worth it though I think.

[marlowe]

I guarantee that it will most likely be an upgrade on clonedvd2 hd. It'll be worth it though I think.

If "CloneDVD HD" will relaese in future ,i will like to updrade:agree:

[Bathrone]

I guarantee that it will most likely be an upgrade on clonedvd2 hd. It'll be worth it though I think.

What possible features do you see being worth it?

[bitbear]

The biggest thing to include is conversion to WMV HD format for the main title. This would allow you to watch the video directly from Vista Media Center and stream it to XBOX 360 MC Extenders! You could have your whole video library archived off to a storage server and stream videos from you Media Center Extender as desired. Very cool. :agree:

[thevoiceover]

this would reduce the movie to somewhere around 7.5 GBs, with no loss in quality

I am also anxiously awaiting a Clone HD and hope a decision is there to produce one (is there already that I am not aware of?) I however think that anytime we do convert (digital or not) to another format and reduce the size, we are probably also reducing the quality.. Then again, if we can notice - I have not an idea!

[IzzyDeadyet]

The biggest thing to include is conversion to WMV HD format for the main title. This would allow you to watch the video directly from Vista Media Center and stream it to XBOX 360 MC Extenders! You could have your whole video library archived off to a storage server and stream videos from you Media Center Extender as desired. Very cool. :agree:

It's a nice thought but with my Pentium D 820 it would take about 30 hours to transcode a 2 hour 1080p video. Even with a QX6700 processor it would take about 8 hours. The day will come that processors make a QX6700 look slow but until then it just takes too long to transcode HD.

A rip and burn solution would take about 2 hours with BR.

I like the HDD storage idea better but can't deal with the current transcode time.

[Adbear]

The major problem with converting HD-dvd to blu-ray is the audio, you'd have to rip out the core dts or ac3 as the full hd sound is not compatible between the 2 versions. Also you'd have to have a program that some how rewrites the menu system and structure from one format to the other as these are also not compatible. If you want to just strip out the HD-dvd film and then put that onto a blu-ray disc with the ac3/dts sound that will play back on a settop player then that is possible to do as I've done many myself

[HD43]

Tell us how please.


Another option is to recode the mt2 HD-DVD file to a BD file with Nero Recode and use a 25gb flash drive to use it with the PS3... except I don't have one.

Also it takes about 1 week to transcode with my P4 3.2...

Netflix is quicker.