# HDTV DVDs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605 "2002-12-05T02:14:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/1 "2002-12-05T02:14:41Z")
I’m told by a salesman at the Big Screen Store that with the current technology won’t allow DVDs to hold HDTV movies. He said the most progress we have is called “progressive scanning” but it’s still not close to the clarity and vibrance of HD. What is holding us back, eh? ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/2 "2002-12-05T03:53:26Z")
Two problems spring to mind. 1. DVD capacity is too low for HDTV. (do the math) 2. Copy protection too lax. Solutions to both are in the works, but HD-DVD will likely require new hardware. The folks on the AV forums discuss this endlessly… ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/3 "2002-12-05T04:18:28Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Copy protection too lax. > > Solutions to both are in the works, but HD-DVD will likely require new hardware. Any new copy protection schemes will be defeated, and rightly so. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/4 "2002-12-05T05:11:51Z")
The DVD specification is quite specific as to what type of video is allowed to be stored. NTSC DVDs, the kind you’ll find in the US, are always 720x480 at either 23.976fps or 29.976fps, progressive or interlaced. This is about the display resolution limit of a standard (non-HD) TV. None of these specs could be changed without breaking the DVD spec, making discs incompatible with current players. There is a High Definition video standard in the works, designed to appeal to videophiles. It uses tapes, but the video signal is stored digitally, in resolution high enough to take full advantage of HDTV. Expect the tapes and players to cost a HECK of a lot of money, though, if it ever hits the streets. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/5 "2002-12-05T05:23:47Z")
HD-DVD [info](http://www.dvdsite.org/) D-VHS [info](http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?productId=PRD4603000) (not ‘in the works’ - already on the market) ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/6 "2002-12-05T08:14:58Z")
To most, I’m probably pointing out the obvious but I’ll go ahead and say it anyway just in case. Even though DVDs aren’t able to take full advantage of HDTV’s capabilities, you can still play DVDs on an HDTV just fine. In fact, that combo will yield the best (pre-recorded) home-theater results currently available in the mass-market. This brings me to my own question… Are there any HDTV-capable digital recorders like TiVo out there yet? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/7 "2002-12-05T09:05:37Z")
**voltaire** , the D-VHS device **jasg** links to is quite capable of recording HDTV. A friend bought a D-VHS unit recently; verrrrrry nice. If you mean for time-shifting, you’d probably have to go with a PC equipped with an ATI Radeon 8500 All-in-wonder (or either of the 9000-series cards). IIRC, those are the only other devices currently capable of recording HDTV. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-dvds/140605/8 "2002-12-05T15:57:09Z")
You can get a hdtv vcr. Records hdtv on $10 cassettes… The price was about $1500 when I checked, but it should be cheaper now.