I need this explaining please.

Legacy_user · 11 November 2007 at 8:59AM

Recently, at the end of a tv program, they advertised it a follow-up could be seen on sky and sky HD. Does that mean that sky transmit everything in two formats, the first being for those who view sky in the current usual way and those with a HD television?.

Also, as I have just replaced my tv, to a panasonic viera lcd hd, I now have an excellent picture. As yet, I haven't connected my VHS and DVD player, as I'm considering a dvd with hard drive (so that I can record on th ehard drive and play dvd's), but, before I take the next step, I need to know, should this proposed dvd player with hard drive, have the capability of playing a HD disc/film.

Are DVD films now available in both the usual format and in HD. If so, what percentage of films are available in HD and how do they vary in cost.

It seems I've covered every eventuality, but the bottom line is this, were I to buy a dvd player with hard drive, would it automatically play both normal and HD films?

Matt_A_2 · 11 November 2007 at 9:20AM

In order, the answers to your questions are:

1/. Sky broadcast some (not all) of their channels in HD. In order to receive these channels you need a Sky HD box. See sky.com for more details.

2/. If you want to get the maximum benefit from your new TV then you should go ahead and buy a player / recorder which supports HD.

3/. Films are indeed now available in both traditional DVD and HD formats (the HD formats are called either HD DVD or Blu-Ray). Most of the new releases are coming out on both DVD and one of the HD formats, but older films are, for the most part, still being left on the legacy format.

4/.Pirates of the Caribbean 3 is currently £14.98 on conventional DVD or £23.98 on Blu-ray, so yes, some (unfavorable) price difference, but Blu-ray will give you a better picture and is newer technology, so this is to be expected.

5/. Any good electrical retailer will currently be stocking HD DVD and Blu-ray players. Both types are backwards-compatible with the older DVD format, but as these are competing formats, there are only a very small number of players which will play both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats.

Sput2001 · 11 November 2007 at 9:30AM

Sky have a handful of channels that broadcast in HD. Principally Sky Sports, Sky One and some Movie Channels etc. These are on separate channels to their standard definition equivalents, but (usually) broadcast the same material, but in high definition.

You'll need to shell out for a Sky HD box to receive them, as well as the relevant Sky subscriptions. Not cheap at the moment, but getting cheaper, slowly.

HD being trialled for Freeview, though.

The High Definiton DVD market is currently split between two standards, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. They're mutually incompatible, which is leading many people to wait for more "universal" machines that can play both formats, rather than plump for one format and hope it doesn't lose out, in the way Betamax did to VHS in the 80s. This page isn't a bad introduction to the two formats.

System · 11 November 2007 at 10:11AM

Thanks both of you, between you you have completely explained this. I'll go and read the link now.

Bongedone · 11 November 2007 at 10:57AM

I have a Sky HD box that I won with a Sony HD TV and 1 years Sky subscription. The 1st year has just ran out and I have got rid of the HD subscription as it is not worth the extra fee. If you watch lots of discovery channel and Sky sports then it would be worth it. You can see the texture of the animals fir etc. You get the BBC HD channel free and don't need to subscribe.