Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Kingsly

macrumors 68040
Original poster
If I want to make myself a DVD of HD footage (for my own archives and viewing enjoyment) as an HD-DVD, can I play it in a Mac at full quality HD... or do I need an HD-DVD player?

Edit: Upon reflection, it makes sense that if my computer can burn an HD-DVD that it can read it. Could someone confirm though?
 
that's the way it would work, but there aren't any macs with an HD-DVD burner in them...
not that you couldn't have an external one or something. 🙂
 
I would assume that if the laser can burn a dvd in HD that it should have no problem then reading it.
 
well you could burn off a HD resolution divx/xvid/mov/h.264/mpg4 yata yata file on to a data disk and play it computers and special dvd players.
 
whats the deal with the HD tab in DVDplayer preffs

My understanding is that it allows you to play HD-DVDs that are stored as files on the computer already -- e.g. just like if you copy a DVD to the computer (without even Handbrake -- just drag and drop the VIDEO_TS onto the computer), DVD Player can play it. So it supports the data format, but the computer doesn't have the appropriate reader hardware for the discs itself.
 
I thought the deal with HD-DVDs was that they still used red lasers, still had a .12mm (??) coating, etc... but were compressed more, or were denser. DVD studio pro manual makes no mention (that I cold find, knowing me its right there on the first page... 😱 ) of special media (ie. you are allowed to use a DVD-5 to make a really short HDDVD) or drives to make HD-DVDs.
 
I thought the deal with HD-DVDs was that they still used red lasers, still had a .12mm (??) coating, etc... but were compressed more, or were denser. DVD studio pro manual makes no mention (that I cold find, knowing me its right there on the first page... 😱 ) of special media (ie. you are allowed to use a DVD-5 to make a really short HDDVD) or drives to make HD-DVDs.

Again, the difference between the data encoding spec and the disc spec. From Wikipedia:

The HD DVD disc is designed to be the successor to the DVD format and can store roughly 3-4 times the amount of data as its predecessor. Although it uses the same blue-violet 405 nm laser as Blu-ray Disc uses, technical differences make the two formats incompatible.
 
Edit: Upon reflection, it makes sense that if my computer can burn an HD-DVD that it can read it. Could someone confirm though?

Yes, the red-laser HD DVD-R you create with DVD Studio Pro 4 will play back in any G5 or Intel Mac with Tiger (10.4.2 or .3 or some dot-release, or later).

I've created an HD DVD-R in DVDSP 4 on one of my contract jobs, and it played back great on my G5 desktop at home. I have yet to try it on one of those Toshiba set-top HD DVD players though. According to the Toshiba's specs they should be able to play HD DVD-Rs we make in DVDSP 4.
 
Yes, the red-laser HD DVD-R you create with DVD Studio Pro 4 will play back in any G5 or Intel Mac with Tiger (10.4.2 or .3 or some dot-release, or later).

I've created an HD DVD-R in DVDSP 4 on one of my contract jobs, and it played back great on my G5 desktop at home. I have yet to try it on one of those Toshiba set-top HD DVD players though. According to the Toshiba's specs they should be able to play HD DVD-Rs we make in DVDSP 4.

Thanks, question answered. 🙂
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.