One of the vital tools available to original prop collectors is the capability of obtaining the screencap – close, freeze frame analysis of a given movie or television program to research the authenticity and use of a prop or costume in a production.
For years, hobbyists have been limited, for the most part (and with some exceptions), to analysis of DVDs with standard definition resolution.
With the advent of new HD format discs, with the two new formats – HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Disc – there are now much better quality and higher resolution tools available to collectors – though quality of transfer varies and selection of films and especially television programs remains limited.
I was an early adopter of both formats by virtue of the next generation gaming consoles – the PS3 with Blu-Ray built-in and XBOX 360 with the relatively inexpensive HD-DVD add on drive.
My view has been, in spite of the “format war”, I’d be surprised if either format goes away – too much money is at stake. I think it’s more likely that, increasingly, dual format players able to read both disc formats will become more and more common. As more discs are released and purchased, as with DVD players, hardware prices will continue to drop, so electronics manufacturers will need to offer more features and a more compelling value proposition – and what would be better than getting a player that allows consumers to buy and play either type of disc?
In any event, dual format set top box players for home theaters have been in the marketplace already, but players that support both formats for use on PCs have been slow coming to retail. This is the type of player of most use to prop collectors so that high resolution still images can be saved and analyzed on a computer.
The first such player expected appears to be coming from LG – the LG GGW-H20LI and GGC-H20LI – anticipated to be offered at $500 and $400 respectively, with the former having the capability to write to Blu-Ray as well as read/play both formats (see stories from Endgadget and Gizmodo).
Though not yet released in the U.S., it is currently available in Japan for around $350 (LINK).
Whoever gets one of these first will become very popular with fellow collectors…
Jason De Bord