What is Total HD?

As our demand for bigger and better technology continues to grow, it is no surprise that we want our entertainment options to present more clarity, better sound quality, and images that are richer in color and tone than they have ever been in the past. With all this in mind, the concept of total high definition, or Total HD comes into play.

For a number of years, consumers have enjoyed the option of high definition television, with the true color viewing experience. In fact, many satellite and cable companies have built their reputations on the use of HD TV equipment that would ensure a crisp and clear viewing experience for all their subscribers. As great as the improvements have been, there is still more to come. In fact, the dawn of 2007 saw a brand new level of image reproduction that is sure to create a whole new frenzy when it comes to television and movie entertainment. On 8 January 2007, Warner Brothers announced that they were releasing an even better option for visual media: the Total HD solution.

Created to work with such High Def solutions as Blu-Ray discs and HD DVD technology, the Total HD optical disc solution is understood to revolutionize the industry by making it possible to easily use either of the high definition formats that the consumer may choose. One side of the disc holds a single or a double layer that is Blu-Ray technology, while the flip side of the disc provides a single or double layer HD DVD option.

Providing a single disc that allows for the use of both technologies greatly expands the marketability of both television and motion picture offerings to movie house and the general public. No longer will theater owners have to check if movies they wish to show are available in the format they would prefer. Total HD ensures that whether a movie theater chain prefers one format to the other, the title will be available. In like manner, home viewers can look forward to the production of Total HD discs for home use, once the roll out to movie distributors and theaters has taken place.

At present, there are a limited number of titles that are slated to be released in Total HD formats by the third quarter of 2007. If all goes as planned, production of discs for home use may begin to occur as soon as the end of 2008. The innovation is expected to create increases in revenue for first run offerings, as well as create a greater demand for residual revenue from the rental of Total HD discs. How much of an impact the use of Total HD will make remains to be seen, but for the present, many people are waiting for the first titles to come out. In time, it will be easy to tell if Total HD lives up to its promise, or settles in as an interesting but not shining answer to improved entertainment media.