Geeks face a lot of important choices in the course of their lives. Batman or Superman? Playstation or Xbox? Star Wars or Star Trek (not that this is really even a choice)? Whether to wear the “ironic” Cobrai Kai “Sweep the Leg” shirt to the bar, or just rock the usual pit-stained black tee? One decision that has a lasting impact on all aspects of our geek lives, yes even more so than Batman vs. Superman, is whether or not to convert your movie collection to the latest format. Is HD really worth the time, money and effort?

I went through an arduous decision-making process when DVD’s first arrived. I whole-heartedly refused to up-convert. I liked my VHS’s, had way too many to conceivably re-buy (college students have to have priorities, and I valued Woodstock’s Pizza over Swimming with Sharks on DVD. Sue me!), and was put off by everyone who raved about how great DVD’s were in comparison. What did I care how clear the picture was, I can see it just fine? I had decided to just ignore DVD’s, hoping they would go the way of Beta, the Jaguar game system, and Gerard Depardieu.

But then I actually watched a DVD.

A week later I had a DVD player and five DVD’s (and counting). I became a champion of the format overnight, and am still proud to wave my DVD flag. The picture WAS better; I had no idea what I was missing. Whole movies changed for me. It wasn’t until I watched the The Princess Bride on DVD that I realized the Indigo-Westley sword fight took place during the day. My worn out VHS copy made it look like it was happening at sundown. Die Hard suddenly became 18% more awesome when I noticed that my VHS copy always compressed the picture, making Bruce seem tiny and less muscular. But he was normal sized and buff on DVD. And as far as re-buying my movie collection, I took pride in seeking out replacements. Heck, I wanted them all. Every movie ever made, so long as they all looked so good. DVD quickly became my biggest passion, one that I thought could never be supplanted by another format.

But a few years ago there were rumblings of a new format; a high-definition format that blew away the already pristine picture quality of DVD. I listened to the stories but paid them no real attention. It seemed at the time to be a high-end user scenario, a format not intended for consumers, much like Laserdiscs. When HD-DVD and Blu Ray began slugging it out for market dominance I knew it was time to stand up and took notice. The advent of HD TV was beginning to change the way we watch entertainment. And I begrudgingly, much like my hesitation with DVD, accepted what was to come. However, I never even considered making the conversion.

But then I watched a basketball game in High-Definition.

The picture quality was unreal. Like looking right into the action, unfiltered. You could see beads of sweat on the player’s lips. As more and more TV shows made the switch, the results became even more startling. Jay Leno in HD is an adventure, to say the least. Nature documentaries were a revelation (witness the recent wonders of BBC’s Planet Earth). The potential for HD in movies was off the charts. And making the switch to HD-DVD’s was inevitable. This is unlike the existential crisis of switching from VHS to DVD. Sure the jump in quality here is comparable, but that switch was a fundamental change in the format. A tape to a disc. A viewfinder to a Nikon. It was a brand new style of control, both in menu and in technical arrangement. An alteration of your home viewing mindset. This is merely a different type of disc.

But it’s also much more than that.

For all the hassle that theaters get, we never get the same type of quality on DVD that we do with a film negative. And we never will. The picture is always more clear, the details more fleshed out. But HD closes that gap. In some instances, it makes the picture so good it blows away the print. Makes a film look TOO good. You are watching an image the way it was meant to be seen, with no compressions or compromises. What you see is what you were SUPPOSED to get. Never before has original intent been so close at hand.

HD, for all my resistance to change, is the way of the future. It’s time I embrace it. It’s time I let go of my financial concerns and start focusing on my geek obligations. Warner Brothers was kind enough to send me an advance copy of The Matrix Ultimate HD Collection, and it’s outstanding. Beyond the 36 hours of bonus materials, the compact packaging and the fact that it was free (!), the movies themselves were like nothing I’ve ever seen. The stark white control room in Revolutions was unbelievable (still my favorite piece of art-direction in the entire series). The FX work in the Burly Man fight, the Zion last stand and the final showdown between Neo and Smith is astounding, considering its scope and its age. The work done on the trilogy, technically-speaking is truly supported and championed on HD. One of my many complaints about the Matrix sequels was the tendency to overuse black. Scenes were so dark that actions became hard to follow. The Neo/Smith final fight was like trying to follow a single raindrop in a thunderstorm; you lose them throughout their aerial confrontation. HD removes that complaint. You can now differentiate between foreground and background elements. Objects are given actual placement within the image. The Matrix, already an outstanding visual achievement, becomes for the first time since Neo took that blue pill, fun to look at.

Colors are more vibrant on HD, especially the explosions. You’ll have a whole new appreciation for the freeway chase in Reloaded after watching it on HD. The greens and violets of the series color palette are other stand-outs for me. I may still not understand half of the philosophical nonsense the Wachowski Brothers tried to lump into their supercharged sci-fi story, but at least now I understand the look of the series.

(And let me take a moment to throw a “holla” at my boy Keanu, who recently picked up yet another accolade in his sterling career. Entertainment Weekly just named The Matrix as the most important sci-fi movie of the last 25 years, beating out the likes of Blade Runner, Lost, the new Star Wars trilogy, and even the Lord of the Rings! Suck on that, all you hobbit-heads! This is just more validation for the legend of Keanu Reeves. More examples of why he is so important to the industry and the craft. More reason for me to believe I am right that not only does Keanu Reeves not suck, but that’s he’s actually totally great. Now back to the business at hand…)

HD is meant for epics like The Matrix movies. Movies that have huge sprawling images that require closer inspection. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Star Wars trilogy, comic book movies like Spider-Man and X-Men. These types of movies are what High Definition is meant for. And what it should be exclusively used for. Will I make the conversion? Yes. But not for all movies. While I was quick to reload my VHS collection on DVD, I will not replicate my reckless spending spree on HD. For one, it’s prohibitively expensive. Maybe in two years when the price of an HD movie comes down, but for now it’s just not worth it to shill out $35 bucks for an HD version of The Last Boyscout when my DVD will do just fine (it’s not like Halle Berry is suddenly going to be topless in the HD version). And for two, the format doesn’t require or validate collection-wide dipbacks.

Do I really need Best of the Best in HD? For what, to see Eric Roberts’s hammy tears in greater detail? What will Austin Powers on HD really give me, value-wise? Is part 3 going to be suddenly less lame on HD? Will A Few Good Men get more awesome because I can now see every detail of Daniel Kaffee’s faggoty white uniform? The picture quality of HD in comparison to DVD is revolutionary, true. But I just don’t see the need to buy a non-blockbuster movie on HD. Comedy is comedy regardless of the picture quality. Same goes for Drama and to a lesser extent, animation. But sci-fi, action, adventure, horror, that’s another story. I can’t wait to see Aliens on HD. Or Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Or most of all, The Star Wars trilogies. Lucas must be licking his chops at the money he can potentially make with this new format.

So in the end I am recommending the switch to HD, so long as you are specific in what you buy. If a movie has no CGI in it, skip the HD version. If Kevin Smith is prominently involved, I doubt HD is necessary (his movies would still look like shit even in 3-D). But if you’re watching a movie with orcs, X-wings, aliens, predators, 80’s action heroes, time travelers, expert martial artists, pirates, superheroes or anything James Cameron has ever been involved with (yes, even Piranha 2), then run don’t walk to your local Best Buy and grab those new discs. If The Matrix Ultimate HD Collection is any indication, you won’t be sorry.

So if I can summarize in one word my first experience dipping into the brave new world of HD, I’d have to defer to the wisdom of someone I consider to be quite the enlightened mind.

As The One might say: “Whoa”.

Bangarang!

CLICK HERE to subscribe to TheJay.com RSS Feed