Heroes HD DVD vs. ATSC HD Broadcast Comparison

Heroes really needs no introduction. In its freshman year, the show has garnered critical acclaim with numerous nominations from organizations such as the WGA, AFI, People’s Choice Awards, and the Academy of Television and Sciences and knocked out stalwart favorites such as Lost and 24 in the Nielsen ratings. With the HD DVD and Blu-ray battle raging, Heroes has become one of the showcases for HD DVD. After all, it’s produced by NBC Universal, the only studio to remain HD DVD exclusive from the very beginning.

The Season One box set features a 1080p VC-1 encoding and plenty of extras. I have little doubt that the HD DVD experience is superior to the conventional DVD, but there’s one unanswered question: is the HD DVD version the best way to experience Heroes?

First of all, NBC.com allows you to stream complete episodes at 640x360 resolution over the web. While you won’t be able to watch the entire season, it’s free and at 640x320, you’re getting better quality than standard definition TV. The real challenger will come from ATSC broadcast television. NBC broadcasts the entire season in 1080i HDTV, and owners of televisions featuring video processors capable of doing 1080i inverse telecine will be able to enjoy the full 1080p experience. And it’s free. So does the HD DVD box-set have something to offer? Well, to find out, I went to Best Buy and bought the HD DVD boxset.

Test Equipment:

Display: Sony VPL-VW50 Projector (1080p24@96Hz 3-chip SXRD front projector)
Room: 2000+ cubic ft, ~115” screen size, 45 degree horizontal angle of view
Receiver: JVC RX-DP20VBK THX Ultra2 Receiver (5.1)
Front Speakers: Polk Audio LSi9, Bi-amplified, modified with internal Dynamat reinforcement
Center Channel: Polk Audio LSiC
Rear Speakers: Insignia NS-B2111
Video Cables: Monster Cable M1000 HDMI
Audio cables: Two pairs Monster Cable Z2 (Biamplified L/R), Monster Cable Z2 Biwire (C), Monster Cable Superflat Mini (Rear), Monster Cable LightSpeed 100
Line Conditioner: Monster Power HTS1000 MKII,
Sources: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Elite, HTPC