will U2's older VHS videos ever be released on DVD?

[ultraviolet353]

will U2's older VHS videos ever be released on DVD? Under A Blood Red Sky, Popmart, U2 ZooTV Down Under, Best of 1980-1990, etc. Has anyone ever had any correspondence with Interscope or Principal Managment about this?

 

[daisybean]

I hope they will be rereleased on DVD at some point in the future.

I want a Slane DVD most of all

 

[Blue Room]

Initially Popmart from Mexico City was scheduled for release in April 2001, but it was scrapped. The rumor is that it may never be released on DVD now.

Supposedly Zoo TV live from Sydney is to be released on DVD at some point. But I have not seen any official word that it will be for sure or a date that it will be released.

Their other video work, there has not even been a rumor that they may be released.

Personally, I would like to see Red Rocks on DVD, but with the entire show and not the video edited version.

 

[STING2]

I still use VHS and kind of resent all the special treatment DVDs get as far as extra material on them and being in stock everywhere. I don't plan to buy a DVD player until the recordable ones come down in price to what a VCR is which might be a while. A lot of U2s best live material is not officially released. I've got dozens of VHS video of concerts from several of the tours. The VHS version of the Best Of 1990-2000 does not have the extra material that the DVD does and I don't see why that is. Were only talking about 3 hours of video. I have to wait 10 days for the store near me to order the VHS version although the DVD is already in stock.

 

[the olive]

DVD just looks and sounds so much better.... You can get a dvd player for $70 so why wait? A dvd won't deteriorate every time you watch it or over time either.

Remember what cd's did to cassettes and Lp's? DVD is going to do the same to the awful magnetic video tape (vhs) format. Good riddance!!!!!!

 

[U2SJ]

Personally, I would like to see Red Rocks on DVD, but with the entire show and not the video edited version.

Red Rocks would be incredible on DVD! But I want Zoo, PopMart, and Slane too, yes I want them all

 

[STING2]

Does it make sense to buy a 70$ DVD player just so I can watch U2 DVDs? Why would someone buy a DVD player that they can't record things with? Did they ever sell VCRs that could not record and if so did people buy them? Honestly, I don't rent movies with my VCR, I mainly record things on TV, and copy concert bootleg video's. I have tons of U2 video. As far as quality, I have plenty of video's of things recorded in 1988 that work just as good as when I recorded the event back then. As long as you take care of your video tapes, there really is no noticable degradation after 15 years.

Certainly DVDs are better technology, most of my friends have them. But I don't see the need to rush out and buy a DVD that can't do something simple like record and event taking place or copy another VHS tape of a concert. Eventually when recordable DVDs come down in price and improve in reliability and quality then I'll get a DVD player. But for right now, its kind of hard to justify buying one since the regular priced ones can't record.

 

[corianderstem]

The VHS version of the Best Of 1990-2000 does not have the extra material that the DVD does and I don't see why that is. Were only talking about 3 hours of video.

You probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway because I'm hyped up on coffee and unable to shut my mouth this morning.

DVDs are capable of storing much more information than a VHS tape. Ditto for CDs. Did you notice that as CDs grew in popularity, the "albums" released by bands became longer? It seemed like everyone was putting out CDs at 70+ minutes.

Whether or not that was a good thing or not is up for debate -- I think sometimes bands threw songs on there that would normally have been left on the cutting room floor ... and should have been left there.

 

[STING2]

Thing is, U2 has put over 2 hours of music on to VHS before. I have VHS tapes that can hold 8 hours of music. The amount of material is on the DVD is just under 3 hours. They could have fit that onto a VHS tape if they had wanted to. I'd be all for DVDs if there was a Recordable DVD player at a price that VCRs were about 15 years ago(adjusting for inflation of course).

 

[anitram]

I held out and didn't get a DVD player right away, because my thinking was also that they'll put out recordable ones, and I'll get one then. But it seems that this will not happen in the near future (in the next year or so), and when it does, the first generation will be neither affordable nor the best. When I factored that in, and the cost of DVD players right now isn't high, it makes sense getting one. I have already gotten a year of service out of it, will probably get at least a couple more before recordable DVD players become a reality. It's not that much money over a 3 year period, and I actually make up the difference by not having to buy both VHS tapes of U2 and the DVDs.

I wish they'd release everything on DVD.

 

[corianderstem]

Thing is, U2 has put over 2 hours of music on to VHS before. I have VHS tapes that can hold 8 hours of music. The amount of material is on the DVD is just under 3 hours. They could have fit that onto a VHS tape if they had wanted to. I'd be all for DVDs if there was a Recordable DVD player at a price that VCRs were about 15 years ago(adjusting for inflation of course).

I may be way off base on this, but I think the longer you make the VHS go, the worse the quality. I think it effectively "stretches" the tape. Think about when you record a show on regular (2 hour) speed. Quality's fine. If you record 6 hours of a show on a tape (the "slow" speed, or "super long" play), the quality's not as good.

My guess would be that's the reason for not cramming 8 hours of footage onto a commercially-released tape. Heck, even "Titanic" was on two VHS tapes.

In any case, I hear you about anxiously awaiting affordable recordable DVD players. My parents were waiting for the same thing, then finally caved and bought a basic DVD player.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Does it make sense to buy a 70$ DVD player just so I can watch U2 DVDs? Why would someone buy a DVD player that they can't record things with?

fwiw, they do make recordable dvd players now too. there's also dvd burners.

in the commercials for the dvd recorders, they show a married couple making dvd copies of all their important tapes: their wedding, honeymoon, etc. as others have said, dvds are certainly better quality than vhs tapes.

now that i have my new flat screen tv in my bedroom, i wish i had a dvd player hooked up to it. oh well, i have a dvd player on my comp which has a 17" flat screen monitor, which is good enough.

 

[the olive]

You can get DVD recorders for under $500 now (Panasonic e-20/30). I remember my dad buying a fairly high end vcr in the late '80's for $600. I have a few dvd-r's recorded on these units and they are great. The quality can actually improve from the source vhs to the dvd, as opposed to vhs losing quality substantially when recorded to.

If you are into collecting old concert videos these new units are great.

 

[STING2]

When do you think the price of those will drop below $200? I remember my family buying our first VCR back in 1986 for about 120$. Its still works today! But I have others I use more often now.

DVDs are great I know. But I'm not sure If I can justify buying one so I can just watch The Best of 1990-2000 DVD. I really don't rent or buy movies which Is the main thing I think most people use their DVDs for, since most of them can't record anything. I hope the recordable DVDs come down to $150 soon.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

they probably will as soon as:
- they become more mainstream; people start buying them more
- more companies make/sell them.

right now i've only seen like philips, panasonic, etc. selling them. once the el cheapo, no-name brands start making them, the prices will definitely go down. i remember just a couple years ago, you couldn't find a name brand dvd player for under $200 or so. now, you can get name brand ones for right around $100.

 

[the olive]

When do you think the price of those will drop below $200? I remember my family buying our first VCR back in 1986 for about 120$. Its still works today! But I have others I use more often now.

DVDs are great I know. But I'm not sure If I can justify buying one so I can just watch The Best of 1990-2000 DVD. I really don't rent or buy movies which Is the main thing I think most people use their DVDs for, since most of them can't record anything. I hope the recordable DVDs come down to $150 soon.

I've seen used ones on ebay for as low as $300. A new one will still be $500. If you ever see the amazing new copy of the Syracuse '87 show on dvd-r you will be hooked on the format.

I think the prices will drop much more quickly than they did for vcr's. With Taiwan and Korea competing for the lucrative consumer electronics market the prices will tumble quickly. I also hope this will happen with plasma tv's.

 

[STING2]

I have the Syracuse 87' show on VHS. How good is the DVD and where did you get it? Syracuse 87' show is amazing, but the quality is not as good as say U2s official release of Boston Elevation. How good is the Syracuse 87' DVD in that respect? Does it look like a brand new, official release?

 

[U2Kitten]

A guy at the mall video store told me last year at this time that ZOOTV would be released on DVD but he did not know when, Popmart never would because it was not a good seller on video, and he had no info on Red Rocks or UF.

 

[melon]

Why would someone buy a DVD player that they can't record things with?

http://www.dvdrecorder.philips.com/

It's here, finally, but there is currently a standards war between Philips (DVD+RW) and Panasonic (DVD-RW/RAM). However, the difference between the VHS/Beta wars are that manufacturers can build compatibility with both into their device if they actually wanted to. Sony recently did this with a PC DVD recorder.

Price is currently around $1000, but give it a few years, and I'm sure it will drop immensely like DVD players have.

Melon

 

[melon]

When do you think the price of those will drop below $200?

They already have. Most DVD players I've found are around $125, with Best Buy even carrying Samsung DVD players for $90 right now.

I hope the recordable DVDs come down to $150 soon.

Well, PC DVD recorders are now down to $300-$400.

Melon

 

[Chrisedge]

I'm in the middle for transfering my Laserdiscs to DVDr. I have got Sydney and Red Rocks done and am doing The UF collection next as well as the AB Interference videos. All great transfers and can be done on a $250 DVDr Burner (Computer Based) and a Capture Card. All of these are circulating among people that own DVDr burners so they can be traded for. While it's much more than a CD Burner, you can get into it if you want the best possible videos to collect. There is PLENTY of U2 videos circulating in the DVDr trading circles now....


Chrisedge
www.dvdrtraders.com

PS DVD players can be had for as low as $50 bucks (The cost of 5 VHS tapes?)