How much would you guys pay for a HD-DVD/BR of "Dil Chahta Hai" (or any other Bollywood film you love)? I'm talking about a high quality HD transfer, not upscaled usual Bollywood DVD quality.

I will gladly shell out 25 $ ( price of a criterion disk )

I would pay £20 for a good quality disc ...

Assuming copying or piracy is not an option:

Normally, up to $ 40 US ($ 50 Cdn).
More for rare, discs.
Well, why not when spending upwards of $ 4000 for HD TV and another $2000 for 5.1 audio.

In the past we have paid upwards of $ 40 for 'not easily available' standard NTSC/ PAL disc versions.

$1,000,000???

Seriously though, 25 USD.

Like $15.00. I don't see the point in shelling out a lot for a film that's already available on (a good) DVD. Now, if they're going to release a stellar "next-generation format" of Sholay, I'll be on board, as no DVD of the film that does it justice, currently exists. Similar situation with something like Deewaar (1975), though; I absolutely adore the film, but, unless there're some superb special features on it, I don't see any purpose in paying a lot for a new copy.

Have you ever seen DVD and HD next to each other on a full HD res display?

I would pay up to around $35.00. Now whether my dear pathi would be willing for me to pay that is another question! Maybe if was an Amitabh film!

Yeah, at stores. Sure, they look a bit different, but I really don't care enough to shell out insane sums of money. I care that the film I watch look and sound good, but if there exists a "good print" (such as Eros/DEI's Sholay [1975]) of a movie, then I'm not likely to go out and spend very much on a newly-released HD-DVD/Blu-Ray version of it. I think it's kind of become a fad to get the "latest and greatest technology," and I'm not too fond of it. Again, I appreciate and demand quality, but I don't appreciate nitpickiness with no bounds.

I've seen various Blue ray & HD demos, spiderman 2 was the most impressive, especially with a projected image.

As new formats will be at a premium initially, the only films I would buy would either be very favourite movies, or movies that would be vastly improved by the HD (ie movies with great scenary/effects/visuals etc).

Devdas (new) could look fantastic in HD, DCH? well its personal preference but i can live with just the DVD version of it as its not a visual spectacular. I wont buy it till I've read reviews of it though, as I suspect a lot of Indian HD discs will not be good quality at all (worst case), or just the dvd version tacked onto this new format with a few rubbish extras to pad it out in its shiny new packaging!

Same expectation for Hindi HD-DVDs...

Agreed. Hell, a lot of Eros's DVD's just look like VHS copies put onto a shiny new format.

I am too skeptical, that from these chor companies, if we will ever get any quality/genuine quality product and reasonably competitive price!

If it happens!! that I doubt, I wont mind paying $20 or so that I paid for my original bomb DCH, since then have invested in 2 more bombs of the same movie!! only company who seems to partly stand behind their whatever products to some extent is BEI and their dvds cost around $5

That tells me you have not seen DVD and HD on the same HD res monitor because they do not look a bit different if the HD deserves to be called HD and the monitor as well. The difference is as big as bad VHS versus top DVD (if not more). On smaller monitors the effect is diminished, though. You need a big picture to fully appreciate the difference (1.5 m and more).

Seems like the discussion has drifted to general situation of Indian DVD business, where majority claim the disc to be Tops and it turns up Garbage.

But, the question posed in the thread was specific to Good Indian films, like Dil Chahta Hai, presented in real HD quality. Zulmies who responded to this scenario mentioned willing to pay $ 25 to $ 40 US. Let's now see if Indian Film Business folks are willing to invest in making HD DVDs. Let's hope so.