Yea, I don't think HD ripping is too far off. I have seen video of someone cracking the "unbreakable" hd media.....
I feel if the mastering is done right, the final HD media can look better than what we have had available on DVD.
I have a few older films on HDDVD that were obviously done with great care, expertise and reverence.
Two John Wayne films, The Coyboys and The Searchers come to mind, as does 2001: A Space Odessey.
While watching The Cowboys, it is hard for me to believe that film is 30+ years old....It is obvious that whomever did that trasnfer was a master.
Best,
James