Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD (Update)

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  • Reply 121 of 367
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Blackcat

    $400 is a helluva lot to be allowed to watch a full quality version of your movies on your perfectly good TV. Seems rather unfair you need it.



    It is much cheaper than replacing the projector. The ceiling mount for the projector was more than $400 just by itself.
  • Reply 122 of 367
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,467member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by e1618978

    The ceiling mount for the projector was more than $400 just by itself.



    Heh, you're shopping at the wrong store, buddy. My ceiling mount was $40.

  • Reply 123 of 367
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Programmer

    Heh, you're shopping at the wrong store, buddy. My ceiling mount was $40.





    My projector is an 8" CRT projector - 120lbs and too big for a single person to lift. And I was including the cost of the carpenters to install it.



    BTW - it looks like the Xbox 360 will support VGA right out of the box, so at least I will be able to use that. Hopefully there are no screen resolution limitations with VGA.
  • Reply 124 of 367
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Probably old news, but



    1. Sony bought MGM (so they will be supporting blu-ray)

    2. Fox just announced support for blu-ray



    http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/08/04/fox_blu_ray/
  • Reply 125 of 367
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050810-5194.html



    Paramount cancelled all 2005 HD-DVD releases, Universal scaled back 25%, no player available this year except for $1000 toshiba unit.



    "With BD+ and ROM-Mark, the BDA and Sony have added a powerful one-two punch to Blu-ray's arsenal. Dare I say it, but I think Blu-ray has HD DVD on the ropes"
  • Reply 126 of 367
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    The beauty of this contest is that DVD has a more than adequate capability of delivering reasonable cinema fidelity up to about 50" widescreen (viewed at comfortable distances) HD content produces a whole other level of fidelity, true, but we can all afford to wait for the ashes to settle.



    Don't really care who 'wins' so long as it's a quick and easy kill. Personally, I'm rooting for the least invasive DRM scheme (whichever it happens to be) but that's money down the drain on the part of the content deliverers. It's really only throwing down the guantlet -- anything they cook up will meet a quick defeat. Consumers will pay reasonable prices for reasonable rights -- and do whatever they need to do in order to bring the cost/use ratio to a palatable medium.



    I will pay for content once, and only once, and use whatever means thereafter in order to use that content as I see fit. If I cannot pay for 'material' then I will not pay for its 'use'. Simple, companies that don't want our money will learn that any product can be substituted...
  • Reply 127 of 367
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by e1618978

    http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050810-5194.html



    Paramount cancelled all 2005 HD-DVD releases, Universal scaled back 25%, no player available this year except for $1000 toshiba unit.



    "With BD+ and ROM-Mark, the BDA and Sony have added a powerful one-two punch to Blu-ray's arsenal. Dare I say it, but I think Blu-ray has HD DVD on the ropes"




    Good news. Who was it (in this forum) that was prophesizing that Paramount would switch to Blu-Ray a couple of months ago? The person even put money on it if I remember correctly. Anyways, the person said they worked for Paramount and we'd have to wait and see. Well, it sure looks like they may make the switch to Blu-Ray. Only time will tell. The sooner HD-DVD dies, the better in my opinion. That way, the quicker I can build up a Blu-Ray movie collection without fear of another format!
  • Reply 128 of 367
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,438member
    This doesn't mean much other than neither format will be ready until q1 2006 at the earliest. Webmail was wrong Paramount is not capitulating on HD-DVD. Read the post..they've cancelled their releases for 2005 realizing the hardware isn't going to be ready.



    As for DRM Blu-Ray has the most offensive. In addition to AACS they have SPDC. Great if you're a content provider with paranoia but as a consumer I wonder how many DRM glitches will surface in early generation players.
  • Reply 129 of 367
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    This doesn't mean much other than neither format will be ready until q1 2006 at the earliest. Webmail was wrong Paramount is not capitulating on HD-DVD. Read the post..they've cancelled their releases for 2005 realizing the hardware isn't going to be ready.



    As for DRM Blu-Ray has the most offensive. In addition to AACS they have SPDC. Great if you're a content provider with paranoia but as a consumer I wonder how many DRM glitches will surface in early generation players.




    From over at Slashdot...



    Quote:

    "In an announcement (warning: links to a PDF) last night, the Blu-ray Disc Association, led by Sony, representing one of two competing high-definition DVD formats (the other being HD-DVD, led by Toshiba), stated it will simultaneously embrace digital watermarking, programmable cryptography, and a self-destruct code for Blu-ray disc players. Will this be the continuation of the trend into more and more restrictive DRM? Or something that will fade away like Betamax Tapes? Two articles on the topic can be found at Tom's Hardware and PC World."



    There is no winner until both formats are out and competing. As of now, there is no winner or loser, its all just conjecture. Once they hit the marketplace, we will see who prevails...
  • Reply 130 of 367
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kupan787

    There is no winner until both formats are out and competing. As of now, there is no winner or loser, its all just conjecture. Once they hit the marketplace, we will see who prevails...



    There is no current winner, but the odds are stacked against HD-DVD. The only thing that can save them is Bill Gates changing his mind and shipping HD-DVD in the first versions of the xbox 360.



    He may still do that, because the prospect of paying Sony royalties on every xbox in the future must rankle for him.
  • Reply 131 of 367
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,438member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by e1618978

    There is no current winner, but the odds are stacked against HD-DVD. The only thing that can save them is Bill Gates changing his mind and shipping HD-DVD in the first versions of the xbox 360.



    He may still do that, because the prospect of paying Sony royalties on every xbox in the future must rankle for him.






    That is flat out wishful thinking. Sounds like the typical Blu-Ray drone, no offense. The studio support for both platforms is equal. We now know that HD-DVD won't ship with a sizable lead in "First to market". Cost issues are still being fleshed out. Both formats seem to be in this copy protection pissing contest that content providers both love. Don't be surprised if neither format takes hold. I could easily see consumer put off by higher prices and lack of copy features.



    I think the interesting thing is if we have truly locked down discs what concessions are consumers going to have? Can I replace scratched discs cheaply since there will be no doubt that I haven't recorded the data? How will pricing be affected by such stout copy protection? Consumers need to ask "where do I see the benefits of copy protection"



    This isn't a shoe in for either format. The Internet and VoD will be competitive for a delivery mechanism for video. Once cable modems and DSL start jumping to the 20-50Mbps range everything changes. I see a decided lack of focus for both formats that distrubs me. They aren't looking for the darkhorse competitors sitting quietly in the corner.
  • Reply 132 of 367
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    That is flat out wishful thinking. Sounds like the typical Blu-Ray drone, no offense.



    Funny, you are the only one calling people drones, zealots and so on, but you're also the only one acting like one.



    You defend HD DVD like your life depended on it.
  • Reply 133 of 367
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    That is flat out wishful thinking. Sounds like the typical Blu-Ray drone, no offense.



    Of course I have a vested interest - the $500 bet with you!



    And things are looking pretty much like a lock in... heh heh heh
  • Reply 134 of 367
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,438member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by JLL

    Funny, you are the only one calling people drones, zealots and so on, but you're also the only one acting like one.



    You defend HD DVD like your life depended on it.




    Incorrecto. I've always said I will own both platforms. Do I like Sony's love affair with DRM? No but I will buy into Blu-Ray nontheless. What has happened with this budding format war is one of extreme mismarketing.



    Many people have jumped onto Blu-Ray because of the capacity advantage alone. Hardly any can base their preference on anything more than this single metric. Sure I want 100 and 200GB multilayer discs as well...affordably. Right now buying into BD is buying into hype.



    I'm coming from the perspective of what is needed for movie content delivery and both formats are in a dead heat. Both formats are locked down to such an extent that I have no desire to have a disc w/200gb of data that cannot be backed up.



    Studio support is virtually even. Both formats figure to be in the console gaming systems by 2007.



    I'm not a Blu-Ray hater but the formats are much more even than many suggest. People will make their own choices when the time comes but to see that "either" format has some sort of advantage right now with the dearth of good info is rather disingenous.



    Consumers are the ones losing in this DRM "arms race"
  • Reply 135 of 367
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    As for DRM Blu-Ray has the most offensive. In addition to AACS they have SPDC.



    Where have you found that Blu-Ray will be using SPDC? I'm unaware of that. What is it exactly? What does it stand for? I'm curious because to my knowledge, Blu-Ray will be using AACS, BD+, and ROM Mark referenced in this article:



    http://www.blu-raydisc.com/assets/do...0809-13034.pdf



    There is no mention of SPDC. Explain.
  • Reply 137 of 367
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    I'm not a Blu-Ray hater but the formats are much more even than many suggest.



    Well not really when it comes to data storage and future development. Do I really want to run a separate drive for the computer and home DVDs?
  • Reply 138 of 367
    19841984 Posts: 955member
    Watch out! Don't mention the greater storage capacity of Blu-Ray around him! Take cover!
  • Reply 139 of 367
    arty50arty50 Posts: 201member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    The studio support for both platforms is equal.



    Oh really.



    From Ars: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050810-5194.html



    According to the Wall Street Journal, the studios who had planned to embrace HD DVD this holiday season are scaling back their plans to have HD DVD movies on shelves. Paramount Pictures, for instance, has nixed their plans for holiday releases entirely, although they have not indicated that they are bailing out of HD DVD altogether. NBC Universal will be releasing some HD DVD titles, but they have scaled their release back 25 percent. As of today, no other HD DVD titles have been announced.



    Sony, Disney, and now News Corp's Twentieth Century Fox have all committed to Blu-ray, and have no plans to sell HD DVD products. Sony gained Twentieth Century Fox just last week when the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) reportedly agreed to add watermarking technology to the spec. This has kicked off a round of sniping between Blu-ray and HD DVD proponents over which solution is more secure. The debate is a bit strange because the two solutions use largely the exact same core tech, namely the Advanced Access Content System (AACS).
  • Reply 140 of 367
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 1984

    Watch out! Don't mention the greater storage capacity of Blu-Ray around him! Take cover!



    Well storage per layer becomes important in writers as there is significantly greater difficulty as you move to increased numbers of layers. It is fine to be able to press out large numbers of layers for ROM versions but it is a whole different problem for discs to be written at home. Kind of makes HD-DVD a crap solution for home based optical storage unless you want to nearly double up your number of discs (20GB rewritables are done and 32GB are planned but that's still a long way shy of 25 and 50GB).



    Before you go, "but they have triple layer discs!" I will again say those are pressed discs (ROMs) and not for what will be home writers. They don't even anticipate dual layer at launch, blu-ray does however. For me what gets used with the computer gets used with the home player and I doubt I'll be completely alone on that one.
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