This is an unsupported rumor from a PS centric magazine, but I'm hopeful.
keep hoping. people just seem to have no business sense these days.
how will they offer all that at 400?? the hit would be ridiculous.
free online multiplayer? just like they have now prob where you have to pay per game to go online depending on who published it. how would they spend money on R&D and then charge NO online fee? microsoft put a lot of time and money into xbox live and it shows.
the Nintendo 64 controller was first revealed everyone was saying
the same thing that they're doing now with the PS3 controller.
Uh, the N64 controller was Nintendo's worst, and it ranks up with the worst designs of all-time in my book. Real bright idea putting the primary left hand interface on the center prong...Genius!
The only dumber design was the Dreamcast's upside down cable.
keep hoping. people just seem to have no business sense these days.
how will they offer all that at 400?? the hit would be ridiculous.
free online multiplayer? just like they have now prob where you have to pay per game to go online depending on who published it. how would they spend money on R&D and then charge NO online fee? microsoft put a lot of time and money into xbox live and it shows.
I think $400 is reasonable as a loss leader. 60gig 3.5" HDDs are now very cheap, 2.5" aren't expensive and Sony will be buying in bulk, millions at a time.
I'm not so sure free online multiplayer will be viable as good bandwidth needs funding, but Xbox Live shows people are happy to pay so as long as it's good it will sell.
I think $400 is reasonable as a loss leader. 60gig 3.5" HDDs are now very cheap, 2.5" aren't expensive and Sony will be buying in bulk, millions at a time.
I'm not so sure free online multiplayer will be viable as good bandwidth needs funding, but Xbox Live shows people are happy to pay so as long as it's good it will sell.
Indeed, 3.5" HDDs aren't going to get cheaper than 60 GB. Hell with 150 GB/platter drives, a single platter 150 GB HDD would cost about the same to manufacture. But $400 doesn't sound so feasible when you consider bare 5.25" BD-RE drives are going to sell for $700+ initially. Also factor in the rumor that the PS3 is still being prototyped. Time is money, and those additional R&D costs may force Sony to hike up the price a bit.
The free online multiplayer is what makes me skeptical. I'm already paying MS $50/year for a rather barren service, if Sony can do a barebones service for free, I'd gladly pay a nominal fee for more frills.
If you think I'm going to read all that, keep dreaming. The PS 2 had the most market share for the same reason the iPod has, it's better!
The same will apply to the PS 3. Deal with it.
Good post, and speaking of iPods, Apple apparently is asking for Blu-ray disc content for their next generation iPod, the ever elusive full-screen video iPod.
Apple is asking movie studios to include video content for iPods on Blu-ray discs, according to iPod Hub.
The website says that industry insiders have reported that Apple wants to have content available before its next iPod model is introduced. This, the report says, will be the long-awaited large-screen version.
Apple joined the Sony-led Blu-ray Disc Association last year, saying at the time that the format, which can store up to 50GB on a single disc, would be ideal for Mac users 'already creating stunning HD content with Apple's leading video editing applications'.
The company has yet to announce plans to fit BD drives in its computers, though they could well make their debut in the first Intel-powered Power Macs later this year. Incidentally, Intel has thrown its considerable weight behind Blu-ray's rival technology, HD DVD.
Wow if they put an iPOD formatted version of a movie with the regular version for the same price that would be huge. I know that would swing me to go with Blue-Ray technology and the new video ipod. What a great idea.
Here's some more news about Blu-ray and iPod content. Man, with the huge success that the iPod obviously is, this (if true) most definitely will be solidifying Blu-ray's position as the de facto next generation HD format. Now say that 100 times fast with me...
Apple is asking movie studios to include iPod-ready versions of their films on future Blu-Ray disc releases.
CNN claims Apple - who signed up to support the Blu-Ray standard in March 2005 - is using its membership of the standards-setting body and its CEO Steve Jobs' Hollywood clout to convince studios to make such a move.
Apple new media ally Disney and Blu-Ray standard champion Sony have been approached, the report states.
Convincing studios to release iPod-ready movies using the rights-protected Blu-Ray standard would "greatly expand Apple's movie library," the report opines.
The move is thought to be part of Apple's strategy to create a rich ecosystem of content to help generate sales of its purported future "true iPod video" product.
Blu-ray is one of two new optical disc formats battling to replace DVDs for high-definition content. The main backers of Blu-ray include Sony, Panasonic, Disney, Apple and Samsung, while companies supporting the rival HD-DVD format include Toshiba, NEC and Intel.
We know what's in it for Apple. But what's in it for the BDA? Why should they give up precious space for a portable player that most of their clients won't even own?
I'm failing to see what Apple could offer in exchange for putting iPod video content on BD-ROM
We know what's in it for Apple. But what's in it for the BDA? Why should they give up precious space for a portable player that most of their clients won't even own?
I'm failing to see what Apple could offer in exchange for putting iPod video content on BD-ROM
We know what's in it for Apple. But what's in it for the BDA? Why should they give up precious space for a portable player that most of their clients won't even own?
I'm failing to see what Apple could offer in exchange for putting iPod video content on BD-ROM
I think it is pretty obvious. Precious space? That's one of the many reasons why Blu-ray has more capacity than HD DVD--for those features you find all too useless.
It is a win-win. BDA gets tons of iPod users flocking to the Blu-ray format further solidifying it, and Apple of course gets people clamoring for their next generation video iPod.
Oh and by the way, here is an interesting article...
For Tom Cruise watchers, April 18 was a big day. Yes, there was something about him having a kid with Katie Holmes, but more importantly for videophiles, The Last Samurai HD-DVD was officially released along with Toshiba's new next-gen DVD player, the HD-A1 and three other discs: The Phantom of the Opera, Million Dollar Baby, and Serenity. Kudos to Toshiba for actually getting a semiaffordable first-generation product out well ahead of Sony and Camp Blu-ray. But as I've said before, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of things to complain about. So, here we go. I've ordered my gripes from mildly bothersome to really irksome. And of course, feel free to add your own peeves.
1. Initial HD-DVDs are just rehashes of the existing DVDs
OK, so it's early in the game. But this is the same complaint that folks had about a lot of early Xbox 360 games--that they're just graphically spruced-up versions of their Xbox counterparts. Hopefully, we'll soon see some HD-DVD discs that actually show off some of the interactive features that Toshiba is touting.
2. Extra features not in high-def
This format is called HD-DVD, so why am I not watching extras in HD? Enough said.
3. Player doesn't do enough
Toshiba HD-A1: the world's first HD-DVD playerI understand Toshiba wanting to come out with a basic player for a semiaffordable price. Five hundred bucks is a lot, but it's half the price of what Blu-ray players will start out at, and it's not an outrageous figure for those wanting a first crack at cutting-edge technology. That said, the company's step-up HD-DVD player, the HD-XA1 ($799) should have offered a little more in the way of features--instead, it boasts only a motorized front door, some better-looking cosmetics, an RS-232 port, and a backlit remote. How 'bout a little DVD-Audio support? (SACD is probably a no-no, since it's a Sony-backed format.) What about slots for memory cards, so you can show your digital photos at high-def resolutions or play back digital music? And why couldn't those USB ports in front accept thumbdrives filled with digital photos and music?
4. No 1080p output
The high-definition video output of first-generation HD-DVD players is limited to 720p or 1080i, not 1080p, which is currently the best high-def image you can get. With only a handful of HDTVs out there that accept and display a native 1080p signal, what's the big deal? For starters, 1080p is quickly becoming the new de facto gold standard for HDTVs, with 1080p inputs set to become a lowest common denominator for nearly all 2006 HDTVs. But the dearth of 1080p output is most frustrating, once you find out that HD-DVD movies are being mastered in 1080p--but that theoretically better picture quality will remain locked on the disc until 1080p HD-DVD players appear (sometime in 2007, if not earlier). Needless to say, it's a bummer to not get 1080p right out of the gate, especially when first-gen Blu-ray players will offer it. I don't need to be completely future-proofed, but give me some basic protection, please.
5. Component video can be flagged
I almost wrote a full column on this issue alone. The unfortunate fact is that studios can encode their discs with an image-constraint flag that downconverts the HD-DVD's output resolution to 960x540 when played through the analog component-video outputs, which lack the robust digital copy-protection of HDMI. That means discs that are so flagged will display only a quarter of their best possible resolution if you own one of the early HDTVs that are lacking digital video inputs (HDMI or HDCP-compatible DVI). Yes, Blu-ray discs carry the same restrictions, and almost all of the studios have tentatively agreed to not flag their initial batch of releases. But that still leaves early adopters at the mercy of the studio bosses, who can choose to reverse course at any time.
6. Wacky audio
HD-DVD discs allegedly offer even better sound than do DVDs. And while we actually believe this--HD-DVD discs are encoded with the higher-resolution Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, and/or DTS-HD soundtracks--the player's audio setup is a real hassle to figure out, and we're still not certain we've gotten optimal sound out of the home theater here in our lab. In our review of the HD-A1, we note that, "There's a full-page chart in the manual that details which connections can pass which types of soundtracks, including footnotes such as this: 'Bitstream audio output is possible only when the connected HDMI device has bitstream decoding function. If not, sound is output in PCM (48k) format.'" If that isn't confusing enough, word is that Warner's initial HD-DVD offerings don't appear to have been mastered correctly. As reported at DVD enthusiast site The Digital Bits, if you go from watching The Last Samurai to Universal's correctly mastered Serenity, your speakers may get blown out, because the latter disc is so much louder--a fact to which we can attest.
7. HDMI hiccups
Toshiba didn't create the finicky beast known as HDMI, so we can't totally fault the company for this one, but the fact remains that we've encountered our share of problems while trying to connect the HD-A1 to various HDTVs in our lab. On a couple of occasions, the player simply stopped playing in the middle of a movie, or we got an "HDMI error" message--and a black screen of death--when we switched inputs while the player was running. Blame game aside, we expect that HD-DVD early adopters will encounter their share of connectivity snafus.
TalkBack
What irks you about HD-DVD?
Post your comment here8. Sluggish performance
One of biggest disappointments with Toshiba's first-gen player is how slow it is. Yeah, the first DVD players weren't jackrabbits either, but HD-A1 truly chugs--Windows XP loads faster on some PCs than HD-DVDs do on this thing, and certain button presses give new meaning to the word delay.
9. The smaller the display, the smaller the difference
So we compared the The Last Samurai HD-DVD to its DVD counterpart on a Panasonic TH-42PX60U 42-inch plasma. The standard DVD was in our reference player, the Denon DVD-3910 (outputting at 720p), while the HD-DVD was, naturally, in the HD-A1. We flipped back and forth between the TV's two HDMI inputs, and though the HD-DVD image was distinctly sharper and clearly had the edge, the difference wasn't huge. We're pretty certain, however, that you'll see a much bigger difference the bigger you go. As we wait to get a large HDTV back in our labs--say, something along the lines of a Sony KDS-R60XBR1 60-inch SXRD rear-pro or a higher-end front projector--we'll stick by our recommendation that at these prices, next-gen DVD players should interest only those with HDTVs of 50 inches or larger.
10. A dearth of discs
Originally, HD-DVD was supposed to launch with 30 discs, but that number shrunk to 4--and we ended up finding only 3 in stores the week of April 18. Any way you look it, that's a paltry number. By comparison, DVD had at least 30 titles available within the first month of the format's March 1997 debut. HD-DVD backers hope to have around 200 titles--by the end of 2006.
Again you assume that there will be enough iPod video users to warrant using the space.
BD-ROM doesn't have endless space. You have multiple tracks of audio in multiple languages. You have BD-Java and extras. I really doubt they are going to add extra data that only a subset of users can access. I expect this idea to get vetoed unless Apple can make things a bit more lucrative.
Is the art of pragmatism lost amongst Blu Ray fans?
Supports up to eight full-range channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio.*
Supported by High-Definition Media Interface (HDMI?), the new single-cable digital connection for audio and video.
Supports extensive metadata including dialogue normalization and dynamic range control.
Note the 18 Mbps for the audio alone. Now most studio aren't going to use the maximum rate but even if we halve that total we have a decent amount of storage expecially considering some releases will have multiple language support.
Then you have the codecs. Sony is said to be shipping MPEG2 on the first launch discs which means they'll have to be above 20Mpbs for pristine video. This means nigh 10GB per hour. Now that 25GB isn't looking like so much space. Luckily we have DL discs but now we're taking about a more expensive disc to make.
Sony is likely going to try and keep most movies at 25GB to save costs. Apple asking for 2GB is going to be a tough sell on anything but DL 50GB discs.
I'm not saying I don't like the idea of BD-ROM with iPod content but the realist in me says
1. Apple doesn't have a proven market for true video iPods.
2. Space considerings which are significant if we're looking at SL BD-ROM
3. Lack of mutual consideration. Apple gets a big benefit here but it's murkey when you look at just what the BDA gets in return.
This proposal just doesn't light that bulb like it should.
Could that be because you are extremely anti blu-ray?
No. I'll eventually own a BD player. I feel that HD-DVD strikes a balance between manufacturers and consumer and content providers more deftly than Blu Ray. Blu Ray is a technical tour de force in an arena that really only requires a modest jump.
That being said however I have to be honest with you. I personally do not believe that Apple's iTunes store and all of the WMA clone stores are best for consumers. What has happened is a mess of DRM balkanization that locks me into certain players. I'm not really interested in seeing portable video go down the same road.
Media consumption should be centered around interoperability. I don't have to buy a sony tv because it's the only tv compatible with my comcast. That's because standards are generally good..especially when they don't lead back to one huge company.
Portable video hasn't been proven as a hot commodity ala music and digital players. I believe Apple is asking the BDA to take a leap of faith without knowing exactly where that next ledge is.
Comments
Originally posted by Ireland
If you think I'm going to read all that, keep dreaming. The PS 2 had the most market share for the same reason the iPod has, it's better!
The same will apply to the PS 3. Deal with it.
LOL... Quick, to the point, and serious. That post is a beautiful thing.
- $399
- November release
- 60 GB HDD (XBox 360 = 20 GB)
- Free online multiplayer from Sony
- Backward compatible with all PS/PS2 games
This is an unsupported rumor from a PS centric magazine, but I'm hopeful.
Originally posted by Eugene
Incoming damage control...possibly.
- $399
- November release
- 60 GB HDD (XBox 360 = 20 GB)
- Free online multiplayer from Sony
- Backward compatible with all PS/PS2 games
This is an unsupported rumor from a PS centric magazine, but I'm hopeful.
keep hoping. people just seem to have no business sense these days.
how will they offer all that at 400?? the hit would be ridiculous.
free online multiplayer? just like they have now prob where you have to pay per game to go online depending on who published it. how would they spend money on R&D and then charge NO online fee? microsoft put a lot of time and money into xbox live and it shows.
Originally posted by mello
When
the Nintendo 64 controller was first revealed everyone was saying
the same thing that they're doing now with the PS3 controller.
Uh, the N64 controller was Nintendo's worst, and it ranks up with the worst designs of all-time in my book. Real bright idea putting the primary left hand interface on the center prong...Genius!
The only dumber design was the Dreamcast's upside down cable.
Originally posted by Elixir
keep hoping. people just seem to have no business sense these days.
how will they offer all that at 400?? the hit would be ridiculous.
free online multiplayer? just like they have now prob where you have to pay per game to go online depending on who published it. how would they spend money on R&D and then charge NO online fee? microsoft put a lot of time and money into xbox live and it shows.
I think $400 is reasonable as a loss leader. 60gig 3.5" HDDs are now very cheap, 2.5" aren't expensive and Sony will be buying in bulk, millions at a time.
I'm not so sure free online multiplayer will be viable as good bandwidth needs funding, but Xbox Live shows people are happy to pay so as long as it's good it will sell.
Originally posted by Blackcat
I think $400 is reasonable as a loss leader. 60gig 3.5" HDDs are now very cheap, 2.5" aren't expensive and Sony will be buying in bulk, millions at a time.
I'm not so sure free online multiplayer will be viable as good bandwidth needs funding, but Xbox Live shows people are happy to pay so as long as it's good it will sell.
Indeed, 3.5" HDDs aren't going to get cheaper than 60 GB. Hell with 150 GB/platter drives, a single platter 150 GB HDD would cost about the same to manufacture. But $400 doesn't sound so feasible when you consider bare 5.25" BD-RE drives are going to sell for $700+ initially. Also factor in the rumor that the PS3 is still being prototyped. Time is money, and those additional R&D costs may force Sony to hike up the price a bit.
The free online multiplayer is what makes me skeptical. I'm already paying MS $50/year for a rather barren service, if Sony can do a barebones service for free, I'd gladly pay a nominal fee for more frills.
Originally posted by Ireland
If you think I'm going to read all that, keep dreaming. The PS 2 had the most market share for the same reason the iPod has, it's better!
The same will apply to the PS 3. Deal with it.
Good post, and speaking of iPods, Apple apparently is asking for Blu-ray disc content for their next generation iPod, the ever elusive full-screen video iPod.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/86570/ap...ray-disks.html
News [Music/MP3 players]
Wednesday 26th April 2006
Apple seeks iPod content on Blu-ray Disks
Apple is asking movie studios to include video content for iPods on Blu-ray discs, according to iPod Hub.
The website says that industry insiders have reported that Apple wants to have content available before its next iPod model is introduced. This, the report says, will be the long-awaited large-screen version.
Apple joined the Sony-led Blu-ray Disc Association last year, saying at the time that the format, which can store up to 50GB on a single disc, would be ideal for Mac users 'already creating stunning HD content with Apple's leading video editing applications'.
The company has yet to announce plans to fit BD drives in its computers, though they could well make their debut in the first Intel-powered Power Macs later this year. Incidentally, Intel has thrown its considerable weight behind Blu-ray's rival technology, HD DVD.
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...ge=1&pagePos=2
Macworld Daily News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday - April 27, 2006
Apple makes Blu-Ray iPod movie play
By Macworld staff
Apple is asking movie studios to include iPod-ready versions of their films on future Blu-Ray disc releases.
CNN claims Apple - who signed up to support the Blu-Ray standard in March 2005 - is using its membership of the standards-setting body and its CEO Steve Jobs' Hollywood clout to convince studios to make such a move.
Apple new media ally Disney and Blu-Ray standard champion Sony have been approached, the report states.
Convincing studios to release iPod-ready movies using the rights-protected Blu-Ray standard would "greatly expand Apple's movie library," the report opines.
The move is thought to be part of Apple's strategy to create a rich ecosystem of content to help generate sales of its purported future "true iPod video" product.
Blu-ray is one of two new optical disc formats battling to replace DVDs for high-definition content. The main backers of Blu-ray include Sony, Panasonic, Disney, Apple and Samsung, while companies supporting the rival HD-DVD format include Toshiba, NEC and Intel.
I'm failing to see what Apple could offer in exchange for putting iPod video content on BD-ROM
Originally posted by hmurchison
We know what's in it for Apple. But what's in it for the BDA? Why should they give up precious space for a portable player that most of their clients won't even own?
I'm failing to see what Apple could offer in exchange for putting iPod video content on BD-ROM
There are people who don't have iPods? Weird.
Originally posted by hmurchison
We know what's in it for Apple. But what's in it for the BDA? Why should they give up precious space for a portable player that most of their clients won't even own?
I'm failing to see what Apple could offer in exchange for putting iPod video content on BD-ROM
I think it is pretty obvious. Precious space? That's one of the many reasons why Blu-ray has more capacity than HD DVD--for those features you find all too useless.
It is a win-win. BDA gets tons of iPod users flocking to the Blu-ray format further solidifying it, and Apple of course gets people clamoring for their next generation video iPod.
Oh and by the way, here is an interesting article...
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-...=links;feature
Fully Equipped: The electronics you lust for.
Ten ways HD-DVD falls short E-mail to a friend
Send us feedback
TalkBack:
Add your opinion
By David Carnoy
Executive editor, CNET Reviews
(April 26, 2006)
For Tom Cruise watchers, April 18 was a big day. Yes, there was something about him having a kid with Katie Holmes, but more importantly for videophiles, The Last Samurai HD-DVD was officially released along with Toshiba's new next-gen DVD player, the HD-A1 and three other discs: The Phantom of the Opera, Million Dollar Baby, and Serenity. Kudos to Toshiba for actually getting a semiaffordable first-generation product out well ahead of Sony and Camp Blu-ray. But as I've said before, that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of things to complain about. So, here we go. I've ordered my gripes from mildly bothersome to really irksome. And of course, feel free to add your own peeves.
1. Initial HD-DVDs are just rehashes of the existing DVDs
OK, so it's early in the game. But this is the same complaint that folks had about a lot of early Xbox 360 games--that they're just graphically spruced-up versions of their Xbox counterparts. Hopefully, we'll soon see some HD-DVD discs that actually show off some of the interactive features that Toshiba is touting.
2. Extra features not in high-def
This format is called HD-DVD, so why am I not watching extras in HD? Enough said.
3. Player doesn't do enough
Toshiba HD-A1: the world's first HD-DVD playerI understand Toshiba wanting to come out with a basic player for a semiaffordable price. Five hundred bucks is a lot, but it's half the price of what Blu-ray players will start out at, and it's not an outrageous figure for those wanting a first crack at cutting-edge technology. That said, the company's step-up HD-DVD player, the HD-XA1 ($799) should have offered a little more in the way of features--instead, it boasts only a motorized front door, some better-looking cosmetics, an RS-232 port, and a backlit remote. How 'bout a little DVD-Audio support? (SACD is probably a no-no, since it's a Sony-backed format.) What about slots for memory cards, so you can show your digital photos at high-def resolutions or play back digital music? And why couldn't those USB ports in front accept thumbdrives filled with digital photos and music?
4. No 1080p output
The high-definition video output of first-generation HD-DVD players is limited to 720p or 1080i, not 1080p, which is currently the best high-def image you can get. With only a handful of HDTVs out there that accept and display a native 1080p signal, what's the big deal? For starters, 1080p is quickly becoming the new de facto gold standard for HDTVs, with 1080p inputs set to become a lowest common denominator for nearly all 2006 HDTVs. But the dearth of 1080p output is most frustrating, once you find out that HD-DVD movies are being mastered in 1080p--but that theoretically better picture quality will remain locked on the disc until 1080p HD-DVD players appear (sometime in 2007, if not earlier). Needless to say, it's a bummer to not get 1080p right out of the gate, especially when first-gen Blu-ray players will offer it. I don't need to be completely future-proofed, but give me some basic protection, please.
5. Component video can be flagged
I almost wrote a full column on this issue alone. The unfortunate fact is that studios can encode their discs with an image-constraint flag that downconverts the HD-DVD's output resolution to 960x540 when played through the analog component-video outputs, which lack the robust digital copy-protection of HDMI. That means discs that are so flagged will display only a quarter of their best possible resolution if you own one of the early HDTVs that are lacking digital video inputs (HDMI or HDCP-compatible DVI). Yes, Blu-ray discs carry the same restrictions, and almost all of the studios have tentatively agreed to not flag their initial batch of releases. But that still leaves early adopters at the mercy of the studio bosses, who can choose to reverse course at any time.
6. Wacky audio
HD-DVD discs allegedly offer even better sound than do DVDs. And while we actually believe this--HD-DVD discs are encoded with the higher-resolution Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, and/or DTS-HD soundtracks--the player's audio setup is a real hassle to figure out, and we're still not certain we've gotten optimal sound out of the home theater here in our lab. In our review of the HD-A1, we note that, "There's a full-page chart in the manual that details which connections can pass which types of soundtracks, including footnotes such as this: 'Bitstream audio output is possible only when the connected HDMI device has bitstream decoding function. If not, sound is output in PCM (48k) format.'" If that isn't confusing enough, word is that Warner's initial HD-DVD offerings don't appear to have been mastered correctly. As reported at DVD enthusiast site The Digital Bits, if you go from watching The Last Samurai to Universal's correctly mastered Serenity, your speakers may get blown out, because the latter disc is so much louder--a fact to which we can attest.
7. HDMI hiccups
Toshiba didn't create the finicky beast known as HDMI, so we can't totally fault the company for this one, but the fact remains that we've encountered our share of problems while trying to connect the HD-A1 to various HDTVs in our lab. On a couple of occasions, the player simply stopped playing in the middle of a movie, or we got an "HDMI error" message--and a black screen of death--when we switched inputs while the player was running. Blame game aside, we expect that HD-DVD early adopters will encounter their share of connectivity snafus.
TalkBack
What irks you about HD-DVD?
Post your comment here8. Sluggish performance
One of biggest disappointments with Toshiba's first-gen player is how slow it is. Yeah, the first DVD players weren't jackrabbits either, but HD-A1 truly chugs--Windows XP loads faster on some PCs than HD-DVDs do on this thing, and certain button presses give new meaning to the word delay.
9. The smaller the display, the smaller the difference
So we compared the The Last Samurai HD-DVD to its DVD counterpart on a Panasonic TH-42PX60U 42-inch plasma. The standard DVD was in our reference player, the Denon DVD-3910 (outputting at 720p), while the HD-DVD was, naturally, in the HD-A1. We flipped back and forth between the TV's two HDMI inputs, and though the HD-DVD image was distinctly sharper and clearly had the edge, the difference wasn't huge. We're pretty certain, however, that you'll see a much bigger difference the bigger you go. As we wait to get a large HDTV back in our labs--say, something along the lines of a Sony KDS-R60XBR1 60-inch SXRD rear-pro or a higher-end front projector--we'll stick by our recommendation that at these prices, next-gen DVD players should interest only those with HDTVs of 50 inches or larger.
10. A dearth of discs
Originally, HD-DVD was supposed to launch with 30 discs, but that number shrunk to 4--and we ended up finding only 3 in stores the week of April 18. Any way you look it, that's a paltry number. By comparison, DVD had at least 30 titles available within the first month of the format's March 1997 debut. HD-DVD backers hope to have around 200 titles--by the end of 2006.
Quoting Cnet of all places? That's embarrassing.
Again you assume that there will be enough iPod video users to warrant using the space.
BD-ROM doesn't have endless space. You have multiple tracks of audio in multiple languages. You have BD-Java and extras. I really doubt they are going to add extra data that only a subset of users can access. I expect this idea to get vetoed unless Apple can make things a bit more lucrative.
Is the art of pragmatism lost amongst Blu Ray fans?
Originally posted by MacSuperiority
An ipod formatted movie will take up 2gb max. I doubt that all the other stuff will take up 23gb!
Depends what resolution iPod Video is, could it be as high as 720x480?
Originally posted by MacSuperiority
An ipod formatted movie will take up 2gb max. I doubt that all the other stuff will take up 23gb!
So basically you're making a guess right?
Let's go a bit further.
Dolby TrueHD information
Features
100 percent lossless coding technology.
Up to 18 Mbps bit rate.
Supports up to eight full-range channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio.*
Supported by High-Definition Media Interface (HDMI?), the new single-cable digital connection for audio and video.
Supports extensive metadata including dialogue normalization and dynamic range control.
Note the 18 Mbps for the audio alone. Now most studio aren't going to use the maximum rate but even if we halve that total we have a decent amount of storage expecially considering some releases will have multiple language support.
Then you have the codecs. Sony is said to be shipping MPEG2 on the first launch discs which means they'll have to be above 20Mpbs for pristine video. This means nigh 10GB per hour. Now that 25GB isn't looking like so much space. Luckily we have DL discs but now we're taking about a more expensive disc to make.
Sony is likely going to try and keep most movies at 25GB to save costs. Apple asking for 2GB is going to be a tough sell on anything but DL 50GB discs.
I'm not saying I don't like the idea of BD-ROM with iPod content but the realist in me says
1. Apple doesn't have a proven market for true video iPods.
2. Space considerings which are significant if we're looking at SL BD-ROM
3. Lack of mutual consideration. Apple gets a big benefit here but it's murkey when you look at just what the BDA gets in return.
This proposal just doesn't light that bulb like it should.
Originally posted by hmurchison
This proposal just doesn't light that bulb like it should.
Could that be because you are extremely anti blu-ray?
Originally posted by MacSuperiority
Could that be because you are extremely anti blu-ray?
No. I'll eventually own a BD player. I feel that HD-DVD strikes a balance between manufacturers and consumer and content providers more deftly than Blu Ray. Blu Ray is a technical tour de force in an arena that really only requires a modest jump.
That being said however I have to be honest with you. I personally do not believe that Apple's iTunes store and all of the WMA clone stores are best for consumers. What has happened is a mess of DRM balkanization that locks me into certain players. I'm not really interested in seeing portable video go down the same road.
Media consumption should be centered around interoperability. I don't have to buy a sony tv because it's the only tv compatible with my comcast. That's because standards are generally good..especially when they don't lead back to one huge company.
Portable video hasn't been proven as a hot commodity ala music and digital players. I believe Apple is asking the BDA to take a leap of faith without knowing exactly where that next ledge is.