That reminds me of another interesting point. Despite the constant drumbeat of Blu-ray supposedly being Sony's baby, it uses a range of software technologies from a variety of companies, like Java from Sun and H.264. On the other hand, Toshiba relies heavily on Microsoft, using their VC-1 as the preferred codec and HDi. I don't know about anybody else, but the less Microsoft software in my equipment, the better. Their stuff has always been underpowered and usually unstable bloatware.
Can you point me to a link where VC-1 is said to be the "preferred codec" for HD-DVD?
AFAIK, both H.264 and VC-1 are mandatory parts of both hi-def systems. Studios on both sides of the war prefer to use H.264, as they well should.
And yes, as a general rule, Microsoft's software is as you described. No arguments there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter Slocombe
Agreed!
If THIS Artical doesn't open your eyes then I don't know what will
That "Artical" does raise an interesting question. Blu-Rayers on this board have constantly said that Microsoft is taking sides in the war because they want the disc market to be taken over by downloads. The link says they are doing it so that their codec, VC-1, becomes entrenched in the huge disc market and so helps their desktop monpoly.
So which is it? And why can't Blu-Ray advocates all agree on why this is happening?
Why do they have DIFFERENT CONFLICTING REASONS?
Is it any wonder HD-DVD is gaining when there is that much confusion among Blu-Ray supporters?
Can you point me to a link where VC-1 is said to be the "preferred codec" for HD-DVD?
AFAIK, both H.264 and VC-1 are mandatory parts of both hi-def systems. Studios on both sides of the war prefer to use H.264, as they well should.
The vast majority of HD DVD titles have been encoded with VC-1, with few exceptions. Murch himself was cackling with glee here in this very thread whenever a movie from a Blu-ray exclusive studio was announced to be encoded with VC-1 because he swore it meant the studio was planning to support HD DVD as well by doing a single VC-1 encode rather than VC-1 for HD DVD and a separate AVC encode for Blu-ray.
That "Article" does raise an interesting question. Blu-Rayers on this board have constantly said that Microsoft is taking sides in the war because they want the disc market to be taken over by downloads. The link says they are doing it so that their codec, VC-1, becomes entrenched in the huge disc market and so helps their desktop monpoly.
So which is it? And why can't Blu-Ray advocates all agree on why this is happening?
Why do they have DIFFERENT CONFLICTING REASONS?
Is it any wonder HD-DVD is gaining when there is that much confusion among Blu-Ray supporters?
And there was I ready to ignore this thread for a while Typo fixed BTW
I believe I mentioned already that M$ cover their ASS, I think it was in a reply to you, so if you missed it, ain't my fault.
If the optical disc format takes off M$ have a revenure stream, if the download thing takes off, they are also making money. it's what they do, infest EVERYTHING they can.
Interesting that the Sony announcements today are about the mobiles dropping ATRAC support and allowing mpeg-4 ACC and H264 AVC, just a pity WMV is still in there.
The vast majority of HD DVD titles have been encoded with VC-1, with few exceptions. Murch himself was cackling with glee here in this very thread whenever a movie from a Blu-ray exclusive studio was announced to be encoded with VC-1 because he swore it meant the studio was planning to support HD DVD as well by doing a single VC-1 encode rather than VC-1 for HD DVD and a separate AVC encode for Blu-ray.
Do you remember him wetting himself about how HDi was SOOO much better? makes you wonder why he was pumping it so much.
If THIS Article doesn't open your eyes then I don't know what will
Awesome article Walter! I loved this summation of Microsoft, and I think it was spot on. BTW, I don't think it conflicted anything we've said on this board as Microsoft has a two-pronged goal...
1) Stagnate the high-def market by supporting HD DVD and if HD DVD does catch on, then well, they got VC-1 and iHD to give them royalties.
2) If the stagnation of the high-def market is successful, then own the download arena using again their proprietary codecs.
As you mentioned before, they are in it to infest anything and everything in order to get their bloated software in people's living rooms.
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced that Acer has joined the Blu-ray disc association. Acer is a computer manufacturer who recently announced plans to purchase US-based PC manufacturer Gateway. Acer plans to add Blu-ray players and burners to their line of desktop and laptop PCs.
Sharp has revealed their first Blu-ray disc player, the BD-HP20S. Though we have seen it many times, IFA will be the first time we get specs regarding the upcoming player. It was revealed during their press conference, and while no specs or release date was given, Sharp made the statement that they would one day be the largest manufacturer of Blu-ray players. More to come on this player as the show officially kicks off.
Philips has announced the BDP-7100, the follow-up to their BDP-9000 first generation player. It will feature support for 1080p24/60 output via HDMI, as well as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD internal decoding. The player will be available soon across Europe. No price has been announced at this time.
BenQ has announced the BR1000, a $199 Blu-ray BD-ROM PC drive. This will be the first true BD-ROM drive, as doesn't support writing of any optical disc media. It is expected to launch in September. Also announced, is the BR1001 Blu-ray Disc Writer, which will support burning of BD, DVD, and CD media. Also available in September for $599.
Daewoo has revealed the first Blu-ray disc player to support Profile 2.0, meaning it supports all the features of Profile 1.1 (like Picture-in-Picture) as well as access for web-enabled content. Not much was revealed about the DBP-1000, but we do know that it will support 1080p output via HDMI. No price or release date were announced at this time.
And because I've seen at least one of you ask for it, the DBP-1000 does feature a blue mirror front.
Sony has announced the BDP-S500 Blu-ray disc player, the high-end version of the already available BDP-S300. It will support 1080p24/60 video and 7.1 audio output, as well as a motorized front panel. The new player will also support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD internal decoding, and will also pass the bit stream for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via HDMI v1.3 to a capable receiver. No price or release date has been set at this time.
The player looks strikingly similar to the Panasonic DMP-BD10 (mostly due to the front panel which conceals the Blu-ray drive) and may hint that a new Panasonic model will be announced soon as well.
Sony also announced that a copy of the Spider-man Trilogy on Blu-ray would be included in the purchase of either the BDP-S300 or BDP-S500, but since this announcement was made in Germany, we are trying to confirm if this deal only applies to Europe or if it will be extended worldwide.
And yet another from a big gun. Quite a deal too. Spiderman trilogy anyone?
Samsung has announced the specs for their upcoming BD-P1400 and BD-P2400 Blu-ray disc players, as well as their BD-UP5000 universal player. The BD-P1400, which is available in September, will feature 1080p24/60 playback, 5.1 channel audio output, support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD, HDMI v1.3, and an Ethernet port for updating firmware and accessing web-based content.
The BD-P2400 has all these features, and adds an HQV processor, and support for 7.1 audio output. The BD-UP5000 is exactly the same as the BD-P2400, but has additional support for the playback of HD DVD discs. Both of these players will be available in October.
^^^Another quality read from this site. I fully expect with another price cut, the PS3 will be well on its way to taking off and eventually surpassing the Xbox360.
Cementing its intention to release at least one state-of-the-art title per month, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) today announced worldwide Blu-ray new release plans for the $267 million global box-office family favorite FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (OCT. 2 North America/OCT. 9 International) and the $348 million global box-office action powerhouse LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (NOV. 20 North America/OCT. 28 International) day-and-date with the BD release of the DIE HARD TRILOGY. The announcement further supports TCFHE?s aggressive global Blu-ray Disc release strategy that includes 29 new release and ?must-have? catalog titles from Fox and MGM that runs through the end of the 2007 calendar year.
The only high-definition packaged media universally supported by the film, music, gaming and computer industries, BD is the #1 selling high-definition packaged media.
?On a worldwide basis, BD is averaging nearly 70% market-share per week of all high definition titles sold this year and, in the U.S., it is out-performing HD DVD by 2 to 1; in some territories the ratio is 3 to 1,? noted Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
?Given the retail landscape this holiday season, we expect the sales gap between Blu-ray and HD DVD to grow significantly wider as the most anticipated films of the year debut exclusively on the Blu-ray format.?
?In fact, once our Blu-ray consumers, and those still on the fence, experience the advanced BD-J interactivity games available on FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER and LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, they?ll realize what we?ve been telling them all along ? Blu-ray is really the only way,? continued Dunn.
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
The BD release of the fun and fantastically entertaining sequel to the Blockbuster hit, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER includes hours of bonus content including deleted scenes, a full length ?Making Of? documentary, multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries with two exclusive high definition BD-Java bonus features: ?Who Dares Defy Galactus?,? Fox?s first multi-player strategy game, and a ?Saving The World One Question At A Time? trivia game.
?I?m thrilled that both of my Fantastic Four films are available on Blu-ray,? noted Director Tim Story. ?You can really see spectacular detail in the CGI visual effects we used to create the Silver Surfer character. Plus, fans of the Fantastic Four will have the added bonus of continuing the battle between Galactus and the Silver Surfer through the really cool interactive games that are only available on the Blu-ray release."
?Who Dares Defy Galactus?? challenges players to an intergalactic battle through a galaxy comprised of 30 planets, 10 of which are colonized and have varying levels of life force. Players compete against each other as either Galactus, who must find the live planets and consume their energy, or The Silver Surfer, who must find the live planets and defend them against Galactus.
If Galactus is victorious, additional solar systems are unlocked and the battle for live planets rages on. If The Silver Surfer defeats Galactus, the power cosmic never dies and will be waiting to consume more planets when players begin the game again.
Fans of ?The World?s Greatest Comic Magazine? will be put to the test to compete for Fantastic Four knowledge supremacy in the ?Saving The World One Question At A Time? interactive, pop-up trivia game. Contestants must correctly answer a series of trivia questions related to the Fantastic Four film and Marvel comic book franchise in order to defend Earth from Galactus? ravenous appetite. A chain of illuminated planets are aligned on the bottom of the television screen. If players fail to answer trivia questions correctly to deter Galactus, one-by-one the planets will fall dark until the World as we know it is destroyed.
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (DIE HARD 4.0 Internationally)
The fourth installment of the established world-renowned Die Hard franchise explodes onto BD day-and-date with the DIE HARD TRILOGY and features an arsenal of bonus content including a ?Die Hard? music video by Guyz Nite, a ?Making Of? documentary, actor and director commentaries and the exclusive high definition BD-Java multi-level strategy game ?Black Hat Intercept!?
?Black Hat Intercept!? begins with a warning from ?The Warlock? (cult-classic writer, producer and director Kevin Smith) that a computer virus has been placed inside an unwitting Internet company?s mainframe by the infamous cyber-terrorist, Thomas Gabriel. As the team leader from inside the surveillance van, players must guide an agent into the building, outwit the building?s security systems and personnel without being detected and then wipe the hard drive clean before the virus destroys the U.S.
Additionally, the BD debut of the DIE HARD TRILOGY comes locked and loaded with numerous bonus features including deleted scenes, featurettes, actor and director commentaries, visual effect breakdowns, alternate endings, side-by-side comparisons and much, much more.
All of the BD titles announced today will be authored in BD-J with AVC (MPEG 4) compression and presented on 50 GB dual-layer discs with English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio plus English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound. In addition to the highest quality audiovisual elements, each BD release will also feature D-Box compatible motion sensor cues to give D-Box chair equipped viewers a more life-like and intense viewing experience.
Complete title configurations and market release dates will be announced by individual territories.
BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--China Hualu Group Co., Ltd. (CHLG), the only consumer electronics company belonging to Chinese state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of State Council, has joined the Blu-ray Disc Association as a contributor member.
CHLG is one of China?s leading manufactures of audio and video devices and is one of the largest providers of audio and video contents and services in China.
?After careful and intensive evaluation of next generation DVD formats, China Hualu Group decided to join Blu-ray Disc Association since this presents the best opportunity in the market for us,? said Chen Run Sheng, Chairman of CHLG. ?Hualu Group is committed to actively help improve Blu-ray Disc formats and becoming involved in its promotional activities in the Chinese market.?
?I am very pleased China Hualu Group joined Blu-ray Disc Association and hope Hualu group will propose Chinese technologies and standards to Blu-ray Disc Association for further improvement of Blu-ray Disc format and contribute to the development of optical disc related industries in China,? said Bai Weimin, Director, Department of Electronics & I.T. Products, Division of Broadcast & Television, Ministry of Information Industry, China.
?Blu-ray Disc Association welcomes CHLG to BDA,? said Sumitaka Matsumura, Chairman of China Task Force, Blu-ray Disc Association and Executive Officer, Pioneer Corporation. ?CHLG is one of the most influential companies in China. We are confident they will play an important role in promoting and to expanding the Blu-ray Disc format to the world.?
?The addition of a leading Chinese company like CHLG is one more indication of the strong and growing support for Blu-ray,? said Andy Parsons, chairman of BDA?s US Promotions Committee. ?We look forward to CHLG?s active participation in bringing the benefits of Blu-ray to consumers in China.?
About China Hualu Group
China Hualu Group Co., Ltd. (CHLG) was established in 1992 by the State Council of China. Its business includes audio/video devices, motion picture production, IT technology, and trade. CHLG engages in the development, manufacturing and sales of products ranging from key components, such as optical pick-ups, drives for DVD players/recorders and other audio/video products. CHLG currently is growing as one of the biggest providers of audio/video contents and services in China.
Could you, like, put those into one post instead of spamming the board?
I can only speak for myself, but I prefer a string of short posts, both as a reader and writer. Regarding total length displayed in the thread, it makes very little difference. Beside, the scroll bar works fast to move through the information either way.
When I look at unread posts, each short post has a title, so I know what it is about in general. Often I will skip some. The separate posting frames each piece of information, so I have no problem knowing where it ends and the next one begins.
When I'm writing, if I had many news items like this, short posts would be much easier. As I finish one and send it off, I can change the browser page to the next news item I'm reading and begin afresh. All this happens automatically with separate posts.
If I were forced to put each and every item into a single post, then I would have to make extra effort to provide titles and framing for each item, as a courtesy to my readers, making it easier to follow. Otherwise, many viewer would simply skip my complicated and very long post. I know. I've skipped over quite a few such posts.
Comments
If THIS Article doesn't open your eyes then I don't know what will
That reminds me of another interesting point. Despite the constant drumbeat of Blu-ray supposedly being Sony's baby, it uses a range of software technologies from a variety of companies, like Java from Sun and H.264. On the other hand, Toshiba relies heavily on Microsoft, using their VC-1 as the preferred codec and HDi. I don't know about anybody else, but the less Microsoft software in my equipment, the better. Their stuff has always been underpowered and usually unstable bloatware.
Can you point me to a link where VC-1 is said to be the "preferred codec" for HD-DVD?
AFAIK, both H.264 and VC-1 are mandatory parts of both hi-def systems. Studios on both sides of the war prefer to use H.264, as they well should.
And yes, as a general rule, Microsoft's software is as you described. No arguments there.
Agreed!
If THIS Artical doesn't open your eyes then I don't know what will
That "Artical" does raise an interesting question. Blu-Rayers on this board have constantly said that Microsoft is taking sides in the war because they want the disc market to be taken over by downloads. The link says they are doing it so that their codec, VC-1, becomes entrenched in the huge disc market and so helps their desktop monpoly.
So which is it? And why can't Blu-Ray advocates all agree on why this is happening?
Why do they have DIFFERENT CONFLICTING REASONS?
Is it any wonder HD-DVD is gaining when there is that much confusion among Blu-Ray supporters?
Can you point me to a link where VC-1 is said to be the "preferred codec" for HD-DVD?
AFAIK, both H.264 and VC-1 are mandatory parts of both hi-def systems. Studios on both sides of the war prefer to use H.264, as they well should.
The vast majority of HD DVD titles have been encoded with VC-1, with few exceptions. Murch himself was cackling with glee here in this very thread whenever a movie from a Blu-ray exclusive studio was announced to be encoded with VC-1 because he swore it meant the studio was planning to support HD DVD as well by doing a single VC-1 encode rather than VC-1 for HD DVD and a separate AVC encode for Blu-ray.
That "Article" does raise an interesting question. Blu-Rayers on this board have constantly said that Microsoft is taking sides in the war because they want the disc market to be taken over by downloads. The link says they are doing it so that their codec, VC-1, becomes entrenched in the huge disc market and so helps their desktop monpoly.
So which is it? And why can't Blu-Ray advocates all agree on why this is happening?
Why do they have DIFFERENT CONFLICTING REASONS?
Is it any wonder HD-DVD is gaining when there is that much confusion among Blu-Ray supporters?
And there was I ready to ignore this thread for a while
I believe I mentioned already that M$ cover their ASS, I think it was in a reply to you, so if you missed it, ain't my fault.
If the optical disc format takes off M$ have a revenure stream, if the download thing takes off, they are also making money. it's what they do, infest EVERYTHING they can.
Interesting that the Sony announcements today are about the mobiles dropping ATRAC support and allowing mpeg-4 ACC and H264 AVC, just a pity WMV is still in there.
The vast majority of HD DVD titles have been encoded with VC-1, with few exceptions. Murch himself was cackling with glee here in this very thread whenever a movie from a Blu-ray exclusive studio was announced to be encoded with VC-1 because he swore it meant the studio was planning to support HD DVD as well by doing a single VC-1 encode rather than VC-1 for HD DVD and a separate AVC encode for Blu-ray.
Do you remember him wetting himself about how HDi was SOOO much better? makes you wonder why he was pumping it so much.
Agreed!
If THIS Article doesn't open your eyes then I don't know what will
Awesome article Walter! I loved this summation of Microsoft, and I think it was spot on. BTW, I don't think it conflicted anything we've said on this board as Microsoft has a two-pronged goal...
1) Stagnate the high-def market by supporting HD DVD and if HD DVD does catch on, then well, they got VC-1 and iHD to give them royalties.
2) If the stagnation of the high-def market is successful, then own the download arena using again their proprietary codecs.
As you mentioned before, they are in it to infest anything and everything in order to get their bloated software in people's living rooms.
Great read Walter, great read.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=454
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced that Acer has joined the Blu-ray disc association. Acer is a computer manufacturer who recently announced plans to purchase US-based PC manufacturer Gateway. Acer plans to add Blu-ray players and burners to their line of desktop and laptop PCs.
Good news!
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=452
Sharp has revealed their first Blu-ray disc player, the BD-HP20S. Though we have seen it many times, IFA will be the first time we get specs regarding the upcoming player. It was revealed during their press conference, and while no specs or release date was given, Sharp made the statement that they would one day be the largest manufacturer of Blu-ray players. More to come on this player as the show officially kicks off.
Looks like more Blu-ray standalones to come.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=451
Philips has announced the BDP-7100, the follow-up to their BDP-9000 first generation player. It will feature support for 1080p24/60 output via HDMI, as well as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD internal decoding. The player will be available soon across Europe. No price has been announced at this time.
Add another one to the Blu-ray mix!
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=447
BenQ has announced the BR1000, a $199 Blu-ray BD-ROM PC drive. This will be the first true BD-ROM drive, as doesn't support writing of any optical disc media. It is expected to launch in September. Also announced, is the BR1001 Blu-ray Disc Writer, which will support burning of BD, DVD, and CD media. Also available in September for $599.
Nice price. Nice price.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=446
Daewoo has revealed the first Blu-ray disc player to support Profile 2.0, meaning it supports all the features of Profile 1.1 (like Picture-in-Picture) as well as access for web-enabled content. Not much was revealed about the DBP-1000, but we do know that it will support 1080p output via HDMI. No price or release date were announced at this time.
And because I've seen at least one of you ask for it, the DBP-1000 does feature a blue mirror front.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=445
Sony has announced the BDP-S500 Blu-ray disc player, the high-end version of the already available BDP-S300. It will support 1080p24/60 video and 7.1 audio output, as well as a motorized front panel. The new player will also support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD internal decoding, and will also pass the bit stream for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD via HDMI v1.3 to a capable receiver. No price or release date has been set at this time.
The player looks strikingly similar to the Panasonic DMP-BD10 (mostly due to the front panel which conceals the Blu-ray drive) and may hint that a new Panasonic model will be announced soon as well.
Sony also announced that a copy of the Spider-man Trilogy on Blu-ray would be included in the purchase of either the BDP-S300 or BDP-S500, but since this announcement was made in Germany, we are trying to confirm if this deal only applies to Europe or if it will be extended worldwide.
And yet another from a big gun.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=444
Samsung has announced the specs for their upcoming BD-P1400 and BD-P2400 Blu-ray disc players, as well as their BD-UP5000 universal player. The BD-P1400, which is available in September, will feature 1080p24/60 playback, 5.1 channel audio output, support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD, HDMI v1.3, and an Ethernet port for updating firmware and accessing web-based content.
The BD-P2400 has all these features, and adds an HQV processor, and support for 7.1 audio output. The BD-UP5000 is exactly the same as the BD-P2400, but has additional support for the playback of HD DVD discs. Both of these players will be available in October.
And another for Blu-ray...
and the 3 spiderman films might make me bite, maybe.
Could you, like, put those into one post instead of spamming the board?
He must have figured that we'd be more impressed if he posted 8 times in a row.
Could you, like, put those into one post instead of spamming the board?
Don't complain that there is so much news coming out of IFA...it's not my fault that HD DVD blew its wad early.
On another note...
Microsoft - Rapidly Losing its Year Long Head Start to Nintendo and Sony
http://roughlydrafted.com/RD/TechQ30...A_Q2_2007.html
^^^Another quality read from this site. I fully expect with another price cut, the PS3 will be well on its way to taking off and eventually surpassing the Xbox360.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...ewID=news_view
IFA 2007
BERLIN & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cementing its intention to release at least one state-of-the-art title per month, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) today announced worldwide Blu-ray new release plans for the $267 million global box-office family favorite FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (OCT. 2 North America/OCT. 9 International) and the $348 million global box-office action powerhouse LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (NOV. 20 North America/OCT. 28 International) day-and-date with the BD release of the DIE HARD TRILOGY. The announcement further supports TCFHE?s aggressive global Blu-ray Disc release strategy that includes 29 new release and ?must-have? catalog titles from Fox and MGM that runs through the end of the 2007 calendar year.
The only high-definition packaged media universally supported by the film, music, gaming and computer industries, BD is the #1 selling high-definition packaged media.
?On a worldwide basis, BD is averaging nearly 70% market-share per week of all high definition titles sold this year and, in the U.S., it is out-performing HD DVD by 2 to 1; in some territories the ratio is 3 to 1,? noted Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
?Given the retail landscape this holiday season, we expect the sales gap between Blu-ray and HD DVD to grow significantly wider as the most anticipated films of the year debut exclusively on the Blu-ray format.?
?In fact, once our Blu-ray consumers, and those still on the fence, experience the advanced BD-J interactivity games available on FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER and LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, they?ll realize what we?ve been telling them all along ? Blu-ray is really the only way,? continued Dunn.
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
The BD release of the fun and fantastically entertaining sequel to the Blockbuster hit, FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER includes hours of bonus content including deleted scenes, a full length ?Making Of? documentary, multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries with two exclusive high definition BD-Java bonus features: ?Who Dares Defy Galactus?,? Fox?s first multi-player strategy game, and a ?Saving The World One Question At A Time? trivia game.
?I?m thrilled that both of my Fantastic Four films are available on Blu-ray,? noted Director Tim Story. ?You can really see spectacular detail in the CGI visual effects we used to create the Silver Surfer character. Plus, fans of the Fantastic Four will have the added bonus of continuing the battle between Galactus and the Silver Surfer through the really cool interactive games that are only available on the Blu-ray release."
?Who Dares Defy Galactus?? challenges players to an intergalactic battle through a galaxy comprised of 30 planets, 10 of which are colonized and have varying levels of life force. Players compete against each other as either Galactus, who must find the live planets and consume their energy, or The Silver Surfer, who must find the live planets and defend them against Galactus.
If Galactus is victorious, additional solar systems are unlocked and the battle for live planets rages on. If The Silver Surfer defeats Galactus, the power cosmic never dies and will be waiting to consume more planets when players begin the game again.
Fans of ?The World?s Greatest Comic Magazine? will be put to the test to compete for Fantastic Four knowledge supremacy in the ?Saving The World One Question At A Time? interactive, pop-up trivia game. Contestants must correctly answer a series of trivia questions related to the Fantastic Four film and Marvel comic book franchise in order to defend Earth from Galactus? ravenous appetite. A chain of illuminated planets are aligned on the bottom of the television screen. If players fail to answer trivia questions correctly to deter Galactus, one-by-one the planets will fall dark until the World as we know it is destroyed.
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (DIE HARD 4.0 Internationally)
The fourth installment of the established world-renowned Die Hard franchise explodes onto BD day-and-date with the DIE HARD TRILOGY and features an arsenal of bonus content including a ?Die Hard? music video by Guyz Nite, a ?Making Of? documentary, actor and director commentaries and the exclusive high definition BD-Java multi-level strategy game ?Black Hat Intercept!?
?Black Hat Intercept!? begins with a warning from ?The Warlock? (cult-classic writer, producer and director Kevin Smith) that a computer virus has been placed inside an unwitting Internet company?s mainframe by the infamous cyber-terrorist, Thomas Gabriel. As the team leader from inside the surveillance van, players must guide an agent into the building, outwit the building?s security systems and personnel without being detected and then wipe the hard drive clean before the virus destroys the U.S.
Additionally, the BD debut of the DIE HARD TRILOGY comes locked and loaded with numerous bonus features including deleted scenes, featurettes, actor and director commentaries, visual effect breakdowns, alternate endings, side-by-side comparisons and much, much more.
All of the BD titles announced today will be authored in BD-J with AVC (MPEG 4) compression and presented on 50 GB dual-layer discs with English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio plus English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound. In addition to the highest quality audiovisual elements, each BD release will also feature D-Box compatible motion sensor cues to give D-Box chair equipped viewers a more life-like and intense viewing experience.
Complete title configurations and market release dates will be announced by individual territories.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...28&newsLang=en
BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--China Hualu Group Co., Ltd. (CHLG), the only consumer electronics company belonging to Chinese state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of State Council, has joined the Blu-ray Disc Association as a contributor member.
CHLG is one of China?s leading manufactures of audio and video devices and is one of the largest providers of audio and video contents and services in China.
?After careful and intensive evaluation of next generation DVD formats, China Hualu Group decided to join Blu-ray Disc Association since this presents the best opportunity in the market for us,? said Chen Run Sheng, Chairman of CHLG. ?Hualu Group is committed to actively help improve Blu-ray Disc formats and becoming involved in its promotional activities in the Chinese market.?
?I am very pleased China Hualu Group joined Blu-ray Disc Association and hope Hualu group will propose Chinese technologies and standards to Blu-ray Disc Association for further improvement of Blu-ray Disc format and contribute to the development of optical disc related industries in China,? said Bai Weimin, Director, Department of Electronics & I.T. Products, Division of Broadcast & Television, Ministry of Information Industry, China.
?Blu-ray Disc Association welcomes CHLG to BDA,? said Sumitaka Matsumura, Chairman of China Task Force, Blu-ray Disc Association and Executive Officer, Pioneer Corporation. ?CHLG is one of the most influential companies in China. We are confident they will play an important role in promoting and to expanding the Blu-ray Disc format to the world.?
?The addition of a leading Chinese company like CHLG is one more indication of the strong and growing support for Blu-ray,? said Andy Parsons, chairman of BDA?s US Promotions Committee. ?We look forward to CHLG?s active participation in bringing the benefits of Blu-ray to consumers in China.?
About China Hualu Group
China Hualu Group Co., Ltd. (CHLG) was established in 1992 by the State Council of China. Its business includes audio/video devices, motion picture production, IT technology, and trade. CHLG engages in the development, manufacturing and sales of products ranging from key components, such as optical pick-ups, drives for DVD players/recorders and other audio/video products. CHLG currently is growing as one of the biggest providers of audio/video contents and services in China.
Could you, like, put those into one post instead of spamming the board?
I can only speak for myself, but I prefer a string of short posts, both as a reader and writer. Regarding total length displayed in the thread, it makes very little difference. Beside, the scroll bar works fast to move through the information either way.
When I look at unread posts, each short post has a title, so I know what it is about in general. Often I will skip some. The separate posting frames each piece of information, so I have no problem knowing where it ends and the next one begins.
When I'm writing, if I had many news items like this, short posts would be much easier. As I finish one and send it off, I can change the browser page to the next news item I'm reading and begin afresh. All this happens automatically with separate posts.
If I were forced to put each and every item into a single post, then I would have to make extra effort to provide titles and framing for each item, as a courtesy to my readers, making it easier to follow. Otherwise, many viewer would simply skip my complicated and very long post. I know. I've skipped over quite a few such posts.