Microsoft discontinued the 360 HD-DVD add-on, and dropped the price to $49.95 to clear stock. I am actually thinking of buying one, since 2nd hand disks will be $3 on ebay and there are still a couple hundred movies out.
Once you update the driver on xp/vista(google search for it), the HD-DVD drive also works great with PowerDVD Ultra. Don't need to have xbox360 to use the drive.
Now... does the $49.95 price tag also include media center remote, KingKong HD-DVD movie, and 5 free MIR HD-DVD from toshiba?
BTW, I'll be scavenging on the cheap HD-DVD's from flea bay, too.
Looks like Blu-ray is finally showing its usefulness in games.
Quote:
We totally didn't see this one coming (oh wait, yes we did) - CVG is confirming that Overlord will be coming to the PS3 this summer. Thanks to the storage capacity of Blu-ray the game will come bundled with all of the downloadable content that's currently available for the 360 and PC versions on the same disc as the game. The PS3 version will be released under the name Overlord: Raising Hell to reflect the extra content.
First time poster, semi-long time lurker here(switching from Windows to Mac). Had to comment on this.
My music, I don't really care. I will just as soon buy on iTunes as buy the CD. I can always import the CD and album artwork is almost always there. Not a big deal to me.
My movies? No way. I want my movie in my hand. If I am a fan of a said movie, lets say the Matrix Trilogy or LOTR, I want the disk with art on it - the jewel case with artwork - I want something PHYSICAL to represent my movie collection. I would download rentals, or TV shows. But my movies? No thanks, I'll take the blu-ray disk with full features, 1080p, all audio tracks, special features anyday. Optical media is not going away anytime soon. Both can co-exist as they aren't necessarily competing formats like HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. Enough PS3's and blu-ray players will penetrate homes where taking your movie to a friends house and just popping it in will be more convenient than loading it a flash drive or an Ipod and accessing the movies that way.
I will download as well, especially rentals when bandwidth and quality reach acceptable levels - but if I want to OWN the movie I am buying the disk. I want something physical to represent my purchase when it comes to movies and most people I talk to feel exactly the same way. Blu-ray disks are still fairly small, the exact size of the aforementioned COMPACT disk.
Walter, you have 40(ish) posts more than Marz in this thread.
Bravo!
Anyway, you know what I'm stoked for? I have a PSP:
Sony is coming out with an update to the PS3 that will allow you to stick in a Blu-ray movie and make a smaller copy onto your PSP to take with you.
Yay!
Really? links for the PSP thing if you have them, its news to me, don't have a PSP, but might trade in my DS today (completely not related to you posting this info, been considering it for a while)
40 more than Marz eh!? I've largely given up posting elsewhere on the board, because theres nothing really exciting me at the moment from Apple, the iPhone is out, and I'm waiting to see the SDK and with luck a price drop on the 16GB before I buy, although its SO tempting as it is (the O2 increase in minutes helped) I'm waiting on a 4 core iMac, I know what I want so no point in endlessly speculating or posting mock-ups of it.
Don't see a Tablet coming till at the VERY earliest next year (currently 10 months away) so again no need for speculation or mockups IMO. mainly cos I don't think I'd use one.
That Leaves the aTV, which is/has become relevant to this thread, I own one and am happy with it, plus the rental update has been promised for this year.. so expect 31st Dec. and why not just tide that over to MW09
I guess I'm just used to posting on this thread now, sometimes its funny, some times its silly, sometimes I don't even bother to check it
Microsoft discontinued the 360 HD-DVD add-on, and dropped the price to $49.95 to clear stock. I am actually thinking of buying one, since 2nd hand disks will be $3 on ebay and there are still a couple hundred movies out.
It looks like the best place to order is is via the Circuit City "in store pickup" - no shipping charge, my total was $53 or so. Most of the ebay listings and Amazon have rip-off shipping prices.
Here's a question for the Blu-rayers that really know the mechanics of their format inside and out.
In the next couple of months I'll start delivering HD content on Blu-ray. I basically have the choice between Roxio's DVDit Pro HD or Adobe Encore for my authoring tools. Roxio's DVDit pro is nice because it's only $300 direct from Roxio. But, it seems that I can only author in Mpeg-2.
Encore supposedly can author Blu-ray discs using H.264, but I can only buy it as part of Premiere Pro to the tune of about $750.
I consider either option to be a stop-gap measure while I wait for Apple to bring DVD Studio Pro up to date.
for HD-DVD I never could get Mpeg-2 HD discs to play properly, but the H.264 encodes were almost bullet-proof. Burning to BD-r is Mpeg-2 going to be good enough? I'll be wanting to be able to fit about 2 hours of 1080p on SL 25 gB discs.
...and for those straight up against getting a console for their main player, Sony is releasing two new players that are both BD-Live capable this summer/fall...
Really? links for the PSP thing if you have them, its news to me, don't have a PSP, but might trade in my DS today (completely not related to you posting this info, been considering it for a while)
The concept of copying a lower-resolution version of a film from a packaged media disc to a portable device is not new--in fact, late last year, Fox and Warner released the first standard definition titles to offer this capability (on Live Free, Die Hard and Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix, respectively).
Sony today demonstrated the next level of disc copying. At the company's booth at CES, Sony demonstrated how you could put a Blu-ray Disc movie into a Playstation 3 and copy the film to a Playstation Portable or a Memory Stick. "This way, you can have a portable copy you can take with you," explains David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
"There was always the promise of greater interactivity. You'll see that coming in the new year," Bishop added. In addition to the PSP copying example, Sony also demonstrated how you could download ring tones and new content to a BD Live player, using Men in Black as the example.
BD Live is proving to be a big catchphrase at the show: Panasonic announced its BD Live player yesterday, Fox showcased an early version of its Alien vs. Predator multiplayer game at the Blu-ray Disc Association's booth, and Sony showed its interactive Men in Black trivia game. The game was being played by two people in two locations on a Playstation 3.
For more coverage of this giant technology show, read the PC World CES Info Center.
"There was always the promise of greater interactivity. You'll see that coming in the new year," Bishop added. In addition to the PSP copying example, Sony also demonstrated how you could download ring tones and new content to a BD Live player, using Men in Black as the example.
BD Live is proving to be a big catchphrase at the show: Panasonic announced its BD Live player yesterday, Fox showcased an early version of its Alien vs. Predator multiplayer game at the Blu-ray Disc Association's booth, and Sony showed its interactive Men in Black trivia game. The game was being played by two people in two locations on a Playstation 3.
And since HD DVD is gone with the Schwinn, is this thread going to end and a new one rise to glory?
Sorry, I promised to respond last week but it's been crazy at work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marzetta7
The ARTICLE pointed out that HD DVD was really not cheaper to the consumer per se, but was a direct result of Toshiba selling their hardware at a greater loss...
Um, a Blu-Ray backer can't possibly fault Toshiba for selling their hardware at a loss without being hypocritical. Sony has been selling the PS3 at a much greater loss since it debuted. The only one here with the high ground is Nintendo, who has sold the Wii at a profit and kicked everyone's butt doing it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marzetta7
And here you all are again trumpeting the PRICE mantra...need we remind you how this has worked out for you all? Don't get me wrong, price does indeed matter, but you all act as if Blu-ray is destined to always be high and that PRICE is the only variable to a successful format. Do some research, new technology is always higher in price initiall (its called recouping your R&D), that is, unless you are using cheap PC components inside your players, or using a disc similar to DVD that adds no further protection safeguards than DVD and is smaller in storage, have internal components only capable of outputting 1080i, and are selling all this at a loss purposefully with big brother Microsoft egging you on the whole way since they are in it to be a corporat leech.
'Big Brother Microsoft'. Nice, especially coming from a backer of RootKit Inc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marzetta7
I feel no sympathy whatsoever for HD DVD proponents who have obviously chosen the wrong format now that it is dead and have willingly spread FUD and empty promises...
That Blu-Ray is the more expensive, DRM laden route to go was never FUD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marzetta7
Give it up Frank, you lost the debate...Or you could just keep it up and just be gluttons for punishment.
See, for you it's about being on the winning side. For me, it was always about choosing a format that was more consumer friendly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam'ron
So owning a PS3 makes someone a loser? You have lost any credibility you had. You sound very bitter right now, why so much hate and ignorance?
It was not my intention to malign all PS3 owners. I was referring only to those who chose to mindlessly back a DRM-laden format solely because it came free with their game machine. To those who were offended by my overly broad characterization, I apologize.
P.S. Personal credibility went flying out of this thread years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter Slocombe
Is name calling all you really have left?
If the shoe fits, smell it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walter Slocombe
So you haven't owned a Toshiba product?
So you didn't buy into HD-DVD?
-oh, its the credibility thread all of a sudden FUN-EEE
I never said I would buy into a player before the war was settled. I probably won't buy a player for a long time. I have a large rear-projection set that is not HD, so what's the point?
The difference between me and Marz getting called out for his lack of purchasing is that he kept posting just about every Sony press release and Nielsen number for the last half decade. He was constantly encouraging everyone to go out and buy, yet never did himself. That's hypocrisy.
The vast majority of my posts have dealt solely with my concern over the future of Digital Consumer Rights.
Well yes, but this is a good sign. Hopefully, it will survive once the Studio notices it.
But you do realize that Sony is probably doing this because they are trying to stop Apple from beating the pants off them in the TV game, right? Fear can be a powerful force for good.
Blu-ray is the only high capacity portable media available.
A replacement for recordable DVD's is long overdue.
Blu-ray is also the only viable media you can buy HD movies on now.
All TV is, or will soon be, broadcast in HD, HD-TV's have taken off massively. Blu-ray should replace DVD pretty soon, especially as there's no competition. It's already outselling it in comparison to the same time in DVD's early life.
Not sure what discussion there is left to have about it? It's not really even about Sony anymore. Who created DVD? Who created VHS? Who cares? It's just what people use.
Now... does the $49.95 price tag also include media center remote, KingKong HD-DVD movie, and 5 free MIR HD-DVD from toshiba?
Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes. But to get the 5 free movies you need to buy it before the end of the February, and mail it in before the end of March.
Beware circuit city - it looks like the employees have been cutting open the boxes and taking the remotes for their xbox360s. Pick up in store is best, and look at both ends of the box to make sure it hasn't been opened.
I am never shopping at Circuit City again - the first one was in bad shape for a used one (marks on unit, missing remote, missing software disk, box taped shut).I took it back and exchanged it, but I only looked at one end of the 2nd box (the other end was cut open, and everything was carefully put back together to make it look like it was new - everything is there, though, except for the booklet inside the king kong dvd, so it is not worth a 3rd trip back to the store).
Well yes, but this is a good sign. Hopefully, it will survive once the Studio notices it.
But you do realize that Sony is probably doing this because they are trying to stop Apple from beating the pants off them in the TV game, right? Fear can be a powerful force for good.
I was being a little sarcastic. This seemed to me to be a really positive step for Sony. It shows they may be recognizing that they could be beat on the video front the way they were beat on the portable audio front.
"We have a partnership with Toshiba and have an obligation to see this through," DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg said on Tuesday.
"As you know, we have been well-compensated for our support. It really is in their court at this point to really declare what the next step will be. We're poised either way to jump into the marketplace when the conditions are right to do so," he said.
I remember a certain someone stating how I was spreading FUD with countless Wall Street Jounal articles and New York Times articles about this subject. Well, here you have it, straight from the CEO.
Blu-ray should replace DVD pretty soon, especially as there's no competition. It's already outselling it in comparison to the same time in DVD's early life.
Where are people getting this idea? A recent study found that HD DVD and Blu-Ray COMBINED have only sold HALF as much as DVD did in the same timeframe.
Quote:
While the format war is finally over, it seems that high-definition media still has a long way to go. According to Nielsen Media Research and Adams Media Research, the total high-definition software sales for the first two years are only half of what standard DVD's sales were for their first two years. There were 16.3 million standard DVD's sold in the first two years (1997-1998) and there have been only 8.3 million high-definition (both Blu-Ray and HD DVD) units sold in their first two years (2006-2007).
Comments
Well if there were ever a time to buy one of those I guess it's now
at long last PRICE beats all.
Walter, you have 40(ish) posts more than Marz in this thread.
Bravo!
Anyway, you know what I'm stoked for? I have a PSP:
Sony is coming out with an update to the PS3 that will allow you to stick in a Blu-ray movie and make a smaller copy onto your PSP to take with you.
Yay!
Microsoft discontinued the 360 HD-DVD add-on, and dropped the price to $49.95 to clear stock. I am actually thinking of buying one, since 2nd hand disks will be $3 on ebay and there are still a couple hundred movies out.
Once you update the driver on xp/vista(google search for it), the HD-DVD drive also works great with PowerDVD Ultra. Don't need to have xbox360 to use the drive.
Now... does the $49.95 price tag also include media center remote, KingKong HD-DVD movie, and 5 free MIR HD-DVD from toshiba?
BTW, I'll be scavenging on the cheap HD-DVD's from flea bay, too.
We totally didn't see this one coming (oh wait, yes we did) - CVG is confirming that Overlord will be coming to the PS3 this summer. Thanks to the storage capacity of Blu-ray the game will come bundled with all of the downloadable content that's currently available for the 360 and PC versions on the same disc as the game. The PS3 version will be released under the name Overlord: Raising Hell to reflect the extra content.
My music, I don't really care. I will just as soon buy on iTunes as buy the CD. I can always import the CD and album artwork is almost always there. Not a big deal to me.
My movies? No way. I want my movie in my hand. If I am a fan of a said movie, lets say the Matrix Trilogy or LOTR, I want the disk with art on it - the jewel case with artwork - I want something PHYSICAL to represent my movie collection. I would download rentals, or TV shows. But my movies? No thanks, I'll take the blu-ray disk with full features, 1080p, all audio tracks, special features anyday. Optical media is not going away anytime soon. Both can co-exist as they aren't necessarily competing formats like HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. Enough PS3's and blu-ray players will penetrate homes where taking your movie to a friends house and just popping it in will be more convenient than loading it a flash drive or an Ipod and accessing the movies that way.
I will download as well, especially rentals when bandwidth and quality reach acceptable levels - but if I want to OWN the movie I am buying the disk. I want something physical to represent my purchase when it comes to movies and most people I talk to feel exactly the same way. Blu-ray disks are still fairly small, the exact size of the aforementioned COMPACT disk.
Interesting.
Walter, you have 40(ish) posts more than Marz in this thread.
Bravo!
Anyway, you know what I'm stoked for? I have a PSP:
Sony is coming out with an update to the PS3 that will allow you to stick in a Blu-ray movie and make a smaller copy onto your PSP to take with you.
Yay!
Really? links for the PSP thing if you have them, its news to me, don't have a PSP, but might trade in my DS today (completely not related to you posting this info, been considering it for a while)
40 more than Marz eh!? I've largely given up posting elsewhere on the board, because theres nothing really exciting me at the moment from Apple, the iPhone is out, and I'm waiting to see the SDK and with luck a price drop on the 16GB before I buy, although its SO tempting as it is (the O2 increase in minutes helped) I'm waiting on a 4 core iMac, I know what I want so no point in endlessly speculating or posting mock-ups of it.
Don't see a Tablet coming till at the VERY earliest next year (currently 10 months away) so again no need for speculation or mockups IMO. mainly cos I don't think I'd use one.
That Leaves the aTV, which is/has become relevant to this thread, I own one and am happy with it, plus the rental update has been promised for this year.. so expect 31st Dec. and why not just tide that over to MW09
I guess I'm just used to posting on this thread now, sometimes its funny, some times its silly, sometimes I don't even bother to check it
Microsoft discontinued the 360 HD-DVD add-on, and dropped the price to $49.95 to clear stock. I am actually thinking of buying one, since 2nd hand disks will be $3 on ebay and there are still a couple hundred movies out.
It looks like the best place to order is is via the Circuit City "in store pickup" - no shipping charge, my total was $53 or so. Most of the ebay listings and Amazon have rip-off shipping prices.
In the next couple of months I'll start delivering HD content on Blu-ray. I basically have the choice between Roxio's DVDit Pro HD or Adobe Encore for my authoring tools. Roxio's DVDit pro is nice because it's only $300 direct from Roxio. But, it seems that I can only author in Mpeg-2.
Encore supposedly can author Blu-ray discs using H.264, but I can only buy it as part of Premiere Pro to the tune of about $750.
I consider either option to be a stop-gap measure while I wait for Apple to bring DVD Studio Pro up to date.
for HD-DVD I never could get Mpeg-2 HD discs to play properly, but the H.264 encodes were almost bullet-proof. Burning to BD-r is Mpeg-2 going to be good enough? I'll be wanting to be able to fit about 2 hours of 1080p on SL 25 gB discs.
http://www.dvdtown.com/news/playstat...is-summer/5279
...and for those straight up against getting a console for their main player, Sony is releasing two new players that are both BD-Live capable this summer/fall...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g...KviTwD8V246PG1
But, but wait...Sony is evil right?
Really? links for the PSP thing if you have them, its news to me, don't have a PSP, but might trade in my DS today (completely not related to you posting this info, been considering it for a while)
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/006194.html
The concept of copying a lower-resolution version of a film from a packaged media disc to a portable device is not new--in fact, late last year, Fox and Warner released the first standard definition titles to offer this capability (on Live Free, Die Hard and Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix, respectively).
Sony today demonstrated the next level of disc copying. At the company's booth at CES, Sony demonstrated how you could put a Blu-ray Disc movie into a Playstation 3 and copy the film to a Playstation Portable or a Memory Stick. "This way, you can have a portable copy you can take with you," explains David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
"There was always the promise of greater interactivity. You'll see that coming in the new year," Bishop added. In addition to the PSP copying example, Sony also demonstrated how you could download ring tones and new content to a BD Live player, using Men in Black as the example.
BD Live is proving to be a big catchphrase at the show: Panasonic announced its BD Live player yesterday, Fox showcased an early version of its Alien vs. Predator multiplayer game at the Blu-ray Disc Association's booth, and Sony showed its interactive Men in Black trivia game. The game was being played by two people in two locations on a Playstation 3.
For more coverage of this giant technology show, read the PC World CES Info Center.
"There was always the promise of greater interactivity. You'll see that coming in the new year," Bishop added. In addition to the PSP copying example, Sony also demonstrated how you could download ring tones and new content to a BD Live player, using Men in Black as the example.
BD Live is proving to be a big catchphrase at the show: Panasonic announced its BD Live player yesterday, Fox showcased an early version of its Alien vs. Predator multiplayer game at the Blu-ray Disc Association's booth, and Sony showed its interactive Men in Black trivia game. The game was being played by two people in two locations on a Playstation 3.
And since HD DVD is gone with the Schwinn, is this thread going to end and a new one rise to glory?
This format war has been all for the good of the companies and not the consumer.
The ARTICLE pointed out that HD DVD was really not cheaper to the consumer per se, but was a direct result of Toshiba selling their hardware at a greater loss...
Um, a Blu-Ray backer can't possibly fault Toshiba for selling their hardware at a loss without being hypocritical. Sony has been selling the PS3 at a much greater loss since it debuted. The only one here with the high ground is Nintendo, who has sold the Wii at a profit and kicked everyone's butt doing it.
And here you all are again trumpeting the PRICE mantra...need we remind you how this has worked out for you all? Don't get me wrong, price does indeed matter, but you all act as if Blu-ray is destined to always be high and that PRICE is the only variable to a successful format. Do some research, new technology is always higher in price initiall (its called recouping your R&D), that is, unless you are using cheap PC components inside your players, or using a disc similar to DVD that adds no further protection safeguards than DVD and is smaller in storage, have internal components only capable of outputting 1080i, and are selling all this at a loss purposefully with big brother Microsoft egging you on the whole way since they are in it to be a corporat leech.
'Big Brother Microsoft'. Nice, especially coming from a backer of RootKit Inc.
I feel no sympathy whatsoever for HD DVD proponents who have obviously chosen the wrong format now that it is dead and have willingly spread FUD and empty promises...
That Blu-Ray is the more expensive, DRM laden route to go was never FUD.
Give it up Frank, you lost the debate...Or you could just keep it up and just be gluttons for punishment.
See, for you it's about being on the winning side. For me, it was always about choosing a format that was more consumer friendly.
So owning a PS3 makes someone a loser? You have lost any credibility you had. You sound very bitter right now, why so much hate and ignorance?
It was not my intention to malign all PS3 owners. I was referring only to those who chose to mindlessly back a DRM-laden format solely because it came free with their game machine. To those who were offended by my overly broad characterization, I apologize.
P.S. Personal credibility went flying out of this thread years ago.
Is name calling all you really have left?
If the shoe fits, smell it.
So you haven't owned a Toshiba product?
So you didn't buy into HD-DVD?
-oh, its the credibility thread all of a sudden
I never said I would buy into a player before the war was settled. I probably won't buy a player for a long time. I have a large rear-projection set that is not HD, so what's the point?
The difference between me and Marz getting called out for his lack of purchasing is that he kept posting just about every Sony press release and Nielsen number for the last half decade. He was constantly encouraging everyone to go out and buy, yet never did himself. That's hypocrisy.
The vast majority of my posts have dealt solely with my concern over the future of Digital Consumer Rights.
http://gizmodo.com/360788/playstatio...opied-anywhere
But, but wait...Sony is evil right?
Well yes, but this is a good sign. Hopefully, it will survive once the Studio notices it.
But you do realize that Sony is probably doing this because they are trying to stop Apple from beating the pants off them in the TV game, right? Fear can be a powerful force for good.
A replacement for recordable DVD's is long overdue.
Blu-ray is also the only viable media you can buy HD movies on now.
All TV is, or will soon be, broadcast in HD, HD-TV's have taken off massively. Blu-ray should replace DVD pretty soon, especially as there's no competition. It's already outselling it in comparison to the same time in DVD's early life.
Not sure what discussion there is left to have about it? It's not really even about Sony anymore. Who created DVD? Who created VHS? Who cares? It's just what people use.
Now... does the $49.95 price tag also include media center remote, KingKong HD-DVD movie, and 5 free MIR HD-DVD from toshiba?
Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes. But to get the 5 free movies you need to buy it before the end of the February, and mail it in before the end of March.
Beware circuit city - it looks like the employees have been cutting open the boxes and taking the remotes for their xbox360s. Pick up in store is best, and look at both ends of the box to make sure it hasn't been opened.
I am never shopping at Circuit City again - the first one was in bad shape for a used one (marks on unit, missing remote, missing software disk, box taped shut).I took it back and exchanged it, but I only looked at one end of the 2nd box (the other end was cut open, and everything was carefully put back together to make it look like it was new - everything is there, though, except for the booklet inside the king kong dvd, so it is not worth a 3rd trip back to the store).
Well yes, but this is a good sign. Hopefully, it will survive once the Studio notices it.
But you do realize that Sony is probably doing this because they are trying to stop Apple from beating the pants off them in the TV game, right? Fear can be a powerful force for good.
I was being a little sarcastic. This seemed to me to be a really positive step for Sony. It shows they may be recognizing that they could be beat on the video front the way they were beat on the portable audio front.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssC...51290220080227
"We have a partnership with Toshiba and have an obligation to see this through," DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg said on Tuesday.
"As you know, we have been well-compensated for our support. It really is in their court at this point to really declare what the next step will be. We're poised either way to jump into the marketplace when the conditions are right to do so," he said.
I remember a certain someone stating how I was spreading FUD with countless Wall Street Jounal articles and New York Times articles about this subject. Well, here you have it, straight from the CEO.
Blu-ray should replace DVD pretty soon, especially as there's no competition. It's already outselling it in comparison to the same time in DVD's early life.
Where are people getting this idea? A recent study found that HD DVD and Blu-Ray COMBINED have only sold HALF as much as DVD did in the same timeframe.
While the format war is finally over, it seems that high-definition media still has a long way to go. According to Nielsen Media Research and Adams Media Research, the total high-definition software sales for the first two years are only half of what standard DVD's sales were for their first two years. There were 16.3 million standard DVD's sold in the first two years (1997-1998) and there have been only 8.3 million high-definition (both Blu-Ray and HD DVD) units sold in their first two years (2006-2007).