Show me one post where I've stated that I wouldn't buy Blu-Ray? I've always said the opposite. So where exactly does the irony enter into play?
You may well be going to buy both but you also come across as a HD-DVD fanboy and quite anti-Bluray. Maybe that's not your intention but it's how it reads.
You may well be going to buy both but you also come across as a HD-DVD fanboy and quite anti-Bluray. Maybe that's not your intention but it's how it reads.
I know. I objected early to the whole "Why is HD DVD even around" hyperbole that I began to read.
Blu-Ray is going to be formidable. But right now HD DVD has set the bar. You get excellent quality for $499. I'm feeling more and more confident that Blu-Ray will close the gap a bit in price. I don't necesarily want to buy the PS3 for watching BD movies.
The format was has actually been good. Media costs are lower than expected and player pricing is lower (in the case of HD DVD)
I think things are progressing nicely. And quite honestly I'm disappointed with Universal, Fox, Buena Vista/Disney, Lions Gate, MGM and Columbia and any other studio that has chosen sides. Let the consumer decide.
There is some fine viewing to be done on this laptop. Too bad its makers didn't fix the HD-DVD features before bringing it to market
The Good: Excellent screen and sound for movies
The Bad: Fails to take full advantage of advanced HD-DVD features
The Bottom Line: Excellent computing and viewing capabilities don't quite compensate for HD-DVD glitches
The answer to one of the most burning questions in digital entertainment?Blu-ray or HD-DVD??will be determined at least in part on your computer screen. Backers of each technology are rushing to market with machines that play their respective brand of disk while handling a full range of computing tasks.
Recently we looked at the Blu-ray camp's notebook, the Sony (SNE) Vaio AR Premium, and judged the video quality from the Blu-ray disk excellent, but probably not good enough to entice most people to shell out $3,500 for that alone (see BusinessWeek.com, 6/19/06, "Sony's Pretty, Pricey Picture").
Having spent time with the notebook from the other camp?Toshiba's HD-DVD capable Qosmio G35-AV650?we're again impressed with the quality of the video and again wondering if the price is worth the added HD-DVD features at this stage of the game.
AT THE MOVIES. Like the Vaio, the Toshiba (TOSBF) Qosmio is a desktop-replacement class machine that boasts a huge 17-inch screen and weighs in at a hefty 10 pounds. It's one of the machines I consider portable, but not really mobile.
Since a big part of the reason for considering the Qosmio is watching videos, let me start there. For watching movies on a large-screen notebook PC, the Qosmio's screen is simply the best I've seen in this product class. There are no dead zones where the image is darker around the edges; the brightness?often low on rival machines?is suitably high; and images from even standard definition DVDs are crisp, fluid, and excellent.
The sound is great too. The machine boasts a pair of powerful Harmon Kardon speakers embedded in the body just below the screen and, when turned up to maximum volume, they will fill a small room adequately.
HD FALLS SHORT. As usual, Toshiba is kind enough to put a silver volume control to the right of the keyboard, making it easy to change the sound on the fly without needing to muck about with a mouse or search for a hard-to-find volume button. It's in areas like this?as well as the placement of media controls along the top of the keyboardbuttons?where Toshiba's expertise in the consumer electronics business shines through.
But when it comes to taking advantage of HD-DVD capabilities, the Qosmio comes up short. First, we tried out a demo disk supplied by Toshiba that had trailers and other content. It looked great, and once video playback began, it went without a hitch. But loading up the disk didn't go as smoothly. I wasn't able to get the HD-DVD to play automatically on insertion. And after opening the play program manually, it took half a minute before play began.
The demo disk also didn't have one of HD-DVD's cool new features: the ability to pull up and click through the title menu at any time during playback without stopping the video. So I popped in another HD-DVD I had lying around, Enter the Dragon. Although it worked most of the time, I had trouble getting the title menus to pop up during playback.
Worse, I wasn't able to click any of the menus at all with my cursor and was forced to use the keyboard. Perhaps of even greater concern is that some HD-DVDs failed to play properly.
KEYBOARD ISSUES. We understand these problems stem from the bundled "WinDVD HD" for Toshiba software, rather than the drive, and software upgrades aimed at improving performance are available from Toshiba. Still, we're left with the impression that the Qosmio's HD-DVD features weren't quite ready for prime time. And unlike the Vaio, the Qosmio's drive is read-only, so you won't be doing any recording (though at $2,999, it's priced about $500 less than the Vaio).
Nor was I impressed with the keyboard. The keys are flat-topped, so as I typed, my hands lost their bearings a bit, yielding lots of typos. This is strange because Toshiba has so often excelled at producing notebook keyboards.
As with other machines in its class, this one runs Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows XP Media Center Edition, so it serves as a repository for all of your digital music and video files. It will also connect to your TV set-top box to display and record your favorite shows.
WHAT'S INSIDE. It's got a sizable 200 GB worth of hard drive space to handle pretty much whatever you want to store. Of the machines in this class tested so far, this isn't the biggest storage capacity?Fujitsu still reigns supreme there with 320 GB?but it beats Dell's (DELL) XPS M1710.
Internally, this Qosmio is impressive as well. There's an Intel (INTC) Core Duo T2500 processor rated at 2 GHz an Nvidia (NVDA) GeForce Go 7600 for handling graphics. The Qosmio boasts some fine computing and display features. But it carries a high price tag for a machine that has yet to work out its HD-DVD kinks this early in the next-gen format wars.
Although its price is far from economical, the BRD-UM2/U has good performance, a stylish design and solid features. PC World Canada rating: 87, Very Good.
The trickle of Blu-ray Disc devices continues with I-O Data's BRD-UM2/U, the second PC Blu-ray burner to be put through its paces in the PC World Test Center. With its well-rounded specs and solid software bundle, this external USB 2.0 drive is a fine choice for early-adopter consumers and professionals alike.
Form and function
The drive itself is handsome, sporting a dark chassis with an elegant bevel design, and the Blu-ray Disc logo prominently displayed on the top surface. The rear section of the drive is ventilated; at the back, you'll also find the power switch.
Inside, the unit incorporates the Matshita (Panasonic) SW-5582 internal BD drive. Unlike the first Blu-ray Disc PC recorder that we evaluated, the Pioneer BDR-101A, this model supports the full gamut of optical CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc recording. Its specs do match those of the Pioneer model in some respects: 2X BD-R (write-once) and BD-RE (rewritable) write speed, 2X BD-R/RE read speed and up to 8X write speed on single-layer DVD-R and +R.
Speedy performer
Not surprisingly, the I-O Data drive's performance is strikingly similar to that of the Pioneer. It took 44 minutes, 27 seconds to master 22GB of data to BD-R, beating out the Pioneer unit by just 18 seconds. The I-O Data's rewrite (BD-RE) performance, however, was significantly slower than its write-once (BD-R) speed, as it took 97 minutes, 43 seconds to format a BD-RE disc and packet-write the same 22GB of data (we didn't test the BD-RE performance of the Pioneer drive, because it didn't ship with packet-writing software).
But, the I-O Data drive is the more versatile of the two. It supports double-layer BD-R and BD-RE, so you'll be ready when 50GB media reach store shelves sometime this summer. Plus, it supports reading and writing to CDs--although the CD-R write speed tops out at 24X--and reading and writing to DVD-RAM at 5X. Even the I-O Data unit's DVD+/-RW and dual-layer DVD+/-R write speeds are a notch higher.
Factor in its robust software bundle--which includes BD-specific versions of Ulead's DVD MovieWriter 4.7 (for video disc authoring) and InterVideo WinDVD, as well as customized versions of Ulead's Burn.Now 3 (for burning data, MP3, audio, and bootable discs) and InterVideo's WinDVD 5 (for VCD and DVD playback)--and the convenience of an external USB drive, and the I-O Data is a winner.
Given that Apple has a foot in both camps (it already supports HD-DVD in DVD Studio Pro, as well as being a member of the Blu-Ray association), wouldn't it make more sense for them to wait until there is a viable hybrid drive available before including a high-def optical drive in its systems?
Given that Apple has a foot in both camps (it already supports HD-DVD in DVD Studio Pro, as well as being a member of the Blu-Ray association), wouldn't it make more sense for them to wait until there is a viable hybrid drive available before including a high-def optical drive in its systems?
just a thought.
sennen
If the Ricoh dual diode part works like it should then that is a distinct possiblity. Apple really has no axe to grind with any of the formats so I"m figuring they'll just be content to sell authoring tools for both.
i suppose that over the last couple of years i've got used to having my expectations raised reading the rumours/speculation and then being underwhelmed (unfairly, i admit) by apple announcements. that's why i think it might be premature to exect a hi-def burner in a mac before something is available to support both formats - although with a new product (the "Mac Pro"), it is a good opportunity to have the option there.
DVD SP doesn't support either yet, only HD footage on standard DVDs.
Something that made me curious was that there is an option to select a red laser or blue laser when burning from DVD SP. Is that perhaps a setting for a future update or something?
Something that made me curious was that there is an option to select a red laser or blue laser when burning from DVD SP. Is that perhaps a setting for a future update or something?
Sony Electronics today unveiled its first internal Blu-ray Disc? (BD) rewritable drive for the computer aftermarket.
The new drive(model BWU-100A) supports up to 50 GB of data on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs or up to four hours of high-definition video using HDV 1080i on a BD-RE 50GB disc. The new drive is capable of burning a full 25GB disc in about 50 minutes.
For personal content captured on a HDV camcorder, the BD drive is optimized for keeping the video in the native HDV 1080i for playback on home players compatible with BD-AV format and PCs with BD drives installed.
Sony?s BD drive also supports recording of standard single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R Double/Dual Layer Discs, and CDs, making it a multi-format burner.
?Now consumers, professional videographers and filmmakers can store, record and experience the highest capacity of high-definition video available ? from capture to playback,? said Bob DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics? IT Products Division. ?Our Blu-ray Disc drive represents a significant leap in storage technology.?
The BWU-100A drive comes bundled with the CyberLink BD Solution® from Cyberlink Corporation, which provides a complete software application for capturing, authoring, editing and burning high-definition personal content captured by a HDV 1080i format camcorder onto BD discs. Video can also be ?down-converted? to standard-definition resolution for burning onto DVDs.
The internal drive features an IDE (ATA/ATAPI) interface and standard 5.25-inch form factor for easy installation inside a PC.
Availability and Pricing
The recordable/rewritable drive will be available in August for about $750. Pre-orders are now being accepted at sonystyle.com
$750 not a bad price there. Definitely in the realm of an Apple BTO
and yet it is called DVD-SP4 (HD). From the manual p.38: "You can set the DVD standard to HD DVD..."
Quote:
only HD footage on standard DVDs.
which is HD-DVD, isn't it, as HD-DVD can be written to red laser discs?
and as mentioned, there is an option for burning with a blue laser, whether that amounts to support for blu-ray or not, i'm not sure. i personally haven't authored anything in HD, although someone i work with has, as a test only.
Something that made me curious was that there is an option to select a red laser or blue laser when burning from DVD SP. Is that perhaps a setting for a future update or something?
I got into an argument regarding this. You have the ability to due rather crude HD DVD authoring right now. There's a blue laser button. You can burn HD content to standard DVD but the current DVD SP 4 also allows you to target a 15GB space allotment that corresponds to Single Layer HD DVD disc. Of course no recorders are available but authoring doesn't always require the recorder of the destination format. In fact DLT drives were used to author many a DVD back in the days.
So my official explanation is that yes HD DVD support is in DVD SP 4 but until recorders come out and iHD and AACS are supported we are missing a lot of features that just weren't ready a year ago.
My extended family is pretty large. My mother is one of seven siblings. Holidays are funny we enjoy food and company and then we argue about current events. Sometimes I forget that other people have vastly different upbringing where arguements did not happen. I come off really aggressive to these people. I have thick skin myself so I can handle a little heat back. The guys and gals on this board make me a smarter and more informed person and I'm thankful for that. If I can return the favor I try.
I'm going to ease back on promoting HD DVD vs Blu-Ray now because they're both shipping and the market will decide. Besides I'm going to end up with both players anyways so I don't to look like some hypocrite.
I actually enjoy arguing with Marzetta7 because he's as stubborn as I am. He's a standup guy though from what I've seen and we'd get along in person.
I'm getting pretty jazzed about this HD stuff. The pricing of 1080 HDTV and now the next wave of HD camcorders and recorders coming. The next couple of years will be fun seeing new product introductions.
I actually enjoy arguing with Marzetta7 because he's as stubborn as I am. He's a standup guy though from what I've seen and we'd get along in person.
Whatchu talkin' bout Willis!?
I've enjoyed the debate and camaraderie as well, that is for sure. I'm naturally argumentative, as I get this from my mother. Darn genes!
Anyhow, despite the bantering back and forth, I think I've definitely gotten a deeper understanding into what both formats offer, and for that I'm grateful. Especially for the fact that Blu-ray will be victorious! Just playin...Ok not really. Hehehehe.
Anyhow, here's to interesting months ahead! [Where's the beer mug emoticon?]
Can you beat your mother in debate? My mother is far too slippery. When my grandfather was alive it was fun to watch them argue because parents never like losing arguments to their children.
I'm actually pretty happy to see Sony's BD-Recorder at $750. That's going to put pricing pressure on HD DVD Recorders as well as any other BD-Recorder.
I now know what Sony's AVCHD camcorders cost and offer. More incentive for me to cut my silly spending and get my HDTV.
Can you beat your mother in debate? My mother is far too slippery. When my grandfather was alive it was fun to watch them argue because parents never like losing arguments to their children.
I'm actually pretty happy to see Sony's BD-Recorder at $750. That's going to put pricing pressure on HD DVD Recorders as well as any other BD-Recorder.
I now know what Sony's AVCHD camcorders cost and offer. More incentive for me to cut my silly spending and get my HDTV.
It's definitely challenging, but she is so cut throat. She gets so worked up when the topic is politics, I fear sometimes she may have a heart attack she gets so heated. She gets it from my Grandfather, talk about a man who's not afraid to tell you what is on his mind!
Anhow, on another note here is a bit of good news as well...
Sony PlayStation 3 Production Has Begun ? Reports.
Asustek Computer Ships PlayStation 3 Consoles
Quote:
Category: Multimedia
by Anton Shilov
[ 07/18/2006 | 11:52 PM ]
Asustek Computer, one of the world?s largest producers of computer components, has reportedly begun to ship Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles to Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The fact that the consoles are being manufactured means that the hardware specs had been finalized and the launch will take place in mid-November.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily and Commercial Times newspaper reported late on Tuesday that Asustek Computer started shipments of PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles in small volume in the beginning of July, according to DigiTimes web-site. According to a report, about 200 thousand component sets were shipped to Asus in June, which means that the company is in position to build 200 thousand game consoles. It is also said that in July the Taiwanese builder will receive higher amount of component sets for the PS3, while in September and October the company will get ?more than one million [component] sets.
Sony promised to have 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles available during the launch window and ship 4 million PS3s worldwide by the end of 2006. By March 2007 the company plans to supply 6 million game consoles to the market.
Foxconn Electronics is also projected to build the new generation game consoles for Sony. However, the news-paper did not unveil any shipment schedules for the company, claiming that the company will start assembly operations ?when demand rises?. Given that the PS3 is not on sale just now, the demand may only rise until after the launch.
The two versions of the PlayStation 3 game consoles ? for $499 and $599 ? will be launched on 11th of November in Japan and on the 17th of November in Australia, Europe, U.S. and other regions.
Comments
Originally posted by Blackcat
Irony in motion
Show me one post where I've stated that I wouldn't buy Blu-Ray? I've always said the opposite. So where exactly does the irony enter into play?
Originally posted by hmurchison
Show me one post where I've stated that I wouldn't buy Blu-Ray? I've always said the opposite. So where exactly does the irony enter into play?
You may well be going to buy both but you also come across as a HD-DVD fanboy and quite anti-Bluray. Maybe that's not your intention but it's how it reads.
Originally posted by Blackcat
You may well be going to buy both but you also come across as a HD-DVD fanboy and quite anti-Bluray. Maybe that's not your intention but it's how it reads.
I know. I objected early to the whole "Why is HD DVD even around" hyperbole that I began to read.
Blu-Ray is going to be formidable. But right now HD DVD has set the bar. You get excellent quality for $499. I'm feeling more and more confident that Blu-Ray will close the gap a bit in price. I don't necesarily want to buy the PS3 for watching BD movies.
The format was has actually been good. Media costs are lower than expected and player pricing is lower (in the case of HD DVD)
I think things are progressing nicely. And quite honestly I'm disappointed with Universal, Fox, Buena Vista/Disney, Lions Gate, MGM and Columbia and any other studio that has chosen sides. Let the consumer decide.
Originally posted by Blackcat
Irony in motion
Hehehehe.
http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...714_884874.htm
Toshiba's Testy Qosmio
There is some fine viewing to be done on this laptop. Too bad its makers didn't fix the HD-DVD features before bringing it to market
The Good: Excellent screen and sound for movies
The Bad: Fails to take full advantage of advanced HD-DVD features
The Bottom Line: Excellent computing and viewing capabilities don't quite compensate for HD-DVD glitches
The answer to one of the most burning questions in digital entertainment?Blu-ray or HD-DVD??will be determined at least in part on your computer screen. Backers of each technology are rushing to market with machines that play their respective brand of disk while handling a full range of computing tasks.
Recently we looked at the Blu-ray camp's notebook, the Sony (SNE) Vaio AR Premium, and judged the video quality from the Blu-ray disk excellent, but probably not good enough to entice most people to shell out $3,500 for that alone (see BusinessWeek.com, 6/19/06, "Sony's Pretty, Pricey Picture").
Having spent time with the notebook from the other camp?Toshiba's HD-DVD capable Qosmio G35-AV650?we're again impressed with the quality of the video and again wondering if the price is worth the added HD-DVD features at this stage of the game.
AT THE MOVIES. Like the Vaio, the Toshiba (TOSBF) Qosmio is a desktop-replacement class machine that boasts a huge 17-inch screen and weighs in at a hefty 10 pounds. It's one of the machines I consider portable, but not really mobile.
Since a big part of the reason for considering the Qosmio is watching videos, let me start there. For watching movies on a large-screen notebook PC, the Qosmio's screen is simply the best I've seen in this product class. There are no dead zones where the image is darker around the edges; the brightness?often low on rival machines?is suitably high; and images from even standard definition DVDs are crisp, fluid, and excellent.
The sound is great too. The machine boasts a pair of powerful Harmon Kardon speakers embedded in the body just below the screen and, when turned up to maximum volume, they will fill a small room adequately.
HD FALLS SHORT. As usual, Toshiba is kind enough to put a silver volume control to the right of the keyboard, making it easy to change the sound on the fly without needing to muck about with a mouse or search for a hard-to-find volume button. It's in areas like this?as well as the placement of media controls along the top of the keyboardbuttons?where Toshiba's expertise in the consumer electronics business shines through.
But when it comes to taking advantage of HD-DVD capabilities, the Qosmio comes up short. First, we tried out a demo disk supplied by Toshiba that had trailers and other content. It looked great, and once video playback began, it went without a hitch. But loading up the disk didn't go as smoothly. I wasn't able to get the HD-DVD to play automatically on insertion. And after opening the play program manually, it took half a minute before play began.
The demo disk also didn't have one of HD-DVD's cool new features: the ability to pull up and click through the title menu at any time during playback without stopping the video. So I popped in another HD-DVD I had lying around, Enter the Dragon. Although it worked most of the time, I had trouble getting the title menus to pop up during playback.
Worse, I wasn't able to click any of the menus at all with my cursor and was forced to use the keyboard. Perhaps of even greater concern is that some HD-DVDs failed to play properly.
KEYBOARD ISSUES. We understand these problems stem from the bundled "WinDVD HD" for Toshiba software, rather than the drive, and software upgrades aimed at improving performance are available from Toshiba. Still, we're left with the impression that the Qosmio's HD-DVD features weren't quite ready for prime time. And unlike the Vaio, the Qosmio's drive is read-only, so you won't be doing any recording (though at $2,999, it's priced about $500 less than the Vaio).
Nor was I impressed with the keyboard. The keys are flat-topped, so as I typed, my hands lost their bearings a bit, yielding lots of typos. This is strange because Toshiba has so often excelled at producing notebook keyboards.
As with other machines in its class, this one runs Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows XP Media Center Edition, so it serves as a repository for all of your digital music and video files. It will also connect to your TV set-top box to display and record your favorite shows.
WHAT'S INSIDE. It's got a sizable 200 GB worth of hard drive space to handle pretty much whatever you want to store. Of the machines in this class tested so far, this isn't the biggest storage capacity?Fujitsu still reigns supreme there with 320 GB?but it beats Dell's (DELL) XPS M1710.
Internally, this Qosmio is impressive as well. There's an Intel (INTC) Core Duo T2500 processor rated at 2 GHz an Nvidia (NVDA) GeForce Go 7600 for handling graphics. The Qosmio boasts some fine computing and display features. But it carries a high price tag for a machine that has yet to work out its HD-DVD kinks this early in the next-gen format wars.
http://www.pcworld.ca/news/article/7...cdde5f/pg1.htm
Although its price is far from economical, the BRD-UM2/U has good performance, a stylish design and solid features. PC World Canada rating: 87, Very Good.
The trickle of Blu-ray Disc devices continues with I-O Data's BRD-UM2/U, the second PC Blu-ray burner to be put through its paces in the PC World Test Center. With its well-rounded specs and solid software bundle, this external USB 2.0 drive is a fine choice for early-adopter consumers and professionals alike.
Form and function
The drive itself is handsome, sporting a dark chassis with an elegant bevel design, and the Blu-ray Disc logo prominently displayed on the top surface. The rear section of the drive is ventilated; at the back, you'll also find the power switch.
Inside, the unit incorporates the Matshita (Panasonic) SW-5582 internal BD drive. Unlike the first Blu-ray Disc PC recorder that we evaluated, the Pioneer BDR-101A, this model supports the full gamut of optical CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc recording. Its specs do match those of the Pioneer model in some respects: 2X BD-R (write-once) and BD-RE (rewritable) write speed, 2X BD-R/RE read speed and up to 8X write speed on single-layer DVD-R and +R.
Speedy performer
Not surprisingly, the I-O Data drive's performance is strikingly similar to that of the Pioneer. It took 44 minutes, 27 seconds to master 22GB of data to BD-R, beating out the Pioneer unit by just 18 seconds. The I-O Data's rewrite (BD-RE) performance, however, was significantly slower than its write-once (BD-R) speed, as it took 97 minutes, 43 seconds to format a BD-RE disc and packet-write the same 22GB of data (we didn't test the BD-RE performance of the Pioneer drive, because it didn't ship with packet-writing software).
But, the I-O Data drive is the more versatile of the two. It supports double-layer BD-R and BD-RE, so you'll be ready when 50GB media reach store shelves sometime this summer. Plus, it supports reading and writing to CDs--although the CD-R write speed tops out at 24X--and reading and writing to DVD-RAM at 5X. Even the I-O Data unit's DVD+/-RW and dual-layer DVD+/-R write speeds are a notch higher.
Factor in its robust software bundle--which includes BD-specific versions of Ulead's DVD MovieWriter 4.7 (for video disc authoring) and InterVideo WinDVD, as well as customized versions of Ulead's Burn.Now 3 (for burning data, MP3, audio, and bootable discs) and InterVideo's WinDVD 5 (for VCD and DVD playback)--and the convenience of an external USB drive, and the I-O Data is a winner.
just a thought.
sennen
Originally posted by sennen
Given that Apple has a foot in both camps (it already supports HD-DVD in DVD Studio Pro, as well as being a member of the Blu-Ray association), wouldn't it make more sense for them to wait until there is a viable hybrid drive available before including a high-def optical drive in its systems?
just a thought.
sennen
If the Ricoh dual diode part works like it should then that is a distinct possiblity. Apple really has no axe to grind with any of the formats so I"m figuring they'll just be content to sell authoring tools for both.
sennen.
Originally posted by Blackcat
DVD SP doesn't support either yet, only HD footage on standard DVDs.
Something that made me curious was that there is an option to select a red laser or blue laser when burning from DVD SP. Is that perhaps a setting for a future update or something?
Originally posted by Marvin
Something that made me curious was that there is an option to select a red laser or blue laser when burning from DVD SP. Is that perhaps a setting for a future update or something?
Curious!
Sony Electronics today unveiled its first internal Blu-ray Disc? (BD) rewritable drive for the computer aftermarket.
The new drive(model BWU-100A) supports up to 50 GB of data on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs or up to four hours of high-definition video using HDV 1080i on a BD-RE 50GB disc. The new drive is capable of burning a full 25GB disc in about 50 minutes.
For personal content captured on a HDV camcorder, the BD drive is optimized for keeping the video in the native HDV 1080i for playback on home players compatible with BD-AV format and PCs with BD drives installed.
Sony?s BD drive also supports recording of standard single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R Double/Dual Layer Discs, and CDs, making it a multi-format burner.
?Now consumers, professional videographers and filmmakers can store, record and experience the highest capacity of high-definition video available ? from capture to playback,? said Bob DeMoulin, marketing manager for branded storage products in Sony Electronics? IT Products Division. ?Our Blu-ray Disc drive represents a significant leap in storage technology.?
The BWU-100A drive comes bundled with the CyberLink BD Solution® from Cyberlink Corporation, which provides a complete software application for capturing, authoring, editing and burning high-definition personal content captured by a HDV 1080i format camcorder onto BD discs. Video can also be ?down-converted? to standard-definition resolution for burning onto DVDs.
The internal drive features an IDE (ATA/ATAPI) interface and standard 5.25-inch form factor for easy installation inside a PC.
Availability and Pricing
The recordable/rewritable drive will be available in August for about $750. Pre-orders are now being accepted at sonystyle.com
$750 not a bad price there. Definitely in the realm of an Apple BTO
Originally posted by Blackcat
DVD SP doesn't support either yet
and yet it is called DVD-SP4 (HD). From the manual p.38: "You can set the DVD standard to HD DVD..."
only HD footage on standard DVDs.
which is HD-DVD, isn't it, as HD-DVD can be written to red laser discs?
and as mentioned, there is an option for burning with a blue laser, whether that amounts to support for blu-ray or not, i'm not sure. i personally haven't authored anything in HD, although someone i work with has, as a test only.
sennen.
Originally posted by Marvin
Something that made me curious was that there is an option to select a red laser or blue laser when burning from DVD SP. Is that perhaps a setting for a future update or something?
I got into an argument regarding this. You have the ability to due rather crude HD DVD authoring right now. There's a blue laser button. You can burn HD content to standard DVD but the current DVD SP 4 also allows you to target a 15GB space allotment that corresponds to Single Layer HD DVD disc. Of course no recorders are available but authoring doesn't always require the recorder of the destination format. In fact DLT drives were used to author many a DVD back in the days.
So my official explanation is that yes HD DVD support is in DVD SP 4 but until recorders come out and iHD and AACS are supported we are missing a lot of features that just weren't ready a year ago.
Originally posted by hmurchison
I got into an argument regarding this.
you....! in an argument???
i dont believe it!
Originally posted by Trendannoyer
you....! in an argument???
i dont believe it!
I know...the irony.
My extended family is pretty large. My mother is one of seven siblings. Holidays are funny we enjoy food and company and then we argue about current events. Sometimes I forget that other people have vastly different upbringing where arguements did not happen. I come off really aggressive to these people. I have thick skin myself so I can handle a little heat back. The guys and gals on this board make me a smarter and more informed person and I'm thankful for that. If I can return the favor I try.
I'm going to ease back on promoting HD DVD vs Blu-Ray now because they're both shipping and the market will decide. Besides I'm going to end up with both players anyways so I don't to look like some hypocrite.
I actually enjoy arguing with Marzetta7 because he's as stubborn as I am. He's a standup guy though from what I've seen and we'd get along in person.
I'm getting pretty jazzed about this HD stuff. The pricing of 1080 HDTV and now the next wave of HD camcorders and recorders coming. The next couple of years will be fun seeing new product introductions.
Originally posted by hmurchison
I actually enjoy arguing with Marzetta7 because he's as stubborn as I am. He's a standup guy though from what I've seen and we'd get along in person.
Whatchu talkin' bout Willis!?
I've enjoyed the debate and camaraderie as well, that is for sure. I'm naturally argumentative, as I get this from my mother. Darn genes!
Anyhow, despite the bantering back and forth, I think I've definitely gotten a deeper understanding into what both formats offer, and for that I'm grateful. Especially for the fact that Blu-ray will be victorious!
Anyhow, here's to interesting months ahead! [Where's the beer mug emoticon?]
I'm actually pretty happy to see Sony's BD-Recorder at $750. That's going to put pricing pressure on HD DVD Recorders as well as any other BD-Recorder.
I now know what Sony's AVCHD camcorders cost and offer. More incentive for me to cut my silly spending and get my HDTV.
Originally posted by hmurchison
Can you beat your mother in debate? My mother is far too slippery. When my grandfather was alive it was fun to watch them argue because parents never like losing arguments to their children.
I'm actually pretty happy to see Sony's BD-Recorder at $750. That's going to put pricing pressure on HD DVD Recorders as well as any other BD-Recorder.
I now know what Sony's AVCHD camcorders cost and offer. More incentive for me to cut my silly spending and get my HDTV.
It's definitely challenging, but she is so cut throat. She gets so worked up when the topic is politics, I fear sometimes she may have a heart attack she gets so heated. She gets it from my Grandfather, talk about a man who's not afraid to tell you what is on his mind!
Anhow, on another note here is a bit of good news as well...
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multime...718235111.html
Sony PlayStation 3 Production Has Begun ? Reports.
Asustek Computer Ships PlayStation 3 Consoles
Category: Multimedia
by Anton Shilov
[ 07/18/2006 | 11:52 PM ]
Asustek Computer, one of the world?s largest producers of computer components, has reportedly begun to ship Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles to Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The fact that the consoles are being manufactured means that the hardware specs had been finalized and the launch will take place in mid-November.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily and Commercial Times newspaper reported late on Tuesday that Asustek Computer started shipments of PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles in small volume in the beginning of July, according to DigiTimes web-site. According to a report, about 200 thousand component sets were shipped to Asus in June, which means that the company is in position to build 200 thousand game consoles. It is also said that in July the Taiwanese builder will receive higher amount of component sets for the PS3, while in September and October the company will get ?more than one million [component] sets.
Sony promised to have 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles available during the launch window and ship 4 million PS3s worldwide by the end of 2006. By March 2007 the company plans to supply 6 million game consoles to the market.
Foxconn Electronics is also projected to build the new generation game consoles for Sony. However, the news-paper did not unveil any shipment schedules for the company, claiming that the company will start assembly operations ?when demand rises?. Given that the PS3 is not on sale just now, the demand may only rise until after the launch.
The two versions of the PlayStation 3 game consoles ? for $499 and $599 ? will be launched on 11th of November in Japan and on the 17th of November in Australia, Europe, U.S. and other regions.