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Author
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Topic: Anyone consuming HD or Blu-ray?
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Bruce Hansen
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 847
From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 01-04-2008 07:56 PM
I was in Fry's Electronics the other day, and counted 10 types of Blu-ray recordable discs, write once, re-writeable, single layer, dual layer, and different manufacturs. There was only one type of HD-DVD recordables, write once single layer. It looks like HD-DVD is already dead in the recordable market. To think about it, if your looking for a new recordable format, would you go with 30G or 50G?
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Ron Funderburg
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 814
From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 01-04-2008 10:17 PM
Okay here is an excerpt from an online article that I read today. I have only included the last few paragraphs but earlier in the article it stated that HD-DVD's are able to have software updates and that no Blue-Ray on the market for sale now will be able to play the new disk released when they upgrade the Blue-Ray in a year or so. Sounds like the PlayStation system to me for sure!
So whether you are using a Toshiba player or an Xbox 360, you are watching HD DVDs using a hardware/operating-system combo developed in large part by Microsoft. Given the fact that Microsoft isn't always known for stable and intuitive user experiences, it is even more amusing to see Blu-ray and HD DVD side by side.
Compare One Movie on Both Formats
When I compared Warner's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix discs, the Blu-ray edition in a PS3 and the HD DVD in an Xbox 360, the differences were startling. Never mind that the HD DVD has an entire online component that the Blu-ray can't yet implement, with features such as mobile downloads and user-organized live screenings. Never mind that you could watch the entire HD DVD with pop-up actor-commentary windows on screen—if Warner had implemented this in the Harry Potter Blu-ray, it would have been compatible with exactly one currently shipping Blu-ray player.
The surprising thing was, even when you compared the exact same experiences, the HD DVD behaved much better. Every so often an icon appears in the top left corner of the screen, indicating a behind-the-scenes featurette about that particular scene. On the HD DVD, you click it, watch what you want to, then click Enter again to return to the point you left off in the main movie. With the Blu-ray, the system had no way of returning you to the movie; it could only dump you in the featurette menu, where you were stuck watching more of those. Sure, these problems could be Warner's programmers, and not a format issue, but Warner is going for as similar an experience on both, and it clearly can't do everything on Blu-ray that it can on HD DVD. Just have a look at the back of each disc:
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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster
Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-05-2008 12:02 AM
And now.... to throw more coal on the fire....
Link To Article
MARKETWATCH FIRST TAKE
High-def DVD format wars intensifying
Commentary: Warner Bros. a boost for Blu-ray, but not a clear victory
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- One camp in the ongoing war over video formats got some bragging rights just days ahead of the consumer-electronics industry's biggest show, with a major Hollywood studio coming out to support the Blu-ray format for high-definition DVD technology.
The decision by Warner Bros. Entertainment to make its high-definition films available exclusively on Blu-ray beginning in June surely will be touted by the Blu-ray Disc Association at next week's Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, as evidence that it is winning the format fight over rival technology HD-DVD. "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray," a Warner executive said in a statement. Warner Bros. is part of Time-Warner Inc. But despite the Warner score, there is still not a clear winner in the contest, which appears to be intensifying. The next couple of weeks may bring some interesting developments. Rumors are that Microsoft Corp.
will use its high-profile opening keynote at CES to announce that its Xbox 360 will come with a built-in HD-DVD player. Meanwhile, word is that Apple Inc. will make its own announcement supporting the Blu-ray format at the MacWorld show the following week. This kind of rivalry, which is even more fierce than the VHS vs. Betamax war for the VCR, is not helping the entertainment industry, as consumers are holding back from buying into either high-definition platform. Another even bigger issue is the threat of the industry moving to a Web-based distribution model for movies. This will bypass the two high-def formats altogether, possibly making the current battle moot. Much like the recording industry has seen sales of music plummet as consumers buy or steal tracks online, buying and renting movies could head in the same direction.
That means there may not be a victor at all in this format war.
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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
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posted 01-05-2008 12:19 AM
quote: Ron Funderburg
Never mind that the HD DVD has an entire online component that the Blu-ray can't yet implement, with features such as mobile downloads and user-organized live screenings.
What? Who the hell cares about lame shit like that? Seriously! The only reason why features like that would be necessary is if you happen to run out of laxatives and you need to soften your stool.
quote: Ron Funderburg
Never mind that you could watch the entire HD DVD with pop-up actor-commentary windows on screen—if Warner had implemented this in the Harry Potter Blu-ray, it would have been compatible with exactly one currently shipping Blu-ray player.
I would take an axe to any player that had crap popping up. Picture in picture is soooo 80's, and it was extraordinarily lame back then. Nobody likes people who like picture in picture.
quote: Ron Funderburg
Every so often an icon appears in the top left corner of the screen [of the HD DVD version], indicating a behind-the-scenes featurette about that particular scene. On the HD DVD, you click it, watch what you want to, then click Enter again to return to the point you left off in the main movie.
Is HD DVD designed to be annoying? Sure sounds like it. From the "features" you listed, I am now two to three times happier I chose Blu-Ray. It doesn't have all that bullshit, thank science! I will forever stay away from HD DVD. Man, that shit must stink something fierce!
Also, I don't care about menus. Only people who are mentally deficient actually consider that a plus. The menus on Blu-Ray are extremely easy to navigate and some discs take you straight in to the movies (after the FBI warning) because they know that menus are for losers. They figure that if you want a menu, you're smart enough to press the MENU button.
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-05-2008 01:02 AM
quote: Blaine Young
With that in mind and the 28mb/s video limit of HD-DVD, they may well increase the bit budget to better take advantage of BD's 40mb/s ceiling on video batrate, and offering HD resolution audio as well - how many of us would like to watch (insert your favorite WB feature) with a DTS-HD Master Audio track?
Some of this is already being witnessed via Warner's subsidiary, New Line Cinema and its Blu-Ray releases. New Line has released a number of Blu-Ray titles with lossless DTS-HD Master 7.1 channel discrete audio tracks. Hairspray and Shoot 'Em Up are among the most recent.
The Blu-Ray format has been far better than HD-DVD in terms of delivering "next gen" surround sound quality on HD movies. Most Blu-Ray titles feature at the very least a 5.1 channel uncompressed LPCM audio track. Quite a few carry lossless compressed Dolby True HD 5.1 audio or DTS-HD Master audio tracks. By comparison, most HD-DVD titles carry only standard Dolby Digital audio or Dolby Digital Plus. Only a minority of titles carry Dolby True-HD multichannel audio. Even fewer (if any at all) carry DTS-HD Master audio tracks.
quote: Ron Funderburg
Okay here is an excerpt from an online article that I read today. I have only included the last few paragraphs but earlier in the article it stated that HD-DVD's are able to have software updates and that no Blue-Ray on the market for sale now will be able to play the new disk released when they upgrade the Blue-Ray in a year or so.
The comment from that news article doesn't make a damned bit of sense. It's really pretty stupid since the situation is quite the other way around.
If you're a gambling type of person eager to buy into "earlier adopter" products you absolutely will inherit some risk. Anyone who bought an early generation HD disc player will have playback problems compared to those who prudently waited awhile until the product was more mature.
The reality is anyone who has waited until 2008 to buy a Blu-Ray player will gain a more stable machine and one featuring "profile 1.1" or "profile 2.0" compatibility. Their players will have more capability than those who paid more and bought early for the rights to brag about being the first on their block with the new stuff.
In the end, the vast majority of people only care about watching the damned movie. Shit like LAN connections and all sorts of other picture in picture shit don't mean much to most people.
quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
The Blew Ray menu system appears to have been designed by some cave men.
I'm sure Toshiba will soon have some "free time" to lend help on improving that menu system after they finally give up on HD-DUD -or what is looking more like "HD-DEAD."
quote: Marketwatch
Commentary: Warner Bros. a boost for Blu-ray, but not a clear victory
Sounds like someone from Marketwatch doesn't get it.
quote: Marketwatch
But despite the Warner score, there is still not a clear winner in the contest, which appears to be intensifying. The next couple of weeks may bring some interesting developments. Rumors are that Microsoft Corp. will use its high-profile opening keynote at CES to announce that its Xbox 360 will come with a built-in HD-DVD player.
Great! Yet another disc drive we can look forward to roasting itself in the fucked up chassis known as X-Box 360.
While X-Box 360 has a great deal of impressive game titles, the actual hardware of that gaming console is a rotten, stinking piece of fetid shit.
Customer complaints about the piss poor product design of X-Box 360 are mounting. I personally know three people, all coworkers of mine, who have had nothing but pure hell with their X-Box 360 consoles over the last year. Hard disc failures. The dreaded "red ring of death" error. Optical drive failures. On and on and f#@&*$g on. Our chief neon tube bending artist has sent in his X-Box 360 three times! And now Microsoft wants to cram a HD-DVD player within the chassis itself to crank up the heat even more?
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Not that Playstation3 is without problems. A fellow I know at the local Hasting Music and Video store told me about disturbing problems with PS3 and overheating problems.
Overall this has given me an additional reason to be very thankful I avoided buying any gaming console in recent years. The first X-Box system was a big, hulking black and green thing, but it could at least dissipate heat. These new consoles look cool, but get so hot you could fry an egg on them.
Well, I guess I'm not hearing those complaints about the Nintendo Wii -a more modest device specifically designed only for playing games.
Anyway, CBS Marketwatch can keep holding onto hope for HD-DVD via some loony X-Box360 tie-in that has nothing to do with movies. Microsoft is really only fighting to keep the format war going, keep things confused and give enough time to get their HDi movie downloading format cemented. Good luck on that, Microsoft! You've got your head too far up your butt chasing Google on the Internet advertising game to pay attention to things like the "core market" of making an operating system that ranks a little better than an embarrassment (Vista). How the hell does Microsoft expect to corner the video on demand movie downloading market when they can't even get the basics of a new operating system done correctly? I can't help but wonder if they may actually have some sort of strange, secret deal with Apple over all the retardation laid bare to witness.
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