Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD- Page 6

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 12:49pm

I am going beserk wanting to buy buy buy. But my bf is making me keep my promise to myself to save up for this and not use the credit card that is perfectly willing to lead the charge in getting me Blu-ray equipped.

He is sooooooo mean!!

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:03pm

To Jerby and to all (me included!) who are looking to buy a BD player in the not-too-distant future...

You might want to read this helpful article that discusses the three Profile phases of Blu-ray players.

The "phases" have to do with the minimum specs a player must meet in order to be sold as a BD player.

1.0 --- the first players out on the market. No Internet connectivity, and no PiP.

1.1 --- includes PiP (Picture-in-Picture), making audio commentary now possible potentially as video commentary showing either "talking heads" of the actors and creative teams, OR behind-the-scenes comparison footage while the movie is still playing behind it. It also includes a few extra Java features for advanced programming possibilities (that I don't think this article goes into).

2.0 -- also known as "BD-Live." Has the PiP, plus all players are required to have an Internet connection (for additional content downloading to the player's hard drive, i.e., trailers, new audio streams -- either new languages or a brand new commentary track --- or any additional footage, like behind-the-scenes stuff or deleted scenes, etc.) This additional content would be stored on the player's hard drive, not on the BD disc itself, but would potentially be recognized as "available" every time that disc was put into the player. As long as you keep the content, you could access it via the disc. This makes your "bare bones" Blu-ray Disc completely upgradeable and expandable at any time with out having to buy a new disc. You could "buy" a director's commentary, etc. Huge possibilities.

All new players being sold today MUST meet the 1.1 profile. As the article says, that doesn't mean that older players sitting on the store shelves are ready to go. They may still be 1.0.

Anyway---here's the article (from October of 2007)!

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9808376-1.html?tag=ms

Currently, no players and no discs are 2.0... yet. The PS3 is 1.1 already (or can easily be upgraded right when you buy it to 1.1)... and they have a good-sized hard drive (varying somewhere between 40GB and 100GB).

When 2.0 players come out, they are required to have 1 GB of hard drive space for downloads (which is pretty small, but it's a minimum requirement). PS3s have a LOT more than that, ready to go.

Updated On: 1/6/08 at 01:03 PM

[TheHumanTorch]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:10pm

best12... your opinion is so much more informed than mine... but by saying that this blue-ray vs. hd war was won by sony using it in PS3, aren't you forgetting how much of a massive failure PS3 was for Sony?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:19pm

Well that would seem to confirm one's desire to get a PS3 if they want to stay up to date as long as currently possible.

One thing I learned the other nite is that there are some differences between the 40G PS3 and the 60 or 80G PS3 other than Gs. if I read correctly, the 40G won't likely play PS2 games. it doesn't have as many USB ports, nor other types of ports for memory cards.

So, it's no question for me (as of now) as to getting the 80G.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:28pm

Failure is in the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to this "strange new bird" known as the PS3. Failure, in this case, is also relative. I'll explain how I perceive it...

By taking a financial hit on the gaming side, they also sold "practically free" BD players (the best on the market) to the gamers who did buy them, and instantly put a million BD players into consumers' homes... ultimately winning the format war for home entertainment (a $40 billion brand-new market), while they took a loss on the gaming side.

So, gamers helped win the hi-def format war. Now, people like me and possibly Jerby and Craig, who really aren't gamers, might buy that PS3 because it's the best BD player on the market. And so they are putting these "game machines" into the homes of movie fans, who wouldn't normally buy games. But just like the gamers who wouldn't have bought either HD movie player alone... they now have the machine to invest in purchasing a few games. So, again, they have potentially increased their game market. And the potential there is HUGE.

I see the PS3 as a financial failure "for now," but a brilliant investment in the future for BOTH the gaming and home ent. industries, all in one "failed" little machine.

Updated On: 1/6/08 at 01:28 PM

[Craig]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:29pm

Safe to assume that the optional remote for the PS3 will allow for all the options/features found in stand-alone players?

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:37pm

Craig---The optional wireless BD hand remote (which I highly recommend, unless you want to watch your movies with those PlayStation game controls) will work with all Profiles.

A requirement of any BD remote is that it has four colored buttons on it (red, green, yellow and blue), and those buttons can be customized by any programmed disc to do whatever they want it to. For example, a prompt might come up on the screen and say "To watch this movie with PiP behind-the-scenes footage, press the yellow button at any time. To turn this feature off, press the blue button." Each disc can utilize those buttons any way they see fit.

By the way, don't be dissuaded if the PS3 you decide to buy doesn't come bundled with the wireless BD remote. You can order one separately on Amazon for about 20 bucks now. They're not pricey, but I definitely recommend them, especially for non-gamers.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/6/08 at 1:56pm

Yeah - that was never an issue - buying the optional remote.

I'm no longer on the fence - just going to wait a week or so to see if any other specials pop up re: PS3s or free disc offers besides the 5 by mail...

I've heard Wal-Mart sometimes does 10 free with a ps3

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 1/7/08 at 12:00am

So, I'm trying to do my homework and shop around online. And from what I'm reading, this news will likely make the prices go down. That's certainly what I was taught in high school economics. What is likely to happen do you guys think?

[Craig]

Posted: 1/7/08 at 12:07am

I think players will go down - but PS3's won't.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/8/08 at 3:10pm

http://www.digitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Wow.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/8/08 at 3:16pm

Well in addition to actual NEWS and studios/retailers chosing a format, all of the blogging and press will no doubt kill HD DVD now as well.

Consumer confidence (for those paying attention) will be at an all time low towards the format. So even if Paramount and Universal stay the course (for now) - I suspect they'll be a forfeit regardless in '08.

It will be interesting how long the format is kept around though in regards to a recordable format in computer (ala the +R and -R formats with DVD)

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/8/08 at 3:22pm

I just thought it would take roughly six months to sound the death knell for HD DVD, not six minutes.



"My, formats come and go so quickly here."

[Craig]

Posted: 1/8/08 at 3:24pm

Funny enough -

I was || close to buying the PS3 80 gig last night but held off. I wonder how long I can do that before impulse sets in. I'm not sure if any movie deals are going to transpire with the PS3 though (besides the 5 free by mail). I'm sure there will (and are already) movie offers with stand alone players.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/8/08 at 8:47pm

I caved LOL. Best deal I found was on Amazon which (since I'm a "prime" member) included free shipping. And with no tax, that means the $499 is the $499 I'm paying. I also bought the remote - they have it for 19.99.

Now - here's the important thing for anyone buying a PS3 or an HD player in general. Make sure the HDMI cable you get is version 1.3. Just read a lot of info on this and 1.3 is the latest version of HDMI cabling which is rated higher for throughput. Def a must for 1080p.

[geaj]

Posted: 1/8/08 at 9:20pm

Hell, I still have a b&w 13 channel tv with a turn dial. Hey, will that still work after February, 2008?

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/9/08 at 9:05am

"Hell, I still have a b&w 13 channel tv with a turn dial. Hey, will that still work after February, 2008?"

Not without a digital signal converter or a box... which you probably couldn't even hook up to a set that old... and it's February 2009, BTW.

From what I understand the government is going to supply free adapters to anybody who requests one for older TVs that can't be plugged into a digital feed easily. Hopefully one of those will work for you, if your sticking with that old set.

You'll probably see and read a lot about this in the coming year. Many people are freaking out, because there's been practically no PR about it so far.

Updated On: 1/9/08 at 09:05 AM

[Craig]

Posted: 1/9/08 at 9:23am

Actually - they are providing vouchers to use at retails stores (there's a website and I don't have that link at the moment - but there's a thread on here called rabbit ears) Each home is entitled to two vouchers - each $40 off the box which is set to retail between $50-70.

So while they aren't giving it away - they are subsidizing most of the cost.

No doubt there will be big stinks closer to the cut-off date.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/9/08 at 9:36am

One of the myths, that SO many people aren't clear about, is that "you have to have an HDTV by Feb. '09."

Not true. You do have to have a DIGITAL signal. No more analog TV. But you don't have to have hi-def.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/9/08 at 11:23am

And the latest from Microsoft re: XBOX considerations now in..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080109/tc_cmp/205600852;_ylt=AqEKLxwAm6gjzIPvE9QqjlUjtBAF

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/9/08 at 11:51am

Speaking of digital cable conversion. My box stopped receiving the HD signals altogether. Hopefully, it's just the box and not something in the cables in my building. I needed to return the box to exchange it for the new model with HDMI output anyway, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will resolve the issue. I just wish I didn't have to lose all my saved programs.

[tazber]

Posted: 1/11/08 at 9:22am

tv on dvd supports blu-ray, mostly

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/11/08 at 9:36am

Variety confirmed yesterday that Paramount can indeed exercise an out-clause in their HD DVD exclusive contract at any time now. There was actually a line item that said if Warner Bros. went Blu-ray exclusive, they could get out of their 18-month deal.

Variety also reported that Universal's exclusive deal with HD DVD expired last month.

Both are expected to "go Blu," but the question is when. Many thought it would be in the next day or so, but now the "rumors" seem to be saying it won't happen until next month at the earliest.

Why? Simple. To announce a full switch now, right after the holidays would induce a massive wave of player and disc returns to the stores. Something nobody wants to get.

So, they'll wait a month or so, and then announce. After many of the standard return policies for electronics have expired.

Evil? Perhaps. But that's business, right?

As far as returns go, they're already getting quite a lot of them anyway, since the news broke.

And check out eBay these days if you want to see a "fire sale" of HD DVD players and discs! Wow! It's kinda crazy.

My favorite? Some guy is selling his brand new player and 72 HD DVD discs (isn't that pretty much EVERYTHING that's been released in the format?) for... $850.

As many have been quick to point out, if the studios aren't deciding the end of the war just yet, consumers certainly will. Sounds like they're doing it already.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/11/08 at 9:52am

Best - Yeah - that's what I indicated above. That regardless of what the studios were deciding at this point - the news of WB and all the blogging/etc would push consumers to choose Blu-Ray out of safety alone, thereby helping to end the "war."

I now own my first two Blu-Ray movies. Hairspray and the latest Harry Potter. Both are great transfers!

The next news I'm looking forward to is the reduction in price for the media itself. I'm hoping the end of the "war" entices the studios to reduce movie prices to get people to jump right in with collecting...

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/14/08 at 5:23pm

They're not going down without a fight!

It's an HD DVD fire sale!!!



http://www.digitalbits.com/#mytwocents