Blu-Ray has won the Hi-Def war!
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You'll know once you get that HDTV, and start watching old standard-DVD's versus the digital hi-definition network programming.Once Upon A Dream wrote:A question-is Blu-Ray worth it? why is it different then a DVD?.
Darnit, movies on disk are supposed to look better than the shows coming in for free over the networks...That's not riiiight!
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Right, before OUAD hijacks this thread with his questions, I suggest you go look up the whole hi-def disc details online...if you're asking this sort of question on these boards now, I'm just not sure where you've been or if indeed you do actually read anything that other people post.
A starter for you:
http://www.hollywoodinhidef.com
A starter for you:
http://www.hollywoodinhidef.com
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I figured this would be a good place to ask and since Daniel was the last one to ask about the ps3//// I don't have the internet at home, have a comp but it broke a couple of months ago (:() and I am getting a ps3 (40gb) and was wondering if I get that, would I really need a comp? It has internet right, and it would be cheaper to just get a ps3 instead of a comp + ps3?
If I can what do I need or how does it work? I only use the net for little things like this site and a few others. Any help would be great !
If I can what do I need or how does it work? I only use the net for little things like this site and a few others. Any help would be great !
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As a computer, it's more like a WebTV--Daniel wrote:Good question, I'm little interested in this too. Not to use as my main resource for the net, but as a second source.
All I know is its built in, and a lot of people are using the PS3 instead of their actual computer. Is it that good?
You can use a USB keyboard with a PS3 and its Linux browser, but you'll have a lot less luck playing Blu-ray on a computer drive.
There's no computer I'm aware of as-of-yet that has a Blu-Ray drive, let alone a recordable Blu-Ray drive, as a standard option.
You have to buy them as third-party extras. Pioneer, although pricy for most people, is generally a safe bet for quality and reliability as far as add-on optical discs drives are concerned.
There are rumors that Apple might put Blu-Ray drives in the next generation of Macs but these are just rumors. (Apple, along with most of the PC market, was a supporter of Blu-Ray.) No word yet as to whether these drives would be Blu-Ray recordable (which would also have to support CD+-R, CR+-RW, DVD+-R, and DVD+-RW) but chances are they won't just market a read-only drive option. It's pretty much mandatory for the media creator and average end-user that an optical disc drive has to support media-burning. At the very least CD-R, really kind of pathetic if they can't pack in a DVD-burner at this point in time. That hardware is cheap.
A couple of things to keep in mind with Blu-Ray...
a) Get a drive that is 1.1 or higher compatible as far as hi-def standards are concerned; all PS3 models and most stand-alone Blu-Ray model players sold after October/November 2007 are generally safe bets;
b) Don't expect to be able to record hi-def onto Blu-Ray recorders straight away; it'll be a few years before that's standard -- dual-layer standard-def DVD burners (below $100) just became standard equipment within the past 2 years!
c) Very few authoring programs allow you to burn onto Blu-Ray discs and recordable Blu-Ray media (25GB single-layer only -- I have yet to see 50GB, dual-layer in store) costs $25 PER disc! We're just starting to see programs that allow authoring in hi-def onto Blu-Ray and most of those are well beyond the $100 budgets most people are willing to pay for DVD authoring programs; you're basically stuck buying $1,000 programs to author hi-def optical discs;
d) You're pretty much stuck using hi-def for playback only. Sure, you can get TiVO machines that record in hi-def onto a hard drive but HOW do you transfer those files to a computer and burn them IF the hardware AND software for final burning isn't economical???
Japan has plenty of recording equipment for hi-def but a lot of it was rushed to market and may not even be standardized. Generally speaking, a lot of audio and video equipment gets test-marketed in Japan before it gets released elsewhere in the world. Even then, there's no guarantee much of this equipment will EVER leave Japan. Most electronic products fail or struggle for years depending on price and market demand.
In addition to Blu-Ray recorders, there are one or two models of DVD recorders (in Japan only as far as I know) that allow you to record hi-def video onto a standard format DVD. This latter machine will never become market standard and it's a safe bet that a DVD made that way would only play on the machine on which it was burned...
You have to buy them as third-party extras. Pioneer, although pricy for most people, is generally a safe bet for quality and reliability as far as add-on optical discs drives are concerned.
There are rumors that Apple might put Blu-Ray drives in the next generation of Macs but these are just rumors. (Apple, along with most of the PC market, was a supporter of Blu-Ray.) No word yet as to whether these drives would be Blu-Ray recordable (which would also have to support CD+-R, CR+-RW, DVD+-R, and DVD+-RW) but chances are they won't just market a read-only drive option. It's pretty much mandatory for the media creator and average end-user that an optical disc drive has to support media-burning. At the very least CD-R, really kind of pathetic if they can't pack in a DVD-burner at this point in time. That hardware is cheap.
A couple of things to keep in mind with Blu-Ray...
a) Get a drive that is 1.1 or higher compatible as far as hi-def standards are concerned; all PS3 models and most stand-alone Blu-Ray model players sold after October/November 2007 are generally safe bets;
b) Don't expect to be able to record hi-def onto Blu-Ray recorders straight away; it'll be a few years before that's standard -- dual-layer standard-def DVD burners (below $100) just became standard equipment within the past 2 years!
c) Very few authoring programs allow you to burn onto Blu-Ray discs and recordable Blu-Ray media (25GB single-layer only -- I have yet to see 50GB, dual-layer in store) costs $25 PER disc! We're just starting to see programs that allow authoring in hi-def onto Blu-Ray and most of those are well beyond the $100 budgets most people are willing to pay for DVD authoring programs; you're basically stuck buying $1,000 programs to author hi-def optical discs;
d) You're pretty much stuck using hi-def for playback only. Sure, you can get TiVO machines that record in hi-def onto a hard drive but HOW do you transfer those files to a computer and burn them IF the hardware AND software for final burning isn't economical???
Japan has plenty of recording equipment for hi-def but a lot of it was rushed to market and may not even be standardized. Generally speaking, a lot of audio and video equipment gets test-marketed in Japan before it gets released elsewhere in the world. Even then, there's no guarantee much of this equipment will EVER leave Japan. Most electronic products fail or struggle for years depending on price and market demand.
In addition to Blu-Ray recorders, there are one or two models of DVD recorders (in Japan only as far as I know) that allow you to record hi-def video onto a standard format DVD. This latter machine will never become market standard and it's a safe bet that a DVD made that way would only play on the machine on which it was burned...
Toshiba getting ready to drop HD-DVD...
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents (look under February 14th)
"Here's some late-breaking news for you, and this is ALL high-def related: The Hollywood Reporter is indicating that "reliable industry sources" say Toshiba is getting ready to drop the HD-DVD format. According to the story, Toshiba's Jodi Sally wouldn't confirm but "hinted that something's in the air" given recent developments. It seems that the retail defections have, predictably, taken their toll..."
The article also goes on to say Toshiba is under extreme pressure in Japan to get some foothold in the Blu-Ray market since BR dominates 90% of the hi-def market in the Rising Sun.
Toshiba's position at this point is pitiable.
Game over, Man! Game over!
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents (look under February 14th)
"Here's some late-breaking news for you, and this is ALL high-def related: The Hollywood Reporter is indicating that "reliable industry sources" say Toshiba is getting ready to drop the HD-DVD format. According to the story, Toshiba's Jodi Sally wouldn't confirm but "hinted that something's in the air" given recent developments. It seems that the retail defections have, predictably, taken their toll..."
The article also goes on to say Toshiba is under extreme pressure in Japan to get some foothold in the Blu-Ray market since BR dominates 90% of the hi-def market in the Rising Sun.
Toshiba's position at this point is pitiable.
Game over, Man! Game over!
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I just can't believe it's taking Paramount so long to call their switchover clause into effect.
Late March/April? They'd do much better to release that stockpile of BR titles they recalled and get them into the marketplace. That in itself would be an announcement of their future plans (even if they stay neutral for the time being) and send the call out that folks can expect BR releases of their recent HD titles in the months ahead.
After all, WB is also playing the BR catch-up game. They're silly holding back in order to ready up BR product...they should get back in the game pronto.
As for Universal...their "no comments" and "no new HD announcements" speak volumes...!!
Late March/April? They'd do much better to release that stockpile of BR titles they recalled and get them into the marketplace. That in itself would be an announcement of their future plans (even if they stay neutral for the time being) and send the call out that folks can expect BR releases of their recent HD titles in the months ahead.
After all, WB is also playing the BR catch-up game. They're silly holding back in order to ready up BR product...they should get back in the game pronto.
As for Universal...their "no comments" and "no new HD announcements" speak volumes...!!
This simply means Universal isn't ready and hasn't done the prep work and spent the cash to do Blu-Ray well at all.
They're going to have to make a deal with the devil to get anything out on BR and done decently, too.
Remember, we're still talking only about 3-4% of the home video market in the US being hi-def tuned... and the US is by far the largest buying home video market in the world.
Nice to see the format war finally winding down and the better product winning (this time), but it's still going to take time before BR becomes the dominant home video format if it ever even reaches 50% of DVD's peak...
As for DVD, I suspect it'll be around for many years to come and will remain the format of choice for older (re: B & W) movies, lots of older TV shows and animation, and budget DVD releases. I have doubts as to whether most studios will actually redo a huge chunk of these releases in hi-def anytime soon. We're still waiting on re-releases of the Tex Avery MGM shorts and the still non-existent (on home video format of any kind) collections of Terry Toons and UPA shorts.
They're going to have to make a deal with the devil to get anything out on BR and done decently, too.
Remember, we're still talking only about 3-4% of the home video market in the US being hi-def tuned... and the US is by far the largest buying home video market in the world.
Nice to see the format war finally winding down and the better product winning (this time), but it's still going to take time before BR becomes the dominant home video format if it ever even reaches 50% of DVD's peak...
As for DVD, I suspect it'll be around for many years to come and will remain the format of choice for older (re: B & W) movies, lots of older TV shows and animation, and budget DVD releases. I have doubts as to whether most studios will actually redo a huge chunk of these releases in hi-def anytime soon. We're still waiting on re-releases of the Tex Avery MGM shorts and the still non-existent (on home video format of any kind) collections of Terry Toons and UPA shorts.
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OFFICIAL:
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA ... l?nid=2705
"Toshiba out of HD-DVD business by next month"
"Universal says 'The path for widespread adoption of the next-generation platform has finally become clear'"...<I>FINALLY</I>...???
"Paramount the only studio still on the fence"...<I>STILL</I>...???
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA ... l?nid=2705
"Toshiba out of HD-DVD business by next month"
"Universal says 'The path for widespread adoption of the next-generation platform has finally become clear'"...<I>FINALLY</I>...???
"Paramount the only studio still on the fence"...<I>STILL</I>...???