HD DVD

Started by hedwig, January 06, 2006, 08:28:17 AM

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Sunrise

That is FANTASTIC if it holds. Just last week Warner reps were quoted as saying the company was going to continue to release in both formats, but going exclusively Blu-ray really does make sense for it.

MacGuffin

I'm VERY happy with my HD player. Don't regret it one bit. But in the months since I've had it, I've noticed that the stores cater more to the Blu-Ray customer; their in-stock and sale prices and deals reflect that. I feel that Blu-Ray is more of a "consumer" product and that HD is geared more for the cinephile. From the reviews I've read and personal experience, Warner paid closer attention to picture, bonus features and especially sound on their HD releases than their Blu-Ray ones and certainly moreso than any other studio. There's a reason why Matrix is only available on HD. I was planning on getting a Blu-Ray anyway, and this announcement will probably speed up the process, but I wished that Warner still stayed in both camps because I feel that down the line I'll be using my Blu-Ray player more, and seeing my HD player on the same shelf as my laserdisc player. Here's hoping that they release the Kubrick HD box before May.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Ravi

Quote from: MacGuffin on January 05, 2008, 12:36:25 AM
I feel that Blu-Ray is more of a "consumer" product and that HD is geared more for the cinephile. From the reviews I've read and personal experience, Warner paid closer attention to picture, bonus features and especially sound on their HD releases than their Blu-Ray ones and certainly moreso than any other studio.

Their Blu-Ray and HD releases weren't identical?  Are there any major inherent differences between the two formats?

Does this mean New Line will also only be supporting Blu-Ray?

Redlum

Yes New Line will move with Warner to Blu-ray exclusivity. However, Warner will continue to release on HD-DVD until May this year.

According to Warner no money changed hands in order for them to make this decision. I they've been pretty classy in their handling of of it even if they did get a big payoff.

HD-DVD have cancelled their conference at CES this week: "We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps". I hope they will gracefully concede defeat so that Blu-ray can get on with the important task winning the hearts and minds of consumers, away from DVD.

All the remaining HD-DVD Warner titles, such as Batman Begins and The Matrix Trilogy are expected to be strategically released on Blu-ray (possibly with higher bit-rate encodes) in the coming months i.e. Batman Begins when The Dark Knight is released. Obviously this makes sense in light of Warner's decision but it is also made technically possible now that Blu-ray supports the Picture-in-picture video commentary feature (on the latest player models and the playstation 3).

The sad thing is there really was very little difference between the two formats, however in the end I believe it was Sony's PS3 strategy which resulted in this outcome.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

picolas

what a fecking waste of discs. hopefully one day there will be a cool monument/fort made of the hd's. that would be something at least. a pantheon with beta for the roof would be good too.

Redlum

An insight from Michael Bay:
http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9716#post9716

Well another studio down. Maybe I was right? Blu ray is just better. HD will die a slow death. It's what I predicted a year ago. Now with Warner's down for the count with Blu Ray. That makes it easier for Wal-Mart to push Blu Ray. And whatever Wal-Mart pushes - wins. Hd better start giving out those $120 million dollars checks to stay alive. Maybe they can give me some so I can give it to my Make-A-Wish charity, just to shut me up. Have faith people Transformers will come out in Blu-ray one day!

Bay
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

MacGuffin

Quote from: Ravi on January 05, 2008, 01:23:10 AMTheir Blu-Ray and HD releases weren't identical?  Are there any major inherent differences between the two formats?

With some releases, picture quality was better on HD and only their HD discs had Dolby TrueHD sound.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

last days of gerry the elephant

Now since Blu-ray is on the up, I am sorta happy but then not really. The idea of Sony's proprietary ways prevailing is kinda iffy...

picolas

so i was going to exchange a portable dvd player xmas gift for a better one cause it made the image all pixely, and i waited a few days for no real reason, the format war was won, and i decided i wanted to plunk down some extra money and get a blu-ray player instead. the cheapest player was a ps3. i feel awful right now getting something so big out of nowhere. but there it is. today has been more giving than christmas. in a purely materialistic way.

last days of gerry the elephant

Congratulations, now all you need is a copy of Blade Runner on Blu-ray and Rock Band.
Out of curiosity did you happen to get the minimal 40GB model or 80GB?

I don't actually play Rock Band... not yet.

picolas

minimal :yabbse-undecided:

i'll report back when i get an hdmi cable..

MacGuffin

Blu-Ray takes inside edge in war with HD-DVD
Up to 20 firms backing HD-DVD consider defection after Warner opted for Blu-Ray and Paramount is poised to follow
Source: The Times UK

The sprawling consortium of technology and media companies assembled to promote the HD-DVD format of next-generation high definition discs faces a spate of defections to the rival Blu-Ray Disc consortium.

As many as 20 companies currently part of the HD-DVD Promotion Group could be preparing to remove their names from the alliance's 130-strong membership list, The Times has learned.

Paramount yesterday emerged as the latest major Hollywood studio poised to switch allegiances.

Despite the huge armies of technology companies ranged against each other in the format showdown, Paramount has turned out to be a pivotal figure. Its decision in August to give exclusive backing to HD-DVD was seen as a potentially devastating blow to the prospects of Blu-Ray, and to the strategy of Sony's president, Sir Howard Stringer.

Sir Howard consistently argued, though, that the Playstation3 games console, which includes a Blu-Ray disc player, would put the format in people's living rooms around the world more quickly than HD-DVD players would be adopted by consumers. But Paramount, like other members of the HD-DVD group such as Fujitsu, Lenovo and Kenwood, has hedged its bets. It offered exclusivity in August on the basis that it could reverse the decision should Warner Bros switch to Blu-Ray.

The threatened exodus from the HD-DVD format follows last week's decision by Warner Bros to back the rival Blu-Ray Disc format, whose main technology backers include Sony, Apple and Dell.

One Tokyo-based analyst said that the defections could represent the final nails in the coffin of Toshiba's HD-DVD standard after a bitterly-fought "format war" that has run for a little over one year.

Eiichi Katayama, of Nomura Securities, said that the battle between the formats, which display films and video games more sharply in an era of ever-growing television screen sizes, was now "entering its final phase".

Pony Canyon, a major Japanese music, animation and film studio and part of the giant Fuji Television media empire, said that although it was currently part of the HD-DVD Promotion Group, the decisions of US studios meant it would "choose Blu-Ray in the end".

Several other Japanese firms – including content producers and electronics component makers – said that their support of HD DVD was "under review" and that they knew of many others in the same position. Others, who admitted that they had previously been waiting for "clear market momentum", said that it had now probably arrived.

Backers of HD-DVD point to the relative ease of producing the discs, and the lower cost of building machines capable of reading them. Unlike previous format wars, particularly the notorious Betamax v VHS skirmish in the 1980s, the war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD has effectively been decided in boardrooms, rather than electronics showrooms. The decisions of the major studios have come well before those of customers, who have generally held back from picking one format for fear of backing a loser.

Facing a future with only Universal Pictures as its major Hollywood supporter, Toshiba and HD-DVD, said analysts at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, could quickly find itself isolated. But HD-DVD does retain a few potential trump-cards, most notably Microsoft. It is the presence of Microsoft on HD-DVD's list of supporters, say many of the promotion group, that preserves hope that the format could yet prevail.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Ravi

Paramount in HD DVD blow
By Matthew Garrahan and Mariko Sanchanta in Las Vegas
Published: January 8 2008 02:49 | Last updated: January 8 2008 02:49

Paramount is poised to drop its support of HD DVD after Warner Brothers' recent backing of Sony's Blu-ray technology, in a move that will sound the death knell of HD DVD and bring the home entertainment format war to a definitive end.

Paramount and DreamWorks Animation, which makes the Shrek films, came out in support of HD DVD last summer, joining General Electric's Universal Studios as the main backers of the Toshiba format.

modage

i feel bad for HD, it has a better name.  it makes more sense, its cover art is slightly less obnoxious, it's cheaper.  bluray has always rubbed me the wrong way but if this fucking stupid thing can just end already and they can drop the prices that'd be pretty sweet.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Ravi

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7187179.stm

Blu-ray future limited for some

Owners of Blu-ray DVD players may find themselves frozen out of future developments in the technology because their machines are not upgradeable.

The Blu-ray camp has recently rolled out new features for players, which include picture in picture options.

But the majority of Blu-ray players sold to date do not have the necessary hardware to offer the features.

Some discs already come with a note telling users that they may need to upgrade software in their machine.

In some discs, the note reads: "To ensure the best possible viewing experience, your Blu-ray disc player may need a firmware or software update."

But these updates relate to improvements in playback and do not offer a pathway to the new features.

The issue has arisen as Blu-ray attempts to offer new features to compete with rival standard HD-DVD.

When the first Blu-ray machines were launched the hardware requirements for manufacturers did not include provision for planned developments.
   
Instead Blu-ray players were divided into so-called "profiles", with all machines released before November 2007 designated as profile 1.0.

Machines released onto the market since November are called profile 1.1, but none of the standalone Blu-ray players can be upgraded to accommodate this profile.

Films will still play on the machines, but access to extra features is limited.

Later this year the Blu-ray camp will offer profile 2.0, called BD Live, which will allow the players which support the feature to connect to the internet to download related content, such as ringtones, trailers and photos.

But because internet functionality is not a mandatory requirement in current players, none on the market today will be able to access the feature.

The only Blu-ray player which can upgraded to use all the features is Sony's PlayStation 3, because it comes with the right hardware built-in and online access.

Consumer confusion

Frank Simonis, of Philips and the European chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, said the division of Blu-ray players into potentially three camps was "not an ideal situation".

But he denied that consumers would be confused.

"Whether you have a profile 1.0, or profile 1.1 machine, the playback is not disturbed. It's the high definition playback that consumers are seeking."

Philips has just released its first player which supports profile 1.1 and Mr Simonis confirmed that older players could not be upgraded.

Mr Simonis said the reason Blu-ray backers had launched players which could not be upgraded was one of timing.

He said: "The discussions relating to features took place at a point in time when every hardware company had frozen the architecture for their first generation of players.

"We needed to create momentum and get the players on the market. If we had postponed launch to add in the hardware for the latest features, we would not be in the situation we have today."

The release of players which cannot be upgraded was unlikely to ease consumer confusion around high definition DVD players, said Alastair Upham, editor of DVD Review magazine.

"One of the big problems with the Blu-ray format when launched, and something which gave the HD-DVD camp ammunition, was that Blu-ray wasn't finished - they hadn't agreed on a standard.

"And that problem means that an early adopter of Blu-ray could have spent £1,000 on a player only to find he potentially can't play newer releases.

Blu-ray boost

"So while there are discs out there with better features, if you have an earlier player you can't take advantage of this."

The Blu-ray camp received a boost at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week when film studio Warner dropped support for HD-DVD in favour of its rival.

But Mr Upham said the format had a lot of work yet to do to reassure consumers they are safe to upgrade from DVD.

He added: "If Blu-ray wants to reach a wider audience, it needs to have more clarity."

But he said the likely victims of the Blu-ray profiles issue was almost certainly a limited audience.

"The guys that bought the first Blu-ray players are the guys who bought the first laser discs. They know the risks."