Petition to end HD-DVD/Blu Ray format War

[chevypower]

I don't know it's the best Blu Ray player on the market, but i believe it's as good as the BDS-300. The BDS-500 does Dolby True HD (I don't believe the 300 or the PS3 does that), and then you can step up to the BDS-S2000? Which has separate video and audio processing boards.

[AusM]

Good story here on Blu-Ray players not being up to spec in Aus

Another casualty of the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD has emerged — the early adopter. While early buyers of Blu-ray players may be feeling smug that Blu-ray appears to be winning the war, they may be alarmed to discover that existing players in Australia - with two apparent exceptions - do not support the full Blu-ray spec, sometimes called BD Profile 2.0, or BD Live.

Note that upgradability is a Blu-ray only issue - HD DVD players were released with a full spec from the beginning. So why have Blu-ray early adopters been so shafted? One revealing quote appeared on www.imperiumi.net, a CES Blu-ray staffer saying “We should have waited another year to introduce Blu-ray to the public, but the format war changed the situation.” In other words, Blu-ray players were rushed out below the final specifications (with the blessing of the Blu-ray Disc Association) in order to compete with HD DVD, which was first to market in the US.

Good news is that PS3 with internet access can be easily updated (when they feel like giving you full quality, which will probably be delayed so you buy a PS4!)...

[BionicGT]

Warner's decision to stop producing in both formats and move to Blu-ray only leaves HD DVD with just Paramount and Universal as its major Hollywood supporters. These studios account for only 30% of all HD movies.

Last Wed, National Geographic announced that it too will drop HD DVD support in favor of Blu-ray.

I wouldn't be buying too many HD-DVD disks.

[BionicGT]

Originally Posted by chevypower

I don't know it's the best Blu Ray player on the market, but i believe it's as good as the BDS-300. The BDS-500 does Dolby True HD (I don't believe the 300 or the PS3 does that), and then you can step up to the BDS-S2000? Which has separate video and audio processing boards.

If you set the PS3 audio output option to "Bitstream" instead of "Linear PCM", the PS3 will pass through the original soundtrack format, whatever it is, untouched -- be it Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital-Plus and Dolby TrueHD, SACD, or DTS and DTS-HD -- to your receiver via HDMI 1.3 for it to decode the audio and reproduce it through your speakers.

The PS3 has an on board Dolby TrueHD decoder and converts it to PCM (also an uncompressed format) and sends it to your receiver via HDMI 1.3 connector.

The great thing about the PS3 is (i) its versatility and (ii) Sony regularly releases significant additional feature firmware updates. The PS3, via updates released since its initial release, now has the option to output at 1080P 24fps (the format the source film material was transfered to digital media), upconverts DVDs and acts as a media streaming device (I stream video to it from TVersity server running on a PC on my home LAN.

[chevypower]

but Dolby isnt uncompressed, that's what Dolby Digital is, a compression format. I didn't know bitstream setting would let you have it in Dolby True HD though.

PFdesign, I don't know that profile on Blu Ray affects quality, or even playback of certain discs, but accesses different information online, for the special features, is what I was lead to believe, correct me if I am wrong.

[BionicGT]

Originally Posted by chevypower

but Dolby isnt uncompressed, that's what Dolby Digital is, a compression format. I didn't know bitstream setting would let you have it in Dolby True HD though.

Agree Dolby is an audio compression technology. Sorry, should have been clearer. What I meant was that Linear PCM and Bitstream are both uncompressed digital streams so that selecting the Linear PCM output option will not alter/change the digital stream from the PS3's Dolby TrueHD decoder.

So one uses Bitstream when your home theatre receiver has the required decoders for the audio you want or use the PS3's onboard Dolby TrueHD decoder via selecting Linear PCM.

If you only have an optical connection for audio (ie no HDMI input on the receiver) you need to select Bitstream on the PS3 as optical audio connections (TOSlink) on any disk player are bandwidth limited and you'll only get 2 channnel PCM (ie stereo).

It's all very complicated - unnecessarily so.......

[Perana]

Looks like Toshiba could be ending the war...

http://www.reuters.com/article/compa...27196120080216

[chevypower]

Yep, Netflix, Best buy (think JB Hifi), Wal-Mart have all officially dropped HD-DVD, so they join Blockbuster now in only supporting Blu Ray. Big blows to Toshiba.

[AusM]

So after all that, they now start paying Sony licensing fees to build BluRay players?

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by PFdesign

So after all that, they now start paying Sony licensing fees to build BluRay players?

Thats business at the pointy end of R&D, especially in a situation where only one development will prevail.

[chevypower]

They have to pay royalties to use the Dolby, DTS and THX licenses on the hardware too, I am sure

[goXF]

I am an electronics technician in Victoria and last Thursday my boss and I went to a technical training session at Sony's Melbourne office and learnt about there current BD players etc....

Bluray is full of a lot of copy protection systems etc, more than DVD. And region locked.

Some discs have java content on them and this causes problems with the current sony models. These and other issues they have will be fixed with firmware upgrades etc.

Strangely enough, only a few days after our training session, we received our first Sony BD player for repair....

Another advantage is that bluray discs are more scratch resistant compared to normal DVD's.

The first series of Sony bluray recorders are not due here till next year. (not the computer drive type)

[groops]

Yep, got word at work today. It's official. Toshiba are shutting down their HD DVD Rom Manfacturing plant.

Mike

[Walt Kowalski]

Originally Posted by PFdesign

Several companies are making dual format players - ie play both BD & HDDVD - so why not support those manufacturers and forget the 'war'?

LG - Sony - NEC - Samsung...

And you do not have to mortgage the hiouse - not that I have a mortgage - but just go to ALDI's.

Theirs play both.

[Mark^^]

Walmart went Blu Ray in the US and dropped selling HD DVD, so HD DVD is gone.

[AusM]

Originally Posted by goXF

Bluray is full of a lot of copy protection systems etc, more than DVD. And region locked.

Which can be made totally redundant by a $50 dollar program running in the background on your computer:
http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html
It would also remove the restriction of having to have an 'approved' screen to be able to view the disc. (listed as working with CDs, DVDs, HD DVD, BD)

I'm not condoning piracy - but the whole copy protection thing is an attempt to make film houses feel safe and pay out a lot more money in production costs. With some DVD releases, like Harry Potter from memory, they put it out without copy protection, so they didn't have to pay Macrovision Corp 5 cents or so per disk. Pretty much a concession that copy protection is useless. History has shown that any new forms created will not last long.

I've bought copy-controlled music CDs that won't play in the car. Someone initially got around that protection method by a line of black texta on the inner tracks! Now though, you can just make a copy with AnyDVD running in the background and it becomes usable. And fair enough - if you buy a CD you should be able to play it!

[Jeeepers]

Originally Posted by PFdesign

Which can be made totally redundant by a $50 dollar program running in the background on your computer:
http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html
It would also remove the restriction of having to have an 'approved' screen to be able to view the disc. (listed as working with CDs, DVDs, HD DVD, BD)

I'm not condoning piracy - but the whole copy protection thing is an attempt to make film houses feel safe and pay out a lot more money in production costs. With some DVD releases, like Harry Potter from memory, they put it out without copy protection, so they didn't have to pay Macrovision Corp 5 cents or so per disk. Pretty much a concession that copy protection is useless. History has shown that any new forms created will not last long.

I've bought copy-controlled music CDs that won't play in the car. Someone initially got around that protection method by a line of black texta on the inner tracks! Now though, you can just make a copy with AnyDVD running in the background and it becomes usable. And fair enough - if you buy a CD you should be able to play it!

These programs are a must. While I agree that Piracy is not to be condoned, your right to back up your original for personal use should be recognised. I use a 3rd party protection bypass program to, but mainly because my DVDrom use hacked firmware, and some region codes play up with it.

[BeStRaFe]

toshiba has dropped hd-dvd.. its dead
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02...h_shares_jump/

[ef_classic]

The reason Blu ray is going to win is because Sony put everything into it, they would look like idiots if they lost another "war".


If Toshiba has dropped HD DVD then its good as dead because Toshiba was the Big HD DVD backer?

[farah9]

Originally Posted by Munroman

And you do not have to mortgage the hiouse - not that I have a mortgage - but just go to ALDI's.

Theirs play both.

Never seen Aldi selling a BLU-RAY or HD-DVD player, let alone one that plays both.

[goXF]

Originally Posted by PFdesign

Which can be made totally redundant by a $50 dollar program running in the background on your computer:
http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html
It would also remove the restriction of having to have an 'approved' screen to be able to view the disc. (listed as working with CDs, DVDs, HD DVD, BD)

I'm not condoning piracy - but the whole copy protection thing is an attempt to make film houses feel safe and pay out a lot more money in production costs. With some DVD releases, like Harry Potter from memory, they put it out without copy protection, so they didn't have to pay Macrovision Corp 5 cents or so per disk. Pretty much a concession that copy protection is useless. History has shown that any new forms created will not last long.

I've bought copy-controlled music CDs that won't play in the car. Someone initially got around that protection method by a line of black texta on the inner tracks! Now though, you can just make a copy with AnyDVD running in the background and it becomes usable. And fair enough - if you buy a CD you should be able to play it!

Was really only talking about the 'brown goods' type of player that connects to your TV etc. They have made it pretty hard to try and copy from one of them. But no doubt someone will hack it at some point...

[Force6]

It's officially over.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080219/.../japan_toshiba

[dallasv8]

well, hope i never wasted my cash on the pioneer hi-def gear i bought not long ago lol

looks like i might have but :(

[chevypower]

yep, here is the press release from Toshiba http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr1903.htm
Now it's inevitable Universal Pictures and Paramount will support Blu Ray. But then I suppose it always was eventually.

[Homer1]

Referring to BR as just Sony is a common misconception. BR was developed and backed by a consortium of companies which make up the BDA (Blu ray Disc Association) http://www.blu-raydisc.com/index.html . These include Sony, Panasonic, Dell, HP, Phillips etc. BRs win is attributed to all these companies efforts, not just Sony, and I suspect all royalties off BR sales will go to the BDA rather than just Sony.