HD-DVD's coming in March!

[Macht]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

So. . . you're saying our new slogan should be:

Support America, buy porn.

>.>;;;

I am 100% for this message.

LOL! Great slogan :lol:

Yeah, I get what you are stating Kuu with the HD-DVD even to a consumer view (due their unfortunate lack of intellect by the mass) because of the name alone it looks like the next step. Sony however just played it smarter this time through with the media content battle.

Otherwise you remember their big mistake with Betamax when going against VHS. Betamax was clearly the superior technologically, but because of Sony's greed they kept it was to proprietary were VHS became open source. Betamax ended up getting crushed under Sony's own greed way back then. This time around they got smart, geez they even got Disney backing them on the Blu-Ray Disk's.

One of the things that also gave BD more power was during the CES. BD camp and the HD-DVD were stationed right next to eachother, when HD-DVD tried to played one of their videos their system totally failed on them. BD ended up being the only one that had a system that worked and worked great. That was a total burn against HD-DVD, then you add on from news reports yesterday of the porn industry backing BD it just seems slowly but surely HD-DVD is getting those nails well fixed in their coffin.

BD is covering nearly every base, they got Disney making for them to target the children (Lets face it with many parents who really has the power there huh >.>). Then they got the mature group and now adult section, seems BD covered every base. HD-DVD most of their stuff focused only to more of the mature group, not much in way of children focus or anything else. In a way seems almost like Toshiba is messing up like how Sony had with Betamax.

[WishMaster3K]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

And in their infinite wisdom, they still feel that they have a shot. I remember on another post we discussed how HDDVD claimed they were superior in storage to BD, achieving 30GBs on double sided disk. Wow, BD achieves 25GB on a single layer.

Of course, I was explaining to my aunt about this, and from a laymans perspective, HDDVD is the way to go. Buzzwords such as Blu Ray didnt really register to her.

However, this isn't bad, because the early adopters of the format are the ones who can afford to plunk down the dough needed.

Side note:

OMFG I saw this 61inch Sony TV at my Malls local Sony Store (I often go in there to see the things that I will almost never be able to buy. I think it inspires me to work hard so I can afford trivial Sony products. . . )

The TV costs $13000. . . That's a down payment on a house. That's a 2 year old car, a new sound system, and maybe some hydrolics.

But a las, they were playing the Discovery Channel, and it just seemed so. . . idk. . . Real?

The associate told me that the BD players were arriving in May for about 1000 dollars, and let me tell you, I am going to get a $1000 small display, a BDPlayer, and be happy. Because of it's clarity, I'm inspired to buy one >.>

But then again, I'm a technofile, and having better stuff than the next man makes me feel really good about myself

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

I seem to recall hearing about the porn and stock stuff somewhere. Think it has to do with one's self esteem/ patriotism etc. You feel good about the economy, stocks go up and you go by the store with the blacked out windows and the "back room videos" to celebrate your good fortune in the stock market.
The main two things that I think will put BD on top and put HD-DVD in the ground:
1. PS3. Plain and simple, you get a lot of people buying them for the new games and end up with a lot of people who now have fully capable BD players. With PS2, dvd players had been out for a while and were pretty cheap, now PS3 is the cheap alternative to a BD player, and will easily put BD on top. Xbox 360 not having an HDMI output already screws them over. Video quality is going to hurt.
2. Visual clarity. BD has something like 20 more Mbps than HD-DVD. They said when viewed side by side you can easily tell a difference b/w the two, and early adopters are going to decide this within a year I think. You can get just about any movie on BD that you can HD, plus a LOT of other titles. If I'm going to early adopt, I'm going with the better performance.

I'll buy a PS3 and use it to play BD's. Win freaking win.

[Puerilis]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

If your looking for the "good movies" on HD-DVD I wouldn't be surprized if most of them never show up. I don't think Sony would release any of the movies they hold ownership to on HD-DVD. not when they spent so much money on Bluray. Beta died because there was not enough support.

But Sony now can support their own media with their own library of movies. Tristar, Columbia, ect.

[Macht]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

If your looking for the "good movies" on HD-DVD I wouldn't be surprized if most of them never show up. I don't think Sony would release any of the movies they hold ownership to on HD-DVD. not when they spent so much money on Bluray. Beta died because there was not enough support.

But Sony now can support their own media with their own library of movies. Tristar, Columbia, ect.

Exactly Beta didn't have enough support because Sony was foolish to believe that it being the technologicaly supperior something like VHS could never defeat it. So they kept it way to propriatery and so lost a lot of support when VHS went open source. Boy, were they wrong with the logic they had then. Obviously lesson was learned because this time they have the superior technology and started setting in to getting the support it needs so that BD has a great chance of winning.

The thing that's just getting me a little nervous, is if they are seriously stalling to release PS3 because they think it'll add more pressure to the situation. In a way it almost sounds like the story of "The tortis and the hare". The Devstation meeting in March though seems like it'll explain if the situation really is that type of senario. I hope it isn't that, hate so much good technology to get destroyed because of some companies ego.

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

Sony released their expected prices for BD today:

Also today, Sony has officially announced its pricing structure for Blu-ray Disc titles. Catalog BD titles will be released at a wholesale price of $17.95. New release BD titles will wholesale for $23.45. That should mean that the top prices for Sony titles on the format will top out at about $29 (for catalog) and $35 (for new releases). The first titles are expected from the studio early this summer (think May or June). In addition, the studio has suggested that it may bundle Blu-ray Disc titles with versions of the same film compatible with other formats. So you might be able to buy a combo pack that contains both Blu-ray and UMD versions of the film, or Blu-ray, DVD and UMD all in one pack. The studio has already announced DVD/UMD combo packs of several titles, as we reported a few days ago (click here and slide down a paragraph of two). Ultimately, the studio may offer you a way to... say... buy the Blu-ray Disc version physically, along with the option to download the film in other formats. You can read more here at Home Media Retailing. A similar story is available at Video Business as well.

FYI, the only word we have yet on HD-DVD format pricing comes from our Warner coverage last week, in which we learned that the studio's catalog HD-DVD releases would be priced at around $29.98. What that means is that while title pricing for BOTH of the new high-definition formats is going to be slightly higher than standard DVD, it will still be comparable to what DVD was priced at when the format first launched back in 1997.

You can read it all here (though I posted pretty much everything pertinent, aside from the links in the text).

The BD/UMD combo packs sound interesting. Sony has been pushing UMD pretty hard and it seems to be paying off. I know I wasn't expecting it to do this well. Especially since its easy enough to hack it and just put movies on memory sticks.

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

New update:

Also today, there's some major HD format news. Ars Technica is reporting that the final spec for the Advanced Access Content System (AACS - due to be used on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc) has been delayed once more. The delay is expected to last at least a month, meaning that the March launch of HD-DVD will likely now have to be pushed back until April or May (about the same time that Blu-ray was expected to hit store shelves). This HD-DVD delays occurs despite the fact that the final haggling with regard to the AACS spec is strictly related to a dynamic Blu-ray encryption protocol called BD+, which would allow the BD Group to change the format's encryption scheme at any point down the line, if an earlier scheme should be cracked (thus preventing the crack from working on all BD format software). HD-DVD has to wait for the AACS spec to be finalized too, so you know the folks at Toshiba have to be pulling their hair out over this. Apparently, the various members of the AACS licensing authority couldn't agree on the final spec last week, thus causing the delay. Could the disagreement simply be a delaying tactic by the Blu-ray camp to wipe-out HD-DVD's anticipated first-to-market edge? Well... I certainly wouldn't put it past them. All's fair in love and format war, right? We'll keep our eye on this, rest assured.

And as always the quote is cited here

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

This looks like something that can (thankfully) delay the move to next-gen DVD formats for at least a month or two, as well as something that may give Sony an excuse to beef up its PS3 development. If PS3 was really on track for a Spring release like Sony is still maintaining, this will surely delay it to a summer or even fall release.

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

This looks like something that can (thankfully) delay the move to next-gen DVD formats for at least a month or two, as well as something that may give Sony an excuse to beef up its PS3 development. If PS3 was really on track for a Spring release like Sony is still maintaining, this will surely delay it to a summer or even fall release.

Yeah, I'm wondering if this is going to push back BD much at all. In the blog he makes it sound like its really only affecting HD-DVD and not so much BD since they weren't debuting until this summer anyway. Only time will tell I suppose. Damn I'd hate to be low level employee with Toshiba right about now, you know all the suits are getting bitchy right about now.

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

Toshiba is back on schedule (kinda)

Well... it's looking like HD-DVD may launch on time in March after all, but don't expect the format's full interactive features to be available in the first two players to market (Toshiba's HD-XA1 and HD-A1). Industry reports now indicate that an interim license for the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) has been obtained that will allow Toshiba to move forward with the format launch as planned. According to a story at Home Media Retailing, "the interim agreement gives hardware manufacturers and disc replicators access to secret encryption keys necessary to manufacture discs and players capable of reading them." Once the final AACS details are ironed out, you'll be able to update the two Toshiba players with a firmware upgrade. You can read more on this here at Video Business as well.

FYI, don't expect full 1080p video to be an option on first generation players either. We've been told that version 1.0 of the HDMI spec only allows video pass-thru up to 1080i. We'll post more on this soon.

As part of Toshiba's format launch, the company will be taking to the road starting on 2/20 with an in-store demonstration program that's expected to continue through April and stop in over 40 cities. Among the first few stops are the following:

Toshiba HD DVD Tour Schedule

2/21 - Electronics Expo - Paramus, NJ
2/22 - PC Richards - New York City, NY
3/1 - Tweeter - Newton, MA (Boston area)
3/1 - ABT Electronics - Glenview, IL (Chicago area)
3/1 - Fry's Electronics - Sunnyvale, CA (San Francisco area)
3/7 - Best Buy - Bellevue, WA (Seattle area)
3/8 - Fry's Electronics - Renton, WA (Seattle area)
3/8 - Best Buy - Atlanta, GA
3/15 - Fry's Electronics - City of Industry, CA (L.A. area)
3/15 - Myer Emco - Fairfax, VA (Washington D.C. area)
3/22 - Fry's Electronics - Plano, TX (Dallas area)
TBA - Best Buy - Miami, FL

Additional cities and specific store locations and event details will be announced soon. We'll post updates as they become available.

Speaking of HD-DVD... I've just gotten my hands on my first piece of HD-DVD software. It's actually a hybrid disc, featuring the same content in both standard DVD and HD-DVD quality - mostly HD video clips (shot on film and in HD video), along with a short video primer on the format itself. The disc is indistinguishable from a regular DVD disc, and the standard DVD layer plays perfectly in every player and ROM drive we have here at The Bits. We don't get have an actual HD-DVD player on hand here yet, but when we're able to obtain one, we'll give you a full report on how it works.

View it here.

[kvant]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

Neither of these new format really intrests me, hell I didn't not own a dvd-player until half 'n decade after it went mainstream.

But that aside, BR will probably win, as it will come with ps3 default, not those funky upgrade this and dat as with xbox.

One thing that is funny: Technically these two aren't that far from each other.

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

BD by the end of May.

Now for some good news... we finally know when both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc are expected to arrive in stores. As we've reported previously, HD-DVD is set for a March launch, with the first titles from Warner expected to street on 3/28 (the exact titles are still TBA, but they're timed to coincide with the first HD-DVD players from Toshiba due in stores next month). Now, Sony has revealed that they'll street their first titles on 5/23, in keeping with a May format launch (and timed to coincide with the first Blu-ray players from Pioneer and Samsung). The studio will debut eight titles on 5/23 - 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, The Last Waltz (via MGM), Resident Evil: Apocalypse and xXx, which should all sell for around $25 each. Lionsgate will add five more that same day, including Crash and Lord of War at $39.99 each, as well as The Punisher, Saw and Terminator II: Judgement Day at $29.99 each. Sony and MGM will then release seven more catalog titles on 6/13, including Kung Fu Hustle, Legends of the Fall, RoboCop, Stealth, Species, S.W.A.T. and The Terminator (at around $25 each). That same day, Lionsgate will add six more, including The Devil's Rejects ($39.99) and Reservoir Dogs, Total Recall, Stargate and Frank Herbert's Dune (all $29.99 each). You can read more on this here at Home Media Retailing and here at Video Business. You can also visit Sony's official Blu-ray Disc website in addition to Toshiba's HD-DVD site.

As always you can read it all here.

[Caspian]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

Well, Warner Bros. Just released some covers for the new HD-DVD's. Warner won't be releasing anything until April. More info here.
Also they have an SS from Batman Begins with an overlay of Christian Bale doing a commentary.

/drool
Looks incredible.

[DieselBoy09]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

PS3 worldwide in November.

[Macht]

Re: HD-DVD's coming in March!

Neither of these new format really intrests me, hell I didn't not own a dvd-player until half 'n decade after it went mainstream.

But that aside, BR will probably win, as it will come with ps3 default, not those funky upgrade this and dat as with xbox.

One thing that is funny: Technically these two aren't that far from each other.

About the only common thing the two have is the type of laser that they use with the Blue Light. That's like trying to say that CD and DVDs aren't that far from eachother, when DVDs are clearly a better choice for video media. Anything you could save on the CDs it'll be 1hr to 2hr max if you're lucky, on DVDs it can do twice that and more.

The major deal with storage is generally is partition design and the read media it uses. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD both use two totaly different methods, one thicker then CDs and DVDs that are out now while the other is thinner. Ones partition allows it to store 50 GB and future sizes can reach an estimated max of 100 GB while the others partition gets it 30 GB and future size is estimated to 70 GB max.

That 20-30 GB difference there can be a huge deal breaker if you ask me, 20-30 GB on DVD format that's like 10 - 15 hrs difference of what they could of placed on it.