HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

[JB]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Thanks, Tom. That makes sense now.

When the cash on hand permits me to get a player that will play HDDVD and Blu-Ray DVD I will also get a switchbox like the one you showed me.

I hear you, DJ. Having had intellectual property stolen I am very sensitive to it and will not do it to someone else.

 

[Pony]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

I just want to throw my .02 into the mix.

Whoever stated that component cables are only capable of 480i are very misinformed. The can and will produce an HD picture. Are they as good as HDMI.....certainly not. That being said though JB has a TV that is capable of 1080i and component would do an adequete job for the Direct TV box. In fact some TVs will actually produce a better picture over component than it will with HDMI. Every TV is different. I have performed several tests with this.....using identical dvd players (HDDVD) and identical TVs. Usually the difference between component and HDMI is barely noticeable.

JB if I were you, I would not spend money on an HDMI switch or hub. I would just use component on my dish receiver. I would then go out and buy a closeout HD player. These can be found for less than $200 now. I would then wait for Blu ray to come down and buy that player later. This allows you to take advantage of the HD discs you have.....not to mention the fact that dual purpose players (vhs/dvd, bluray/hd....etc) are notorious for failure. Often if one part starts to malfunction the unit as a whole with fail. Eventually Blu ray will be as afordable as HD is now. It has already come down nearly $500 in a years time.

The PC industry will probably have more to say about which technology will succeed. HP and Toshiba back HD, and ALL Toshibas come equiped with HD drives built in. HD has a larger capacity disc in the works that will most likely put it ahead of blu ray in storage capacity (currently blurays advantage over HD)

 

[JB]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Umm, ah, well, okay Pony.

I just recently upgraded my DirecTV to get the added satellites and a bunch more HD channels. The previous receiver had some HD channels and used component cables to feed the TV (no HDMI). The new one has HDMI, but I frankly don't notice any difference in the quality of the HD display. Your suggestion to use component cables from the satellite and HDMI from a HD disk player makes some sense.

But. You are telling me that the players that play both HD formats are unreliable. I am not buying one that plays only one HD format until the other format goes away.

I still have a (broke) BetaMax player sitting in the closet. And BetaMax tapes of the seminar I did for Clark Equipment some 19 years ago.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Seems funny to me that Sony was the one that created Betamax also. We'll just see who has the biggest following or the deepest pocket books. I for one am waiting until the fight is over.

 

[i386]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Seems funny to me that Sony was the one that created Betamax also. We'll just see who has the biggest following or the deepest pocket books. I for one am waiting until the fight is over.

You would think they'd learned.

IMO it's always a bad idea to make the STANDARD something proprietary. People would lose their freaking mind if you could only drive a Sony nail into a Sony 2x4. I'm not saying they don't have a right to make the product. But as a consumer I have things to consider.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Odd as to may seem............... if history repeats itself as it tends to, the Adult Entertainment industry will be the deciding factor in HD DVD vs BlueRay technology. This is exactly what happened in the VHS vs Beta battle back when it was waged. They were also an accelerating factor (if you will) in the main stream adaptation or acceptance of the DVD.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Well it seems the BluRay/HDDVD battle may be drawing to a close.
The Times

 

[tommays]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

I just learned one thing that really bothers me

No Blueray player sold to date meets the final 2.0 Blueray spec

Panasonic has JUST released a unit that fully meets the 2.0 spec

I guess everybody is and unknowing beta tester



Tommays

 

[JB]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Well, thanks, BB. That clears up a lot for me,but it doesn't allow me to play my Christmas present. It may have saved me some big bux.

In fact, it suggests that I may never get to play them, unless a player arrives on the market that will play both, meets the BluRay 2.0 spec, is reliable and fits my available funds.

 

[tommays]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

In a last ditch effort MASSIVE HD-DVD player prices cuts to 149 and 200 dollars



Tommays

 

[schematic]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Hi JR
Ditto on Pony
Your component input is all you need for 1080i coming from the satellite. Save you HDMI for your HD player.

Get used to Bluray, as Sony dictates what goes to the Video rental stores. They are the heavy hitters in Hollywood. Thats what dictates whats going to stay around. Why do you think Toshiba low balled there players at Chrismas? Their trying to gain market share and maybe unload some product.

 

[valkyr]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Interesting article about the PS3 being the only recommended Blu-Ray player available due to problems with standards changing:

http://www.betanews.com/article/Bluray_Early_adopters_knew_what_they_were_getting_into/1199841379

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2008/01/be-careful-if-y.html

=====================================================
Be Careful If You're Thinking About Buying A Blu-ray Player

Joseph tipped me off to an interesting article about Blu-ray, Blu-ray: Early adopters knew what they were getting into.

Representatives at the Blu-ray booth at CES told BetaNews that the PlayStation 3 is currently the only player they would recommend, due to upcoming changes to the platform. But Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony have all been selling standalone Blu-ray players to customers.

In order to allay confusion, the BDA has adopted special labels that will be placed on Blu-ray movies. Those with a "Bonus View" sticker will require Profile 1.1 players, while those with "BD Live" will require Profile 2.0.

In addition, the BD-J interactivity layer, based on Java, has continued to evolve since the introduction of Blu-ray Profile 1.0. This means that early players may have a buggy implementation and perhaps more importantly, they are not powerful enough to play the latest films properly.

How on earth did the HD DVD team lose out to Blu-ray?

What you don't want to hear when you've spent $700+ on a new technology: "When BetaNews asked developers of BD Live whether they were concerned about a backlash from early adopters who supported the format from the beginning, we were told: "They knew what they were getting into.""

 

[JB]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

EEK!!

That is downright terrifying, Valkyr. My Christmas present may become a collector's item before the package is opened.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

I watched a little video that showed the different connectors. They said component is divided into the 3 color beams, and each wire carries it's particular color beam.

Now how cool is that?

 

[JB]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

YABUT they carry the info with analog signals, WITF. I did notice the picture quality from the sat receiver is sharper with the HDMI connection (digital) than with the component cables.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

first off if you have a hd screen to hook it up to you cant go wrong with a toshiba HD-A3. if you never put a hd dvd in it it is well worth the price,$150 or so at amazon, for the job it does upconverting SD DVD.
if you go this route you need to rember hd video is only half the package. not to get into the all technicalitys but if you get a audo receiver or flat panel that will process the hd audo signal you will hear sounds from movies that will blow you away. i run mine through a yamaha RX-V661 av reciver. it will pass through 1080i vido and process hd audo using hdmi cables

in setting mine up i have tired componet, composit, and hdmi cables
if you want to get the most out of your HD equipment you realy need to use hdmi cable and your HD equipment should have jacks for this


any way i think HD DVD still has a better chance than BD DVD simply because you can still use SD DVD with your HD DVD player and not with the BD stuff. bd and hd both are going to have to compete with standard discs and i think hd dvd has done a much better job than bd.

hd and bd are pretty close to the same to watch but hd has the edge in audo and as i sated above the upconverting of standard dvd makes all the difference as most every one i know all ready have a colection of SD SVDs theY still want to watch
IMHO

 

[Sig_Mech]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

Just my 2 cents on this great debate:
1) Wait for the powers that be to decide what HD DVD format will be the norm. No sense buying a Blu-Ray player now if that format gets phased out.
2) You will not get the full effect of HD if you do not have an HD tv. If you do have an HD tv then try to use the HDMI cables and connections. The HDMI connections allow true digital communications between the components while the other connections are analog.
3) Don't confuse HD and digital. To have true HD, your tv must be an HD tv (ie, 720i or 1080i). HD is a measure of lines of pixels on a video monitor (tv screen) and the number of pixels in those lines. The more lines and pixels you have, the sharper and clearer your image will be.
Digital and analog are the formats used to encode the sound and video to transfer them between transmitter and receiver. A cassette tape or record is analog, a dvd or cd is digital.
In February of '09, all TV stations are mandated by the federal govt to broadcast in digital. This is to "free up" radio frequencies ( yes, tv signals are transmitted via radio frequencies), for govt use by switching all commercial tv and radio transmissions to digital. Your tv can receive local stations with just a regular antenna as long as it has a digital receiver built in. If you don't have a digital tv, you can purchase a digital converter that will hook up to a regular antenna, pick up local digital stations then convert them to analog for use on your old tv, but it will not be HD.

 

[i386]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

I watched a little video that showed the different connectors. They said component is divided into the 3 color beams, and each wire carries it's particular color beam.

Now how cool is that?

It's cool I guess, but it's also been around forever. Really old computer monitors used to (and may still do in some cases) connect via 4 BNC connectors.

 

[valkyr]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

HD-DVD is now OFFICIALLY DEAD

YAY!!!!

---------------------------

TOKYO?Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

Translation: We had no choice. But please don?t buy any Toshiba HD DVD products even if they are dirt cheap. It costs us money to support.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

?We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ?next-generation format war? and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,? said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. ?While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.?

Translation: It?s going to quite annoying to license Sony?s format.

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Translation: So we goofed on HD DVD. We?ve got other stuff. By the way we have to say that.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

Translation: We?re going to try and make HD lemonade here if possible with notebooks.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba?s commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Translation: We?re still a player.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.

Translation: We?ll be back?.

 

[beezee28]

Re: HDDVD or BluRay DVD?

You hear the latest news, Most of the DVD manufacturer is dropping the HD DVD format in favor of BLURAy DVD format. Those of you who are thinking of buying a HD DVD player should rethink again and go with BluRay. You will have to fork out a little MORE $$ for the equipment.