Sony to allow full resolution via component connections on their BluRay titles (1 Viewer)

[Brian L]

Saw this at another site:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060314-6377.html

From where I sit, this is FANTASTIC news. It will take a bunch more studios to follow Sony's lead before I alter my intention to boycott both HD DVD formats, but it is surely a step in the right direction.

I guess Sony being both a hardware AND media company have a vested interest in NOT hampering the launch of BluRay by excluding the folks who's TVs are still component only.

Finally, someone is seeing the light.

Brian

 

[Greg T]

Actually, the Sony player (not sure on the others) will allow 1080i via analog component, and 1080p via hdmi only.

I have been seeing other studios such as Disney, MGM,Paramount,Fox ect rumoured to also not use the ICT flag for now.

 

[Brian L]

Greg,

I thought this was a software issue, in that all players will do what the SW allows? And 1080p via component would not be of much use would it? I thought that I read that most of the 1080p displays do not accept an external 1080p signal.

I guess the whole point here is that, from what I have read, this is the first major studio that said that they will NOT down-rez their HD titles via component.

Potentially great news for anyone that has not bought a new display in the last couple years. Now the other studios need to follow Sony.

Brian

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

Other studios that have decided not to downrez, according to industry sources, are Fox, Disney, and Paramount. As of last week or so, there hadn't been any word from Warner or Universal.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Well this IS the best news I have seen for some time now. Even if it is 1080i, that alot better than current dvd, that's for sure. Sony, my hats off to you, and to Disney, Fox and Paramount (if it's completely true). Now after seeing if this is really true, I may just go high definition (Blu-ray of course). Give me many of the Cinemascope era and epic films and I will be more than happy. I am going to wait until there is a decent amount of those before buying a player. I have only analog, no HDMI. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL be able to make use of a blue-ray disc with my projector. Is it too early for a glass of champagne?

 

[Brian L]

IMHO, yes. But there is no reason NOT to put a bottle on ice!

That was the first I heard about the OTHER studios. Great news, if true. I have been really bummed that I would not have any reason to re-buy my 300 or so DVD titles!

Brian

 

[Rakesh.S]

i'm sure everything will be in the clear initially and then once they've sold enough, the down-rezzing will start.

 

[Vader]

... only if they deem it necessary. The price they will pay will be lost sales, and they will have to balance that against what they hope to gain from down-rezzing. Personally, I don't think they will see any difference at all in piracy stats (which the whole ICT thing is supposed to mitigate) if they do start enabling the ICT flag... probably because pirates will find a way around it in short order, and then they will be losing sales due to piracy, and the analog-only crowd. I think this is great news (about Sony, I mean), but we will see where things stand 2nd or 3rd generation (which is when I intend to jump on-board)...

 

[JackKay]

Dan Ramer over at DVD File reports that in Japan you can't downrez over component (analog) for about 5 years. That would make downrezing here for piracy reasons moot and useless.

Great news though, except that both formats will only UP-Rez standard DVDs over HDMI and not component. Bummer!

 

[Vader]

Once the studios realize that they are not gaining anything by restricting component for HD, one would hope that they will renig on this nonsense as well...

 

[RobertSiegel]

In the latest issue of Video Business, there is an editorial. In it he says that he personally asked several studios (none were mentioned specifically) about down-rezing, and both of them answered that they would NOT do it, they don't believe in hurting their most devoted customers, that's why some of them fought so hard to make it an option rather than do it 100% of the time. If all this news turns out to be what really happens (we never know until the day we watch the film on our component projectors, ect).....I would expect the studios to use it possibly only for certain brand new releases?......perhaps the classics will be spared (that's my main interest). But then again, who knows? We will have to wait it out to see!

 

[Thomas Newton]

Wasn't that what they said about region coding? That it was just for recent films, to protect releases in foreign theaters from competition with U.S. DVDs?

 

[Ryan Wishton]

The whole flagging thing IMO is so stupid beyond belief to begin with.

It's a slap in the face to anyone who bought an HDTV pre-2005.

The 1080P option is enough to depress anyone who bought a tv 6+ months ago already.

Most people can't afford one HDTV let alone to keep upgrading.

Let's face it. Your average HDTV owner is not looking for ways to defraud Hollywood. All they want to do is watch a movie on an HDTV they paid $1000's for. God forbid.

Anyone who is going to steal and is into bootlegging will eventually find a way around this anyways. Just as they did the 10 other times a new system has been released.

 

[GlennH]

Downrezzing via the ICT flag is stupid, agreed. But why should "the 1080p option" depress anyone? That only makes it better for some day when you do upgrade to a 1080p capable set with HDMI.

And isn't it true that analog component isn't capable of handling the bandwidth necessary for 1080p anyway, even if there was a set capable of 1080p without HDMI or DVI/HDCP inputs?

The one that worries me the most is Warner. They are the studio mentioned as most advocating use of the ICT. They also have the biggest library of classics I'd prefer to see at 1080i.

 

[JackKay]

Glenn, from what I have read in this and other forums is that component connections are more than capable of handling 1080P.

 

[GlennH]

Jack, thanks. I thought I had read the opposite.

In any case, other than some high-end CRT projectors are there any displays capable of 1080p that don't have digital connections?

 

[David D H]

The thing I don't understand is why neither Blu-Ray or HD-DVD can up-convert current DVDs over component. Especially as I watch a lot of PAL DVDs, does that mean that it will upscale (over component)the vertical resolution from 720 to 960, and downscale the horizontal resolution from 576 to 540?

 

[RobertR]

I've personally seen 1080p over an analog connection multiple times, so no, it's NOT TRUE that you need a digital connection for it.

 

[JackKay]

David D H, what I was told over at AVS forum that the original CCS DVD copyright protection (you know, the one that was immediately hacked by some kid in Sweden or some place) is still enforced, and as written it does not allow anything over 480p REZ over component (analog). Go figure. Anyway it must be too difficult to get all parties to agree on such a change I guess. Never mind the fact all parties have be talking for the past year and a half over the Hi Def formats.

ps Now you mention it, I haven't heard anything about PAL compatibility on these new players.

 

[David D H]

Thanks. That's a pity though.