DVDTown: Say NO to Blu-Ray

Pete T C · 04-11-2007, 04:41 PM

http://www.dvdtown.com/news/dontgett...toblu-ray/4407

snippet:

Quote:

Originally Posted by DVDTown

Toshiba has been good in issuing firmware updates for their players to make sure they are compatible with future HD-DVD releases. You might believe this is the case with Blu-ray as well, but no. Recent comments from the Blu-ray camp indicate that they have yet to complete final specifications for the interactive component called Blu-ray Disc JAVA (BD JAVA). What this means is that when the specifications are finally decided upon in late October, 2007, one's Blu-ray player bought before that date may not play parts of future Blu-ray releases. Imagine the confusion in a store trying to figure out if one's machine will play a specific extra.

HD-DVD knew the importance of a strong set of features from the get-go, and they had their mandatory features ready from the start. They made sure that every HD-DVD player had an Internet connection (which is not required by Blu-ray), allowing easy updates of the player and opening up exciting on-line features that we will see on HD-DVD releases this fall. Their interactive layer, called HDi, has also been in place from day one, and we have already seen it in various releases. "Batman Begins" and "Miami Vice," for example, showcase picture-in-picture and the possibility to make one's own scene-selection menus. Warner Bros. recognized the current limitation in Blu-ray technology and decided not to release titles with interactive features on Blu-ray before they knew what to develop for. These titles include things like "Batman Begins," "Poseidon," "Troy," and the upcoming "Matrix" box sets, which are HD-DVD exclusive for now.

I must draw a conclusion from all this: Don't buy Blu-ray. Not before the Blu-ray camp have finalized the format's specifications. Not before the manufacturer will GUARANTEE 100% compatibility with future Blu-ray releases. If you don't want to buy HD-DVD, either, that's fine. Wait. Enjoy regular, standard-definition DVDs. For now, however, the only safe and sensible HD choice is HD-DVD.

A nice writeup on the lack of standards on Blu-Ray, which I agree with. Perhaps DVDTOWN will emerge as an editorial counterpart to the self-admitted Blu-Ray centric DigitalBits?

Stephen_J_H · 04-11-2007, 05:57 PM

I agree. i'm waiting out the HD war and will likely buy an upscaing player before I buy an HD format, but I would personally like HD DVD to succeed, lower capacity notwithstanding.

Jim_K · 04-11-2007, 06:08 PM

Yay more one-sided rhetoric about the format war and one less website for me to visit.

Michael Osadciw · 04-11-2007, 06:50 PM

Hmmmm...isn't that the same thing as saying that if I bought a DD/DTS receiver with optical/coax digital inputs only, the manufacturer screwed me even though they knew Lossless audio was available eventually by means of HDMI?

Technology is always evolving - in every industry sector - product becomes outdated...especially if you are an early adopter...

...better wait for that "someday, sometime, I'll think of upgrading to HD when things settle down" line ...meanwhile 3-4 years of your possible HD enjoyment has passed...

That's the way I look at it...in this industry, you won't always come out ahead. What happens if Toshiba makes some 4-layer disc that isn't compatible on 1st and 2nd generation players?? ooooops.

Mike

Shawn Perron · 04-11-2007, 07:20 PM

Considering that 90% of the Blu-Ray players on the market are PS3s which can be firmware updated to support any new features, this article is way off base. Now if he wants to recommend staying away from standalone Blu-Ray players, he has a good point. Since the PS3 is arguably the best BD player on the market anyway, it'd be the one to recommend for those looking to get involved. The BD player that 90% of the market owns somehow must have slipped under this guys radar...

**HTF Ads**

PeterTHX · 04-11-2007, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete T C

A nice writeup on the lack of standards on Blu-Ray, which I agree with. Perhaps DVDTOWN will emerge as an editorial counterpart to the self-admitted Blu-Ray centric DigitalBits?

Self-admitted? Link please, there's no such thing. Especially since you can find nothing but HD DVD reviews of HD discs on "The Digital Bits". Hunt just sees Toshiba and Universal needlessly dragging on the format war.

This whole article is rubbish from a site that has been openly biased from the beginning (they've had that HD DVD.org tab for months). Specs? They have some nerve talking about specs when talk of TL51GB discs are put forth by Toshiba, which may render any and all HD DVD players obsolete.

And this is rich:
"When Microsoft promised that Windows Vista was the most secure and easy-to-use Windows yet, we realized that it would still have security issues and that it might not be that much easier to surf the Web compared to their previous program. We all know this and accept it."

Of course having MS as the other big HD DVD supporter has nothing to do with that point of view.

Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, have ALL released firmware updates. Whether full BD Java works or not has yet to be seen. Pure speculation. Not to mention the movies themselves will play perfectly fine.

The first DVD players didn't provide DTS output or progressive scan. Things we take for granted now. Early adopters know that the first players will not be able to take advantage of all features to come. Why sites like this one have such A.D.D. becomes a mystery.

The editorial written by someone who doesn't even know it's HD DVD, not HD-DVD.

A poorly researched biased article linked by someone with such an inflammatory sig...

Jason Harbaugh · 04-11-2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

The first DVD players didn't provide DTS output or progressive scan. Things we take for granted now.

Or play DVD-R, -RW, +R, +RW, or play photocd's, or DIVX or do a bunch of stuff that has been added over the years. Hell some didn't even play certain Disney DVD's released at the time.

How about the biggest problem with HD DVD right now....it doesn't play Blu-ray discs.

ppltd · 04-11-2007, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, have ALL released firmware updates. Whether full BD Java works or not has yet to be seen. Pure speculation. Not to mention the movies themselves will play perfectly fine.

Much like most of what is posted here, pure speculation, from both sides of the voice. We tend to believe what agrees with our point of view, and dismiss that which does not, and we are all guilty of it.

Almost every site in the format war has bias, including digital bits. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. By the way, the article in question is just an opinion piece., nothing more. It certainly is not hard to find this type of piece that fits into what ever we believe.

We just recently had a post showing sales figures for disks that was supplied by Sony and it was immediately taken as Gospel by many. showing a sales figure for Casino Royale of 30k, not the 100k Sony announced 'sold' a week or two before. None of these announcements of opinion pieces mean much, and certainly are nothing to get excited about.

Now to the substance of the article, which has been an issue questioned by many, with the support being finalized for Java support due from the BD org in the fall, and with the rummblings that it will be mandatory in future hardware, there is a legitimate question as to whether the current crop of players will be able to support it. No difference then trying to determine if the current crop of HD players will support triple layer disks that are rumoured to be approved by the HD org around the same time.

Ryan-G · 04-11-2007, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppltd

We just recently had a post showing sales figures for disks that was supplied by Sony and it was immediately taken as Gospel by many. showing a sales figure for Casino Royale of 30k, not the 100k Sony announced 'sold' a week or two before. None of these announcements of opinion pieces mean much, and certainly are nothing to get excited about.

You always have to be carefull when Sony uses S-words. They have an issue with the difference between "Sold" and "Shipped" in the last year. Seems that since a distributer "Bought" the item in question, Sony tallies it as "Sold". But whether or not a consumer actually bought the product, that can be a very different story.

ppltd · 04-12-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan-G

You always have to be carefull when Sony uses S-words. They have an issue with the difference between "Sold" and "Shipped" in the last year. Seems that since a distributer "Bought" the item in question, Sony tallies it as "Sold". But whether or not a consumer actually bought the product, that can be a very different story.

Very true. I should add that I only used Sony as an example. Every organization involved in this war has been guilty of posting fallacious numbers at one time or another, some at every opportunity they can.

Chris S · 04-12-2007, 11:09 AM

Why was this posted in the HD Software section when this is clearly a HD Hardware issue?