Columbia to go completely Blu-ray by 2005 (from DavisDVD) (1 Viewer)

[Nils Luehrmann]

Brian,

I'm confused, you asked for proof of "mis-leading propaganda" as if I was only making it up.

I gave you several quotes and your response is "well HD-DVD forum says the same thing" (minus any quotes mind you)

Not to mention you completely ignored the fact that I never said HD-DVD forum has not submitted propaganda, but rather that there is far more coming from the Blu-Ray group.

Is this how you generally carry on a discussion? If so, then please leave me out of it. You've made it quite clear how you feel about Blu-Ray.

Have a great day.

 

[MikeMcNertney]

HD-DVD is not sticking to red laser, they are going with blue laser as well.

What they *are* doing is using newer, more efficient compression codecs. This is actually a good thing. The newer codecs can achieve equivalent picture quality in half the bitrate of MPEG-2. With the same bitrate limit (ie, the limit of how fast the disk can be read), MPEG4/mwv9 would be able to have higher quality picture and more bitrate left over for sound.

The fact that Blu-Ray is sticking with MPEG2 is a downside in a lot of ways

 

[Brian-W]

Re-read your original posts in this topic, and it's quite clear how you feel about HD-DVD.

I want some optical HD format, and am not tied to either side. But I'm sick of seeing all the Sony bashing which has no basis in this discussion. It's as if Sony is the originator of all the woes of the electronics world.

I'd rather see a more balanced discussion, and if I have to rock the boat to do so, so be it. Isn't that what we all want? A somewhat balanced discussion so we can form our own opinions rather than having to adopt someone elses?

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Instead of stating how they'll be going to blu-ray, Columbia Tri-Star should be upgrading their hardware because most of their DVDs have so many technical flaws it makes me laugh. Oh and I just realize it's Columbia Tri-Star that will be releasing SEINFELD later this year...Hahaha wait until the fans see their crappy transfers, they'll have a hissy fit on the company. Until I can see their regular DVDs look good on a consistent basis, I'll simply laugh at their statements that they'll be going blu-ray. That's like a little leaguer declaring he's now going to joing the Yankees!

 

[Ricardo C]

Have you SEEN the Seinfeld DVDs, by any chance? :rolleyes

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Hi Ricardo, no I haven't, but I have seen Barney Miller, Married With Children, The Critic and others, and the bottom line is, Columbia Tri-Star is among the worst of the big companies that distribute DVDs. Mostly all their DVDs I've seen display some kind of digital artifacts or pixelation, and their video shows look washed, like they have been mastered from 2nd or 3rd generation masters. Even these shows on syndication look better than what they release on DVD...Not to mention the fact that they also like to edit out scenes here and there, probably from mastering from syndicated prints. They're just an awful company in my book, I won't buy anything from them anymore.

 

[Scott L]

I only hope that the HD-DVD consortium will release a similar statement soon or that the Blu-ray camp announces a new codec.

If anything I'm glad Sony 'n friends are stepping up to the plate.

 

[Craig W]

I am not against Blu-ray, but I am not investing in it unless it gets full support from all the major studios. I bought into DVD when just Warners and a few others had announced support and it was questionable if DVD was going to make it. I am not going through that again. The studios know that if prerecorded hidef content is to be successful it will need to be a unified standard or consumers will sit out indefinately.

One reason that standard prerecorded DVD was so sucessful was because the consumer electronics industry merged the best of two possible competing formats into before it was ever released to the public.

 

[Rolando]

Oh man... now I don't know what to think.

Why can't these guys get it right? HD on DVD will obviously be a niche market at least the first few years. OBVIOUSLY (or at least I think it's obvious) the early adopters are the people who really care about the quality of the picture.

The buyers of this more expensive than DVD product are not the target, wal mart what is in the bargain bin buyers. I shop at wal mart by the way. these are people who have a bigger than average display, HD capacity and can tell top notch DVD transfer are missing something.

Quality is the most important factor to me. Thanks for the heads up about HD-DVD also using blue laser. Good thing I started my post with an apology in case I was wrong.

Now hearing Blu-ray will be using same old codec... oh man is there no winning? We need best codec AND highest storage capacity.

Still won't veer towards HD-DVD until it myself. So far I have heard the new codec isn't that great and that it would be the equivalent of an .avi or .mov file blown up. obviously not that bad literally but that on a big display ( not a 27" or 36") it would show to have been seriously compressed. Less us remember than even the best compression schemes are still lossy.

I just want the best HD presentation possible. If it means we need a disk that can hold 100 Gb then come up with one instead of trying to shoe-horn it into what you have come up with.

And for me cost is NOT a factor if movies are under $60. Before you ask I am NOT rich, I am sure I make less than most of you but it is worth it for me. I will NOT be buying 10 a month of these. maybe not even 1 a month. But the ones I will buy I want the best possible presentation.

 

[Miki<>C]

i didnt see this answered is blue ray backwards compatible or not?

 

[PeterTHX]

Here's what I don't get:

Many of the people championing HD-DVD over Blu-Ray cite that the new codecs are better and more efficient. Yet many of these posters and people like them laud DTS that it is "less" compressed than Dolby Digital. Yet discerning ears have heard little to no differences between codecs when the materials and masters are identical. You would then think they would support Dolby as more "efficient". NOW these same folks are demanding full uncompressed 6-8 channel audio for any HD DVD format, even if it's arguable that the Dolby (or DTS) versions are for all intents and purposes transparent and identical to the uncompressed originals, which would take up GIGABYTES of space on any format!

I've seen poorly encoded MPEG4. Who knows what could happen. We're talking things the average person can SEE, not just what audiophiles argue about.

Now, I like Windows Media 9 a lot. But I trust MPEG2 at high bitrates even more. Look at D-VHS. I would be more than happy with a disc version of D-VHS, which is pretty much what Blu-Ray is. (Not to mention Dolby Digital is at 576Kbps and DTS at 1506Kbps.)

 

[Joe_Pinney]

Re: backward compatibility with DVDs, Blu-Ray.com has this to say:

It is my opinion that Columbia's press release was very carefully worded to engender massive online discussion of what they mean (gee, guys, looks like we all fell for that trick), but likely will be clarified in the coming weeks/months as meaning that CTSHV's official Blu-Ray launch announcement will come toward the end of 2005 (just in time for Christmas, everyone); as to whether that means that all CTSHV releases from that point forward would be Blu-Ray only or optionally in Blu-Ray as well as DVD, I'd bet on the likelihood that all CSTHV releases would be Blu-Ray only from that point on, "encouraging" (forcing) Blu-Ray player sales, but at this point they probably have not quite decided which way they'll go, which is why they're leaving that issue deliberately vague.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Typical scenario:

- Man buys NEW 16x9 television set

- Man buys NEW DVD player

- HD-DVD comes out, which requires HD-DVD television for playback

- Man goes apeshit

The general public are not ready for HD-DVD yet. The majority of consumers have just caught on to DVD and will not be willing the upgrade to HD-DVD so soon.

I don't buy many Columbia discs anyway. But HD-DVD Lawrence of Arabia would be SO, SO tempting for me...

 

[RobertR]

You really think Sony executives are sitting around thinking "hey, let's completely abandon the revenue from sales to a worldwide market consisting of two hundred million or so players" in favor of revenue from a player base that, if they're lucky, would consist of a few hundred thousand the first year? How would this "instant abandonment" strategy possible benefit them? Does Sony no longer make CDs in favor of SACDs?

 

[Eric F]

Anyone purchasing a 16x9 set at this point will know what HDTV is, and if they've seen it won't blanch at the purchase of a HD DVD format.

As I stated earlier, most people with HDTVs don't even have an HD tuner- hopefully that will change with cable HD now offering HD boxes for rental. DVD is still a HDTV's primary use.

 

[Thomas T]

It is absurd, of course, to think Columbia will abandon the DVD format when in realistic terms Blu Ray HD DVD will only ever appeal to a niche demographic like the laser disc. The home video enthusiasts should view this as a good thing. It will avoid the "dumbing down" that mass consumerism has brought to DVD.

The majority of Americans watch DVDs to see the movie. That simple. The only reason my sister (a typical consumer) got a DVD player was because the video stores in her area stopped renting VHS tapes and went DVD. She doesn't watch the extras. She is the typical American viewer.

Despite Columbia's claim, it is unlikely ALL of their films will be released on the new format. Maybe they mean new releases or blockbuster titles. How much better would a release of, say, It Happened One Night or Mr. Smith Goes To Washington look in Blue Ray HD? Chances are that it will only further reveal the films age and defects. Most of those into the whole HD thing will most likely be impressed with the likes of The Fifth Element and Spider Man on HD rather than Cover Girl or From Here To Eternity.

Any HD format that is not backwards compatible is doomed to failure, at least in mass market terms. In a niche market, maybe.

 

[Nick Laslett]

We don't have HD TV in Europe. The likely hood of this happening in the next 5 years is nil. (for mass market consumers.) The PAL standard is considered good enough and on displays smaller than 40" stands up very well.

The whole Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD format war is very interesting, but it will only effect a very small part of the European market.

I think Sony have been preparing for this particular format war for the last 30 years. The defeat they suffered against VHS with Betamax still rankles them. I think it goes to the core of their company culture.

The fact that the Blu-Ray group includes a who's who of Japanese Consumer Electronic companies is no surprise. Now the Blu-Ray format includes IP from not just Sony and it was wise of them to license the technology from the beginning. I don't think Toshiba/NEC will know what's hit them when the Blu-Ray juggernaut gets rolling in Spring 2005.

Which technology is better is debateable, being a European I don't even have to pick sides!

I do think that Sony with pack a read only Blu-Ray player in the PS3 when it is launched in the US in Fall 2006.

I wouldn't bet against a format backed by Panasonic, Sony & Phillips. (Do Phillips still own a film company?)

 

[Miki<>C]

ok if Blu Ray will be backwards compatible consumers will only need to purchase a new player at some point, and if HD DVD is not and you would need a new player and new DVD collection then hands down to Blu Ray Im in! Dvd is by far the best ever consumers are not going to care how good it is if they have to keep buying new collections every ten years.I know I wont , Ill resort to renting only and that would suck becouse I love collecting movies.

Will Blu-ray support playback of DVDs?


Yes, several leading drive manufacturers have already demonstrated drives for consumer products such as video recorders that can read and write DVD and Blu-ray Discs, so you don't have to worry about your existing DVD collection becoming obsolete. Although there is no requirement for Blu-ray recorders to be backwards compatible with DVD, the format is far too popular to not be supported. With the vast amount of Blu-ray recorders that will be coming out, this will be an important feature for consumers.

 

[Alistair_M]

I found this piece of info

http://spong.com/detail/news.asp?prid=6419

Basically the Playstation 3 will use Blu-ray as its format.

This is big news in itself.

Going by the sales of playstation 2 - there should be 50 millions blue-ray compatible devices in the world within 3 years from launch.

I expect you'll be able to buy an addon for the playstation 3 to enable high def playback of movies.

 

[Ted Todorov]

If peaceful coexistence means the same level of market pentration and catalog availability as SACD & DVD-Audio, you can kiss both Blu-Ray & HD-DVD goodbye as anything other than niche products.

Unless one of the two formats is killed dead as fast as DIVX was killed, both formats will be doomed. With the HDTV market as small as it is, dividing it any further will be a very bad move.

The fact is that the difference between a first rate 480P or 576P DVD and some Fox-Lorber piece of crap is far greater than the difference between an excellent DVD and HD-DVD is going to be. Consumers won't trip all over themselves buying these things if the marketing gets botched.

Ted