HD DvD vs. BlueRay

[FuZzYknUckLeS]

So here we go again. It's a Beta versus VHS deja vu. Two new formats in DVDs are being released in the coming weeks. And they will each need their own player. There isn't a player that will play both types of disc. The big electronics companies couldn't decide on a common format, so they basically split into 2 camps and are going to let us, the consumers, decide which format will govern. But this is worse than the old beta/vhs shit. At least back then, you could pick the format of the video you wanted to buy to add to your collection. Not this time. The movie studios are also taking sides. Movies will be released on one or the other format, but not both. This means, you'll need to buy each type of player if you want to be able to watch everything. And how the hell can someone collect movies? Nobody wants a mixed bag of formats in their collection. And likely, in the end, one format will reign over the other. The loser will go the way of the Beta tape. And a crapload of people will be stuck with a crapload of useless electronics and media.
The one thing in common about this whole fiasco is who is starting it. Sony. Beta was theirs. Now BlueRay.


fuckers.

 

[The Bostonian]

Continue buying DVD?

I've been buying dvds for my personal collection over 6 years and I have over 700 dvds. I've spent well over $21,000 !!!!! Last year when I first heard about the Blueray -Ahhhh SHIT!!!!! I knew that there would be a different format, but so soon???? So last year I stopped buying dvds.
How easy is it to convert my dvd movies to Blueray?
Does Anyone know?
I've converted my VHS collection to DVD, but DVD to Blueray?
Man that's a lot of money!!!!!!

 

[hitrack]

I knew damn well that dual layer DVD for home/PC were not gonna catch on.

50 or so gigs, great for movies. MP3 storage, and data storage, not so great IMO. All that info on one DVD, what if it fails...sucks to be you. To many eggs in one basket. New players, new blank (expensive) media...fukk man I need a Tylenol. Huge HD movie downloads. Maybe few gig for one movie, thats gonna chew up my HDD space.

 

[specialty69]

HD will be cheaper than Blu-ray. Price will determine who will ultimately win the battle. Remember, SONY and their Betamax.

 

[expo joe]

A couple of more points to add to all of the above. I have a very good friend who works as a hifi specialist selling/ setting up big $$$ systems for customers. He said that although BluRay is techinically superior because it can store 50gigs versus 30 gigs for HD; HD is probably the consumer route for two reasons.

First most consumers don't care whether or not you can store all the special features of a movie on the same disk as long as the movie itself can be viewed without changing disks. With 30 gigs on HD, that storage capacity is more than sufficient for a complete movie and much much more.

Secondly, and probably the biggest issue is that true BluRay disks currently cost $60-$70 per DISK! Yes, thats right. It's unfeasible for 99.999% of the consumer market because the hardware cost of just a disk is ridiculous. The cost of a HD disk is currently under $10, which is high in itself but could probably be easily managed by the big companies. These two costs for the disks are BEFORE any recordings, labeling, marketing ect.,.....

My bud said that essentially, there will be many economies of scale to be had when the new disks / players / recorders come mainstream thus bringing down the costs but it will definitely be extremely challenging for Blu Ray to cater to the general population like current DVD's. One interesting point is that the manufacturers will probably initially absorb a big part of the actual cost just to get their product to the market....

Cheers, Expo

 

[wolverine]

that's the nature of the biz man.
always new stuff around the corner. my collection is of DVDs is around 20.
i'm super picky about what i buy cuz only 1% of movies deserves a 2nd viewing!

Exactly my case.
Although it would be kinda nice having all 12 hours of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on one disk.

 

[therealrex]

Exactly my case.
Although it would be kinda nice having all 12 hours of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on one disk.

Having to get up once every 3 hours is too much of a hardship for you?
I'm not sure how fast this one is going to take off unless the average Joe is blown away by the difference between a regular DVD and an HD one it might be a couple of years yet

 

[westwoody]

How easy is it to convert my dvd movies to Blueray?

Can't the new format players be made backwards compatible so your old DVDs could still be played?
Both formats may be a tough sell if the difference in picture quality is not significant enough to impress the the average joe. Not everybody has a 1900X1200 screen.

 

[westwoody]

Having to get up once every 3 hours is too much of a hardship for you?

LOL! He could get a Sony DVD changer, I think they have some that hold two or three hundred discs so you'll never have to get up. Or just put them on his hard drive and hook the plasma up to the video card.

 

[Devils_Advocate]

PS3 uses the "Blu-Ray"

Really the descision will be made by Sony. The new PS3 uses the "Blu-Ray" format. It is backwards compatible, and considering the buzz surrounding the player, I think the "Blu-Ray" format will win out.

But who knows, Sony was trying to push its Mini Disc (now UMD for the PSP) line up on the world and look how that turned out for them

 

[gravitas]

fuckers.

exactly....those ball washing cunts can fuck right off!

I'll keep my current dvd players thank you very much and all the titles i've collected over the past 7 years. When the format isn't supported anymore the they can piss off and i'll start buying books.

 

[badwolfcgy]

Sony is going to screw up again by pushing content control features on Blue-Ray Disks. Betamax lost to the technically inferior VHS due to proprietary standards. VHS won because everyone else could use VHS. Minidisc was the same way, who other than Sony builds minidisc players? Why is Sony not #1 in personal music players? MP3's were not supported in Sony players until recently and Sony players require horrible Sony software to transfer music.
What DRM system is going to be forced upon the consumer that wants to use Blue-Ray?
My next electronics purchase will not be a Sony.

 

[BouBou]

I have a rather large DVD collection myself. It really chokes me to have to pay $25 -$30 for a DVD. If the new formats drive the price up over $30 dollars, I'll stop buying. It's as simple as that.

 

[deke]

I cannot wait for new technology. If you say, "I'll wait for Blue Ray, it is coming out in a few months" by the time it does come out, there will be another device just about ready to come out. How many of us has got a HDTV yet? Even if Blue Ray does come out in a few months, it will take a while for the price to come down.

 

[FuZzYknUckLeS]

...How many of us has got a HDTV yet?..

Good point. This crap is being shoved down our throats so fast. People are just starting to buy DVD recorders. Most electronics that you buy today are obsolete within a year. My digital camera is a good example of that. It's a technology overload. Too much coming out too fast.
I honestly don't want to buy anything. I'd like a plasma tv. But I'm always thinking, WTF for? Next year there will be something better. Might as well wait.
It feels like we are in a period of transition. I used to like shopping for electronics. Now it just gives me a headache.

 

[metoo113]

Really the descision will be made by Sony. The new PS3 uses the "Blu-Ray" format. It is backwards compatible, and considering the buzz surrounding the player, I think the "Blu-Ray" format will win out.

But who knows, Sony was trying to push its Mini Disc (now UMD for the PSP) line up on the world and look how that turned out for them

The thing is that it's alot more then just Sony pushing blu-ray. This is a list of industry players supporting it. Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson).

 

[maverick73]

The one thing in common about this whole fiasco is who is starting it. Sony. Beta was theirs. Now BlueRay.
fuckers.

Well hopefully history repeats itself and "Beta" dies a quick death.

Sony is a company I love to hate and hate to love... they make some great stuff but having to stand out from the crowd with all their "Sony only" stuff it's so annoying... even their mini-DV tapes are supposedly "incompatible" with non-Sony mini-DV camcorders (they do work, but are "use at own risk" and allegedly can cause damage to the heads over time). I generally avoid buying Sony now unless it's the best... if another company makes an equal product, I will buy it because a) it'll probably be a bit cheaper b) it'll probably be compatible with more brands c) I won't get any "but we're Sony" attitude if I need service. Unfortunately (and fortunately), Sony still makes a lot of damn good products, often best in class... can't live with them, can't live without them...

 

[SexMachineGun]

with all of the largest electronics manufacturers backing Blue-Ray it is pretty clear that blue-ray will win with battle. it will be a long battle but in the end blue-ray will still win because of its capacity. The only reason the discs cost so much right now is because it isnt in mass production like dvds and cd's are at this point, once they hit that level and they will the prices will drop like just like any other popular media.
for those that dont know. The CD Lasers that you see in a lot of the ''cheapie'' cd-players on the market are most commonly Sony lasers as they have some of the best cd-lasers on the market. I personally have a 12yr old Discman (so old it has no skip protection at all) it can read the discs that have gouges in them not minor surface scratches girls and boys i'm talkin scratches so deep your nail will catch the groove of the scratch and it plays as if the disc was scratch free.
Despite the past technology failures that sony has had in the past. SONY IS the Undisputed Battery life champion when it comes to portable hand-held electronics ie. Cd players, mp3 players, PSP (for what it does the battery life is amazing.)
I've seen HD DVD displays at CES since 2004 and its not impressive at all.

for the image to make a difference your screen has to be capable of displaying the maximum resolution, and your audio has to be as clean as your video otherwise it would be like watching a dvd and listening to the audio on your radio.

 

[hitrack]

Last I've heard all movies under the SONY label will be realased in hi-def with out the need for HDCP decoding. This is to jump start sales.

 

[hornyhunk]

Dual layer discs 8.5GB (DVD9) on sale are about $3 a disc for the crappy ones, $6 disc for good ones.

Regular 4.7GB (DVD5) discs can be had for 25¢ a disc.

Cd's are still more expensive than (DVD5) amazing but true. I think it's because of the RIAA levy which isn't on DVD's yet.

CD Freaks