Consumer Problems with Blu-ray and HD-DVD 403
bart_scriv writes "Business Week looks at the upcoming Blu-ray and HD-DVD product launches and predicts problems and confusion for consumers. In addition to anticipated difficulties in distinguishing between the two formats, some studios will be using copy protection that will intentionally down grade the picture. When combined with Sony's plans to upconvert based on hardware configuration and the fact that most HD TVs aren't capable of displaying either format at full resolution, early adopters may be getting a lot less than they bargained for. As the article suggests, it may be that 'the best bet for either format to gain acceptance now lies with next-generation game consoles.'"
The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Insightful)
Simple as that.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Informative)
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Insightful)
However, implementations will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and maybe even from model to model of player. So we may find that a certain player has an exploitable weakness that others do not.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:3, Insightful)
Sure, it might be part of the specs. But that doesn't mean that this DRM scheme will be enforceable. They can include anything they want into the specs, but if the players don't sell, or they sell and people sue, they will have to change the specs. Poorly designed technology gets rejected by consumers and driven into disuse all of the time.
How long do you think a manufacturer will continue producing a device that no one wants? And if no one wants to buy a Blu-Ray player, will the studios continue to distri
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Interesting)
The HD players coming out want to repeat the DVD player success story: the fastest adaptation of a new media technology ever. I mean, in the space of a few years, DVD video achieved something like 80 percent market penetration. Now here comes HD-DVD; only problem is HD televisions don't have that high market penetration numbers. But at the very least, someone who spent $3000 on a television will probably want to spent $500 on a player to watch something other than sports and CSI in hi-def.
Yet enter DRM: Sony and pals are so scared of nerds ripping off their signal and trading it peer-to-peer they're going to screw those who spent $3000 on TVs and who can afford and do purchase large amounts of DVDs.
So they're so afraid of the nerds in the basement and their 19" LCD screens, that they'll stop taking the money from those fat cats in their Bucky Balls wanting to watch Brucky Bombs go off.
Geeks don't particularly care about DRM ruining their access to stuff: it's a challenge that historically has been met every time. What bothers them more is the notion that DRM ruins cool technology by making it less attractive in the marketplace.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Insightful)
That's the funniest part actually - they're worried about a bunch of nerds ripping off high definition content and then either downsampling the shit out of it, or trying to p2p/ftp/irc around 40GB files. The former isn't worth it (might as well do the DVD, it'll be quicker), the latter really isn't practical even now. The only really practical way to shift that much data currently is on disc (or tape), which seriously limits distribution.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:3, Informative)
Limits, but doesn't eliminate. There's a decent market for burned copies of rips on the sidewalks here in NYC. Heck, even if you did downsample (plenty of the latest releases are cruddy camcorder bootlegs), people would still buy them up now and again - and for many people (dare I say most), DVD resolution is plenty.
I'm sure it pales next to online distribution, but it's there enough that stodgy MPAA execs would want to stamp down on it, I'm sure.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:5, Insightful)
Ironically those nerds with their LCD screens can't give the MPAA their money if they wanted too: HD-DVD won't play back on any of the existing computer monitors at above DVD resolution.
I watch all videos on my computer monitor (don't have a TV), and was excited by the prospect of getting some real high-quality video for these high quality monitors. Yet I could blow a few hundred bucks for an HD-DVD / Blu-Ray player, but only get video output equivalent to that of a 20$ DVD drive. I might as well keep pirating, because there is no reason to fork over the money for a new standard that I can't support. What is the incentive for upgrading?
Don't forget the sampling problem of many HDTV sets... if you try to play a low-rez movie at high rez, you will incurr the wrath of the "upsampler," which has the nasty habit of getting video and audio out-of-sync on many displays. So now the problem may be that your 8,000 dollar plasma-screen TV shipped before the MPAA's chosen video interface standard, but all you will know is that people's voices are coming out a bit before they open their mouths and the picture seems blurrier than when using your Xbox.
Bad MPAA. No doughnut.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:3, Insightful)
That's the whole point. With the new protections in place, many people who have not had a problem up until now, will now have issues. Suddenly "average Joe" who bought an HDTV last year will realize that his 'hot new HD-DVD movies' don't look as good on his HDTV as they do on his buddy's [Rich John] HDTV even though average Joe's HDTV has no problem
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:4, Informative)
Oh, they will (Score:2)
The onset of market penetration of DVDs matches the moment the copy protection was ripped and region codes fell. Before that, the penetration was rather low. People prefered to stay with DivX and other CD
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:2)
Where are you, where do I have to go for cheap movies???
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:2)
I rarely pay more than $5 for a DVD. A local rental place regularly sells off their previously viewed stock at buy 2, get 2 free. I just find four at $10 (or less), watch them, and sell the ones I don't like for almost as much as I paid for them. I've even turned a profit a few times.
Re:The key to acceptance: (Score:3, Insightful)
I think the winner in that battle has been iTunes.
Re:FSF urges comsumers to avoid DRM-poisoned media (Score:4, Informative)
HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use h.264 [1]. Also, DivX is not usually MPEG-4 compliant, and XviD often is not.
Anyhow, the compression is not the issue, it's the bitrate. Sure, you can fit a movie on a CD, but only at bitrates less than about 1Mbps. For HD content, that won't even remotely cut it, no matter what codec you use. You'd either have deplorable quality or deplorable capacity. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray both range from around 10Mbps up to 40Mbps, even using modern codecs. In other words, you need a new kind of disc.
[1] h.264 is one of the required formats, in addition to VC-1 and MPEG-2. That is, the content can be in any of these, but all players must support each.
Surprising? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Surprising? (Score:2)
If they can't get this sorted out, customers will be pissed off, and both formats will bomb so hard that it measures on the Richter scale.
Re:Surprising? (Score:2)
Sure, the original poster will say he does the custome right, but 99% of the time, the salesman just screws his customers. Knowledge is power, and most folks
Re:Surprising? (Score:2)
Imagine how they're going to be pissed off when they find out their new 2000+ bucks TV ain't gonna work with HDTV.
Re:Surprising? (Score:2)
Chinese made dual players in how many years? (Score:2)
Shouldn't take too long...
Re:Chinese made dual players in how many years? (Score:2)
Same here, which unfortunately means no DVDs for me. As soon as they trade Copy-Protection for Consumer-Protection I'll be back in the game. Until then, I'll watch movies on TV, burn them to non-encrypted DVD with my PC, and watch them as many times as I want, as is my right as a content-subscriber (via cable TV).
Who knows, maybe I'll give in to the stripping of my rights, but that would require them to make
No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:5, Insightful)
1. Cassetes --> CDs: CDs are thinner and higher quality that does not degrade. Even still, it took *almost* 10 years before cassetes were completely and fully replaced. Even to this day, unless you count, say, iTunes, CDs reign supreme and music on DVD is still a joke.
2. ?? --> Beta/VHS: No fromat existed for viewing movies at home... except maybe an 8mm projector!! But I can't remember video stores that had 8mm rentals... is it just me?
3. VHS --> DVD: DVD is smaller, thinner, and holds more at a better quality. Plus, like every previous post has pointed out, many people have invested in buying DVDs and, like me, see no reason to "upgrade" the quality of their movies... for... $30+??
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think this analogy fits with those examples anyway. This is more akin to the following:
Stereo LP -> Quadrophonic LP
VHS -> Laserdisc
Cassette -> DCC
CD -> SACD / DVD-Audio
In other words, I think this is a specialized path, which only appeals to the high end consumer and won't get any broad market penetration. Even if Blu-Ray "wins" by piggy-backing on the PS3's market penetration, I don't think it will ever get much in terms of consumer acceptance.
DVD is here for at least a few more years.
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:5, Insightful)
VHS -> Laserdisc
Cassette -> DCC
CD -> SACD / DVD-Audio
And the grandparent mentioned Beta, and I will add minidisc and DAT.
Lets take a look at the history here:
Beta -> killed, basically because of Sony
minidisc -> killed, basically because of Sony
SACD -> killed, basically because of Sony
DAT -> killed, basically because of the recording industry and SCMS
DCC -> not sure why that was killed. AFAIK, it did not have SCMS. I believe it was not that good of a format. Less than CD quality if I remember correctly
DVD-Audio -> don't know what the problem here is. I would love to get DVD-A in my car. CD+ quality with hours of content? I would love that.
Laserdisc -> killed because the discs were too big and scary looking, but good quality for the time.
Quadrophonic probably never took off because electronics were already expensive back then, so it was probably hard to overcome that hurdle.
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:3, Interesting)
DAT -> killed, basically because of the recording industry and SCMS
DCC -> not sure why that was killed. AFAIK, it did not have SCMS. I believe it was not that good of a format. Less than CD quality if I remember correctly
DVD-Audio -> don't know what the problem here is. I would love to get DVD-A in my car. CD+ quality with hours of content? I would love that.
All four of the previous have one very important thing in common. You never saw any of them in wal
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Trust me. I have 5.25" drivers in my door with tweeters on the pillar, 8" drivers in the back dash, and a 10" sub in the trunk. 8 volt preamp outs from the head unit to the deck. The four in-cabin speakers are time aligned. The time alignment and parametric EQ on the deck is calibrated with a computer. Its cool stuff.
I would bet my
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Their home stuff (particularly the tube gear) is great...and I'd heard good things about their car audio amps....
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Yeah. My next car stereo will probably be McIntosh, but its pricey. I like Mc stuff because its about audio quality and simplilicty. It doesn't have 50,000 features that half work. Just track skip, basic tone control, and volume. What more do you need?
I have and Eclipse head unit and 5 channel amp, 4x50 watt with 150 for the sub. I honestly don't know how loud it gets before it starts to distort or I can't stand it any louder. I'm pretty happy with it. I have a compact car that with the stereo cost
Re:Get an in dash DVD that supports MP3 etc. (Score:2)
My cd player in my car which cost $450 with a nice amp in the trunk plays MP3s but even 320 kbps MP3s don't sound good enough, there is no gapless or crossfade option, the "random" play feature is not random. I can predict each "random" song.
I downloaded something like 1.8 Gigs of "high quality" MP3s from usenet one night, and they are just not worth my time.
Yes, I realize that I'm picky, but MP3s are worse sonically than analog cassette tapes. DTS is the
Re:Get an in dash DVD that supports MP3 etc. (Score:2)
Yes, I realize that I'm picky, but MP3s are worse sonically than analog cassette tapes.
You do understand that downloading random files from Usenet is not a reliable indicator of the quality of a particular codec, right?
Re:Get an in dash DVD that supports MP3 etc. (Score:2)
Most all of them were encoded with lame. I ditched any that were lower than 190 kbps average bitrate that were VBR encoded. Some were 320 kbps. I've encoded my own stuff at 320 and I'm still not impressed.
Re:Like the inside of a car is good listening. (Score:2)
Smoking crack had/has nothing to do with it.
Sure, cheap CD or MP3 players sound better than a cheap tape deck, but I had better ones. Denon and Nakamici (sp??). When I made a tape from a CD it was difficult to tell the difference.
I've got cassette recordings that are 25+ years old that sound better than any MP3 you co
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:3, Insightful)
The VCD to DVD upgrade seems silly as it forced consumers to use diffrent formats to burn their Video and Audio discs.
How many of you have both blank CDs and DVDs for this reason.
If the video disc market had upgraded their players to support Xvid or Divx or indeed any quality above mpg 1/2 (They did upgrade from mpg 1 eventually) no one would have upgraded to DVD.
Most movie encodes on the internet still adhere to the 700 meg (Cd s
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Well, the three supported codecs of all HD players are MPEG2, WMV and H.264. I think H.263 is a codec for voicechat or something, not suited for this. Since MPEG2 is spacious, I think it's down to the last two. In the last codec comparison by
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:3, Funny)
I'm sure there are people who believe they can tell the difference. Most of them probably have their super-high quality flatscreens hooked up incorrectly so that they are are actually ge
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
DVD is significantly higher quality than VHS. Across the board. VHS is crap even compared to standard broadcast video.
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
If I'm sitting down to watch a movie I'll never notice the difference. That's my point. Most of the time I don't even notice if I'm playing off my iPod onto the same TV. (Though there is just enough difference to actually be noticable then.)
I don't think quality is the big selling point of DVD's, and I don't think 'quality' will sell the next generat
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Pausing was a different matter of course, and it's not just random access to the movie, but making "bonus features" more accesible. That's what DVDs offered, with no similar upgrade for the nextgen, except what the studios decide to force. It's an uphill battle.
I'm sure an A/B test could tell the difference between DVD and VHS (if not ne
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:4, Informative)
I'm sure there are people who believe they can tell the difference. Most of them probably have their super-high quality flatscreens hooked up incorrectly so that they are are actually getting worse quality on it. But they still believe they can tell the difference. (I'm sure some actually can tell the difference.)
I can easily tell the difference, though I am watching on a 73" rear projection TV. You did not mention what sort of equipment you are using?
My TV will do HDTV (1080i, I believe), and it looks incredible. I would love to see High-Def DVD movies, and am quite happy to pay for them. I am effectively the market for this new technology.
That said, my set does not include the HDMI connector, and it is only 2 years old. So if that is a limitation (however iffy), then I'll just stick with the current DVD format. In this case, I am the market that is being lost due to all this stupid DRM crap.
Re:No more HDDVD Blu Ray Stories Please (Score:2)
Now please editors, we -know- it won't be adopted, we kn
Rental 8mm & 16mm (Score:2)
I think there were also a lot of rental options for 16mm prints of movies. Not down at the corner shop, but all those hollywood movies we watched in school and college came from someplace.
Translation: (Score:5, Insightful)
Ball's in your court, online video distributors (namely Apple).
Re:Translation: (Score:4, Interesting)
The only complexity is storage capacity. But with the improved compression of MPEG-4 over MPEG-2, you could probably fit 1280x720 (or maybe 1920x1080 in some cases) video onto the same DVD media we use today. Many DVD players today already can play MPEG-4 disks (WMV, AVI, MP4, etc.) so it won't be a big expense for the manufacturers.
So someone should just take MPEG-4, spec-out some new resolutions, and call it DVD-Ultra or something cool sounding. This might even happen as a de-facto standard before Blu-Ray or HD-DVD come-out, because there's no new technology or additional expense required.
Re:Translation: (Score:5, Insightful)
The NTSC DVD Video spec is indeed limited to 480 lines. (PAL DVD is higher, of course.) You can put whatever you want on a data DVD, but if there are few or no players for it, people won't care.
So someone should just take MPEG-4, spec-out some new resolutions, and call it DVD-Ultra or something cool sounding.
It was called DivX HD, but very few players and no movies support it. It was also called WMV-HD, with a few movies and no players. AFAIK, Nero Digital HD has no movies and no players. There were several factors at work here IMO:
It costs so much to establish a new media standard that you can only do it every 10 years or so. Since each standard needs to last for a decade, it needs to be a big improvement over the previous, not a small improvement.
Putting HD MPEG-4 (or WMV or whatever) on a regular DVD is so easy that N different companies tried to do it in incompatible ways, and the format war killed all the formats before they even got started.
Re:Translation: (Score:3, Interesting)
This is moronic. Any storage media, "can do higher resolutions", but there's no player for it, so you're talking about a computer-only solution, which wont fly in this decade...
That's ALWAYS been the only problem. If you had unlimited storage, HD wouldn't be an issue at all.
Technies needed for adoption but not wanted (Score:5, Insightful)
The content produces are doing everything in their power to make the format unattractive to technically minded people. Meaning they're scaring away all of the early adopters. Which means that the format will never be adopted.
For me, degrading the signal over analog connections was the thing that pushed me over into the "not gonna buy it" category
Re:Technies needed for adoption but not wanted (Score:2)
Re:Technies needed for adoption but not wanted (Score:2)
"decently priced" = real cheap for the masses. The first year or so won't see any of that. The issue is whether or not they can get there, and do so just as quickly, if the early adopters choose to not buy into this. All the wise ones with analog displays won't because they know they won't get HD video that way; so why buy something that won't do any more than what you have now. OTOH, those who buy all new displays with HDMI and HDCP are probably going to be able to see the HD resolution (though the com
Re:Technies needed for adoption but not wanted (Score:2)
Re:Technies needed for adoption but not wanted (Score:2)
Re:Technies needed for adoption but not wanted (Score:2)
Two solutions to Blu-Ray and HDTV (Score:4, Insightful)
Solution 2: Don't buy DRM and other invasive products.
Either solution will work, the former assumes you're just a cog in the machine and you don't need this technology absolutely today but can wait until 50 percent of the population has switched over, the latter assumes you think a non-DRM OpenSource-friendly version will be adopted at some point.
Choose your poison.
Why can't these people just go out of business? (Score:5, Insightful)
Because they suck at what they do.
I mean, HDTV is what a late 90s thing? And we still don't have hidef content. They only hidef that I can get is from cable, satellite, or OTA TV. CDs are late 70s technology (maybe early 80s). The oldest digital recording I own is from 1978.
Why can't these people flood us with content at a reasonable price that we simply do not have the time or need to pirate the stuff?
My HD DVR has firewire output that I can copy the stuff to my computer. Supposedly some of the channels are encrypted, and it takes realtime to make a copy. But I never have made a copy, but I always have 80 gigs of fresh content on my DVR that I can watch anytime. I love it. Oh, and someone is getting the $70 a month or so that I pay for content, right? I mean, sometimes I even watch or listen to the commercials because I'm busy doing something else and don't feel like fiddling with the remote control.
What I don't understand is that the content "providers" dabble in all aspects of the modern era, but they insist on putting stuff on plastic disks and sell them at a brick and mortar store. I mean, Sony makes electronics, but they are talking about making the PS3 so that it does not play Sony movies. Huh??? Time/Warner owns a cable TV outfit and internet, but won't let you download their movies or with little streaming capabilities.
The movie industry lets TV channels broadcast their stuff. The music industry lets radio broadcast their stuff. When are they just going to get with the times and deliver modern day technology?
Oh, the funny thing is that I would assume most people would prefer the lower quality DVDs via DRM. Look how popular iTunes and AACs and MP3s are. Can't figure that one out.
Re:Why can't these people just go out of business? (Score:2)
How about ease of use/ease of download/convenience?
All reason why people are flocking to iTunes for their music, and the quality, while audiophobes may sneer at, for the general public it's great.
erroneous (Score:2)
unfortunately, their stance is one where they are being lenient in regards to using the flag in order to woo new adopters of their product. they reserve the right to implement HDCP only full-HD output, as more
Re:erroneous (Score:4, Informative)
For their first generation of media they will not be enabling the flag. Their hardware players will still support it.
The flag is an optional feature which they will not use, initially.
Re:erroneous (Score:2)
according to AACS the image constraint token flag is implemented in the media, not the hardware itself. if the player reads a disk that has the ICT flag set and no HDCP enabled hardware is present, it will down-convert to 960x540 [little better than DVD]. studios reserve the right to implement the flag, so far there are only two studios that intend to implement the flag. the rest are being lenient for now. sony says they are against it [they wa
Re:erroneous (Score:2)
I think the reason they are not implementing it is becuase of all the HDTV's that have already been sold that don't support HDCP. Don't what to tick off all the early adopters of HDTV's if they try to early-ad
The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:3, Funny)
And the quality of porn on these high-def formats is going to be incredible! Once guys see their first HD porn they will go apeshit. Stores should advertise porn bundles ("Happy Deals?") consisting of an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player, five or six porn titles, a lotion dispenser, and a rag.
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:2)
I dunno about you, but this is why I like to dim the lights a bit before I go at it... I'd rather have my perfect fantasy, than the less than perfect specimen I'm performing on.
Men are idealists... there is a reason we don't paint pictures of less than attrac
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:2)
People were drawn to DVDs for porn not only because of the better picture but also because the instant seeking capabilities. The camera angles were another interesting thing but they turned out to be mostly nonexistent.
Ontop of that, broadband has spread and people are now getting their porn from the internet (through paid sites and p2p). Empornium is huge for instance.
The only thing HD discs have going for them now is the higher definition and that's definitely not enough
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:2)
Sounds like Slashdot is getting its share of the pr0n right there... thanks for the mental images.
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:4, Funny)
I think I will stick to VHS on a 25 inch TV as far as porn is concerned.
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:3, Funny)
*gag*
Re:The real key to acceptance: Adult Movies (Score:2)
Dude, save your money and find a life. Unless you're terminally ill, in which case I'd say studying is the wrong choice - unless you use it to pick up hot college chicks
Hopefully they continue foot-shooting procedure. (Score:4, Informative)
What's the best way to put your Blu-Ray or HD-DVD movie on your iPod? Oh, yeah. Right. Eat a dick, MPAA.
Early adopters and FULL HD resolution (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Early adopters and FULL HD resolution (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Early adopters and FULL HD resolution (Score:2)
Other than that, I agree fully with your comments.
Re:Early adopters and FULL HD resolution (Score:2)
Re:Early adopters and FULL HD resolution (Score:3, Informative)
Film holds more image data than 1080p, the projection is the problem. Watching a fourth generation print at the local multiplex may not look as good as digital projection. Until 1080p digital is projected in the largest theater, then people start noticing the sharp, square pixels.
No problems .... (Score:4, Insightful)
Consumers hear the DVDs won't work with the HDTV they already have.
Consumers don't buy new HD DVD formats.
Media companies find themselves holding onto a billion dollar albatross they've made unpopular with people.
No problem.
Re:No problems .... (Score:2)
And then they blame piracy (Score:2)
Then their lawyers add up the costs of everything, and determine that piracy has resulted in a $100 billion dollar loss of business, which makes the MPAA run out and sue grandmas who don't even have internet connections.
Oh boy, I'm ready for that future.
Re:And then they blame piracy (Score:2)
Well, then no matter what happens it's a lose-lose-lose proposition for consumers.
Either the stuff they've already bought is obsolete and doesn't work with the new stuff but nobody upgrades and what you suggest happens; or they do buy the new stuff and get no benefit from it; or they buy the
The Media Associations (Score:3, Interesting)
Solomon's baby. (Score:4, Insightful)
This format war is turning into a twisted modern day version of the parable of King Solomon. In that parable, two women both claim that a baby is theirs. Solomon guilefully says the only way to resolve the issue is by cutting the baby in half and giving a half to each woman. The first woman agrees, but the second woman pleads with the King to spare the baby's life and let the other woman have the child. Solomon knew the second woman was the real mother.
Today, that baby is high definition DVDs, and unfortunately for us, both women would rather see that baby slaughtered than give up potentially lucrative royalties from it. The HD-DVD and Blu-ray camps are trying to compete with each other for money, and their greed is about to kill what could be the successor of the DVD. So what happens now? Well, as other people have pointed out, most will wait for one format to beat out the other. Or wait for players that play both formats, assuming such a thing would be made. I don't see it happening. After this whole battle, why would you license a player if it will decode the competition?
In a way, we are Solomon. I think the only smart thing to do is to keep the baby ourselves and leave them both empty handed, by not buying the players or the discs. If the two camps could just get past their greed and see that their actions mean both of them will lose revenue, they might rethink their strategies.
Re:Solomon's baby. (Score:2)
I think this is what Sony is afraid of (that people will wait). I think this is also why they decided that Blu-ray *must* be included in the PS3 (even to the point that waiting for the spec to finalize pushed the ship date).
People may be willing to wait on the sidelines to watch who wins the HD format wars before committing, but quite a number of people will be interested in getting the PS3. They may not care about the Blu-Ray drive
Re:Solomon's baby. (Score:2)
I think the only smart thing to do is to keep the baby ourselves and leave them both empty handed, by not buying the players or the discs. If the two camps could just get past their greed and see that their actions mean both of them will lose revenue, they might rethink their strategies.
You do realize who you are talking about, right? They're not going to ever rethink their strategies... They'll just blame piracy.
HDTV is late anyway (Score:2, Insightful)
For movies, HD-DVD and BlueRay won't sell very fast becuase the studios have to still make the releases on standard DVD to make any money. The consumer won't care. Only the game machines will pick up the players
This just in: Bleeding edge is prone to problems (Score:2)
The pissing contest continues as electronic/movie companies work together to attempt to get consumers to compare television sets through pixel counting with magnifying glasses and rambling technical specs. Meanwhile mythical consumers are chomping at the bit to be allowed to purchase DVDs for more than $20 a piece and most don't know if they have an HD TV or not, and if they do have an HD
Buy and return philosophy (Score:4, Insightful)
I suggest others do the same so we can send a message and make sure the MPAA et al know there's a segment of the market who won't stand for degraded standards for committing the crime of purchasing an HDTV before THEY got THEIR act together.
DRM has both good and bad sides... (Score:2)
Re:DRM has both good and bad sides... (Score:3, Informative)
This statement is incorrect, insofar as it applies to Western concepts of copyright.
Copyright law is there to ensure a flow from creative authors into the general culture of arts and science of a population. A culture which does not have a rich shared commons of cultural works will rot and die.
It is most certainly a balance between the needs of creators to have the opportunity to recoup costs of creation (note: opportunity to re
Re:DRM has both good and bad sides... (Score:3, Informative)
Copyright exists, not to benefit the copyright holder, but to benefit society by encouraging the creation of new works.
Original american Copyright legislation was enacted with the specific statement 'for a limited time' as a nod to the fact that Copyright is needed to encourage the creation of new works (books, plays, paintings) so that the holder can sell such works, but only for a (very) limited time. After this time period, those works fall
Word association (Score:3, Insightful)
amazing rez (Score:4, Funny)
Now THAT'S progress people! Huzzah!
I never recalled Indiana Jones being chased by a boulder with a giant DRM logo emblazoned on it - but the metaphor is so right ya know?
Re:Price Cable (Score:2)
Re:Price Cable (Score:2)
Around $40 for a 25 ft HDMI cable is pretty darned good.
Consider the source (Score:2)
I was looking to buy a 20' component cable at Best Buy. The closest I could come was a 16' for just under $100. I borrowed a crimper, used a bunch of RG6 coax I already had, and bought the 6 connectors at $3 a piece. The result? An incredible picture through a 25' homemade cable that cost me under $20.
Re:Article seems a bit short-term memory challenge (Score:2)
Or people who bought TV-Out graphics cards thinking they could use their computer as a DVD-player...
Re:Article seems a bit short-term memory challenge (Score:2)