Blue Ray and Sony HDDVD formats

chilango · 05-27-2005, 12:19 PM

2blue

I am very, very new at this so please be patient with me. I found out last wek (at Best Buy) that Sony and Toshiba have not yet reached an agreement to standardize their formats. I also learned tha current Up convertion DVD players (740P or 1080i) will not be able to read either format (Blue Ray and Sony). This could mean that we may have to have three DVD players (Blue Ray, Sony and our current players). I read some coments in this forum that HDDVD players will be expensive ( $3,000). However Best Buy informed that they will cost only 300 dollars.
Question: Does anyone in this forum know if Toshiba and Sony are far apart in reaching some sort of agreement and what the movie industry is saying about this?
Thank you ver much.

LordGamer · 05-27-2005, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilango

2blue

I am very, very new at this so please be patient with me. I found out last wek (at Best Buy) that Sony and Toshiba have not yet reached an agreement to standardize their formats. I also learned tha current Up convertion DVD players (740P or 1080i) will not be able to read either format (Blue Ray and Sony). This could mean that we may have to have three DVD players (Blue Ray, Sony and our current players). I read some coments in this forum that HDDVD players will be expensive ( $3,000). However Best Buy informed that they will cost only 300 dollars.
Question: Does anyone in this forum know if Toshiba and Sony are far apart in reaching some sort of agreement and what the movie industry is saying about this?
Thank you ver much.

Well for starters, Blue Ray is Sony's format. The two major options come down to Sony pushing Blue Ray and Toshiba pushing HD-DVD. Last article I read (which was mid May), Toshiba president stated it was hopeless, or something to that extent. I wouldn't plan on a decision any time soon, which will probably cause a delay for the HD movies "revolution." I for one will not buy two DVD players and I highly doubt production studios are going to want to release films on two different DVD formats.

chilango · 05-27-2005, 01:08 PM

Thank you 2blue for your prompt response. I agree with you that the movie industry will have the last word on this mess because not too many (including myself) would invest 6,000 in two DVD players which I also heard, will be obsolete in 3 years. 6 hundred dollars, maybe, never 6 thousand!!
So long..

RSawdey · 05-27-2005, 01:45 PM

Both HD-DVD and BluRay are back compatible with SD-DVD and even CDs.

There are some BluRay products that have been on the market in Japan since last year, originally $3K, now under $2K... they are combo Digital Sat & OTA tuners, D-PVR, and BluRay RECORDERS.

Both camps have said PLAYERS will be less than $1K at introduction.

Merged format talks seem dead, but Samsung has said they have the ability & licenses to make drives that are dual compatible...

LordGamer · 05-27-2005, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Both camps have said PLAYERS will be less than $1K at introduction.

Holy

I wasn't aware of that... I'm not dropping anywhere near $1,000 on either machine. That's sick. Is that just for a player or a recorder as well? I could see $300-ish for a player, maybe even $400, but no way in hell higher.

That further shows a unified format is needed before for one should make a purchase. Screw this betamax, VHS repeat battle...I'll wait till the victor emerges first.

fryet · 05-27-2005, 03:58 PM

Keep in mind that this is bleeding edge. Within 5 years of introduction you will probably be seeing them for under $150 (the price I paid for my current DVD player).

brismit · 05-27-2005, 06:51 PM

Confusion seems to reign in the HD DVD market

borromini · 05-27-2005, 08:04 PM

Doesn't seem that confusing...basically two formats for an interim period prior to a unified format. If both camps end up agreeing that this will likely be the process, that would mean not much for sales of anything (except PS3) while most folks wait for the unified format.

HD Guru · 05-27-2005, 11:44 PM

What's so frightening about $1000 HD players? VCRs cost $1000 when they first hit the market, same with DVD players.

RSawdey · 05-28-2005, 02:35 PM

Same with Apple computers... it was revolutionary when they dropped to $600, then the Commodore-64 blew up the market with $150 computers within a year...

strawberry · 05-30-2005, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD Guru

What's so frightening about $1000 HD players? VCRs cost $1000 when they first hit the market, same with DVD players.

Agreed. People are paying $3 to $4K for flat-panel displays- why wouldn't they shell out another grand for a Hi-Def player? Early adopters are always going to be willing to shell out the cash. Afterall, we have a reputation to uphold...

LordGamer · 05-31-2005, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strawberry

Agreed. People are paying $3 to $4K for flat-panel displays- why wouldn't they shell out another grand for a Hi-Def player? Early adopters are always going to be willing to shell out the cash. Afterall, we have a reputation to uphold...

You agreed with HD Guru...that's a rare sight.

I guessed I just forgot about how much new video and audio entertainment technology can be. I'll pass for now.

strawberry · 05-31-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordGamer

You agreed with HD Guru...that's a rare sight.

Yeah, well, I'm really not out to get the guy. I'm going to get on anyone's case when I see something posted that isn't true- but if he makes a good point, I'll acknowledge it.

paintit77 · 05-31-2005, 02:07 PM

It is the early adopters that are getting screwed by the Nazi led MPAA. There are 5 million HDTVs in the United States that don't have an HDMI or DVI input on there TVs. We won't be able to use the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray players becuase of the MPAA is saying that People in the United States will steal there movies because Component Outputs will allow for the copying of there content. The most troubling thing about this is that a Component recorder is $25,000 and does not record sound just video. The MPAA gets to call the early adopters theives without proof or due-process. Everyone in the United States that bought an HDTV should sue the MPAA and the CE manufacturers for liable. That is exactly what I am going to do. I hope you Nazi's at the MPAA are reading this.

strawberry · 05-31-2005, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paintit77

It is the early adopters that are getting screwed by the Nazi led MPAA. There are 5 million HDTVs in the United States that don't have an HDMI or DVI input on there TVs. We won't be able to use the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray players becuase of the MPAA is saying that People in the United States will steal there movies because Component Outputs will allow for the copying of there content.

I can certainly understand your angst, but I want to interject with a couple of points:

#1. Last I heard, the final verdict had not come in yet as to whether or not high-scan component playback would be allowed. The MPAA doesn't want to allow it, for obvious reasons- but the electronics manufacturers do, again, for obvious reasons. Unless something has come out about this being resolved and I missed it, (which is possible) the fight is still going on over this issue.

#2. The worst case scenario is that component output will still be possible, but will be downscaled to 480p. I realize that this is a comprimise, but it will still be better than current DVD's because it should be relatively artifact-free.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that most of the displays with component-only output are several years old already, and it will probably be several more years before the new disc formats really begin to take hold in a big way. By then, most of the early adopters will be looking to buy a new set anyway.

05-27-2005, 06:51 PM	#7
brismit High Def Rules! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 91	Confusion seems to reign in the HD DVD market __________________ Mitsubishi DLP 62" WD-62725 DirecTV HD-DVR - HR20 Toshiba HDA1 HD-DVD Player Logitech Harmony 550 Remote HTPC: XBlade (ASUS P4P800SE) P4 3.0GHz - 1Gb Ram - ATI 9600 - DVD+R DL XBox 360 PS2 Gamecube N64

05-27-2005, 08:04 PM	#8
borromini HT Frontiersman Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern California Posts: 9,822	Doesn't seem that confusing...basically two formats for an interim period prior to a unified format. If both camps end up agreeing that this will likely be the process, that would mean not much for sales of anything (except PS3) while most folks wait for the unified format. __________________ "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"

05-27-2005, 12:19 PM	#1
chilango High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 42	Blue Ray and Sony HDDVD formats 2blue I am very, very new at this so please be patient with me. I found out last wek (at Best Buy) that Sony and Toshiba have not yet reached an agreement to standardize their formats. I also learned tha current Up convertion DVD players (740P or 1080i) will not be able to read either format (Blue Ray and Sony). This could mean that we may have to have three DVD players (Blue Ray, Sony and our current players). I read some coments in this forum that HDDVD players will be expensive ( $3,000). However Best Buy informed that they will cost only 300 dollars. Question: Does anyone in this forum know if Toshiba and Sony are far apart in reaching some sort of agreement and what the movie industry is saying about this? Thank you ver much.

05-27-2005, 01:08 PM	#3
chilango High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 42	Thank you 2blue for your prompt response. I agree with you that the movie industry will have the last word on this mess because not too many (including myself) would invest 6,000 in two DVD players which I also heard, will be obsolete in 3 years. 6 hundred dollars, maybe, never 6 thousand!! So long..

05-27-2005, 01:45 PM	#4
RSawdey Mr. Wizard Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ferndale, Michigan Age: 61 Posts: 5,981	Both HD-DVD and BluRay are back compatible with SD-DVD and even CDs. There are some BluRay products that have been on the market in Japan since last year, originally $3K, now under $2K... they are combo Digital Sat & OTA tuners, D-PVR, and BluRay RECORDERS. Both camps have said PLAYERS will be less than $1K at introduction. Merged format talks seem dead, but Samsung has said they have the ability & licenses to make drives that are dual compatible...

05-27-2005, 03:58 PM	#6
fryet High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Age: 38 Posts: 632	Keep in mind that this is bleeding edge. Within 5 years of introduction you will probably be seeing them for under $150 (the price I paid for my current DVD player).

05-27-2005, 11:44 PM	#9
HD Guru High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 236	What's so frightening about $1000 HD players? VCRs cost $1000 when they first hit the market, same with DVD players.

05-28-2005, 02:35 PM	#10
RSawdey Mr. Wizard Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ferndale, Michigan Age: 61 Posts: 5,981	Same with Apple computers... it was revolutionary when they dropped to $600, then the Commodore-64 blew up the market with $150 computers within a year...

05-31-2005, 02:07 PM	#14
paintit77 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 30	It is the early adopters that are getting screwed by the Nazi led MPAA. There are 5 million HDTVs in the United States that don't have an HDMI or DVI input on there TVs. We won't be able to use the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray players becuase of the MPAA is saying that People in the United States will steal there movies because Component Outputs will allow for the copying of there content. The most troubling thing about this is that a Component recorder is $25,000 and does not record sound just video. The MPAA gets to call the early adopters theives without proof or due-process. Everyone in the United States that bought an HDTV should sue the MPAA and the CE manufacturers for liable. That is exactly what I am going to do. I hope you Nazi's at the MPAA are reading this.