CEDIA Expo 2008: Sim2 Slates Better-Than-Blu-ray Systems

Lee Stewart · 09-05-2008, 11:12 AM

CEDIA Expo 2008: Sim2 Slates Better-Than-Blu-ray Systems

Quote:

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 9/5/2008 7:24:00 AM
Denver — High-performance home theater projector manufacturer Sim2 used CEDIA Expo to reveal an alliance with startup Entertainment Experience to market what they called better-than Blu-ray-Disc high-def entertainment systems that will use a new high-def media format.

Under the deal, Sim2 is expected to have an exclusive window to market a bundled system including Entertainment Experience’s “Better Than Blu” Digital Entertainment Center hardware along with a Sim2 C3X 1080 home-theater projector. The first products are expected to be available in January at prices to be announced.

Entertainment Experience owner/president Jim Sullivan, at the Sim2 CEDIA booth.

The Digital Entertainment Centers are essentially Hewlett-Packard-built high-performance PCs loaded with special Entertainment Experience software and a unique user interface that will playback “Beyond HD” 1080p high-def discs and files with up to three times the data rates of conventional HD disc movies. The advantage was said to deliver deeper colors and sharper images.

The center incorporates advanced video processing calibrated to the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) color standards recently adopted by most Hollywood studios and distributors, as well as removable-hard-disk data storage to accommodate multiple DCI standard motion-picture titles ready for immediate playback, Sim2 said.

“The system’s audio/video signal processing pulls the system together in the home-theater environment, allowing owners to easily integrate current digital media including broadcast/cable HDTV, Blu-ray discs, DVDs and Xbox gaming and media-PC systems, into the advanced digital entertainment solution,” according to a Sim2 statement.

Jim Sullivan, president/owner of Albany, N.Y.-based Entertainment Experience, said he has partnered with Video Giants to acquire titles for the system from most major studios. He said the service is expected to have access to more than 4,000 library titles, plus many new movies that will be offered prior to the release of many Blu-ray Disc and DVD titles.

Software will be encoded in a number of advanced codecs including VC1, MPEG4 and H.264. The system will also support advanced audio formats, but the specific ones were not available at the announcement.

Digital Giants, which will control software distribution, is said to be working with content consolidators, such as HDNet, that mastered digital content at higher than HD resolution levels for future distribution possibilities.

Movie titles will be shipped directly to system purchasers on double-sided dual-layer DVD discs. Movie studios will set title pricing, but Sullivan said he expects the average title selling price to be around $40. Titles will also be downloadable, but due to the huge file size, download times will be extremely long, making packaged media necessary for most practical applications.

“The studios are very concerned. They haven’t reaped the benefit from Blu-ray yet, and they don’t want us taking tickets from dealers,” Sullivan told TWICE in explaining the unique direct-mailing distribution system for software. “It’s a funny zone for them to be in.”

Pricing for the player through Sim2 is still to be determined, Sullivan said. The system will include a number of movies that will come preloaded on the system’s hard disc drives, which will be available in different capacities ranging up to 4TBs, Sullivan said.

The system will use Microsoft’s Digital Rights Management content-protection technology coupled with the AES256 encryption standard. This will use unique security keys to allow a title to be played back on and ripped only to the hard drive of properly recognized players.

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6593287.html?rssid=84

bmore · 09-05-2008, 11:21 AM

Sounds a little like this.

Nuff said I think.

Nikopol · 09-05-2008, 11:35 AM

Awesome, the C3X 1080 has a SRP of $29,995. If they sell that bundle for ~ $3,000, i'll just keep the three-chipper. Oh wait, no price was given.

ack_bak · 09-05-2008, 11:48 AM

This is not going to be targeting the average consumer. It will be targeting the high end home theater enthusiast. Even then ,I see this being a tough sale.

**PFC5** · 09-05-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmore

Sounds a little like this.

Nuff said I think.

Thanks for the link!

I found this quote on the link interesting:

Quote:

"However, New Medium’s price strategy will fail, said Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, because it relies on a false assumption: Blu-ray technology will always be more expensive. “When you mass produce blue lasers in large quantities, hardware costs will absolutely come down,” Mr. Parsons said. “I’m sure we’ll eventually be able to charge $90 for a Blu-ray player.”

So I guess we were right about the BD players likely not getting much below $100.00, but now the question is WHEN they could get that low.

**PFC5** · 09-05-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikopol

Awesome, the C3X 1080 has a SRP of $29,995. If they sell that bundle for ~ $3,000, i'll just keep the three-chipper. Oh wait, no price was given.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ack_bak

This is not going to be targeting the average consumer. It will be targeting the high end home theater enthusiast. Even then ,I see this being a tough sale.

Did you guys read bmore's link?

Supposedly, the drives will go for around $150.00 & $200.00 for the first two models. No mention of media mfg cost, but if the drive cost for delivering the movies to be put on hard drives for playback, starting out this low, then maybe THIS is what the Samsung exec Andy Griffiths was talking about since Samsung makes hard drives AND many computer components.

Sure it is starting out in a ridiculously high end FP type system, but if it finds a market there first, who knows?

David Forbes · 09-05-2008, 12:36 PM

I'd love to see one in action and compare it to Blu-ray and 335mm film. But this is going to be very pricey out of the gate, and will probably always be for ultra-high-end installs.

Bravestime · 09-05-2008, 12:42 PM

Now this is basicly what I was talking about that could be the next "biggest" thing. I like the idea of a harddrive. The biggest concern I have is the possibility of loss of data. I would definitely want some kind of security a file could be replaced without having to repurchase all lost files. Other concern, will the movie have the same PQ and SQ.

Sounds interesting overall.

ack_bak · 09-05-2008, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFC5

Did you guys read bmore's link?

Supposedly, the drives will go for around $150.00 & $200.00 for the first two models. No mention of media mfg cost, but if the drive cost for delivering the movies to be put on hard drives for playback, starting out this low, then maybe THIS is what the Samsung exec Andy Griffiths was talking about since Samsung makes hard drives AND many computer components.

Sure it is starting out in a ridiculously high end FP type system, but if it finds a market there first, who knows?

You do realize that VMD has been out for sometime now and has gotten about zero traction, right?

Bravestime · 09-05-2008, 12:47 PM

If anything, all these new technologies on the horizon may help put some fire under the Studios/BD's arss, and hopefully they'll start putting out more titles, reduce software and player prices quickly. It certainly can't hurt.

**PFC5** · 09-05-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bravestime

Now this is basicly what I was talking about that could be the next "biggest" thing. I like the idea of a harddrive. The biggest concern I have is the possibility of loss of data. I would definitely want some kind of security a file could be replaced without having to repurchase all lost files. Other concern, will the movie have the same PQ and SQ.

Sounds interesting overall.

I think it covers the data loss since (unless you download) you buy a disc with the original content transfered to the HDD, so you would just have to reload it on a new HDD.

That was always one of MY concerns with a HDD based system also, but they seem to have it covered if you buy the disc instead of downloading the movie which they even say would a take a very long time.

Nikopol · 09-05-2008, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFC5

Did you guys read bmore's link?

Supposedly, the drives will go for around $150.00 & $200.00 for the first two models. No mention of media mfg cost, but if the drive cost for delivering the movies to be put on hard drives for playback, starting out this low, then maybe THIS is what the Samsung exec Andy Griffiths was talking about since Samsung makes hard drives AND many computer components.

Sure it is starting out in a ridiculously high end FP type system, but if it finds a market there first, who knows?

erm, bmore's link was for the stillborn HD VMD? I think he meant for this high end system here to go the same way...

**PFC5** · 09-05-2008, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ack_bak

You do realize that VMD has been out for sometime now and has gotten about zero traction, right?

It says it was introduced in 3/2006 which would put it after the studios had already decided to go with either of the blu laser formats already.

Maybe it is not this disc exactly since the resolution is supposed to be higher with more data AND since it said they Will have HD audio, which HD VMD states in bmore's link that isn't supported. Bmore was just speculating that HD VMD is format being used. Of course if it isn't, then we wouldn't know what the disc drives costs anymore either.

They have always talking about the complete integration of home video & computers so maybe this will become the "next" big thing. We do not know much at this point though.

**PFC5** · 09-05-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikopol

erm, bmore's link was for the stillborn HD VMD? I think he meant for this high end system here to go the same way...

See my post after yours. I figured that wasn't likely.

ack_bak · 09-05-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFC5

It says it was introduced in 3/2006 which would put it after the studios had already decided to go with either of the blu laser formats already.

Maybe it is not this disc exactly since the resolution is supposed to be higher with more data AND since it said they Will have HD audio, which HD VMD states in bmore's link that isn't supported. Bmore was just speculating that HD VMD is format being used. Of course if it isn't, then we wouldn't know what the disc drives costs anymore either.

They have always talking about the complete integration of home video & computers so maybe this will become the "next" big thing. We do not know much at this point though.

Well, since they are pairing the high end custom HP computer needed to playback the movies with a Sim2 projector, I would expect these prices to start around $40-50K. That is why I mentioned this specific tech is targeting high end home theater owners.

It will be interesting to see what this tech can do, but I am afraid it is going to be way out of my price range.

09-05-2008, 12:36 PM	#7
David Forbes movie buff Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 85	I'd love to see one in action and compare it to Blu-ray and 335mm film. But this is going to be very pricey out of the gate, and will probably always be for ultra-high-end installs. __________________ Find info, cover art, and excerpts from my epic fantasy novels at www.davidforbes.net.

09-05-2008, 12:42 PM	#8
Bravestime Supporter of HiDef Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Aiken, SC Age: 53 Posts: 4,414	Now this is basicly what I was talking about that could be the next "biggest" thing. I like the idea of a harddrive. The biggest concern I have is the possibility of loss of data. I would definitely want some kind of security a file could be replaced without having to repurchase all lost files. Other concern, will the movie have the same PQ and SQ. Sounds interesting overall. __________________ Life is Short, Watch a Movie

09-05-2008, 12:47 PM	#10
Bravestime Supporter of HiDef Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Aiken, SC Age: 53 Posts: 4,414	If anything, all these new technologies on the horizon may help put some fire under the Studios/BD's arss, and hopefully they'll start putting out more titles, reduce software and player prices quickly. It certainly can't hurt. __________________ Life is Short, Watch a Movie

Similar Threads to CEDIA Expo 2008: Sim2 Slates Better-Than-Blu-ray Systems
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Pantel Launches Water/weatherproof “mirror” Lcd Hdtv Line At 2008 Cedia Expo	Lee Stewart	Upcoming Display Technologies	0	07-26-2008 02:05 PM
Blu Ray craps on customers	HNH	High Definition Media	87	01-17-2008 11:43 AM
DVD vs Blu Ray	sti jaguar	High Definition Media	23	01-07-2008 10:17 PM
Anyone else hearing Blu Ray is worse than HD DVD?	hidefman30	High Definition Media	29	08-20-2007 04:51 PM
The next XB360 shipment	Cygnus	Gaming & Systems	5	01-07-2006 01:21 PM

09-05-2008, 11:21 AM	#2
bmore ___ Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,173	Sounds a little like this. Nuff said I think.

09-05-2008, 11:35 AM	#3
Nikopol Uwe Boll's my hero Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Maelstrom Blu-rays: 14 Age: 4 Posts: 6,374	Awesome, the C3X 1080 has a SRP of $29,995. If they sell that bundle for ~ $3,000, i'll just keep the three-chipper. Oh wait, no price was given.

09-05-2008, 11:48 AM	#4
ack_bak Hidef Junkie Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,416	This is not going to be targeting the average consumer. It will be targeting the high end home theater enthusiast. Even then ,I see this being a tough sale.