Comments on: LG announces support for HD DVD

Company is the second high-profile Blu-ray supporter after Hewlett-Packard to change position.

[markdoiron]

HD-DVD Compatibility

"HD DVD ... compatible with the current DVD standard".

What does that mean? My understanding is both systems (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray) will play plain old DVDs. Yet, the reader might think the above statement says otherwise. Is it a reference to some low-level compatibilities in the file structures on the disk? If so, who cares? Is it a reference to the easier adaptibility of manufacturing facilities from DVD to HD-DVD (vis-a-vis the challenges facing Blu-Ray)? If so, then the article would be better to say so and avoid confusing/misleading the reader.

mark d.

[EvlD99]

Width of DVD

I think HD DVDs are the same width as standard DVDs so they would be able to sell standard DVDs and HD-DVDs on the same disc (both sides). You would then be able to play them in the player of your choosing. I believe Blu-Ray, on the other hand, is thicker.

[markdoiron]

HD-DVD Compatibility

"HD DVD ... compatible with the current DVD standard".

What does that mean? My understanding is both systems (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray) will play plain old DVDs. Yet, the reader might think the above statement says otherwise. Is it a reference to some low-level compatibilities in the file structures on the disk? If so, who cares? Is it a reference to the easier adaptibility of manufacturing facilities from DVD to HD-DVD (vis-a-vis the challenges facing Blu-Ray)? If so, then the article would be better to say so and avoid confusing/misleading the reader.

mark d.

[EvlD99]

Width of DVD

I think HD DVDs are the same width as standard DVDs so they would be able to sell standard DVDs and HD-DVDs on the same disc (both sides). You would then be able to play them in the player of your choosing. I believe Blu-Ray, on the other hand, is thicker.

[lingsun]

Stick a fork in blu-ray, they're done

Stick a fork in blu-ray, they're done. Everybody's gonna abandon the format before the first one is made. It looks like Sony never learned from Betamax.

[Seaspray0]

Really?

Can you make some more predictions for us? Please? I have faith that you'll be much more accurate than those ones they do in the national enquirer magazine every year.

[lingsun]

Stick a fork in blu-ray, they're done

Stick a fork in blu-ray, they're done. Everybody's gonna abandon the format before the first one is made. It looks like Sony never learned from Betamax.

[Seaspray0]

Really?

Can you make some more predictions for us? Please? I have faith that you'll be much more accurate than those ones they do in the national enquirer magazine every year.

[markdoiron]

Working Against Either Format

I'm not so sure that PCs will be a huge market for either of these formats (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray). With the DRM restrictions in place there won't be much market for making copies of movies, except for home movies. And, though I have virtually no experience in cinematography, I just don't the home videographer migrating to high def very soon.

As for a data storage medium: With the cheap availability of huge capacity, removable hard drives, and with the move to online storage, I suspect these small capacity optical drives (Hah! Bet you'd have never thought of 50-GBs as small before!) will only have limited acceptance.

The market will be for commercial movie/TV show viewing, and little of that is done on a PC. And there's the added problems with the HDMI interface so that the viewer can see the full HD content. And the format war will dampen sales of HD movies and TV shows significantly.

mark d.

[skeptik]

not such big obstacles

There is DRM in the current DVDs. I have little doubt that there will be circumvention of the new format DRM as well.
With HD camcorders dropping drastically in price is is only a short while before the average person buying a new camcorder will be buying HD. Meanwhile many many people are already adding HD TVs to their living rooms, so the desire for HD home movies will be much sooner than you expect.
I'm one of the ones who await this format for PC storage... maybe I'm one of few. But 50GB on an optical disc costing a few dollars or less is still better that cheap hard drives for archival purposes.
Don't underestimate how many people watch DVDs from their PC. This is huge with highshool and college kids. If Microsoft gets their way the living room PC serving media will grow more commonplace. Especially when you consider the TIVO functionality it can provide. One box serving all your audio and video and streaming it through out the home... (yes there are still issues with this idea, but it's the goal.)
What HDMI issue? My computer already sends out DVI, which is HDMI minus the audio.

Yes the format war is the huge obstacle so far... I'm not investing in either format until it's over or rendered moot by dual format player/recorders.

[markdoiron]

Working Against Either Format

I'm not so sure that PCs will be a huge market for either of these formats (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray). With the DRM restrictions in place there won't be much market for making copies of movies, except for home movies. And, though I have virtually no experience in cinematography, I just don't the home videographer migrating to high def very soon.

As for a data storage medium: With the cheap availability of huge capacity, removable hard drives, and with the move to online storage, I suspect these small capacity optical drives (Hah! Bet you'd have never thought of 50-GBs as small before!) will only have limited acceptance.

The market will be for commercial movie/TV show viewing, and little of that is done on a PC. And there's the added problems with the HDMI interface so that the viewer can see the full HD content. And the format war will dampen sales of HD movies and TV shows significantly.

mark d.

[skeptik]

not such big obstacles

There is DRM in the current DVDs. I have little doubt that there will be circumvention of the new format DRM as well.
With HD camcorders dropping drastically in price is is only a short while before the average person buying a new camcorder will be buying HD. Meanwhile many many people are already adding HD TVs to their living rooms, so the desire for HD home movies will be much sooner than you expect.
I'm one of the ones who await this format for PC storage... maybe I'm one of few. But 50GB on an optical disc costing a few dollars or less is still better that cheap hard drives for archival purposes.
Don't underestimate how many people watch DVDs from their PC. This is huge with highshool and college kids. If Microsoft gets their way the living room PC serving media will grow more commonplace. Especially when you consider the TIVO functionality it can provide. One box serving all your audio and video and streaming it through out the home... (yes there are still issues with this idea, but it's the goal.)
What HDMI issue? My computer already sends out DVI, which is HDMI minus the audio.

Yes the format war is the huge obstacle so far... I'm not investing in either format until it's over or rendered moot by dual format player/recorders.

[Earl Benser]

'Both' is a cop-out answer.....

.... 'Both' will not survive. Right now, I'm not sure that either
version will survive. The petty ante 'my format can beat up your
format' argument just may prove that the standard DVD is the
better way to go, expecially using MPEG-4 compression.

Any company supporting 'both' is wasting the consumer's time.
It is absolutely essential that on format or the other (or neither)
becomes the 'winner'. Until then, I have no interest in any form
of HDTV DVD's or HDTV DVD hardware.

Settle the format contest, then come begging for my money.

[imediacorporation]

playstation 3 has just been released...

playstation 3 has just been released...

technical specifications and the only site currently selling it is :

click on this link : http://imedia.atspace.com/ps.htm

[Earl Benser]

'Both' is a cop-out answer.....

.... 'Both' will not survive. Right now, I'm not sure that either
version will survive. The petty ante 'my format can beat up your
format' argument just may prove that the standard DVD is the
better way to go, expecially using MPEG-4 compression.

Any company supporting 'both' is wasting the consumer's time.
It is absolutely essential that on format or the other (or neither)
becomes the 'winner'. Until then, I have no interest in any form
of HDTV DVD's or HDTV DVD hardware.

Settle the format contest, then come begging for my money.

[imediacorporation]

playstation 3 has just been released...

playstation 3 has just been released...

technical specifications and the only site currently selling it is :

click on this link : http://imedia.atspace.com/ps.htm