Blu-ray: Early adopters knew what they were getting into
Blu-ray may have taken a commanding lead in the next-generation format war, but the group has a big problem looming: early supporters of the format will be left out in the cold when the Blu-ray Disc Association introduces BD Profile 2.0
Unlike HD DVD, which mandated features such as local storage, a second video and audio decoder for picture-in-picture, and a network connection from the very beginning, the companies behind Blu-ray took a different approach. Initial hardware players lacked these capabilities in order to keep costs down.
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Representatives at the Blu-ray booth at CES told BetaNews that the PlayStation 3 is currently the only player they would recommend, due to upcoming changes to the platform.
“We should have waited another year to introduce Blu-ray to the public, but the format war changed the situation,”
So, does this mean we should have backed HD DVD?
Yeh we should of backed up HDTV, i thought everyone was backing it anyway, blu-ray is shite and a waste of everyones time. If you have a PS3 you are also screwed.
first of all early adopters will be able to do what they are doing now, NOTHING changes for them.
yea ok they cant upgrade but its not like they have to buy new player to be able to watch movies
and secondly ps3 is said to be able to upgrade (but we’ll see how that goes)
no it means you should have backed regular DVDs and not cared about a mildly better picture with more disadvantages than advantages
But wait, it gets worse. Because everyone buying BD Profile 2.0 players now will be screwed when BD Profile 3.0 is released next year!
“yea ok they cant upgrade but its not like they have to buy new player to be able to watch movies”
No, blu-ray player owner WILL have to buy as new player to watch new movies. That’s the point!!
Since when was backing one of Sony’s formats been a good idea? Ok, Beta was adopted in the pro field, but failed miserably in the consumer market. Oh, and how is miniDisc doing these days?
Can I interest you in a Magic Gate memory stick?
It doesn’t matter what we do, we’ll get screwed anyway. And BTW, I hate to see Sony finally winning ground with their consumer hostile tactics.
Hmm, I wonder if this is a problem for my LG GGC-H20L blu-ray/HDDVD Combo drive?
Sony, rushing a new format out the door, when waiting just a little longer would result in a much better format?
You mean, exactly as they did with the Compact Disc? Whatta shock.
Initial hardware players lacked these capabilities in order to keep costs down.
More likely done to screw consumers and make them upgrade every time new features are added. Way to Sony!
In a way maybe this battle is futile anyway, I’m sure that in the very near future, like music movies will be mostly buy online and stored on your pc/tivo/dvr/what-have-you instead and playable on your itouch/iphone/pda/smartphone etc.
While being an early adopter of either format is a waste of money, getting hung up over these standards is a waste of time for the average consumer.
In other words, this is a non-story.
#10 – pedro
“#6 who do you think developed VHS, or Alpha as it was its original name?
And the Pro field adopted the digital version of beta.”
pedro. Starting Saturday by talking out your ass, I see.
Video Home System was developed by RCA Victor’s Japanese counterpart, which is known to ignorant consumers such as yourself as Japan Victor Corporation, or JVC.
Sony’s Beta format is derived from their earlier professional 3/4″ cassette format known as U-Matic, after it’s U-shaped wrap, as opposed to the earlier Ω (omega)-wrap of most professional videotape transports. The tape wrap of a Beta transport is shaped, amazingly enough, like the letter ß (beta).
But don’t ever let an actual lack of knowledge keep you from adding your two pesos. 🙂
All right, it’s obvious you’re posting these phony stories just to get comment feedback. Every Blu-ray player will play back the movie and audio of every Blu-ray disc.
Early DVD players weren’t progressive, didn’t support DTS, didn’t upscale, etc.
HD DVD was supposedly going to bring out a 51 GB disc, that, guess what, would not work on early generation players.
Thank goodness consumers chose the greater capacity and bandwidth of Blu-ray.
Did “the consumers” choose?
Seems to me the big media companies are deciding.
All the consumers are getting is a royal screwing!
Hey!!
It’s Sony, if you expected anything different, then shame on you.
Blu-Ray is not a Sony proprietary format!!
There are plenty of upgradeable Blu-Ray players.
Beta was adopted long before it went digital in the production world. Ask my accountant. You are just wrong Pedro
I agree with #3. Is anyone here really watching Hi Def movies. I saw the hi def version of the latest Mr. Bean movie in Walmart and it was like thirty dollars. Is that movie any better in hi def? With the market shifting to online purchasing is the hi def market going to catch on? Online movies are lower quality than dvd’s, yet now one seems to care.
Oh and YES people are buying and watching Hi Def movies. I for one have stopped buying DVD’s and own about 40 Blu-Ray discs.
They don’t all cost $30. Just like not all DVD’s are $20. I picked up “Enter the Dragon” on Blu-Ray for $15 I remember when VHS movies were first out. They cost $60+ So why all the bitching?
No Mr. Bean is not a movie that needs to be in Hi Def but if it is available for rent in HD why not? You don’t have to purchase every movie that you watch. Blockbuster carries Blu-Ray and so do some mom and pop stores(if you can find them)
Lame-ass attempt at trying to save face, pedro.
I ever own one? One what? I’ve owned 1″ quad, U, Beta / Super / ED, VHS / HQ / -C, 3/4″ open reel,.. and I was working on them while you were still learning how to use a potty seat.
Beta came out in 1975. There was no ‘Alpha’, they named it after the tape wrap, just like they did the U-Matic. JVC wanted to license the design, but after studying how Sony treated their “partners” in other joint ventures, they decided to develop their own. They licensed certain features of the Beta/U cassette, such as the ratcheting reel locks, the protection door and its lock and some other details and that made it possible for them to introduce VHS in 1976. But in most important details, like tape speed, write speed, head azimuth, two-capstan closed loop, etc, etc, VHS is distinctly different from Beta.
If you ask a skilled technician very nicely, he will open up a Beta deck for you, and you can (keep your hands in your pockets, you’re liable to hurt yourself!) look at the transport mechanism with a tape loaded, which looks like a ß, with a big loop and a smaller loop, and not quite closed off. Maybe if you behave yourself he’ll let you put in a cassette and watch the tape load.
pedro, me lad, 30 years ago I had already forgotten more about tape recording than you’ll ever know, so keep your fabrications for the gullible Gen X and XI kidz.
Here, enjoy another account.
Don’t let all that egg on your face drip and short out your keyboard. 🙂
My recommendations from the past 3 years??
WAIT, WAIT WAIT…
Wait until they figure things out.
Wait until its STABLE.
WAIT until the price goes down.
WAIT for EVERY store on the BLOCK has one.
WAIT on your neighbors/friends to get one and TELL you WHICH works best..
To hell with this discussion.
Where can I get one of them nifty smoke-ring guns?
#15 hahaha the consumers ‘chose’ BluRay? Apparently you don’t understand how Sony decided to win this battle – they paid off every movie studio to back only BluRay, and dump HD DVD.
Why are people still buying physical copies of movies? Why aren’t we instead demanding HD downloadable copies instead?
#26: Why are people still buying physical copies of movies?
Because not all of us can afford a higher-speed DSL connection than 1.5mbps. (Besides, it’s all the extras they cram into modern DVD’s and having a nice bookshelf box to store it in.
So far consumers are giving the thumbs down to both formats. Blue Ray will prolly be the winner, since most of the major studios are only supporting Blueray, but most of us are yawning. HD sales are a fraction of DVD sales, and will stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Most movies are not any better in HD formats. Most consumers can’t tell the difference between a DVD and a HD movie. The only thing I really like in HD is Football, and the Planet Earth type series on the sat channels. I will not get an HD player until it is 29 bux at Walmart, and they start releasing movies in HD format only. Both things are 10 years away at least.
[off topic]
#25, balbas, the Zero gun is available from Zero toys here:
http://www.zerotoys.com/newsite/products.htm
It’s one cool product.
I like the AirZooka. I can freak out my cats from 30 ft. away. It fires one hell of an air blast.
http://tinyurl.com/38cduy
I saw the hi def version of the latest Mr. Bean movie in Walmart and it was like thirty dollars. Is that movie any better in hi def?
Mr Bean doesn’t look good in any format. I would rather watch a test pattern then any “Mr Bean” movie.
#22 – THC, #24 – Pedro
You two need to get a room. 😉
I just now got done watching ‘Children of Men’ in HD. It looked absolutely freaking awesome.
and now that New Line has gone BRD only, only a matter of time until Lord of The Rings will be out in HD.
but yeah, unless you are willing to roll the bones on a HD format, buy yourself a good upscaling DVD player and wait.