Just What The World Needs... A Turbo DVD Player

[brandondrury]

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-...601060131.html

It appears that a war has started between Sony's Blu-Ray and Toshiba's HD-DVD.

The only thing I can think of to say is....."WHO CARES!!!"

Does the world really need a turbo DVD player?? I know people will be shelling out $700 so that they can get a DVD with more lines of resolution, but I can't believe it.? Where are these people?? I want to talk to them!

I spent about 10 minutes researching these things and I never found the page that lists the benefits for me (that's marketing 101 btw).? Maybe they do some great things, but the fact that they are high definition and have 25GB of storage (for the Sony Blu-Ray) and 15GB of storage for the HD-DVD doesn't mean anything to me.?

I think the video quality is more than adequte on a DVD.? The audio is far and beyond adequate on a DVD (if you want to fight about this one, I'm ready!!!? >)

Anyway, I'm just stirring up shit that I know very little about.? Enlighten me.

Actually, I just read that the Sony will cost $1,800 when it is released. AHHHHH!!! That's half the price of a crappy, but usable car!!

Brandon

[TAlderson]

I think that, from an information standpoint, these are huge leaps. Imagine being able to carry around an entire iPod's worth of songs on a CD! But, from a video standpoint, I agree. The technology of TVs are a lot less than the tech of DVDs. To get a TV that would make it so that the different kinds would make a difference would be thousands of dollars on top of the costs of the discs and players.

-Tyler

[TimRP]

I won't be the first one out of the gate with one of these players, but I will get one probably in the first year to year and a half (second gen player most likely). I have a projector and high definition looks out standing on it, I think it was $900. Made the screen myself for under $50. You really don't need a multi kilo buck TV to see the difference, the upgraded audio on HD DVDs is just gonna be a bonus.

[James Gillice]

Actually Brandon, I know how much you want to fight...so...

DVD quality video, while good, is compressed video and information is lost. Watching a DVD is the same thing as listening to an mp3. Information has been lost. Compressing video files for a DVD is an artform, and although they do a really good job (most of the time) you can see the compression of the image on the screen if you know what you are looking for. This is maiinly a problem on larger screens. The resolution on smaller screens is too low for it to be a problem imo. DVDs were acceptible in the past because of the quality of people televisions. Now, HDTV is set to take over in the next few years. They probalbly won't make non-HDTVs for too many more years. In order for this new technology to be effective, there must be a storage medium that is capable or storing, recording, and playing back video images that contain as much information as HDTV do. This is where Blu-ray and HD-DVD come in to play. It's a shame that they could not have worked together on this so that we would only have one standard. It will be interesting to see what happens. Hopefully there will not be two types of DVD players and two different formats of everything. I personally like Blu-Ray, mainly because it has more space. How nice would it be to put 25Gb worth of stuff on one DVD? That's like an entire album of sound files that I could clear off of my hard drive and store on one disc for posterity. Sounds good to me.

Anyway, what I'm saying is, watching DVDs is like listenning to mp3 files. To the untrained ear it sounds exactly the same, but to those of us in the audio world, who know what we are listenning for, it does not sound the same. It is the same with video. I am sure a good percentage of people do not know or care what the difference is between regular and HD TV. But that does not mean there is no difference or that technology should not be improved upon.

So put that in your pipe and smoke it...beotch!

(that last line was just to make brandon happy. he does enjoy a good fight.)

[CorporateMustache]

touchet lefluer....touchet!!!!

[brandondrury]

To the untrained ear it sounds exactly the same, but to those of us in the audio world, who know what we are listenning for, it does not sound the same. It is the same with video.

Then I don't want an untrained eye. While I understand where you are coming from, I do not want to come from that angle. It's too expensive. I once read that Europeans don't A/B things. (The article may have been wrong). The article said that if Europeans like something, they like it. If they don't like it, they don't like it. They don't put two things side by side to see which one is better. I tend to live this way in most respects because it allows me to pump more money into things that I value much more.

I personally think DVDs are of good enough quality for anything I'll ever watch on a flat screen. I've done a little video work in my day and I understand that you do lose something when compressing video down, I'd say the same thing occurs when a mastering engineer compresses a mix to increase it's loudness. This is not something that effects the emotion felt by the viewer in my opinion. It's just a necessary evil. Yes, there are some cases where it has been a problem.

VCR tapes weren't "compressed" and they do not look near as good as DVDs do. So I don't think "compression" is the problem. In fact, the main reason I'm totally cool with DVDs is two reasons. Butterfly Effect and Star Wars Episode 3. If you have seen Butterfly Effect on DVD you will quickly realize that there are utilizing maybe 1% of a DVDs capability. In fact, I'm pretty sure that there was no movie made at all, but a blank DVD was whiped onto a fresh turd, boxed, and shipped out to stores.

Obviously I'm exagerating, but the point is that Butterfly Effect is the worst movie ever made. On BluRay it will still be a piece of shit.
I fired up the 5.1 surround and watched Episode 3 the other day. The colors are so vibrant and alive. The sound is unreal. On Bluray, I expect the colors to be vibrant and alive and the sound to be unreal.

In both cases, I don't think a new, fancy, uncompressed video format is going to do improve my video experience at all. It will take better writers, actors, directors, producer, etc to do that. Just my opinion.

Brandon

[snoopy]

Hello All,

I will voice my thoughts but don't care to argue...so take this as you will....

I returned yesterday after being in Las Vegas at the 2006 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) with over 150,000 other retail folks.
The main show floor it self covers 68 football fields worth of space at the LV Convention Center plus the Sands Convention Center, Alexis Park and other places......yes my feet are sore. LOL

The big boys all had their new toys on display.......

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD compared side by side .....well the difference is huge........if you have ever watched HD TV and swirched back to regular analog TV then you can guess what the difference is.

Ladies and Gentlefrogs you ALL will be getting HD TV sonner than you think...... "I'll never buy that high dollar crap", I hear from behind your keyboard....... but wait....guess what????

From the FCC Website....(you know those Washington guys)

Will I Need a New TV?

Your current television will work until analog broadcasting stops. Even after the transition to DTV is over, you will be able to use your current TV with a converter set-top box. Converter boxes for over-the-air broadcasts should be available in retail stores at that time. A converter box can be used to receive DTV signals and change them into the analog format of your current television.

Digital Receiver Availability and FCC Tuner Requirements

Remember, even with a converter, your current analog television will not display the full picture quality of DTV. To enjoy the full picture quality, you must have a DTV set. The FCC requires that new television receivers include the capability to receive digital TV signals. By March 2007, all TVs are required to have digital tuners built in and eventually manufacturers will stop making television sets with analog tuners.

Subscribers to cable and DBS services should contact their providers to inquire about converters for these services.


end quote from website.....

The FCC has a hard transition date of Jan 1, 2009...which means that is when they will "turm off" the analog bands that we have used for over 50 years to watch TV....they will be used for Law Enforcement and Home Land Security.

....So you will either buy a new TV before then with a new Digital HD Tuner or buy a set top box tuner to use with what you watch now....or watch snow......



My point is be happy with new and much better things.......weather it be audio or video ....better is better....and more lifelike is more lifelike....... even if it's crap!


I'm done....