Dual Standard Drives Please

[njwashor]

I just read online that Dual Standard drives (ones that play both HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs) are longer off than anticipated because "Until everyone agrees to check their egos at the door and help the consumer, there is nothing [Samsung] can do about a universal product."

I'm a consumer and I love HD quality video. I have been anticipating Blu-ray for years and support the Blu-ray standard over the HD-DVD standard. Simply put, it's better.

However, it really ticks me off that the execs in charge of the two standards (Blu-ray included) are going to make it more difficult on the consumer over their dim-witted ego issues and a battle for the larger pot of money.

The morons in charge need to realize that there is not going to be a single standard anymore (just like their isn't a single HD standard - God, there's like 17 of em). Neither one (BD or HD-DVD) is going to win this war. It's time that these overgrown children in charge of these standards grow up.

I hope the execs in charge read this post (I doubt they will, and if they happen to, I doubt they'll care), but more importantly I hope the readers of this forum and the internet as a whole read this post. I hope they read it and get angry enough to post their own posts, and I hope this continues to grow until these money-gluttons have to pay attention and do what is right for the consumer... standardization (or at least peaceful co-existence).

Nathan Washor

[James Morrow]

Sony has been working on a universal drive for some time, and it is of course much easier for a BD manufacturer to make a universal drive than an HD DVD manufacturer to make one. Note also that, whilst there may currently be a number of HD "standards," the original one was defined (by Sony and NHK) in the 1960s as the resolution required of a TV system to achieve cinema quality in the home. This standard is "more than 1000 lines, progressively scanned." Strangely enough, of all the consumer orientated HD standards around now, only one actually meets this criterion - 1080p ...

[njwashor]

Originally Posted by James Morrow

Sony has been working on a universal drive for some time, and it is of course much easier for a BD manufacturer to make a universal drive than an HD DVD manufacturer to make one. Note also that, whilst there may currently be a number of HD "standards," the original one was defined (by Sony and NHK) in the 1960s as the resolution required of a TV system to achieve cinema quality in the home. This standard is "more than 1000 lines, progressively scanned." Strangely enough, of all the consumer orientated HD standards around now, only one actually meets this criterion - 1080p ...

I also heard that Samsung was working on a dual mode drive, but the article I just read basically stated both the BD and HD camps are not cooperating (telling Samsung you better not stick our technology in the same unit as theirs). I can only assume each camp wants something out of the deal to make it worth their while. The sad thing is the consumer gets screwed by this deal. I can see it now, some poor grandma will be talking to a little "thinks-he-knows-it-all" at B*stBuy who tells her she has to have the latest in technology because all the old stuff is no longer supported. And then she'll ask him what she needs and in response he'll confuse the heck out of her by telling her she needs two devices to watch her movies now...

As far as HD standards... the ATSC set of standards has 17 + 1 SDTV. The last of which is 1080p (and the one which almost none of our current hardware even supports, go figure). This is why I bought an LCD TV capable of displaying 1080p, because I know in little time the standards will be revised again. This is such a rip off to even the above average consumer. But I'm not going to get started on that topic (wrong forum).

I just want to see these two camps (BD and HD) join around the fire pit and start singing "We are the World". Is that too much to ask (please don't answer this question)?

[thunderhawk]

Well... I wish they would settle for a better format in stead of trying to destroy the optical discs market with a war

But well, both sides didn't want Samsung (and other companies) to work on a player supporting both formats so... Bye bye compromise.
Also, if the trend continues, HD DVD will win after all, because people don't know the difference between HD and 1080i/1080p. Unless the BDA considers a campain.

[Blue]

I think it's a case of Buyer Be Ware. I know I don't want another DVD+/- debacle. However it would be short lived if there were a dual format - unless the movie studios dug in. The computer market would be the one that would drive the market - assuming the price of the blanks will be similar (after a year or so) 4.7GB vs 15GB vs 25GB / layer - I think most would go for BD

[njwashor]

Originally Posted by Blue

I think it's a case of Buyer Be Ware. I know I don't want another DVD+/- debacle. However it would be short lived if there were a dual format - unless the movie studios dug in. The computer market would be the one that would drive the market - assuming the price of the blanks will be similar (after a year or so) 4.7GB vs 15GB vs 25GB / layer - I think most would go for BD

The DVD+/- debacle is exactly what is going to happen if things don't get resolved BEFORE the players are released to the mass market. I know some players are already out there, but they're so expensive and not much media for them yet. I wouldn't consider that as released to the mass market... but soon enough they will be (6 months and you'll see some units in B*stBuy I am sure). I agree completely that the computer market is going to be the driving force behind BD. Who is gonna want 25GB when they can get double? Forget price of the disks, people will still buy em even if they are twice the price (the prices will come down quickly I'm sure as well). I'm no expert, so this is all just what I expect to see, but I'm usually right

Originally Posted by thunderhawk

Well... I wish they would settle for a better format in stead of trying to destroy the optical discs market with a war

But well, both sides didn't want Samsung (and other companies) to work on a player supporting both formats so... Bye bye compromise.
Also, if the trend continues, HD DVD will win after all, because people don't know the difference between HD and 1080i/1080p. Unless the BDA considers a campain.

A compromising format is the ultimate goal, but may be too expensive to implement and possibly not even a possibility (red vs blue laser). I guess they could meet in the middle (Green-ray?!?). haha, or why not just go into the next field of light UV-Ray! I disagree that HD will win because of the computer market. Computers are becoming ever more present in the living room, after all it's the natural progression of the PVR/DVR. I have 1080i on my TV at home right now (the set supports 1080p) and it looks great. I can only imagine a progressive 1080 :-D. And I wouldn't put off the idea of a BD campaign.

Regardless, get mad! Hehe. Stir the pot. Tick off a few of the execs, make them realize we're not all just a bunch of cows to be hearded into their own individual corrals. Don't let them cause another DVD+/- debacle on main stream America (and the world for that matter). And while we're at it, get rid of zones (okay, okay, wrong forum).