Sony Ramps Up 50GB Blu-ray Discs, More Interactivity

[marzetta7]

Sony Ramps Up 50GB Blu-ray Discs, More Interactivity

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news...eractivity/194

Sony Ramps Up 50GB Blu-ray Discs, More Interactivity
Fri Aug 25, 2006 at 02:21 PM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts (all tags)
Blu-ray is about to double its capacity for picture quality and bonus features, with Sony readying the format's first BD-50 (50GB) dual-layer releases for later this year.

That's according to the Sony Pictures worldwide president Ben Feingold, who told Video Business that at least two BD-50 titles will hit the market by the end of 2006.

"All of the fun stuff is going to come," said Feingold, though he declined to give details on any specific titles or features. "We need to get everyone comfortable [with the format]. A lot of it will be spectacular.”

Sony's move comes amid considerable criticism from the media and early adopters for a perceived lack of quality and special features on the studio's first Blu-ray titles, all of which utilize only BD-25 (25GB) single-layer discs.

Sony Pictures executive VP of advanced technology Don Eklund also said that the availability of only a single Blu-ray player currently on the market, the Samsung BD-P1000, was also partly behind the reasoning for the lack of supplemental content on early Blu-ray titles.

"We've been conservative [with the Blu-ray titles so far], focusing on pictures and sound more than anything else," said Eklund. "There is just one player in the market. And when we make a disc, we generally check it on every player for compatibility issues. Absent that ability to do that, we've been reluctant to add in other features."

Other Blu-ray-supporting studios are also planning to ramp up the interactive features on their Blu-ray disc titles, though their release plans will likely be more of a trickle than a flood.

"I would expect you might see something this year [in regard to Blu-ray interactivity], but I wouldn't guarantee it," said Steve Nickerson, senior VP of marketing management for Warner Home Video, which supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD. "The industry needs to gain experience in the new formats."

Watch for more on this developing story next week. High Def Digest recently paid our own visit to the Sony lot to discuss the studio's upcoming plans for Blu-ray, so stay tuned for a full in-depth spotlight report, inclduing an interview with Eklund, in the days ahead.

For those who didn't think 50 GB would be here by end of year ...this looks promising.

[BTBuck1]

4tw!11!

[zombie]

at least two BD-50 titles will hit the market by the end of 2006.

Better than nothing, promising as well but yet not very impressive IMO. I just wish Sony would start using MPEG4. Word is the Japanese HD DVD of Equilibrium looks fantastic and it uses MPEG4 rather than VC1 or MPEG2. I say give it a try Sony.

[JTK]

"Not so fast, my friend!" - Lee Corso


Dated 8-25-06

Bill Hunt, of DigitalBits, wrote:

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

"I'm somewhat surprised to find myself saying this, but HD-DVD is quietly making Blu-ray Disc look pretty silly.

Motivated as I've been by a desire to see this format war end quickly, I was quick to sing the potential praises of Blu-ray Disc early on, simply because it seemed to have the clear advantages of better technology and much broader studio support, plus the potential market-share dominance of the forthcoming PS3 game system.

How many of us does this describe? BH may as well have stolen my thoughts outright.

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

And to be honest, my very early experiences with HD-DVD were disappointing. Since that time, however, an interesting this has happened... the early Blu-ray experience has turned out to be pretty lackluster too. Discs have looked bad, the Samsung player is a disaster and Sony's over-priced the PS3 right out of the market (you'll be able to buy both an Xbox 360 AND a Nintendo Wii for the price of a PS3).

All true to anyone who even tries to be objective for a few seconds.

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Sony and their BD camp allies are just not delivering on the promise of their format - period.

100 percent true.

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Meanwhile, HD-DVD software and Toshiba's hardware (via these firmware updates) just keeps getting better and better.

And get this: Sony STILL can't get their 50GB dual-layered Blu-ray Discs to work right on the existing and prototype players. The current Samsung player, as shipped, will not play them. How do you like them apples? Ouch.

I think those apples suck.

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

If the BD camp doesn't do something dramatic and fast... they will have lost the hearts and minds of the early adopters to HD-DVD.

To my thinking at least, HD-DVD is looking better and better all the time... and it seems to me it's now the format to beat."

Exactly right.


Folks, this is the same Bill Hunt that was REPEATEDLY raped on hddvd.avs.com a BD shill and tool and the rest of it saying these things.


All I know is that BD better get cranking come 4th quarter, and I don't mean just cranking out expensive hardware. The software needs to be worthy of that hardware or you can forget about it.


They can keep promising the heavens, but they need to start DELIVERING.

[BTBuck1]

I agree with most Bill Said...except the part about ps3 being overpriced.
IMO gamecube2 or the Nintendo "Wii-eak" isn't worth anything more than $129.99 because IMO it's a gamecube ($99.99) with a new controller ($29.99) they haven't shown any signifigant reason aside from a new controller to warrant making a whole new system, we still have the tired ass 480p prologicII and thats last gen, not next gen.

And for the 360...
to get what you get out ot the ps3's basic system $500, you end up paying the same amount but still come up short of the wireless built in, and 10gb less storage.

and then if you pay the extra $100 for the ps3 premium version you get HDMI, 40 more gb's than 360 & card readers

Not to mention free internet.

Im tired of people saying the ps3 is too expensive...thats pure B.S.

[theknub]

thank you brian. i have just stopped trying to explain it to people.

[Applefiend]

Wii isn't a Gamecube, it's a Gamecube with a CPU with doubled up Mhz, and a faster GPU + extensions, + a very innovative controller... Which I don't really care for. And still no chance of games for grown up, most grown up game on Wii from Nintendo is Metroid.

But I share your lack of enthusiasm. My Xbox 1, not 360, has 720p games on it (Freedom Fighters, Soul Calibur 2). I'm happy playing games with my fingers, not with my wrists. People just swallow the Nintendo BS, they ain't swallowing any of Sony's BS...! I find Sony's BS to be of better quality. People are paying big money for Wii to rebuy the same GC games they have now with minor graphics updates and a new control mechanism.

As for 360... I've mostly played 360 this year. I don't suggest anyone gives Microsoft $50 a year for multiplayer, that's a real rip off, for $50 a year they should give you free XBLA games, but the games are good man... Had a lot of fun with my 360. Will have a lot more fun this year with Lost Planet, Gears of War and Dead Rising.

Bill Hunt at the moment has a point. I still have faith though. We're getting drip drip fed what we signed up for I think.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by Applefiend

People are paying big money for Wii to rebuy the same GC games they have now with minor graphics updates and a new control mechanism.

Depending on how you look at things, the Wii-eak is either a rip-off or a great deal. I think if released in 2001 the Wii would have been THE Console of that generation, but it will never be anything more than Niche in the game world. Mainstream gamers play shit like Madden, Need for speed, Halo etc. They have grown to understand the mechanics of the D-pad & analog sticks, this wrist action BS is just a gimmick that wont be widely accepted. If I wanted to really play tennis, or golf or what have you i'd go do it...if i want to look like a moron and swing something around I'll do it drunk at Dave & Busters, not in my living room.

[theknub]

Originally Posted by Brian@BBY

\if i want to look like a moron and swing something around I'll do it drunk at Dave & Busters, not in my living room.

LMAO!

who says we arent drunk in the livingroom?

[vick vega]

Good God I hope they don't put some lame ass movie out for their first dual layer. Matrix Reloaded would be killer as their 1st dual layer

[zombie]

Originally Posted by vick vega

Good God I hope they don't put some lame ass movie out for their first dual layer. Matrix Reloaded would be killer as their 1st dual layer

Black Hawk Down is the only rumored BD50 I've read about. That'd be a good choice IMO.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by nyg

Better than nothing, promising as well but yet not very impressive IMO. I just wish Sony would start using MPEG4. Word is the Japanese HD DVD of Equilibrium looks fantastic and it uses MPEG4 rather than VC1 or MPEG2. I say give it a try Sony.

Most likely they (Sony) will, seeing in how they are in the patent pool for MPEG4/H.264/AVC.

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by JTK

"Not so fast, my friend!" - Lee Corso

Dated 8-25-06

Bill Hunt, of DigitalBits, wrote:

How many of us does this describe? BH may as well have stolen my thoughts outright.

All true to anyone who even tries to be objective for a few seconds.

100 percent true.

I think those apples suck.

Exactly right.

Folks, this is the same Bill Hunt that was REPEATEDLY raped on hddvd.avs.com a BD shill and tool and the rest of it saying these things.

All I know is that BD better get cranking come 4th quarter, and I don't mean just cranking out expensive hardware. The software needs to be worthy of that hardware or you can forget about it.

They can keep promising the heavens, but they need to start DELIVERING.

Wow, how many times are you going to post this same message around. I too, think Bill has a good point but I totally disagree with his assertion that the PS3 is overpriced right out of the box.

We've all known for quite a while that the real Blu-ray launch would be in the 4th quarter, a la the PS3 and other standalone players. So please keep the pessimistic, doom & gloom drama to a minimum. I for one, am tired of reading it--as there is a point of being critical and another point of having an agenda.

[takezo]

Originally Posted by nyg

Better than nothing, promising as well but yet not very impressive IMO. I just wish Sony would start using MPEG4. Word is the Japanese HD-DVD of Equilibrium looks fantastic and it uses MPEG4 rather than VC1 or MPEG2. I say give it a try Sony.

All HD-DVDs use VC1. VC1 is Mpeg4 and i believe it's similar to MS Mpeg 4. The diffrence it that MS Mpeg 4 is software based and VC1 is hardware based, yet can be implemented in software.

Right ow HD-DVD are single layer too, and VC1 is only saving 30% of the total space on the disk. This means that Blu-Ray with 25GB and Mpeg 2 should have equivalent quality with all the extras, but i believe that Sony loves to screw early adopter s over by releasing super bit HD remastered Blu-Rays with more features in the future.

Blu-Ray can do VC1 , it's just that Sony owned studios (and they own a lot) will rather use Mpeg2 than pay royalties to MSFT for VC1 which can use that leverage to push HD-DVD. H.264 is another option yet it's too complex for high yeild HD encoding. But it will not deter 3rd party Blu-Ray supporters from using VC1. Warner Bros, is in that third party boat.

All in all, Blu-Ray is just been born, it will take a year or two to see it fully matured.
HD-DVD is maxed out. It's full potential has been realised. what you see now is what you get. If Sony does not f up like they did with the beta max. Blu-Ray will eventualy be the superior format.

[Applefiend]

Yup, think we're agreed about Wii. If you want to play Tennis by swinging your hands around... Why not go to a Tennis Court ya ****ing shut in.

First Dual Layer will be one of the postponed Blu Rays, bet ya, it'll be...

• Black Hawk Down (Sony)
• Kung Fu Hustle (Sony)
• Legends of the Fall (Sony)
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (Sony)
• Sense & Sensibility (Sony)

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

Wow, how many times are you going to post this same message around. I too, think Bill has a good point but I totally disagree with his assertion that the PS3 is overpriced right out of the box.

We've all known for quite a while that the real Blu-ray launch would be in the 4th quarter, a la the PS3 and other standalone players. So please keep the pessimistic, doom & gloom drama to a minimum. I for one, am tired of reading it--as there is a point of being critical and another point of having an agenda.

To me it's like...who the F is Bill Hunt to me? When he said he thinks ps3 is overpriced, that comming from a AV enthusiast just shows me his heads up his ass. People are being overdramatic.

[vick vega]

Yup, think we're agreed about Wii. If you want to play Tennis by swinging your hands around... Why not go to a Tennis Court ya ****ing shut in.
f'n hilarious

[JTK]

Originally Posted by vick vega

Yup, think we're agreed about Wii. If you want to play Tennis by swinging your hands around... Why not go to a Tennis Court ya ****ing shut in.
f'n hilarious

I'm not sold on the gimmicky controller yet at all.

That being said: It's my understanding that you can use the controller in a "normal" way for all games if you so choose.

As long as everyone always has the choice on every game, you lose nothing.

[Blackraven]

Originally Posted by Applefiend

First Dual Layer will be one of the postponed Blu Rays, bet ya, it'll be...

• Black Hawk Down (Sony)
• Kung Fu Hustle (Sony)

I'm wagering on these two titles being the BD-50 releases for this year.

I'm also betting/hoping on at least 10 anime releases on Blu-ray 1080p 50 GB for year 2007 (and probably on Hologrphic disk as well after 5-10 years):

Which includes:
-ROD The TV
-Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG
-Witch Hunter Robin (probably)
-A few of Gundam titles.
-Air???

Don't know about the rest.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by JTK

It's my understanding that you can use the controller in a "normal" way for all games if you so choose.

As long as everyone always has the choice on every game, you lose nothing.

except $250 because now you have 2 gamecubes!

No, im just kidding