EMI Japan goes blu-ray

[tokyo-max]

Sorry, the link below is written in Japanese.
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20080130/emi.htm

EMI Music Japan, one of the biggest record companies in Japan, tonight announced releasing their first blu-ray in March,
which is a successful show by multi-platinum selling diva Yumi Matsutoya. HD-DVD version has not be announced.

EMI Music Japan (formerly Toshiba EMI), has been co-owned by Toshiba for more than 40 years.
But in December 2006, Toshiba completely sold it to EMI music group worldwide.
I thought Toshiba EMI could be a big HD-DVD backer, but they never released HD-DVDs at all.

I think this is a great news for Japanese blu-ray fans, and a very bad news for HD-DVD camp.

[dobyblue]

This is great news for all music fans.
Back in the SACD/DVD-Audio battle it was EMI and Warner that never released on SACD, with SonyBMG not releasing on DVD-Audio and Universal Music Group supporting both formats, but initially being SACD-only.

If the big four music groups are all behind Blu-ray, which based on this announcement suggests that outcome is inevitable, audiophiles can finally smile at the road ahead, which they haven't been able to do in some time outside of the classical/jazz genres.

Great find, thanks for posting!

[SomethingForKate]

Originally Posted by tokyo-max

EMI Music Japan (formerly Toshiba EMI), has been co-owned by Toshiba for more than 40 years.

You gotta laugh at the irony in that!

SFK

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

This is great news for all music fans.
Back in the SACD/DVD-Audio battle it was EMI and Warner that never released on SACD, with SonyBMG not releasing on DVD-Audio and Universal Music Group supporting both formats, but initially being SACD-only.

If the big four music groups are all behind Blu-ray, which based on this announcement suggests that outcome is inevitable, audiophiles can finally smile at the road ahead, which they haven't been able to do in some time outside of the classical/jazz genres.

Great find, thanks for posting!

Here is to hoping! Good news indeed

[upnorthsox]

But why Blu-ray? Is it because of BD+? It surely can't be because of price or capacity, DVD would fill those needs better.

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by upnorthsox

But why Blu-ray? Is it because of BD+? It surely can't be because of price or capacity, DVD would fill those needs better.

Because SACD and DVD-Audio turned into a stalemate and failed to take off. It's now only a niche market. With BD leading in every country now some Studios are thinking it's time to give Hi Quality audio another shot.

[AlexKx]

What do you mean that D.V.D. would have more capacity than Blu-Ray? How does that make sense that D.V.D.-Audio would be better than Blu-Ray?

[upnorthsox]

Originally Posted by AlexKx

What do you mean that D.V.D. would have more capacity than Blu-Ray? How does that make sense that D.V.D.-Audio would be better than Blu-Ray?

I mean that DVD would be more right sized for audio/music, 25gb would have alot of wasted space even uncompressed.

Because SACD and DVD-Audio turned into a stalemate and failed to take off....

But these are in essence just codecs, DVD audio never took off because no one has dvd players in their cars because few if any CEs produced any. BD audio will suffer the same fate unless the CEs make a concerted effort to produce BD players for cars. That said, DVD players have finally reached the price point where they could easily take the place of CD players in car stereos and would be more right sized for the job but they wouldn't have the DRM capability that BD+ could bring to the table thus my question.

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by upnorthsox

But these are in essence just codecs, DVD audio never took off because no one has dvd players in their cars because few if any CEs produced any. BD audio will suffer the same fate unless the CEs make a concerted effort to produce BD players for cars. That said, DVD players have finally reached the price point where they could easily take the place of CD players in car stereos and would be more right sized for the job but they wouldn't have the DRM capability that BD+ could bring to the table thus my question.

They are formats not codecs. Most players that play them are now universal. Several Car stereo's that play DVD's can play both. Yet neither has every been able to get mainstream attention.

It's not hard to get a Car stereo that plays DVD now, nearly every place that sells car stereos sells models that have DVD drives in them, yet they don't help sells of either DVD audio formats.

Either way, most consider DVD audio a niche market that is stagnant now. So looking beyond that is how most Music companies are doing now.

They need to break into home audio and get mainstream acceptance first. No ones saying BD audio will be the next thing.

But DVD audio on either format has failed for the most part and it seems they can't get traction. So just because they might be better and cheaper, doesn't make them a success.

Personally, while I love 5.1 music, I love having my entire library come with me more.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by upnorthsox

But these are in essence just codecs, DVD audio never took off because no one has dvd players in their cars because few if any CEs produced any.

Wrong! DVD-Audio didn't take off because it was in a format war with another format, SACD. It didn't take off because you had to buy 3 pairs of RCA cables to use it, and because major studio support was split 50/50

DVD-Audio and SACD were not codecs either.

[WickyWoo]

EMI has a lot of great Japanese artists

I'm hoping we see a lot of concert discs this year

[AlexKx]

Of course why does there always have to be format war in order to introduce a new product? I guess the same thing will happen in the music industry if they try to adopt a Blu-Ray Audio disc, eh? Then it will take two or three more years for everyone to go, "Der, I wonder who's goin' to win it?". Which might kill the whole thing anyway. How sad and pathetic. Blu-Ray Audio had better the be the next new format for the music industry. Otherwise what in the hell is the point to have yet some other format different from the one that films are released on? The whole point is so that you would have both features of film and audio on one disc. Not some confusing scenario that no one will understand or be ready for. For God's sakes my whole point has been to raise interest in this and get people talking about to get behind this thing happening. It sure better as far as I'm concerned.

[garak]

Originally Posted by Sporty

With BD leading in every country now some Studios are thinking it's time to give Hi Quality audio another shot.

Let's hope BD takes off, and they can use that marketing momentum to finally get a viable High Rez audio format.