availability

When will Blu-Ray discs be available in Canada?

[zombie]

I haven't heard anything for certain but I'd expect that too happen about the same time as it does in the USA. Was DVD released in Canada later than it was here?

[chrisjdel]

Maybe I'm out of the loop here, but when exactly will blu-ray equipment and media be available in the US? I haven't been able to find any definite dates or specific models, just stuff you can buy in Japan. And does anybody happen to know whether HDTV formats will be standardized globally, or if we'll have the same old crap with different formats in different parts of the world.

[zombie]

The first Blu-ray recorders/players and movies will be out in the USA fall '05, same as HD-DVD. A lot more hardware and software for both formats isn't expected until the first half of '06 though. I haven't read anything about the HDTV formats being standardized so I'm afraid there will be a new version of PAL versus NTSC noncompatability.

[zombie]

Here's a link to a tremendously long discussion on Blu-ray and HD-DVD which includes tons of links to news stories about both formats. And of course, everyone there has an opinion after every angle.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=411600

[BD -> MD?]

Whenever they are released in the US, Australia will follow a few months later - it's always been the case - but with this new freee trade agreement thing, there should be a significant shift in pan-Pacific availability.

[zombie]

Apparently the BDA has already confirmed that Blu-ray will be available in Europe and Japan around the same time frame as the USA. No word on when Blu-ray will be available down under yet.