Next-generation DVD Authoring: Why Blu-ray Disc is better than HD DVD.

[hmurchison]

Your thesis statement is "Blu-Ray discs authoring is better than HD DVD"

Sadly you're supporting information does not back your thesis as well as you are probably hoping.

Java is a bytecode language and any authoring tool is going to have to support compiling and debugging. Clever authoring application may be able to shield the author from the complexities but low rent apps probably will not take the time and effort.

iHD is based on industry standards as well. ECMAscript(J-script) and XML with a method timing syntax. The same tools web programmers use to build sites and features with javascript and XML will apply here. The timing syntax syncronizes the ECMA and XML data to picture. iHD only contains roughly 200 methods and 250 properties

BD-Java, which is based off of GEM the chosen format for OCAP and Cable/Satellite providers, has approximately 900 or so Java classes and even more methods which must run in a Virtual Machine. This allows a degree of interoperability with GEM authoring tools and broadcast video with GEM based Interactivity.

iHD should be far more compact and lend itself nicely to streaming media as well as physical medium and while it does not offer the interoperability with GEM the question is if GEM hasn't exactly lit the world on fire was it the best choice for Blu-Ray. Incidentally both Disney and Apple voted for iHD.

iHD has Pip with dual decoded streams long before the BDA bolted it in to BD-Java. iHD network access allows for addressable content from persitant storage synced with the video which isn't affected by the 30Mbps Mux cap. BD-Java I believe has something similar, point being these aren't really signifanct limitation that can't be worked around.

I think that if I'm authoring a title I dont' really want to deal with a bytecode format. It's the equivalent of using a WYSIWYG HTML authoring tool that generates a bunch of code you don't understand. The code of iHD should be far more legible from a design standpoint IMO.

Speaking of cell phones. What format do you think will be more popular. The one with 944 classes and 1000 methods that must fit in a Virtual Machine or the one using standard Javascript and XML with some timing syntax tossed in? Who has a growing share of Smartphone OS with Mobile 5 as the OS. Microsoft and you can bet that iHD figures prominently into their future plans and Managed Copy will allow for mobile version of content to be purchased.

BD-Java in my opinion will do the job but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was chosen for the wrong reasons. A forward looking format is iHD...Java is good for the here and now but I don't see it having huge success in portables and HTPC.

I'm looking forward to seeing if Apple can support both platform with their next DVD Studio Pro version. Both formats will offer interactivity that blows customers away but iHD is clearly the more efficient of the to formats.