Are you interested in Blu-ray Audio (Profile 3.0)

[saprano]

This topic makes me wonder why the hell sony took out super audio cd from ps3.

yea thers still the 80gig models left that have it, but those are not going to last long,and thats keeps it from reaching into millions of people homes......lost potential.

[Bobby Henderson]

Originally Posted by HDJK

It's not about new codecs, but a feature that would allow the player to start playing right away (like a CD). At least I think it is...

Blu-ray discs can already be authored to start playing right away. I have some Warner Bros. movie BDs that start as soon as they're inserted into the player. I don't even have to hit a "play" button.

Basically, there's no need for a new profile that is incompatible with existing Blu-ray players. There is no need to come up with some special, proprietary standard for audio-only BDs that require people to buy an entirely different Blu-ray player. Blu-ray audio can and should be made to work with existing players.

The electronics companies have been dragging their feet just getting BD Profile 2.0 players to market -which certainly helps sell lots more PS3 consoles. Standalone BD players probably still comprise a small minority of the total install base of Blu-ray capable devices (with PS3 making up the majority of BD capable devices). To add BD Profile 3.0 into the mix will just be counterproductive -especially if it doesn't even work with existing BD players or PS3 consoles.

[threenine]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

Basically, there's no need for a new profile that is incompatible with existing Blu-ray players.

Err, I was under the impression that profile 3.0 was perfectly compatible with existing players...that seems to be the idea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu_Ray...layer_profiles

There are no memory requirements and no implementation of BD-J (which studios will probably not miss much). If my sources are correct; "Divertimenti" is the first BD Audio release and according to wikipedia has been confirmed to work on the PS3 (although they don't bother to mention the album in the article, just that one exists).

[jkwest]

shoot..they could even release them on BD5 or BD9 to cut down on production costs....sounds like a big win across the board, IMO...

[threenine]

Originally Posted by jkwest

shoot..they could even release them on BD5 or BD9 to cut down on production costs....sounds like a big win across the board, IMO...

Because that would make sense...and it would give undue attention to DVD. It would make piracy a whole lot cheaper, too.

[jkwest]

oh come on...a BD9 can't even be compared to a DVD...not with the higher bandwidths and drive speeds.

[Bluray_ne1]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

Basically, there's no need for a new profile that is incompatible with existing Blu-ray players. There is no need to come up with some special, proprietary standard for audio-only BDs that require people to buy an entirely different Blu-ray player. Blu-ray audio can and should be made to work with existing players.

I agree whole-heartedly. No need to re-invent the wheel.

BD audio would be incredible though. It could give HD multi-channel audio another shot at succeeding. I love SACD's and DVD-A's but have been disappointed in the lack of selection in mainstream music (if you love classical music however, you're more than covered). I have the Dark Side of the Moon SACD and it sounds amazing, as do all my SACD's.

I very much enjoy listening to music on the home stereo system while working around the house or while entertaining. I don't even own an iPod or other such device. I'd much rather listen to music unfettered by headphones.

[jkwest]

Profile 3 is already compatible with all existing players....

its completely an audio format

[threenine]

Originally Posted by jkwest

oh come on...a BD9 can't even be compared to a DVD...not with the higher bandwidths and drive speeds.

Last I heard the idea of BD9 is to record Blu Ray content on a conventional DVD

[jkwest]

hmm....see how much I know?

[blu2]

Only interested if a high quality DRM-free digital copy, or CD, is included.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by saprano

This topic makes me wonder why the hell sony took out super audio cd from ps3.

yea thers still the 80gig models left that have it, but those are not going to last long,and thats keeps it from reaching into millions of people homes......lost potential.

It was a cost cutting measure, nothing more and nothing less. Sony a few years ago was a very divided company where separate divisions wouldn't even take phone calls from other parts of the company. The only part of the company still keeping SACD alive is Sony in Japan. The rest of the company has given up on SACD. I don't expect future iterations of the PS3 to have SACD capability.

[threenine]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

It was a cost cutting measure, nothing more and nothing less. Sony a few years ago was a very divided company where separate divisions wouldn't even take phone calls from other parts of the company. The only part of the company still keeping SACD alive is Sony in Japan. The rest of the company has given up on SACD. I don't expect future iterations of the PS3 to have SACD capability.

I just read this Forbes article on how Blu Ray managed to assassinate HD DVD...

http://www.forbes.com/technology/for.../0811/096.html

And they mention the deep company divisions you speak of...and how they had to come together to work the system in Blu Ray's favor. Whodda thought they would have so many divisions in the company?

Secondly, I've mentioned before that there is also some talk about the divisions within Sony Computer Entertainment...which is why it's easier to develop a game for a toaster than it is for the PS3....

[frenchglen]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

I despise iPods for what they have done to music. I already have Blu-ray gear, so I would be in full favor of any music released in a Blu-ray audio format.

Exactly. I hate iPod, and despite the fact that I do listen to music portably, I could easily do without the iPod existing if it meant hi-res audio could have more room to breathe.

If:
- Profile 3.0 meant simple CD-like playback GUARENTEED (unlike DVD-Audio which left it open to record producers, many of who just couldn't resist complex and "exciting" menu-navigation instead of simple track playback)...
- AND only a firmware update (at the most) would be needed for this RATHER than a new blu-ray pllayer, then I'm in!

Apparently DSD is supported as a reserved option (IIRC), they might allow it for profile 3.0 if it ever happens. would be interesting. (in long term)

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by threenine

Have you all noticed that the formats that tend to take off, especially those adopted by geeks and then continued by the rest of the population...tend to have little or easily broken drm....

They tended to have NO DRM before DVD-A/SACD.

And, as you say, DVD-A has been broken and hasn't taken off.

It strikes me that before you can pronounce the anti-DRM connection to adoption, something NEW fitting your description has to take off over "evil DRM".

Gary

[CAB]

Kinda off topic but why hate the iPod? Apple's lossless encoder isn't half bad and Apple does try to put in decent DACs. I don't mind the product. I do mind that some are under the impression that an mp3 is the same quality as the original and somehow if it's digital it's better.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by CAB

Kinda off topic but why hate the iPod? Apple's lossless encoder isn't half bad and Apple does try to put in decent DACs. I don't mind the product. I do mind that some are under the impression that an mp3 is the same quality as the original and somehow if it's digital it's better.

Many audiophiles blame the rise of the iPod as the main reason why the market for high quality music reproduction has gone out the window. I see the iPod as a very convenient and clever product that has had some unintended consequences.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by JTK

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/2L...ure-1652.shtml

^^ I'm hoping this becomes 100 percent accurate and true. I'm VERY interested and eager for Blu-Ray Audio to take off!

Our DIVERTIMENTI is 100% according to the official Blu-ray specifications. Unfortunately all players are not. Due to the 192kHz rate in multichanel, not all players have the processing power required for decoding, and therefore some still "cut corners." PlayStation3 is one of the machines equipped with sufficient power to handle all formats.

Wait a minute, shouldn't that have been "no real audiophile would use a PS/3 as a transport or decoder"?

The mandatory copyright protection, one that we actually don't want, is another obstacle in the astronomic fees charged by AACS. But my hopes are high for the Blu-ray format, and in a year from now the fabrication costs should be at the present level of DVD, making it possible even for small record labels as 2L to make Blu-ray a standard carrier for music.

I wonder if he's saying he doesn't want CP, or doesn't want ONE of the CPs (e.g. ROM-mark)?

Very interesting comment on matching DVD level costs in only another year.

Gary

[4K2K]

The mandatory copyright protection, one that we actually don't want, is another obstacle in the astronomic fees charged by AACS. But my hopes are high for the Blu-ray format, and in a year from now the fabrication costs should be at the present level of DVD, making it possible even for small record labels as 2L to make Blu-ray a standard carrier for music.

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

I wonder if he's saying he doesn't want CP, or doesn't want ONE of the CPs (e.g. ROM-mark)?

Very interesting comment on matching DVD level costs in only another year.

Gary

I think he's saying he doesn't want the (mandatory) AACS copy protection due to the "astronomical fees" (his quote) charged by the AACS.

[Bobby Henderson]

I don't think the music industry will be willing to put master grade music audio onto Blu-ray Discs by default without some level of copy protection. This may have been one of the issues keeping a lot of new, popular music off the competing DVD-A and SACD formats.

There's nothing to stop an independent act (such as Nine Inch Nails) or independent label from releasing an audio Blu-ray disc without any copy protection. Trent Reznor has allowed people to download master grade, multi-channel tracks of his music for remixing purposes.

The general public probably wouldn't have any problem with copy protection being applied to the high resolution audio on the disc so long as other more portable versions of the music were available on the same disc for use in iPods, car stereo CD players, etc. That would really be the great thing about audio on Blu-ray. It could be flexible and fit into every method of how people listen to music. Lossy iTunes serve only one method: portable music. DVD-A and SACD served only high end listening. Blu-ray could work for both camps.