there have been a few HD releases most notably from digital playground but these are in wmv format, a format NOT recognized by bluray or hd-dvd

in other words you had to play it on your computer

That may, however turn out to be the best overall solution...read on

HD-DVD and Bluray are both going to require an HDMI interface for full resolution, and that HDMI interface is going to require what is called an HDCP ( read high definition copy protection ...I dont care what they say it really stands for) compliant TV in order to get full resolution. HDCP is copy protection intergrated at the hardware level. Remember a bit back when those bluray DVDs came out for your PC. What they didnt tell you is that copy protected DVDs wouldn't even play on your computer...unless your video card and your monitor were HDCP compliant.

Now heres why a PC based media center might be a better alternative.

Both Bluray and HDDVD are using MPG2 as the video format.

But a computer can easily handle microsofts VC1 or Mpg4 which are much more efficient codecs. In fact you could put a standard 2 hour movie in either format at Hidef on a standard DVD9...you dont even need the high def DVDs and you simply play it from your computer to your Hidef TV....all the benefits of HDVD and Bluray with none of the added expense.

So lets say you wanted a high def video...you could go online, download it, burn it to DVD and play it in true HD.

Fact is you can do it now at my www.ezmadedvd.com site, but with standard DVD.

This would be a way better alternative to bluray or HD-DVD, and I think most people are technically savvy enough to understand it, someone just needs to market the media center idea a bit better....If so MPG4 wins (VC1 incorporates DCM) and we are all the better for it. HDCP is just the old DIVX model that lost out to DVD years ago raised from the dead...

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I mean, does anyone really wanna have such a compelling, life-like view of a some broad with a cold sore sucking on a razor burned cock? Do I really wanna be able to study a whiteheaded pimple the size of a tennis ball in some chick's ass crack?

Sorry I'll pass.

Scott McGowan - EyeOnAdult.com

Edited by - SMcG on 11/29/2006 3:57:27 PM

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Besides HD is barely 2 megapixels.....all its gonna do is make good shit look better and already bad shit ( 90% of everything in porn is crap) look worse.

Good directors know how to use it, bad directors...well they dont even know what it is....

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I've heard of the media centres - but those are from people going out and building them themselves. Looking at the way online downloading seems to be going, this may be something that some manufacturer might get into?

If Hd is the way of the future - does that mean we might weed out a lot of the crap out there and be left with better titles to spend our money on?

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even if they do they will still play but at a reduced resolution

you PC Bluray player will NOT play these DVDs at full resolution UNLESS you have the HDCP compliant card AND monitor.

For more on HDCP theres a good article on wikipedia.

for the tech savvy media centers are for sure the way to go

you wont even need the expensibe blu ray or HD DVD drives...a plain old Dual layer disk (DVD9) will be fine

If you have more questions please ask...Im learning this stuff and the more I learn the more I see BluRay and HD-DVD as nothing more than added technology to prevent you from copying the movies you own.

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It is up to the studios if they want to enable ICT token (downrezzing) on a title by title basis. The industry has decided not to enable this token until ?2010?.

So you can go out and buy either a HDDVD(Preferrably) or BluRay player, hook it up to your HDTV with component cables and watch full resolution movies.

Now all we need is for pornland to start releasing in the HD format. I cannot wait for My Daughter F* N* 12 on HD (widescreen).

PC playback is another story. People have been able to playback both BR & HDDVD in full 192 hex 1080 but the studios will try to make it hard because of their paranoia. Nevertheless it is possible TODAY, and we are just in the infancy stage of PC playback. Heck the pc drives are not generally avaliable yet to the consumer.

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Ummm its that DIGITAL connection that makes the HD picture so clear...an analog signal is way noisier and is more like an upsampled regular signal.

Who would get an HD DVD player and connect it using the Svideo cable? Thats insane...

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Sometime 'old' techniques are performing better than the new ones (I'm no technician, so I judge a TV/screen with my eyes, audio-gear with my ears and wine with my mouth ... )

p_n

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For me to pay full price for 2+ hour HD movies, more than what will fit onto a DVD9 is required.
When we (I) get the bandwidth needed to download that amount of data, I may not need Blu-Ray, as I might just leave it on my hard-drives instead.
Until then, I'll be keeping an eye out for Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) as a viable carrier medium.

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A TV is still an analog device. Therefore a digital to analog conversion has to take place somewhere. It doesn't matter if that D/A conversion occurs inside the Set Top Box or if it occurs inside the TV.

Edited by - Bill on 12/1/2006 11:45:17 PM

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So far the hollywod releases have utilized MPG2 encoding because its the least common denominator even if it is less efficient.

now getting to the analog vs digital issue If The IC Token is set then the analog out will only be 480p thats how HDCP prevents ripping the analog hidef signal. and 480p is the same as progressive scan DVD it is NOT HD

So far nobody is making prodect with the IC Token set (copy protection) but they will and it wont be after 2010....If you believe that then I have some beachfront property in Des Moines to sell you.

now to the CODECS Mpeg4, divx and others can deliver the same quality as MPG2 at about 1/3 the file size, no matter how you figure it you can get about 2 hrs of HD Video on a DVD9 using these codecs.

If you dont think this whole blu ray thing is all about copy protection read all the specs on blu ray hd-dvd, HDMI and HDCP, its all designed to work together to prevent copying these titles in HiDef. Now while it wont prevent it...it will make it a lot more difficult, DVD ripping as we know it is childs play compared to HDCP....HDCP is a lot more like decoding a directV signal from the satellite...except harder.

another correction is that todays LCD tvs for instance are NOT analog devices they are digital...first thing that happens to that analog signal is it gets passed through an A-D Converter turning it digital.

again If you want to understand this all you have to do is look at how much space that HD program consumes on your DVR direct from the satellite or the cableco, and even at that those are both less efficient MPG2 devices.

While I agree that bluray on a layer by layer basis is capable of holding more data (the blue laser is much narrower) all I am saying is that for todays HD programming you dont need that much storage, that much added expense unless of course you need the copy protection that goes with it.

Now when UHD comes out around 2010 or so thatll be different...UHD is 32Mpixels per frame for reference thats 16x that of todays 2Mpixel Hi Def

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To me, A/V quality counts; I'm not that interested in knowing the techniques used. So, even when BD will be running MPEG-2, at video bitrates over 20 Mbps it will nullify or even surpass the performance 'advantages' of the newer codecs, as they do in my experience (qualifying newer codecs better at lower rates). Both H.264 (and VC-1) and Mpeg-2, when properly implemented and with professional authored content, can deliver an A/V quality that's nothing short of spectacular. And that's exactly where I'm interested in .

p_n

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the real question is simply do we need the bandwidth of blu laser technology for hi def, may argument is no not really SD cand handle it and blu ray is simply too loaded with costly requirements to implement copy protection...not to mention that we are only talking DVD9 here from what I understand multi layer DVD-SD beyaound dual layers is also technologically...well simple.

I s blu laser technology going to become the standard...yes I believe it is

will copy protection be implemented soon...no doubt about it

will it be compromised when it is.....no doubt about it

will people be mad when they finally understand all the things they wont be able to do with the HDDVD that they own....yes but they will get over it.

And who is going to pay for all of this....we are.

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p_n

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Unless Digital Playground did a sub-par job on the conversion, a DVD9 is not enough for a 2 hour MPEG-4 HD feature with sound.

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I planning on buy the new DVD format in 5 years from now! I am kind of a trend setter in electronics too. That the cost that I purchase the first Toshiba DVD back in 1995!
Now you can buy it for around $50? non HDMI input!

You can think of all of this new DVD format for now as experimental!

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p_n

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From my research, you can come close to hig def with the upcovert feature using HDMI from the DVD players now. They convert 480i into 720i or even 1080i depending on your HDTV capabilities. In my opinion, this is already Hi Def! Just need the player/recorder and the HDMI cable and you are there.

I plan to look for a DVD recorder with HDMI on it; since I just purchase an 20" kitchen LCD and it is so clear even in standard definition by way of Dish. My DVDs are also very clear with component cables but HDMI is the way to go!

I hope I convince you to do it the cheapo way - and the easiest way too!

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Upconverted SD-DVD signal, via HDMI/DVI, onto a HDTV screen is absolutely higher-def: very worthwile doing, showing substantial benefits over SD signal.

Like you, I use component to connect DVD with a screen when no HDMI is available (the next best thing to HDMI indeed).

For me, price is irrelevant to A/V reproduction. Working in the high-end consumer electronics industry myself, mostly on portfolio-management related topics, I review a lot of products. My conclusion is: buying quality mostly require higher sales prices. Note: I take A/V quality first, price second; this way I filter out marketing/hype or 'Audio Engineering 101'-biases. And reviewing, which involves listening/ viewing, is dealing with subjective definitions . As always 'taste' is a factor, but the more taste, the lesser the neutrality. For me, getting convinced neutral-, lifelike reproduction can be done 'the cheapo way' is welcomed: neutral-, lifelike reproduction is my goal, price is of lesser interest.

Feel free to convince me .

p_n

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Barry M. Meyer, the chairman and chief executive of Warner Brothers, said that the company came up with the Total-HD disc after concluding that "neither Blu-ray nor HD-DVD was going the way of Betamax anytime soon" ... Nice detail here is the fact that their Total-HD disc is actually a triple-layer HD-DVD based disc, feasible of holding a total of 51GB of data. These triple layers can be configurations several ways, including mixtures using WMV9/HD, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, SD-DVD, DVD-Audio, and so on.

Let's wait and see what happens ...

p_n

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The triple layer 51Gb disc is a new proposal from Toshiba for the HD DVD format and is not anything to do with Warner's disc. It has not been demonstrated, nor have any prototypes been shown.

As far as porn on HD I'm kind of out of the loop. Vivid have announced their intention to put some stuff out on BD, and I believe Digital Playground have released a few HD DVDs, but that's about it. Is that right?

BTW the dual format player may never see the light of a sales room. It is not able to fully play HD DVDs and as such is outside the spec and cannot carry the HD DVD badge. It is MSRP $1199, and is designed by LG.

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Let's wait and see what happens ...

p_n

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LG CES Super Multi Blue Player Release_FINAL.doc

Fully BD and HD-DVD compatible, but hearing the rumours, having some problems playing CD's (Redbook).

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Toshiba did feature their new disc in an active-display at the CES 2007 at their own booth, and photo's of it can be seen here (halve-way page) at their CES 2006 booth (on static display); next official showing is on April 18-19, on the "7th Disc-Tech Expo" in Mumbai (India).

LG released an official statement on Jan. 10 concerning Warners Total HD Disc:
"Warner Bros. and LG Electronics share a common vision of addressing consumer confusion and hesitancy. The Total Hi Def disc complements LG's dual-format player. We believe there are multiple solutions to end the confusion and hesitation caused by the existence of two formats, and it's logical to approach the issue from both the hardware and software side. Just as the Total Hi Def disc is expected to promote increased hardware sales, the LG dual-format player will mean more disc sales. Either way, each company is choosing to put the customer first."

The LG-BH100, also on active-display on recent CES, features twin blue laser diodes with separate HD/BD lenses, and a third red laser diode for playback of SD_formats. The player will use a proprietary LG optical pick-up (anticipating variable disc thickness', common practice in lots of present days 'universal disc players') and the HD_DVD/Blu-ray chipset from Broadcom outputting on HDMI 1.2.

p_n

Edited by - pinc_noiz on 1/13/2007 2:19:27 PM

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p_n

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Last week, I was told that not only are some of the companies who are associated with HD DVD encouraging porn in HD DVD, but they are actually helping companies who are having problems with the format (although, that help is being given on the QT).

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Ha said that Sony has made it difficult to produce BluRay, but that they have found someone who is willing to do so. They will be creating both formats.

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I wonder if the PS/3 may be the deciding factor after all.

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Now, given the price of PS/3's in comparison to other BluRay players, I could understand someone who has no interest in video games purchasing one as a stand alone DVD player. But I seriously doubt that these are the same people who either stood in line for 24 hours to get a machine or who paid top dollar (more than for stand alone players) buying a PS/3 on ebay.

IMO, the most telling sign as to who is winning is the number of discs sold. According to Amazon stats that I've seen, HD DVD is kicking the shit out of BluRay on that battlefield.

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Another stupid thing about the PS3 is that the remote control for it is bluetooth. ::groan:: I've read reviews that it's a decent Blu-Ray player, but this is freakin' stupid. If I can't put the PS3 on my Pronto universal remote control I'm sure as hell not going to use it as a primary HD player for my main system.

That said, Bill's right. Gamers won't buy the PS3 until there are good games for it. When the games come (and they are coming) _I'll_ certainly be buying a PS3. And yes, it'll go in the main room with the HDTV because to put it on a regular TV would be just idiotic and defeat 90% of the reason you buy the thing. It was always understood that the PS3 would start out slow and the Wii would likely gain ground on it in the early goings, but Sony is in it for the long term here, and as long as they're smart about firmware updates, their online network, and getting the games developed (like they were with the PS2), they have a good chance to remain at the top of the gaming market despite the $600 price tag.

BUT--that is neither here nor there. To get back on topic. HD for porn, ABSOLUTELY. I'll be all over it--heck I already have been all over it with the limited WMV content that's out there. That said though, I really don't think the "media center" idea is going to fly. As has been established, technically, you don't need to worry about HDCP in order to enjoy HD content. 1080i works more than fine over analog component video outputs. It's up to the disc developer to decide whether to limit that option for consumers via copy protection that only allows you to see full resolution over a digital connection. I think that would be lame, but frankly--either way porn goes in that direction, I'll buy the discs. HD is the future, and I'm there no matter what its format ends up being.

One last thing. Sony has denied this rumor about them not supporting pornographic content with Blu-ray.

IGN Artical with denial from Sony

Edited by - MLyons on 1/19/2007 10:57:37 AM

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week HD 43.41% BD 56.59%
month HD 42.87% BD 58.25%
year HD 57.13% BD 41.75%

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BluRay has had a recent jump in sales because of the new purchases of PS3's. But, now that the sales of PS3's have dropped off dramatically, I would expect to see sales swing back closer to the overall average.

Also, due to the fact that some titles are being released in BluRay only, others are being released in HD DVD only and others are being released in both formats, looking at weekly sales can be very misleading because a big title might be released on one format and not the other. That wouldn't be an indicator of which is the more popular format. Just an indicator that a popular movie has been released.

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Sony lost the VHS/Beta war because their players were more expensive than VHS players (due to lack of competition because they refused to license the technology to other manufacturers) and because porn was all in VHS. Unless Sony does something different soon, history is going to repeat itself.

"Something different" doesn't mean sticking BluRay drives into a gaming system.

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On the choice of the Sony over the Samsung, you're right. I should have chosen the Samsung. I was under the impression that they were both the same MSRP as one another. I was wrong. The MSRP of the Samsung is $799 while the MSRP of the Sony is $999. However, I wouldn't categorize the Sony as being one of the "most expensive" BluRay players when the MSRP of Pioneer's BluRay player is $1,500.

BTW, that $500 BluRay player in your link is really being sold out of the UK for £500. At today's exchange rate that one costs $987.95. I'll grant you that one of those companies is selling the Samsung for $566. But that same store is selling the Toshiba A2 for $359.

FWIW, I really don't care which format wins the "war". I just want the war to be over. I don't think that anyone will win while two formats attempt to co-exist. All along, I've thought that BluRay has more potential than HD DVD does. But as time passes, it seems more and more like that "potential" is nothing but vaporware that nobody can get to work.

I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to be on the bleeding edge of this technology until the war was over. However, in the meantime, I've received an HD DVD player and a bunch of HD DVD's as Christmas presents.

If Sony can actually make something of that "potential", then I'd be rooting for BluRay to be the winner. But if things remain as they do today in terms of technology, then I hope that HD DVD wins because I think that the lower costs associated with HD DVD is what will allow the format to grow significantly.

Edited by - Bill on 1/21/2007 6:32:03 PM

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