BR/HD-DVD Thread

[PC-Engine]

Sanyo is very much alive in consumer electronics. Check out their lineup at their website. They have LCDs, Plasmas, Flat CRTs, DVD players, HT systems, digital cameras, etc.

http://www.sanyo.com/entertainment/televisions/

They're doing very well in getting aggressively priced electronics into the homes of average Joes especially tube-based HDTVs with built-in ATSC tuners. Their support, development, and manufacturing of HD-DVD optical assemblies will likely lead to their own aggressively priced HD-DVD players selling at large chain stores like Walmart which is where their HDTVs are being sold.

 

[wco81]

BTW, they just announced that BR will have VC-9 and AVC (MPEG4) in addition to MPEG2.

 

[PC-Engine]

BTW, they just announced that BR will have VC-9 and AVC (MPEG4) in addition to MPEG2.

Hmm...interesting, this might mean the two formats may merge in the near future.

Also more from Sanyo.

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) has decided to adopt the HD DVD standard promoted in the DVD forum...an international association that brings together some 220 consumer electronics, entertainment, software and other related companies around the world. SANYO will develop next generation DVD players and recorders using the HD DVD standard, and aims to first launch in Japan HD DVD players in 2005: and recorders in 2006: and then expand into the North American market.

Shift on demand from conventional VCRs to hard disc recorders and combo-type DVD recorders has gained momentum, and the DVD player/recorder market has gotten off to a quick start. Electronics Industries Association of Japan research forecasts DVD recorder shipments of 10 million units in 2004. Along with increase of flat panel TVs that can handle Hi-Vision content, increase in demand is expected for recording high-definition software.

HD DVD is being promoted by the DVD forum as the standard for next generation DVDs. It's compatible with current DVDs, so consumers' DVD software libraries can readily be used.

SANYO joined with Toshiba and NEC in the autumn of 2003 for technical studies of HD DVD-R, a one-time recordable version of the format, in May 2004 was able to jointly present this to the DVD forum. In September 2004 SANYO, Toshiba and NEC expect this HD DVD-R technology to become Version 0.9.

Sanyo will provide a core component, the optical pickup, Sanyo officials said Tuesday.

HD-DVD is capable of recording 30 gigabytes of data on a dual layer disk. Sanyo decided to join the Toshiba-NEC camp because the HD-DVD parts structure is similar to that of existing DVDs and the manufacturer can utilize its current facilities, the officials said.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=10333

 

[nondescript]

Hmm...interesting, this might mean the two formats may merge in the near future.

Care to elaborate?

 

[PC-Engine]

Hmm...interesting, this might mean the two formats may merge in the near future.

Care to elaborate?

Well it's just a hunch based on what wco81 posted among other things I've read about what the BDA "might consider". If they've adopted both VC-9 and MPEG4AVC then they're leaving their options open for a future format merge. IMHO it's to appease the studios. If this turns out to be similar to the way DVD was created, it will be good news for consumers.

 

[Ty]

Re: Sanyo joins HD-DVD camp.

Who said?

(serious question, not bitching)

Consumer reports based on the feedback their members provide.

Someone mentioned Zenith being very reliable but that is contrary to the same poll CR conducted (it was mediorce just above RCA if I remember).

 

[Deepak]

Link

Sanyo Electric, an established maker of optical drives and components, will produce both components and players for the blue-laser-based HD-DVD format, the company says.

Sanyo hasn't ruled out participating in Blu-ray--at least at a component level, says Watson.
"We looked at Blu-ray, but there were compatibility issues. Down the line, it is possible that we could supply components for Blu-ray," he says.

 

[PC-Engine]

Hey wco81, where did you hear about the BDA adopting VC-9?

 

[wco81]

http://news.com.com/Blu-ray+group+gets+behind+Microsoft+tech/2100-1041_3-5330786.html?tag=nefd.hed

 

[-tkf-]

http://news.com.com/Blu-ray+group+gets+behind+Microsoft+tech/2100-1041_3-5330786.html?tag=nefd.hed

WOW!

Backers of the Blu-ray DVD format are adopting Microsoft's video compression technology, giving the software giant a secure foothold in each of the two major camps battling to establish a successor to DVDs.

 

[KnightBreed]

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200408/04-0831E/

High Capacity Blu-ray Disc-ROM Mastering System "PTR-3000" Now Available

Development Paves the Way for Mass Production with Low Cost, Compact Production Line That Requires 1/5 the Space of a Conventional DVD Mastering System

Tokyo, August 31, 2004 -- Sony today announced the successful development of the Blu-ray Disc ROM (BD-ROM) mastering system for Blu-ray Disc pre-recorded content.

Key benefits of this new system include low cost operation, increased reliability and compact size. The PTR-3000 system uses a blue laser heat chemical reaction based on Phase Transition Mastering (PTM) technologies, and requires less than half of the processes and only 1/5 the space of a conventional DVD mastering system. In addition to the mastering of BD-ROM discs, it enables the mastering of conventional DVD-ROM discs in one system. The PTR-3000 mastering system will be available starting this fall.

With this PTM technology-based mastering system, Sony and Sony Disc Technology Inc. actively supports the implementation of the BD-ROM format for high capacity and high definition video content.

Sony plans to create a total mass production BD-ROM test line, including PTR-3000 and BD-ROM disc replication line, in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. This line will operate in tandem with the existing Sony Disc Technology Inc. Shizuoka technology center in Japan.

Since larger capacity optical discs require the pit to be smaller on the disc, current DVD mastering technology was not compatible for use in next generation optical discs.

PTM technology uses a special inorganic resist which is comprised of metal oxide. It utilizes a chemical heat reaction generated from the changing phase of amorphous to crystal, instead of photo resist, in the fine pitch recording of electron beam or deep UV laser. This laser uses 405nm wavelength consumer blue laser to make the smaller pit.

PTR-3000 consists of 3 simple units: Sputtering, Cutting and Developing. In the manufacturing process, instead of a glass substrate and photo resist, the system uses a silicon wafer and inorganic resist that eliminates the pre-process and conductivity process. As a result, it became possible to directly duplicate the stumper. Therefore, the PTM process and current master galvanizing process combined reduce the mastering processes from 11 to 5 process steps.

 

[passerby]

Make that a double WOW. I look forward to seeing how the rival formats fight each other.

 

[wco81]

Why are people that shocked? Blue Ray != Sony.

There are too many other interests in the Blue Ray Association and they all need to cater to Hollywood, which supposedly expressed interest in VC-9.

It'll be interesting to see which codecs are most used. I've seen some comparisons where MPEG2 fares about as well as the "superior" codes, which simply can't deliver the quality at low bit rates as claimed.

VC-9 and AVC may permit most BR movies to be crammed into a single layer BD-ROM.

Now, will MS consider putting a BR drive into the Xbox2? Essentially, the only advantage left to HD-DVD is an initial cost advantage in duping discs.

The BDA should pool some money together and make sure MGM doesn't fall into Warners' hands, which might presumably mean locking up the MGM library for HD-DVD.

 

[KnightBreed]

VC-9 and AVC may permit most BR movies to be crammed into a single layer BD-ROM.

Shhhhh, don't give the studios any ideas! "Crammed" is not an adjective I want describing any high-def movies I purchase. I want the best possible picture quality and the most content for my money. With 50GB storage capacity and 54mpbs read speed, the possibilities are virtually limitless.

 

[Deepak]

Microsoft Wins a High-Definition DVD Battle

Blu-ray on Wednesday said Microsoft Corp. has won the DVD technology group's backing of a video compression standard for new high-definition discs, marking an advance for the software maker in an emerging consumer electronics arena.

***************

??, what does that mean??

 

[KnightBreed]

Microsoft Wins a High-Definition DVD Battle

Blu-ray on Wednesday said Microsoft Corp. has won the DVD technology group's backing of a video compression standard for new high-definition discs, marking an advance for the software maker in an emerging consumer electronics arena.

***************

??, what does that mean??

That quote is worded very awkardly. It basically means that any Blu-ray certified player must be able to decode video that was written in VC-1 file format.

The Blu-ray consortium mandates all devices that can read BD-ROM discs must be able to decode video that is in MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC High Profile, and VC-1. The actual studios that master the discs can choose which of the three video codecs they want their movies stored on the disc. The mandatory requirements are in place so that if Columbia/Tristar, for example, releases a movie encoded in VC-1, all Blu-ray players will support playback of this disc.

 

[PC-Engine]

HD DVD audio codecs approved:

http://www.dvdforum.org/27scmtg-resolution.htm

DD+ Lossy (mandatory), DTS++ Lossy (mandatory), MLP 2-Channel Lossless (mandatory), DTS++ Lossless (optional)

http://www.eetimes.com/sys/news/sho...id=2W4GZP3VACOXCQSNDBESKHA?articleId=47902479

September 23, 2004 (4:21 PM EDT)

MANHASSET, N.Y. — Dolby Laboratories said Thursday (Sept. 23) that several Dolby audio technologies have been selected as mandatory standards for the emerging High-Definition Digital Versatile Disc (HD DVD) and Blu-ray Disc media formats.

The DVD Forum has selected Dolby Digital Plus and MLP Lossless for HD DVD, while the Blu-ray Disc Association has selected Dolby Digital for the Blu-ray Disc. Both disks are next-generation packaged media formats designed to deliver high-definition picture quality.

Both Dolby Digital, selected for the Blu-ray Disc format, and Dolby Digital Plus, selected for HD-DVD, are compatible with the millions of current consumer electronics products, including A/V receivers, DVD audio and video players, PCs and DVD video recorders. Dolby Digital Plus offers bit-rate and channel extendibility beyond Dolby Digital.

MLP Lossless technology, for HD-DVD, is the core audio technology behind multichannel DVD-Audio. It enables content providers to encode multiple channels of 24-bit/96 KHz surround sound or 24-bit/192 KHz stereo content onto a DVD.

Official general HD DVD logo.

HD DVD-ROM logo.

http://www.dvdforum.org/images/HD_DVD-ROM_notice2.ppt

 

[cthellis42]

So how many weeks do you give Blu-Ray before they announce another codec to close up that gap too? They've been "under discussion" but saying they'll "offer a significant improvement" over current DVD formats, so I imagine they're shuffling things about the table. Since HD-DVD has laid down their cards, though, Blu-Ray is going to have to show its hand as well.

 

[PC-Engine]

So how many weeks do you give Blu-Ray before they announce another codec to close up that gap too? They've been "under discussion" but saying they'll "offer a significant improvement" over current DVD formats, so I imagine they're shuffling things about the table. Since HD-DVD has laid down their cards, though, Blu-Ray is going to have to show its hand as well.

You mean copying every move the DVD Forum makes?

I really wonder why the BDA always waits for the DVD Forum's decisions on codecs before they finalize theirs.

That's really all they can do now since their antics of trying to stifle the DVD Forum voting process has been nullified.

Anyhow the BRD audio codecs have already been decided on awhile ago AFAIK and from what I've heard the BDA are sticking with the normal DD and DTS.

 

[jvd]

so pc engine when can i get a hd dvd recordable drive for my pc that wont cost an arm and a leg ? 2 years ?