So this "Blu-Ray" disc thingy...

[MinionZombie]

With these new discs, which will be used with the PS3 - but also as the next step in DVD technology, will you be able to PLAY these discs on your existing computer and existing DVD player?

It would so not cool if you have to get whole new players and computers to handle some new stupid disc.

[Andy]

no a current CD or DVD is read with a red laser, where-as the new blue-ray disks are read with a blue laser (thus the name, blue-ray).

the difference being that a blue laser has a much shorter wave length than a red laser and can be focused much sharper on the disk. the practical upshot being that a blue-ray disk, exactly the same size as a DVD/CD, can hold as much as 50GB of infomation on it (opposed to 4GB on a DVD).

in simpler terms, you can get about 12 DVD's worth of data on 1 BD (blue-ray disk).

so no, you wont be able to use BD's in a DVD or CD player, but you will be able to use your CD's and DVD's in a BD player :)

[p2501]

What Andy said.

Blu-ray isn't going to operate on the same players as the current stuff your running. likewise i'm told neither will HD-DVD. although HD will be cheaper to buy from the onset.

i think Generation 1 HD DVD units are going to be sold for between $600 to 900 depending on features. The Blu rays are speculated to run for atleast $1000 for just the player units. the Blu ray DVD prices haven't even been set as yet.

To me it's all nonsense because in two years should the format be adopted by the public, they'll have DVD combo units that will play both (if to all three) formats for under $200. which hopefully by then the PS3 will be out.

[axlish]

With these new discs, which will be used with the PS3 - but also as the next step in DVD technology, will you be able to PLAY these discs on your existing computer and existing DVD player?

It would so not cool if you have to get whole new players and computers to handle some new stupid disc.

The initial prices are going to be high but if you remember when DVD first came out, players were pretty rediculous in price. I think I paid about $325 for my first player in early 1999.

There is about to be a format war between BluRay and HD DVD so it ought to be interesting to see who wins. I am going to lay back and watch the fireworks for a while before I make a decision.

These discs will be worthwhile. Films that were shot in HD (like Star Wars episodes 2 and 3) should be presented in 1:1 ratio of quality. In essense we should be getting a copy of the master. In the cases of 35mm films there will still be some compression issues. The audio will be compression free as well, which will be a considerable upgrade from DVD.

Best case scenario, the better technology wins the war, but only after the prices drop to rock bottom.

Worst case scenario, the worse tech wins (remember VHS?) and they come out with better technology a couple years later (Which could possibly be the case. Holographic discs are being developed, terrabytes are being discussed).

[p2501]

it's intresting because there was a write up on AICN where they interview James cameron abut his next projects. aparently he's going for a new variant of 3D, but using HD as a basis for it.

This is curious because 3D is slowing and covertly becoming a reality, i know the Gorillaz have delayed touring in support of Demon Days becuase they're working with a devlopement company that's creating a techniquire to allow them 360 degree, real time 3D stage shows. the tech looks damn impressive, and could very easily be adopted into a home theater. given this and the number of movies being shot entirely on green screen (Sin City, and Ultraviolet, i think), they could easily be "ported" into this format.

should the technology work out, and if it can be affordably put into a home theater set up. Blu ray and HD-DVD will have a very short shelf life.

[MinionZombie]

Typical - MORE money to splash out.

Just as long as normal, perfectly good, DVDs still get sold as the mainstream item - which I'm sure they will, because no-one in their right mind will hop off to a new DVD format so (relatively speaking) soon after DVD has come out...although that was technically about 9 years ago, but it wasn't until say 2000 before it became a big thing.

[Neil]

The fact you can buy a current DVD/CD writer (dual layer) for your PC for under £20 shows you how cheap this technology really is...

[p2501]

true, but honestly them marking it up at first really doesn't hurt the average movie watcher. the people paying through the noses for these first units will be the high end home theater crowd and tech junkies.

give it a year or two, and then buy in. by then the units will be in the low hundred depending on the options you want, and the disc prices will have stabilized.

besides most of the manufactures haven't even decided if these first players will offer a recorder as well. that alone makes it worth the wait.

[Enzomatrix]

i read somewhere that the dev kits for the ps3 that have been sent oout so far wouldnt include blu ray so theres a chance that the ps3 wont release with blu ray in it but some kind of add on drive or something will be sold separately.

[DeadJonas190]

i read somewhere that the dev kits for the ps3 that have been sent oout so far wouldnt include blu ray so theres a chance that the ps3 wont release with blu ray in it but some kind of add on drive or something will be sold separately.

The PS3 will be delayed so it has Blu Ray if need be. Sony has money in on the Blu Ray technology and they plan on the PS3 helping the sales of Blu Ray discs much like the PS2 did for DVDs, after all, according to Sony most peoples first dvd player was a PS2 and they hope the same thing happens with PS3.

[Neil]

The PS3 sounds more and more like a mess! Delays, reconfigurations...

[MinionZombie]

The usual thing, they think they're "the poo" and they get cocky - or they try and implement things a tad too soon and get ahead of themselves promising dates they can never keep.

It's just like with STALKER - CONSTANT delays, early 2007 is what it's up to now I think, I've had it pre-ordered since late 2004 for cripes sake!

And speaking of the PS3 - all those trailers they show, pre-rendered video - that isn't in-game graphics, and yet they can just pump that stuff out and not get told off, it's stupid. Mind you, the ASA here in the UK told off Activision for the Call of Duty 2 adverts - they didn't show ANY in-game footage, only pre-rendered video, which had nothing at all to do with the game itself. Many games companies do that, and it's just not right.

But what's more retarded, is the people who BELIEVED the COD2 advert...and then sued when they found out the graphics weren't like on the advert, geez!

Bit of a segway, but meh...

[Enzomatrix]

microsoft did the same thing with the xbox 360 one prime example would be madden 2006 on the 360 the footage they showed before the system launch was way better than what ended up being the games final graphical look. in the end they tend to hedge their bets a bit in the graphical dept not to say neither company wont be able to get those kinds of graphics out of their respective systems given time. remember how the first round of ps2 games looked ? now look at games like God of War and Shadow of the Colossus.


i still think they dont need new systems right now both the xbox and the ps2 had and have years left on the technonolgy but everyone seems to be in such a rush to be the first and the best that they will end up wasting and losing alot of money due to rushing.

nintendo didnt even need a new system if anything maybe a better controller design and some kind of modem and most importantly newer games in the sense of original ideas we have already seen more than once on every system theyve come out with.


i hope sony can pull off using blu ray technology because the benefits as far as gaming go will be unbelivable in terms of the size of info those disks are rumored to hold but like alot of folks are saying their push to bring out this new technology so soon could be their repeat of the betamax incident.

[Burbank]

I'm not happy about this talk of the next generation media disks. I've spent a fortune on DVDs and still haven't replaced my VHS collection in full yet and already they have two new systems coming out...

[p2501]

And speaking of the PS3 - all those trailers they show, pre-rendered video - that isn't in-game graphics, and yet they can just pump that stuff out and not get told off, it's stupid. Mind you, the ASA here in the UK told off Activision for the Call of Duty 2 adverts - they didn't show ANY in-game footage, only pre-rendered video, which had nothing at all to do with the game itself. Many games companies do that, and it's just not right.




Agreed. i sony F'ed themselves in the A with the PS3, from the prerendered **** at E3 to the new BluRay debacle, it's just one thing after another. we might seen for Q4 2006, but i'm thinking the quantities are going to run short (like always) which is going to incite bloodshed from everyone that paid full price for a reserve on the unit back in Q4 of 2005.

i'm honestly looking forward to this debacle. if only because now Halo 3 is poised to serve as a product "punt block" for the PS3.

[bassman]

I'm not happy about this talk of the next generation media disks. I've spent a fortune on DVDs and still haven't replaced my VHS collection in full yet and already they have two new systems coming out...

Im with you on that one. Same way i'm looking at it....

[p2501]

the systems should be backwards compatable, if not initially they will most certainly offer "dual head" units capable of playing your chosen new format and the old DVD standard format.

i don't think you current selection of DVD's will be rendered antiquated just yet.

[DeadJonas190]

the systems should be backwards compatable, if not initially they will most certainly offer "dual head" units capable of playing your chosen new format and the old DVD standard format.

i don't think you current selection of DVD's will be rendered antiquated just yet.


The Blu Ray people are saying that it will be backwards compatable. I remember Microsoft saying the same thing about the X Box 360....

[Neil]

I'm not happy about this talk of the next generation media disks. I've spent a fortune on DVDs and still haven't replaced my VHS collection in full yet and already they have two new systems coming out...

And of course when the HD versions of films such as Lord Of the Rings come out its going to be soooo tempting to have to buy them to watch on that nice big HD plasma 42" TV!!!

The film companies are frothing at the mouth I expect at the prospect of selling all those films again!

I bet Lucas is already preparing more mindless CGI to include in new versions of the Star Wars films to mark their launch in HD.

[Andy]

The Blu Ray people are saying that it will be backwards compatable. I remember Microsoft saying the same thing about the X Box 360....
a blue laser can read normal disk's easilly. thats already been established as fact.

microsoft said the 360 would be backwards compatible then ran into software problems before its release.

since there is no software involved in the simple operation of a laser, you cant compare the 2 events :p

[MinionZombie]

Of course, the thing with LCD tvs - dead pixels. The thing with Plasma - they need 'refilling' - REFILLING...A TV...geez. Fact is Plasma is definately not ready for mass consumption, only chumps with lots of money buy them - *ahem* if you have one Neil, then it was a cool idea :)...

*ahem*

Same for LCD, some go nuts with dead pixels - who wants little black dots all over Angelina Jolie's mush when watching Mr & Mrs Smith (which I saw today - it was quite good too, surprised that Doug Liman made a film with GOOD action in it as well)...

Well, as long as the new tech doesn't take over for a few years...and my existing DVDs will be fine via backwards compat, then I'm not tooooo fussed. But seriously, why do they need to move so fast on this sort of technology, surely a push on things like holograms and 3-D would be a better idea...as well as improved Plasma/LCD tech...hehe.

[Neil]

Of course, the thing with LCD tvs - dead pixels. The thing with Plasma - they need 'refilling' - REFILLING...A TV...geez. Fact is Plasma is definately not ready for mass consumption, only chumps with lots of money buy them - *ahem* if you have one Neil, then it was a cool idea :)...

*ahem*

Same for LCD, some go nuts with dead pixels - who wants little black dots all over Angelina Jolie's mush when watching Mr & Mrs Smith (which I saw today - it was quite good too, surprised that Doug Liman made a film with GOOD action in it as well)...

Well, as long as the new tech doesn't take over for a few years...and my existing DVDs will be fine via backwards compat, then I'm not tooooo fussed. But seriously, why do they need to move so fast on this sort of technology, surely a push on things like holograms and 3-D would be a better idea...as well as improved Plasma/LCD tech...hehe.

I thought they'd improved Plasmas now... ie: They will last a good 10 years etc...

[MinionZombie]

When my folks were buying a new TV last year they were looking into this Plasma thing, but not only were they far too expensive the salesman said that the tech isn't really ready yet, at least not for two or three years - they're supposedly too problematic at the moment, but given time they'll improve.

My folks ended up getting a 32 inch flat screen monster, it's a good TV, but damn it's big, lol.