i dunno, doesn't this next-gen dvd stuff smack a bit of laserdisc? dvd has only recently reached critical mass; it seems like people would be loathe to switch players already, when many of them have just purchased one in the past two years. any thoughts on how that'll play out?
DVD players are $20 now. Nobody can make any money selling electronics for $20, so something new must be invented.
The good news is that both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are 5-inch optical discs. That means it'll be possible to make a single player that plays both formats, as well as previous optical discs (CD, DVD). As long as the physical form factor continues to be the same, any transition will be relatively painless. I fully expect to be able to buy a player that will play my current CDs in 2050. Of course, I'll be 82, so I probably won't be able to hear them anymore...
I fully expect to be able to buy a player that will play my current CDs in 2050. Of course, I'll be 82, so I probably won't be able to hear them anymore...
By 2050 you can probably hardwire the sound to your brain so your ears will be superfluous.
This transition is definitely coming. The problem with the DVD format as it exists now is that it's hardwired to current TV resolutions (480 rasters in the US).
The new formats will support HDTV resolutions, To do that they have to be a lot bigger. Two-layer DVDs top out at about 8.5 gigabytes; Blu-ray is something like 30 gig.
As to balancing the rights of consumers and content producers, there's no balance at all. Blu-ray is protected nine ways from Tuesday, and I believe they can even enforce pay-per-vew with it if they want -- at least until someone cracks the encryption, which won't be as easy this time, and is definitely against the law to even try to attempt.
Bryan AWS: thats what I said about DVDs due to the evil region codes. Then LOTR came out.
SDB: I have some hope that the open source community will crack the discs as they did DVD, if only for linux compatibility, irrespective of format. Maybe its a fools dream, but I am hoping for a consumer -oriented outcome. I am willing to suffer some inconveniences as long as when I buy a disc, its mine. That wasnt the case with that ill fated DivX thing from Circuit City IIRC...
The good news is that both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are 5-inch optical discs. That means it'll be possible to make a single player that plays both formats, as well as previous optical discs (CD, DVD). As long as the physical form factor continues to be the same, any transition will be relatively painless. I fully expect to be able to buy a player that will play my current CDs in 2050. Of course, I'll be 82, so I probably won't be able to hear them anymore...
By 2050 you can probably hardwire the sound to your brain so your ears will be superfluous.
The new formats will support HDTV resolutions, To do that they have to be a lot bigger. Two-layer DVDs top out at about 8.5 gigabytes; Blu-ray is something like 30 gig.
As to balancing the rights of consumers and content producers, there's no balance at all. Blu-ray is protected nine ways from Tuesday, and I believe they can even enforce pay-per-vew with it if they want -- at least until someone cracks the encryption, which won't be as easy this time, and is definitely against the law to even try to attempt.
SDB: I have some hope that the open source community will crack the discs as they did DVD, if only for linux compatibility, irrespective of format. Maybe its a fools dream, but I am hoping for a consumer -oriented outcome. I am willing to suffer some inconveniences as long as when I buy a disc, its mine. That wasnt the case with that ill fated DivX thing from Circuit City IIRC...
Just in case you're interested.