Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

monkeychow

^Yeah i was a little tired last night. LOL. I realised this morning you can downmix the sound to regular DTS or Dolby...so i can tollerate a downmix to 5.1 - i was getting scared about having 2.0...lol.

However it does seem the players in Australia all suck in terms of on audio or something else. Check out this guide I have from another forum i'm in.

Tell me which of these players is anygood...they all either have crap audio, or good audio and some other issue.

Sony PS3
Positives
Its a games console
Quick load times
Quick boot up times
Very few disc playback problems
Decodes all HD audio with the exception of DTS HD HR/MA
1.1 profile enabled after FW upgrade
Nice upscaling
HDMI v1.3 (except 40gb)
Web connection for future web-enabled features
Regular FW upgrades

Negatives
Its a games console
No bitstreaming of HD audio
No internal decoding of DTS HD HR/MA
No built in infrared remote receiver
Region locked for SD
No analogue outs for those with non-hdmi avrs
Small percentage of issues of noisy consoles. seems a hit and miss affair as others are almost silent
HDMI v1.2 (except 60gb)

Sony BDP-S300
Positives
Analogue multichannel outs
Nice PQ
Competent SD upscaling

Negatives
Doesn't decode Dolby True HD
Slow boot ups
Slow load times on BD-J titles (improved after upgrading to FW v3.7)
Disc playback problems on some titles (improved after upgrading to FW v3.7)
No profile 1.1
No bitstreaming of HD audio
No decoding of DTS HD HR/MA
HDMI v1.2
Region locked SD
Poor support by Sony locally until recently

Sony BDP-S500
Positives
Decodes Dolby True HD
Decodes DTS HD HR (not MA)
Analogue multichannel outs
Nice PQ
Competent SD upscaling

Negatives
Slow boot ups
Slow load times
Disc playback problems on some titles
No profile 1.1
No bitstreaming of HD audio
No decoding of DTS HD MA
HDMI v1.2
Region locked SD
Poor support by Sony locally until recently

Sony BDP-S1E
Positives
Solid Build
Decodes Dolby True HD (with some limitations)
Analogue outs
Nice PQ
Competent SD upscaling
Competant CD player

Negatives
Slow boot ups
Slow load times
Disc playback problems on some titles
No profile 1.1
No HD audio bitstreaming
No decoding of DTS HD HR/MA
Decoding of Dolby True HD is limited
HDMI v1.2
Region locked SD
Poor support by Sony locally until recently

Sharp BD-HP20
Positives
Quick start
Good value
Nice PQ
Analogue multichannel outs (adjustable level trims and distance setting for all speakers except the sub)
Decodes all audio except DTS HD HR/MA
Competant SD upscaling

Negatives
No 1.1 profile
No DTS HD HR/MA decoding
Disc compatibility problems (improved after FW upgrade)
Some reported problems of 2 channel Dolby True HD playback
HDMI v1.2 only
No HD audio bitstreaming
Region locked for SD

Pioneer LX70A
Positives
Well built
Decodes all audio except DTS HD MA
Bitstreams all HD audio including DTS HD MA
Region free for SD (some players only, others by FW update)
Good PQ
HDMI v1.3
Impressive upscaling
Analogue multichannel outs
Network media ability via LAN
Can update firmware via disc or via net.
Good support from Pioneer locally

Negatives
Not profile 1.1 enabled
Pricey
Some title playback issues (None with latest update)
Slow load times (Fine with latest update)
Slow boot times (Fine with latest update)
Region locked for SD (some players only, others can be made region free by FW update)

Panasonic DMP-BD30
Positives
Profile 1.1 enabled
HDMI v1.3
HD audio bitstreaming of all formats
Impressive BR playback
Quicker boot up times
Analogue outs

Negatives
Poor SD upscaling
No PAL playback (US version)
Flimsy fold down flap
Lightweight design
No internal decoding of HD audio formats (must use with newer HDMI enabled amps new HD audio decoders on board)

Anyways...i'll quit ranting.

Gunslinger

tejastech08 wrote:

Gunslinger wrote:
tejastech08 wrote:
15 times? Who the fuck told you that? A dual layer Blu-ray is 50 gigs. A dual layer HD DVD is 30 gigs. Since when is 50 divided by 30 equal to 15? 1.67 is more like it.
Noboby "told me" I have worked in electronics (until recently due to a family sickness) for years. I worked closely with the industry leaders and I know my shit. However I did not mean FIFTEEEN times but FIVE times (even then I was being modest considering it is actually closer to 7x). Plans are to have a 250 gig Blu Ray discs out by the end of this year and TDK had already made a prototype near the end of 2006 that could store 200 gigs. The potential is one huge reason Blu Ray is winning.
Here's the article: http://www.betanews.com/article/TDK_Dev … 1157125164
That is not likely to be used for movies but rather for data storage. And it's not the current spec so you shouldn't have said that it can do it because it currently can't. Not sure where you're getting the 7x number either. HD DVD confirmed a spec for a 51 gig disc in December. It will never see the light of day because HD DVD has already lost the war and will be discontinued sometime in the near future. At any rate, 250/50 = 5 times.

It is likely to be used for many things, optical media is not limited to the storage of data. 200 GBs is what is being developed right now and therefore is relative to the conversation when comparing the two competing formats. As far as the 7x I was basing that number on YOUR statement that "a dual layer HD DVD is 30 gigs". Based on the information you used for your example I was saying that 200/30 when rounded up to the nearest whole number is 7. I don't have a problem with you but the "who the fuck told you that" remark certainly set the tone for our communication to each other and it wasn't necessary nor warranted. I have no problem with you calling me out for a type-o (15 when intended 5) but that doesn't mean it has to become a personal issue. If I'm reading (what seems like an unfriendly antagonistic approach on your behalf) your intent incorrectly then I apologize and say let's try and use a little more tact with each other from this point on.

tejastech08

Gunslinger wrote:

tejastech08 wrote:
Gunslinger wrote:
Noboby "told me" I have worked in electronics (until recently due to a family sickness) for years. I worked closely with the industry leaders and I know my shit. However I did not mean FIFTEEEN times but FIVE times (even then I was being modest considering it is actually closer to 7x). Plans are to have a 250 gig Blu Ray discs out by the end of this year and TDK had already made a prototype near the end of 2006 that could store 200 gigs. The potential is one huge reason Blu Ray is winning.
Here's the article: http://www.betanews.com/article/TDK_Dev … 1157125164
That is not likely to be used for movies but rather for data storage. And it's not the current spec so you shouldn't have said that it can do it because it currently can't. Not sure where you're getting the 7x number either. HD DVD confirmed a spec for a 51 gig disc in December. It will never see the light of day because HD DVD has already lost the war and will be discontinued sometime in the near future. At any rate, 250/50 = 5 times.
It is likely to be used for many things, optical media is not limited to the storage of data. 200 GBs is what is being developed right now and therefore is relative to the conversation when comparing the two competing formats. The point of this thread was Blu-ray or HD-DVD and some people didn't know much about the formats and were asking for some info. I have been in the industry over ten years and I'd be glad to put my credentials and acheievements, training and knowledge up against yours...anytime. I have worked as a Tech, a company rep and a trainer in a high-end electronics company and have worked closely with the leaders in the business. My point is I don't go running my mouth regarding a subject I don't know anything about. I'm not saying you are ignorant toward this industry either (you are obviously informed relatively well) but it is your rude approach to me that warrants this sort of response. There was absolutely nothing wrong with calling me on a type-o of 15 rather than 5 (it's in the best interest for everyone involved) but the "who the fuck told you" shit doesn't work with me. This is a friendly forum with the sense of a community who likes to hang out and share common interests, not one that is to seek out rivalries for your pasttime. And the smartass answer about 250/50 = 5 is another example of you being rude and another example of your desire to promote an angry response. The 7x came from YOUR statement " A dual layer HD DVD is 30 gigs." And 200/30 when rounded up to the nearest whole number is 7. Now if you would rather continue to antagonize members making enemies rather than to make friends feel free to do so. I have better things to do.

Sorry for being rude.

I was just trying to get the facts straight, not be a "smartass" about the 7x thing. I honestly had no idea where you were getting that number from. But now you explained how, so thank you. You compared a prototype with an actual disc that is currently sold. In my opinion, you cannot compare the two unless you compare prototype with prototype or official spec with official spec. The official specs for the two formats are:

single layer Blu-ray: 25 gigs
dual layer Blu-ray: 50 gigs

single layer HD DVD: 15 gigs
dual layer HD DVD: 30 gigs

Blu-ray has won the war so it doesn't matter, but those are the facts as they currently stand. I think the 200 gig or higher discs will be useful for TV series, but for most movies they will stick with BD-50 or perhaps BD-75/BD-100 if and when either of those are implemented. BD-50 is already plenty of space for pretty much any movie. But I suppose if the studios want to only have one disc for a "two disc special edition" type release, then a 75 or 100 gig disc would come in handy. The future is much brighter with Blu-ray than it was with DVD. The challenge will be convincing the public to buy into it. I think they need to stop making upconverting DVD players because upconverted DVD looks "good enough" for a lot of people in the general public. If they could show off the true difference between high def and DVD quality, it would be an obvious upgrade for pretty much anyone with a HDTV.

tejastech08

monkeychow wrote:

^Yeah i was a little tired last night. LOL. I realised this morning you can downmix the sound to regular DTS or Dolby...so i can tollerate a downmix to 5.1 - i was getting scared about having 2.0...lol.
However it does seem the players in Australia all suck in terms of on audio or something else. Check out this guide I have from another forum i'm in.
Tell me which of these players is anygood...they all either have crap audio, or good audio and some other issue.

I would just wait a bit if I were you. A lot of the current Blu-ray players can't perform PIP and will not be upgradeable. The PS3 will, but it is not the best option if you need something other than HDMI for your audio setup. The players announced at CES are going to have lower prices than the current generation, plus PIP playback, plus faster load times, plus all the audio options you need compared to what the PS3 offers. Some of them are expected to be released during the first half of this year so it's not too long of a wait.

Gunslinger

tejastech08 wrote:

You compared a prototype with an actual disc that is currently sold. In my opinion, you cannot compare the two unless you compare prototype with prototype or official spec with official spec.

That's fair in my opinion. TDK's prototype is supposed to be a reality within a couple of months but yes, as of now it is a prototype per se so I can see your argument. Just a note on the "data" issue however, and I mean this as informative and not argumentive but the development of this format has been geared toward the idea of storing 18 hrs or more of high-definition video on a single disc...not the data storage capability albeit that will be something awe-inspiring within itself. Can you imagine the gaming possibilities? In fact the makers of GTA were worried about the limitations of the XBOX 360 in comparison to that of the PS3 for the series next installment (and this is NOT a lash at 360 owners as I think the 360 has more than made a case for its legitmacy and then some) and the main reason was the storage capacity of the current Blu Ray vs HD-DVD. Ironically it ended up being the PS3's complicated programming issues that held up this eagerly anticipated game in the end.

tejastech08

18 hours? Wow. That's where it comes in handy for TV shows and such, and as I mentioned, 2 or even 3 disc "special editions" on just a single disc unlike DVD.

Speaking of gaming, I saw somewhere that there's already a PS3 game that uses 40+ gigs of a BD-50. I think it was Heavenly Sword perhaps? There's definitely some huge potential with 200+ gig discs.

Gunslinger

Yeah, I can't wait. This is the main reason I wanted the PS3. Can you imagine what potential exists for a game like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, strategic war games (etc)? I think Heavenly Sword may be one of the games using that much capacity. Have you seen the shots for the upcoming Gran Tourismo installment? It takes realism to a level never obtained previously. This game could seal the deal for literally thousands of people who have held off buying a PS3 until this point.

tejastech08

Gunslinger wrote:

Yeah, I can't wait. This is the main reason I wanted the PS3. Can you imagine what potential exists for a game like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, strategic war games (etc)? I think Heavenly Sword may be one of the games using that much capacity. Have you seen the shots for the upcoming Gran Tourismo installment? It takes realism to a level never obtained previously. This game could seal the deal for literally thousands of people who have held off buying a PS3 until this point.

No, I haven't seen any screenshots on it. I had a couple of GT games on the PS1 and PS2. I'm not much of a gamer anymore though. Spend way too much time goofing off on forums like this.

I mainly like sports games and racing games would fit into that category for me although I would consider myself a very casual racing gamer. Let's just say I'm the type that doesn't mind getting the cheat codes and then pimping out the cars just for the fuck of it. Like 10,000 horsepower. The car can't even get going because the tires just keep spinning!

I'm either going to get a PS3 or hopefully a combo player so that I can put my HD DVD player into storage and always have a backup ready. Still waiting for combo prices to come down though. Toshiba will likely make some affordable combo units once they give up and join the BDA.

RussTCB

removed

monkeychow

russtcb wrote:

love the BDPS500. It's my player of choice.

Ok cool..thanks for the feeback...its always nice to talk to people who actually own the players rather than just site reviewers.

So many decisions in Home Theatre land for me at the moment.

Right now i'm considering importing my next projector from japan or the usa - as in Australia they are double the retail price for no real reason - even after i account for shipping, import duties and the exchange rate! . But then the risk is - if its DOA or has dead-pixles or something (on lcd) out of the box - its not going to be easy to send it back to japan.

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Re: Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Board footer