View Full Version : Blu-Ray UK launch date announced...
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62625
Disappointing launch titles in my opinion.
Why bother to release decent titles, they know that people will buy any old tosh to show off their new purchase. I still have fond memories of people rushing to buy any old crap in the early days of DVD.
thescrounger
31-08-2006, 16:48
Probably nothing to play them on either.
<a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62627">Warner</a> and <a href="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62628">Fox</a> announcements now also up.
Wow, those Fox titles really make me want to rush out and order my Blu Ray player right now...
Grandmaster
31-08-2006, 18:58
So Fox are using AVC, not VC1 seeing as how the movies are encoded in 'MPEG4' :gag:
There's only one studio quality AVC encoder and it's nowhere near as good as VC1. For an example of how poor this encoder is, check out U2 Rattle and Hum on HD-DVD.
thescrounger
31-08-2006, 19:09
Another nail in the coffin for Bluray.
Why bother to release decent titles, they know that people will buy any old tosh to show off their new purchase.
'tis true - I have Aeon Flux coming with my hd-dvd player :doh:
Disappointing launch titles in my opinion.
Maybe. I know I wouldn't buy any of them but at the same time DVD had some atrocious launch titles! People have such short memories.
They've been quite smart about it, releasing the kinds of titles young males would buy and at the same time holding back the big guns until the format is established
those Fox titles really make me want to rush out and order my Blu Ray player right now..
Well to be fair you buy a player on the prospects not on the launch line up! Did you see how many PS2's were sold in the first year or so? Let me tell you, people weren't buying it for the launch line up!
Another nail in the coffin for Bluray.
Launching in Europe/Britain is a nail in the coffin? :thinking:
Grandmaster
01-09-2006, 05:50
Actually it seems that Fox are using the Panasonic AVC encoder. This will bring a massive performance increase over MPEG2, but it's still an uphill struggle to keep up with VC1 which has been built from the ground upward for HD delivery.
BTW camaj - nice to have you back from your "Blu-Ray is actually a bit crap" imposed exile! :p
Actually it seems that Fox are using the Panasonic AVC encoder. This will bring a massive performance increase over MPEG2, but it's still an uphill struggle to keep up with VC1 which has been built from the ground upward for HD delivery.
BTW camaj - nice to have you back from your "Blu-Ray is actually a bit crap" imposed exile! :p
AVC is excellent, it requires more CPU than VC1 but other than that the quality is pretty much the same.
Grandmaster
01-09-2006, 07:57
AVC is currently optimised for standard definition and below, work is still being done on the encoders to make the most of its potential. In theory, AVC should - in the fullness of time - outperform VC1. Right now it doesn't resolve as much resolution/detail without increasing bandwidth.
The AVC vs VC1 comparisons have already been done using the same HD-DVD movies (US versions in VC1, Japanese in AVC).
BTW camaj - nice to have you back from your "Blu-Ray is actually a bit crap" imposed exile! :p
I don't remember saying that :shrug: I only stayed away because there wasn't much to talk about and I was getting fed up with people being obtuse.
AVC is excellent, it requires more CPU than VC1 but other than that the quality is pretty much the same.
That's my understanding. I don't think either were built with a preference for HD but WM9 was created a long time back and I believe it was initially just a highly efficient codec. AVC was created almost for HD but I don't think it's better with HD material than SD.
Personally I'm always a little bit concerned when MS have there finger in the pie. I'd like them to stick to H.264 (AVC is the old name) until things settle down.
Grandmaster
01-09-2006, 15:47
I don't remember saying that :shrug: I only stayed away because there wasn't much to talk about and I was getting fed up with people being obtuse.
There was plenty to talk vis a vis Blu-Ray but I got the impression that as it was overwhelmingly negative it didn't quite tally with the months of Blu-Ray advocacy you'd posted here. Perhaps I am not being very charitable there though :p
I don't think either were built with a preference for HD but WM9 was created a long time back and I believe it was initially just a highly efficient codec.
VC1 was specifically built for high definition, and optimised specifically with next gen video playback in mind. In fact, for standard definition it fares much worse than AVC. Yes, it is based on WMV9, which, er, was also built for high definition - primarily in a web-based delivery format. VC1 is the High Profile version of WMV9, with a huge amount of extensions designed to optimise HD picture quality.
Personally I'm always a little bit concerned when MS have there finger in the pie. I'd like them to stick to H.264 (AVC is the old name) until things settle down.
Microsoft have extensive patents in AVC in addition to VC1. This is the main reason why Sony are using a ten-year-old codec with their equipment. It's all purely political, and it's the end-user that suffers as a result with cacka picture quality.
Sony offered me a month's free on-site trial of 'Blu-Print' - their supposedly high-end authoring tool. It still does not support either AVC or VC1. And they want to charge me $50,000 for the software and $10,000 a year in 'service charges'. :lol:
thescrounger
01-09-2006, 16:07
Did you see how many PS2's were sold in the first year or so? Let me tell you, people weren't buying it for the launch line up!
That's true, they bought it based on a load of fake hype, like having an emotion engine.
That's true, they bought it based on a load of fake hype, like having an emotion engine.
Bah!
I love the emotion engine...! Its so... well, emotional.
IIRC I purchased my first DVD player in 1999 or maybe 2000 to play the Alien DVDs.
thescrounger
01-09-2006, 18:50
Play.com have the Samsung BR player up for pre-order now for £999.99 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://playcom.at/thedvdforums?DURL=http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/1135114/Product.html?source=2006090609)
I don't remember saying that :shrug: I only stayed away because there wasn't much to talk about and I was getting fed up with people being obtuse.
I had visions of you staying with monks Rambo 3 stylee until you got the faith back. :(
Spectre07
01-09-2006, 19:23
Bah!
I love the emotion engine...! Its so... well, emotional.
IIRC I purchased my first DVD player in 1999 or maybe 2000 to play the Alien DVDs.I bought my first DVD player in 1997 and for almost a year all I had to play on it was Contact and Invaders From Mars.
I bought my first DVD player in 1997 and for almost a year all I had to play on it was Contact and Invaders From Mars.
Invaders from Mars? I've never even heard of that! Contact is pretty decent, I bought it based on word of mouth, as one of my first DVD's, that was in mid 98 though
I had visions of you staying with monks Rambo 3 stylee until you got the faith back
Sorry, no. Feel free to believe that anyway
Spectre07
02-09-2006, 13:17
Invaders from Mars? I've never even heard of that! Sorry I meant the Tim Burton film Mars Attacks!
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