Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Moriarty Has Chosen Blu-Ray...For Now... And Here’s Why!

Virtual Satyr has chosen HD-DVD and here's why by Virtual Satyr	Nov 28th, 2007 03:45:14 AM
It was on sale.
first by thedigitalpunkz	Nov 28th, 2007 03:46:08 AM
damit
Be very careful Mori... by Hoots Mon	Nov 28th, 2007 03:49:03 AM
Robert Carlyle and zombies in high definition is a potent combination. Can't believe you haven't seen that film yet, it's brilliant. Just make sure you don't get the boxes mixed up with Ratatouille - you're bairn will get the fright of his life.
I have chosen DVD cuz I dont need more junk by BMacSmith	Nov 28th, 2007 03:55:46 AM
DVDs are good enough for me. maybe I'm getting old.
mori, this was a good review by Bob C. Cock	Nov 28th, 2007 03:56:17 AM
much better than harry's hd-dvd "review".
Remember when full screen was the norm? by Bass Ackwards	Nov 28th, 2007 04:00:04 AM
I mean I used to get in arguments with my friends, who didn't seem to understand that full screen was NOT the way movies were supposed to look. Putting aside sound and picture quality, I'm always going to have a special fondness for DVDs just for making widescreen movies so accessible.
I HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO GIVE A SHIT... HERE'S WHY by Iowa Snot Client	Nov 28th, 2007 04:04:03 AM
PS3? That's a lot of money for a doorstop, but I guess in LA things are different.
As always, Moriarty is the best writer at AICN by ShiftyEyedDog2	Nov 28th, 2007 04:07:19 AM
...and I trust and repsect his opinions, even if I don't always agree with them. Well done.
*respect, not repsect by ShiftyEyedDog2	Nov 28th, 2007 04:09:10 AM
when will AICN join the rest of the internet in having a simple "edit post" function?!?
and a nice fat endorsement cheque for Mori: by newc0253	Nov 28th, 2007 04:18:30 AM
it's good to have a christmas bonus, eh? i kid, i kid. it's a well-argued piece.
Mori by TiPPiDa	Nov 28th, 2007 04:29:34 AM
Mistake Number 1.. You bought a Plasma panel from LG (which stands for "LUCKY GOLDSTAR" a cunning name change after Goldstar got a reputation for selling inferior electronics).. I'm sorry but looking at the pioneers, the panasonics, and even the samsungs, on the wall at the store next to the LG's, I HAD to shell out some extra coin and get the Panasonic (comparable with the pioneer in picture, but lacks the meaty price tag). If you're gonna playback the best format, you are lessening the experience by not getting a panel that really brings the images to life... actually that's not entirely fair, the LG plasma panel is not a piss poor TV, and you'll certainly get a better experience than with a rear projection.. I don't know.. I guess I just love my Panasonic TV with my Panasonic BD10 haha actually I like that better than the Samsung with the Toshiba HDA30, but that's a personal preference. I gotta say though.. I hear you on the Ratatouille disc.. But I think that may be the PS3 not having beef enough to handle the audiostream that's one thing I'll give BluRay is the sound is frikkin AMAZING (watch the Fifth Element in TrueHD and you'll know what I mean).
at least Mori's was simply anecdotal, and not full of inaccurate by ShiftyEyedDog2	Nov 28th, 2007 04:30:45 AM
Harry's original (pre-edited) piece on HD-DVD still stands as the most laughable "article" ever on AICN. Here Moriarty told of his own experience, and didn't stoop to trying to compare one to the other, much less with tons of wrong information.
CETK on bluray looks absolutely fantastic by SpencerTrilby	Nov 28th, 2007 04:31:02 AM
like, flawless picture and sound. My best experience of this masterpiece, ever. To be fair, I guess it must be the same with Paramount and Universal HD-DVDs, though.
Vern has chosen looking out the window, here's why by Vern	Nov 28th, 2007 04:33:44 AM
I got no money. Also I hear porn is kind of gross when the resolution is that high.
Having said that though.. by TiPPiDa	Nov 28th, 2007 04:38:05 AM
Considering fellow Aussie our good doctor John Papandriopoulos, and his discovery making the NET 100 times faster.. doesn't that make fullHD downloadable content in our lougerooms that much closer to ending this stupid "disc" war?, everything Pay per view, everything decoded in a set top box ala satellite/cable TV, saved on the players HDD drive, no more printing MILLIONS of discs per movie.. just think of the money that the Studios would make... I don't know.. the Corporate slut in me thinks this is the way of the future.. but hey being a corporate slut has worked out pretty well for me so far haha..
It'll be a while before physical media is gone. by mr.brownstone	Nov 28th, 2007 04:40:38 AM
Like 10 years or so. A stop gap between DVD and downloads is needed. Most people in the world do NOT have high speed internet let alone at speeds that would make downloading HD at disc compression rate quality + extras anything less than a slow annoyance. In Japan they have the infrastructure with average download speeds of 60 mbps, but North America is stuck around 1.6 mbps with no significant upgrade in the near future.... so lets get comfy with these new disc formats, I think we're gonna be using them for a while.
Like... by mr.brownstone	Nov 28th, 2007 04:47:40 AM
the other day I was in a video store and I heard a guy say "these are all DVD's?"... and then he left. True story. Some people are still clinging to VHS let alone having the tech to download and store HD.
Agreed with Mr Brownstone... by Pawprint	Nov 28th, 2007 04:50:59 AM
But for different reasons. I think people like to have something physical in their hands for the price they pay for a new film. Downloading music digitally is a different kettle of fish because of the nature of portable digital music players, but if I buy a film or Computer game, I want the box and disc in my hand - something tangible for my money. Portable video devices are clearly not the way modern films are meant to be seen - LOTR on a PSP or Ipod? Not for me, thanks. Perhaps the way forward would be 'tagging' discs somehow which allow you to legally copy them to the devices in your home...
Pawprint by mr.brownstone	Nov 28th, 2007 04:55:04 AM
agreed. I can't stand watching movies on portable devices smaller than a laptop. But I'm not talking about downloading just for portable use but the idea of having all your media on a home server.
Vern by mr.brownstone	Nov 28th, 2007 04:56:12 AM
according to dvdtalk.com it's more "intimate".
Home Server... by Pawprint	Nov 28th, 2007 04:58:54 AM
Maybe I am just a luddite, but I would worry if I didn't have the DVD as back-up and my 'home server' went tits-up, as modern technology is wont to do. It all comes down to that reassuring feeling of having something tangible, and a feeling of ownership and property I suspect!
Mori and Vern are both right by Subovon	Nov 28th, 2007 05:08:53 AM
Mori is right in his first paragraph (read no further), although video on demand is not the future, it is now. It's happening on Netflix right now. I pay $17 a month to get 3 DVDs out at a time, and I get 17 hours of video on demand if I want it. I want it often. It rocks. I'll take the trade-down in quality to watch your garden variety Hollywood film like the summer comedy schlock fests over waiting for the DVD to get to me. For 300, I'm still getting the DVD for now. But that won't last long. Certainly not 10 years like that dude said above. Look at next December, more like it. Right now, anything I put on my 50 inch plasma Panny is fucking gorgeous, including free low-res downloaded porn clips. Who's buying porn these days? 3 or 4 free clips played through my laptop which is hooked up to the widescreen does it for me. If I want to go for longer, I ride my woman. She's in high def, and she's more interactive than a Nintendo wii. I love her, she's the hottest toy in the house, she screams, and I don't mind that I'm her entertainment center. That's just the way it goes. In other words, this format war is a joke on you, if you're playing. The only people in this game I don't make fun of is Playstation 3 owners because the Blu Ray capability is like a cherry on top of the cake. I don't think people buy the system for that, they're looking to play games and then watch movies – maybe. Who wants to shell out $30 for a fucking movie? That's so 1999. Oh, wait, you get 'em from Netflix? Smart fuckers! Vern is right, because the view outside his window is way better high def than HD anything.... and if he cared to stick his face between the legs of a real woman (or a man's legs, who knows, maybe there's something to his seagalogy), he wouldn't have to worry about anything looking weird on his TV. But he's still right. Vern is always right. Lastly, to all you people who bought an HD player, or a stand alone Blu Ray player: HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
And they saw romance is dead by spyro	Nov 28th, 2007 05:28:49 AM
'I have a 60 inch rear-projection TV that stands in my family room right now. I’ve had it for a few years. I got it for my wife for Valentine’s Day one year.' How Romantic Mori. No flowers or expensive dinners for the wife. Here's a big-ass tv ! lol.
KnightShift has chosen touchy-feely media and here's why by KnightShift	Nov 28th, 2007 05:51:23 AM
Gotta disagree with you on the thing about physical media dying, Mori. It's too much ingrained in human nature that we like our stuff nice and tangible. That's the reason why e-books have never taken off: because there's tactile pleasure in having a real honest-to-goodness book that you can prop and pose and peruse with your hands. Things like that are also a visual indicator of materialism and taste (more human nature that we'll never abandon). Heck man, we've seen pics of the legendary Moriarty DVD collection: we're as much in awe of that as you are no doubt proud of it. But what would it be like if you had ALL of those movies solely on some media server? 'Twould be a somewhat more cold and sterile home ya'd have. Having things like CD racks and DVD shelves in our homes is as part of the character and decor as much as the furniture... and reflects a lot about our own character also. No doubt sales of the downloadable media are going to continue climbing ('cuz there's some convenience there that many people do enjoy) but they'll never eclipse sales of good ol' plastic and paper.
Pipple chooses youtube, here's why by Pipple	Nov 28th, 2007 05:54:48 AM
cuz ya save money on gas. And discs aren't going anywhere, at least not the burnable kind. Ya need to back yo shit up.
Oh YEAH Mori, you rock! Woo hoo! YEAH! by Riley Martin	Nov 28th, 2007 05:55:15 AM
I can't see the difference between DVD & HD. I don't have disposable income, so DVD it is.
IVE GONE PURPLE:HERES WHY. by Redfive!	Nov 28th, 2007 05:58:05 AM
The HD war is retarted but HD movies rock so i bought a good Sony Blu-Ray player then months later bought the Toshiba HD-DVD player,now i dont give a sh*t.
Mori, let us know what you think of 28 Weeks Later... by beastie	Nov 28th, 2007 06:06:45 AM
That's all.
KnightShift has it right... by Pawprint	Nov 28th, 2007 06:11:09 AM
I have bought an HD DVD player, and I am completely happy with it; I am able to watch top quality chewing gum for the eyes like Transformers HD, and it upscales my existing DVDs - plus it's region free.
with studios abandoning blu-ray by palewook	Nov 28th, 2007 06:11:41 AM
and the ps3 losing game developers to the wii and xbox, dont expect blu-ray to be anything more than a novelty.
Pawprint by BigBadBeeatch	Nov 28th, 2007 06:25:53 AM
ummm BluRay is only region encoded by choice of the releasing studio. The good majority of releases out there are region free!
Why you chose Blu-Ray by spyro	Nov 28th, 2007 06:27:19 AM
....because you got a good offer on a PS3 and 15 free films ! Not much more to it than that !
Ratatouille by mooseaka	Nov 28th, 2007 06:27:39 AM
Mori, great article. I'm so sorry to hear your Ratatouille experience was jumpy (but then I don't feel all that sympathetic towards you when you say you got to see the same scenes sitting next to Brad Bird in the studio). Watching that movie on my PS3, after having missed it in the theaters, was probably the most profound movie watching experience of my life. Yes, wet rats with matted fur swimming towards a sewer changed the way I look at film. Brilliant.
I should know by The Rebel	Nov 28th, 2007 06:37:31 AM
I have both BR and HD-DVD. I have both PS3 and XB360 (with HD-DVD player) so here are my 2 cents. PS3 has HDMI and my XB doesn't, so picture quality looks better on PS3. Sound is the same via optical out to my professional Pioneer amplifier with 5.1 B&W speaker system and woofer. Personally, I think things will not tilt on tech specs but more on marketing and appeal. A BR in my hand does feel more sexy than an HD-DVD. Yes. Plain and simple. I am not looking for a flaming war, but BR has that sexy edge like a MacBook Pro compared to a HP Windows laptop. Its the texture, the blue box. So, I prefer BR. But in the end, the plebs doesn't like slick lookin' products, they want cheap all-for-nothin'-kind'a-stuff. Especially in the U.S.
Blu-Ray looks like crap compared to HD-DVD by irc-Hollywood	Nov 28th, 2007 06:49:22 AM
Mori, the minute you put in a HD-DVD and compare it to Blu-Ray your going to be stunned that more people are not raving about the difference in quality. HD-DVD LOOKS LIKE FILM. Blu-Ray looks like somebody up the sharpness on your remote all the way up. As somebody who has seen alot of projected film, your really going to notice the difference, and i expect you to rave about it!
Blu-Ray is still mostly region encoded though... by Pawprint	Nov 28th, 2007 06:49:48 AM
Regardless of whose choice it is. Over here in the UK, Transformers HD is not released until December 3rd; because HD is Region Free, I bought the American version back in October. A region Free player is a big draw for me personally.
Yah Pawprint, I have an upscaling player too by KnightShift	Nov 28th, 2007 07:04:51 AM
We've a 37-inch LCD high-def set (1080i but I've heard at that size you can't tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p anyway) and a Philips upconverting DVD player. Have never been disappointed with image quality. My wife got the 2-disc Hairspray standard DVD last week and it's positively amazing on our setup. Transformers and V for Vendetta also look great. The one DVD that I thought could have been better was 300, but I'm chalking that up mostly to the original look of the film. It's still hella cool though :-) No doubt we'll one day get a high-def player when this silly war settles down, but in the meantime I'm perfectly happy with standard DVD.
That format warfare is hilarious by SpencerTrilby	Nov 28th, 2007 07:06:06 AM
but not as much as its deluded followers. Reminds me of many other little conflicts set up to manipulate people and steal them their hard-earned money (SEGA vs. Nintendo, Arnie vs. Sly, Bulls vs. Lakers, etc...). Special Darwin Award to those pretending they can actually SEE the difference between 300 in HDDVD or bluray. Kudos.
In a year or 2 dual players will be $150 or less by wash	Nov 28th, 2007 07:16:05 AM
And anyone who gives a shit about HD will have one. Format war moot. That's exactly what's going to happen. For now, I've chosen BR because I got a good deal on a PS3, no other reason. ALSO: Buying tons of discs is a waste IMO...Netflix FTW.
I SUPPORT BOTH FORMATS ON THIS ONE, HERE'S WHY by Pound Sand	Nov 28th, 2007 07:16:55 AM
A protracted format war stimulates competition and price wars, and will occupy both companies attention. Meanwhile, the winning "third format," will emerge and conquer the whole debate, rendering Blu-Ray and HD-DVD a footnote in a trivia contest. For grocery clerks.
i don't know blu-ray well (wish i did) by Holodigm	Nov 28th, 2007 07:19:01 AM
but i do have HD-DVD, and i do know that the picture on it is absolutely mindblowing. anyone who has has an hdtv really is missing out, and you truly don't realize the capabilities of your tv until you get one of these players.
I bought a LaserDisk player back in the day by I Dunno	Nov 28th, 2007 07:27:10 AM
So I'm not going to get burned again. I can wait for the hybrids. As for the format war, I don't know the specifics of the deals each side made with the studios but I know that most people aren't going to pick one side so that they can watch some of their favorite movies in HD. So until they get their shit together, I'll stick with DVD. The whole thing is overrated anyway, that's why the PS3 didn't sell well. Most people don't even have HD TVs and even more people wouldn't think the difference is worth replacing their whole libraries over. It's not the same kind of revolution that the switch from VHS to DVD was.
Blu-ray does not exist in this dojo by Cobra--Kai	Nov 28th, 2007 07:27:48 AM
I second that call for a Moriarty review of 28 Weeks Later. I'd also advise you to pick up the Kingdom Of Heaven: Directors Cut on Blu-Ray, it is simply stunning.
Anyone seen the Troy director's cut in HD? by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 07:29:57 AM
I got it at the used shop in town, but haven't watched it yet...is it better? Less gay?
Yack, KnightShift... by Pawprint	Nov 28th, 2007 07:31:22 AM
Hey Yack - long time no speak! Like I said Upscaling was only one of the draws of HD for me - no Region encoding was the main one (pic quality aside of course!). KnightShift, 300 was the HD DVD I bought first to show off my new player and TV... I spent hours thinking "Shit - is this it?!", and trying to tune out the grainy look of it with my remote before someone told me it's actually part of the film! It took the HD scenes in Rocky Balboa and Transformers to reassure me!
Anyone paying Best Buy prices for an HDMI cable by DDFan22	Nov 28th, 2007 07:31:35 AM
Ain't the sharpest stick in the forest
Radio Shack prices are worse by I Dunno	Nov 28th, 2007 07:35:08 AM
At Best Buy they're around $30 (for the non-gold plated ones) at Radio Shack they only have a $75 one. My cable company gave me one for free so I was spared any anal bleeding.
None of the HD formats look that good to me. by minderbinder	Nov 28th, 2007 07:40:19 AM
Not HDDVD, not bluray, not broadcast/cable HD. Sure, there are more pixels, but I see WAY more visible artifacts than regular DVD. Sorry, but I'm just not interested yet. Hopefully the encoding will improve, or maybe it will take yet another format down the road. Either way, count me out for at least a few years.
HD-DVD/BLU-RAY by jae683	Nov 28th, 2007 08:03:31 AM
I have both too. I have a launch PS3 (glad I got the launch, because the new ones don't have hardware backward compatibility) and I just picked up a n A35 Toshiba. Doesn't matter which one you pick, they both look and sound great, but HD still has better interactivity. I also agree with the post above, about physical media; Human like to collect things. They like controlling when and how they watch things. And they like the permanence of disks. Downloadsable medie won't be the answer, I don't think. Oh, and Moriorty? Conan? Really?! As a game machine, the PS3 really is a doorstop.
Physical media will stick around by Zappary	Nov 28th, 2007 08:18:17 AM
It's possession utility, and you don't really get it from an electronic file that might as well be floating in the aether.
I have a 2 acre high plasma, with a datacube player by ironic_name	Nov 28th, 2007 08:19:26 AM
so there.
SpyGuy has chosen just plain DVD and here's why by SpyGuy	Nov 28th, 2007 08:24:49 AM
1) I still have roughly 30% of my recorded video library still on crappy VHS tapes because standard DVD versions haven't been released yet. 2) Having spent a serious chunk of change the past five years upgrading the other 70%, I have no desire to turn around and spend another serious chunk of change for HD versions that won't be completed before The Format To Come debuts. 3) Until "Format War II: The Wrath of Betamax" is more clearly decided, I've no desire to get stuck with a format facing extinction. The upgrade from VHS to DVD was an obvious move, but the upgrade from DVD to HD? Not so much.
Sounds like the apocaplypse by Mooly	Nov 28th, 2007 08:30:58 AM
I fail to see what is so great and pleasant about people just shrugging and accepting that people are going to "steal" everything in the future. Why buy BR or HD or DVD when you can just steal it? The future generation won't care about HD medium because they only want to steal digital files off the internet! Hell, one person already posted that even low res files look awesome on his plasma. What? Wow. Sounds pretty bloody terrible to me. While I'm not an idiot, and have downloaded music from time to time, I enjoy having that physical disk sitting beside the TV. I enjoy knowing that for my money, I got something tangible in return. I don't want to pay full price for just the information. I pay money for goods and want something to show for it. Meanwhile, if anyone else out there is like me, then their appreciation and enjoyment of music has seriously deteriorated. When they just download a cd then it becomes meaningless and expendable. No effort went into obtaining it and little appreciation comes out of it. Instead it just quickly gets buried in the Ipod with all the other music that acts as little more than background noise during your day. Sorry, but I fail to see what is so great about digital distribution. Seems to me to be one more way for companies to get money for nothing and for the apathetic to continue stealing movies/music and then come onto forums and pretend to be movie lovers who give a shit.
If you don't think high-definition is better... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 08:37:18 AM
Then you either don't have or have never seen the right setup, period. All HDTVs are NOT made the same, and there are any number of brands that will change your viewing experience. My neighbor, for example, got a Samsung DLP, then proceeded to position it 6 feet from the couch...WTF? DLP looks heavenly from the right distance, but up close looks like the bastard child of standard definition. Also, there IS a difference between 720p and 1080i...720p is much better for watching constantly moving pictures (sports), while 1080i is sharper for more stationary broadcasts. There's a bunch of other reasons, but you get the drift.
Speaking as an average middle-income consumer... by qweruiop	Nov 28th, 2007 08:42:08 AM
...who's in the 20 to 30 year old range, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray still don't interest me enough to get them. There's just not enough of an appeal to make the switch from my DVD's to these new formats, and more than likely most of America still feels that way too. While with VHS and DVD there was the huge gap in improvement, enough to rebuy copies of movies I already owned, I just don't see the motivation in HD-DVD and Blue-ray other than finding I have to pay about $8 to $10 more per movie because the picture is a little clearer. (And on a side note, I'm still the kind of guy that buys VHS's if I find a good price. Thanks to their clearancing, I love buying VHS's for around $1 at used bookstores). Moriarty is right that the future is with streaming movies on the internet/cable box. That is the right motivation because most people nowadays have at least some sort of entertainment center, and most people only go to the theater when they have to, so with streaming movies it only compliments that format even more so. And I believe Moriarty's opinion far more than the rest of the AICN gang because once again Moriarty has chosen not to use Amazon.com referral links to his recommended products. He could've easily done so but he didn't, which adds much more credence to his observations. Good job Moriarty.
Yeah, physical media won't die... by Logo Lou	Nov 28th, 2007 08:47:42 AM
It'll change, reduce in number, but never die. When I hear people say that I just hear the voices of people who said TV will replace movie theaters. On the PS3 tip... I just got one and love the thing, as well as 2 of my friends just picked one up (two 60gigs and an 80gig for those SKU curious). Waiting for my free Blu Ray discs in the mail to see how they look.
Blu-Ray FTW by 7Cal	Nov 28th, 2007 08:52:44 AM
Yeah I picked up the 80GB PS3 on the day they dropped in price, at trusty Futureshop. Then they matched Dell's deal so I got a free HDMI cable and NHL 08 thrown in to boot, so a good deal (altho Mori's Walmart deal sounds waaaayy better). The first 2 movies I picked up were Ratatouille and 28 Weeks Later, and they both rocked. Funny, I never had Mori's problem with Ratatouille, maybe because I have my PS3 jacked into the net and I got auto-firmware updates. Anyways, might get a HD-DVD eventually, but right now the only exclusives on it I want are The Kingdom, Children of Men, and Transformers. And Paramount's 18-month exclusivity deal runs out in in early 2009, so maybe I'll just hold off. I guess we'll get a better look at how the format war will be heading after this holiday season.
MORE THAN 50 INCHES TO SEE TRUE HD????? by THE KNIGHT	Nov 28th, 2007 08:55:03 AM
I read that your TV set has to be at least 52' inches to see the true resolution of either BLU-RAY or HD-DVD... Can anyone confirm this for me please? Something about a TV less than 52 inches won't have the full resolution of 1920x1080
42 Inch LG Plasma by erichaislar	Nov 28th, 2007 08:56:23 AM
Goog choice man I have had that same tv for about 6 months now. I love it. best thing i ever bought.
I have HD-DVD and here's why... by Lost Skeleton	Nov 28th, 2007 08:58:07 AM
it came with the Xbox 360 I got on qvc. Anyone who thinks HD is not worth has never seen HD. Like my parents used to be until they realized that they needed a HD receiver from the cable company to actually view it. Now they believe. Really don't care about the format wars but I do want and think HD-DVD will win because its cheaper and I have one. May get a PS3 next year but I would never by a stand alone BR player.
Nick Papagiorgio sez... by Nick Papagiorgio	Nov 28th, 2007 09:00:14 AM
Dowloading movies is the true "next gen". Stay ahead of the curve people, not behind.
That's not correct, KNIGHT... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 09:08:31 AM
Your eye and brain can perceive the additional pixels found in a high definition broadcast on a much smaller medium than that...take the newest batch of PC monitors...I've got a 22" widescreen with a DVI connection, and a pretty stacked HP PC with a nice Nvidia graphics card...I've got 1920x1080 running and it looks great - Bioshock looks awesome. Same holds true for video on that size monitor - I don't have any hi-def players attached to it, but watch an Apple.com Quicktime trailer in 1080 - you will definitely see the difference.
Knight, My 24 inch LCD is 1920 X 1200 native resolution. by Mace Tofu	Nov 28th, 2007 09:08:54 AM
It's the # of Pixels not the screen size ( I've seen 40 inch LCDs for sale that are only 640X480 ). My 42 inch is 1080i only and I think it's 1388 X 720 but that looks fine to me in HD sitting about 8 feet back from the TV in bed.
TFD, do you come with any rebates? by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 09:10:14 AM
If I order TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION, does the box come with 2 free copies of an ASS KICKING too?
Nick Papagiorgio sez... by Nick Papagiorgio	Nov 28th, 2007 09:15:12 AM
TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION.... sounds like my first marriage.
why digital media is bullshit by PVIII	Nov 28th, 2007 09:23:38 AM
People like showing off their DVD collection. People like putting them on bookshelves. People like lending their DVDS. Therefor, no will just want to pay for 1000 digital movies on their box, because it seems like a waste of money, and it is. I've chosen to stick with DVDs because my Criterion Collection has cost me an assload.
I've chosen pork fried duck and here's why... by KillaKane	Nov 28th, 2007 09:34:11 AM
Damn that shit's tasty!
PS3 is not worth it... by Judge Briggs	Nov 28th, 2007 09:34:32 AM
there aren't any great games out for it that you can't get for the XBox 360? Other than the Blu-Ray, no other reason to get one!
I am format neutral and here's why.... by AllPowerfulWizardOfOz	Nov 28th, 2007 09:38:08 AM
because I bought a PS3 and an HD-DVD player so I could get the best of both worlds. I just upgraded from my HD-DVD add on my 360 and picked up the A35 which offers the new audio codecs options of being able to finally unlock True HD. Was it worth it? Fuck yeah considering I got the player for only $359.00 and 10 free HD-DVDs to go with it.
" I remain convinced that we are in the waning days of physical by rev_skarekroe	Nov 28th, 2007 09:42:22 AM
Precisely. And that's why I've chosen neither Blu-Ray NOR HDDVD.
Jarv couldn't give a fuck and here's why.... by Lost Jarv	Nov 28th, 2007 10:07:41 AM
it's pointless, stupid and self-harming. I will buy a PS3 but that is because I want a next generation console, but want to be able to play some of the PS2 games I own on it. I wouldn't want a Bluray or HDDVD player as the lifespan of a format tends to be 10 years=ishm which gives DVDs another few years. This is the equivalent of the laserdisc.
I download HD Movies off of Xbox Live by erichaislar	Nov 28th, 2007 10:12:33 AM
But some times i wonder if they are true HD? I have a feeling they are just the dvd version. does anyone know?
Until BluRay and HDDVD discs are on the shelves for $5... by Stereotypical Evil Archer	Nov 28th, 2007 10:13:11 AM
Entertainment per dollar. DVD IS KING! Take that, you High-Deffers.
***** If all HD-DVD disks were "combo disks"...... by JDanielP	Nov 28th, 2007 10:13:32 AM
...so that HD-DVD could play in any dvd player (depending on the player for high-definition), then this battle would be much tougher for Blu-ray. We have an outstanding Sharp Aquos LCD (I'd buy another one) and I was prepared to make the jump to HD-DVD, having witnessed HD movies on Xbox Live. But when I discovered that only some HD-DVDs are "combo disks", I simply picked up a $50 dvd player (which included an HDMI cord) that up-converts our library of dvds. (And my wife picked up "300" for $6.99) I know that up-converting will never be the equal of true HD content. However, it was a very affordable solution, for us. But then again, I find HD-DVD to be tempting. And if that HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 ever becomes a really sweet deal (or if Microsoft ever releases a 360 with HD-DVD capabilities included in the hardware), then that may be enough for me to make the jump. And besides, I'm keeping my eye on the deals offered with the various HD-DVD players.
I guess there are idiots by THE KNIGHT	Nov 28th, 2007 10:15:15 AM
buying 40 inch tv's with only 640 lines of res... yikes!
High Def DOES NOT LOOK LIKE FILM...AND HERE'S WHY by Stereotypical Evil Archer	Nov 28th, 2007 10:17:53 AM
Anyone who says "high def look like film" clearly has NEVER GONE TO A MOVIE! HDTV is 2 megapixels per frame. 35mm Film is 12.6 megapixels per frame! 10.6 megapixel difference.
plasma is low def by lavatory love machine	Nov 28th, 2007 10:18:21 AM
did you know that? LCD is the way to go
things that have nothing to do with the article by blackhole4140	Nov 28th, 2007 10:19:12 AM
Pretty sad that a grown man can't wake up at 6:30 in the morning on his own. Did you get your wife a bowling ball with your name on it the following Valentine's day? Still, I agree with most of your points.
Too early to tell by darthvedder81	Nov 28th, 2007 10:24:35 AM
I have a Toshiba DLP HD projector I'd love to hook up to an HD/BR player but it's just waaaaay to early to tell who's going to win (if either). 480p DVD still looks pretty damn good to me so I'll stick with that for now and save $400.
I beg to differ. by DocPazuzu	Nov 28th, 2007 10:25:39 AM
Until a break-proof hard disc or infallible "media device" has been invented, there will ALWAYS be a need for physical media. If I were to move all my music and movie files onto such a device and then lose the entire collection in one stroke because of faulty tech, then I'd fucking deserve to sit there weeping in misery for being so stupid. You must excuse me if I'm repeating someone else's sentiments, but I can't read the goddamn TB because of the FUCKING WHITE SCREEN.
Oh, and... by DocPazuzu	Nov 28th, 2007 10:28:37 AM
...anyone who thinks this format "war" is winnable for either HD DVD or Blu-Ray is deluding themselves. The only sensible thing is to keep buying regular DVDs and sit this one out until they're both dead and then wait for the all-encompassing, paradigm shift system which is still at least six to ten years in the future.
Physical Media remains and will by Pariah74	Nov 28th, 2007 10:35:29 AM
Like others said, it's a possession thing. I think physical and virtual can and will both exist. There's room for it, and as soon as the publishers and laws catch up to our attitudes on the subject blissful harmony will ensue. As for HD or Blu ray? Who cares. I'm 5-10 years away from picking either. I've only had a DVD player for 5 years. I agree with this person "I can't see the difference between DVD & HD. I don't have disposable income, so DVD it is." And I'm way more into video quality than people like my mom, or my wife. The argument is a moot point in a geek vacuum. It's beyond stupid because history has told us that quality or even the 'better product' does determine the winner.
Mooly has it right - digital distribution is a dead end by gruntybear	Nov 28th, 2007 10:35:55 AM
Look what has happened to the music industry in just a few short years. The outlets to purchase music on physical media has so diminished over the last couple of years that I really fear that it will never revive. Tower is gone; Virgin nearly dead and everyday Mom-n-Pop music shops are closing their doors. The music shop was my personal sanctuary. I could go for hours on end and sift through the back catalog bins, searching for just the right song, just the right album. With the shuttering of virtually all independent music stores due to the ease of pilfering MP3s online, the only readily available outlets to buy music are the big-box stores, the Walmarts, the Best Buys - and even they are pushing the CD to the back of their marketing schematics, like some dirty little secret to be kept hidden and out of the way. (To add insult to injury, during this past holiday shopping extravaganza, Best Buy halved their new music endcaps, devoting the reclaimed space to iPod earbuds and MP3 player accessories.) And when you look at what a pitiful selection is now available - nothing but greatest hits compilations and the latest releases, you absolutely have to know deep down that this sales nosedive isn't going to right itself. Oh, but it won't happen for film, it won't happen with books, I hear people claim. People who see films, who read books want a tangible experience. They want to hold it in their hands. Those media are nothing like music, where the sensual aspects of owning something you paid good money for doesn't truly exist. Bullshit! For all the hype, when really the only viable LEGAL online source for "tunes" is the monopoly of Apple (somewhat tempered by Amazon's recent foray into digital shilling), the music industry has never been in worse shape. I hate the iPod so much for what it's done to the music industry. If you don't think it will happen to the film industry, think again. It's only a matter of time before films are as easily "traded" (read: stolen) and horrendously devalued as has music. The scariest thing I've ever heard these naive tech-children utter is their refrain that the music should be free. WTF? Kiddies - it only worked for Radiohead because Radiohead had already benefited from the star-making apparatus of the studio system everyone seems to be so intent to piss on and demonize. For mass produced entertainment, for mass produced "art," free is not a viable business model. As loathe as I am to agree with the man, I can't argue with Gene Simmons recent comments to that effect. You can't shoot another "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for free and partake of it via the blurry crapfest that is YouTube. You can't expect another "Harry Potter" publishing phenomenon on the beneficence of the author. Digital distribution is a dead-end. I refuse to pay money now for these "back-up" files for music, the same way folks ought to refuse to "pay" for the privilege of downloading their future films or other media. Digital distribution only consolidates the control of the media in the hands of a few select corporations. We inch everyday closer to a world where the consumer will need to pay for each spin of each song, for each viewing of each film, for each read-through of their favorite novel. Isn't that why DivX died such a horrible death? The consumers didn't want to pay admission over and over again to access their media. They'd prefer (I would hope) to buy it once, have the "original" in their hands and be able to manipulate or use the media as they see fit. Digital distribution will bring about just the opposite. You wait and you see.
oops by Pariah74	Nov 28th, 2007 10:36:21 AM
should say "does NOT determine the winner" Doh!
So you chose Blu-Ray because you bought a PS3? HAHAHA by Darth Bauer	Nov 28th, 2007 10:40:20 AM
You chose a format in the HD war just because the game system you bought has it? Come on.
Dual Format... by BoggyCreekBeast	Nov 28th, 2007 10:47:53 AM
No problems! I own 2 Blu Ray machines and a 1st gen Toshiba. There's no format war in my home theater.
Have fun with crappy Xbox 360 ports by Savage Lucy	Nov 28th, 2007 10:54:42 AM
As far as looking forward to playing Conan on the PS3 after seeing it on a 360, there is one thing to keep in mind. The only game which has shown up on both consoles that plays and looks the same is Call of Duty 4. Every other title showing up on both consoles plays and looks much better on the 360. If you don't mind stuttering cutscenes, lower framerates, a massively smaller catalog of games worth playing, and a craptacular online component, then the PS3 is the way to go.
Blu-ray and HD-DVD are nothing... by emptystan	Nov 28th, 2007 10:55:15 AM
Blu-ray and HD-DVD are nothing compared to Ultra High Def. You haven't lived until you've watched video that's 7,680 × 4,320 on a 600 inch screen with 22.2 surround sound. Seriously though, I was expecting to read that you choose Blu-ray for the selection of titles or the quality or the specs, but just because they were giving it away? Really? Damn.
I'm too poor to afford any format... by DarthBakpao	Nov 28th, 2007 10:57:40 AM
... i'm sticking to my VHS
Spot on Gruntybear by SpencerTrilby	Nov 28th, 2007 10:58:20 AM
spot fucking on. Also, to the deluded people trying to pull a console war into the debate: please STFU. All systems have great games, period.
I chose "combo disks" for DVD and HD-DVD options. by JDanielP	Nov 28th, 2007 11:04:53 AM
When you can play your movies in ANY dvd player...or watch it in glorious "HD-DVD" on your living room HDTV, you can't help but feel pleased. "Combo Disks" should be the norm, with HD-DVD.
I predict the onle winner from this battle is .... by NomoredirtyjokespleaseweareYanks	Nov 28th, 2007 11:15:21 AM
Cinemaware. No wait, I meant me with my Commodore VIC 20.
So Mori's grooming his son to be a huge nerd? by JimCurry	Nov 28th, 2007 11:24:41 AM
Good move, first the name, now the kid's gonna be forced to do other kid's homework or else fall victim to a beating. no kind of media will get him outta that shit, bud!
T-formers in HD by shitstorm23	Nov 28th, 2007 11:26:59 AM
Looks fantastic. Or as fantastic as that convoluted mess can look anyway. I don't know that either of these two will really "win". I can't see myself repurchasing my entire DVD collection. But, I can't wait to get The Matrix and Planet Earth on HD-DVD for xmas though!
Cornponious has chosen pink silver-dollar sized nipples...here's by cornponious	Nov 28th, 2007 11:28:22 AM
Because they are nipples.
I have chosen Betamax...Here's why! by boba_rob	Nov 28th, 2007 11:28:42 AM
Betamax tapes are more compact than VHS tapes and have comparable sound and video quality. Furthermore, Beta tapes capable of holding the same amount of video as their VHS counterparts. I don't see anything in the next 20-30 years capable of beating Betamax. So say I. And those new audio CDs-they will never replace cassette tapes. And don't get me started on floppy discs. I mean come on, they can store 2 MB of information on one tiny disc! That's huge!
You want Blu-Ray eye candy??? by ThatOpieGuy	Nov 28th, 2007 11:36:41 AM
Look no further than Planet Earth: The Complete BBC series. I'm going through these discs right now on my Netflix, and they are breathtaking in the detail and beauty of the images. The kind of thing that children and stoners alike will simply sit and stare at for hours on end, enraptured by the photography. Trust me.
Damn by MacTard420	Nov 28th, 2007 11:41:14 AM
If you bought an HDMI cable that has free movie offers, you must have got ripped off. You can get an HDMI cable for like $12 on Amazon. That Monster cable isn't going to be much better than a generic one in this case.
HD physical media won't die and here's why... by Uncle Bobo	Nov 28th, 2007 11:41:21 AM
Storage. If downloading is the future, where does one put all their HD movies? On an external hard drive? Several? And how much will that cost? A typical HD-DVD disc with all its extra features uses a 30gb dual layer disc. If you're collecting films of an HD or higher video/audio quality, you're going to run out of space. That means then storing the downloaded movies onto HD-RW, burnable Blu-Ray discs, or something. So now you're still dealing with physical media, only not as presentable as an official HD release with the associated artwork and packaging. Music is different as it doesn't take up as much space. You can fit your music onto an ipod or your hard drive. Not many folks really care about Super CD audio or 24 bit music or some high resolution format like that, and most people aren't downloading whole albums, but rather individual singles, so storage space isn't a big issue. Not so with movies, particularly movies of a HD format or higher. It's apples and oranges. I think HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray media will be around until the next higher digital format comes around, like 2K players and discs or something like that.
Gruntybear by Madines Sideshed	Nov 28th, 2007 11:45:29 AM
"We inch everyday closer to a world where the consumer will need to pay for each spin of each song, for each viewing of each film, for each read-through of their favorite novel." - you're totally fucking right man, software is already heading this way. The way it's going we won't have a shelf of DVDs we can just saunter over to and pick one, we'll have to go online, wait for connections and downloads then pay to watch. It seems it may soon be about the only business model that is left for the producers of mass entertainment to make money. Is it all of us to blame for downloading free music or the fact that CDs were kept at an artificially high price for years? Probably both. Movies next.
porn is kind of gross in HD???what, compared to how pleasant it by slappy jones	Nov 28th, 2007 12:06:16 PM
oh and i wish my wife would let me buy her a new 60'' t.v. as a gift.
thats was meant to read by slappy jones	Nov 28th, 2007 12:07:19 PM
compared to how pleasant it is normally?
Good Post General Crom by Madines Sideshed	Nov 28th, 2007 12:08:51 PM
Thing is though, if/when the fuckers do pull the rug from under us we won't be able to get the new films from that point on. And as the years go by the physical collection will become more and more marginalised, just like vinyl.
I applaud the fairness by AlwaysThere	Nov 28th, 2007 12:17:41 PM
Finally something that the majority of Blu-ray owners can read.
Correction by Pariah74	Nov 28th, 2007 12:20:27 PM
Actually I think a lot of people do know, they just aren't willing to pay the money to get it because it isn't that important to them. Which is why DVD HD has such a problem catching on to the masses. Most of us do see and do understand the better quality...but we see the ratio of cost to improvement as unbalanced. That's why people are saying it won't be the next thing. It may, I don't know, the deciding factor will be what comes along in the time between now and the time when the hardware is reasonably priced to my mom. It also depends one who markets it better. You keep laughing at him for choosing blu-ray because of a PS3...but do you think he's alone, or even a minority on that? Lots of people will buy Blu Ray discs to play in their PS3.
This is a cross between the who-gives-a-shit Xmas newsletter by Mister Man	Nov 28th, 2007 12:21:33 PM
and the boring vacation video that your relatives or clueless acquaintances force feed on you. While I am interested in technical comparisons, I don't need the filler.
I choose to wait for Holographic TV, and here's why... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 12:21:37 PM
Because I may not have to wait that long...http://tinyurl.com/29qb 7e
For those of you still confused when a space appears... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 12:22:36 PM
http://tinyurl.com/29qb7e
if you're a true filmophile by I87D	Nov 28th, 2007 12:24:16 PM
who likes to watch all movies in the best possible format you can get your hands on -- 16mm, DVD, whatever -- why is this even a debate? some movies, the best possible format available is VHS. do I call my friend who just bought a new VHS deck because he loves watching out of print movies only available on VHS a "idiot" for supporting a "losing format?" no. he's a film lover who needs that VHS deck to watch certain films (mostly foreign and a lot of stuff that never reached DVD) and that's VERY cool. Heck, even Laserdisc is handy these days if you want to watch the original SW trilogy in the best format you can -- BEFORE it was made into "special edition." So I know many people who will be hanging onto their LD player for a while... just for 3 movies. And that's cool too. So long as there is just one movie you want to watch the best way possible for a format, that format will always have a reason to exist to a true film lover. And true film lovers won't get bogged down in petty, oddly heated arguments over who's an idiot just because they bought one type of DVD player over another...
"I picked an 8-foot Monster cable because it came with a 5-free- by zerogundamx	Nov 28th, 2007 12:30:34 PM
For the price of that monster cable, you could have gotten a perfect quality HDMI cable dirt cheap at monoprice and SIX Disney Blu-rays!
I prefer... by christian66	Nov 28th, 2007 12:34:03 PM
..a litle format called Super-8. Check it, I have at least ten, 5 minute reels of films like GODZILA VS. THE THING and STAR WARS. In sparkling black and white no less. Maybe when this tech porn ends, I'll think about an upgrade to 16 mm. I prefer to have some downtime not having my eyes and brains melted by various tv and cell waves.
Sony owns all by zooch	Nov 28th, 2007 12:38:52 PM
they are not going lose any format war.
Sony owns all by zooch	Nov 28th, 2007 12:39:02 PM
they are not going to lose any format war.
Nosferatu Jones by RobinP	Nov 28th, 2007 12:45:12 PM
...you are the voice of reason. Until ALL VHS releases are upgraded to DVD, the format simply won't go away. I've upgraded most of my tapes to disc by now, but it's been a long 5 year haul, I will NOT be rebuying them again. Not in this lifetime.
VHS guys, you could always do your own upgrade... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 12:51:23 PM
Hell, DVD recorders and DVD-Rs are cheap as shit now...just do your own conversion.
what are holodeck versions? by ClockWorker	Nov 28th, 2007 01:19:40 PM

"I found a floor manager, by frankenfickle	Nov 28th, 2007 01:26:58 PM
and they sent me back to a department at the back of the store." Then I walked around, looking at the products, moving my eyes up and down. I used my feet to move and I think I forgot to mention that I was breathing the whole time, using my lungs, and thinking. Then I scratched my neck. My skin was fry that day. I made a mental note to buy moisturizer, then remembered that my wife had just bought some. Drew McWeeny, that one Wal Mart in Porter Ranch, the one about 500 yards from that one Best Buy in Perter Ranch.
sad sad by BobPalpatine	Nov 28th, 2007 01:31:37 PM
People that wait on technology amuse me. When someone says they are waiting for -enter next supposedly big thing here- what they really mean is they are too poor/cheap to afford it now, or are too stupid to know how the world of technology works. You can always wait for something new, but that's all you'll be doing, is waiting while everyone else is enjoying their HDDVDs, BluRays, 360s, MacBook Pros, etc. To say that digital will replace all physical formats, while possibly correct, is inconsequential since it is so far off - what will you do in the mean time? I could have told you that movies would go digital after I downloaded my first MP3, but it didn't mean I wasn't going to go out and buy a DVD player. Anytime someone tells me that digital will replace physical in the next 1-2 years, I always mention that you can download movies (legally) now from a variety of sources: netflix, xbox live, itunes, and then ask - do you use any of these services regularly? The answer is always no. The capability is there, and the capability will improve over the years, but the masses are not ready for this paradigm shift yet, and probably won't even BEGIN to until 5 years from now. There will be a large span of time where DVD, BluRay, HDDVD, and digital coexist before one of the next gen formats 'wins' out. I don't foresee physical DVD sales going out of vogue for at least another 7 years. The only thing digital downloads will affect in the near future is rentals - but even then, there is no service that does a good enough job of streaming/serving movies to change consumers minds. Also, we overestimate the ubiquity of broadband. Many people don't have the internet, many people more don't have broadband, and many many more don't have the savvy or willpower to combine their computer with their home entertainment. So it requires some sort of device - similar to iTV but much much better - to even bring about that paradigm shift. But since there isn't a device that's pervasive yet, and consumers aren't yet willing to make the change - even for RENTALS, how can someone argue that digital will replace physical in the next 12 months? It's ludicrous. The Japanese will do it long before we do and they're not even close - still buying regular old pirated DVDs on the street corner for 200 yen. Beyond all of the technological restraints against all digital, the psychological ones - as mentioned above - are just one more thing working against the adoption of all digital. People like owning a tangible item with movies. It's different from music - songs cost a buck and you don't care too much if you lose it or it's DRM or whatever. Movies are expensive, and if it's hard to convince people to RENT digital, how are you going to convince them to PURCHASE digital, and put it on their DRM proprietary piece of hardware? Not going to happen. It's going to require a complete paradigm shift in technology and consumer attitudes before it becomes pervasive. Now digital will be obtainable within 3 years - like BluRay is now, but not mainstream enough to squeeze out the physical formats. With all of that said, this Blu-Ray/HD war is lame. It's hard enough to convince people to get an HDTV, even harder to convince them to replace their DVD sets, and even harder to convince them to buy a format that supports perhaps only half of the movies they like.
28 WEEKS LATER by LoneGun	Nov 28th, 2007 01:40:28 PM
I too would like to hear your thoughts on the incredible 28 WEEKS LATER. It's only too bad you didn't catch this one on the big screen, as it's truly meant to be seen.
to Gruntybear by Vern	Nov 28th, 2007 01:47:25 PM
I know what you mean, but I'm not sure movies are the same. I think many if not most if not almost all people who listen to iPods are making collections of songs that they go through at random or arrange into mixes. The thing that's really dying because of iPods is THE ALBUM. When their iPod dies, and it will, they will lose all their songs. This will bum them out and put the fear in them to see what it would be like to lose their collection of hundreds of movies as soon as their hard drive dies. You're not gonna make a mix of your favorite chapters from movies, and you're not gonna get TERMINATOR 2 for 99 cents on iTunes, so it would be harder to convince everybody to switch over. Didn't that stupid portable DVD player fad already die off? I remember when Harry chose that one. But people naturally want to watch movies bigger, not smaller. The cute little handy portable device was what switched people to MP3s. There's not a movie equivalent. The movies are staying in the living room so there's not as much of an incentive to switch. By the way, in Seattle at least record stores seem to be doing okay, they just have to be good ones. The nationwide chains like Sam Goody and shit died off years ago, but there are locally owned independent chains with a few stores each, like Sonic Boom, Easy Street and Silver Platters (which quickly took over the building from one of the Tower Records when they went belly up). Of course, if you live out in the suburbs somewhere you probaly only have Best Buy so that would be a bummer.
Hey Vern... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 01:51:09 PM
Wanna buy my old Turtles' stamps?
I'VE CHOSEN BOTH FORMATS, AND HERE'S WHY... by El Scorcho	Nov 28th, 2007 02:00:02 PM
Because my parents paid for them. Granted, I can only use them when I'm home, which isn't all that often, but it's good enough for me. And the right price.
Reasonaxe has chosen the local grocery store, and here's why.... by Reasonaxe	Nov 28th, 2007 02:00:46 PM
They have a machine right when you walk in where you can rent DVD's for $1 a day. We rented Hot Fuzz the other day, it was awesome! Can't beat a movie for a buck (plus applicable sales tax)
Oh, we amuse you Bob Palpatine? Do we look like a clown to you? by Vern	Nov 28th, 2007 02:00:56 PM
You seem awfully smug about people not being able to afford the rich people toys that you can. Well congratulations on having some extra money, you must be a pretty great person there if you pulled that one off. If it makes you so "sad sad" that people like me are "too poor/cheap" to afford buying a big ass HDTV and a player and more expensive movies in a format that could easily die in a year or two then by all means buy a whole bunch of copies of my books and help me out. I promise my book SEAGALOGY will give you almost as much joy and enlightenment as your HD copy of I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY or whatever. And with your help I too can look down in amusement at all those fuckin losers with their almost unwatchably low resolution DVDs. How are you gonna even known which one is Chuck and which one is Larry, it just looks like a couple of smears. And it's not nearly as funny without being able to see their pores. Me and you together, we are gonna have some SERIOUS laughs at the expense of poor people, you just wait.
Zardoz chose HD-DVD and here's why... by Zardoz	Nov 28th, 2007 02:02:55 PM
...it was really frickin' cheap! I got a Toshiba A3 and 10 HD's for $159! (No tax, no S&H fee) And I've already got an X360, so I don't need, or want, a PS3. So, until PS3 drops to below $200, I won't be getting Blew-ray...
Vern by BobPalpatine	Nov 28th, 2007 02:09:35 PM
I actually don't own either BR/HDDVD - I'm one of the "cheap" ones I refer to. If I came across as arrogant it was only because I was trying to out-arrogant the arrogant types who have the acumen to foresee the changing of the tide before the rest of us. Didn't know you had a book, I'll check it out.
Conan - The Dark Axe? by JackPumpkinhead	Nov 28th, 2007 02:18:13 PM
I guess not. Probably a different Conan. The Dark Axe was a damn nice adaptation of Conan as a game, though... (Still is, anyway; it's barely 3 years old, after all)
I knew Mori was smarter than the fat fucka in the by Toby Wan	Nov 28th, 2007 02:19:15 PM
upper left corner. Welcome to the club, man.
Can someone tell me why... by Somerichs	Nov 28th, 2007 02:20:14 PM
I can own a movie on DVD, say for example "The Big Lebowski," and NOT ONCE open it up, put it in the player and watch it, but when i'm flipping around channels and it's on Cinemax I have to watch it all the way through? What the hell's up with that?
Bottom line, folks: by DocPazuzu	Nov 28th, 2007 02:23:07 PM
You know why HD DVD and Blu-Ray will never win? Here's the short answer: as long as regular DVDs are available in widescreen AND fullscreen editions, you will NEVER get Joe Sixpack to go for any of that other shit. End of story.
Hook that computer up to your TV. by BillyPilgrim	Nov 28th, 2007 02:25:24 PM
I've got my PC hooked up to my 52" DLP using a DVI cable. I'm able to download plenty of High Def content from the internets. So I doubt I'll ever buy either format. I'll just keep downloading and saving to external drives. For me its way cheaper than buying expensive players that will be out of date in 12 - 14 months. Not to mention its pretty sweet having a 52" computer monitor for all those games......
I haven't bought either, here's why by ZoeFan	Nov 28th, 2007 02:34:03 PM
I admit that I'm a HUGE snob when it comes to the picture. When I go over to a friends house to watch DVDs on an HDTV, it looks like crap. I still have a standard def, however I'm saving up for an HD projector and at that time will try to get my hands on a used/eBay Blu Ray Player as I feel in the long run they will prevail. Slashing prices on players (somtimes below the cost of the player) does not equal a winning strategy.
Mori, I think the PS3 is back compatible, by skimn	Nov 28th, 2007 02:35:36 PM
so I suggest you trade in Conan, for the original PS2 God Of War and/or its sequel. Conan pales in comparison as a lackluster wannabe.
"...plenty of non-nerd Joe Sixpack like dudes." by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 02:35:48 PM
Mode_7, I dunno what the gayness has to do with HDTV....
Bob by Vern	Nov 28th, 2007 02:36:33 PM
I was just flippin you some shit anyway. Hope I wasn't too much of a jerk about it.
HDMI cables: Monster v. Monoprice by Pennsy	Nov 28th, 2007 02:39:12 PM
Does it really make that much of a difference? What I'm asking - you don't think Monster HDMI cable is good, that you're just paying for the brand name? I bought a couple of those cables from Monoprice and not being a technophobe like most of you, I wonder if I'd have done better with a Monster one.
CRANK HAS CHOSEN 8-TRACK AND HERE'S WHY... by Stuntcock Mike	Nov 28th, 2007 02:39:21 PM
Call me in 2014 when this whole deal is done.
Pennsy... by ZoeFan	Nov 28th, 2007 02:45:11 PM
In my experience setting up my friend's HDTVs and in my reading, unless you're like a major Video Snob and have 100 inch or larger screen go with the $6.00 special on eBay.
What the hell? by SebastianHaff	Nov 28th, 2007 02:45:32 PM
Why can't I view this page the way it's supposed to look? It seems this happens about every week, only when I go to Ain't It Cool, the page style is gone and everything is in Times New Roman. Yes. AKA ugly as fuck. How do I make my computer not make Ain't It Cool so goddamn unattractive?
HDMI Cables... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 02:46:33 PM
Pennsy, before the time of HDMI/DVI cables, you would have been served well by getting the Monster versions of your composite, component and cable wire...with HDMI/DVI, there's not a whit's worth of difference. Yes, Monster uses higher quality materials to manufacture their HD cables, but you don't need it because at the HD-capable length all cord operates pretty much the same (the max a HD cable can be before signal degradation occurs is about twenty feet, I believe). Directv always throws in an HDMI cable with their HD receivers...it's as good as any you'll get at Best Buy or Radio Shack.
40 gig PS3's not BC, 80 gig's ARE BC... by Zardoz	Nov 28th, 2007 02:54:32 PM
that's how they dropped the price on the 40 gig PS3's, by making them non-backwards-compatible. But why not just keep your PS2 and get the 40 gig instead of shelling out $200 more for something you don't really need?
Abin Sur by Merrick	Nov 28th, 2007 02:56:24 PM
I've seen the TROY Director's Cut in HD. It is a far better film than the oiginal version; less gay & looks fantastic. STILL a very imperfect movie, but a definite improvement. Much more fully realized than before in every regard.
Thanks Merrick... by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 03:00:19 PM
I'll have something to look forward to besides Diane Kruger's bosom.
I chose VHS... by Tourist	Nov 28th, 2007 03:07:56 PM
...Since I'm a poor, poor man, I tend to rent more than buy. I generally rent from a chain store because of their deals. 90 per cent of all DVD's are in an unwatchable condition. They are weak, fragile little turds. However, a more than twenty year old VHS keeps on ticking.
DVD still fine for me by turketron	Nov 28th, 2007 03:22:30 PM
My roomate bought one of those HD-DVD players when Wal-Mart had them for $99 a few weeks ago. We watched Casino on it with a HD projector, and I can't say it blew me away any more than an upscaled DVD. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD just don't excite me at all... I do enjoy playing games in 720p on my 360 though.
what was different for Troy DC? by Zardoz	Nov 28th, 2007 03:24:21 PM
specifics?
HD projectors aren't worth it either... by turketron	Nov 28th, 2007 03:26:22 PM
Not in your living room at least. Having to turn every light off to enjoy the thing is REALLY fucking annoying... forget watching anything during the day unless you have some serious curtains. And you need to make sure you have enough space between yourself and the wall you're projecting onto... Give me a LCD HDTV and I'm happy. Fuck that projection bullshit... waste of money unless you've got a separate room dedicated as a home theater.
Node: 20+ year-old VCRs do indeed still work... by SpyGuy	Nov 28th, 2007 03:32:38 PM
I still have one of first big and boxey models Zenith released from waaaay back in the early '80s and it works just fine. And unlike many VCRs manufactured during the '90s, it doesn't eat tapes or crap out on you after only a few years' use. VCRs...pretty much like TiVo, only much, much cheaper.
Holding out for Holographic Versatile Disc by Dingbatty	Nov 28th, 2007 03:40:23 PM
or Protein-Coated Disc.
General Crom, you're an idiot and here's why: by wackynephews	Nov 28th, 2007 03:48:37 PM
It's called better mastering. Check out the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society Vol. 55 Number 9, September 2007, entitled "Audibility of a CD-Standard ADA Loop Inserted Into High-Resolution Audio Playback" by E. Brad Meyer and David Moran. They explain that the difference has nothing to do with the format but everything to do with the changes in mastering discs.
Physical Meida.. by TiPPiDa	Nov 28th, 2007 03:55:13 PM
I gotta tell you.. I've got a shitload of DVD's and its a pain in the ass storing them, whereas if I had a Kaleidescape or Axonix MediaMaxHD Server (my next big ticket item to get) in my home, that would be IT. The DVD's, HDDVD's, and BLURAY discs could go into boxes in my garage for all I care after that. I'd rather show off movies stored on my server and a bunch of discs.
I guarantee by kilik777	Nov 28th, 2007 03:56:47 PM
You will be watching a lot more blu ray movies than playing the PS3. Xbox 360 FTW! http://tinyurl.com/pv8do
Zardoz by erichaislar	Nov 28th, 2007 04:11:36 PM
The score of the film was changed dramatically, with many of the female vocals being cut. Various shots were recut and extended. For instance, the love scene between Helen and Paris was reframed to include more nudity of Diane Kruger. Only one scene was removed: the scene where Helen tends to the wound of Paris is taken out. The battle scenes were also extended, showing much more of Ajax's bloody rampage on the Trojans during the initial attack by the Greek Army. Perhaps most significantly was the sacking of Troy, barely present in the theatrical cut, but shown fully here. Characters were given more time to develop, specifically Priam and Odysseus, the latter being given a humorous introduction scene. Lastly, bookend scenes were added: the beginning being a soldier's dog finding its dead master, and the end including a sequence where the few surviving Trojans escape to Mount Ida.
Wow, look at all the hate for the PS3 by Bob X	Nov 28th, 2007 04:19:18 PM
Probably somewhat fueled by envy from 360 owners who wish they didn't have to pay for online play. Also, while some games (like COD4) look the same on both systems and some look better on the PS3 (Assassin's Creed, Oblivion) or have more content (Darkness), the system has its fair share of kick-ass exclusives like Ratchet & Clank, Warhawk, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Resistance. Also, it looks sexy, upconverts DVDs and doesn't break down constantly. So while the 360 has a respectably choice of games, right now the PS3 is BY FAR the better choice.
I bought blue-ray first too - last night by ufoclub1977	Nov 28th, 2007 04:20:13 PM
I was in Walmart and had to buy the Close Encounters Blue-Ray set... it is my favorite movie. Then I went home and logged onto amazon and ordered the Samsung BD-P1400 1080p Blu-Ray Player for it's superior audio capabilities. Those of you who say DVD will do, even though you have the cash, are simply the same souls that would have not cared for a color tv back when they came out. here's the most punk assrape homemade horror movie ever made: http://www.ifilm.com/profile/u foclub1977/video/2915097
I meant... by ufoclub1977	Nov 28th, 2007 04:21:31 PM
http://www.ifilm.com/profile/u foclub1977/video/2915097
damn by ufoclub1977	Nov 28th, 2007 04:22:56 PM
without the space in the ufo.
the real reason Moriarty went BLU-RAY by HEADGEEK	Nov 28th, 2007 04:30:13 PM
I can't believe you people buy his rancid bullshit. Sony bought ANCHOR BAY to release the MASTERS OF HORROR series on BLU RAY. Drew went BLU RAY so he could stroke his muleskin to his own HD master...bation. They bought him off heart and soul. If he truly loved John Carpenter, he'd have gone HD DVD, where THE THING resides in utter perfection!
Harry Figured Me Out by TheRealMoriarty	Nov 28th, 2007 04:35:31 PM
True, I don't have CIGARETTE BURNS on Blu-Ray yet, but when I do, the PANTLESSNESS SHALL COMMENCE! AND I SHALL SHILL ALL DAY!
turketron - HD PROJECTORS by HEADGEEK	Nov 28th, 2007 04:35:38 PM
Um dude - if you're a MOVIE lover - getting the black out curtains and localized non-spill lights to be able to watch your films 9' by 12' in PERFECT HD GLORY is EXACTLY what you want. Right now - I'm watching BOURNE SUPREMACY on that size - not less than 7 feet from where I sit and it's absolutely stunning.
The Digital Distribution Panic by d1138	Nov 28th, 2007 04:37:28 PM
Look, we've got quite a ways to go before the perfection of the Netflix Box. The first trials are going to pump sub-DVD quality into our brand new HDTV sets, and what's the point of that? Watching on a laptop is even more unpleasant. Besides, Joe Dollar still wants a tangible, hard-case version of Transformers to take over to his buddy's house. Though this format war is retarded, digital distribution isn't going to be the dark horse just yet.
zodiac has chosen Blu Ray...and here's why by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 04:40:49 PM
because HD-DVD sucks and will loose the format war.
I'm sitting this one out too by QuantumAlbatross	Nov 28th, 2007 04:43:40 PM
I too am waiting for downloads. Sure, right now a 30GB download would take a while. So does getting a disk delivered or going to the shops. I don't need it right away, and downloads will get faster with time. Storage space? Well, hard drives are getting rapidly cheaper. I've got about a terabyte sitting in front of me and I could pick up the same amount today for around £150. And when your iPod breaks, you don't lose all the stuff on it. You get a new one and resync it with whatever you use as your media server. I've got music on a server, synced with iPods, and backed up on another hard drive. The physical media is irrelevant, and the quality's just an issue of storage and bandwidth. Currently I watch most content on a PVR hard drive from satellite, which is near-as-dammit video-on-demand. Stocking up on another library of disks in this climate seems like a dead end when I'm already waiting to clear out all the paperbacks.
Mori went Blu-Ray because the PS3 looked pretty? by GregoryHarbin	Nov 28th, 2007 04:43:44 PM
Sorry, man. You should have done more research. Blu-Ray = UMD = MemoryStick = MiniDisc = Betamax.
I'll Wait Til The Battle Has Ended... by christian66	Nov 28th, 2007 04:57:34 PM
..and pick up all that cool shit you nerds left behind.
Mori, there's something wrong with your BluRay! by MattmanReturns	Nov 28th, 2007 05:07:04 PM
I have Ratatouille playing on a PS3 on a 1080p, 50 inch samsung, and it looks pristine. And the HiDefDigest review confirms it: http://bluray.highdefdigest.co m/1048/ratatouille.html
Zardoz by Merrick	Nov 28th, 2007 05:07:29 PM
Erichaislar's details (above) are all correct. Another change not mentioned is the visual reworking of the film. If I understand correctly, many of TROY's photogrpahic elements have been re-approached/re-considered; some colors enhanced, others muted, things of this nature. The film now has a very different visual texture than the theatrical edit.
Oh nevermind by MattmanReturns	Nov 28th, 2007 05:11:16 PM
I should read the rest of your article before posting. Durr.
I can always count on you Mori by wadi77	Nov 28th, 2007 05:13:50 PM
Yes, blu-ray for me too.
$40 DVD player from Walmart is the correct answer by PervOmatic	Nov 28th, 2007 05:16:35 PM
Because you can burn DIVX avis that you get from bittorrent.
I'll probably end up with Both by ZeroCorpse	Nov 28th, 2007 05:17:26 PM
Because I'm a gadget whore. I'd avoid Blu-Ray, but it looks like it's inevitable that I'll have to pick up a PS3 at some point despite my love for my XBox 360. I work in a book store and a video store, and in both the leaning seems to be toward Blu-Ray. I'm getting pushed into it by the companies I get my employee discounts from. But I agree with Mori. . . It will all be digitally distributed via the tubes soon. We won't need physical media at all. Apple is already trying to wean people off DVDs and other physical media altogether, and other companies are making direct downloads very attractive (MS with the 360 video marketplace, for example). When someone works out a scheme to let me purchase an HD video and store it permanently on a hard drive or server or something, it will be all over for physical media. Right now, the HD downloads are all timed, meaning I'm renting, not buying them. When I can KEEP my downloads and watch them whenever I want, forever, that's when physical media dies.
They're going to cancel eachother out.... by Kasch	Nov 28th, 2007 05:18:19 PM
...because most people will never pick up new technology that isn't universal. If these companies ever want the new format to get anywhere, they'll merge HD-DVD and Blue Ray into a single format that people can buy every movie on. All this "pick-and-choose" bullshit will only make HD discs go the way of the laserdisc.
Moriarty, beware ADD with little Toshii there . . by lavaboat	Nov 28th, 2007 05:22:44 PM
I'm sure you're well aware that the psychic wiring of a small child is delicate, fragile thing. Said wiring is laying itself out for the first and only time. There is no data to support the idea that children two and under reap any kind of benefit from televisual entertainments. Of course, cooing and smiling is a benefit that a parent seems to require more than a child. Would you let your child stare at a flickering bulb? Sure, why not you might ask. Well, would you let your child stare at a flickering bulb for twenty-five hours a week. Of course not. You see, the ADD boom really found it's wings during the late eighties, a mere five yrs. after vcr's were mainstreamed. This is important and here's why. Vcr's represent the world's first form of on-demand television. With a vcr a person could entertain themselves or their child nonstop with chosen entertainments for the first time. You see, Moriarty, our generation didn't have this problem when we were small children. Cartoons came on in the morning and afternoon and that was about it. Something to think about.
Bought a PS3 in the UK The same morning! by Kefrif	Nov 28th, 2007 05:24:04 PM
Hey Drew, SNAP! Recommend you get a hold of Call of Duty 4, game sold the system to me. Killer is that I still only have standard def TV so its like putting on glasses that are decade out of date. Still - you can tell the quality difference of Blu-Ray even at this def. Happy viewing, and happy gaming me hombre!
Going HD is inevitable once you have a projector... by TheRealSeveren	Nov 28th, 2007 05:24:39 PM
I had a 13" dvd/tv combo for ages and finally upgraded. I dont understand why you would ever buy a $2000 LCD HDTV when you can get a top of the line projector with a $300 rebate and a 6x8 ft. screen for around $1100! I picked up a receiver and A2 shortly thereafter. I did get carried away buying HD-dvds because I started picking up titles I normally wouldnt buy on dvd like Transformers or other mainstream flicks. I compare it to listening to albums on vinyl. There's just something more compelling about certain media. Its more of an experience.
Bob X, your kidding right? by jae683	Nov 28th, 2007 05:28:32 PM
PS3 pales in comparison to XBOX. None of the exclusives has lived up to the hype, yet. I keep hoping there will come a game that will make the PS3 worthy, but I haven't seen it yet and not for a lack of trying. Good Blu-Ray player though.
Hook a Brutha up! I need info... by Somerichs	Nov 28th, 2007 05:33:05 PM
I got a DVD player and a regular ol TV that's big as a house (big as a house!). I'll soon be in the market for one of them fancy-shmancy flat-screen TVs, but i don't have the first clue as to where best to go to do a little research, or, better yet, find a TRUSTED SOURCE that can say go buy this TV, it's the best one out there. Sure, I could go to a big-box store and listen to them, but I would no sooner trust them to tell me truthfully what's best for my situation/budget than I would a shmo off the street (i'd probably trust a shmo off the street more), they all have agendas for selling a particular brand or whatever. Soooooo, can anyone out there point me to a reputable website or magazine or whatever that I can go to for some straight talk, that's not too too technical, to get the straight scoop on all these TVs, etc.?? Because having read thru most of this talkback, it's clear there's some very knowledgeable folks readin AICN, whose direction on such matters I would trust implicitly! thanks!
Vern by Dokkalvar	Nov 28th, 2007 05:34:15 PM
Why are you under the assumption that something like the IPOD made people switch over to MP3s when IPOD's don't use .MP3's at all? Okay. Technicality. But I'll challenge you to prove otherwise that MP3 dominance wasn't born out of Napster's fame..and there is a movie equivalent, well sorta. The Argument is bullshit because although some people will want their collection to play in portable devices, most, and I'll bet all would feel comfortable paying for an online service that allowed them streaming movies, unlimited viewing when-ever, where ever. You won't need a collection. It'll all be in a pool, out there, on a series of corporate servers and you won't have to worry about water damage, or some other damn thing that might happen to them. Upgrades? No problem. Ah, the future. It's not here yet, but it's getting close enough to call the game.
I'VE CHOSEN DVD AND HERE'S WHY by ObiWanCon	Nov 28th, 2007 05:37:14 PM
BECAUSE IT FUCKING RULES OK
ATTN: Somerichs by TheRealSeveren	Nov 28th, 2007 05:38:02 PM
My advice: dont get a TV. Get a projector. Projectorpeople.com is a great site. Lots of deals and reviews. Bid on a screen on ebay...Id recommend Da-lite brand. Overall its cheaper than getting one of the new flat panels and its a fully immersive experience. Any cables you need, Id go through s-video.com Come to the other side, man! Hope this helps...
Ok, I'll bite by Aphex Twin	Nov 28th, 2007 05:38:27 PM
Being that I'm an owner of both a 360 and the PS3 here's my personal experience with both. I haven't turned my 360 on since I bought Uncharted almost 2 weeks ago. I bought the PS3 version of CoD4 and Assassin's Creed because I didn't want to hear the jet engine noise the 360 makes when running a DVD or game. If it weren't for Ace Combat 6 I wouldn't have a 360 at all. However the Xbox live arcade has some fun stuff. Bomberman and TMNT arcade get a lot of play when I do run the 360 every once in a while. 360 hit its apex the day Halo 3 came out. Unless they announce a Gears of War or Halo sequel, there is absolutely jack shit coming out for 360 in the forseeable future that I can't get on PS3.
HD technology is unnecessary, and sales prove it by BMacSmith	Nov 28th, 2007 05:40:59 PM
Only super ultra film geeks with tons of expendable money really want this. Every one else from Joe movie renter to big movie fans like me are fine with DVD. The difference in quality is so minimal. Its such a blatant attempt to force a product we dont need, I can't believe more people dont see through it. If it werent for game consoles, both of these formats are dead already
I like the word 'twaddle' by InspectorDoppler	Nov 28th, 2007 05:46:49 PM
The notion that iPods and Apple have somehow ruined the music industry or brought about the death of physical media is ignorant twaddle. If anything their online store is a band aid on the music industry's sucking chest wound of digital piracy. And the iPod provides a nice scapegoat for technophobe executives and the "why can't things stay the way they were" crowd, but the iPod didn't start the digital music revolution, it just rode the unstoppable and inevitable wave.
iPods may have ruined POP albums, but who cares? by BMacSmith	Nov 28th, 2007 05:52:53 PM
Rock fans like me still love albums. Singles just feel incomplete to me...
Thanks, TheRealSeveren... by Somerichs	Nov 28th, 2007 05:53:23 PM
I'll check those out...anyone else care to chime in?
You have chosen.... by WONKABAR	Nov 28th, 2007 05:57:57 PM
wisely
Thanks, ZoeFan, AbinSur. by Pennsy	Nov 28th, 2007 06:09:36 PM
I did go the Monoprice route. This was just one of those 'wondering about the road less traveled' moments.
ironic_name by Sir Loin	Nov 28th, 2007 06:14:45 PM
bahaha...I literally laughed out loud at your 2 acre/datacube system post, nicely done :D
IF YOU GO BLU-RAY THIS XMAS, YOU MUST.... by Playkins	Nov 28th, 2007 06:15:16 PM
...get 2001. Absolutely the BEST transfer of an older movie I've even seen, in any format (I've got both before you flame me, thanks). Film looks like it was done yesterday. ZERO grain, gorgeous colors.
The World chosen Blu-ray, here's why. by wadi77	Nov 28th, 2007 06:18:25 PM
Toshiba is cutting down the price of their HD-DVD players, losing money for for the sake of winning. Is all other HD-DVD manufacturers going to cut down the price too? No, they want to make money. Sony is not cutting down the blu-ray prices, so are other manufacturers, so everyone's happy. But Sony is losing money on their PS3s, will this affect the other manufacturers? NO. So blu-ray will prevail from the fact that it is supported by many electronic companies. PS3 is the cheapest entertainment center ever, plays blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD, memory cards, 4 USB ports, and of course, HD games. And the firmware easily updatable using wi-fi.XBOX? It's not even from toshiba, they need to make hardware upgrade to be able to watch HD-DVD. Microsoft can choose to make it upgrades for blu-ray if they want to, the already own the video codec VC-1 that both blu-ray and HD-DVDs are using. Blu-ray can hold 50GB data for dual-layer disc, but HD-DVD only 30GB! That easily explains which will have better picture/audio quality, the only question is how good the transfer is done. It's the toughest disc I have ever seen, the hard-coating makes it scratch proof. More studios are also releasing the home videos exclusively on blu-ray, Disney/Touchstone (Buena Vista,), Fox, Lionsgate, MGM Sony Pictures (Columbia/TriStar). Warner Bros/New Line are neutral, but lates indication shows they will most likely join the blu-ray exclusives. Paramount? Wait until the 18 months deal over. A lot more advantage are there, those are some that I can remember.
Three Real Good Reasons why Physical media won't die by mukhtabi	Nov 28th, 2007 06:20:21 PM
1) Education: You need dvds, or vids, or film reels to show movies and or clips in film classes and other such coursework. 2) Libraries: Gotta have a place where we can watch movies for free, and that would be dvds and vids from the public libraries of the world. 3) General Demand: Tom Friedman tells us the world is 'flattening' but it hasn't yet. Plenty of countries are behind us or in front of us in technology, and they all enjoy their dvds. So Physical media is unlikely to go extinct, just become more of that plastic the Earth will compile into its environs when we finally go extinct.
Toshi? by eXcommunicated	Nov 28th, 2007 06:37:05 PM
As in... gulp... the station that sells power converters? Wow, Mori...
One Excellent Reason why Physical media won't die by newc0253	Nov 28th, 2007 06:43:30 PM
i like to own stuff, including books, songs, comics, films and tv shows. sure, most of my songs i own are just 1s and 0s on various hard drives but i still buy physical CDs of the bands i really like because i want to have some substance to my ownership of, say, the latest Radiohead album. probably half my library is available now in electronic format, but just because all of Shakespeares plays are online now doesn't mean i don't want my own copy sitting on my shelf. Sure i don't have to, half the time it's easy just to look it up on Google, but that's not the point.
BigBadBeeatch HASN'T chosen HD-DVD, and here's why... by BigBadBeeatch	Nov 28th, 2007 06:52:37 PM
Toshiba make cheap crap! =) All they have ever been good at is making Washing Machines!
riding it out with DVDs by sith_rising	Nov 28th, 2007 06:54:03 PM
I won't buy a BR/HDDVD player unles my DVD player dies, and the new ones are backwards compatible and cheaper than a 30 dollar Fry's DVD player. Once the DVD is in the ground, it will be downloadable for me or bust. DVDs take up almost two fucking bookshelves in my living room, and I'd love to have all of that on a small portable drive.
My 2 cents goes into the HD/BR jar... by wchblade	Nov 28th, 2007 07:17:49 PM
I think that physical media will continually 'evolve' rather than disappear. We're getting combo discs and players (eventually) and we're getting larger capacity HD discs. The next thing will be smaller discs with more storage as tech advances to the next level. I'm waiting for combo drives or a super cheap multi-disc player since my current HDMI-ready Panasonic 5-disc DVD player is sufficient for now and most newer transfers look great on my 1080i/p 55" Mitsubishi projection screen. I also upgraded from a 19" CRT to a 32" flat panel Panasonic LCD about 1-2 years ago which does OK with a PS2 connected to it using Component since the older PS2 wasn't HDMI-ready. As a Mac guy and a fan of portable 'condensed' media I think that iPhones and iPods will server their physical media purpose, but that in this unseen future we'll switch t Flash memory and other storage solutions instead of discs. I use my thumb USB drive a lot more than burning DVDs and CDs like the old days and I'm constantly being wowed with how many increases are being made with terabyte hard drives and 2-3 GB flash cards the size of postage stamps. So someday not to far away schools, libraries (if those still exist) and personal consumers will rely on portable storage that smaller and forever changing shape. Also a word to the wise...a little known fact I heard is that the new PS3's with larger HDs are not as backwards compatible as the first gen ones for whatever reason. So you lose PS2 backwards compatibility if my sources are correct.
as far as discs go for backups.... by wchblade	Nov 28th, 2007 07:20:27 PM
As the size of hard drives increases and hopefully their physical size DECREASES we'll forego discs for the one-copy-on-the-hard-drive and one on my iPod or whatever as the backup. And there's also the option of an all-in-one backup drive for "just in case".
U.S. Dentists Can't Make Nation's Teeth Any Damn Whiter by Dr.Poots	Nov 28th, 2007 07:33:32 PM
I dunno. Maybe it's because I haven't seen HD-DVD or Blu Ray on a high-def screen yet, but unless Freddie Krueger pops out of the set, grabs my skull and smashes it into the television when I press the power button, it seems to me that we're getting the exact thing we got before on regular ol' DVD, only 'clearer' and 'sharper'. I'm with sith_rising: unless I am totally out of options with DVD, I'm going to just sit back and watch this battle unfold.
Thanks for the info on Troy, everyone... by Zardoz	Nov 28th, 2007 07:36:52 PM
I'll check it out. And btw, I've still got VHS, DVD and laser discs in my considerable collection. (although most of my "favorites" are on S-DVD) I just couldn't resist getting an HD DVD player when it's so cheap. I Just watched "A Clockwork Orange" in HD, and it looks brilliant. Also, as far as there being no difference between standard DVD and HD, well, you're wrong. Sure, standard DVD is good enough for the most part, but the details that come out in HD really DO make a difference. Mostly it's in the fine details: backgrounds and depth-of-field really come into play. I've noticed details that I've never seen previously, in films that I've seen many times before in S-DVD. You're right in that S-DVD is sufficient, but incorrect in that HD is not a VAST improvement in picture quality. Now as to the difference in HD picture, I honestly can't tell the difference between 720p, 1080i or p; they ALL look damn good...
Physical product will NEVER die by spicystick	Nov 28th, 2007 07:42:47 PM
I enjoy the physical product..The case, the artwork, the design ect.. I like looking at my wall of stuff, CD's, Vinyl, DVD's. Box sets are cool, limited edition packaging is cool..I will NEVER switch over to download my stuff all the time! NEVER NEVER NEVER.
Drew... physical media will always exist... by LordEnigma	Nov 28th, 2007 07:44:26 PM
because people will always want to own things. You know that I do not own my Itunes? Right? Unless everything is DRM free, then everyone will always want a physical copy. Also; Moore's Law will only get the elimination of DVD quality content happen but not BLU-RAY. Your kid may be 20 (unless we have a technological breakthrough which seems unlike )to have computers that can download and store. You also need to understand that we lack the internet speed to make it possible for 100 million plus homes to be able to download -- at the same time -- 1080p content. What you and Poland go ont about... is a dream for a faster world. A world we will never see -- not because of aging -- but because Moore's Law only can last for so long. There will be a point where we bottom out.
I choose 99 cent VHS tapes at the used store by rockness	Nov 28th, 2007 07:47:12 PM
I'm way too poor to even participate in this argument. Sigh.
BMacSmith...You're right by ZoeFan	Nov 28th, 2007 08:18:14 PM
If prices remained the same for the remainder of the HD Product lifecycle. However HD-DVD/Blu Ray will become cheaper as time goes on. Secondly when you say, "The difference in quality is so minimal", I wonder whether you actually use your eyes to see. If you say that based on the average person using a 32" HDTV or less, you're slightly right. However, anything bigger than that and there's a HUGE difference video quality (Have you ever seen Pirates 2 on Blu Ray). And that's where all the TV manufacturer's have most consumers. Most studies show that a large majority (70%-80%) of consumers that when they bought their original HDTV, felt it was too small by the time they start using it at home (as they didn't really do all their research). As these HDTVs get cheaper, they also will get bigger. Look at most electronics ads (majority of ads are for 26"-52"). This is too small (unless you sit about 5 feet from the TV). So as people buy bigger TVs, DVDs will go out (due to video quality) and Blu Ray (maybe HD-DVD) will become the norm.
wadi77...thanks for the reminder by ZoeFan	Nov 28th, 2007 08:31:26 PM
I forgot that Blu Ray discs are extremelly scratch proof (can withstand steel wool). DVDs and HD-DVDs can't say that.
the Monster Cable brand is a damn rip-off by Badger23	Nov 28th, 2007 08:33:10 PM
Monster Cable prices border on fraud. Monoprice.com is where I go to buy HDMI or an other cables.
regarding PS3's backwards compability by Bouncy X	Nov 28th, 2007 08:34:17 PM
its only the new 40g model that isnt, the 80g one can play PS2 and even PS1 games fine. that's one of the reasons there's a 100$ difference, they've taken out whatever gizmo that allowed backward compability.
Vern and Palpatine by Funketeer	Nov 28th, 2007 08:46:24 PM
Anyone who would pay $1000 for a television is an idiot. Put your kids through college instead.
I have a ps3 I LOVE it and my blu rays by spoits	Nov 28th, 2007 08:57:02 PM
remember all you idiots that microsoft is behind hddvd. that is all anyone should need to know to choose blu ray. soft will put out low price crap that barely works and compete on price while they try to build up market share. alien ware has blu ray burners in their new latest greatest. if you had a burner would you want the 15 gig or the 35 / 50 gig blu ray. we need a new format for the next 5 years or so until we all get those chips in our brain i n which we can play virtual games in our skull. TIll then remember microsoft= crap avoid.
Bouncy X is right by Mr Incredible	Nov 28th, 2007 09:12:55 PM
The 40GB PS3 is a joke as far as I'm concerned. You better get a 60 or an 80 GB if you can still find them. Because all they will keep making are the 40GB models; reduced price, reduced features, less usefulness, less PS2 holdouts.
John Travolta has chosen penis and here's why by picardsucks	Nov 28th, 2007 09:26:35 PM
Cause he likes him some penis
RodHolt by wadi77	Nov 28th, 2007 09:34:38 PM
Are you saying that you're using your PS3 just for games? Then you are not using your PS3 at it's maximum potential. There are a lot of things you can do with a bigger harddrive. That's another long story to tell. But PS3 harddrive can be upgraded, so the 40GB PS3 can also be upgraded. But that's not what Mr Incredible meant. The 40GB PS3 has a lot of limitations to make the price cheaper, backward compatibility, only 2 USB ports, no card reader, etc. I have upgraded my 80 GB harddrive to 160 GB. Upgrading is so easy, backup, replace, and restore, done!
Don't worry about ADD, by gotilk	Nov 28th, 2007 09:36:48 PM
worry about the school trying to force-parent your kid. ADD is over-diagnosed and is partially a made up disease to comfort lazy teachers and make most parents feel like crap. Every kid is different, and trying to change that has proven to be quite a battle. So, administering drugs essentially by force had made the job slightly easier but with the unfortunate side-effect of many kids becoming suicidal and sociopathic while on speed(what the drugs are, really). If things get worse(not your kid, the system), your best bet will probably be to move out of the country. Scary shit. But ultimately, your kid walking around with a PS controller and liking TV is not really a sign of anything but living in the world.
Thank you, wadi77, for clarification by Mr Incredible	Nov 28th, 2007 09:50:10 PM
And by the way, RodHolt, you foul mouthed idiot, learn some manners.
BSB HAS CHOSEN AN ARCHOS WITH 3.5" SCREEN HERE'S WHY ....., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 09:57:03 PM
30 gigs of porn in your pocket, ready for any occasion.
"Sales of HD-DVD players surge" by Zardoz	Nov 28th, 2007 09:57:10 PM
Thanks largely to Wal-Mart's Black Friday sale of HD DVD players for $99, there are now more than 750,000 of the high-definition DVD players in U.S. households, the North American HD DVD Promotional Group announced Tuesday. The total number includes add-ons to Microsoft's Xbox 360 game players. In a statement, Ken Graffeo, head of strategic market for Universal Studios Home Entertainment and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group, said, "With more than four weeks left for holiday shopping, HD DVD is turning out to be the perfect consumer electronics gift." Well, the format war's far from over, but the first shot has definitely been fired across BD's bow...
SHIA LEBARF HAS CHOSEN JHERI CURL AND HERE'S WHY ......., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:01:44 PM
Turns ordinary Jewfros into glistening, dyn-o-mite Fros.
I don't think physical media will ever be replaced by dtpena	Nov 28th, 2007 10:07:04 PM
The feeling of "having" the movie on cd-dvd-brd-vhs or whatever is not comparable to getting it on a hdd without cover, smell, touch, etc. If space and comfortability were an issue, people wouldn't buy books anymore, only e-books, but I buy and collect books, because the feeling of having a new book, that feels new, that smells new, the turning of the pages is incomparable to any other experience. I think the same happens (to a lesser degree) with movies/music.
Oh, and Moriarty: Buy Uncharted for PS3 by dtpena	Nov 28th, 2007 10:09:35 PM
As a movie lover, you'll be absolutely thrilled, it's pretty easy and a GREAT game to show your new plasma to everybody (btw plasma is so much better than lcd)
The fact is by wadi77	Nov 28th, 2007 10:09:47 PM
Blu-ray technology is much, much better than HD-DVD. The only advantage HD-DVD has, is price (though I think PS3 is a much more worthy buy). I choose blu-ray after a long and extensive reseach on both formats. I hope people choose wisely when they are ready to upgrade their entertainment experience to HD. If you can't decide, stick with DVD (but then again, all the new HD players/console are capable of playing DVD).
BSB HAS CHOSEN THE $25 CYBERHOME DVD PLAYER AND HERE'S WHY .... by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:09:56 PM
I love the smell of burning equipment.
Dude, there's only ONE company.... by WONKABAR	Nov 28th, 2007 10:15:43 PM
that makes HD-DVD players...ONE. Cheap-ass Chinese players at that. Sold for so low/not make a profit that NO other company is willing to make/sell them for less. How could they and still be rational? How could you put your faith in such a format? I mean, there's no way. I love me my XBL-account, but I will be buying a PS-3 to enjoy all my old PS-1&2 games and also invest in the only format that has any real chance of ensuring that I will actually OWN my media in the future. The format that holds more info (that alone makes it better) the one that other companies produce hardware for, and the one more studios support. Yeah, the Chinese are also gonna start selling really cheap-ass cars pretty soon too, that doesn't mean I'm going to buy one. Fuck $99 players, people can tell the difference between a good deal and somebody trying to unload a piece of shit.
ISRAEL HAS CHOSEN BLU-RAY AND HERE'S WHY ...., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:21:15 PM
Matches the flag.
Blu-Ray>>>>>>>HD-DVD... here's why by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 10:22:58 PM
Because Sony is better than Microsoft.
IRAN HAS CHOSEN HD-DVD AND HERE'S WHY ....., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:23:39 PM
I think it's obvious ...
Flames on Blu-ray = Nipples on HD-DVD by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 10:24:39 PM

FRANCE IS DELAYING CHOOSING A FORMAT AND HERE'S WHY ....., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:25:03 PM
They got some fucking riots to take care of first.
THE VATICAN HAS CHOSEN BLU-RAY AND HERE'S WHY ....., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:25:53 PM
Nun porn chose HD-DVD.
Iran will loose the war... here's why by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 10:27:49 PM
Blu-Ray will nuke HD-DVD. Go Blu-Ray!!!!
JESUS CHRIST HAS CHOSEN HD-DVD AND HERE'S WHY ...., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:28:20 PM
Carpenters don't make much money.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS CHOSEN BLU-RAY AND HERE'S WHY ...., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:30:19 PM
Gay porn chose Blu-Ray.
just wait till you see cars on bluray wow by skiff	Nov 28th, 2007 10:32:02 PM
cars has the best pq I have seen so far on bluray.2001 is pretty smoking too.
INDIANA JONES HAS CHOSEN A VASECTOMY AND HERE'S WHY ...., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:35:21 PM
Shia LeBeouf.
Ratatoulle has chosen a hard to pronounce title, here's why by Pipple	Nov 28th, 2007 10:36:58 PM
wacky talk backy
George W Bush has chosen HD-DVD and here's why... by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 10:38:13 PM
Because the color is red and not blue. "W" hates blue states.
ALLAH CHOSE HD-DVD AND HERE'S WHY ....., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:40:02 PM
Blu-Ray is the official format of the infidels.
THE SULTANS HAVE CHOSEN WHITE SLAVES AND HERE'S WHY ...., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:41:36 PM
More entertaining than movies.
NAMBLA HAS CHOSEN BLU-RAY AND HERE'S WHY ...., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:43:13 PM
Chris Hanson chose HD-DVD.
Choose wisely... by WONKABAR	Nov 28th, 2007 10:45:11 PM
for while the true format will give you pleasure, the false will take it from you.
Physical media and the short-sighted. by Dokkalvar	Nov 28th, 2007 10:48:11 PM
Yeah, in the next 10 years you'll own a collection. It'll be a list, on your HD-TV thats connected to the internet and logged onto a media service like Net-flix and you'll click whatever you want with your little remote and if you want to watch it again you just click it again with your little remote. Why would you need a plastic copy when they have it stored there and you can access it at any time just like it was physically there? Sure helps when it comes time to move. Someone made the books comparison but that's not the same. I don't have any desire to say, watch an old VHS on a black and white TV but I do enjoy reading actual typed words on a page. With streaming HD TV what's the difference? It's not here yet but it's on the Horizon.
ANGELINA JOLIE HAS CHOSEN ANOREXIA AND HERE'S WHY ....., by BringingSexyBack	Nov 28th, 2007 10:48:59 PM
White guilt.
Wait to you get an HD-DVD player by Jay Mammoth	Nov 28th, 2007 10:59:16 PM
So you can check out Batman Begins, 12 Monkeys, Hot Fuzz, Shaun Of The Dead, Casino, The Thing, 12 Monkeys and a shit ton more movies exclusive to the format. I own both a PS3 and a HD-DVD player, my collection of HD movies though is mostly HD-DVD, much better selection.
Dokkalvar... by WONKABAR	Nov 28th, 2007 11:06:17 PM
Cuz then "they" own it. If you enjoy paying for things over and over. Being told when, where and how you can copy "your" own stuff... or maybe they just decide to take it back or put auto-expirations on it in the first place. Then buddy, by all means...enjoy. Hell, if Microsoft has it's way you won't even have a physical hard-drive anymore. You'll be storing all your shit on "Live Drive" (you own me for that name fuckers)Sure, it'll make moving easier, but of course, none of it will really belong to you anyway. Dude, talk about short-sighted, no offense.
Blu-ray won Black Friday by AlwaysThere	Nov 28th, 2007 11:14:46 PM
This should be no shock to anyone http://www.hollywoodreporter.c om/hr/content_display/home_ent ertainment/video/e3i8d5ddf2904 a0aae38936c0078ef4de4a
Anti-fanboy has chosen Divx...And here's why! by Anti-fanboy	Nov 28th, 2007 11:16:54 PM
'Cause all these movies I'm downloadin' are in that format. And I'm broke. And Vern shall always be my favorite thing about AICN.
Will you be tripple dipped, quadruple dipped??? by INWOsuxRED	Nov 28th, 2007 11:19:48 PM
into buying all of these movies again when they come out in 4K with super special new features, because how could 4K possibly be stored on a hard drive?
Don Murphy has chosen HD-DVD and here's why... by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 11:43:59 PM
because every single HD disk comes with 2 chins.
Uwe Boll has chosen Blu-Ray and here's why by zodiac1012	Nov 28th, 2007 11:45:59 PM
because Bungie wont let him play Halo.
Skynet has chosen Blu-ray, and heres why:! by Seph_J	Nov 29th, 2007 12:18:50 AM
Because they are programmed to transform your TV into an intelligent cyborg when judgement day arrives. Send us all back to year zero.... namely... the BETAMAX!
TallBoy by jae683	Nov 29th, 2007 12:29:07 AM
I wouldn't count on Heroes coming to Blu-Ray anytime soon. I believe it's a Universal show.
Poor Sony by Pink Box Destroyer	Nov 29th, 2007 12:33:05 AM
Selling movies to make up for the poor selection of games. Awww. Whatsa matter? Big Ol Bill Gates Machine squeezing you out of the market? Boo hoo.
Betamax was a better format than VHS, too... by Zardoz	Nov 29th, 2007 12:43:46 AM
Yet it still lost the format wras. Why? Because the machines were more expensive, the media was scant and more expensive, Sony was incompetent at marketing their product, and consumers are stupid and most of all, they want an INEXPENSIVE product. Wow. Deja Vu. It seems like it's 1985 all over again...
I'm Not Gonna Lie, This Bit of Writing Sucks by grungies	Nov 29th, 2007 01:19:21 AM
I was expecting a captivating, thought provoking argument. What I got a dull description of the day's events and no real reason for picking Blu-Ray over HDDVD. For shame....
Oh and by the way, Moriarty.... by grungies	Nov 29th, 2007 01:23:07 AM
Have you watched Werckmeister Harmonies yet? I just watched the film again tonight. It's utter perfection, the best film I've seen from the last twenty-five or so years.
the mystery that is vern by systemsbroom	Nov 29th, 2007 01:32:04 AM
it's a strange thing that by far the most articulate and intelligent of the black box personages on this site is someone who engages in non-ironic enjoyment of steven seagal movies. Vern, I hope that you post/host a better website elsewhere; otherwise you are one big fish in this small pond.
I'VE chosen to purchase No DVDs until this is all resolved by George Newman	Nov 29th, 2007 01:36:17 AM
I haven't bought a dvd in a very long while cuz I don't want to have to re-purchase later on. I know that I would have the compulsion to, so I'm just gonna abstain completely.
FYI, Your beloved "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"... by MattGuyOR	Nov 29th, 2007 02:19:16 AM
is only available in HD DVD! It looks and sounds FANTASTIC, too! HD DVD kicks ass. Anyone who says the Toshiba players are cheap because they were $99 is stupid and has never even used one. I've had my A2 for a year now and it's worked flawlessly. It's a terrific machine, and I happily paid a helluva lot more than $99 for it!
"I have a 60 inch rear-projection TV...I got it for my wife for by BooCocky	Nov 29th, 2007 02:41:21 AM
That's like the time I bought my girlfriend a killer wah pedal for her birthday.
Zardoz you are wrong...and here's why.... by WONKABAR	Nov 29th, 2007 02:48:47 AM
Anybody who is only willing to spend 99 bucks to upgrade probably doesn't have/isn't willing to buy a high-def television anyway, hence the target market for cheap players...isn't there. You're talking dumbfucks who don't even know what HD means/just switched from VHS and cassettes. Also, as I said earlier, only one company makes the hardware...Toshiba. Because nobody in their right mind wants to compete with a company that is practically giving players away. The real consumers, who can afford to upgrade...see through this. Next, PS3 isn't going anywhere. Although it's been fun bagging on Sony over the last year and XBL is fun & all, most people are ready go back to PS now that the price is reasonable and there's an added bonus of BD....movies and games. Finally, having Disney and of course Sony Pictures on your side is huge. Two of the biggest franchises of the last decade (Spidey & Pirates) are exclusive to Blu-ray. All it would take now is a BD-supporter like Lucas or Spielberg to finally throw their weight around i.e. put SW out on BD for Fox and it's over. BD software is selling almost double that of HD-DVD right now, and as more people pick up PS-3's...which they inevitably will...the gap will only get larger. HD-DVD is just a bitch.
You're backing a losing horse there, Mori! by MaxTheSilent	Nov 29th, 2007 02:49:44 AM
Blu-Ray, with it's random far-from-standardised specs, is hanging on by the skin of its teeth in the form of the ailing PS3. The ONLY reason Blu-Ray discs are outselling HD-DVD is because there's no good games for the PS3. Soon the PS3 will die (the sales are supposedly only a QUARTER of what they expected) and Blu-Ray will die with it.
I can't believe how stupid you all sound by IndustryKiller!	Nov 29th, 2007 03:11:09 AM
This has to take the taco for most childish argument in the history of AICN. Both players look brilliant and Mori is right that both of them wont mean a fucking thing in a few years. Not to mention you people are arguing using movies like fucking Troy. Do you really give a shit what version of Troy you can better see Brad Pitt's pores in? Is it really that important?? It's fucking Troy...or Spider Man 3 or whatever ungodly bad action movie you want to use to make an example of pointless technology. Shame on Mori for even lowering himself to this debate.
It's Like... by TheRealMoriarty	Nov 29th, 2007 03:20:21 AM
... being at a wrestling match. "Your format SUCKS! It's going DOWN!" By Christmas, I anticipate I'll have both formats in my house. And I'll compare everything I possibly can. And I'll make a choice based on my own experience, which is... after all... the only way any of us are ever going to make the decision to buy into these new formats or not. Some guys will get an HD set and HD cable and HD movie channels and an HD TIVO, and they'll never buy a DVD again. I admire patient movie fans. I don't think they are any less of a fan for waiting, either. People just enjoy movies different ways. I would love to pick five years in the future where I slow down and see, maybe, five films in the theater that year. Just for a few years. And just enjoy my home theater. Because why not? Isn't that the thing they're selling us? "Fuck the theater. The theater is dying. You hate the theater. You hate crowds. You hate the prices. You hate driving. You hate the parking. It's awful. Don't go. You want a home theater. It's a goddamn theater! In your home!" "FUCK YEAH, IT IS!" That's the way I've felt ever since "home theater" became a term back in the '80s. Trust me, kids, when you're talking about the Betamax/VHS war or about laserdisc or even the earlier Videodiscs, I was there. I was into it. I was doing anything I could to get those movies and get them in my house. Right now, Blu-Ray's what is in my house. And I'm giving it a try. I'm not sure why that would make any of you angry enough to swear at me or taunt me, but I guess that's what makes the Internet so super sweet. I can't wait to get my hands on some Universal HD titles. They've got a great library available already. I know that. Paramount's a little slower on the draw so far, but they're working on it. I'm going to check it all out. Promise.
Industry Killer... by TheRealMoriarty	Nov 29th, 2007 03:22:33 AM
... I like "takes the taco." I laughed.
A few things about this by Lost Jarv	Nov 29th, 2007 04:09:46 AM
1) Music- I spent a significant proportion of my career in the label side of the music industry, so this is from personal experience. Many others may have different stories/ observations. lots of people are blaming apple etc for the death of music. This is not the case. The people to blame are the bottom line obsessed fucks that would rather push interchangeable teen R&B based pop (preferably spawned by a reality show to eliminate any risk). This shit shifts an awful lot of product very quickly, but is disposable music- 95% of it consists of cover versions (Which is another reason why remakes are a bad thing). The expected lifespan of it is 1 album. However, who the fuck wants to go to all the hassle and expense of properly mastering a whole album when you can just record 7 tracks and dump them on that interweb thingy. Proper bands still shift an awful lot of albums, as well as i-tunes downloads as for a few reasons, including that the album experience is totally different from a single, and people like owning them. It's a different target market. Physical media in music will not completely die out for at least another 30 years. Hollywood should look at the music industry to see where being creatively bankrupt takes you- as it is repeating all the same mistakes. 2) I've seen a lot of people talking about home "servers". You geeks know that joe public views such things with suspicion and a touch of contempt don't you? People do not want to be fucking about with anything IT related when they could be simply slotting a disc in. Sheesh- as geeks we are not representative of the population, some of you are forgetting this very simple fact. 3) cost- these new shiny formats are, at present, FUCKING EXPENSIVE. This alone puts the average consumer off. Sure, they may buy a games console- but they sure as fuck will not be forking out the excessive price required for movies they already own. The "winning" format (and it will be a pyhrric victory) will be the one attached to the console that shifts more copies. Anywho- there is still plenty of life left in the old format, so fuck this.
So by Seph_J	Nov 29th, 2007 04:35:18 AM
judgement day is inevitable? The blu-ray apocalypse was just postponed?!
I've chosen to scratch my balls and heres why by Papa Lazaru	Nov 29th, 2007 05:26:53 AM
They were as itchy as fuck .
Physical Media will stay by messi	Nov 29th, 2007 05:40:57 AM
Because there will always be a huge amount of purists that want media, especially for more indie movies. That's why piracy, torrents, mp3's hasn't affected underground more arty bands because their fans like to buy the shit.
On the price of CD's by Lost Jarv	Nov 29th, 2007 05:42:23 AM
In the UK- the cost thing is actually a myth. CD's cost a fuck sight more than 22p to make (Including MCPS etc)and the vast majority of the markup on them is actually applied by retailers. It isn't greedy labels to blame, and I actually think they get an unfair amount of stick for it. I remember having a full price double CD with Dealer price of £8.49 go on sale at HMV for £15. If anyone needs a slap for the over-pricing it's the retail outlets. I wouldn't be surprised to know that the same is true of DVD's.
Messi by Lost Jarv	Nov 29th, 2007 05:44:53 AM
That is bollocks. Piracy has hurt everyone in the industry. Just because you are on an indie slant doesn't mean that you are immune. The reason that it hasn't hurt proper bands as much (the death of the single has still hurt) is that an album is a wholly different thing to a single- and people that like bands like you mention buy albums. They don't buy individual tracks. Anyway- Mogwai are shit, and you know it ;P
Agree with Messi by Papa Lazaru	Nov 29th, 2007 05:50:59 AM
I have to agree with a few posters above . As much as I believe that there will be no reason for physical media in the next few years . I just cant see a time when it will actually happen . When the average person pays for a product , they expect some tangible. Something to hold in their hands and fiddle with . Something that comes with a little booklet or a sleeve and something to show to their friends . I don't think most people would feel that they were getting value for money by simply buying memory , 1's and 0's . Whether it be something the size of a vinyl disc or a postage stamp , people want something to show for their money . As for the format war . I really think its very foolish to buy something / anything at this early stage. Its way too early and of course way too expensive
LG by richiro33	Nov 29th, 2007 07:17:07 AM
LG is a great company who has actually been around as long as "pioneers". They have made technology that all of the major companies in electronics and appliances have used. It is only the last few years that they have grown into making their own products.
WONKABAR by Dokkalvar	Nov 29th, 2007 07:18:06 AM
Trouble is, A movie is not like having personal data on someone elses hard drive - it's not the same argument. A film is a film is a film. It's not a book, it's not a song. It's experienced in a different way.. and why would it matter if it's physical media or on some off-shore hard-drive streaming into your television? If you don't see a difference in quality then why wouldn't a lot of people choose to go that route when they are already paying for a movie-rental subscription anyway? Who cares about use when anyone can access the same library for the same price and why would you assume that it would look like I-tunes where you pay for each movie and store it on your hard-drive? Netflix system allows you so many hours of streaming media and it's a lot of hours..1800 or something like that. I can watch whatever I want as many times as I want the only problem is the quality isn't there yet but how long do you think that will last? --And don't bug me about spending money because you're already paying that price in DVD purchases anyway -- or Blockbuster rentals.. Or whatever. If you're not then you're stealing and morality aside I think that's a big waste of time and energy. But I'll tell you what, see you in 10 years and we can compare notes. I guarantee the world will look more like what I'm talking about..
Is it necessary to choose? by ye olde shiza	Nov 29th, 2007 07:31:54 AM
If you're going to get both formats Moriarty, why is it even necessary to choose between the two as to who is the victor? After all, if you've got them both in your house, it seems like they've both won! You're not like me. I would HAVE TO choose, because I could only afford one or the other. That said, I'm probably going to choose neither. Too much money. By the time I have enough money for a new TV, a 360, and an HD attachment, there will be a new videogame system out altogether.
Eventually movies will just become like those fake Grindhouse tr by Spandau Belly	Nov 29th, 2007 07:34:06 AM
Little five minute stories that are just composites of a bunch of other stuff you recognize. They'll be uploaded directly to your brain when YouTube figures out a way to make a cerebral implant and old movies will be editted down to five minute versions by Michael Bay's minions who will find a way to make Lawrence of Arabia more like a rap video and add a CGI Angelina Jolie and an American Idol winner singing and abridged cover of some song everybody already likes. After viewing the five minute movie the cerebral implant will gage how much you enjoyed it and then the government will relocate you to live in a region full of people with the same tastes as you and feed you new movies selected by Amazon.com's automated recommendation system so that you never have to broaden your horizons and see anything that migh challenge you.
Rickey Henderson has Chosen Rickey Henderson, and here's why... by Rickey Henderson	Nov 29th, 2007 08:11:26 AM
Because Rickey Henderson goddamned rocks. Honestly, I don't give a flying fuck one way or the other. If I happen to finally pick a side, it'll be because I've finally cracked and bought a PS3. Rickey's all about the Halo goodness on the 360 at the moment. Give him something better in blu-ray and then we'll talk. I'm fucking done buying shitty little dics for $20 that costs the studio pennies to manufacture. Rickey out. http://ridingwithricky.blogspo t.com
oh and PS: by Rickey Henderson	Nov 29th, 2007 08:12:24 AM

oh and PS: by Rickey Henderson	Nov 29th, 2007 08:13:24 AM
Rickey recommends watching your movies for free in streaming format over at justvids. Seriously, the studios DO NOT need any more of your hard earned money.
Rickey Henderson sounds like Bob Dole, and here's why... by Abin Sur	Nov 29th, 2007 08:25:57 AM
It's the whole third-person talking thing...
Mazel tov on being in that .01% who remember Bob Dole... by Rickey Henderson	Nov 29th, 2007 08:31:49 AM
Do a google for Rickey Henderson and you'll see why Rickey speaks in third person. Rickey, out! http://ridingwithricky.blogspo t.com
Hmmm. by Thall_Joben	Nov 29th, 2007 08:53:05 AM
When looking for a gift folks will always buy music and films as concrete media, sending someone a file doesn't quite do it. As for format wars, I think whichever player supports regular DVD properly in addition to it's own format might win out, but there isn't a clear winner. We should wait till the dust settles and there's a bigger divide, my DVDs still look fantastic. We should remember the difference between our old VHS tapes and regular DVD - nothing wrong with things getting better, but every year? Screw the manufacturers, when it's cheap and unarguably 100% better THAT'S when we should buy.
Ok Moriarty Here's The Big Question On Downloadable Media by Real Deal	Nov 29th, 2007 08:54:56 AM
So Your kid has a device that carries media. What if he wants to play that media on a big screen like the plasma you mentioned later in the article. Do you think studios will just let him hook it up and play it that way? Or do you think they'll be afraid that's another place where pirating will take place? I really think this is something that people haven't thought about too much. With downloadable media what about portability? Say you have all these movies that you " bought " on line and you want to take them over to your friend's house and watch on his big plasma? The problem here ( and it probably will be more so with HD ) is that movie studios aren't letting these online programs copy their videos to say a disc or another medium for portability. But that's what people are used to. They already have been using there DVDs and tapes that way so they're used to the model. Do you think that they'll want to go for something less convenient? I think this is a serious question to raise when talking about the downloading future. If it doesn't offer the same convenience ( what people are already used to ) it won't become mainstreme. Maybe they'll figure some way around this but that hasn't been the pattern up until now.
Watching DVDs on your Playstation is... by weirdoactor	Nov 29th, 2007 08:55:02 AM
...really bad for its laser. You'll use up the machine eight times faster.
All of this love for HD and Blu-Ray by McFrye	Nov 29th, 2007 09:17:57 AM
And I just could not care about either format. Ever since HD and Blu-Ray came about people have been trying to sway me one way or the other about which format is superior. Just recently, a friend told me how one of the Underworld movies (at least, I think it was one of those...I'm not sure, I wasn't paying much attention) looks so amazing on Blu-Ray, telling me how it starts snowing in one scene and you can see each individual snowflake. Wow. Watch me as I clap sarcastically. Do I really care about seeing each individual snowflake? Do I really need that kind of detail when watching a film? If I want to see individual snowflakes, I will wait for actual snow to fall. All of this detail that is in high-definition (save for the black levels which I do think look good, but quite honestly so do the black levels on standard when watched on a high-def TV) seems to me very trivial. It also makes me wonder about Jaws on high-def. Will the shark look more fake in high def? Count me out. Standard DVD is good for me.
One more thing by McFrye	Nov 29th, 2007 09:29:25 AM
The detail you find in HD/Blu-Ray strikes me as a way for Hollywood to mask the quality of the film itself. "Watch in stupendous awe at the amazing detail of these stunning DVDs . . . so that maybe you won't notice how horrific these movies truly are."
My Interociter is Bigger than Yours by William Munny	Nov 29th, 2007 09:43:49 AM
Seriously, there's not much more fun you can have that comparing the length of our HDMI cables.
moriarty- 2 things. first, im jealous of your kid. by Cotton McKnight	Nov 29th, 2007 10:12:03 AM
He will get to see First Contact with the Vulcans in 2063. I on the other hand will be 89. Oh well. Secondly, everything you are saying, George Lucas said at least 5 years ago. So criticize the guy all you want, he's ahead of his time.
portability? by jambone	Nov 29th, 2007 10:16:06 AM
Who needs portability when you'll be able to download it wherever you are? You'll either watch the streaming version with commercials, a downloaded version with ads, or ad free and pay for it.
Mohammed has chosen Blu-Ray by jambone	Nov 29th, 2007 10:20:04 AM
Will I get flogged for posting this?
Playstation uses the Spidey movie font? by Abominable Snowcone	Nov 29th, 2007 10:34:40 AM
Any reason? Anyway, I still go with "normal" DVDs. I have a "normal," very unimpressive television. It's good enough for now. I love Close Encounters, but I don't care about the "quality of deep blacks" in any film enough to shell out 10 bucks more per DVD, when they're already overpriced. Who gives a poop.
i've paid mark hammll to reenact strwrs in my den.. by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 10:35:11 AM

.. along with carrie fischer in the gold bikini and.. by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 10:36:10 AM

..some guy in a vader suit, and heres why... by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 10:37:57 AM
its cheaper than hddvd and blu-ray, and the resolution is better.
Abominable Snowcone - sony is cheap by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 10:39:52 AM

AVC versus VC-1 encoding by VXXV	Nov 29th, 2007 10:50:58 AM
Both Blu-Ray and HDDVD can encode discs in VC-1, but Blu-Ray can also encode them in AVC. Some have suggested that there is a quality difference between the to encoding formats and that AVC encoding is superior. The Fantastic Four sequel is visually the highest quality disc I've seen and it is encoded in AVC. Surprisingly, Dawn of the Dead (George Romero's original) looks great in AVC format. Despite the fact that it was shot in the 1970's (?16mm as well). 300 looks very grainy on both HDDVD and Blu-Ray but has tons of color correction in post which can add a lot of noise. It is in VC-1 format for both. The Blu-Ray version of 2001 is encoded in VC-1 and looks grainy. Ratouille looks fantastic on Blu-Ray. I haven't checked but I think I can guess the encoding format of this and probably most Disney/Pixar releases. Thoughts from others who have looked at this?
Michael Jackson has chosen little boys and by picardsucks	Nov 29th, 2007 10:53:58 AM
Here's why..... Cause he's a fuckin sick ass molester
Mori, what did you do with your old TV? by Atticus Finch	Nov 29th, 2007 11:03:23 AM
Did you throw it away or move it to the bedroom of give it to a friend or what?
Nmdjpway has chosen the Nintendo Power Glove by NomoredirtyjokespleaseweareYanks	Nov 29th, 2007 11:05:30 AM
Now thanks to technology I can play and wank at once!
"AVC versus VC-1" and grain by ufoclub1977	Nov 29th, 2007 11:06:40 AM
Did you know that these days filmmakers sometimes add fake digital grain because it can look cool to add an organic texture to the image? I wouldn't evr think of grain as an indication of inferior compression... unless you are talking about compression artifacts.
renton and sickboy have chosen life, and heres why.. by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 11:24:23 AM

ash has chosen pikachu and heres why.. by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 11:37:12 AM

The Blu-Ray camp by tme2nsb	Nov 29th, 2007 12:02:41 PM
wants their blow job back.
harry has chosen a hamburger and heres why... by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 12:07:24 PM
NIGGA IS FAT!
HULK HAS CHOSEN "SMASH!" AND HERES WHY.. by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 12:08:57 PM

ufoclub1977... by ZoeFan	Nov 29th, 2007 12:14:56 PM
Excluding the 2 Grindhouse films, what other movie(s) purposely have digital grain throughout the whole film?
ironic_name by NomoredirtyjokespleaseweareYanks	Nov 29th, 2007 12:21:46 PM
shit man, that Renton and Sickboy crack made me spurt beer through my nose. Fuckin funny shit.
hadez has chosen DVD, and here's why... by hadez	Nov 29th, 2007 12:34:43 PM
because I hate all you bastards that can afford HD-DVD and Bluray. And because I can't. Oh, well, back to watching Back to the Future.
thanks ...yanks by ironic_name	Nov 29th, 2007 12:38:56 PM
i thought maybe following up with "begbie doesn't choose to do drugs, he chooses to do people, and heres why"
MandalorianSage... by Abin Sur	Nov 29th, 2007 01:10:35 PM
I have to say it: you're calling another poster stupid? And you're talking about "whatever marketplace voodoo" there might be? Real strong grasp of economics you've got there. While I've got your attention, the use of all-caps and the "OMG" kinda makes you look like a 12-yr. old girl texting her friends about Hannah Montana.
Ok Guys I'll settle this argument for you RIGHT NOW by IndustryKiller!	Nov 29th, 2007 01:12:47 PM
You all have very large dicks. There, done. Happy now? Cause I'm pretty sure this argument has a lot more to do with that than it does what machine plays bad movies shinier.
Digital noise and grain by Uncle Bobo	Nov 29th, 2007 01:57:41 PM
Digital noise (that grainy effect in video) is a side-effect of transforming an analog image(what the lens is seeing) into an electronic digital signal. For instance, you'd see more noise if you bump up the gain on your camera to make up for low light. Film grain is actual grains of the substance on actual film that makes up the image. I doubt any self-respecting big budget film would have to add a film grain effect to any film that was shot on film to begin with. That cheap effect is usually reserved for no budget filmmakers who want to make their movies shot on video look more film-like. Probably the grain/noise that folks are seeing on these movies in HD format is the actual film grain of the movie, an example of the clarity of the High Def format. Although I did see Casino Royale on Blu-Ray the other day and it looked much more noisy/grainy than I remember in the theater.
lots of new format shareholders here huh? by slappy jones	Nov 29th, 2007 02:12:13 PM
it is beyond me how anyone can because that could be the only reason you could take any of the format shit so seriously.it is fucking hilarious how personal some of you take this "i got a blu ray player and it looks great!" "oh yeah well go fuck yourself you sellout son of a bitch. it looks shit" I have an HD DVD player ...it looks awesome and I love it. I would love to have a blu ray as well but I don't but I don't feel personally attacked because someone bought a different format to me...it is very weird....
Dokkalvar by WONKABAR	Nov 29th, 2007 02:19:05 PM
I totally see your point, and I'm sure the world will look alot like what you're describing. Trust, I rent movies on XBOX live all the time...I have seen the future and so has Microsoft. That's what bugs me. Why do they support HD-DVD when they're not interested in any physical format? I think the reasons are obvious. Real Deal up above raises some interesting issues as well. Even if we we're only downloading stuff. BD disks are still gonna be around for a long time for storing purposes at least..it will be the standard for Macs, PCs games et.. So whether studios are putting movies out on them or not doesn't matter...cuz you will be using them for all kinds of purposes. Microsoft knows this yet is funding this "war" not because they give a shit about HD-DVD but because they want a wash/consumer confusion. They want to push downloadable content which they already have a foothold in with LIVE. I mean, that's fine. I dig being able to download stuff. But you have to ask yourself why they want it so bad and why they want to kill off physical-media entirely. Besides money, it's control. I don't want them to have control. I don't want all my books, movies, and music stored in some database someplace else. I like idea of there being such a database that I might have access to in the future. But I still want the option of actually "having" the things I pay for...and having them for good. When MS actually goes out of it's way to support and throw money toward an inferior product, all the while building their online empire and stating publicly that the future is downloads...I'm inclined to say "fuck you guys". I mean, Sonys no saint but at least they have a reason for pushing BD. It's just kinda shady what MS is doing IMO. It's so clear to me now that they want a future where we have to go to them for fucking....everything
Chuck Norris has chosen Blu-Ray and here's ... by zodiac1012	Nov 29th, 2007 02:20:26 PM
You do not question Chuck Norris. That's all you need to know.
Resident Evil 5 on X360, too, Tallboy... by Zardoz	Nov 29th, 2007 02:44:39 PM
and there's been rumors that MGS4 is coming to 360, also...(but that's probably not true; who knows?)
Uncle Bobo... by ZoeFan	Nov 29th, 2007 02:56:22 PM
When you said, "I doubt any self-respecting big budget film would have to add a film grain effect to any film that was shot on film to begin with." I was kind of thinking the same thing. When ufoclub1977 said that, it made me wonder.
Grain by VXXV	Nov 29th, 2007 03:30:08 PM
I think the VC-1 encoding has more digital noise (which would appear as grain) than AVC encoding. It is more noticeable in low light images. Camera film stock makers have made great pains to make film grain less and less noticeable over the years, although it is still one of the things that gives that "film look." To me the biggest factor in giving something the look of film is a shallow depth of field. Adding grain (noise) to a digitally shot film certainly is done all the time. As audiences become more accustomed to high definition video quality these fuzzy low light images (which seem more prevalent with VC-1 encoding) will become less acceptable.
What format war? by Lord_Soth	Nov 29th, 2007 04:29:46 PM
The HD market is like 0.1 percent of the DVD market. Laughable at best.
G R A I N by ufoclub1977	Nov 29th, 2007 04:41:40 PM
....They (the director and DP) decided to unify Babel's three stories more subtly with color and varying levels of grain.... As for film grain, "Alejandro loves it, and once we decided to make the grain of Super-16 the texture of Morocco, we carried grain through Mexico and Japan to different degrees." American Cinematographer on "Jarhead" (shot by Roger Deakins): To further emphasize the film's realistic tone, (director) Mendes sought to lend the images a certain raw look. Grain and contrast were appropriate... Deakins: "I wanted the kind of grain the bleach-bypass was going to give me..." .... Testing helped Deakins determine the degree to which he could augment the grain during the D.I. American Cinematographer on "Munich" (shot by Janusz Kaminski): "As our characters go to Europe and start to comprehend the weight of their actions, the image becomes grittier, bluer, grainier... the light creates something very grainy and raw.... Fuji is also a good emulsion for bleach-bypass because it retains a good grain structure..." Kaminski is particularly fond of the grain structure of Kodak's 5279 and 5293, which he prefers over the newer Vision-2 line. "What makes film negative special is the grain and the ability to capture information. Some of the newer stocks don't have enough grain.. without grain, film starts to feel digital... The last 25 pages of Munich's script takes place in New York, where Avner decides to sever ties with Mossad, and I shot all of that footage on '79 because I wanted the grain and color-saturation." "Munich is not a soft, beautifully lit movie, and occasionally the lighting is really unflattering. There's a lot of texture, a lot of grain. It's almost ugly, but I think it's right for the story." American Cinematographer on "Minority Report" (also shot by Kaminski): "It seems the tendency today is to go with stocks that are less grainy... Steven and I are fascinated by the look of the movies of the Seventies like The French Connection. We love that look and with this film we wanted to return to that idea and show the viewers the grain." I could go on pulling more examples of filmmakers using grain for creative reasons. David Mullen, ASC Los Angeles
GRAIN on "300" - from another board by ufoclub1977	Nov 29th, 2007 04:45:29 PM
> > The visible grain was intentional, which is why they used Expression > > 500T. The director and DP liked that texture, which added to the > > graphic, painterly, and gritty quality to the image. They didn't want > > that smooth, hyper-clean digital photography look. > > I realise that, but why? Just because they didn't want it, shouldn't mean > everyone else should be subjected to what appeared to be a very poor film > print and (in my opinion) certainly did nothing to enhance your passion for > film over UH Def. Has it ever occurred to you that not everyone shares your taste in images? I loved the way that "300" looked and so did a lot of other people I have talked to. And the grain is one of the reasons we liked the look. Grain is not always bad. These people -- the director, the DP, Frank Miller, the efx people, production designer, etc. -- are ARTISTS. Not every movie ever made has to be as sharp and clean as possible. It's an expressive medium. David Mullen, ASC
When I was little and watching by ufoclub1977	Nov 29th, 2007 04:47:35 PM
big movies like Star Wars, Close Encounters, Excaliber, Conan, Poltergeist, ET...etc... Me and aspiring middle school filmmakers marveled and loved how nice and grainy stuff looked. We actually said those word... "I love the film grain"
I have chosen PS3, here's why... by Johnno	Nov 29th, 2007 04:50:40 PM
Honestly the only reason everyone's got their panties in a bunch is because of a format war. If there was one format we'd all be very positive about going HD. HDTVs are pracytically teh only televisions available in stores now. Prices come down, people and the general public will be getting these TVs. As cable channels encourage and advertise to people to switch to HD channels everyone will at the very least be informed about what this 'HD' thing is. Laws in the States and other countries are making it mandatory for cable channels etc. to switch to HD, if only to standardize global formats and leave behind teh days of interlacing and NTSC and PAL and shit to a universal progressive scan format for television and movies. In fact thsoe with regular non HD televisions may eventually have to go out of their way to get a box that downconverts the signal just to watch regular television. The industry is moving towards HD for good reasons and everyone's going to have to go along whether they like it or not. For the morons bitching about having to 'rebuy' everything you're pretty fucking stupid. YOu don't have to reguy a thing unless oyu want to. This isn't like the VHS switch to DVD. You can still put your good ol' DVDs into the HD player and play them there and see them just as you liked 'em or better yet have the HD player upscale them so they look better! And yes old flicks on DVD and VHS look horrendous on HDTVs. Newer DVD movie titles at least look pretty nice thanks to better codecs etc. But I dare you to walk into a Sony store, look at HD footage on their Bravia TVs and tell me it doesn't look fantastic. Honestly most of the time people need to see this stuff side by side to see the difference. Sony has a cool video thing that informs the customer, check it out... In fact the same can be applicable to video games. I was playing Zelda Twilight princess on Wii at someone's place on a regular TV and loving it, I too was thinking, "You know the Wii graphics are good enough to enjoy, I can dig it." So i got a Wii later on, and tried playing it on my HDTV and the game looks horrible, sometimes I don't even know what the fuck I'm looking at, especially in dungeons and the jaggies kinda irritate me. Nintendo could've at least had the foresight to have some upscaler or soemthing in the Wii if they didn't want to go total hi-def. The PS3 and 360 at least upscale older titles so they look smooth and nice... And as for all the morons announcing dom and gloom for the PS3, it's kept up on par with 360 sales during its first year and did it without having the library of games you morons bring up all the time. So how is it doing so well without all these great games? Might as well ask yourself that question... In fact PS3 is getting brilliant beautiful games out during it's first year like Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, Unreal Tournament etc. before 360 even had a decent must have title which was Gears of War. The 360 benefits from haveing 2 years to build a library. And PS3 will have great exclusive games in it's second year too like the Final Fantasy XIIIs, Metal Gear, Little Big Planet etc. etc. And it is true that a lot of cross platform titles run like crap on the PS3 and better on the 360. Reason being was that because 360 was out first, it became the lead platform. And of course developers thinking they could easily port it to the PS3 realized they were screwed due to the significantly different architectures. However games like Call of Duty show that developers are figuring out a system of creating such games so there's minimal difference on either, however there will always be slight differences so pick and choose what matters to you. Some games like Madden will run better on 360, and some games like Burnout will run better on PS3. It largely depends on which platform was the lead. The COD developers have two teams working simultaneously on both. Other than that it seems other developers will instead make the PS3 the lead platform for development because it's more complicated whereas porting to the 360 would be easier. And this also further goes to show that games built specifically for PS3 or 360 stand a greater chance of remaining exclusive and rather than having more multiplatform titles I'd expect we'd see even more new IP exclusive games on all 3 platforms due to the significant differences. So if you want to enjoy all of them you'll have to get all 3. And while people have no problems doing that for games as of yet, people won't stand for having their films split up between two different players. Dual format players will not release below their cost, they want to be profitable, the only ones slashing their prices in desperation are Toshiba and Sony as far as the PS3 is concerned because it's attempting to fight on two fronts. Anyway getting back to the friggin format war on movies. Blu-Ray is the superior tech becasue it has greater storage. Transformers on HD-DVD couldn't include hi def audio because they ran out of fucking space! HD-DVD will not catch up to how far ahead blu-ray can go in terms of increasing storagespace. Good not only for movies that would like to have all the special features, hi def audio and all the bells and whistles and PiP and all that good stuff, but also for game assets, textures, models, especially HD pre-rendered cinematics, and also when the time comes for the public to utilize a storage format to back up their pictures music and PC stuff and burn their downloaded movies or porn or whatever, it's just better to have more storage. So to that extent I'd rather support the better format than the half baked one. Like the sayign goes, 'penny wise, pound foolish.' I'd rather invest in something of more benefit. It just makes sense. And for fucks sake people as you're clearly seeing, prices will fall, deals will come along, so eventually it'll all be moot. And getting to the next point, people say they rarely see a significant benefit with the jump to hi def compared to when we switched form VHS to DVD... for example, scene selection and all that stuff was plainly obvious for their ease of use! But hi-def discs do have their benefits, if not for ergonomically making anythign better, features like Pip and jump to special features and all that Java and other special things on Disney blu-ray discs etc. are simply not that feasible on regular DVDs. Regular DVDs don't have the higher data transfer rate, nor the storage capacity. So there's some good shit right there that is advantageous and cool about the new HD formats! Sure I forgive anyone for having a bad impression of these discs earlier on when they couldn't get their shit together to really show off these discs, especially the blu-ray camp, but thigns are sorting themselves out now so take a look! And when everyone gets their shit together it'll be a good time to hop aboard. lastly on digital distribution, no fucking thanks... I don't mind it but I'd hate for that to become the norm. I don't want to have Microsoft control what I watch and when I watch it. I don't have the internet speed required to download or stream quality content, hell I don't even think my city has the fucking infrastructure to support a network like that... and if it does, you want me to pay monthly for the fucking thing when I will save MORE money buying a stand alone blu-ray player and physical discs? Does ythat really make sense to you? And what if i want to take it to a friends house and watch it there? Oh wait, I probably can't! Because the digital deal only streams to my addrerss and Microsoft won't let me transfer it from the hard drive! And on that note do I really want a piece of shit hardware like the 360 red light on me and die only to have Microsoft tech support tell me I've lost all my downloaded content, achievements and points and I can't get it back? No thanks! Until MS can make an Xbox 360 that works they get no sale from me, fuck their warranties, I don't want to buy a guaranteed piece of shit. I hate having to wait on the phone and talk to machines slowly telling me my options and what number to press. So I'm going with PS3, a more reputably reliable machine. And if blu-ray goes under I can play games on it including a whole library of good PS2 titles (unless you have the 40GB), so no loss... So if you want to get into the HD thing early, your best bet is a PS3, because you know that at least Sony will make sure to update and keep it running. It can upscale your old games and movies, and has an online service which while not as robust as the 360's comes for the low cost of free. And I've had no issues playing online or downloading material if I want to. That and Metal Gear Solid 4 is exclusive to the system and Kojima and developers like Square Enix and Rockstar are all digging blu-ray, which is why particular games will remain PS3 exclusive.
Conan Sux! by FILMFUNK	Nov 29th, 2007 04:50:57 PM
just run past all the bad guys! I Have a 42'' TV and Hundreds of DVD's which look fine to me! I aint replacing my DVD collection again like i did my VHS's coz i cant see the improvement being as big a leap as from crappy old tape and SuperHD or UberRay will be along soon anyway...
FILMFUNK... by ufoclub1977	Nov 29th, 2007 04:59:49 PM
You really can't see a huge difference? make a rectangle that is 19.2 x 10.8 inches and compare it to a rectangle that is 7.2 x 4.8 inches. That is the difference in the playing field for the image. Also for those of you pushing projectors... the only good 1080p projectors cost upwards of $5000 dollars, anything below that has nasty contrast ratios and poor ability to produce details in the darker areas of the frame. If I had a spare $10000 I'd go for a top projector.
IVE CHOSEN NEITHER AND HERES WHY by ArcadianDS	Nov 29th, 2007 05:05:19 PM
We own an IMAX theater.
Physical media by epitone	Nov 29th, 2007 05:14:26 PM
On the one hand, yes, digital downloads probably are the future of home video. On the other hand, they're not exactly the NEAR future. Think back to 1996-97, when DVDs first hit the market. At that time, the advent of HDTV was just around the corner. (You could even buy an HDTV if you wanted to shell out serious cash.) DVDs were not high definition (though capable of better resolution than most TVs), so technically anyone could have refused to buy DVDs on the grounds that HD was "the future." And, lo and behold, HD IS the future since now, in 2007, practically every primetime show is available in HD and between the two HD disc formats, just about every new film release can be purchased that way. If you could travel back in time 10 years and talk to someone who was relatively in the know about media and technology back then, they would not be surprised to learn that this is the current state of affairs. It's not like technology or the industry took some kind of crazy left turn to land where it is. But look at how DVD flourished in that 10 year span. That was enough time for it to be snapped up by the early adopters, slowly accepted by film aficionados in general, and finally embraced completely by the mass consumer. In fact, all those steps really happened within the first 4-5 years; in the time since, DVD sales have even tapered down a bit. Now let's get back to digital downloads. Yes, they exist, and are gaining in popularity and awareness. They don't exist in HD yet, but that's only a matter of time (and bandwidth, and compression technology). But the day when the AVERAGE CONSUMER is downloading HD movies to his or her hard drive -- choosing to do it this way rather than buy a disc -- is at LEAST another 5-6 years off, if not more. Meanwhile, HD discs and players are already out there, and there's at least an inkling of evidence that they're being purchased by more than just early adopters. Hence, there is every opportunity for HD films on physical media to be a cash cow for the studios and hardware manufacturers before downloads have a chance to muscle in... but ONLY if there is a single format. I don't care if dual-format players eventually become affordable; having two different types of discs on the market is not viable long-term (look at SACD/DVD-Audio, or don't since they're both deader than disco). And the longer the war keeps up, the more it WILL make sense for the public to just ignore it and wait for downloads -- which, in the absence of a successful HD physical media format, will probably arrive even sooner.
Death Of "Physical Media" Called Waaaaaaay Too Soon by LaserPants	Nov 29th, 2007 05:59:44 PM
I'm willing to admit that, in the fullness of time, each and every one of us will be able to afford a portable, wireless, media device that can download content whenever, wherever, forever. BUT, until there is a device which can do all of this stuff for the average Joe -- a device which costs something like $50-$100 bucks and can do all the stuff all the expensive stuff can do -- you may as well continue to enjoy your physical media. It aint going anywhere. Remember when the internets was going to save the world? Back in '97? before the crash where everybody lost their jobs because money can't be made on wishful thinking? Yeah, I remember that too. How come everybody else forgot. So, yeah, I'm willing to accept the fact that eventually we'll all be able to automatically download HOSTEL 4 directly to our brains though some kind of cybertastic hook up.. in about 10, 20 years. Until then, continue to enjoy your "physical mnedia." It ain't going ANYWHERE.
UFOClub by FILMFUNK	Nov 29th, 2007 06:41:27 PM
It's not the Resolution but the quality or rather lack of it with regards to my eyes! I wear Glasses for distance, cinema and TV but up until recently often didn't bother so believ me when I say watching DVDs on my big HD Telly with my Glasses on is like watching Blueray or HD compared to when i watched VHS with my bear naked eyeballs! I get that there's a difference obviously but these old peepers are fine with Spectacles and DVD! and no VHS crackles or rewinding tapes! Shit I remenber back in the day when you'd load a fucking screeching tape into your comodore 64 for literally half an hour only to have it crash after 2 minites of blocky Green Beret or whatever and have to re-load the twat! Now those were testing times! Thesedays you have fucking Next Gen, wavy nunchuck interactive brain training games in Super Hi-rez 3D HDn shit!
Oh! and if I had a spare $10,000 I'd buy a new car! by FILMFUNK	Nov 29th, 2007 06:46:03 PM
Just thought of something - If HD ratio is basically 2wice that of DVD, I'll just sit Twice as close to my big fucking Telly!
Good God by Bone-In Foray	Nov 29th, 2007 06:56:33 PM
Best Buy? Wal*Mart???? What in the world? Why would someone wait so long to dive into HD and then buy all of their electronics from stores that don't even carry mid-range quality electronics. And don't get me started with the PS3 Blu-ray combo. I'd guess that it would be quite difficult to judge any HD 'format' with such inferior equipment. Meanwhile, think I'll wait for the smoke to clear and continue watching my "obsolete" DVDs. (cough) By the way, don't waste your time with 28 Weeks Later Mori. It's an absolute insult to the original. A really dreadful bit of cinema.
The "deep" blacks by ye olde shiza	Nov 29th, 2007 07:31:28 PM
Come from the fact that you have a plasma screen and not the new hi-def. You get "deep blacks" on reg. DVDs with a plasma, as well. I'm sure there's other stuff that hi-def is much better at, but don't attribute that to it.
"I chose Chanel #5 because of the free purse" by Mullah Omar	Nov 29th, 2007 07:35:45 PM
That's really all this is - you "chose" (more like "are sampling") Blu-Ray because you got a lot of them bundled to a discounted PS3. That's not a criticism, but you've chosen a bit of a misleading title, because the choice was not made to buy a standalone Blu-Ray player, nor was the key factor video/audio quality - it came down to the fact that everything was on sale and you figured it was worth trying out. That said, I'm interested to see what you think of the image quality. I'm impressed by the difference between HD and regular video, but not enough to run out and buy an expensive new format. There's no way I'll be paying $30 for high-def films when I can get used DVDs for $5. For the price of a high-def disc, I would rather see 3-4 films in the cinema. Hell, I didn't bother with DVDs until 2005. I just don't see the point in paying 6 times the price (or starting over with a video collection) for a marginal improvement in my home theater experience.
Okay... by VXXV	Nov 29th, 2007 08:01:15 PM
It's a very interesting arguement about film grain. I guess I am not saying that film grain is a bad thing. It is an artistic choice made by the director and DP. What I am saying is VC-1 encoding adds additional digital noise (you can call it grain if you want) that the DIRECTOR AND DP DID NOT INTEND! For instance, Zack Snyder made a very conscious decision to shoot 300 on film instead of HD like the prototype Sin City (which used Sony F950's). I think it was as much about film grain as it was about shooting super slo-mo which HD cameras are not that great with yet. While it is obvious that Snyder wanted grain in his images, he didn't see "gee, I'd really like to add more digital noise on top of what's already there when I release this on DVD." Kodak (and probably Fuji) have seen the writing on the wall and know that film may go the way of the dinosaur in the future. That is why they have developed film stocks with less grain that they say are great for "HD archiving." Future filmmakers who are raised on digital technology will probably not use film. It adds too many additional unnecessary steps to the process.
Johnno, epitone... by WONKABAR	Nov 29th, 2007 08:08:11 PM
Totally. Right on on both posts. and that's coming from an Xboxer & former HD-DVD supporter. It's time to just accept what was meant to be in the first place. I'll be doing what Moriarty did here soon and getting me the best player/deal for going hi-def...the one that also happens to play games...three generations of them. (Just bummed I missed Black-Friday) Oh well. Yeah, this war just needs to end, and HD-DVD ain't gonna win it. And I'm not saying that in a "Your format sux!" kind of way. I'm looking at the facts, the way the things are trending and my own feelings as a consumer. Two years ago I argued with my buddy that 360 was gonna have all the good games. He thought I was high, but it was so clear to me then. Now here we are and 360 is basically on top gamewise and people are saying "BD/PS3 is dead!" I will tell you right now PS3 ain't leaving/going anywhere and the only thing with any chance of dying is the HD-DVD format. The sooner the better, it's just hurting the whole industry at this point. Nice points too SoylentMean
wonkabar by epitone	Nov 29th, 2007 08:25:38 PM
I agree that Blu-Ray seems like the more likely bet to win the war, and pretty much has from the beginning. The problem is that at this point, as William Goldman would say, nobody knows anything. Even if HD-DVD folds, there's no guarantee that Universal and Paramount are going to start selling BDs. They might just take their ball and go home, and rely on standard DVDs to keep them afloat. Or we could see a third format spring up in the next couple years, with $300 players that are backwards compatible with both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray so no one gets pissed. Not saying it's likely, but stranger things have happened. All I know is that for the time being, I'm sitting out the war and to hedge my bets further, am avoiding buying DVDs except for TV series and Criterion.
Filmfunk... by ufoclub1977	Nov 29th, 2007 09:00:09 PM
You simply can't see some visual elements on dvd images, it's not clearly there in ntsc resolution, simple example: I just watched Invasion of the Body snatchers and Jeff goldblum has a shot where the only purpose is to see a tear coming out of his eye... I never noticed that before HDnet showed it, (I never saw it in the theatre). with HD you see the smudgess on the armor, the thorns on the plants, the dirt on the hardware... and in a longshot you still see the faces clearly and see the actors' mouths moving . It's the the difference of lifting a veil of gauze. If you sit closet to a dvd image you will not see things that are not there due to the resolution limitation.
PLEASE REPLY! by eman_1293	Nov 29th, 2007 09:17:13 PM
Question: Does PS3 play Blu-Ray and HD-DVD? The cost of a player that supports both formats is $1,000+. Ridiculous, right? I'm just wondering if I need to buy an HD-DVD player to enjoy movies from industries that have chosen the "dark side" (HD).
S-DVD is a dead, (or dying) format... by Zardoz	Nov 29th, 2007 09:24:41 PM
Sales of S-DVD are stagnant and dropping; it's not considered to have anymore growth, meaning pretty much everyone that is going to buy a DVD player has already done so. (sales of Spidey 3 in S-DVD are surprisingly low, so far) HD is the future, it just remains to be seen which format will be the victor. And HD is 6x better picture than S-DVD, not 2x. Even if you don't buy EITHER HD format, you can still get so much great HD programming for FREE. It's worth it people, so get HD already. And someone else was saying there's no HD downloads yet? Hello, XBox marketplace! I've downloaded "The Departed", "Fido" and "The Black Hole" in HD, so it's here. (Also, comcast has HD V.O.D., so there's LOTS of HD options for people besides BD and HD-DVD)
eman_1293 by epitone	Nov 29th, 2007 09:37:28 PM
No, no Sony-manufactured player plays HD-DVDs... and it's fairly likely that none ever will.
epitone..I don't think Universal & Paramount.. by WONKABAR	Nov 29th, 2007 10:16:49 PM
are going to simply "rely on standard DVDs to keep them afloat" anymore...http://tinyurl.com/6 9aro
Just bought a 42 inch LCD and a Xbox 360... by Lashlarue	Nov 29th, 2007 11:28:55 PM
all I can say is....AWESOME! I'm curious about PS3, but to tell the truth I don't know anyone who has one. Holding off on format war till there is a clear winner. Although, I think HD-DVD is gonna come out on top. Just a guess.
to Mori... by lynxpro	Nov 30th, 2007 12:25:31 AM
Congrats on the PS3 purchase. Do check that your video settings on the PS3 match the capabilities of your HDTV. For example, if your TV only does 720p, then set the output of the PS3 to 720p. If your tv is 1080i or 1080p, again, match the PS3 output to it. If you don't, you can have jittery playback. Same goes for setting it to 24fps output. Don't do that unless your HDTV can accept the signal. Always check out the PS3 System Update since Sony thinks they'll be able to improve the upscaling abilities via the Cell processor very soon; not to mention that they'll be adding Divx/Xvid native playback possibly before January 2008. Now, as for comparing HD DVD titles to Blu-ray, you aren't going to get a fair comparison. For example, if you compare a Warner release on both formats, they'll both use the same low-bitrate VC-1 encoding. You won't see a Warner title using AVC in high bitrate just because Blu-ray can go for a higher bitrate transfer than HD DVD because 1. that would increase Warner's encoding costs and 2. Warner doesn't want to give the advantage to Blu-ray when they themselves own some of the intellectual property behind HD DVD and thus would profit from the format winning. Hellboy is a beautiful transfer and it is encoded in AVC with a high bitrate transfer. Same goes for the remastered version of The Fifth Element which you acquired. I'm personally not happy with Black Hawk Down and I think Sony needs to remaster it.
Toshiba sold 90k HD DVD at firesale prices... by lynxpro	Nov 30th, 2007 12:42:57 AM
Toshiba sold 90k HD DVD players at the closeout $99 pricetag while Sony sold 100k Playstation3's at $399. The 750k HD DVD sales figure includes the Xbox 360 add-on drive while Toshiba/Microsoft does not count the number of PS3s sold as Blu-ray players.
Blu-Ray continues to gain ground and will win by YAYBLUERAY	Nov 30th, 2007 12:56:52 AM
Blu-Ray will win this and this week have sold 3 to 1 over HD-DVD in North America and dominate the European , Japan markets. Don't be fooled about Cheap HD-DVD players. It means bye bye to the format. Thank God I bought a PS3 cause its a great Blu-ray DVD player
You got screwed on the Monster Cable by V'Shael	Nov 30th, 2007 04:34:33 AM
Those things have a mark-up like you wouldn't believe. You can buy a generic one for a buck that works JUST AS WELL as the so-called monster. A bit of savvy research on some computer forums could have helped you there.
RGB and HDtv by Dazzler69	Nov 30th, 2007 07:06:55 AM
Is that for computers only? I have comcost and an open RGB port on my HD plasma monitor. I started looking into this but maybe somebody can answer. Looking for a cable on ebay.
But an HD-DVD unit is only ~$150 by JoeSixPack	Nov 30th, 2007 09:41:53 AM
Unless you have a PS3 already, HD-DVD is the way to go. If you have a big HDTV and don't have HD media, you are really missing out.
Everyone is talking about tangible copies by TruPhan	Nov 30th, 2007 04:10:34 PM
...and how I would feel entitled to have something physical for my buck instead of just having a movie I can access off of my computer or cable box. But here's a question: why are you even paying for your DVDs? With Netflix, somebody not me is able to back up DVDs onto somebody not mine's hard drive for later, cheaper, and more convenient access. And since somebody not me has the computer hooked up to the television and uses Windows Media Player and the remote (or hell, XBox 360's shared media network) to run the movies, it's actually easier than popping the movies in and out of the DVD player, and less bulky than the book of DVDs somebody not me would surely have. Furthermore, if somebody not me wants an oh-so-valuable "tangible" copy, somebody not me just burns it. Now, of course, I'm talking about DVDs here, not HD DVDs or Blu-Ray, but how long do you think it will take before portable terrabyte drives are affordable and HD burners hit the mass market?
TruPhan by epitone	Nov 30th, 2007 04:26:44 PM
No, much as the companies try to stop it with proprietary encoding techniques and everything, HD media will probably be able to be freely copied in the near future. And a few people like not you will certainly take advantage of that, distribute them among their friends, and so on. And it won't make any kind of appreciable dent in HD media sales, just like that Scandinavian kid didn't kill DVD sales.
jambone by Real Deal	Nov 30th, 2007 07:27:15 PM
Do you really think a medium where you have to pay for an HD movie again and again will win over the public. That sort of thing was tried in the early days of DVD. It was called Divix ( not the codec ) but a scheme by Circuit City where you could buy a DVD and watch it twice then it it wouldn't play any more. It also wouldn't play in your friend's Divix player. If you wanted to watch it again you had to " buy " it agian. Needless to say it died a quick death. Remember we're talking something that will be mainstream. Also about watching it with comercials. I know people right now that would rather watch a DVD and not have comercials so if you're talking about something to replace physical media it has to be something that you can pay for once, be HD quality, be commercial free, and be portable ( you can watch it anywhere you choose so long as they have the proper equipment ), and watch it as many times as you want. Anything else just won't cut it. And with the way movie studios are now I just can't see them oking you to download it " anywhere " because they're very parinoid about piracy. Also they're greedy so I'm pretty sure any download scheme would be of the play only on your machine pay again and again type. Which of course leads you right back to it might work in the fashion of iTunes but it won't replace physical media and become mainstream until they lick this problem. Understand? In a perfect world I agree downloable would be great. However as we've already seen with the transition to HD money and copyright tend to screw up perfect ideas even if the technology is already here.
Despite 15 Blu-Ray Movies...you still got taken for a ride... by tmifune78	Dec 2nd, 2007 12:14:10 PM
I refuse to pay such a ridiculous amount of money for hardware that offers so little...As a game machine, the PS3 is completely, and I mean completely, trumped by the 360 as far as software goes...Gears of War, Halo 3, Bio Shock, Mass Effect, Ninja Gaiden 2, exclusive GTA content...I am completely and utterly befuddled by anyone dropping that amount of money on a PS3 at this point...when a stand-alone Blu-Ray player hits $200, call me. And Mori, anytime you get that jackoff Bill Hunt on your side, then you know something's off...
Conan gets a shout-out? by Stalkeye	Dec 11th, 2007 02:13:52 PM
I mean WTF..? Xbox360 still owns even with the add on adapter,HD-player and red rings of death. (sarcasm noted)
USA is pro American/ pro Microsoft & anti Black/anti Japanese by Mr Pumblechook	Dec 13th, 2007 02:45:48 PM
The USA loves Microsoft and Xbox. I live in the UK, but get to travel around Europe a lot. What is strange to me is why so many Americans LOVE Microsoft (and before you ask I dont hate them, I own an Xbox 360 Elite.) I think its because you Yanks are a patriotic country, who dont like people that are different from you. That's why you had slavery for so long. That's why black americans suffer so much racism, that is why some Yanks are anti-Japanese products. In the USA there is a Blu-ray vs HD-DVD war. In Europe there is only Blu-ray. In the UK/ Europe regular people(non gamer/movie buffs) havent even heard of hd-dvd. If you go to any electrical store, the shop staff are pushing the Playstation 3's Blu-ray function to anyone who buys an LCD/Plasma. One very rich friend of mine has a PS3. But he bought a hd-dvd player to watch just one film.... Transformers. On his 60 inch screen it looks the dogs bollocks. Of course HD-dvd has the SAME picture as Blu-ray. But some of you yanks hate it because its comes with PS3. You can hate the console all you like, but Blu-ray being built into the PS3 will make it a success and vice versa.
Mr Publechook, British Schools Must Suck Ass by kevinwillis.net	Dec 17th, 2007 10:49:22 AM
Because your analysis of American is entirely wrong and, even for socialist bilge, it's very junior. You should study the worldwide history of slavery (you brits had it, and would have had as long as the US if not longer, had it not been for the British evangelicals who conducted a crusade against slavery, both at home and worldwide. And black American's suffer from racism? Come live, with me, in a city that's over 50% African-American, and see who is on the receiving end of racism. Or, actually, who really doles it out . . . as plenty of black people are victims of the exploitation of black people. And Yanks aren't anti-Japanese products! Good lord, there was a sizable minority of folks who wanted stricter trade with Japan when the Japanese were buying all our real estate (I was not one of those, but . . .). But that was like 15 years ago. What are you schools teaching you? I've always loved Japenese products. Now I love Chinese products (like my HD DVD players), cuz they're cheap. Sony sucks generally (not Blu-Ray specifically, but just generally) because they are a huge bureaucracy and can't get their shit together. The PS2 still outsells the PS3, because the PS3 rollout was a nightmare and the word-of-mouth was bad. And I don't have a XBox or a PS-anything, I've got a Nintendo Game Cube. And will get a Wii, when I don't have to pay $500 for it!
I've Chosen HD DVD, And Here's Why by kevinwillis.net	Dec 17th, 2007 10:50:17 AM
I don't have $500 bucks to spend on a frackin' DVD player. No, seriously, here's what I had to say about it: http://tinyurl.com/3cfub6
Anyone Who Thinks Blu-Ray is Going to "Win" by kevinwillis.net	Dec 17th, 2007 10:55:42 AM
Or that HD DVD is going to "win" is smoking crack. They both are going to go at this for a long time, and with price on the side of HD DVD for a long time coming, and PS3 and the Sony library of movies on the side of Blu-Ray, plus exclusive deals on both sides, both formats are going to be with us for a while. And they both look good, and perform well, generally.
Amoeba Records?!? by Partyslammer	Jan 1st, 2008 11:16:42 AM
Seriously, much as I love that store, I'd never buy any sort of mainstream release there as they are beyond overpriced. Go to some big box dump like Fry's for great deals on most Blu-Ray (or HD-dvd) releases. Sure that kind of place is like shopping in a Hong Kong back alley, but you'll get most "classic" BR titles like Cronenberg's "The Fly" for $19. Hell, I got the Blade Runner 5 disc BR set for 30 bucks and terminator 1 for a whopping 9 bucks at Frys and I was just at the Hollywood Amoeba Records last weekend and Blade Runner was priced at something like $45! Shop smart. Shop S Mart! T.B.

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