Blu-Ray crushing rival DVD format in Japan

because I've seen Blu-Ray DVDs and they ain't no better than standard DVDs. Just more expensive.

"The picture quality in DVD movies stinks"

Jeez, I hate to hear what you'd say about the picture quality of EP mode VHS movies.

 

"because I've seen Blu-Ray DVDs and they ain't no better than standard DVDs. Just more expensive."

You have to remember some movies will look bad no matter what player you watch them on... Director's intent, and artistic style play a large part in the picture quality of the film. Also a movie from the 80's or 90's re-scanned in hi-def won't look as good as something shot more recently digitally or in hi-def.

Another factor is the TV, a good TV with a decent DVD player and upscaling will give a great picture. However, it still isn't true HD.
Some movies I invite you to enjoy on Blu-Ray as an example of HD goodness are Planet Earth, Cars, 300 and Casino Royale, those are just titles that stand out from my small collection... The opening scene of Cars in particular is amazing in HD...

 

I think the tipping point was not major studios but Sony letting the porn industry use Blu-Ray. But there are going to be a lot of peed off customers in a little over a year when Blu-Ray 2.0 is released and people realize it is another completely different format that requires another new player that cannot play their old Blu-Ray disks. The only forward compatible player is PS3.

 

I have read no credible info on a visual difference between the formats. And none of the pundits above have any proof other than their own mouths that it is.

It would be easy to think this headline and the opinions of some posters were paid for by Sony.

Seems to me that we, the customers, will have it better using HD DVD which is not regional.

 

There seems to be some confusion about formats here: HD-DVD is a next generation high-quality format on par with Blu-Ray. It's not the same as the first generation DVDs that are now in most rental shops.

 

i want to buy a blu ray but whats the point when you cant rent the disks from tsutaya? i asked and they said they had no plans to stock them soon..as if i am going to pay $40-$50 a disk.

and on the region thing..i have an xbox 360 and wanted to get the hd dvd add on but before i bought i checked the region side of things and was told hd dvd had exactly the same region codes as current dvd so i didnt buy one...now it seems they are region free..i know blue ray have 3 regions only..

 

If Microsoft is supporting HD, then it will prevail, because after all they must be compatible with computers. Besides HD is region free, which I think it fair.

It is possible that Blue-ray will follow path of Minidiscs, which were very popular in Japan, but not outside.

 

until I am forced to go on BR. I do not know if any of you are old enough, but I remember the Laser Disc which had a billion times better quality than the VHS but still the more affordable won.

Besides, you won't be able to copy which means, if you move around between the US and Japan, you will have to wait until a movie is available in Japan for your family to watch.

 

Gee, I wonder why people pirate, eh?



Actually, in that case the more versatile won. People wanted to record tv shows, and you cant with a laser disc. This is more comparable to Beta vs. VHS, and there affordability did win over quality. Self deluding customers laugh at Beta even today. Actually, the joke was the cheap customers.

 

MS won't have that much of a control over the success or not of HD-DVD, and whos to say that Blueray can't be supported by PCs. If MS won;t make the drivers, lots of other will ie. the blueray manufacturers.

Actually Minidisc was popular in alot of Asian countries, somehow it is naive to compare BlueRay with Minidiscs because you only have to look at players and PS3s that are sold in most countries, the current sales of Blueray over HD-DVD in countries like Uk and USA..

 

Find in J shop HD-DVD disc, EVERYWHERE is Blue Ray on shelves, Sony players, display LCDs showing videos from BlueRay etc.

 

I have both formats, but I have to say Blu-Ray is of better quality. As for comparing it with DVD's... ummm thats like comparing a 2Million pixel digital camera and a 10million one. And you can't compare the quality on just picture, but also sound. I find it very hard to believe one could not tell the difference even when digital terrestrial TV 525i vs 1125i is soooooo obviously different. All you need is a 37inch or larger Full-HD LCD/Plasma TV to see with your eyes. While your at it Full-HD games on PS3 and XBOX360 are jaw dropping. (Just check out Halo3 or Call for Duty 4). As for prices, well Amazon has good prices for new-gen disks and I'm not complaing yet.

 

the US and Japan are both Region A, so, why would you have to wait until it is available for the family to watch? If you buy it in the US it will work with a Japanese Blu-Ray and vice versa. Unless you are talking about movies that you have to wait until they are translated, then I guess you are kinda screwed.

Zorro,

the main difference in HD-DVD and Blu-Ray is that far more information can be put onto a BR than an HD-DVD, things like uncompressed, lossless audio and butt tons (that's a scientific term) of extras. Problem is, at the moment the major players in the BR game are being morons and aren't putting squat on for extras. They aren't even putting the extras that are already on the regular DVD versions.

 

"at the moment the major players in the BR game are being morons and aren't putting squat on for extras. They aren't even putting the extras that are already on the regular DVD versions."

I'm not sure "morons" is the best adjective here. Seems to me they are simply using an age old marketing tool, "hold something back for later release" ! Trust me, the "extras" will be "put on" all in good time. Remember this catch phrase: "Get yer new and improved (insert product of choice) today" !

 

real time updates, online forums and a whole bunch of other junk on next-gen disks. I for one only check out the cut scenes, alternative endings and some of the behind the scenes stuff, but frankly unless the movies is something of a 9+ on IMDB I don't think I'll waste my time checking out the commentary of 3 different people (director, producer, actors), flick through 500 photos, read everyones bio and watch in German with Swahili subtitles. I just hope they can get the price way below 3000yen for all titles.