HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray

[StriderKyo]

Honestly, I think Intel and Microsoft choosing HD-DVD as the next PC format pretty much makes this contest over & done with. Not making Blu Ray writeable will end up being its downfall. Blu ray is unquestionably the better media, though.

[kedawa]

Microsoft still releasing software on CD and doesn't make movies, and who cares what Intel picks? Intel doesn't make drives and hardly makes any software.

[Yoshi]

Microsoft still releasing software on CD and doesn't make movies, and who cares what Intel picks? Intel doesn't make drives and hardly makes any software.

Agreed. Intel can't even make better chips than AMD anymore. Why do I care what their media preference is? If anything, I hope this misstep on Microsoft and Intel's part opens the market to their further detriment.

[toxic]

Honestly, I think Intel and Microsoft choosing HD-DVD as the next PC format pretty much makes this contest over & done with. Not making Blu Ray writeable will end up being its downfall. Blu ray is unquestionably the better media, though.

http://www.macobserver.com/article/2005/09/29.11.shtml

Dell, HP Reiterate Support for Blu-Ray


On Tuesday, Microsoft and Intel publicly expressed their support for HD-DVD, the latest shot in the battle between that format and Blu-Ray, the one that Apple is behind. Dell and Hewlett-Packard, two of the companies also in the latter camp, on Thursday reiterated their support for Blu-Ray and cited inaccurate statements issued by Microsoft and Intel.

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I think having Dell and HP in your corner is more valuable, IMO.

[mollipen]

There are so many inaccuracies and false asumptions in this thread. Unfortunately, I'm too tired to correct them, so who gives a shit. Blu-Ray is the better format. Huzzah.

If they would like to announce that they as well are contemplating having no regional encoding, I'll be right there with you.

[SpoDaddy]

HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use almost identical technologies, and both can play DVD just fine.

They aren't almost identical (although they've gotten a lot closer now that HD-DVD's will use blue laser technology as opposed to red). HD-DVD is essentially a DVD with more physically compressed lines of data on it, manufactured for the most part exactly the same as a regular DVD. Blu-Ray is a new proprietary format that holds data differently, is more expensive to manufacture, but as of now can hold more data.

Acronyms do matter, the fact that "HD-DVD" has "DVD" in the title will make it appear far more friendly to the mainstream than "Blu-Ray".

[kedawa]

The only differences between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD technology are substrate thickness and pick-up aperture.
The drive technology and optics are otherwise identical, and any differences in codecs or security are purely a software issue.

If you want to see for youself, look here:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000623059130/

[mollipen]

They aren't almost identical (although they've gotten a lot closer now that HD-DVD's will use blue laser technology as opposed to red). HD-DVD is essentially a DVD with more physically compressed lines of data on it, manufactured for the most part exactly the same as a regular DVD. Blu-Ray is a new proprietary format that holds data differently, is more expensive to manufacture, but as of now can hold more data.

While that may be true, at the end of the day, the major factors are pretty much the same between them. Both will use h.264, Microsoft's VC-1, or MPEG2 for video compression. (h.264 and VC-1 - hopefully h.264 primarily - for HD content, MPEG2 to basically make "extra sized" DVDs.) Both will use pretty much the same set of encryption techniques, but with Blu-Ray tossing in an extra one. Both will deliver HD content at 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolution.

People keep making a big deal out of how Blu-Ray is going to be more expensive to produce, like it actually is a big deal. It isn't. At first, the price won't matter because it will be seen as the cost of starting a new technology. If Blu-Ray takes off, the price of producing the discs will go down, and it will become a non-issue. No matter what, consumers aren't going to see that extra cost, more than likely. No way in the world Blu-Ray discs will be more expensive than HD-DVDs... that would be suicide. As well, studios are already talking how the expected cost of next-gen movie discs is supposed to be $19 - $29, or about the same as DVD.

[SamuraiMoogle]

Blu-Ray. Just because its going into the PS3. If anyone thinks DVD would be where its at now without the PS2 is an idiot.

[Shin Johnpv]

Honestly, I think Intel and Microsoft choosing HD-DVD as the next PC format pretty much makes this contest over & done with. Not making Blu Ray writeable will end up being its downfall. Blu ray is unquestionably the better media, though.

I agree with this not so much intel but Microsoft, I could have sworn I read they wont be programing any support into the next version of Windows for Blue Ray, so I would assume people would need to install an external program to read any blue ray drives which just adds another layer of work and another layer that can go wrong, but I could be wrong on that part


now I havent kept up with it all in awhile but you say Blu-ray isn't writeable you mean I'm not going to be able to buy a blu-ray burner and make my own blu-ray discs?

if that is true then they lost right there, because HD-DVD is going to be all over the PC market, with burners and what have you, and people are going to want to be able to play theses discs on their home systems, (if they make home HD-DVD movies) so why buy a Blu-ray disc then