I saw blu-ray today

Pcar928fan said:

I totally agree w/ that! Eventually someone will just make a system that can handle both BR and HD DVD...then someone else will make a REALLY GOOD one and I'll buy that one!

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As of right now its not a matter of some company producing hardware that can playback both formats (that’s the easy part), it has to do with both camps HD DVD and Blu-Ray licensing a player for dual format support and Toshiba has already come out and publicly said that won’t happen.

fubar1764 said:

Pcar, nice ride!
Get an outboard scaler for your DVD player. The scaler will make your DVDs sing! And IMO, gets you about 80% visually to where HD dvds are.

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I once thought that too. If your comparing up-scaled DVD to over the air HD then I would agree. I have Time Warner Digital cable with the HD package, HD DVD and Blu-Ray is in my opinion 20% better then TWDC-HD. So IMO a scaled 480i DVD will give you 60% of what HD DVD and Blu-Ray can.

Depending on how bad the video scalier in your fixed pixel TV is, an external video scalar can greatly improve the picture. Having said that a scaled 480i source will never look as good as a true 1080p source can because you can’t add information that’s not there.

Best part, you don't have to part company with your current DVDs. I seriously doubt if we're going to take the plunge into HD dvds for another 10 years since we're so happy with our set-up. Until we can't find movies on DVD, we'll be keeping ours!

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Just because you buy an HD DVD or Blu-Ray player doesn’t mean you have to sell your DVD collection. All players from both formats will playback you current DVDs, I am re-buying some of my favorite movies on HD DVD and Blu-Ray but unless one format wins the war and takes over from DVD I wont be selling my current DVD’s off.

He has a Pioneer CRT RPTV, not a fixed panel tv. I am interested in what kind of processor you are using. I have considered this route myself since I have a five year old Mitsu CRT RPTV that does black better than any new tv I have seen, but I would also want to get interlacing for my cable box as well as my dvd player. But the draw of the plasma panel is strong!

Well here's some BIG news...

Zip3kx07 said:

As of right now its not a matter of some company producing hardware that can playback both formats (that’s the easy part), it has to do with both camps HD DVD and Blu-Ray licensing a player for dual format support and Toshiba has already come out and publicly said that won’t happen.

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Actually...I got a new copy of the Perfect Vision last night that had an article about just this subject. According to this article, Toshiba and Sony have both agreed to license the software and electronics, and in fact chipsets have already been developed by multiple companies and are available now. NEC's chipset handles 16 different formats. Manufacturers are working with them already. The current issue is in developing the mechanical drive mechanism to include multiple laser pickups (due to the different spectral frequencies required by the different formats) with different focal distances, but these are expected to be available soon as well.

According to this article we will see universal High Def DVD machines in 2007, and that they will be commonplace by 2008. The article is on page 12 of the January issue, titled "Hi-Def Format War Averted".

I still don't think that, even with universal players, both formats can be successful. They will either both coexist in a fringe market, much like DVD-A and SACD, or one will come out on top and replace DVD in the long run. Having a universal standard is pretty important to the public at large, I feel. I'm a techie, and just don't feel like I'd want to go out and spend money on a bunch of "beta-max-ish" type discs, that may not be supported and built upon a few years from now. It doesn't look like either side is going to back down, though...so unless one finds a way to get a clear advantage, I don't think either one will replace dvds any time soon.

Sung to the tune of Metallica's Last Caress:

I got something to say
I saw Blu-ray today and
It doesn't matter much to me
until it wins the format war

I got something to say
I saw Blu-ray today and
It doesn't matter much to me
until Sony replaces my root-kit CDs

Chorus:

These lovely HDTVs
Are waiting for your breath
'Cause sweet HD wants big money

Repeat verse 1
Repeat chorus twice

One Last upgrade today.
Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh (repeat)

MiTT said:

Actually...I got a new copy of the Perfect Vision last night that had an article about just this subject. According to this article, Toshiba and Sony have both agreed to license the software and electronics, and in fact chipsets have already been developed by multiple companies and are available now. NEC's chipset handles 16 different formats. Manufacturers are working with them already. The current issue is in developing the mechanical drive mechanism to include multiple laser pickups (due to the different spectral frequencies required by the different formats) with different focal distances, but these are expected to be available soon as well.

According to this article we will see universal High Def DVD machines in 2007, and that they will be commonplace by 2008. The article is on page 12 of the January issue, titled "Hi-Def Format War Averted".

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I dont see it happening, but we will see.